Tatsumi and Orge walked into an isolated alley, away from the bustling, crowded main street.
Tatsumi and Leone's plan was simple: lure Orge to a dark place and kill him. At this moment, the Captain had no bodyguards around him.
Tatsumi was the one who suggested using himself as bait and that he would also be the one to deal with Orge. Of course, Leone protested but somehow eventually conceded, allowing him to execute the plan alone. However, she had to stay nearby to monitor the situation for any unexpected trouble.
"The Boss is going to kill me."
Leone thought to herself, watching Tatsumi and Orge from a distance, her entire body tense, ready for any eventuality.
"I can't sense anyone else's presence."
Orge walked behind Tatsumi, his eyes darting around, observing his surroundings. He shouted.
"Hey kid, this place is good enough."
"Yes...."
Whoosh!
Tatsumi's blade sliced across Orge's abdomen, so fast that the Captain didn't even have time to draw his sword.
"This speed... and this power..."
"I can't believe someone would challenge me like this...."
Orge collapsed, blood pouring out, forming a small puddle beneath his abdomen. Tatsumi let out a breath. This was his first sneak attack, and he was quite nervous. Fortunately, the Captain was quite careless, allowing him to succeed.
Tatsumi turned to leave. He wanted to quickly exit this place to report to Leone. He didn't realize that behind him, a large dark figure was groggily struggling to stand up. Orge was not dead after all.
This was due to Tatsumi's lack of experience fighting other people. It was an extremely fatal flaw in a life-or-death battle. Orge was careless, and Tatsumi was also careless.
Sensing a sudden danger behind him, Tatsumi's pupils contracted. Instinctively, he spun around and swung his sword up to block, intercepting the swordsman Orge's horizontal slash.
Clang!!
The sound of clashing metal echoed in the alley. Tatsumi was knocked back over ten meters. Luckily, he didn't lose his balance, yet his sword-holding hand was still trembling, feeling the pain from the impact.
Clang!! Clang!! Clang!!
Orge charged forward, his sword delivering vertical strikes with great force, forcing Tatsumi to painfully fend them off.
"What were you thinking!!!"
"A kid like you can take down this great Orge!!"
Clang!!
With an extremely powerful downward cleave, Tatsumi was knocked away, rolling several times on the ground.
"I bet you're part of that rebellious organization opposing the Empire. What was it... Night Raid? You're a member of Night Raid, aren't you?"
"Damn it!"
Tatsumi used his sword to push himself up, his eyes sharply focused on Orge. The Captain sneered at his resistance.
"You, and your whole organization, are meaningless. Why the hell do you care about those common folk? Here, the strong are king!! Your actions won't change anything!!"
"I am the one with the power to decide the fate of the weak! And those who dare to judge that will have their heads chopped off by me!!"
"Shut up, you damned bastard!!!"
Clang!!!
In a surge of anger, Tatsumi charged. The two swords slashed at each other, creating sparks in the air. He quickly changed his stance, continuously striking out with his blade. This time, he was fighting almost on par with Orge, even though the Captain was now using his full power.
But only a few seconds later, Tatsumi began to tire. His sword and Orge's were locked in the air. Tatsumi bent low, as Orge's stance grew heavier and heavier.
Crack!! Crack!!
The stone pavement under his feet shattered from the pressure. Tatsumi could only raise his sword to block. Orge completely overpowered him in terms of strength.
"Who sent you to kill me?"
"If I remember correctly, was it that bastard's fiancée, the one I used as a scapegoat?"
"So it was that slut!! I should have dealt with her sooner."
"Ah, no, it's not too late now. After I kill you, I'll find her and her family, then kill every single one of them in front of that slut, so she knows the consequences of messing with the great Orge!!"
But at this moment, Orge was distracted for half a second. Although short, it was enough for Tatsumi to seize the opportunity and break the deadlock. His sword successfully shifted from defense, narrowly dodging Orge's sword, which struck the ground.
"I will eliminate... all trash like you!!!"
As the words left his mouth, Tatsumi's sword slashed diagonally across Orge's body, then followed up with a symmetrical strike on the opposite side. This time, it was Orge's turn to be terrified. He regretted his carelessness, but death completely enveloped the cruel Captain.
"Sayo, Ieyasu, thank you for giving me strength."
Tatsumi knelt down. He was nearly exhausted after this fight. Not only that, but both his wrists and arms were aching.
"Damn it... I need to get out of here..."
"Well done! Little Tatsumi!!"
Leone jumped out and supported him. Tatsumi could only smile bitterly. He realized how naive he still was. If it had been the other members of Night Raid, the battle would have ended immediately after the first successful strike.
"Don't praise me, Big Sis. I'm nothing yet."
"Haha, don't be so humble, kid. Honestly, for someone untrained like you to act so decisively, you've exceeded my expectations. Now, let's head to Night Raid and meet the Boss and the other members. With a successful recruitment, I wonder what the Boss will reward me with?"
"Boss? You guys have a leader?"
"Of course. On the surface, Night Raid is an assassin organization, but it's more than that. You'll find out the specifics when you meet the Boss."
"Ieyasu, pack your things. We'll leave early tomorrow morning. Otherwise, if the checkpoints become strict again, it will be a bit troublesome."
...
"Yeah... so Tatsumi is gone?"
"Yes, this is the path he chose. And it looks like Tatsumi succeeded in his first step."
"Is that so... that's good..."
Ieyasu lowered his head. Like Asahi, he silently wished his friend well. However, he couldn't help but feel sad.
Asahi could only pat Ieyasu's shoulder to comfort him. What would become of him later, only time could tell.
"Don't be too sad. You'll recover in just one year. Then you can get back to business. You might even run into Tatsumi when you come back up here."
"That's right, just one year. Master Ieyasu will return! Tatsumi, just you wait."
Ieyasu clenched his fist, looking up with a determined expression.
"Alright, go to sleep early."
"Yes!"
...
"That was very impressive, Leone. However, you still have to face the punishment."
In the meeting room at the Night Raid base, only Leone and the Boss were talking. Leone had reported everything about the mission tonight, including the fight between Tatsumi and Orge.
Leone could only accept the punishment the Boss handed down; after all, she was truly at fault this time. She didn't know how she was tricked into letting an inexperienced kid like Tatsumi take on a mission.
"But... Boss, he's not bad, right?"
"Alright, Leone, so you do have an eye for talent, is that it? I admit that I underestimated this young man, Tatsumi."
Leone was still staring intently at the Boss, her eyes shining, forcing the Boss to turn away, waving her hand to dismiss her. Leone finally gave up.
"No punishment then? Excellent mission completion."
"Hehe, thank you, super Boss!"
"The others will be back tomorrow. Remember to bring young Tatsumi to meet them."
"Understood!"