To say that Kurome had now taken Eblana's side would be something neither Kurome herself nor Eblana would likely accept. Because of that, Eblana had no intention of returning Yatsufusa to her.
If Kurome wanted her Teigu back, she would need to make greater contributions and prove herself harmless to Eblana.
This mission, accompanying the army, was partly because Kurome genuinely wanted to fight alongside Akame—even if everyone knew she'd probably slack off when the time came—and partly because... Eblana's previous death order against Akame had forced Kurome to show a degree of compliance.
Both of them knew what Eblana wanted: an attitude from Kurome, or rather, a clear statement of her stance.
Besides... didn't Kurome herself want to take the bait Eblana had offered, to naturally position herself by Akame's side?
Even if that so-called 'truth' might not hold up under scrutiny, as long as no one declared it false, it remained true.
Moreover, after three calm, uneventful days of being reunited and spending time with Akame, Kurome's hatred for her sister had diminished to a degree she herself could hardly believe.
With these tangled thoughts in mind, two more days quickly passed.
Before Eblana and the others could reach Lavis, they saw a dark mass of troops advancing toward them.
Upon closer look, most of these soldiers were forged from blue-white, solid ice, each radiating an elite aura far beyond that of ordinary troops.
But even more striking were the many bizarre-looking soldiers mixed among them...
No, rather than bizarre, they were more like dangerous beasts with human forms—clearly not a naturally occurring race, more like the results of experiments.
This discovery instantly hardened the expressions of the Night Raid members.
Kurome's expression shifted slightly as well.
She saw her former comrades walking at the front of the formation, and leading them, naturally, was her General, Esdeath.
The two armies didn't immediately clash. Led by Eblana and Esdeath, they calmly closed the distance, stopping a mere hundred meters apart.
Eblana glanced at the familiar faces behind Esdeath. Among them were not just the Jaegers, but also the Wild Hunt—that gang of scum formed by the Minister's son.
This discovery dampened Eblana's mood, her smile turning several degrees colder.
"I never thought you'd sink to such depths, Esdeath."
Eblana hadn't expected to see these people behind her. Her previous taunt of 'the minister's dog' now seemed ironically fitting upon their reunion.
Keeping company with such people was truly beneath her.
Though they also bullied the weak, it ran completely counter to Esdeath's creed of 'the strong rule.'
Esdeath's ideal of strength was about challenging the stronger, not just possessing power. Otherwise, when she'd realized she was temporarily outmatched before, she could have simply acknowledged Eblana as her superior and been done with it.
Why bother scheming to overcome the strong while weak?
These Wild Hunt members were purely about preying on the weak; only Enshin was somewhat worthy of respect.
Esdeath, initially buzzing with excitement, didn't grasp the meaning at first. But after recalling the glance Eblana had cast over Seryu and the others, her fervent smile faltered.
She looked at Eblana with a hint of shock that seemed to say, 'You actually think I'm that kind of person!?'
Her suddenly soured mood stripped the delight from her smile, leaving a cold, disdainful smirk. "Don't misunderstand. I have no intention of letting irrelevant parties meddle in our fight."
As she spoke, her gaze shifted behind Eblana. "As it happens, now that these rats are on your side, I won't have to worry about interruptions."
The 'irrelevant parties' Esdeath referred to certainly weren't the Jaegers, so they could only be the Wild Hunt.
This time, Eblana tilted her head back slightly, looking askance at the blue-haired general before her. Flame ignited soundlessly in an instant.
The development of her Teigu had not only granted Esdeath more abilities but also enhanced her physical prowess beyond her previous limits—one of the unique traits of blood-type Teigu.
The moment the flames kindled, frost spread across the earth, and hundred-meter-tall ice spikes erupted from the ground.
Eblana leaped from her horse into the sky, the fire at her spear's tip visibly melting most of the ice spike.
"It's not over yet!"
Esdeath pressed her advantage, giving her opponent no chance to catch her breath.
Having already scaled the ice spike, she charged into Eblana's line of sight before the steam could dissipate, her rapier thrusting straight for Eblana's face.
"Not bad."
Eblana deflected the blade with her spear shaft. A black-purple dragon tail, unnoticed until now, had closed in on Esdeath's flank.
The intertwined sensations of cold and scorching heat from the deathly flames forced Esdeath's body to evade before her mind could react.
Simultaneously, she swung her sword, sending forth barbed ice pillars that flowed like dancing water sleeves.
The spear's searing tip shattered the ice pillars. Their battle had escalated to a white-hot intensity from the very start—a continuation of the previous war, just as predicted.
The ice spikes and flames periodically falling from the sky made it hard to believe the two combatants above were human like the rest. But the battle had to be fought.
Seeing Kurome across the field, Wave, unable to hold back any longer, immediately summoned his Grand Chariot. "Kurome!"
Many in Night Raid glanced toward Akame.
They knew this girl was Akame's sister, but they had no concrete understanding of her true identity.
Neither Kurome herself, Akame, nor Najenda had ever explicitly stated it, so while there were suspicions, nothing had been confirmed.
Until now.
Bulat, naturally, recognized the Grand Chariot—known as an improved version of the demonic Incursio. As Wave charged forward, Bulat stepped in his path, halberd in hand.
"Don't block me!"
Wave threw a punch at Bulat. Seeing this, Bulat simply set aside his Red Spine and met the blow with a fist of his own.
'So hard!'
The moment their fists collided, Wave felt as if he'd struck steel. The immense force sent a pang of what felt like bone fracture through his hand.
"Though your youthful passion moves me deeply, young man, charging ahead recklessly like this is no way to act on the battlefield!"
Bulat, who rarely encountered youths that resonated with him, offered a hearty warning.
"Who said he was alone?"
A sharp, lightning-fast voice sounded overhead. Bulat immediately retreated several steps, just in time to see the spot where he'd been standing now covered in snow-white feathers.
In the sky, a blond man with wings retracted one hand, then shot a warning look at Wave.
Though he said that, Wave truly had acted on impulse.
But just as Bulat thought this, a sense of danger made him dodge swiftly. A beam of yellow light shot from the enemy ranks.
Faced with this anti-air attack, Run had no choice but to turn his attention across the field.
"You're the one who shouldn't be looking away!" Mine clicked her tongue in frustration after missing her shot. She'd been focused on the one who killed Sheele, but now forced herself back to reason.
When it came to aerial targets, she was the most suitable.
The Teigu users from both sides stepped out from the ranks with tacit understanding, each selecting their opponent.
The Wild Hunt members lingered like a third party, positioned outside the two main forces, waiting for something—no one knew what.
The war had officially begun.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.