"Mine was captured by the Empire?"
This news genuinely surprised Haruto.
His hands, which had been comfortably resting and kneading the soft warmth of Mai's breasts through her blouse, instinctively withdrew.
Mai blinked, feeling a sudden, hollow emptiness where his heavy hands had just been.
Her body, now deeply accustomed to his touch and the lingering heat of their earlier encounters, squirmed restlessly in protest.
"Why'd you stop all of a sudden?"
"Look at you, you really are getting completely addicted,"
Haruto teased with a low, knowing chuckle, playfully pinching the tip of her delicate, flushed nose before gently lifting her off his lap and setting her onto a nearby dining chair.
"Akame's group is facing a crisis and needs help with a rescue mission. I need to step away for a bit," he said, leaning down to capture her lips in a soft, lingering kiss.
"And this time, you're coming with me."
Mai's dark eyes widened in genuine astonishment. "Wait, I can travel across different worlds too now?"
"Yes, exactly. Now that you bear my blessing and protection, it's time to stretch your new abilities and get a little combat practice,"
Haruto replied, a confident smile playing on his lips as he gazed at her transformed, alluring figure.
Without wasting another second, his consciousness focused on the system interface to review Akame's incoming trade request.
Attached to the plea for infiltration and rescue was Akame's most prized possession—her legendary Teigu, Murasame.
Haruto's eyes darkened with anticipation.
The capital of the Empire was about to experience a terrifying storm, and the bodies of its defenders wouldn't be the only ones thoroughly dominated before the night was through.
Shortly after, a glowing system notification popped up in the chat group interface, drawing the attention of all the members.
[Ding! Trade initiated!]
[Trade partner: Akame]
[Trade request: Infiltrate the Empire and rescue Mine.]
[Trade condition: One-Cut Killer: Murasame]
[Duration: 3 hours]
Stella: "So, Akame is making a trade request too?"
Frieren: "It seems she's trying to save someone from being executed."
Akame: "Yes. It's my comrade, Mine. She was captured by the Empire during a scouting mission."
Saeko Busujima: "I recall you previously mentioning Night Raid, the clandestine group of elite assassins."
Stella: "Oh, the group that operates from the shadows to punish the corrupt empire, right?"
Haruto: "@Saeko Busujima, @Ayame Yomogawa, @Mai Sakurajima, get ready."
Ayame: "Wait, we're all going too?"
Haruto: "That's right. Time for a little field trip."
Saeko Busujima: "My blade and body are ready anytime, Master."
Ayame: "Same here! I've been training hard."
Haruto: "Alright then, let's not waste any more time. Let's open the gate and step into the capital."
"Akame, who on earth is this mysterious help you keep talking about?" Leone finally blurted out, crossing her arms as she paced impatiently in the gloom of the dark forest clearing.
Night Raid was fully geared up, weapons polished and combat gear secured, waiting anxiously in the dead of night for the reinforcements Akame had promised.
Yet, aside from the rustling leaves, there was absolute silence. No footsteps, no signal flares, nothing.
The other members looked equally skeptical and confused.
Akame simply wasn't the type to mingle or forge alliances outside their underground circle, and none of them had ever heard her mention outside allies capable of taking on the entire capital.
Akame's calm red eyes suddenly shifted, her gaze locking onto the empty shadows stretching behind them. "They're here."
"!!!"
"Who goes there?!" Najenda and Bulat instantly snapped around, their combat instincts screaming as they dropped into defensive stances, weapons drawn in a fraction of a second.
To their absolute horror, a young man and three stunning women materialized right in the middle of their formation without making a single sound, as if they had stepped out of another dimension entirely.
Najenda's remaining eye narrowed into a sharp slit as she stared directly at the smiling Haruto.
A sudden, freezing drop of cold sweat trailed down her spine.
The suffocating, primordial pressure exuding from him was heavier and more terrifying than even General Esdeath's chilling aura—an unfathomable, overwhelming force of absolute dominance!
This man... is monstrously strong!
Haruto's cold, piercing gaze swept slowly across the assembled Night Raid members, sending an involuntary shiver down their spines.
The sheer weight in his eyes made them feel as though they had just narrowly brushed past the gates of death itself.
"Akame, aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?"
Haruto's gaze finally shifted, landing on Akame.
She stood there in her signature dark sailor uniform, her long raven-black hair framing her pale face and her striking red eyes holding that same unyielding, resolute expression he knew so well.
Akame nodded obediently. "These are my comrades from Night Raid—Najenda, Bulat, Leone, Sheele, and Lubbock."
She introduced each member one by one, though Haruto already knew every detail about them.
Statistically speaking, most of the Night Raid members hovered around Level 10; their true combat threat came almost entirely from the lethal powers of their Imperial Arms, or Teigu, rather than raw physical strength.
"Heh, it's nice to meet you all, Night Raid. As Akame undoubtedly told you, I'm the help she requested. You can call me Haruto," he said with an easy, confident smirk.
The Night Raid members exchanged cautious glances, their faces a mask of masked surprise and heavy wariness.
So the mysterious reinforcement is actually a group of civilians?!
Najenda gave a subtle, invisible hand gesture, signaling the others to ease their aggressive combat stances slightly, though they all kept their hands firmly near their respective Teigu.
Even with Akame vouching for him, the sheer anomaly of their sudden appearance kept everyone on high alert.
After all, his terrifying, suffocating presence was entirely too dangerous to ignore.
Stepping forward as the leader, Najenda adopted a formal, measured tone.
"Haruto-san, I don't mean to sound ungrateful or rude, but may I ask what faction or organization you and your companions represent?"
Haruto calmly slid his arm around Mai's slim waist, pulling her close against his side.
"These three women—Mai, Saeko, and Ayame—are with me. They're just here to take a little trip and see a new world."
Mai remained quiet, leaning into his touch and letting Haruto handle the diplomatic exchange.
Beneath her calm exterior, she was intensely curious about these people from a gritty fantasy world, but she knew precisely when to play her part and keep a low profile for her man's sake.
...Three gorgeous women accompanying him?
Najenda and the others were momentarily taken aback, though they didn't find it completely out of character.
Corrupt nobles in the capital often surrounded themselves with entourages, though Haruto and his companions clearly lacked the decadent, pampered aura of typical imperial aristocrats.
"As for what faction I represent," Haruto continued smoothly, his smile turning cryptic, "I don't belong to any faction. I'm operating purely as an independent individual."
He raised a finger and pointed directly at the silent assassin beside them. "I'm here simply because I made a mutually beneficial trade with Akame."
*****
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