There was a secret base hidden in the mountains about ten kilometers north of the Imperial Capital.
It was the current headquarters of the assassination group "Night Raid."
At present, Night Raid had seven members: Mine, Najenda, Akame, Lubbock, Sheele, Leone, and Bulat.
Almost all of them were Teigu users, with the sole exception of their leader, Najenda. Her previous Teigu, Pumpkin, had been passed on to Mine, and the Revolutionary Army had yet to assign her a new one.
After paying for her meal, Leone made her way back to Night Raid's headquarters, eager to report on her encounter with Kurome.
"Leone, why are you back so early today?"
Najenda asked as soon as she saw her return.
Aside from Sheele and Mine, who were outside training, the rest of Night Raid's members were inside the base.
"I was planning to stay in the capital a little longer, but I ran into Kurome while I was eating at a restaurant."
Leone's expression was unusually serious. She was normally much more carefree.
"Kurome..."
Akame's eyes flickered at the mention of the name.
"Kurome, huh..."
Lubbock sighed.
Everyone knew that Kurome was one of the most formidable enemies within the Empire's assassination unit.
Still, given Akame and Kurome's relationship, Lubbock hesitated to discuss her too casually.
"Akame, what do you think?"
Najenda asked directly.
"Something feels off. As far as I know, the Enhanced Team is never allowed to roam the Imperial Capital freely unless they're on a mission. Could they be setting something up?"
Akame voiced her concerns.
"That does sound suspicious. If they're planning something against Night Raid, we'll need to be extra cautious during our missions from now on."
Najenda nodded slightly.
"Good thing we have Akame on our side now. Thanks to her, we know so much more about the Empire's assassination unit," Leone said with a grin.
"Hey, don't say it like that..."
Lubbock quickly whispered a warning to her.
Akame had only recently joined Night Raid, and she had spent far more time with the Empire's assassination unit. That was where her real bonds had been—especially with one particular person.
"What's the problem? Akame's already made it clear, hasn't she?"
Leone casually draped an arm over Akame's shoulder.
"That's right. I've already made up my mind. Even if I have to face Kurome, I won't hold back."
Akame's gaze was firm. "It's because I love her that I want to save her as soon as possible."
Kurome had become nothing more than a tool of the Empire, a killing machine. Akame saw no other way—if she couldn't bring her back, she would have to set her free herself.
"Good. We haven't forgotten our agreement. When it comes to Kurome, you'll be the one to deal with her."
Najenda reaffirmed the promise.
The only condition Akame set when joining the Revolutionary Army was that Kurome be left to her.
Whether Akame intended to save her or kill her, the Revolutionary Army had no objections.
At this point, saving Kurome seemed nearly impossible. Akame had already spent days trying to persuade her, but it had all been in vain. If Kurome had defected, the Revolutionary Army's odds against the Empire would have significantly improved.
But at the very least, Akame's resolve to personally end things meant one less threat on the battlefield—and a weaker Empire.
The rest of Night Raid didn't question Akame's resolve—they all respected her decision.
"Oh, right. There was a boy with Kurome at the time. He looked kind of familiar, but I just can't remember where I've seen him before."
Leone spoke up again.
Back then, she had been too cautious about exposing herself, so she didn't dare stare too long at Kurome or the boy. As a result, her impression of his face was vague.
"Do you remember any distinguishing features?"
Najenda asked.
"Let me think..."
After a brief moment, Leone recalled the most striking detail. "His eyes—they were red, just like Akame's. But his were even more scarlet, and there were strange patterns in them."
She then added, "That boy definitely isn't ordinary. The moment I spotted Kurome, I only glanced their way a couple of times, but he seemed to have noticed me almost immediately."
"From your description..."
Najenda appeared to have a thought. She walked over to her desk, pulled open a drawer, and took out a portrait.
"Is this him?"
"Yes, that's him!"
Leone nodded. "No wonder he looked familiar—it's this guy."
The Revolutionary Army had numerous spies in the Imperial Capital. After all, many of its members had once been imperial officials or military officers—like former General Najenda and former soldier Bulat.
For Night Raid, which specialized in assassinations within the capital, the Imperial Capital Security Force was one of their main obstacles. That meant someone like Blayn, who had previously served as the force's captain, would naturally be a person of interest.
It wasn't surprising that his portrait had circulated within the Revolutionary Army.
"Hmm, he used to be the captain of the Imperial Capital Security Force, but in the past couple of days, they suddenly replaced him. I was wondering where he disappeared to, and it turns out he ended up with the Empire's assassination unit..."
Najenda speculated.
"Blayn... I don't recall him being corrupt or tyrannical, do you?"
Lubbock asked.
"No, ever since he took over as captain of the Security Force, he's done a lot of good. For one, he was responsible for the downfall of the previous captain, Ogre, which saved us quite a bit of trouble. Public perception of the Security Force also improved significantly under him."
Najenda continued, "He was one of the Empire's rare few officials with a conscience. My guess is that he was reassigned to the assassination unit by his superiors. The only question is—what's his position over there?"
"Still, considering his way of doing things, it's a little odd that he hasn't been framed by the Prime Minister or his lackeys."
Bulat commented.
Back when he and General Liver were still in the military, they had been arrested simply for refusing to bribe or flatter the Prime Minister.
Liver was imprisoned, while Bulat himself was falsely accused of treason. Unable to stomach the Empire's corruption any longer, he escaped before his arrest and defected to the Revolutionary Army.
In comparison, Blayn had done things far more radical than he ever had.
"It's hard to say. Being transferred to the assassination unit might actually mean he was set up. We'll have to wait and observe."
Najenda voiced her thoughts.
"If the opportunity presents itself, we might even consider inviting him to join Night Raid."
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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