22: Sisters Reunited (Part 1)

After crying in Haruki's arms for a while, Gin gradually calmed down.

Her eyes were still a little red, but her usual aloof demeanor had returned. Haruki looked at her and said, "Alright, let's go. If we wait any longer, the army will arrive—and that'll be a problem."

"Mm," the three girls replied in unison.

While Haruki was comforting Gin, Nina and Kurome had also recovered, though their faces still looked a bit pale.

Leaving behind a field of corpses, Haruki summoned Vimana from the Gate of Babylon. With the three girls in tow, they ascended into the sky and vanished in a streak of light.

On the way back to the Assassination Unit, Haruki intentionally slowed down. The view along the way was beautiful, especially when looking down from above—it had a calming effect. It was the first time the three girls had taken a life. For Gin, not only had she killed someone, she had personally slain her enemy. Even now, the whole day felt surreal to her.

Nina and Kurome stood at the back of Vimana, admiring the passing scenery. From time to time, their clear, bell-like laughter rang out—it was obvious their moods had lightened. Gin, on the other hand, sat quietly at the front, staring blankly ahead, confusion flickering in her eyes.

Noticing the doubt in her expression, Haruki walked over and sat beside her.

"What's wrong? You seem down. Shouldn't you be happy after getting your revenge?"

Gin turned her head to look at him and replied, "For years, revenge was my only goal in life. I never thought about anything else. But now that I've killed that bastard official with my own hands... I feel lost. Brother, what should I do now?"

Haruki paused to think, then said, "Why worry so much? I believe that as long as a person is alive, their existence has meaning. The world is cruel, yes, but it's also beautiful. Isn't the best part of life the journey of discovering your purpose? If someone's path is set in stone from birth, isn't that the saddest fate of all?"

He paused, then continued, "No one knows what the future holds, and that's exactly why it's full of endless possibilities. Just keep living. You're still young—your life is going to be incredible. Think about it."

Then, Haruki called out to Nina and Kurome, who were still enjoying the view behind them. "Nina, Kurome, come here for a bit. I've got something to say."

As the three girls sat down in a row before him, Haruki spoke.

"You've all worked hard these past few years. Honestly, your progress has been faster than I expected—especially you, Gin. I'm very satisfied. For first-timers, you all handled yourselves well today. There's nothing more the Assassination Unit can teach you. So I'm planning to take you back to the Imperial Capital first. If there's anything you want to do before we go, just tell me."

Nina, being a princess of the Empire, had only made friends with Gin and Kurome during her time in the unit. Gin, due to her personality, never had many friends to begin with, so she had nothing in particular she wanted to do. Only Kurome looked uncertain.

"What is it, Kurome? If there's something on your mind, just say it."

Seeing her hesitation, Haruki immediately understood she was holding something back.

"Brother... can I see my sister before we leave?"

For the past three years, Kurome had never stopped thinking about the sister who had been her only family growing up.

"Of course. I told you before—once you earned my recognition, you could go see your sister. If you want, I can talk to Gozuki. You can stay in the Assassination Unit and train alongside her."

Over the past three years, Kurome had grown deeply attached to Haruki. He had taken care of her since she was ten. Her feelings for him were no less than those she held for her own sister—which is why she didn't want to leave him.

"No, brother and I will return to the Imperial Capital. I just want to see my sister. We'll meet again in the future, won't we?"

"Of course. Once your sister finishes her training, she'll return to the Imperial Capital. Then you two can be together all the time. I'll go make arrangements for you to meet her now."

Although Haruki knew that, according to the original story, Akame would eventually defect from the Empire, he was confident he could prevent her from meeting such a tragic end.

Haruki had never held any affection for the so-called Revolutionary Army. Their collusion with foreign tribes was enough to show that most of them were just power-hungry opportunists. For years, those tribes had invaded and slaughtered the people of the Empire, committing countless atrocities. Yet these so-called revolutionaries cloaked their actions in noble slogans, claiming to fight for the nation and its people. In the original story, Night Raid had given everything for the Revolutionary Army, losing countless comrades—only for the Empire to be rebuilt while the survivors of Night Raid were left to shoulder the Revolutionary Army's sins.

If necessary, Haruki was prepared to personally destroy the Revolutionary Army. Of course, for now, to keep the plot on track, he had to refrain from making any major moves.

"Gin, what about you? Is there anything else you want to do? Do you want to stay in the Assassination Unit, or come back to the Imperial Capital with me?"

Haruki turned to the girl in front of him.

"Brother, if you hadn't saved me, I don't even know what I'd be like now—let alone take revenge with my own hands. You're the only family I have in this world. From now on, I want to stay by your side forever, to serve you for the rest of my life."

Hearing words that sounded so much like a confession, even Haruki, who had lived for a thousand years, couldn't help but blush. It was the first time someone had ever said something like that to him, and for a moment, he stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

The three girls were all surprised—none of them had expected the usually unshakable Haruki to show such a reaction. Gin, realizing her words might have come off differently than she intended, blushed too, but said nothing to explain herself. Truthfully, she had always had a strong fondness for Haruki.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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