92: Haruki Strikes

"Clang!!"

Just as Zanku's twin blades were about to strike Akame, a longsword strikingly similar to Murasame appeared out of nowhere and caught both of his crossing strikes.

In the next instant, a fist came crashing toward Zanku.

"Clang!!"

A piercing shockwave rang out, making even the world around them fall momentarily silent.

Zanku crossed his swords in front of his chest, his face flushed. Though he had used all his strength to block the punch, he was still blasted backward, his feet dragging long grooves across the ground. Faint wisps of smoke even rose from beneath his soles.

Zanku couldn't understand it. How could a flesh-and-blood fist strike with such force? It felt like it was forged from steel—when it landed on his blades, it rang with the sound of clashing metal.

If not for the foresight granted by the Almighty Five Sights: Spectator, which had warned him in time to block the blow, that single punch might have left him seriously injured.

"Huh? Kurome? Haruki? That's strange... What are you doing here?"

Indeed, the one who had intervened was Kurome. With Zanku's focus broken, the Illusion Sight effect of the Spectator vanished as well.

"If I hadn't come, your head would've been rolling on the ground by now."

Kurome's voice was cold as she spoke to Akame.

Akame's defection had left a deep scar on Kurome. Whether now or the last time they'd met, Kurome's words toward her sister had always been devoid of emotion.

Yet deep down, she still cared. That much was clear from how she had rushed here with Haruki.

Only today had Haruki discovered that Kurome and Akame shared some kind of telepathic bond, something that greatly intrigued him.

It had happened just moments ago.

Haruki had been enjoying dinner with the girls when Kurome suddenly clutched her chest and froze. For someone as food-loving as Kurome, this was extremely unusual, and everyone's attention turned to her immediately.

"What's wrong, Kurome? Are you feeling okay?"

Haruki asked, clearly concerned.

"Brother, I think something's happened to my sister."

Kurome's tone was tense, her face anxious.

Over the past few days, Haruki had received reports about Zanku's killing spree in the capital. Normally, that kind of news wouldn't reach him—but since nearly thirty percent of the victims were from the security force, the department had taken it seriously.

Given Kurome's reaction and what he'd heard, Haruki quickly guessed that Akame had probably run into Zanku.

According to the original story, Haruki knew Akame should have been safe. But with his own unexpected presence in the mix, he couldn't be sure. Despite his efforts to avoid disrupting things, he had no way of knowing what would change—so he ultimately decided to check things out for himself.

"You all keep eating. I'll take Kurome and go check."

He gave a quick wave to the others, scooped Kurome into his arms, and in the blink of an eye, vanished from view, crossing distances in just a few slow-looking but incredibly fast steps.

Following Kurome's lead, Haruki arrived on the scene...

Just in time to witness everything unfold.

"Hmm, that's great."

Akame said softly, ignoring Kurome. No one knew exactly what she was referring to.

"Excellent! Excellent! I didn't expect two more to show up! This just keeps getting better!"

Zanku laughed gleefully.

Even after clearly seeing Haruki and Kurome, he didn't try to run.

Part of it was because Zanku didn't recognize Haruki at all. He had spent most of his time as an executioner locked away in the prison, cut off from the outside world. After losing his mind and escaping, all he knew was killing. He had no idea who Haruki was.

"Your mind's already falling apart. People like you are just tragedies of the times. Let me put you out of your misery."

Seeing Kurome about to strike again, Haruki raised a hand to stop her, then turned toward Zanku and spoke.

As the creator of Teigu, Haruki was deeply familiar with the capabilities of the Almighty Five Sights: Spectator. He knew that besides its well-known abilities, it also had a Clearsight function—though in the middle of a fight, someone as deranged as Zanku was unlikely to use a feature that had no direct combat value. Still, Haruki wasn't about to let Kurome take that risk.

"Huh? Strange... Why can't I see what you're thinking?"

Just as Haruki was about to make his move, Zanku spoke again. But this time, there was no maniacal laughter—just fear on his face.

Moments ago, when he tried to read Haruki's thoughts as he had done with others, he found that he couldn't predict Haruki's next move. He couldn't even glimpse into Haruki's mind at all. It was as if his Teigu had stopped working.

"It's simple," Haruki replied. "Your Teigu just amplifies your mental power. That's how you were able to do all those things. But my mental strength is on a completely different level—yours doesn't work on me."

He stepped forward.

"Anyway, there's no point explaining all this. Time to rest in peace."

As he spoke, a plain-looking sword appeared in Haruki's hand. In the blink of an eye, he vanished.

To those watching, it was just a flicker—and then Haruki was behind Zanku.

Even lightning might've been too slow to describe what had just happened.

"You've gotta be kidding me. Even without a Teigu, I'm not some weakling who can't take down a chicken."

Zanku managed to get out one last line.

"Pfft—no way…"

He started to move again, but suddenly his throat tightened. Blood welled up in his mouth and sprayed out. At the same time, a red line slowly traced itself across his neck—and like a dam bursting, blood poured from the wound.

He only had time to mutter, "Impossible…" before collapsing in front of everyone.

Akame and the still-recovering Tatsumi were both stunned.

Until now, Akame had believed Haruki's strength came from his Teigu. But seeing this, she realized that even without one, he was on a level far beyond what even Night Raid's strongest could handle. His speed had been so overwhelming, the brain couldn't possibly keep up. Even if someone could think fast enough, their body wouldn't be able to react.

Tatsumi, if anything, was even more shaken.

He'd heard stories—Akame had told him how Haruki once wiped out an army of 30,000 with a single move—but that had all seemed like legend.

Now, witnessing it with his own eyes, he finally grasped the reality of Haruki's power.

Zanku, who had nearly killed Night Raid's ace, had been taken down in a heartbeat. How could he not be shocked?

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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