Chapter 148: The Death of Kurome
______
Bang!
A burst of fire erupted from the muzzle as a bullet shot out. Kurome dodged with a leap, drawing the Yatsufusa Her face grew even paler, and sweat trickled down her fair skin.
"I'm not a traitor"
Despite her words, the black-haired boy and the others remained indifferent as they quickly closed in on Kurome.
They moved cautiously.
As the wieler of the Yatsufusa, Kurome was well-known among the assassination forces. Even in her weakened state, they dared not be careless.
Rumble.
The ground trembled as a figure emerged from it. Pain etched across Kurome's face.
This was the last puppet she had left.
But using the Yatsufusa now caused her immense suffering.
"Be careful!" the black-haired boy growled.
Three of them rushed toward the puppet, while the remaining two continued their assault on Kurome.
Swoosh!
A long sword came crashing down, its blade glinting coldly.
Kurome barely managed to raise the Yatsufusa to block it, but the immense force sent her body flying, slamming her into a cabinet.
The physical and mental pain from stopping her medication, coupled with the strain of using the Yatsufusa, all erupted under the impact, causing her vision to blur.
The black-haired boy looked down at her. "Kurome, it seems you really can't keep going. I never thought the famous Kurome would meet her end like this!"
Bang!
He pulled the trigger without hesitation. Another burst of fire shot from the muzzle, and the bullet flew toward Kurome's head.
Phew!
The bullet struck a palm, splattering blood.
"Who are you?"
The black-haired boy's eyes narrowed as he took two steps back, eyeing the man in front of him warily.
He hadn't seen how the man appeared.
Aoki ignored him and looked down at Kurome, frowning slightly.
"Is it really this bad?"
He had actually been following Kurome.
Without her and the sacrifice of those puppets, he wouldn't have been able to obtain the silver bead.
The reason Kurome entered that secret realm was also because of him.
However, Kurome was a killer with an incredibly sharp sense of perception, so Aoki had been careful not to get too close.
Although he noticed that Kurome was unwell on the road, he hadn't expected it to be this severe.
"Aoki..."
Kurome vision was blurry, but she still recognized him.
"Kurome, so you were the one who brought him here. You really did betray us!"
The black-haired boy's eyes filled with murderous intent. He raised his pistol, aiming it at Aoki. "Then you'll both die here together!"
Aoki glanced at him and suddenly vanished.
"Where did he go?"
The black-haired boy tensed up instantly. Just like before, there was no visible trace of Aoki's movement. Could he also be a user of an imperial tool like Kurome?
Phew!
An arm pierced through the black-haired boy's chest. His expression froze instantly, his lips trembled twice, and his breath ceased.
The remaining four assassins' expressions shifted.
But instead of fleeing, they rushed at Aoki together.
Aoki's figure flashed continuously.
All four assassins were sent flying almost simultaneously, crashing heavily to the ground. They lost consciousness, their bodies twitching slightly.
Aoki walked over to Kurome and found that she had passed out completely.
...
Kurome was training diligently, surrounded by people of similar age, including her sister, and all her companions.
Although this life was exhausting, it also brought her immense happiness, filling her heart with pure joy.
But suddenly, Kurome sensed that something was wrong. She looked up and noticed that everyone had stopped training and was staring at her.
She asked anxiously, "Sister, what's wrong? Why are you all looking at me?"
"Traitor!"
Everyone said in unison.
"No! I'm not a traitor!" Kurome hurriedly explained.
But everyone raised their weapons, their tone cold as they repeated, "Traitor!"
"I'm not a traitor!"
Kurome cried out, opening her eyes as she sat up, breathing rapidly, and looking around in confusion.
"So you're…"
Her body stiffened as her consciousness fully cleared, and she remembered the painful truth—she really had become a traitor.
After being dazed for a moment, Kurome began to examine the room around her.
The completely unfamiliar room was clearly no longer within the assassin's base, but she noticed the Yatsufusa and a bag of snacks placed on the table beside the bed.
She recalled seeing Aoki before she fell unconscious.
Just as Kurome was lost in thought, the door creaked open, and a familiar figure walked in.
"Aoki!"
Aoki looked at Kurome carefully and asked, "How do you feel?"
"I feel fine," Kurome replied, but then fell silent.
Aoki sat down in the chair next to her. "What are your plans now?"
Kurome was silent for a while, then said, "I want to find Wilfred and explain everything…"
Aoki interrupted her, "Do you think you can really explain it?"
Kurome remained silent.
She knew all too well that once the empire issued an order, it was almost impossible to change it.
Aoki's expression grew serious. "Kurome, leave the assassination unit"
He understood very well that from the moment he appeared, the suspicion surrounding Kurome could no longer be cleared.
He had refrained from showing up earlier precisely for this reason.
Kurome's desire to return to the assassination unit meant she couldn't accept his help. His appearance would only complicate matters, forcing Kurome to take a more difficult route to maintain secrecy.
In short, whenever he appeared, he brought trouble for Kurome.
Of course, in the end, if Kurome was going to be killed, he couldn't afford to worry about all these details.
At the same time, he was also aware of Kurome's feelings toward the assassination team.
Kurome didn't have any particular loyalty to the Empire itself. Her reluctance to leave the assassination unit stemmed mainly from her inability to abandon her companions and her unwillingness to betray the beliefs of those comrades who had once died fighting for the Empire.
"No!" Kurome refused without hesitation.
Aoki stated bluntly, "But you've been branded a traitor! Kurome, you know better than anyone that things have gone too far to be saved.
Even if you don't want to leave, the assassination unit has no place for you anymore!
Your former companions will now see you as an enemy and will stop at nothing to kill you!"
A deep look of confusion crossed Kurome's face.
Aoki continued, "Kurome, it's not you who betrayed the Empire and your companions; it's the Empire that betrayed you!"
"No! No matter what!"
Kurome shook her head, raising her voice. It seemed more like she was trying to reinforce her own beliefs rather than explaining to Aoki.
"Many of my companions sacrificed their lives for the Empire. How can I betray the Empire and still be worthy of them?"
Aoki smiled slightly. "Then perhaps you should die once, too."
Kurome looked up at him, puzzled.
Die once?
How?
Aoki didn't say anything further. His figure flashed, and suddenly he was right in front of Kurome.
Phew!
His palm pierced through Kurome's chest, straight into her heart.
Kurome's eyes froze, staring at Aoki in shock and disbelief.
________
T/N: There is a Patreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early chapters.
Patreon link:- Patreon.com/ANelite
And also:
Imperial weapon = Teigu
Teigu = Imperial weapon
______
CHECK OUT A NEW BOOK I JUST UPLOADED:
NAME: COTE: A TALE OF CYNICISM AND STRATEGY
SYNOPSIS:-
After three weeks in the hospital recovering from a car accident, Hachiman Hikigaya feels he's missed his chance to fit into his class. But when he receives a recommendation to attend the prestigious Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, opening in May, he decides to take a fresh start—encouraged by his sister Komachi to find friends. Soon, he finds himself entangled with a unique group:
Karuizawa Kei: "You're my host now, so it's normal for us to be close."
Sakayanagi Arisu: "You seem troubled by ordinariness. I have a reliable plan for future geniuses."
Horikita Suzune: "I tried making a bento yesterday, if you'd like some."
Kushida Kikyo (with a dark smile): "We know each other's secrets, so it seems we're tied together now."
Komachi comments dryly, "Onii-chan... I'm not sure this is what having friends looks like!"