Steel Eyed Faker

Chapter 2: Save the Dead

Beta read by Shigiya, Fabled Life and Paragon of Awesomeness.

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-Outside the Manor-

The moon hung high in the star-speckled sky, casting an ethereal glow upon the sprawling estate of the Kalrenn family. The mansion, a grand and foreboding structure, stood as a symbol of wealth and power in the heart of the Imperial Capital. Protected by a platoon's worth of guards, its gates were sealed shut, and the air hung heavy with an aura of imposing wealth and power.

Leone, a woman with wild, almost lion-like features; her mane-like hair, her long canines, the tail swishing behind her, and of course those clawed hands. Having an undeniably beautiful face along with a body that few men would be able to ignore should she so much as pass by them. Combine that with the skimpy, tight black pieces of cloth she wore around her chest and waist, and no one would doubt for a second that this woman was more than happy to take advantage of men's lust for her as she killed them.

It was all too easy for one to imagine her sauntering up to a target, their eyes almost instinctively drawn to either her twin lumps of heavenly flesh barely hidden by a single piece of fabric on her chest or her admittedly shapely rear, only to find a knife that could be easily concealed in those loose baggy sleeves she wore on her arms and legs stuck in their throat.

Then again, with those claws of hers and the muscles that could very well be hidden underneath said sleeves, she might not even need that much. If Archer were to see her, her think of the how he'd seen numerous women over the course of his existence that went into battle scantily clad in order to distract their male enemies with their own desires of the flesh, and it wouldn't surprise him in the slightest if she turned out to have a similar fighting style.

Holder of the Teigu; The King of Beasts, Lionelle.

Beside her, Akame, a woman of stark contrast, exuded an aura of unwavering determination. Her midnight-black hair framed a face as cold and serene as the surface of a still pond, and her crimson eyes bore the weight of countless battles. She stood like a sentinel, a katana gleaming at her side.

Leone spared a sidelong glance at her companion and flashed a feral grin. "Akame, you ready for this? Those rumors about the Kalrenn family have been giving me the creeps I tell ya. We can be done with them before sunrise."

Akame nodded, her voice as measured as ever. "I've been trained to handle worse. If they're as monstrous as we've heard, they won't escape."

As they crept closer to the mansion, Leone's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "You know, I've been gathering intel on these folks for a while. Seems like they've been capturing passing civilians, torturing them to death for amusement - just like it was mentioned in the reports. Sick bastards."

Akame's expression remained unchanged, but her grip on her katana tightened imperceptibly. "That does match the description we received."

However, just as they reached the entrance of the manor, Leone's enhanced instincts, honed through countless battles, screamed at her to take cover. She skidded to a halt, causing Akame to pause as well, her senses sharp. Her face turned pale, her heart skipping a beat as a terrifying sensation came over her.

"What's wrong?" Akame inquired, her eyes scanning their surroundings.

Leone's voice trembled with a rare note of fear. "Something's not right, Akam-" her voice halted as at the corner of her eyes, she caught the image of a single red dot emerging from the forest and heading straight for the manor in front of them at speed rivaling that of Pumpkin. "Get down!"