One-cut killer-Demon Sword Murasame.
This was the powerful Teigu wielded exclusively by Akame, possessing the formidable ability to kill an enemy with a single cut, so long as it inflicted a wound.
However, wielding this demon sword required its bearer to erase all their emotions.
Only by remaining calm and rational at all times could they control its one-cut killing power.
In Akame's eyes, Ogre was merely a weakling who committed evil.
But the young man before her exuded an aura of death.
It was as though taking one step closer would mean being swallowed by the aura of the dead surrounding him.
Yet he himself was so indifferent, as though he disdained slaughtering his opponents. Akame felt that someone this powerful would never deceive her.
Even if he did, reason told Akame that this man was not someone she could defeat.
Letting out a long breath, Akame slowly said,
"Ogre colluded with the oil merchant Jamal, pinning all the merchant's crimes on innocent commoners, then taking a share of his profits. Surely you knew that."
"Do you have proof?"
"Of course. Both witnesses and physical evidence."
As she spoke, Akame took three wrapped photographs and a transaction list from beneath the wanted poster she carried. The photographs all showed Ogre conducting transactions with the oil merchant.
Looking at the photographs, Lin Feng had not expected that someone else had already accomplished what he wanted to do.
This really had come without any effort.
"The wife of a poor man Ogre killed went so far as to sell her body to raise the payment for hiring us, all to clear her husband's name. She provided all this evidence."
Akame spoke grimly.
"Do you think that counts as a reason for us to act? If so, please let me pass."
"Whether it's the evidence of the transactions, the evidence of Ogre's collusion with kidnappers, or the letters in which Ogre made false, slanderous accusations to his superiors, there's nothing wrong with any of it. He's an animal in human skin."
Yet as Lin Feng looked through the photographs Akame handed him, there was one he simply could not put out of his mind.
"These two condemned prisoners were also framed by Ogre and..."
"Of course. The witness also has records of exactly when they were killed."
In that photograph, a chestnut-haired couple let out nearly despairing wails.
Their surname was written across the chests of their clothes to make it easier for the executioner to keep count-
Ubiquitous.
"I understand. Leave Ogre to me."
"Leave him to you? How can I trust you? How am I supposed to answer to my organization?"
"The job you accepted probably just requires him to die, right?"
"That's right."
"You can report to your superior that you killed him yourself."
Lin Feng said,
"I can guarantee you that."
Looking out the window, Ogre was already nowhere to be seen.
Akame sighed helplessly, but she really did not want to clash with anyone outside her assassination list.
That was precisely why she had let two people escape while killing all three of those utterly wicked merchants with her sword.
"I hope so..."
Though it was a very emotional judgment, for some reason, she wanted to trust this young man once.
"Could you leave me a copy of this evidence?"
"I don't think I need it anymore."
Not just the evidence she had casually drawn out-Akame tossed almost all the documents she carried onto the floor, along with Ogre's photograph and portrait, then leaped down from the windowsill.
For professional killers like them, who had witnessed so much life, death, resentment, and gratitude, these things probably seemed utterly commonplace.
"Form Transformation-"
Lin Feng, the last person remaining in Ogre's office, also dissolved into a pool of shadow, mingling with the blood on the floor and flowing away into the distance.
Lin Feng did not want to run into anyone else after this.
The depths of night seemed to have been torn wide open. Sunlight settled softly over the eaves, and another day had arrived.
"Did you hear? Even Captain Ogre took the day off today!"
"Captain Ogre hasn't taken a day off in ten years, and now even he's on leave. He must be really sick-"
"A high fever? The flu?"
"I heard the captain just saved up his annual leave and decided to use it all at once!"
Before he even entered the station, Lin Feng heard the recruits preparing for morning exercises engaged in a heated discussion.
Normally, Captain Ogre was a man who held himself to extremely strict standards at work.
Although Captain Ogre rarely spent time with the station's members and often went out, he only did so after finishing the work at hand.
Lin Feng knew that Captain Ogre's leave must have something to do with last night's assassination attempt.
"Lin Feng... Captain Ogre asked me to tell you to meet him on Bar Street tonight, at the first tavern closest to the station."
After relaying Captain Ogre's message to Lin Feng, the blue-haired young man, Wave, prepared to hurry away.
"Did you see Captain Ogre this morning?"
"Yes. Strangely enough, he got up really early today. He told me all that and then left."
Wave also seemed to know nothing about Ogre. Apparently still having official business to attend to, he excused himself first.
"A bar...?"
Lin Feng did not know what Ogre was up to, but he felt that Ogre should not have noticed anything wrong with him last night.
After all, Akame had not broken into Ogre's office until long after he had left.
"Lin Feng!"
After Wave left, Seryu called out to Lin Feng from a distance.
"What's the matter?"
"You haven't done any combat training with me in ages. Let's have a round today! Master Ogre happens to be away, and I haven't been assigned any tasks!"
"Oh, come on, Seryu. You're already a veteran."
"I only got my Koro recently. I still need someone to spar with!"
Holding the adorable puppy-like Teigu in her arms, Seryu spoke playfully.
That works too... As long as I go see Ogre this evening, it'll be fine. Quickly getting familiar with a Teigu's power should come in handy later.
Lin Feng readily agreed to Seryu's request for training, though his mind was actually filled with thoughts of Ogre setting a trap.
Whatever happens, the time is almost ripe.
Margaret, the luxury bar closest to the station.
Ogre had settled into a booth here early.
He had stationed no assassins, bodyguards, or other guards either inside or outside the entrance, because he firmly believed that Akame would not attack him in a place like this.
Most of those who could afford to drink at a bar like this came from prominent families.
Night Raid could not indiscriminately slaughter these innocent people, but if they let even a few nobles and wealthy people escape, Night Raid would be shooting itself in the foot.