Starting with Fireflies, Speedrun the World

Clara searched these places one by one, and to her delight, she found a large sum of money.

That's an amount that ordinary people would never dare to dream of in several lifetimes.

None of the noble officials in the capital who are still living comfortably are good people; they have all gotten involved in those bloody and violent industries.

Clara didn't overlook any of the money, which was stained with the blood of others. She collected it all, even the most valuable items that were clearly visible.

These things will eventually become the raw materials for mechanical life, accelerating the destruction of this decaying empire.

Clara had one consideration: she was indeed not suited to be an emperor, but she could create a mechanical army as a backup.

The empire was corrupt, and the leaders of the resistance were not necessarily good people either.

They're just yet another group of ambitious people.

If the rebels overthrow the empire and rebuild the country, and it's still the same or even worse, then it would be better to let Schwarzschild establish a mechanical empire.

Just like Mr. Schwarzlo established a group of gold miners in the lower districts.

Of course, since they will leave sooner or later, this can only be considered as a backup option. When that time really comes, we can only think of other ways to replace Mr. Schwarz.

Just as Clara was taking stock of the stolen goods, several figures suddenly appeared outside the once peaceful mansion, standing in the void.

No, upon closer inspection, one can see that there are almost invisible fine threads beneath their feet.

This allowed them to stand in the air without leaving a trace.

There were five people here, three women and two men. Their appearance under the crimson moon and the pitch-black night officially marked the arrival of Night Raid, the most terrifying assassin organization in the capital.

"Night Raid" is known as a vicious criminal organization that has shaken the empire's rule.

In order to deal with the Imperial Army's regular forces and to eliminate the scourges that were harmful to the revolution, the Southern Revolutionary Army formed a killer squad of nearly 10 members to assassinate the Empire's crazed lackeys and collect Imperial Arms scattered throughout the country.

Each of them possesses superhuman strength; almost all of them are Imperial Arms users who wield immense power.

"The smell of blood is so strong. What happened here before we came?"

Smelling the strong stench of blood emanating from the mansion, Lubbock frowned, looking somewhat puzzled.

They decided to execute the family tonight only after confirming their evil deeds.

But it seems they arrived a step too late. Could it be that someone else got there before them and took care of the target?

That would be really interesting.

Besides their night raids, who else would target these noble officials?

"The stench of blood is so strong, are all those guys dead? Then our trip was a complete waste... Hey, Akame? What are you doing?"

Leone, who had transformed into a tiger-eared girl using her Imperial Arms, scratched her hair and grumbled. Beside her, Akame, a black-haired high school girl wielding a katana, jumped down and ran directly into the mansion.

Seeing Akame's actions, Leone called out to her, but the girl didn't answer at all. She just made a gesture in response and then disappeared without looking back.

Seeing this, Leone thought for a moment and then simply rushed in.

While worried about Akame being alone, he also wanted to confirm the target's fate. Oh well... this noble family seems quite wealthy; it wouldn't be unreasonable to ask for some help from them if possible.

Chapter 23 One strike is fatal, a mere scratch is death.

"Hey, Leone!"

"Honestly, how come they're all like this?"

Seeing that Leone had also chased after her, the twin-tailed girl holding the gun-type Imperial Arm Romantic Turret sighed helplessly.

However, she didn't chase after her. She was far superior to the archer, and it was safer for her to use her abilities in a secure place.

"I'll go check it out too. Lubbock, you stay here to protect Mine. Maybe the guys who took care of these people haven't left yet."

Brand held a weapon that looked like a spear.

This is actually a weapon that can summon armor, similar to the summoning and transformation armor of Armor Hero/Kamen Rider, and it has the characteristic of unlimited growth.

Judging from the smell of blood, the killing must have happened recently, and those people may not have left yet.

Although they share the same goal, it does not necessarily mean they are friendly.

The situation in the capital is unclear to everyone...

"ok, I get it."

Lubbock felt somewhat helpless upon hearing this, but he didn't act impulsively. His Imperial Arms was more suitable for defense and support than for taking the initiative to attack.

As long as the prey gets close to him, it will definitely be caught, which is also the best position to protect others.

Without another word, Brand entered the mansion...

The perspective shifts to Akame.

Upon entering the mansion, she smelled an even stronger stench of blood, indicating that the number of dead was far more than just one or two, but a vast number.

She looked at the corpses and blood at her feet; judging from the blood, it must have been less than a few hours ago.

However, none of that matters. What's important is confirming whether the target is alive or dead. It doesn't matter how many of these guards die.

As a professional assassin, Akame silently approached the inner courtyard of the mansion, then sensed something, instinctively gripped the hilt of her knife, and looked warily towards the side corner.

Then a huge figure appeared in front of her, causing the girl to quickly take a few steps back to create distance.

"...not human."

"mechanical……"

Looking at the figure before her, a very tall mechanical creation, Akame felt an extraordinary sense of danger.

Even the strongest opponent I've ever faced couldn't give me this sense of crisis.

This made Akame's gaze instantly turn serious, because she couldn't tell whether the mechanical creation in front of her was good or evil to her or Night Raid.

[Unknown individual creature detected approaching; target locked.]

When the raiders arrived at the mansion, Swallow had already detected someone rapidly approaching. They immediately identified the first individual to enter and began preparations for battle.

After all, the purpose of the visitor cannot be determined. If they are from the Empire, then battle must be fought.

[Individual life data analysis... Night Raid member, Akame.]

With his mechanical eye locked onto Akame, Schwarz quickly concluded that, based on the existing appearance and data analysis, the girl in front of him was most likely Akame from the beginning.

"Um?!"

Upon hearing the mechanical creation before him accurately state its origin, Akame's expression changed slightly, but it immediately returned to its icy demeanor.

Could this dangerous mechanical construct before us be the Empire's secret weapon?

"Step aside……"

A bad feeling crept into her heart, but Akame simply spoke calmly, and then slowly drew the katana from its sheath.

Although her goal was merely to ascertain the situation of the assassination target, those who obstructed her mission would not hesitate to act ruthlessly, especially since she was merely a mechanical construct.

[Danger scan, high danger level, fatal curse... Entry prohibited! Night raid, your target has been eliminated, we are not the enemy.]

Based on the information available, Swallow did not feel hostility towards Akame and was prepared to cooperate with them as Clara had chosen.

However, upon noticing Akame draw her sword and sensing the intense curse poison on her weapon, Swallow became wary.

While the portrayal in the storyline has some reference value, it cannot be completely trusted.

Therefore, he wouldn't let such a terrifying thing get close to Clara.

The Imperial Arms she wields is renowned as a cursed sword capable of killing with a single blow. A single strike is fatal; even a graze is fatal, with no cure. It was forged specifically for killing!

Its only weakness is that even the owner of the knife must be very careful when holding it, because if the owner is not careful and cuts their finger, it will be an instant death.

In addition, although it is powerful, the spell cannot work if it cannot directly hit the opponent in battle, so it has limitations.

It is also ineffective against corpses and dolls.

Besides, this Imperial Arm also has powerful secret techniques, but it cannot be used unless it is absolutely necessary. Using the secret techniques means abandoning one's human identity and becoming En no Ozunu, who kills one's closest relatives or friends.

"In that case, don't blame me."

Seeing that the mechanical construct in front of her wouldn't let her pass, Akame faintly heard the girl's voice and suspected that her target, Arya, was inside.

Although it's unclear what the mechanical creation before them actually is, the Rebel Alliance couldn't possibly possess such a creation; only the Imperial forces could.

It is highly likely one of the empire's secret weapons.

As she spoke, Akame strode away and instantly appeared in front of Swallow. Then, she drew her katana, which transformed into a beam of moonlight.

Dazzling yet deadly...

No living being dares to touch the blade of this knife; to do so is certain death.

Unfortunately, the blade was facing Schwarz, a mechanical creation that was not human.

Schwarz simply blocked her blade with a flick of his wrist; the demonic sword struck Schwarz's iron arm with only a piercing clang.

But this was not Akame's goal. The instant she drew her sword, she took the opportunity to bypass Schwarz without leaving a trace and rushed into the interior.

This mechanical creation is too dangerous, and her Imperial Arm has no advantage against it. How could Akame be so foolish as to fight it?

All she needed to do was determine if the girl inside was one of her targets.

But not long after, Akame stopped moving when she saw the girl inside.

"Not the target..."

She didn't recognize the white-haired girl in front of her, nor was she the one she was looking for.

Just as Akame was preparing to change locations, search other places, and then leave, she sensed danger behind her. Without thinking, she immediately swung her sword to fight back.

However, it had no effect. A huge, independent mechanical arm appeared beside her at some point and took her into its own hands!

[Keep away from Clara!]

"..."