In every sense, this situation was bound to be unpleasant for any girl.
Kurome's face darkened as she forcefully pushed Esdeath away. She had been squeezed so tightly just now that she could barely breathe.
Because of Kurome's push, Esdeath failed to kiss Blayn.
"Can you not interfere when I'm getting close to Blayn?" Esdeath asked with a pleasant smile, her tone seemingly friendly.
In truth, she hadn't entirely meant for things to play out that way. The only part she did intentionally was attempting to kiss Blayn past Kurome. However, making Kurome suffocate in the process had been unintentional—though it ended up being the most effective "humiliation" nonetheless.
Kurome's expression remained cold. "No."
"Oh?"
Esdeath's eyes instantly turned icy. "If words won't work, I'll just use the most effective method to make you comply."
Given her personality, it was obvious what that meant—she was ready to fight.
If persuasion didn't work, she would make Kurome submit through force.
Realizing this, Kurome's expression became even colder. Without hesitation, she drew Yatsufusa from her waist, fully prepared for battle.
Seeing the situation escalate, Blayn couldn't just stand by and let them fight. Causing a commotion in the Imperial Capital would be far too reckless. More importantly, infighting among their own was simply unacceptable.
"Enough," Blayn said firmly, stopping both of them. "Let me make one thing clear—our own members do not fight each other. Kurome is also a part of Akatsuki."
"Akatsuki… So that's the organization you founded," Esdeath mused, nodding slowly without much surprise.
Back when Bull was assassinated and the stolen wealth was distributed to the common people, the name "Akatsuki" had caused quite a stir.
Esdeath had heard about it after returning from the northern borders, but at the time, she hadn't realized Blayn was the one behind it. It wasn't until just now, when Blayn spoke of his ideals to the Three Beasts, that she put the pieces together.
Now, it all made sense.
"I understand."
Kurome obediently nodded.
With that, Blayn successfully defused the situation.
More than anything, Esdeath was the real challenge—no one besides Blayn had the authority to rein her in. She only listened to him, and when she did, she followed his words completely.
...
A short while later, Esdeath suddenly received a message—it was about the Jaegers.
"The Teigu Users have been located. Prime Minister Honest wants me at the palace immediately," Esdeath informed Blayn.
"Go ahead," Blayn replied. "Just don't act impulsively. Handle it the way you normally would."
"Got it."
With that, Esdeath nodded and left for the palace.
...
Not long after she was gone, Kurome seemed to still be thinking about what had just happened.
She hesitated before whispering to Blayn, "Commander… so you men really like that kind of thing, huh…?"
"What?"
Blayn blinked, not immediately grasping her meaning.
Seeing that he didn't get it, Kurome suddenly felt a little embarrassed. She had to be more direct.
"T-That…"
To make her point clear, she deliberately made a "cupping" gesture with her hands.
Blayn instantly understood. Oh… so that's what she meant…
"Ahem..."
Blayn coughed, feeling a bit awkward about the topic.
"How should I put it... I don't really care about that kind of thing," he said seriously.
"I don't believe you—unless you prove it," Kurome said suddenly.
Blayn looked puzzled. "And how exactly am I supposed to prove that?"
"Like this..."
Kurome pressed a finger against her lips. It wasn't even a hint anymore—it was practically a direct invitation.
"If you're willing to do it, then I'll believe you."
"..."
Blayn was caught completely off guard. Kurome was suddenly being so direct that he found himself momentarily stunned.
He had suspected before that she might have a bit of a crush on him, but this was something else entirely. The way she was acting now was far beyond a simple crush...
Chelsea, who had been watching from the side, was equally shocked.
Little Kurome just went all in.
Was this because of Esdeath?
At that moment, Kurome stared straight into Blayn's eyes. A faint blush colored her cheeks, but she didn't look away. She was dead serious about this.
Esdeath had shown up out of nowhere, practically crashing into their world like a force of nature. That had rattled Kurome, pushing her to take bold action before it was too late.
"You don't like this?" she asked, her tone carrying a hint of grievance. "You looked like you were enjoying yourself when it was Esdeath."
"Huh? Did I really have that kind of expression?" Blayn asked in disbelief.
As far as he remembered, he had been completely stunned at the time—his face should've been nothing but shock.
Which, to be fair, was true. Kurome was just embellishing things a little.
"Anyway, Commander, are you going to prove it to me or not?" she pressed.
She wasn't going to let this chance slip away. In fact, she was outright pressuring him now.
"...I got it."
Blayn had calmed down by this point. Kurome had made her intentions clear, so he figured he had to respond in kind.
He took a step forward and lightly brushed his lips against hers.
It was over in an instant.
"This good enough?"
Even Blayn felt his face heat up a little.
Taking the initiative felt completely different from being forcibly kissed.
"It's good. I believe you now," Kurome said with a radiant smile. The combination of her happy expression and the blush on her cheeks made her look incredibly cute.
Even though it had only lasted a moment, she was satisfied.
After all, this time, she had won against Esdeath. Esdeath had taken what she wanted by force, but this time, Blayn had acted on his own.
Chelsea, who had been silently watching the entire scene, didn't say a word.
Her expression remained calm, but there was a trace of emotion hidden beneath that calmness.
She suddenly realized things were about to get a lot more difficult for her. Esdeath and Kurome were already fierce rivals, and there were likely other contenders in the shadows as well.
Sure, she could use this moment to confess her own feelings to Blayn—but Kurome had already beaten her to it.
If she did the same thing now, it would just seem like she was copying her, and that wouldn't leave much of an impression. So instead, she decided to wait for a better opportunity.
But there was something else on her mind, something more troubling.
The relationship between Akatsuki and the Revolutionary Army.
For now, Blayn's Akatsuki and their Night Raid seemed to be on friendly terms. But once Prime Minister Honest was overthrown, the two groups would likely end up on opposing sides.
And when that time came... how would they handle it?
...
This novel is now fully translated on P@treon.
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