Chapter 136 - #135 Bonding (1/2)

”Akashi Nii-sama, thank you...I thought that you were sleeping.” Kurome thanked him while being carried, for some kind of reason she couldn't bear to look at Akashi's face, maybe she was slightly afraid of making eye contact with him.

”No need to thank me, but you are damn reckless I tell you. And indeed I was sleeping until I heard a commotion inside the mansion about your disappearance.” Akashi replied still with his stoic expression.

'To think that those Wrigglers hiding in Kurome's shadow didn't inform other Wrigglers on me just because they didn't sense any danger threatening Kurome's safety...They are really primitive but I don't blame them...' Akashi thought about the weakness of his Wrigglers with furrowed brows.

”I am sorry...” Kurome muttered in a weak voice while burying her head in Akashi's ċhėst.

”...” Akashi looked down at her and thought for a while how to cheer her up.

”Well, it's not necessarily a bad trait. Reckless girls are usually very appealing and high in demand.” Akashi said with a smile.

”Huh?” Kurome raised her head and finally looked at Akashi's face with a confused expression.

Akashi looked into Kurome's eyes and released a teasing smile.

”...And now I can say that they are usually also very attractive and cute!” He said and started uncontrollably ruffling Kurome's hair and she could only endure since if she would let go of his neck, she would fall down.

”Aplicated right now...She left her blood sister for me. Well, it's not like blood is the strongest bond out there but I should still give her some time and space for her to think about it in peace' Akashi thought with a gentle smile while looking at Kurome before he narrowed his eyes and glanced behind himself.

”There is someone running away!”

”Stop them! Kill them if you must!”

”?! Pursuers?” Kurome muttered with a surprised expression while resting her chin on Akashi's shoulder and looking behind him. She was surprised since Akashi said that he slowed them down and he also knew the location from which they were coming from. He completely masked their trails before escaping from the location where they parted ways with Akame and Green which meant that those people weren't pursuing them right from that location but they must have seen them somewhere in the middle of running.

'...Assassins from the Dark Squad. It looks like they separated themselves from the main group to search the area despite going after Akame and Green's tracks. I can either run away and spare their lives but...The moonlight is pretty intense tonight so they might have seen my hair already. Well, better not risk anything.' Akashi thought and stopped running once he found a small clearing in the middle of the forest.

”Akashi Nii-sama...?” Kurome muttered in a low voice while trying to get down back on her feet but Akashi held her tightly.

”Won't I be in your way staying like this?” Kurome asked with a confused expression.

”Just rest for tonight. If you can, it would be even better if you fall asleep, you have been through a lot today.” Akashi said and gave her a quick peck on her forehead.

”...Alright” Kurome replied with a peaceful smile and closed her eyes while burying her head in Akashi's ċhėst once again, completely trusting him with her safety.

”There!” One of 5 ȧssassins pursuing Akashi and Kurome shouted when they finally caught up with them.

”Come with us and no one has to die tonight...Wait- Who are you?” The leader of the group shouted at Akashi before he narrowed his eyes while looking more carefully at him, trying to recall who he is.

”Phew, who knows? Maybe the one you will meet in a minute will know the answer.” Akashi replied and ċȯċked his head slightly to the side with a smirk.

”What do yo-” Before the leader could respond to his provocation. The ball of fire was already thrown at him, completely surprising him.

”AAGGH!” The leader was able to dodge but the person behind him was no longer so lucky, however, he managed to scream out only once before he turned to ashes. And the leader despite successfully dodging the attack still sustained light burns on his arm due to the intense temperature of those flames.

*Snap* Akashi snapped his fingers and flames devouring even the ashes of the victim and grass around suddenly disappeared.

”?!! Y- You are Red Devil!! W-Why are you doing this?!” The leader who saw those intense flames just magically disappear snapped his head back at Akashi with a panicked expression while pointing at him with a trembling index finger.

”Because I don't want others to know that I was outside of the Capital right at the moment when traitors escaped.” Akashi replied with a slightly bored expression while shrugging his shoulders.

'H-How can he be like this?! He just killed someone and now he is acting as if nothing happened while shrugging his shoulders...Is he accustomed to taking lives so much that he no longer feels anything after killing someone?!' The leader thought with a panicked expression while gritting his teeth. They were indeed trained ȧssassins but no matter how many people they killed, they were unable to just shrug it off as nothing.

”You must be here to catch them, no? If not, we can keep this secret, we understand how much trouble it could cause you if misunderstood.” The leader said with a nervous smile.

”Nice try but I practically already told you that's not the case by mentioning that I don't want others to know about my presence here.” Akashi said with a stoic expression and appeared once again in front of them, stabbing his sword through one of those remaining ȧssassins, quickly ending his life.

A panicked expression appeared on other's faces and they decided to attack Akashi from both sides while the leader kept his distance and only watched.

Akashi gripped the collar of the man he just killed and put him on his left side to block the attack from that direction while performing a horizontal slash to his right. When his weapon met with the other weapon, ȧssassin's wakizashi broke in half without stopping Akashi weapon's momentum, directly beheading him before he could release any sound.

”Eek!” The leader who saw all of this happen within a few seconds quickly turned around to run away, without caring for the last member of his team who was still alive.