Chapter 9 – Night Raid

Night Raid Base

3rd POV

"I'm back, boss," announced Akame, a black-haired girl with a calm demeanor.

"Oh, welcome back, Aka—" The woman Akame referred to as 'boss' started to respond but paused, her gaze hardening. "Who's that beside you?"

Akame glanced at the person beside her and then back at her boss. "Her name is Rena. She's our new comrade," she said, her expression unchanged.

"And the chances of her being a spy?" The boss's voice was steady, her eyes never leaving Rena.

"Zero, boss," Akame replied, her gaze serious. The boss silently inspected Rena for a moment before closing her eyes and releasing a relieved sigh. When she opened them again, her expression had softened.

"Welcome to Night Raid, Rena. I'm Najenda, the leader of Night Raid. I welcome you with open arms," Najenda said, raising her green and black mechanical arm, her short silver hair catching the light. Her purple eyes, one hidden behind an eyepatch, conveyed a mixture of warmth and authority.

Akame broke into a rare smile as she glanced at Rena. "I welcome you too, Rena. Let's work hard together as comrades from now on."

But Rena, the new arrival, remained silent, glancing at the two people who had effectively forced her into their organization. She quickly grabbed Akame's shoulder, pulling her slightly to the side, away from Najenda's line of sight. In a whisper, she hissed, "Hey, I said we're comrades, but I never agreed to join your shabby organization. What the heck are you doing?"

"Eh? You're not joining?" Akame asked in shock, her expression slowly shifting to one of sadness.

Grunting in frustration, Rena scratched the back of her head furiously. "I just need to join right? fine geez..."

Akame's face lit up instantly, her earlier disappointment vanishing in a heartbeat. Together, they turned back to face Najenda.

"Before I officially join, explain everything about this organization to me," Rena demanded, crossing her arms.

"Eh? I thought you already knew, which is why Akame brought you..." Najenda replied, puzzled, as she glanced at Akame. Akame shook her head and explained, "No, we just met today."

"Are you sure she's not a spy?" Najenda asked, standing up, her suspicion evident.

"Absolutely. One hundred percent," Akame said confidently, giving a thumbs-up without a hint of doubt.

Sighing, Najenda sat back down and began to redo her inspection. A few moments later, Najenda began to explain the nature of Night Raid to Rena.

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"So, basically, a killer's organization," Rena said flatly, still crossing her arms.

"Were you even listening earlier?" Najenda sighed again, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. "Although, you're not entirely wrong. In the end, a killer is still a killer. We're an organization that takes lives, and we're prepared for our own lives to be taken as well in battle." She looked at Rena seriously and asked, "So, are you joining?"

Rena glanced at Akame, who maintained her emotionless façade. But Rena could sense the worry and anxiety hidden behind it, knowing Akame feared her rejection. With a sigh, she looked back at Najenda.

"Fine, I'll join," Rena agreed, crossing her arms and glancing sideways.

Najenda smiled and stood up. "Well then, Akame, show her around. I have some matters to attend to, so I'll leave her in your care." As Najenda walked toward the door, she stopped briefly and turned back. "And don't cause any trouble, okay?" With that, she disappeared from sight.

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Rena's POV

"This is the training area. It's also a great place to relieve stress after missions," Akame explained, guiding me through the space and pointing out various equipment.

"Hey, Akame! What's up?" A man's voice suddenly called out, drawing our attention.

"Bulat," Akame responded, greeting the tall, muscular man with combed-up black hair and blue eyes. He was shirtless, his well-defined muscles gleaming with sweat. I instinctively took a few steps back, hoping no one noticed.

"And who's this?" Bulat asked, his gaze shifting to me.

"Her name is Rena. Our new comrade," Akame replied.

"Oh, a new comrade?!" Another voice chimed in. A woman with short blonde hair, styled with two long tufts framing her face, appeared. She had golden eyes and wore a revealing outfit—a black tube top, detachable sleeves with gold bands, and a scarf around her neck.

"Leone," Akame acknowledged her. Leone then walked up to me, inspecting me from head to toe.

"Hmm," she muttered, nodding in approval. She moved as if to wrap her arms around me, but I quickly stepped back with a fast motion that looked like I just teleporting away. Bulat and Leone both looked shocked.

"Hey, hey, it seems like our new comrade is strong. Want to try a mock battle?" Bulat suggested, a smile playing on his lips despite the sweat beading on his forehead.

"I refuse. I don't engage in meaningless battles," I replied firmly, meeting his gaze.

"There, there. Rena, was it? Want to go to the capital with me? Let's say it's to celebrate our new Night Raid member. And, of course, it's my treat~" Leone said, winking at me.

"But Leone, I haven't finished showing Rena around our base," Akame interjected.

"Don't be like that, Akame. We can show her around the base anytime. Besides, if I remember correctly, don't you still have a mission to complete?" Leone countered.

"Yes, but I still need to—" Before Akame could finish, Bulat cut in, "Give it up, Akame. Once Leone makes up her mind, she won't listen."

"Hoh, you know me well, Bulat. As expected of you~" Leone praised, flashing a grin.

Knowing Leone was immovable, Akame looked at me, her gaze mirrored by Leone and Bulat, who were also waiting for my decision.

"So, what do you think, Rena? Let's go to the capital!" Leone urged, raising her fist in excitement. The capital, huh? Not a bad idea. I need more information about this world, and the capital is the perfect place for that.

I glanced at Akame, who looked emotionless but clearly wanted to continue showing me around. This again. You know that I'm terrible at dealing with situations like this. Sighing, I walked over to Akame, placed my hand on her head, and started rubbing it. Her expression changed from emotionless to surprised. I then turned to Leone and spoke, "To be honest, I want to go to the capital, but finishing the tour is my priority at the moment. So, let's just go to the capital tomorrow."

"Ehh, Is that so... well, if you still want to look around, I guess... It's unfortunate, but we can celebrate it tomorrow." Leone said, sighing at my decision. I glanced at Akame with one of my eyes closed and noticed Akame smiling, a hint of blush coloring her cheeks. Statisfied with my own decision, I started spoke, "You heard that, Akame? Let's see the rest of the base,"

"Un!" Akame replied with enthusiasm.