#161 Talk about the Future.
"Why do you want it? Wait, that's a stupid question...What will you do if I won't give it to you?" Akashi asked with a smile before he gestured for the guards to return to their original posts.
They nodded and quietly left without saying anything, Leone looked at them before looking back at Akashi.
"They seem very loyal, you have good people surrounding you!" Leone said with a wide friendly smile.
"Don't try to change the subject and answer the question before I leave..." Akashi said with a tired expression while pointing with his thumb behind him on the street leading towards his mansion.
"Well, I won't do anything but our boss would like to talk to you about something. Would you at least hear us out?" Leone asked with a helpless smile.
"Fine, Kurome, you can go back without me" Akashi said while taking step towards Leone.
"?! But Akashi Nii-sama-" Kurome was surprised by what she just heard, however before she was able to to say anything, Akashi interrupted her.
"This is your punishment, I know you would like to go with me, and while at it, see your sister but today you have acted against my orders and even if you meant well, I can't overlook that." Akashi stopped and partially turned at Kurome before saying in a stern tone.
"...I- I understand. Please be safe." Kurome replied while looking down at the ground out of the shame. She didn't wait any longer and left towards the mansion but before she was too far away, she heard Akashi's voice once again.
"That doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the thought. Rest well!"
After Kurome left, Akashi finally approached Leone and Sayo.
"So, where are we going? To your base?" Akashi asked with a sly smile.
"What? Do you actually want to go now?!" Leone sounded surprised.
"Take it or leave it." Akashi said with his hands in his pockets.
"Ugh, fine...Let's go but we won't be going to our base so you will have to wait until the boss arrives." Leone groaned before she replied with a tired expression.
"Fine with me" Akashi replied and the trio went outside the city, arriving at a particular place a few kilometers away from the Capital.
"Please wait here for a bit, Sayo will go inform the boss." Leone said while sitting down on the boulder and inviting Akashi to sit next to her.
"Wha?! Why me?" Sayo exclaimed with a surprised expression.
"Because I will do my best to entertain Akashi so he won't walk away on us" Leone said while winking at Sayo.
Sayo just sighed before hurriedly leaving the place and entering the forest.
"Won't you sit down?" Leone asked when she noticed that Akashi was still standing in front of her.
"I am comfortable standing right here" Akashi replied with his stoic expression while looking around.
"Are you perhaps cautious that this is all just a trap? Or maybe you are just shy?" Leone asked with a teasing smile while crossing her legs. She also undid her transformation to show that she means nothing bad.
"It's always good to be cautious no matter where you are or whom you are with. And I am definitely not shy, it is called not being horny, if I would have been the other way around, I would have already torn off that cloth covering those breasts that you are pressing together to catch my attention." Akashi replied with a small smile while looking down at Leone's face as her expression changed.
"Wha-?!" She exclaimed while her cheeks grew a bit red.
"Didn't expect me to be so blunt about it, huh? I am not your average inexperienced boy." Akashi continued while finally taking a seat next to her.
"Impossible, I can sniff out whether you are some kind of noble constantly fooling around or if you are pure." Leone said while crossing her arms and turning her head away from Akashi.
"Whoever said that I am fooling around or that I am pure? ...Let's stop this discussion here before it will become too awkward." Akashi shook his head.
"It will be awkward only if you will make it awkward! Anyway, we have some time to kill so why not talk about meaningless things? I would like to get to know you better since you are the only noble who isn't on our list of targets, also your territory is quite clean and prospering." Leone said while shrugging her shoulders.
"And to get to know me better you need to know how I sleep with the women? Fine, until now I have slept with only one woman, does that satisfy your curiosity or do I have to also describe my first intercourse with that woman?" Akashi replied and Leone immediately began looking awkwardly down.
"You are making it awkward..." Akashi continued which made Leone angrily turn at him to which he just shrugged his shoulders.
"How can you be so...shameless?" Leone asked with a confused expression.
"Please...everyone knows how humans reproduce so why should I be shy about it? It's an everyday thing and the entire world partly revolves around the pleasure. Women are creatures that can cause wars just because of their appearance, isn't that laughable?" Akashi said with a small smile and Leone couldn't help but agree with him even if she wasn't as open as him about this subject.
They talked for a while before Leone suddenly decided to ask something more serious that's been bugging her for a while.
"Akashi...I can tell that you aren't a bad person but neither you are helping the Revolutionary Army. What is it that you are after?" Leone asked with a completely confused expression.
"I think this is the question that your boss wants to ask me too, isn't that right?" Akashi replied but he wasn't looking exactly at Leone but right in front of him.
Suddenly Najenda walked out of the forest together with all members of the night raid, practically surrounding Akashi. Even Leone was quite confused by this development as she began throwing looks at each of her friends.
However, Akashi didn't mind, his expression never changed as he began looking around with stoic expression.
"6 Teigu users? This might even be fun." Akashi muttered as a wide smile appeared on his face. 6 Teigu users could possibly push him to use all his resources which excited him a bit.
Najenda who had a stern look suddenly stopped glaring at Akashi and released a smile.
"Haha, I thought that you might at least become a bit nervous by being surrounded by so many Teigu users but I guess I was wrong." Najenda laughed and explained while approaching Akashi. Others also eased up and hid their weapons, Akame looked questioningly at Akashi.
"She is not here with me today." Akashi said when he felt Akame's eyes on him. When she heard that, she looked a bit sad but she still nodded in understanding.
"If I sensed a threat to my life, I would feel excitement instead of nervousness" Akashi replied to Najenda while getting up to his feet and went towards her.
Both of them stopped in front of each other as they stared into each other's eyes
The first one to hold up her hand for a handshake was Najenda.
Akashi looked at her hand before looking back at her.
"This doesn't mean anything, we are still enemies" Akashi added when he accepted her offer to a handshake.
"Well, I hope to change that fact tonight." Najenda said with a smile.
"Are you?" Akashi replied also with a smile.
Akashi and Najenda went to sit down some distance away from the group but they were still able to hear each other.
---
"*Is that the guy that stopped you previously?*" Mine asked while watching Akashi with a curious expression.
"*Yes*" Akame replied without any hesitation.
"*Is he really that strong?*" Mine asked with a confused expression.
"*He is definitely creative and knows how to apply tactics during the battle*" Sheele was the one to answer this time with her arms along her body and her hands joined together.
"*I have never seen him battle personally but Poney...one of my old comrades was teamed up with him when we were working together. She said that he saved her life and both his speed and strength was a league above of at that time our leader's.*" Green added while fixing his glasses.
"I see...He was quite calm when we surrounded him, do you think he would stand a chance fighting all of us at the same time?" Mine asked another thing that was bugging her.
"...I don't know but I know when I see someone experienced. He wasn't only acting calm and confident...his mouth also curled up at that time which only indicated that he has some real confidence. Well, the boss said that we shouldn't make an enemy out of him and now I can definitely understand why. You don't see many people being able to stand calmly and confident in front of 10 people while 6 of them being Teigu users." Bulat was the one who answered Mine's last question.
Hearing this, everyone had a complicated expression on their faces.
---
"I have heard that you took care of the Zank in our stead, for that I thank you. Anyway, I won't beat around the bush and waste your time. What is your goal? What would it take for you to help us against the Empire?" Najenda asked bluntly with a serious expression.
"I took care of him because he was ignorant enough to kill my guards in my territory. As for your questions...I actually don't mind helping you but it's going to cost you a lot and to be honest...I can already see higher-ups from the Revolutionary Army refusing. The one you fear the most is General Esdeath isn't it?" Akashi said before he took a guess while releasing a smirk.
"..." Najenda was quiet which was the same as agreeing with Akashi.
"Now you can see why I will be asking for a lot-" Akashi said but Najenda decided to interrupt him.
"She is currently subduing northern tribes right now. She won't be a problem if we will capture the Capital before she returns." Najenda said with closed eyes while taking a cigar out from her pocket.
"And how long do you think it will take her to suppress their rebellion?" Akashi asked with an amused smile.
"1 to 2 years at least." Najenda said her estimations while puffing a cloud of smoke out of her mouth.
"You are really underestimating her...Her Teigu is made to fight masses of soldiers. And if you think that the so-called hero of the north and prince named Numa will stop Esdeath for the whole year, you are very naive. He is just a dog in front of someone like Esdeath. You would be lucky if he managed to actually stop her for the whole month." Akashi said with a slightly mocking tone.
"...Let's first hear what would it take for you to help us." Najenda remained for a while silent since even she was aware of what Esdeath was capable of, however, she decided to first ask what is Akashi's price.
---
"*Looks like it's going pretty good so far*" Tatsumi muttered in low voice and most people agreed with him by nodding their heads.
"*Whew, at least it looks like we won't be fighting for our lives today...*" Leone said while wiping away her nonexistent sweat from her forehead.
---
When Akashi heard Najenda's question, his mouth curled up which gave a slight chill to Najenda.
"I can take care of the problem regarding Esdeath, I can even quite easily assassinate Honest. All I want is the end of the Revolutionary Army." Akashi said with an amused smile while holding up his index finger.
"?!" Everyone who heard this had shocked expression on their faces and only dead silence remained in the place filled with 11 people, only the rustling of the wind could be heard.