Chapter 437: The Dying Kurome

"Is Wood okay? Now, with the four undead puppets summoned by Dead Man's March and Eight Rooms, he's facing seven opponents on his own!"

Far from the battlefield, Mine crouched on a high vantage point, using her Imperial Arm Pumpkin to aim and waiting for the right moment to strike.

Meanwhile, Chelsea transformed into an eagle using Gaia Foundation and scanned the surroundings with her Eagle Eye, prepared to respond to any changes in the environment.

When she saw Kurome summon the four undead puppets, turning Wood's fight from a one-on-three to a one-on-seven, Chelsea couldn't help but worry and ask Mine, who was perched on her back.

"You think he can't handle it? That's because you don't know him well enough."

"That guy once sparred with everyone from Night Raid except for Lubbock, and the result was that he won single-handedly against all of us."

"Compared to those undead puppets, I don't think Bulat and Akame are any easier to deal with. Even though Wood doesn't have his Imperial Arm now, I'm still here!"

Mine spoke confidently as she pulled the trigger of Pumpkin.

A pink beam shot out from the distance, and former Imperial General Locke's head was instantly blown off.

The so-called strongest member of the Ban Tribe, Jaegers, along with Natala, one of the Elite Seven, barely managed to stall Wood, and were continuously overpowered.

The gigantic and highly dangerous Ephman tried to ambush Wood but was immediately detected by Wood's Observation Haki. With a Soru and Geppo, Wood vanished in front of Natala and Jaegers, appearing behind Ephman's head, holding his sword, and slashing with a sharp, swift strike!

"Hyakki Goryu Ken—One Sword Style—Kama Itachi!"

The howling wind created an incredibly sharp wind blade that effortlessly decapitated Ephman's head.

In less than a few moments since the battle began, two of Kurome's prized undead puppets were already dead.

"Wave, how long are you going to keep standing there like an idiot?"

Kurome already knew how strong Wood was, but she hadn't expected that even without his Imperial Arm, Wood could still maintain such terrifying strength.

At this pace, she realized she had no chance of winning, so she had no choice but to call for help from her teammates.

Run Ten Thousand Miles Flight wasn't ideal for direct combat, as it could only carry one person at a time, making it of limited use in this situation.

Hearing his sister's shout, Wave finally snapped out of his daze. Forget the Empire and Revolutionary Army—what Wave needed to do now was protect his comrades!

"Shura's Embodiment — Noble Chariot!"

With a burst of air, Wave's figure was enveloped in a powerful aura, and in the next moment, a dazzling armored warrior appeared.

In terms of appearance, Noble Chariot was much more handsome than Demon's Wrath, with its sleek blue color and highly advanced equipment, complete with a cape billowing in the wind.

The jet thrusters on his back activated, propelling Wave forward at incredible speed, and in an instant, he shot toward Wood, throwing a powerful punch at his face.

Facing the incoming punch, Wood didn't dodge. Instead, his arm was covered with a black substance, and he threw a punch of his own to meet Wave's attack.

"Boom—!"

The two fists collided mid-air, creating a violent shockwave that cracked the ground beneath them and sent debris flying.

To Wave's disbelief, as their fists connected, he was hit with an enormous shockwave that sent his body sliding backward several meters.

Despite using his Imperial Arm and charging forward with the momentum, it was Wave who was knocked back instead of Wood.

Wood was incredibly strong, something Wave could admit. But this was ridiculous!

Wood was just a normal human, and Wave was wearing an Imperial Arm armor. Yet in their fist clash, Wave even felt Wood's punch was harder than his own armor!

And despite wearing the armor that should have enhanced his physical attributes, he was knocked back by a bare-handed punch?

"Wave's really terrible…"

Kurome's sarcastic remark made Wave feel embarrassed, but he had long gotten used to her harsh words. He shook it off and continued charging toward Wood.

Was Wave weak? Far from it. Even in the Jaegers, his combat prowess was among the top three.

Kurome's constant teasing aside, she had just experienced firsthand how powerful Wood's physical capabilities were.

Because Run felt that his skills weren't suited for the current battle, he decided to find Mine and the others to provide long-range support.

Meanwhile, Wood faced Wave, Kurome, Natala, and Jaegers alone, yet he remained completely at ease, expertly handling them.

His superb swordsmanship, flawless body techniques to cover any gaps, exceptional Observation Haki, and sharp reflexes were combined with the powerful Armament Haki, which enhanced his attack and defense.

Even without an Imperial Arm, Wood was a nearly perfect fighter, seemingly without any weaknesses.

He suppressed Kurome with his sword, fought bare-handed with the armored Wave, and effortlessly overwhelmed the undead puppets, Natala and Jaegers, who kept trying to find openings but were continually crushed.

Both Kurome's Dead Man's March and Wave's Noble Chariot were Imperial Arms, and every use of an Imperial Arm came at a high cost to the body.

Wave's situation was difficult, but Kurome had already summoned two undead puppets, and the effort to maintain such high-intensity combat was pushing her body to its limits.

After a clash with Wood's sword, Kurome staggered back, coughing up a large amount of blood. The undead puppets she had been controlling, Natala and Jaegers, dropped to the ground like puppets with their strings cut.

Seeing the black-haired girl suddenly cough up blood and fall to the ground, Wave instantly exploded with power. Not only did he punch Wood away, but he also picked up Kurome, who had collapsed, and was ready to make his escape.

"If you don't want her to die here, it's better to put her down now."

Feeling the numbness in his arm, Wood couldn't help but sigh. The punch Wave had just thrown to protect his sister was at least two or three times stronger than before. Truly, men always seem to show incredible strength when it comes to the women they like.

Upon hearing Wood's words, Wave, who had been carrying Kurome, suddenly stopped and looked at Wood with a puzzled expression.

"You don't think the reason your sister is coughing up blood is because of me, do you?"

"After all, she is Akame's sister. I've been letting her off easy all this time. The reason she's in this state is simply because of her own physical condition."

After hearing Wood's words, Wave, who had not fully understood the situation, showed even more confusion.

"As her comrade, you don't know anything about her, do you?"

"From how much you seem to care for her, I thought you two were lovers. But turns out, you're just a scumbag ogling her looks and lusting after her body?"

Coming from a rural area, Wave couldn't handle Wood's teasing so easily, and he blushed furiously. He quickly began to explain himself.

"Kurome is Akame's sister. She also comes from the Empire's assassination unit, and unlike other units, the Empire's assassination department is one of the darkest places even within the Empire."

"To cultivate exceptional assassins, they design scenarios where the assassins are forced to kill their own friends and family, erasing their emotions in the process. Both Akame and Kurome are products of this."

"Compared to Kurome, Akame has a great talent and was chosen as one of the Elite Seven."

"After Akame defected from the Empire, Kurome chose to accept the drug injections from the Empire to enhance her body, eventually entering the Elite Seven."

"The Empire's drugs can enhance abilities and make one's life force so strong that you only die when your head is cut off or your heart pierced."

"However, the side effects are immense. The drugs have a great dependency and strong corrosive properties, constantly eroding the body."

"As you can imagine, the battle earlier pushed her body to its limits. If you try to take her now, she won't survive."

Wave didn't think Wood would lie, not just because of his trust in Wood's character, but also because there was no need for Wood to lie at this point.

Looking at Kurome's current state, it was clear that escaping from Wood's grasp wasn't going to be an easy task.

Moreover, Wave had observed that Kurome didn't have any obvious external injuries. She hadn't even sustained any wounds. The sudden blood loss seemed to align with what Wood had said.

"Mr. Wood, what should I do to save Kurome?"

Though they were enemies, and they had just fought, looking at Kurome in his arms, growing weaker and weaker, Wave found himself at a loss and had no choice but to seek Wood's help.

Undeniably, ever since Kurome joined his team, she had constantly been sarcastic toward him. But after learning about her tragic past, Wave felt deep sympathy for her. Plus, she was an important comrade to him.

A girl who should be in the prime of her youth, enduring so much pain in the past, should not die here.

"With your strength, you probably can't save her, but perhaps I can still do something..."

Upon hearing Wood's words, Wave immediately showed an expression of excitement. Without hesitation, he knelt in front of Wood and pleaded, "Mr. Wood, please save Kurome. I don't want to lose another important comrade."

"If possible, I'm willing to give up my life in exchange for hers!"

Wave had always been a man of deep emotions, and with his special feelings for Kurome, he was now even using honorifics to beg Wood.

"Don't you think your request is a bit too much? From a standpoint, we should be enemies."

"Now you're asking an enemy to save your comrade. No matter how sincere you are, I don't think it's going to work."

Hearing Wood's words, Wave looked serious and said, "If I wanted to escape no matter what, I'd have a good chance of getting away from you, Mr. Wood."

"But if you can save Kurome, I'll commit seppuku on the spot to trade my life for hers."

Wave's meaning was clear. If he had focused only on escaping, Wood's greatest victory would have been one death and one escape—himself and Kurome.

But now, by giving up on escaping and offering to commit seppuku if Wood saves Kurome, Wave was making the point that nothing had changed in terms of the outcome of the battle.

The difference was simply that the person who died would be him instead of Kurome, but Wave didn't regret this at all.

"Although the outcome for me doesn't change, it's troublesome, and you don't think that saving someone who's already on the brink of death won't cost me anything, right?"

"And another thing, you're overestimating your own strength. If I really wanted to stop you, even with all your power, you wouldn't be able to leave here."

Upon hearing Wood's response, Wave felt like all the strength had left his body. He slumped down where he stood.

Wood's words were clear: his proposal would be a loss for Wood, and there was no way to move him. The negotiation was over.

Just as Wave was looking at Kurome, whose face had grown pale and whose breath was growing weaker, feeling a deep sense of regret and sorrow, a soft green light suddenly enveloped Kurome's body.

The sudden change startled Wave, who had been lost in thought. Though he didn't know what the green light was, he could clearly see that under the soft green glow, Kurome's complexion was slowly returning to a healthier shade.

When Wave looked up, he was surprised to see that it was Wood who was using this power on Kurome, the same person who had just rejected his plea.

"Mr. Wood, you..."

"Quit talking. Who told you that this girl is Akame's sister? If I just let her die in front of me, Akame probably won't let me off the hook if we meet again."

"That girl's Imperial Arm is One Slash Kill: Muramasa. If she targets me, someone like me would be in serious danger."

Hearing Wood's words, Wave looked at him in confusion, about to straightforwardly express that Wood was far stronger than Akame. But he was interrupted by a pink-haired girl who suddenly spoke up.

"You'd better keep quiet and let him save face. This guy is prideful, and he's just finding an excuse to save her."