Words of the righteous hold no sway over the wicked, but someone even more ruthless can make them obey. Thus, Altair's plan for Seitenshi was clear: she would hold court as a benevolent leader, while he operated in the shadows as a fearsome enforcer.
"So, you're Takuto Yasuwaki, huh?"
Kicking aside a Shiba family bodyguard, Altair dashed forward, covering five meters in an instant, appearing before Yasuwaki as if he'd teleported.
"Don't come any closer!"
Seeing Altair charge toward him, brandishing his massive blade, Yasuwaki screamed in terror. He didn't even have time to draw his gun. He tried to retreat, but his legs wouldn't move, his neck craning back in desperation.
The Ship-Slaying Blade's reach was too great. Combined with Altair's arm, it spanned two meters. With one swing, it severed Yasuwaki's neck, transforming him into a headless corpse that collapsed to the ground.
"Quick, open fire!"
The personal guards were stunned by Altair's strike. They wanted to flee, but their legs refused to budge, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. Aside from their heads, they couldn't move a muscle.
[Fear of Sin]
After Altair's opening line, inspired by a certain masked hero, his [Listen to Me] buff activated. Those steeped in guilt were struck with terror, their bodies paralyzed as if frozen. This was why Yasuwaki couldn't dodge despite seeing Altair coming.
For someone with strength or mental fortitude, the effect might have been negligible. But these scum? No strength, no resolve, utterly incapable of resisting.
"Take that!"
Altair charged forward, cutting down every guard standing frozen in place, showing no mercy.
"This is the personal guard protecting that young head of state? A bunch of trash!"
After slaughtering them, Altair stood in place, flicking the blood from his blade, then looked up at the second floor.
"Heh, this mission is almost too easy. The reward's practically in the bag."
Altair took a step forward, his words suggesting he was about to storm the Holy Residence to assassinate Seitenshi.
Bang,
A gunshot rang out. As it did, Altair spun, raising his Ship-Slaying Blade to block. The bullet struck the blade, sparking before ricocheting away.
"Stop him! Don't let him inside!"
The Shiba family bodyguards snapped into action, firing at Altair. Three cars had brought a dozen of them, all drawing their guns to stop him. After all, it wasn't just Seitenshi upstairs, there was also their young mistress.
Altair feigned dodging the gunfire, weaving left and right, perfectly evading their shots, or so it seemed. A few bullets hit, but they bounced off his armor.
It wasn't some high-grade magic-resistant armor, but it was thick enough to stop small-caliber handgun rounds without issue.
The gunfire drew nearby police, their sirens wailing outside.
"Tch, lucky break for you!"
With a look of frustration, Altair sprinted to the perimeter wall, leaping over the four-meter barrier and vanishing from sight.
He had flawlessly played the role of an assassin intent on storming the Holy Residence to kill Seitenshi. No one present suspected a thing.
The personal guards, stationed at the entrance to block the "assassin," had all died in the line of duty. The Shiba family bodyguards, positioned at the main gate, suffered minimal harm, only two were kicked, sustaining minor injuries.
The commotion in the courtyard below naturally caught the attention of Seitenshi and Miori Shiba upstairs. They emerged from the room, looking down at the chaotic scene with curiosity.
Miori had no idea what had happened, and Seitenshi was equally in the dark, as Altair hadn't told her how he would handle the guards.
Seeing the dozen bodies covered in white sheets on the ground, Seitenshi understood Altair's method. Though it pained her, she had resolved to walk this path and could only accept his approach.
"What's this…?"
Miori's expression grew stern. She glanced at her family's bodyguards, who quickly approached to explain the situation. After their report, her face grew even graver.
An assassin targeting Seitenshi wasn't surprising to Miori, but why today, of all days?
Seitenshi had invited her, and an assassin just happened to show up. The coincidence was too striking. Miori knew she had no reason to harm Seitenshi, her family's weapons business was beyond Seitenshi's control, but others might exploit this to spread rumors.
Like claims that the Shiba family orchestrated an assassination attempt.
Those people would say anything for profit!
"Your body cameras should have captured that man's face. Find out who he is."
"Yes, ma'am!"
After issuing orders to her bodyguards, Miori turned to Seitenshi.
"Your Excellency, today's events were unexpected, but I assure you, on the Shiba family's name, we had nothing to do with this."
"It's alright, Classmate Shiba. I know this has nothing to do with you. I trust you."
Seitenshi's expression was tinged with helplessness, but as she said, she believed Miori. After all, this was entirely Altair's doing.
"Then, Your Excellency, I'll take my leave."
Miori couldn't stay any longer; she just wanted to go home.
"I'll leave some of my bodyguards here to protect you until a new guard team takes over."
"Thank you for your trouble today, Classmate Shiba."
"No trouble at all. I just hope Your Excellency doesn't hold this against me."
Miori and Seitenshi exchanged a few more pleasantries before Miori left with her convoy.
On the way back, her mind was filled with questions. She still couldn't fathom why Seitenshi had invited her or why an assassin had appeared at that exact moment. Seitenshi's expression suggested she was genuinely unaware, which left one question.
Why had she been invited in the first place? Just for tea?
***
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