In the darkness, more than thirty men and women emerged from a building.
Every one of them possessed considerable skill—people worthy of being called the strong.
Yet despite that reputation, some among them looked dissatisfied.
"Seriously, why do we have to go up against Blood Blade? Nina's being way too cautious."
A still-young man—whose apparent age wasn't far from Rei's—spoke with visible dissatisfaction.
Another man nearby, dressed in expensive clothing ill-suited to the Slum District, spoke as if reasoning with him.
"Rondo, Nina's judgment has never been wrong before, has it? This is her decision. Can you not trust that?"
"Zuwaisu!? Ah, no. That's not what I..."
Rondo, called out by the man named Zuwaisu, hastily shook his head.
There was no doubt they both belonged to Fusetsu, but the difference in tenure between Rondo and Zuwaisu was significant.
Zuwaisu had been with Fusetsu for nearly five years and possessed some of the highest combat skill in the organization, whereas Rondo had only been a member for about half a year.
Moreover, Zuwaisu had looked after Rondo in various ways.
"Nina judged that if she fought Crimson head-on, the organization would be annihilated. She chose to negotiate with someone possessing such overwhelming power in order to preserve us. I believe in Nina."
"I—it's not that I don't trust her either. Even so, when it comes to making an enemy of Blood Blade..."
Blood Blade was smaller in scale than Fusetsu.
However, that was only in comparison to Fusetsu, which boasted the largest force in Egginis. In an ordinary city, they would unquestionably be called the largest.
For Fusetsu, Blood Blade was a lesser organization, but by no means one to be taken lightly.
Victory was certain, but it would likely be a battle from which Fusetsu could not expect to emerge unscathed.
Was it really necessary to go that far? It was a natural question.
Had they actually seen Rei, perhaps they wouldn't have been able to voice such complaints. Unfortunately, not many within Fusetsu had seen Rei in person.
Zuwaisu, one of the few who had, considered Nina's decision only natural.
No—he even thought it remarkable she had managed to steer things this far from a future where annihilation was the only outcome.
"In any case, for Fusetsu to survive, we have no choice but to destroy Blood Blade, hand over the information about whoever ordered Crimson's assassination, and surrender the treasures Blood Blade has hoarded. Any other outcome leads only to total ruin."
With Zuwaisu stating it so definitively, Rondo could no longer argue.
The other assassins, listening to their exchange, apparently had their own thoughts, but only exchanged brief words with those nearby.
And so Fusetsu's group proceeded through the Slum District... before long, a single building came into view.
Like Fusetsu's headquarters, what stood above ground was a building typical of the Slum District.
Its true nature, however, lay underground.
Some assassin guilds built fine houses above ground to use as bases, but such a setup inevitably attracted attention.
Egginis, with its large population, had many Slum District residents in turn.
Though not to the same degree as Gilm, people fell into the Slum District on a near-daily basis.
If a luxurious building stood there, newcomers to the area, unaware it was an assassin guild's base, might attempt to break in and steal.
Dealing with such intruders was troublesome, which was why these buildings were often made to look shabbily constructed.
Of course, some guilds deliberately maintained lavish mansions for precisely that purpose—using would-be thieves as practice targets for killing, or pressing them into service as servants.
Nor was this practice limited to assassin guilds; other underworld organizations did the same.
Such differences likely came down to the character of each organization.
And Blood Blade, like Fusetsu, was apparently the type that preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble.
"Halt."
The figure leading Fusetsu's assassins gave the order as Blood Blade's base came into view.
At those words, the assassins stopped.
That said, their movements varied from person to person. Had anyone been watching, they might have questioned whether these were truly first-class assassins.
But assassins fundamentally operated as individuals.
Moving as a group like this was in itself extremely unusual.
Viewed in that light, their lack of synchronization was only to be expected.
That said, a lack of synchronization did not mean their skills were lacking.
As befitted members of Fusetsu, everyone possessed a commensurate level of skill.
"Alright, Dejimera, go scout. Given the situation tonight, they probably aren't expecting an assault. But since Crimson Rei entered the Slum District, it wouldn't be surprising if they maintained some level of vigilance."
"Got it. Hang on a sec."
With those words, the woman named Dejimera vanished from the spot.
An assassin... or rather, if Rei had seen her, he might well have thought a ninja?—such was the nature of her movement.
"Until Dejimera returns, prepare for combat. And don't forget we're moving as a group this time. Attacks that could catch allies in the crossfire are forbidden. We'll also need to search Blood Blade's base after the battle, so avoid damaging the building as much as possible. If this assault fails, Fusetsu could be annihilated by Crimson Rei in the worst case."
At those words, several assassins—those who knew Rei only by rumor and assumed those rumors had been embellished over time—showed expressions of surprise.
It was likely hard for them to believe that the figure leading them, the person called the strongest among Fusetsu's assassins, would so readily admit he couldn't win against Rei.
"Gigalana, why would you say something like..."
One of the assassins spoke, as if reproaching the man—Gigalana.
Being the strongest in Fusetsu effectively meant being the strongest assassin in all of Egginis.
Moreover, though Gigalana's speech was blunt, he took good care of his subordinates.
Many of the assassins in Fusetsu had been looked after by him at some point.
Not all of them bore him goodwill, but none wanted to make an enemy of Gigalana or fight him in a death match. Of that, there was no doubt.
Facing their reproachful gazes, however, Gigalana showed no particular concern.
"It's the truth. I've seen Rei in the city before."
Assassins didn't always stay at their base in the Slum District.
Some used the base for work, some lived there, but others lived ordinary lives in the city.
Gigalana was among the latter—he kept his own house in the city.
To avoid anyone learning he was an assassin, it wasn't a luxurious home. Just a moderately decent one.
While walking through the city, he had seen Rei from a distance, accompanied by Seto.
And the instant he saw him, he understood—Rei possessed overwhelming power far beyond his own.
He had instinctively recognized an opponent he could not beat.
That was why, when Nina insisted on negotiating with Rei, Gigalana hadn't opposed her. On the contrary, he had fully supported the decision.
The others openly showed their dissatisfaction at Gigalana's demeanor, but...
"I'm back. They're on alert, but only at a moderate level. ...What's wrong?"
Before anyone could say anything, Dejimera reappeared and reported in.
She had delivered her assessment of Blood Blade's base, but immediately noticed something was off.
What is it? She cast her gaze around at those nearby, but no one answered.
Some couldn't believe Gigalana's words, didn't want to believe them. Others simultaneously thought that if someone of Gigalana's caliber said so, then...
Without any apparent concern for the atmosphere around him, Gigalana spoke.
"It's nothing. I merely reminded everyone that tonight's battle is one upon which Fusetsu's survival depends. ...More importantly, if Blood Blade's guard is lax, that works in our favor. Get ready. We're moving, Zuwaisu. You good?"
"Yes, no problems. I have my own thoughts about what this battle specifically means. But given the current situation, I understand the necessity."
Zuwaisu's words were likely intended for those around them.
They were sufficient to their purpose.
Zuwaisu's influence was considerable.
Though not on Gigalana's level, he was respected by everyone accordingly.
And so, with both of them showing such resolve... while the others hadn't fully accepted it, they nevertheless judged that to resolve the current situation, destroying Blood Blade was the only option.
"Alright, first the sentries. Even if we take them out, our assault will likely be discovered immediately. But since they won't be expecting it, their reaction should be somewhat slower."
A slower reaction would make little difference to an ordinary person.
But that was only the case for ordinary people. For the rest—especially those participating in this assault—that difference should work to their advantage.
"And I repeat: do not let the enemy escape. Gather as many of Blood Blade's documents as possible. ...This goes without saying, but do not pocket any of the treasures Blood Blade has hoarded. In the worst case, that alone could get Fusetsu destroyed."
At Gigalana's words, many wore serious expressions.
They probably hadn't placed full faith in Gigalana's assessment, but given the current situation, not fighting seriously wasn't an option.
There was no doubt they needed to kill as many of Blood Blade's assassins as possible, as quickly as possible.
"Rondo, you handle the sentries."
At Gigalana's instruction, Rondo, though not entirely convinced, nodded obediently.
Being entrusted with a job was welcome.
At the same time, he bristled at the idea that Fusetsu—Egginis's largest assassin guild—had to go to such lengths against a single adventurer, even one who held an alias.
Being close in age to Rei, he probably couldn't bring himself to accept it as readily as the others.
Even so, a job was a job.
Upon receiving the order, Rondo suppressed his presence as much as possible and approached Blood Blade's base—or more precisely, the positions of those stationed around it for its defense.
Despite the need for stricter vigilance, the sentries didn't appear particularly tense.
They might have been on edge initially, when Rei entered the Slum District, but... Rei had stormed Fusetsu's base and then departed the Slum District.
Given those circumstances, they probably never expected to be attacked.
Alternatively, they might simply have been unaware that Rei was Blood Blade's target.
In any case, they were currently letting their guard down.
However, letting their guard down was only relative to the usual sentries.
If an ordinary person—a commoner living in the Slum District—had approached, the sentries would have detected them instantly.
But that applied only to ordinary people.
Rondo was an assassin from Fusetsu, a superior organization. Catching the presence of someone above their level while their guard was lowered was simply unreasonable.
As a result, the two sentries died—pierced through the head with short daggers—without ever realizing why.
Normally, even if one died, the other should have noticed. Killing both at a speed that prevented either from reacting demonstrated just how skilled Rondo was.
Despite his youth, belonging to Fusetsu was no empty title.
"Alright, the sentries on this side are down. Daze, Daratto, Gigalana, each of you handle the sentries on the other fronts. Everyone else, we're storming Blood Blade's base."
Giving those orders, Gigalana led the assassins in a charge toward Blood Blade's base.
And so, the battle between two assassin guilds—Fusetsu, the largest in Egginis, and Blood Blade, smaller but still possessing significant power—began.