Chapter 162: The Decision of Night Raid
"Then we're leaving!"
Akame held Kurome's hand, her heart filled with reluctance. After many years, she had finally reconciled with her Little Sister, and she didn't want to be separated from her at all.
However, the information she received today was too important; she had to rush back to the base immediately.
"Sister, please be careful!" Kurome said. Compared to her sister, she was relatively calm. There would be plenty of time in the future. Now, she finally had the peace of mind to wait for their next meeting.
The only thing that gave her comfort was knowing that her sister had reliable partners in Night Raid. Reluctantly letting go of Kurome's hand, Akame nodded to Aoki and turned to leave with Leone.
Watching her sister's figure disappear into the night, Kurome turned to Aoki: "Thank you, Aoki!"
Aoki waved his hand and walked forward. "Let's go. We're free today, let's take a walk around the city."
Kurome pursed her lips and quickly caught up with him.
At the Night Raid base, everyone had gathered. Bulat (Brand) glanced outside at the horizon. "It's dawn."
Akame and Leone had been gone all night. Najenda sat silently in her chair, a cloud of smoke rising from her cigarette. She had sanctioned this mission; if Akame and Leone didn't return, it would be a devastating blow to the team.
Was Kurome and her Teigu, Yatsufusa, really that powerful? Najenda wondered.
Mine suddenly stood up. "I'm going into the city to check!" Since her identity wasn't exposed, she could move freely during the day.
Najenda was about to speak when hurried footsteps sounded outside. Two figures quickly entered the base.
"Akame! Leone!"
"You're alright!"
"That's a relief!"
The tension in the room evaporated instantly. Leone grinned, "What could possibly happen to us? Don't you trust our strength?"
Najenda breathed a sigh of relief. "Akame, Leone, why are you so late?"
"There was a little... accident, which delayed us," Akame explained.
Najenda looked at her closely. "Judging from your expressions, it doesn't seem like bad news."
Leone plopped down in a chair and grabbed an apple. "Bad news? No, no, no. It's good news! Amazing news!"
Akame smiled warmly. "My Little Sister has escaped the Empire. She's recovered her health and we have reconciled."
"That's wonderful!"
"Congratulations, Akame!"
Everyone was genuinely happy for her. They knew how much the conflict with Kurome had weighed on Akame's heart. Furthermore, from the Revolutionary Army's perspective, Kurome—with her mastery over Yatsufusa—was a terrifying enemy. Her defection was a massive win.
"And that's not even all of it!" Leone mumbled through a bite of her apple.
"What else?" Najenda asked.
Akame's expression turned serious. "The assassin who broke into the Palace the other night... it was Aoki, Kurome's friend."
Najenda subconsciously glanced at Leone, remembering her earlier "ordinary person" assessment. Leone froze, waving her hands defensively. "Boss, it's not my fault! Aoki's acting was too good. I got close and he didn't react at all—it was completely illogical!"
"Aoki must have recognized Leone long ago," Akame added. "I suspect his contact with her was a way to lure us to him."
Najenda frowned. "Leone has never been exposed. How did he know?" Akame shook her head; she didn't have the answer to that either.
"So, what is his purpose?" Najenda asked.
Akame said solemnly, "Aoki wants to make a deal. He will kill Minister Honest for us, and in exchange, we must help him hunt down four Super Danger Beasts."
"Kill the Minister?" The room went dead silent.
"He claims he can do it?" Najenda asked in a deep voice.
"I'm not certain of his full power, but Kurome believes he can," Akame replied. She trusted her sister's judgment implicitly.
Leone added, "Aoki even said he can pay the reward first. He'll kill the Minister before we have to help him with the hunt."
Hearing this, Najenda didn't hesitate. "Okay! We agree to the deal."
Akame reminded her, "Boss, Aoki warned that those four Super Danger Beasts are extremely dangerous."
"As long as the Minister dies, no risk is too great," Najenda said calmly. The others nodded; they had been prepared to die since the day they joined Night Raid.
Leone stood up. "Great! I'll inform Aoki tomorrow!"
"I'll go!" Akame said instantly.
"Hahaha!" Leone hugged Akame's shoulder. "Boss, look at her. Can we give Akame a few days off to spend time with her Little Sister?"
Najenda chuckled. "No problem. Akame, take a few days to rest and be with Kurome."
"Thank you, Boss," Akame said gratefully.
Najenda thought for a moment. "Actually, go see Aoki and invite them both to the base. We can discuss the assassination of the Minister and the hunt in detail here."
Akame was taken aback. "Boss, is that safe? Inviting outsiders to the base?"
"Do you trust Kurome?" Najenda asked. Akame nodded without hesitation. "And does Kurome trust Aoki?" Akame understood the logic and nodded again.
Najenda stood up. "Then there's no problem. If we are to be partners, we should show sincerity."
"Don't worry, Akame!" Mine raised her chin confidently. "If they try anything funny, I'll teach them a lesson with Pumpkin!"
Bulat crossed his arms, a grin on his face. "I want to meet the man who dared to storm the Palace at night."
"I'll keep a lookout," Lubbock added.
Akame finally nodded. "Okay! I'll go find Aoki and Kurome tonight."
"No rush," Najenda smiled. "Rest first."
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