The Assassin Huntsman

Chapter 19: Kill the Despair {🍭🍋}

~Bookstore Night, Imperial Capital~
*(Y/N) (L/N) POV*

It was the next day, pretty much night, and both Akame and I were waiting for Mine to come up from the hidden base below the bookstore, though it was now something of its former self without Lubbock around. That was until we heard footsteps coming up the stairs and we appeared before Mine.

"I'm going," Mine tells us with Pumpkin in its weapon case. "And I won't let you, either of you, stop me."

"It's a trap." Akame tells Mine.

"I don't need you to tell me that, but still..." Mine says knowing it was a trap, regardless being an execution. "I won't just sit here and watch them execute Tatsumi!"

I could only let out a chuckle at Mine just by the way she's been acting, and how she's changed since Kyoroku.

"I will have to admit, you've changed Mine," I said gaining her attention. "Remember that time when you were trying to stop Akame and I?"

"That... That was a long time ago," Mine replied while looking away. "Tatsumi means something different to me now."

"I'm going too." Akame said surprising Mine.

"She's not the only one," I added after Akame while hoisting Gravities' Predator on my shoulder. "I'm coming too."

"Huh?! There's no reason to put yourselves in danger! That's stupid!" Mine raised her voice while glaring at us.

"What you're planning is stupid!" Akame shouts back.

"Honestly, did you really think you'd actually get somewhere going off by yourself?" I questioned Mine. "Now, if we work together, we have an even greater chance of making it back."

Mine went silent and looked away, again. Akame and I both nod to Mine and she looks back with a smile and nods to us.

"Y'know, you're both starting to sound lust like him with all that pathetic optimism." Mine says to us which made my chuckle some more but left Akame placing her hands on her hips.

"You're just as bad as me, if not worse." Akame tells Mine with a deadpanned expression.

"Yeah, pot calling the kettle black." I comment after Akame in agreement. Mine made an "urk" sound before letting out a "hmph" before marching up the stairs.

"Fine, you both can tag along if it means that much to you!" Mine says giving in.

"Sounds like a plan!" Leone speaks up from behind agreeing with Mine who was surprised hearing Leone's voice.

"Leone!" Mine calls out as Leone appears from a row of books.

"I'm the first one who saw Tatsumi's potential and pushed for him to join us in the first place," Leone says, which was true on all accounts. "If he were to get himself executed at this point in the game, it would make me look like a jerk."

"So... Does that mean you're on board?" Mine questioned before I gave a signal and both Sheele and Chelsea emerged from opposite book rows. "Sheele? Chelsea? You both too?"

"Of course," Chelsea replied while showing off Zhan and Zheng. "I may not have known him as long as you all, but he's still our idiot."

"Tatsumi's one of us," Sheele added into the moment. "If he dies now, then we won't survive."

"You hear that, Boss?" I called out for Najenda. "We've made up our minds. You okay with that?"

"Now why would I have a problem with that?" Najenda questioned surprising Mine.