At dawn, the first rays of sunlight pierced the lingering haze over the Imperial Capital, casting pale light across the vast yet decaying city.
Inside the headquarters of the Imperial Capital Security Forces, the air was frigid with tension.
"Still no contact?!"
The vice-captain slammed his palm onto the table, his face dark as thunder.
The intelligence officer before him was drenched in sweat, voice shaking. "V–Vice-Captain, sir! The entire First Battalion—Captain Ogre included—over three hundred personnel… all contact was lost after they departed last night. No survivors have reported in. No bodies have been found."
The vice-captain sucked in a sharp breath.
Ogre the Ghost—one of the Capital's strongest frontline officers—had led three hundred fully armed elites. Vanishing overnight was unthinkable.
"Investigate!" he barked. "Mobilize every informant we have. Find out where they went last night!"
Moments later, a scout burst into the room.
"Report! We've confirmed it!"
"Captain Ogre received a distress signal from Aria's estate last night and led his unit there. Patrols reported thunderous detonations and flashes lighting the sky."
The scout swallowed, fear plain on his face. "At daybreak, we approached the perimeter. The entire front courtyard… is scorched earth. Nothing remains but blackened ash. Captain Ogre and his men… are presumed dead."
"What?!"
The vice-captain staggered, nearly collapsing.
Three hundred elites—erased in the heart of the Capital, without a single body left behind.
"This isn't the work of common criminals," he growled. "It has to be Night Raid. Report to the Minister immediately!"
He rushed for his horse.
---
Imperial Palace — Throne Room
The young Emperor lounged on the dragon throne, absentmindedly nibbling pastries. Below, the Empire's true ruler—the Minister—ate messily, grease staining his ornate robes.
The vice-captain knelt and delivered his report in a trembling rush.
The throne room fell silent, save for the sound of chewing.
With a sudden motion, the Minister hurled a greasy bone down. It struck the vice-captain's forehead with a crack, blood spilling as the man pressed his head to the marble floor.
"Useless trash," the Minister snarled. "A few hundred dead and you panic? The Capital Security Forces swallow mountains of funding—are you all decorations?"
The Emperor looked up, puzzled. "Minister, Night Raid seems very bold. What should we do?"
The Minister's face instantly softened. "Your Majesty needn't worry. They're nothing but rats."
He turned back, eyes cold. "Mobilize everything. Surround that estate. Seal it so tight not even a drop of water gets through. Dig if you have to—find them and execute them on the spot."
"Yes! Yes, sir!"
The vice-captain fled, drenched in cold sweat.
Soon, thousands of armed troops surged toward Aria's estate like a black tide of steel.
---
Aria's Estate — Master Bedroom
Morning light spilled through towering windows, illuminating a room left in utter disarray. Broken furnishings and shattered weapons bore silent witness to a night of violent conflict.
Uchiha Tobirama opened his eyes, expression calm.
He rose without haste, as though completely unburdened by the chaos left behind. Despite the prolonged battle and the suppression of multiple opponents, his breathing was steady, his posture relaxed—untouched by fatigue.
Around him, the members of Night Raid stirred awake.
Leone winced as she moved, pain flooding her limbs. Akame, Mine, and Najenda followed, each falling into grim silence as memories of the night returned—of utter defeat, of resistance crushed beyond hope.
Their strength, their pride, their convictions—none had mattered.
At the edge of the bed lay Seryu.
She stared blankly at the ceiling, eyes empty. Her mentor, Ogre, was dead—killed in an instant. The justice she had believed in had been shattered completely.
She wanted to scream, to die—but her body refused to respond. Even that choice had been taken from her.
Her spirit was broken.
"Awake already?"
Tobirama's voice cut through the silence, lazy and cold.
Seryu flinched, curling in on herself.
He regarded her with detached amusement. "Justice… faith… pride. You clung to them so tightly. And yet they couldn't save you."
She bit her lip, tears sliding down her cheeks.
"I can't kill you," she whispered hoarsely. "But I curse you… monster…"
He merely chuckled.
Before he could say more, the morning was shattered by gunfire and amplified shouts from outside the estate.
"You are completely surrounded by the Imperial Capital Security Forces! Surrender immediately!"
The women's faces changed in unison.
Tobirama turned toward the windows, irritation flashing across his eyes.
"Persistent insects," he muttered.
He stood, slipping on a robe without concern, and looked out over the approaching army.
"They won't even allow a quiet morning."
A cruel smile touched his lips.
"Fine. If they're so eager to rush toward their end… I'll grant them that mercy."
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