After a few rounds of drinks, Leone had already downed two bottles. Just as Aoki was about to grab the third, he saw Akame and Kurome walking over hand-in-hand.
"Have you finished your talk?" Aoki asked.
"Yes," Kurome replied with a smile.
Akame stepped forward and spoke earnestly, "Hello, I'm Kurome's older sister, Akame!"
"I've heard so much about you," Aoki said. "My name is Aoki."
Akame said solemnly, "Thank you so much for saving Kurome!"
Aoki smiled. "I accept your thanks." He knew the sisters' bond well; he truly deserved the gratitude for freeing the Little Sister from her fate.
"Although it's inappropriate to make a request right away, as Kurome's older sister, I still have to ask you for a favor," Akame took a deep breath. "Please make Kurome happy in the future..."
"Wait!" Aoki interrupted her. "How did it suddenly come to making Kurome happy? Is there some misunderstanding?"
Akame looked confused. "Aren't you two lovers?"
Kurome quickly interjected, "No, Sister! Aoki and I aren't lovers."
"Then why are you sharing a room?" Akame asked in shock.
Leone guiltily picked up her wine glass and looked away. It seemed her "big news" from earlier was a complete mistake. Kurome tugged at Akame's hand, whispering, "Sister, I'll explain the details to you later."
"Alright then!" Akame didn't press further. To her, Kurome's recovery and escape from the Empire were the best possible outcomes. As long as her Little Sister was happy, nothing else mattered.
Aoki cleared his throat. "Since you've finished catching up, let's get down to business!"
"Business?" Akame and Leone both looked at him, surprised. They had only come here for a reunion.
Aoki's tone turned sharp. "I want to make a deal with Night Raid."
"What kind of deal?" Akame's expression turned serious. Since Night Raid was mentioned, this was no longer a private family matter.
Aoki said, "I will kill Minister Honest for you. In exchange, you help me hunt down four Super Danger Beasts."
This was something he had planned long ago. Super Danger Beasts were too powerful for him to handle alone, especially after his last battle. He needed elite Teigu users to help him extract the silver beads.
Night Raid was the perfect choice. All of them were Teigu users—Akame and Bulat were powerhouses, Mine had incredible range, and Lubbock provided perfect control and reconnaissance.
"Kill the Minister?" Leone and Akame were both stunned. The Minister was Night Raid's ultimate target, protected by the strongest forces in the Empire. Where did Aoki get the confidence to claim he could kill him?
Aoki guessed their thoughts. Without a word, his body began to transform. Within seconds, he stood before them as a pale young man with cat-like, plum-red eyes—the exact image from the wanted posters.
"Is this explanation acceptable?"
"It's you!" Akame's expression changed drastically. They had just been discussing the "Palace Assassin" yesterday, and now he was sitting right in front of them.
Leone's mouth dropped open. Aoki was the monster who broke into the palace? He was the one who escaped from Great General Budo unscathed?
She remembered her earlier assessment: "Aoki is just an ordinary person."
Leone felt like crying. Her instincts had been completely wrong. She remembered their drinking session yesterday when she was secretly defending Night Raid to him. Aoki must have been laughing internally the whole time.
Aoki is no 'good person' at all! Leone thought bitterly, taking a large gulp of wine to hide her embarrassment.
"That's right, it's me," Aoki said, reverting to his original form. "By the way, here's some free information: the Four Demon Rakshasa are dead."
Akame's heart skipped a beat. She knew the Rakshasa well; she had even been friends with two of them in the past. To hear they were all wiped out by one person... it proved Aoki's strength was beyond their predictions.
"You really can kill the Minister?"
"Yes!" Aoki's tone was calm. With his ability to traverse space and change shape, he was the perfect assassin.
"We need to discuss this with the leader," Akame said. This was too big for her to decide alone.
"No problem," Aoki understood.
Akame added, "Regardless of the deal, I will help you. You saved Kurome, and I am forever in your debt."
After they finished, Leone asked curiously, "Aoki, why did you break into the palace anyway? The rumors say you wanted to massacre everyone."
"I just wanted something that was hidden inside," Aoki replied simply.
"That's it? No grudge against the Empire? No plan to kill the Emperor?"
"Of course not!" Aoki said. He hadn't been in this world long enough to care about the politics.
Leone looked disappointed. She was hoping for a more dramatic, gossipy backstory.
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