Chapter 157: Akame's Decision night.
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Leone returned to the base, reeking of alcohol.
Najenda sighed, holding her forehead. "Leone, why did you drink so much again?"
"I've got some good news today! I'm just so excited!" Leone grinned.
"Boss, where's Akame?"
"She should be in the kitchen," Najenda replied, though she had a feeling this conversation had happened before. She added, "Wait, the good news you mentioned—it isn't related to Aoki, is it?"
"One piece is about him, the other isn't," Leone replied, avoiding a direct answer.
"Two pieces of news?"
Leone didn't respond but instead shouted at the top of her lungs, "Akame! Akame! Come quick! I've got something to tell you!"
"Leone!"
The first person to enter wasn't Akame, but a girl with pink twin ponytails—Mine, the current user of the Imperial Weapon, Pumpkin, also known as the Romantic Battery. In special circumstances, her attack power was among the strongest in the world.
Several more people followed.
There was Sheele, a bespectacled girl with purple hair who wielded the "Cutter of Creation: Extase"
Bulat, a tall and handsome young man, was the current owner of "Demon Armor: Incursio"
Then there was Lubbock, a boy with short green hair, who used "Infinite Uses: Cross Tail"
Finally, Akame herself walked in, her black hair framing her red eyes as she chewed on a large piece of meat.
"Hehehe, everyone's here!" Leone announced, waving a wanted poster in front of them. "I went to the imperial capital today and heard some shocking news."
She shook the poster with a grin. "Yesterday, someone broke into the palace at night, caused chaos, and even managed to escape from General Budo!"
"I looked into it, and it's true. Plus, the assassin doesn't seem to have been seriously injured—the number of guards at the palace has more than doubled today!"
"Someone broke into the palace at night?" The group exchanged confused and shocked expressions.
They had avoided assassinating ministers because the palace was too heavily guarded. But if someone had truly entered and exited freely, did that mean they had a chance to strike the ministers?
Leone handed the wanted poster to everyone.
"They say he's a young man with pale skin and cat-like, plum-red eyes."
The sketch on the poster was simple and crude. While it gave a rough outline of the assassin's appearance, it wasn't detailed enough to provide a clear image.
After examining it, Najenda said, "Alright, let's try to gather intelligence on this person. If we get the chance, we might attempt to make contact. But be cautious—there's no guarantee whether he's a friend or a foe."
"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.
Leone then turned to Akame, hugging her. "The other news I have is about Kurome!"
Everyone's attention shifted to Akame, as they all knew something of her past.
"What is it?" Akame's red eyes narrowed as she stared at Leone, not taking any news about her sister lightly.
"Kurome and Aoki are still staying at the hotel I recommended. I went to see them today."
Leone smirked mischievously. "I found out they're staying in the same room!"
No one else reacted. To them, Kurome was Akame's sister, and Aoki was simply a friend Leone had met in the imperial capital. They didn't see any juicy gossip in that.
But Akame's hand, which had been holding her food, gradually came to a halt.
"Kurome is sharing a room with a man?"
Leone nodded confidently. "From what I could tell, that seems to be the case."
Akame's mind swirled in confusion.
Kurome… in a relationship?
Although they were currently on opposite sides, Akame still deeply loved her sister. If Kurome had found someone, Akame felt she should be happy for her.
But something about this didn't sit right.
The assassination unit wasn't a place for romance.
Kurome and her lover had come to the imperial capital openly, drinking and enjoying themselves at the hotel, as if they were on vacation. What was even more baffling was since when had the job of an assassin become so carefree?
After thinking for a long time, Akame looked up at Leone.
"Leone, I'll go with you tomorrow. I want to meet Kurome."
Leone hesitated and turned to look at Najenda. This wasn't as simple as two sisters reuniting.
They were members of Night Raid, part of the Revolutionary Army.
Kurome, on the other hand, was part of the Imperial Assassination Unit. Their relationship could be described as mortal enemies.
Leone could conceal her identity.
But if Akame went, her identity would inevitably be exposed.
Najenda spoke seriously, "Akame, are you sure? If you meet Kurome now, it's likely a conflict will break out. Once a battle between Imperial weapons users starts..."
The power of Imperial weapons was far beyond that of normal humans.
Once two users fought with murderous intent, it was almost certain that one would die.
It wasn't an unbreakable rule, but it was like a curse that bound every user of an Imperial weapon. Very few exceptions existed.
Akame's expression was resolute. "Boss, I've made my decision."
"Then go ahead," Najenda said solemnly.
When Akame first joined the Revolutionary Army, she had made it clear that she wanted to deal with Kurome on her own terms. The revolutionaries had agreed.
Since joining, Akame had made great contributions to their cause. They couldn't, and wouldn't, go back on their word.
Even with her usual calm demeanor, Akame's heart was in turmoil.
She couldn't blame Kurome—both had been indoctrinated from childhood with the Empire's beliefs.
But after seeing the Empire's corruption firsthand, Akame could no longer stay and be part of its evil.
Though they were once the closest of sisters, they now stood on opposite sides, destined to fight.
Would one of them fall tomorrow?
The others were concerned, but they didn't stop her. They knew Akame well—once her mind was made up, no one could change it.
Although Akame said she would go the next day, she and Leone didn't set out until evening.
Unlike Leone, whose identity was still unknown to the Empire, Akame was a wanted fugitive. Wanted posters with her face were plastered all over the capital.
They could only enter the city under the cover of night.
The Night Raid base was located ten miles outside the imperial capital, but for the two of them, this distance was nothing.
Akame's face remained serious. After today, only one of them—her or Kurome—might survive.
To her, no matter who survived, it would be a tragedy. Yet she had to walk this tragic path.
Leone, on the other hand, was wrestling with a different thought.
If she brought Akame to Kurome today, she might lose her chance to ever drink with Aoki again.
If Aoki and Kurome were truly a couple, and Kurome died by Akame's hand, Aoki would definitely hate her for the rest of her life, right?
When it came to killing villains, Leone had no hesitation.
But this was the first time she'd encountered a situation like this.
With these swirling thoughts, the two remained quiet on the way, until they arrived at the target hotel in the capital.
"This is the place," Leone said, glancing at the lanterns that hung from the eaves, lighting up the streets.
"Let's go in," Akame said, staring at the hotel for a few seconds before walking forward.
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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