"I will handle whatever it is you need. It’s a big sister job to care for her brother"— Shizuru Hoshino, Princess ect Re:Dive

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  They were positio least five kilometers away from Iokal's mansion.

  Ordinary sniper rifles couldn't reach that distance.

  Even if they could, accuracy would be a major issue.

  This was a challenging sniping mission.

  The Night Raid members waited in silence.

  "There he is!" Mine spotted Iokal through the scope of her Teigu, "Pumpkin."

  She pulled the trigger without hesitation.

  Bang!

  The gunshot echoed through the night.

  Iokal, ihe mansion, was instantly killed with a headshot.

  "Excellent shot," Roy praised.

  "Hmph! Of course," Mine replied, puffing out her chest with a proud smirk.

  "But the Wild Hunt assassins must have heard the gunshot. We should hide," Roy suggested.

  Mine nodded in agreement.

  They cealed themselves in a nearby tree.

  As expected, one of the Wild Hunt assassins soon arrived.

  "Damn it, they escaped! How am I supposed to expin this?" the assassin cursed, seeing no one around.

  "o expin anything."

  Bang!

  A voice rang out from behind the assassin, and a bullet pierced his back.

  However, the assassied with incredible agility, dodging the bullet.

  Even Mine was surprised.

  But she didn't stop. She fired again and again.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  The assassin, however, dodged every shot with impressive reflexes.

  Just as he was about to close in on Mine, anunsh out.

  A bullet forced the assassin back.

  Roy had fired the shot.

  He held a bck Light Gun, smoke curling from its barrel.

  Miared at Roy in surprise.

  She looked at his bck Light Gun, then at her own white one.

  The matg colors reminded her of couple items, and she blushed.

  "Don't just stand there. Take him down," Red.

  Mine snapped out of her daze.

  They both opened fire on the assassin, turning him into a target practice dummy.

  Roy wasn't serious, of course. He was just pying a shooting game with Mine.

  The assassin, uo approach them uheir relentless barrage, jumped and dodged frantically.

  Soon, he was riddled with bullets.

  "Target eliminated. Mission aplished!" Mine decred, twirling her Light Gun and holstering it, imitating Roy's earlier as.

  "Let's head back then," Roy said with a smile.

  They regrouped with Akame and the others auro the Night Raid headquarters.

  ...

  Life as an assassin wasn't all about missions. For the few days, they all took a break.

  Early one m, Roy saw But, shirtless and drenched i, training in the courtyard.

  "Yo, Roy! Want to join me for a workout?" But greeted him with a cheerful grin.

  "Uh... no, thanks. I have something to do," Roy deed awkwardly.

  But was known for his... tendencies, and Roy wasn't ied iing too close to him.

  "Roy, it's time to prepare breakfast," Akame said, approag him.

  "Oh, okay. Let's go then," Roy replied with a smile.

  Although Akame artnered with Saeko, she often sought out Roy to cook together.

  This wasn't because Roy was a better cook than Saeko. It was because she craved the delicious food he stored in his spatial magic.

  "Saeko, e join us for breakfast preparations," Roy invited, seeing her approach.

  "Sure," Saeko agreed with a smile.

  Soon, a delicious breakfast was ready.

  "Eh? Are Mine and Sheele still asleep?" Roy asked, notig their empty seats.

  "It's not unusual," Akame replied casually.

  As assassins, they often fought at night, so it was normal for them to sleep in.

  But they hadn't had any missioerday, had they?

  "I'll go wake them up. You guys start eating," Roy offered, getting up to rouse the two sleepyheads.

  He knocked on Sheele's door. "Hey, Sheele, wake up! Breakfast is ready!"

  "Mmm..." A faint groan was the only response.

  Roy, with his enhanced hearing as a Devil, could barely make out the sound.

  He opehe door.

  Sheele, a loose-fitting nightgown, y fast asleep, her curvaceous figure outlined beh the thin fabric.

  "Sheele, Sheele, wake up," Roy said, gently shaking her shoulder.

  "Mmm... is that Roy?" Sheele mumbled, her eyes fluttering open.

  However, she seemed disoriented, her gaze directed at the wall.

  Roy sighed inwardly.

  Nearsighted and airheaded... what a bination, he thought with amusement.

  "My gsses... where are my gsses?" Sheele sat up, fumbling around blindly.

  "Here." Roy picked up her gsses from the nightstand and hahem to her.

  "Thank you," Sheele said gratefully, putting on her gsses, oblivious to the fact that her nightgown had shifted, revealing more thaended.

  Roy helped her adjust her clothes. "Sheele, get up. Breakfast is ready. I'll go wake up Mine now."

  "Okay," Sheele replied with a dazed nod.

  Roy theo Mine's room and knocked.

  "Mine, wake up! It's time for breakfast!"

  Knock, knock, knock.

  "Let me sleep a bit longer... zzz..." Mine's muffled voice came from inside.

  Roy sighed and opehe door.

  Seeing Mine sprawled across the bed, he couldn't resist teasing her. He gently pulled her cheeks.

  "Mine, wake up!"

  "Ow!" Mine woke up with a yelp, her cheeks stinging.

  "Roy, you idiot..." She gred at him and instinctively bit his arm.

  "Haha, you missed!" Roy quickly pulled his arm away with a pyful grin.

  "I'll bite you to death!" Mine growled.

  "You should get dressed first. I'll be waiting in the dining room," Roy said, gng at Mine's exposed figure, then quickly left the room.

  Mine looked down and realized her nightgown had ridden up, exposing her.

  Her face flushed crimson, and she let out a scream.

  She wao bst Roy with "Pumpkin," but he had already escaped.

  ...

  After a while, Sheele and Mine finally arrived at the dining room, fully dressed.

  Mine gred at Roy, but there was nothing she could do.

  "I want milk!" she decred, smming her hand oable.

  She couldn't fight him, so she demanded milk as pensation.

  Roy was surprised by her request but readily agreed. He had plenty of milk.

  "Here you go." He pced a small bottle of milk oable before her.

  "Hmph!" Miurned away, taking the milk and drinking it.

  Everyoared at Roy expetly.

  "This is for Akame..." Roy said, realizing he had iently triggered a rea. He quickly gave everyone a bottle of milk.

  "Roy is being awfully o Mine. Does he have a thing for her?" Chelsea teased, taking a sip of her milk.

  "W-What are you talking about?!" Mied, her face flushed.

  "It's true," Chelsea shrugged.

  "Hmph! If anything, he's o Akame," Mine tered.

  Everyohought about it and realized she was right.

  Roy always gave Akame whatever food she requested.

  Akame, who had been enjoying her breakfast, paused, her cheeks reddening slightly. She quickly resumed eating.

  "Ahem, it's only natural to be o everyone," Roy expined awkwardly. He then swiftly snatched the lollipop from Chelsea's mouth.

  "Too much dy will rot your teeth," he said, popping the lollipop into his mouth and biting it.

  "Eh?" Chelsea was stuhen blushed.

  "Haha, well done, Roy! Are you pnning to build a harem?" Leone ughed, spping Roy's shoulder.

  Roy's lips twitched.

  'Leone, although that is my pn, you don't have to annou to everyone!' he thought, exasperated.

  "Don't worry, Leone. I won't fet about you either," Roy said, gritting his teeth pyfully.

  "Eh?" Even Leone, with her bold personality, was taken aback.

  But then, her smile vanished.

  "If we all survive until the end, perhaps I'll agree," she said quietly.

  Her words brought a somber silence over the room.

  They were assassins, living a dangerous life.

  They could die at any moment. Romance seemed like a distant dream.

  Roy sighed.

  'Leone, you really know how to kill the mood.'

  He stood up and cpped his hands.

  "Don't worry, everyone. As long as I'm here, no one will die. I promise."

  His fidence seemed to reassure them.

  But also stood up. "Well said! No one will die!"

  "Hmph! Such arrogance. But I won't die so easily either!" Mine decred with a tsundere huff.

  The atmosphere lightened up again.

  "Ouch! Roy, you hit me quite hard," Leone pined, rubbing her shoulder.

  "Hmph! Serves yht for ruining the mood," Mine said with a smug grin.

  ...

  After breakfast, they gathered in the courtyard.

  Saeko had challenged Akame to a spar, and Akame had accepted.

  They were both skilled swordswomen with simir fighting styles.

  Everyone knew how strong Akame was, but they were curious about Saeko's true strength.

  They were all ied in this match, even Najenda.

  "Akame, please."

  "Likewise."

  Saeko initiated the duel.

  "Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderd Fsh - Eightfold!"

  Saeko went all out from the start. She could sense Akame's strength.

  Akame was a High-Css.

  However, sihis ar, they were using wooden swords.

  Without her Teigu, Akame's strength was signifitly reduced.

  Saeko, oher hand, had no oris. But she was only at the peak of Middle-Css Devil.

  Their strength was roughly equal in this situation.

  Saeko's form blurred with lightning, and she appeared before Akame in an instant.

  Csh! Csh! Csh!

  Their movements were incredibly fast.

  The intense and evenly matched battle thrilled the Night Raid members.

  "Go, Akame!"

  "Go, Saeko-san!"

  "Saeko-san is s!"

  "Yeah, Akame has always been our ace, but Saeko-san is just as powerful."

  "But Akame is at a disadvahout her Teigu."

  "Is that lightning Saeko-san's Teigu?"

  ...

  The Night Raid members discussed the match excitedly.

  Both girls were exceptionally talented. Although Akame couldn't use her Teigu, her years of experien life-or-death battles gave her an edge.

  However, Saeko had the advantage of speed and the versatility of Thunder Breathing.

  Teigu users, oher hand, relied heavily oeigu for their special abilities.

  Akame struggled to keep up with Saeko's diverse teiques.

  "Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderd Fsh - Godspeed!"

  This teique drastically increased Saeko's speed and attack power.

  A fsh of lightning, and Saeko appeared behind Akame.

  Akame's wooden sword was ly sliced in two.

  "I lost," Akame admitted, turning to face Saeko.

  "Akame, you couldn't use your Teigu. I had the advantage. If you had used your Teigu, I might not have won," Saeko said modestly.

  Before mastering the O Killer: Murasame, Akame's strength was only at the early stage of High-Css Devil.

  But Saeko also had a trump card: the Demon Syer Mark.

  Activating the Mark would signifitly enhance her physical abilities, allowie the gap in strength.

  She could even fight a High-Css Devil with the Mark activated. In the end, their strength was roughly equal.

  "Cp, cp, cp!"

  "That was an amazing fight!" Najenda praised, g her hands.

  "It's reassuring to have a rade like Saeko-san. Unlike someone..." Mine g Roy with a hint of disdain.

  "Roy is very strong!" Akame defended him.

  "Yes, Roy is far strohan me," Saeko added.

  The Night Raid members looked at Roy in disbelief.

  "Ahem, keep it down, keep it down. Just know that as long as I'm here, no one will die," Roy assured them with a wave of his hand.

  "That would be ideal," Najenda agreed.

  "Hmph!!" Mine scoffed, though she couldn't help but feel reassured by his words.

  Chelsea and the others were curious about Roy.

  If he was incredibly powerful, why had they never heard of him before?

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