Hearing that, both Wave and Kurome's expressions shifted sharply.
Judging by the current situation, although General Esdeath's injuries were so minor they could hardly be called wounds, Eblana showed not a single sign of having been in a fight.
From that alone, it was clear General Esdeath had been slightly outmatched in their clash.
Of course, a battle couldn't be judged by a momentary advantage—often, those who started at a disadvantage could turn things around after figuring out their opponent.
But Esdeath, who was stronger than them, would surely know that.
If she still chose to retreat under these circumstances, there was only one possibility: General Esdeath didn't believe she had a chance of defeating her opponent.
"Oh?"
Esdeath narrowed her eyes again. "I don't recall saying I'd leave my subordinates behind here."
"You can't expect to leave without paying some price, now can you? Or perhaps… you wish to fight to the bitter end?"
Eblana's expression remained unchanged. From start to finish, it seemed nothing had been able to stir any strong emotion in her.
"Compared to me, it seems you're even less willing to push things that far, aren't you?"
Esdeath smiled.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been willing to let her leave without even putting up a fight.
"I simply dislike wasting resources meaninglessly."
Eblana replied. "But if there is meaning to it, the situation changes."
Everyone knew Eblana didn't want their battle to reduce this city, or even their troops, to nothing.
But no one understood why Eblana had specifically taken a liking to Kurome, nor how far she was willing to go to obtain her.
"Then it seems we have no choice but to continue."
Esdeath sounded somewhat regretful, but that regret couldn't mask the keen enthusiasm still burning within her.
Yes, if forced to choose between a desperate, honorable defeat and a victory gained through less-than-noble means after exhausting all efforts, Esdeath would lean toward the latter.
But that didn't mean she found the former unacceptable—especially since she wasn't one hundred percent certain she would lose. She simply couldn't see a clear path to victory yet.
"Is this truly alright?"
Eblana raised an eyebrow. "If we continue, the subordinates you wish to protect will undoubtedly die in the crossfire. Is sacrificing two more acceptable to you than sacrificing just one?"
Those words did not shake Esdeath.
She did care about her subordinates' lives, but what she cared about most was undoubtedly herself.
However, Eblana's remark struck a chord with Kurome.
If you asked whether Kurome cared about the Empire… well, that was hard to say.
Although she had turned against her own sister for the Empire, it wasn't so much for the Empire itself as it was for her fallen comrades from the assassination squad—so their deaths wouldn't be in vain, so she could carry on their ideals and the reasons they lived for.
That was why Kurome stood here so firmly.
Even now, her choice remained unchanged.
"General Esdeath, leave me here."
Kurome spoke up.
"Kurome!?"
Wave stared in disbelief. "Don't give up! We might still find a way to escape—"
"There's no need for that, Kurome."
Esdeath shared the same sentiment.
"No need to worry so much. I won't kill her."
Eblana added lightly from the side, a faint smile on her lips.
"You! What exactly are you planning to do with Kurome!?"
Wave had been wary of this dangerously smiling woman from the very start.
In his eyes, Eblana was practically the textbook template of a villain from storybooks—powerful, ambitious, and with countless wicked methods at her disposal.
He could never allow a teammate to be taken away by someone like her.
"Don't move, Wave."
A cold blade was at his throat before he could even react.
It wasn't that his reflexes had dulled or his sense of danger had faded—he simply never expected the one holding the blade to be Kurome.
Even knowing this was to force his compliance, to keep him from being implicated, Wave felt a surge of bitter frustration and sorrow.
It wasn't directed at Kurome, but at his own helplessness.
Esdeath had no taste for sending her subordinates to their deaths. Seeing the resolution in Kurome's eyes and recognizing that this wasn't a completely reckless move, she finally looked away.
"Rest assured, I won't harm her. I promise she'll be perfectly unharmed the next time you meet."
A massive bird, tainted with deathly flames, descended from the sky. Eblana extended a hand, gesturing with a 'please' toward the two. "Would you like a ride?"
Esdeath understood Eblana's abilities well.
Though she could resurrect the dead, the revived corpse's strength would be permanently fixed.
While she could invest more power to strengthen such a vessel, it was undoubtedly better to keep that power for herself.
Thus, unless absolutely necessary, Eblana preferred living subordinates.
Otherwise, she might as well turn everyone into undead thralls.
Her previously decent mood had soured considerably. Without another word, Esdeath stepped onto the bird's back with Wave.
This thrall-bird was certainly much faster than the Danger Beast she'd ridden here—after all, it could fly indefinitely without tiring.
She was already eager to go and gather her strength.
Esdeath's departure completely shattered the resistance of Count Filz's territory. The earth-shaking battle, had it occurred within the city, would have reduced the entire place to ruins.
Faced with a powerhouse who could effortlessly annihilate a whole city single-handedly, they stood no chance of victory.
As for Kurome, she became Eblana's prize outright.
After being handcuffed by the Three Beasts, bound at the arms, and stripped of her Teigu, she was escorted into the city.
Following behind Eblana, she watched helplessly as the woman calmly killed the count amidst casual conversation.
Seeing Eblana settle into the office chair that had once belonged to the Count, Kurome—who had been bound and led right up to the desk—couldn't hold back any longer.
"What exactly are you planning to do with me?"
"Do with you?"
Eblana smiled, then gestured for Liver to release Kurome's bindings.
"What does this mean?"
Kurome grew even more confused.
What did it mean? Truthfully, it meant very little.
The story of the sisters, Akame and Kurome, had been a deep sore point for Amber in the original series.
Her purpose here was to gain recognition, but where she could, she wanted to change a few things—like letting these sisters stop being at each other's throats.
That said, Eblana currently lacked the confidence to persuade Kurome.
Because compared to Akame, who was formidable both inside and out, Kurome was clearly weaker on both fronts. The great strength she possessed came largely from drugs that enhanced her physique.
Stopping the medication would cause severe withdrawal, but continuing to take it would drastically shorten her lifespan.
She was truly trading her life for power.
This hidden danger needed to be addressed first.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.