#134 Education
"Akame!" While Akame was thinking about what she should say to her little sister who was extremely angry at her, she heard someone shouting her name so both Akame and Kurome looked towards the location where the shout came from.
They spotted Green running towards them while waving his hand at them with a slightly panicked expression.
"Akame, are you alright?! We should start moving, it will take only a while for others to notice that we are away. They already sent Dark Squad after me so I suspect you also had your share of troubles." Green asked while looking at Akame's messy appearance before he looked at Kurome and finally sensed a tense atmosphere between those two.
'...Did she really take her against her own will? Akame...*sigh* sometimes you make really dumb decisions.' Green thought and despite knowing how much Akame loves her sister, he still thought that she was going a little bit too far, after all, her sister is no longer a kid that needs to be looked after. Unfortunately, Akame still saw Kurome as her little sister she needs to protect and have at her side all the time.
"Kurome..." Akame looked at her with a pleading expression upon hearing Green's words, she knew that no matter what she says right now would only make the situation worse.
"...I already told you that I won't go with you! Now, either you will wait here with me or leave while you still can. Once the Capital's reinforcements arrive here and see me together with you, I will be branded as a traitor together with you but unlike you, I won't run away so I will be executed just because of you, big sis." Kurome said, trying to apply more pressure. She was extremely angry at her sister but she still didn't want her to be killed so she decided to threaten her with her own life on the line.
'...This simply isn't going anywhere...I am in no condition to fight another battle even if Kurome is in a weakened state right now. Not to mention that I have Murasame right now...if I won't be careful enough, I can kill her by any smallest scratch!' Akame thought when she noticed Kurome taking a defensive stance. It was apparent that she would be just trying to buy some time for the reinforcements to arrive, she was completely serious about her threat.
Akame was thinking of using Green's help to capture Kurome but then she thought if it's even worth it, to fight her own sister. It wouldn't be like the previous time where she just knocked her out in 1 move, she would be forced to really fight her.
'I-I don't know what to do! Perhaps I shouldn't be so selfish and also think of Green's safety...if they catch up to us, Kurome will be branded as a traitor and I will be also endangering Green's safety!' Akame thought and when she was about to open her mouth and say aloud her decision...
*Whoosh* A cloaked figure suddenly appeared in front of Akame literally out of nowhere.
"?!" Everyone's eyes widened in shock but Akame who was the target couldn't have the luxury of being shocked, she quickly slashed down with her newly acquired weapon.
A cloaked figure also slashed their own sword to meet Akame's attack but Akame was still in advantage due to attacking first so her momentum was better.
*Clang* Despite the advantage, when both blades met each other, Akame's weapon was repelled with brutal force, throwing her off balance.
'W-What an unbelievable strength!' Akame thought with one eye closed while gritting her teeth as she could only helplessly watch.
The cloaked figure didn't continue their attack and instead caught Akame's neck and picked her up off the ground.
"Akame!"
"Big sis?!"
Both Green and Kurome shouted at the same time.
"Stop where you are, Green." The cloaked figure said with the voice devoid of any emotions.
Green who was just about to move towards them, stopped and continued staring at that cloaked figure.
'His voice...' Green thought with narrowed eyes as he could recognize the voice or more like he already heard this voice more than once but he couldn't recall where and who was it.
"That voice..." Kurome muttered as her worries regarding safety of her sister went instantly away.
"...A-Akashi?!" Akame said with great difficulty while holding onto his hand that was tightly holding her neck.
A wind picked up and threw that figure's hood off, revealing Akashi's stoic face staring straight into Akame's red eyes. Although it appeared stoic for others, Kurome knew that he was extremely upset right now.
Even she herself was slightly afraid despite knowing that he is here for her. She had already seen him with an angry or upset expression but it never scared her in the way as right now. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately for others, they didn't have the same feeling as Kurome since they don't know Akashi well enough.
Akashi made sure that she wouldn't suffocate despite feeling extreme anger. The only reason why he didn't snap her neck yet was that she didn't mean any harm to Kurome. But he still had to teach her a lesson for what she has done, to wake her up.
"Are you aware of what you have done, Akame?" Akashi asked with narrowed his eyes and then he sheathed his sword.
His voice was for everyone chilling and they felt as if the temperature around them just dropped by 2 digit numbers.
"I-I was just trying to protect my sister! She is my sister and a lot of people are aware of that fact, they might use her as bait once I run away or they might execute her in my stead! Everything I have done was for my sister's well being..." She shouted as blood was pouring down from her mouth while looking straight at Akashi without any fear in her eyes.
*sigh* Kurome who was listening to her couldn't help but sigh while looking at the ground with a complicated expression.
*SLAP!* Akashi slapped Akame without holding back and red handprint instantly appeared on her cheek.
"..." There was only silence as both Green and Kurome stared at them with wide-open eyes.
Even Akame was also greatly shocked but she was also confused by this burning pain on her cheek. Rarely, very rarely anyone slapped her like this, like some kind of punishment for a disobedient child.
She turned her head at Akashi with a confused expression and if it wasn't for all blood around her mouth and under her nose together with that red handprint on her cheek, her expression could be even called cute.
"Your sister is no longer a little kid who needs your or mine protection. She is an adu.lt and she should be allowed to make her own decisions and I as someone who watched her growing up for more than 8 years am here to ensure that she won't be forced into doing anything against her will. So grow up, Akame!" Akashi shouted while glaring at Akame and she couldn't do anything else but stare helplessly at him. By now, she completely stopped resisting or trying to get out of his hold.
"If the situation was any different and she would want to desert together with you, I would even support her decision but she doesn't want to...It's her own decision and humans might even regret their decisions in the future but humans should at least have the right to make their own decisions!" Akashi said and "gently" threw Akame back on the ground, making her fall down on her butt while gasping for breath.
"If you were successful today, what would you do in the future? Kurome might regret her decision to stay in the future but if she will go with you against her own will, she won't have anything to regret and it will haunt her the entire life. When the next hard decision will come she will immediately look toward you or will simply let you decide without even thinking about it herself. Do you want your sister to become a doll?!" Akashi continued.
'Akashi Nii-sama...' Kurome thought while looking at Akashi's back with a tender smile.
"...No...Everyone should have the right to make their own decisions. That's why I am deserting in the first place, to make it possible for all people...To make people living inside the Empire happier." Akame muttered while still sitting on the ground.
"Akame, are you alright?" Green finally approached her and slowly helped her to stand up.
That red handprint on Akame's cheek isn't any ordinary handprint even if it looked so since Akashi included his flames in that slap so it would take more than 1 month before the mark would completely disappear. Hopefully, this humiliation would teach her to be more considerate of her closest people's decisions.
"Y- ugh! Yeah" Akame replied while standing up but she quickly held the area where Gozuki previously kicked her.
"You two should already go. I have met not a few pursuers of yours, they are being led by your close friend Tsukushi. I managed to slow them down a bit but that only bought enough time for this conversation." Akashi said while turning around. He wanted to beat some sense into Akame but he had no time if he didn't want them to be caught. Well, he didn't really care but Kurome wouldn't want her sister to die like that.
"Akame..." Green called out to her while nervously looking in the direction of the Capital.
"Just a second. Kurome, I am truly sorry for not respecting your own decision...I was so afraid of losing you once again that I simply ignored your opinion. For that, I truly apologize." Akame replied to Green before she turned to Kurome and deeply bowed down with a genuinely regretful expression.
"...It's not like this is the last time we see each other but if you will waste any more time, it actually might." Kurome couldn't bring herself to smile at her sister since she was still upset, therefore she replied in this slightly cold way.
Green nodded at Akashi with a grateful expression and Akashi also responded with a small nod. When Akame and Green started running away from the location, it was time for Akashi and Kurome to disappear.
"Shall we disappear too?" Kurome asked with a smile, she wanted to hug Akashi but she was aware of the situation so she would do that after they would get back home.
"Agreed" Akashi replied shortly with the same smile while taking Kurome into princess carry position.
"A-Akashi Nii-sama?!" Kurome immediately exclaimed with a small blush and widened eyes in shock while wrapping her arms around Akashi's neck in an awkward way.
"You are in no position to keep up with my speed yet." Akashi said and they almost instantly disappeared from that location.