Chapter 213: Akame's Defection

Ever since Lingyun defeated Esdeath outside the city, Esdeath had become a frequent guest at Lingyun's luxurious Villa. Of course, Esdeath only had one purpose in coming to see Lingyun: to spar with him.

Although she was never a match for Lingyun, Lingyun could clearly feel that Esdeath's strength was rising rapidly. At this, Lingyun could not help but sigh to himself; as expected of one of the Fate Children of this world, this kind of growth in strength was simply unscientific!

Akame and her sister were also improving their strength. Under Lingyun's guidance, their abilities were far more powerful than in the original story, to the point where they could even fight Esdeath one-on-one for quite a while.

Of course, many things happened during this period. For instance, Najenda, who was an Imperial General alongside Esdeath, defected with her subordinates to the Revolutionary Army that opposed the Empire, only to be caught up to by Esdeath halfway through.

With Lingyun as her teacher, Esdeath's strength was far greater than before. If it weren't for the fact that several Teigu Users under Najenda fought desperately without regard for their own lives, Najenda and her entire Army would likely have been buried by Esdeath alone. And Najenda did not escape the fate of the original story, having an arm and an eye destroyed by Esdeath.

At the same time, the restless Northern Tribes moved south once again. The Empire's Army suffered many consecutive defeats, and the people in the Imperial Capital were in a state of panic. General Budo, as the highest-ranking commander of the Palace Imperial Guard, bore the mission of protecting the Imperial Palace and could not easily leave the Imperial Capital. Ultimately, the task of suppressing the Northern Tribes fell to Esdeath.

After receiving the order, Esdeath came to the Villa to bid Lingyun farewell. As she was leaving, Lingyun clearly saw that bloodthirsty smile on the corner of Esdeath's mouth. Although the Barutusu Tribe had not been wiped out years ago because of Lingyun, they had still encountered small groups of the Northern Tribes' Army during their relocation. Over the course of several battles, they had lost quite a few tribesmen, and even Esdeath's father had nearly died in the fighting. Fortunately, they eventually found a new place to survive, and Esdeath would set aside time every year to return to the tribe for a visit.

However, Esdeath had kept a mental tally of the heavy losses the Northern Tribes had inflicted upon the Barutusu Tribe, and she had never forgotten it. One could imagine that, facing a killing machine like Esdeath, the fate of the Northern Tribes' Army would certainly not be a good one.

"Master, why hasn't big sister come back yet?" Kurome asked, sitting beside Lingyun, looking somewhat uneasy.

"Actually, haven't you already guessed it?" Lingyun stroked Kurome's head with some pity.

"But why, why did big sister have to defect? Isn't life with Master and me wonderful? Why did big sister leave me behind?" Kurome looked up, her eyes filled with mist, asking with a face full of grievance and confusion.

"Everyone has their own path to walk; this was Akame's choice. As for why she didn't take you with her, she was likely worried that she wouldn't be able to protect your safety," Lingyun comforted her.

He knew that Akame had joined Night Raid, founded by the former Imperial General Najenda. Night Raid's ultimate goal was to assassinate Minister Honest, and during this process, there was no telling how many hardships and obstacles they would encounter. Even Akame herself was not certain she could survive with 100% certainty; under such circumstances, how could she possibly bring her younger sister along? Conversely, with his care, Kurome's safety could be guaranteed to the greatest extent. After all, in Akame's understanding, there was no one in this world who could be a match for Lingyun, including Esdeath and the equally renowned General Budo!

"So that means big sister will encounter danger?" Kurome asked with some concern.

"Perhaps. But Akame has a safeguard I set up on her, so there shouldn't be any problems!" To be honest, Lingyun had no certainty in his heart, as this world had already undergone unknown changes due to the invasion of the Underworld King's power from the end. "Rest assured, with me here, you will definitely be reunited!"

"Master, you will never leave me, right?" Kurome suddenly asked cautiously.

Looking at Kurome's pitiful appearance, Lingyun could not help but sigh softly. Akame and Kurome had relied on each other since they were young; now that Akame had left, Kurome must be feeling lost and bewildered. Since that was the case, he would temporarily serve as the pillar in Kurome's heart until Akame returned.

"Rest assured, I will not leave you!" Lingyun nodded.

"I knew Master is the best to me!" Kurome threw herself into Lingyun's arms. "Master, can you teach me to use more powerful strength?"

"Hmm?" Lingyun looked at Kurome with some confusion.

"I want to bring big sister back with my own hands! If she doesn't agree, I will crush her completely and then drag her back tied up!" Kurome's tone was full of determination.

"Then you will have to work very hard; Akame's current strength is quite a bit higher than yours!" Lingyun tapped Kurome's head.

"I will work hard. Whether it's big sister or that person Esdeath, I will definitely surpass them!" Kurome said, clenching her small fist. It seemed she still held a grudge about being beaten by Esdeath in the past.

"By the way, Kurome, from tomorrow on, you don't need to report to the Imperial Assassination Squad anymore; just stay by my side," Lingyun suddenly said. "As for that side, I have already had a word with them!"

Kurome's body trembled, and she looked at Lingyun in disbelief. In fact, she had already prepared herself to face the hostility, exclusion, and ridicule of those so-called colleagues in the Assassination Squad. After all, the person who defected was her own biological sister. She never expected Lingyun to have done so much without a sound; to let her leave the Imperial Assassination Squad, Master must have paid a significant price.

If Lingyun knew what was in Kurome's mind, he would likely laugh out loud. He hadn't paid any price; he had simply gone to find the person in charge of the Imperial Assassination Squad and had a "friendly" exchange with him. After weighing his own life against the weight of an Assassination Squad killer's name, that person in charge had happily removed Kurome's name from the Imperial Assassination Squad and then sent off the terrifying Lingyun with the most respectful etiquette.

In the Night Raid Base, Akame sat alone by the window, staring blankly at the moon in the sky.

"Akame, what are you thinking about?" The door to the room was pushed open with a bang, and a woman with blonde hair walked in carelessly.

Akame, who had been lost in thought, came back to her senses and said to the woman, "Leone, why did you come here? Where is the BOSS?"

Leone sat down beside Akame unceremoniously: "BOSS went to the Revolutionary Army headquarters for a meeting, saying she planned to formulate the next course of action. But, why have you been so restless lately?"

"It's nothing, I'm just missing my sister a little," Akame said.

"Your sister? That, should we tell the BOSS and have her send someone to bring your sister to a safe place?" Leone suggested.

"No need, the place where my sister is now is definitely the safest place. I just don't know how she is doing now, or if she has been wronged," Akame shook her head slightly.

"The safest place?" Leone was a bit confused.

Akame did not reply; it was clear she did not want to talk about this issue anymore, and she just looked at the moon in the sky again. Leone, who was on the side, clearly sensed that Akame's mood was low and shut her mouth, but in her heart, she became interested in Akame's sister and that so-called "safest place."