"Ah, sorry, I forgot," Blayn said, quickly letting go of Kurome's hand with a slightly awkward smile.
"Why are you apologizing? I never said I disliked it," Kurome replied.
"...What is even happening right now?" Blayn sighed, feeling exasperated.
"Let's keep walking," Kurome said, stepping forward with a lighthearted pace.
As Blayn caught up, Kurome suddenly asked, "Commander, we could have fought back just now. Why did it feel like you were deliberately avoiding a fight?"
"All six of them are Teigu users. The situation wasn't in our favor, my body hasn't fully recovered yet, and it's not exactly a good idea for you to summon a Super-Class Danger Beast in the middle of the Imperial Capital. So..." Blayn explained.
His tone was calm and natural, not giving off the slightest hint of deception.
In truth, what he said was only half true. His body had long since recovered—he was just making up an excuse to mislead Kurome.
After all, she had been thoroughly brainwashed by the Empire. If she ever realized that he didn't actually view Night Raid as an enemy, things could take an unpredictable turn.
For now, it was safer to keep certain things from her.
"That makes sense..." Kurome accepted his explanation without hesitation.
She had always assumed Blayn's Mangekyō Sharingan was a Teigu, and since using two Teigus at once had severe consequences, it was entirely reasonable that his body hadn't fully recovered yet.
As for the Super-Class Danger Beast, what Blayn said was also true—there were too many civilians in the capital, and the sheer size and destructive power of such a creature would inevitably lead to massive casualties.
While the five remaining Yatsufusa members were strong, taking on six Teigu users from Night Raid at the same time was still a significant risk.
"It's always best if they withdraw on their own. If a fight breaks out, it's a completely different situation," Blayn continued, smoothly reinforcing his point. "If it were just me, that would be one thing, but I also have to worry about your safety. I don't want you getting hurt."
"...I see," Kurome said, nodding.
Being cared for like this... wasn't a bad feeling.
…
The two continued their walk.
However, Kurome couldn't shake certain thoughts from her mind.
Out of nowhere, she began speaking to herself.
"When my sister first asked me to escape the Assassination Unit with her, I was torn. But in the end, I just couldn't accept it."
"We have to prove how strong we are and earn our commander's recognition. We have to fight for the Empire. If we don't, then all our fallen comrades would have died for nothing."
"I think my sister didn't just betray the Empire—she also betrayed those comrades who died before her. She chose her ideals over her own sister."
She spoke in a steady stream, everything centered around her sister.
...
Blayn listened in silence. He wanted to understand what was really going on in Kurome's mind.
"My sister's goal is to save the people suffering under the Empire, to try and change it—maybe even the entire world. And honestly, that kind of determination is what I love most about her."
Kurome clutched her head, her face pained.
"But even though I admire that part of her, I still can't forgive her. My thoughts are a mess... Every time I try to think deeply about this, my mind just turns to chaos."
She was aware of her own contradictions, yet she couldn't understand why they existed.
No matter how hard she tried, her mind wouldn't allow her to fully process this issue.
"It's obvious—you've undergone too much brainwashing," Blayn said seriously.
"The documents we found mentioned that only the Enhanced Team underwent brainwashing. The Elite Team was trained differently. That's why, when Akame realized the darkness of the Empire, she was able to leave and join the Revolutionary Army. And when Pony was about to be 'disciplined' for her unrecoverable injuries, she chose to run away."
Pony, once part of the Elite Seven, hadn't joined the Revolutionary Army but had instead fled in search of their former captain, Najasho.
Kurome's deep contradictions were undoubtedly the result of brainwashing.
She loved the sister who fought for her ideals—yet she couldn't forgive her.
That was because, buried deep in her subconscious, an ironclad command had been implanted: Never betray the Empire.
"No, that's not it," Kurome immediately rejected his words.
A person who has been successfully brainwashed rarely believes that they have been manipulated.
Kurome was no exception.
Blayn knew this, so he didn't push the topic further.
"Whether or not that's the case, I won't let you continue being used like this."
"Enough about that for now. Weren't we supposed to be relaxing? Instead, we've just added more to our worries," Blayn said, his tone softening.
"...Yeah," Kurome murmured, giving a small nod and forcing those thoughts out of her mind.
At least for now, she would just enjoy the walk with her commander.
...
Meanwhile, Akame and the others had returned to the Night Raid base.
"Boss, we ran into Blayn and Kurome during the operation, so we had no choice but to put the assassination plan on hold for now," Leone reported to Najenda.
"You encountered those two? Well, nothing can be done about that. As long as no one was hurt, it's fine," Najenda replied, showing no signs of blaming them.
"That said, what did you all think of Blayn after coming into contact with him?"
"I don't think he had much interest in fighting us," Bulat mused, rubbing his chin. "When we retreated, he didn't try to stop us. If he had, we probably wouldn't have gotten away so easily."
At this point, Bulat had already dispelled his Demon Armor form, revealing his tall figure and distinctive pompadour hairstyle.
"For some reason, it's kind of irritating... It feels like he looked down on us," Mine grumbled.
"I don't think he was underestimating us—just that he didn't want to fight," Sheele said with a smile.
"What I'm more curious about is that strange ability," Lubbock added. "Mine's Teigu, Pumpkin, couldn't hit Kurome at all. That kind of ability should only come from a Teigu, but Kurome already has Yatsufusa."
"That means it must be Blayn's Teigu. And it looks like he can share its effects with Kurome," Lubbock analyzed.
"Blayn, huh? He kinda seemed like Kurome's little boyfriend, don't you think, Akame?" Leone suddenly smirked.
Unlike the others, her focus had been entirely different.
She had noticed Akame's reaction back then—it was adorable. Finding it amusing, she deliberately prodded her again.
"I won't acknowledge him until I know exactly how he feels about Kurome," Akame stated, her expression completely serious as she voiced her big-sister declaration.
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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