Chapter 75: Kurome’s Little Thoughts

Held tightly by Kurome, Blayn could feel the softness of her delicate body and catch the faint, lingering fragrance on her.

It was just the subtle scent left behind by the petals from her bath, nothing artificial or overpowering. But it smelled nice—natural and pleasant.

Though Kurome acted on impulse, her mind remained clear. She knew exactly how bold this was, especially in front of everyone. Yet, she didn't feel embarrassed. Her personality had always allowed her to express her emotions directly, and she was well aware of her feelings for Commander Blayn.

Even so, openly confessing was beyond her. Taking it slow like this was fine—she even enjoyed it.

Surely, Commander Blayn would understand her feelings now, right?

Unfortunately, things weren't as simple as Kurome imagined. Blayn didn't think too deeply about it. Just as he had remained steady even when Esdeath had made her intentions obvious, he wasn't about to assume anything now—especially when Kurome's actions were even more subtle.

He simply chalked it up to her being overwhelmed by the situation, assuming she'd calm down soon enough.

"To be honest, I feel like I should apologize. I didn't expect to make you worry so much."

Blayn spoke with a touch of guilt, gently patting Kurome's head.

Kurome, unaware of the misunderstanding, assumed he had understood her feelings.

But in reality…

Meanwhile, the members of the Assassination Unit, who had just finished inspecting the enemy corpses, turned around to see Kurome clinging to Commander Blayn.

Some faces turned slightly red, some were surprised by Kurome's boldness, while others silently cheered her on.

Overall, though, no one seemed too shocked.

After all, they had long since noticed Kurome's unusual attachment to Commander Blayn.

"Wow, little Kurome is amazing! She can be so straightforward with Commander Blayn. If it were me, I'd never have the guts to just hug him like that."

"Well, Commander Blayn is so gentle—he wouldn't get mad even if someone hugged him."

"That's only because it's cute little Kurome. If one of us big guys tried it, I'd love to see how Commander Blayn reacts."

"..."

The group whispered among themselves, their lighthearted chatter making it seem as if nothing had happened, a stark contrast to the battlefield littered with corpses.

Only Seryu stood apart, feeling something different.

Watching the scene unfold before her, she felt an inexplicable discomfort—just like last time. Except this time, the feeling was even stronger.

Holding Koro, who had just finished his "Berserker" state, she murmured to herself, "Koro, what's wrong with me? Could I be coming down with some strange illness…?"

But Koro, now weak and drained, had no strength to respond.

Not that he could speak even if he wanted to.

The more she thought about it, the harder it was to ignore.

Once might've been a coincidence, but this was the second time. She couldn't just brush it off anymore.

Seryu decided she needed to get to the bottom of this.

And deep down, she already knew where to start—both times, the cause had been the same: her master and Kurome…

"Master, Kurome, why do I suddenly feel unwell? It's this tightness in my chest... I'm a little scared. Could I have some kind of strange illness?"

Seryu asked Blayn and Kurome directly, her usual bluntness on full display.

Her extreme innocence and naivety made her easily misled, which was also why she was so easily swayed by others.

Hearing Seryu's words, Kurome's expression visibly stiffened.

Blayn, too, was puzzled. "Don't scare yourself. But it's best to get checked out when you have time. It's probably nothing serious."

...

Kurome's face turned a little strange at their difficult-to-comment-on conversation.

She had already figured it out—this was obviously because Commander Seryu liked Commander Blayn, which explained her reaction...

And considering how close they always seemed, it only reinforced her suspicion.

But it was also clear that Commander Seryu didn't understand her own feelings. Could it be that she didn't even know what "liking" someone meant?

That level of innocence felt almost unfair.

Girls like that... might be even more popular with boys.

Kurome hesitated, torn about whether to tell Seryu the truth.

If she did, Seryu would definitely realize her feelings and start competing with her for Commander Blayn. That wouldn't benefit Kurome at all.

By now, she had already started seeing Seryu as a rival. And helping a rival defeat her? That made no sense.

So, in the end, she decided not to say anything.

"Sorry, Commander Seryu... I really can't help you with this."

Of course, Kurome couldn't say it out loud—that would be too suspicious. Instead, she could only apologize silently in her heart.

At that moment, she suddenly realized she had been holding onto Blayn for quite a while.

That wasn't good. Without hesitation, she let go.

A moment later, Seryu suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? That discomfort is completely gone!"

"It was probably just psychological," Blayn said. "Still, just to be safe, you should get checked later."

...

Kurome kept her mouth shut, feeling even more guilty inside.

Commander Seryu was so pure that Kurome almost wanted to tell her the truth... but she couldn't.

And so, the matter ended in an unclear and unresolved way.

In the end, neither Blayn nor Seryu figured anything out. Only Kurome understood everything.

...

"Commander Blayn, what should we do now? Lord Saikyuu will be furious when he finds out we killed them..."

With that, they returned to the topic at hand.

Kelly and the others looked uneasy. Many had already resigned themselves to the possibility of being executed by the Empire.

"Even now, you still call that man 'Lord' Saikyuu?" Blayn said bluntly. "You've all seen the Empire's corruption firsthand. The darkness we live in today exists because of the greed and tyranny of people like Honest and Saikyuu. If we keep obeying them, we'll only help destroy the Empire further."

"That's why we need to sever ties with them and create a new organization—one with our own code of conduct."

"We can't just keep submitting, waiting to be used and discarded."

Blayn felt that the time had come. The members of the Assassination Unit had already dared to defy Saikyuu's men—proof that they were ready.

"But if we do this... wouldn't it be betrayal?"

Before Kelly and the others could finish speaking, Blayn cut them off.

"Wrong. We are going to change the Empire's corruption from within and guide it toward a better future. That's not betrayal—it's the highest form of loyalty."

"The organization I will establish is called 'Akatsuki'—meaning 'Dawn.'"

"We will bring an end to the Empire's darkness and war. We will bring light and hope."

"Will you follow me?"

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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