Chapter 402 - Wood's Passionate Words

Hearing Wood's words, Akame hesitated only for a brief moment before glancing at Tatsumi. Without questioning further, she dashed past them to continue her pursuit of Aria, their primary target. To Akame, Wood was a trusted comrade, and whatever he said was enough for her to follow without argument.

Seeing Akame heading off to kill Aria, Tatsumi tried to stand and chase after them, but Wood quickly placed a firm hand on his shoulder, holding him back.

"Kid, I just saved your life from Akame's blade, and you don't even say thanks? Instead, you want to go throw yourself into danger again? I get that you're strong, but you're no match for Akame. If she takes you seriously, you'll be dead before you know it," Wood said, his tone filled with a mix of humor and genuine concern.

Wood couldn't help but feel a hint of appreciation for Tatsumi's determination. There was something genuine about the way the boy rushed to save someone he believed in, despite everything. It was exactly this quality that made Wood unwilling to let Tatsumi blindly charge off and get himself killed.

"Even if it means my death, I can't just stand by! Aria and her family were kind to me. Why are you doing this? Why kill and destroy them? You're just like demons!" Tatsumi shouted, his frustration boiling over. The events since arriving in the capital had shattered all his previous ideas of how the world worked.

"Demons, huh? So, you see us as villains?" Wood mused, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Tatsumi didn't deny it. After all, Akame and Wood were obviously working together. The massacre he witnessed, Akame's cold expressions as she cut down their enemies, the way Wood tricked him out of his money—everything pointed to them being villains. On the other hand, Aria's family had shown him kindness, taking him in when he had nowhere else to go. To Tatsumi, it was clear who was right and who was wrong.

"Kid, what you see isn't always the truth. Those who seem righteous might be hiding something much darker beneath the surface, and those who seem evil might not be what they appear. Remember, I swindled you out of your money the moment you arrived in the capital. How quickly you trusted me then," Wood said, his tone almost teasing.

Tatsumi wanted to retort, but before he could respond, a tall, voluptuous figure suddenly dropped down beside them. With little effort, she grabbed Tatsumi by the collar, lifting him off the ground.

"Wood, you're wasting too much time explaining. Why not just show him what true darkness looks like?" said Leone, now transformed by her Imperial Arm, "Lionelle." She had shifted from a blonde beauty to a wild beast-like form—an imposing woman with golden ears and a powerful lion-like tail.

Lionelle was a belt-type Imperial Arm that gave Leone beast-like features, dramatically enhancing her physical capabilities, her senses, and even her regenerative abilities. In this state, she could easily carry Tatsumi while dashing at full speed.

Despite Tatsumi's initial struggle, Leone's arm squeezed him tightly, leaving him no choice but to stop resisting. It wasn't that he wanted to give up, but being wedged between Leone's ample chest made it difficult for him to even breathe—much less struggle.

When Wood and Leone arrived in the mansion's backyard, they found Akame standing over the bodies of Aria's slain guards, her sword dripping with blood. Aria, with nowhere left to run, looked desperate, her eyes filled with terror.

Seeing Leone appear with Tatsumi, Aria suddenly found a last glimmer of hope. Tears welled in her eyes, and she pleaded, "Tatsumi, save me! I don't want to die!"

Hearing Aria's cry for help, Tatsumi, driven by a sense of justice, broke free from Leone's grip, rushing to her side. He stood in front of Aria, shielding her from Akame.

Akame's brow furrowed as she looked at Tatsumi, visibly annoyed by his interference. She opened her mouth, likely to order him to move, but Wood spoke first.

"Tatsumi, you seem convinced that we're villains, that we kill for no reason. Look behind you at that door," Wood said, pointing to a large wooden door at the back of the mansion. "Open it, and you'll understand everything. But I warn you—what lies behind that door is the true darkness of the Empire. If you're not prepared, it might be better not to look."

Tatsumi hesitated but turned to look at the door. It seemed to lead to a large storeroom. Despite his skepticism, Tatsumi thought Wood had no reason to lie—if Wood had intended to kill him, he could have done so already. There was no need for elaborate tricks.

"Tatsumi, don't listen to them! They're nothing but ruthless killers! Please, just protect me!" Aria cried, her voice filled with panic as she grabbed at Tatsumi's arm, trying to stop him from moving towards the door.

Wood moved in a flash, slapping Aria's hand away and sending her sprawling to the ground. "Ruthless killers? Compared to what you've done, we're as harmless as lambs."

With a creak, Tatsumi pushed open the door, and immediately a wave of putrid stench hit him. Inside, he saw what could only be described as a living nightmare. The large storeroom was not a storage space at all—it was a gruesome slaughterhouse, filled with rotting bodies in various states of decay. Some had just recently died, while others had clearly been hanging for a long time, turned into mummified husks.

Tatsumi's stomach churned, and he felt bile rising in his throat. But the worst was yet to come. Among the dead, Tatsumi recognized two familiar faces—Sayo and Ieyasu, his childhood friends.

Sayo had been skinned, her body mutilated beyond recognition. Ieyasu, barely clinging to life, managed to whisper the truth about Aria's family and their sadistic crimes before succumbing to his injuries.

As Ieyasu breathed his last, Tatsumi could no longer deny the truth. The family he had seen as his benefactors were monsters, their kindness nothing but a mask to hide their vile nature.

Seeing her crimes exposed, Aria's demeanor shifted. No longer pleading, she sneered at Tatsumi, her voice dripping with malice. "We are the elite of the Empire! People like you—filthy commoners—exist to entertain us! That girl, Sayo, thought she could look better than me? She deserved what happened to her!"

Before she could say anything more, Tatsumi's blade was already moving. In one swift motion, her head flew from her shoulders, her life ending in an instant.

Tatsumi didn't feel any remorse. He only felt a cold satisfaction, as if he had put down a beast. Aria may have looked like a human, but her actions had proven otherwise.

With Aria dead, Night Raid's mission was complete. All members of the corrupt family, including their guards, had been eliminated. Some had tried to escape, but Mine, positioned at a distance, took care of them with well-placed shots.

With their mission finished, the members of Night Raid gathered in the mansion's backyard, discussing what to do with Tatsumi. Lubbock and Akame argued that Tatsumi had seen their faces and couldn't be trusted—either they had to kill him or find a way to detain him. Mine and Sheele remained neutral, while Bulat and Leone supported Tatsumi, saying he seemed like a decent person.

With Night Raid split on the matter, the decision fell to Wood, who stood between the two sides.

Wood looked down at the defeated Tatsumi, who knelt on the ground, too exhausted to fight or even react. His friends were dead, and his entire worldview had shattered.

"Hey, kid," Wood said, surprising everyone. "How about joining us?"

"Wait, what?! Are you serious?" Mine protested. The pink-haired sniper was indignant. "This guy got tricked twice in a single day! He's weak! He's clueless! He'll just drag us down!"

Wood shrugged off her complaints. "Why not? I see potential in this kid. Sure, he might not be that strong yet, but I think he has the guts to grow. One day, he might even surpass us all. Besides, I took his money—I might not be able to get him into the Empire's military, but I could at least recommend him to join us."

Leone laughed, giving Tatsumi a thumbs up. "I agree! The kid's got fire in his eyes. Plus, we already took his money; we owe him this much."

She walked over to Tatsumi and offered him her hand. "Well? You've seen the Empire's darkness now. Want to join us and tear it all down?"

Tatsumi hesitated. The invitation was more than he could have hoped for. After seeing his friends die, after learning what really happened in the capital, he wanted nothing more than to rip away the filth that had taken them from him. But he also felt a pang of insecurity. These people were so powerful, so capable—what could someone like him possibly offer?

"Do I even deserve to be here?" Tatsumi asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Wood stepped forward, his eyes filled with intensity. "Your birth doesn't define you. What defines you is what you choose to do from here on out. If you can't even muster the courage to take this step, how will you ever get stronger? How will you ever reach your dreams?"

Wood's passionate words struck Tatsumi like a jolt. The doubt in his eyes was replaced by determination as he reached out to take Leone's hand. "I want to join. I want to destroy the Empire's darkness!"

With Leone and Wood both backing Tatsumi, the final decision lay with Bulat. The muscular man stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on Wood's shoulder. "Well said, Wood. You're a true man. And you, Tatsumi, welcome aboard. I believe in your potential too. One day, I expect you'll be stronger than any of us."

With three votes in favor, Tatsumi was temporarily accepted into Night Raid. Whether he would stay would depend on Najenda, the group's leader, and her final decision.