"Great, Kuro can still be saved!"
Sheele exclaid in relief upon seeing Rei Ao's response.
Aka's tense expression softened slightly, but Chelsea, who was unaware of the full context, looked confused.
"You're not worried about her?" Chelsea asked, glancing at Kuro, who was writhing in agony, her face contorted in pain.
Receiving a subtle signal from Najenda, Leone placed a hand on Chelsea's shoulder.
"Chelsea, right? There's nothing more for us to do here. Why don't you co with to scout the area around the base?"
The implication was clear.
Chelsea realized she hadn't earned the team's full trust yet, and Kuro's situation likely involved classified information.
Although her curiosity was piqued, Chelsea wisely chose not to pry and followed Leone out of the room.
The mont Chelsea stepped out, Rei Ao appeared beside Aka.
He took one glance at Kuro and assessed her condition.
"Looks like I arrived just in ti," he remarked calmly.
"Rei Ao, please save Kuro!" Aka grasped his arm tightly, her usually cold eyes brimming with desperate pleading.
"The trade is to save her. I'll naturally fulfill my end of the deal. Don't worry."
Rei Ao approached Kuro and placed his hand on her arm.
Green and golden particles of light began to shimr around her, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.
The others watched in awe, holding their breaths as if even the slightest sound might disrupt the process.
In truth, they were overthinking.
Rei Ao was rely using the simplest manipulation of wood and light elents to repair Kuro's body and organs.
What was effortless for him yielded dramatic results.
The glowing particles fused into Kuro's body, and her painful cries ceased.
Her convulsions stopped entirely, and the pallor of her skin gave way to a healthy complexion.
Monts later, Rei Ao withdrew his hand.
Aka, her voice tinged with urgency, asked, "How is she?"
"As you can see," Rei Ao replied, stepping aside.
"Her condition is excellent—her body's strong, and she's completely free from the drug's side effects."
"Then why hasn't she woken up?" Mine asked skeptically.
Rei Ao glanced at her as though she were an idiot.
"Isn't it possible that she's simply exhausted and fell asleep?"
Aka knelt down and checked Kuro's breathing.
"Her breathing is steady. She's just sleeping."
"Uh…" Mine felt embarrassed for not thinking of that.
She pouted, trying to defend herself. "I-I just didn't realize it right away!"
Rei Ao chuckled, which only deepened Mine's frustration.
"You—"
Before she could retort, Najenda intervened.
"Mine, stop with the pointless argunts."
"…"
Seeing the leader step in, Mine had no choice but to begrudgingly quiet down.
Najenda then turned to Rei Ao, her expression a mix of curiosity and admiration for his miraculous abilities.
"Rei Ao, could I trouble you for a mont? It's regarding so matters between the Empire and the Revolutionary Army."
"?"
Aka looked puzzled.
She was well aware that the "paynt" for the trade involved her, but if Najenda had a request, she could wait.
However, Najenda clarified, "It won't take long, and Aka, you might want to freshen up before… the next part."
Sheele chid in, "Aka, you can use the hot spring nearby to relax."
"Hot spring?"
Rei Ao's eyes lit up at the ntion. An idea imdiately ford in his mind.
He turned to Aka. "Wait for in the hot spring."
"???"
Mine's face was full of disbelief.
"You're not planning to—"
"You have a problem with that?" Rei Ao asked, raising an eyebrow.
"… No," Mine grumbled, shrinking back.
But the thought of the won's hot spring being "polluted" left her feeling exasperated.
"Shall we go outside to talk?" Najenda suggested.
"Lead the way," Rei Ao agreed, following her out.
Outside the Night Raid base, Rei Ao and Najenda stood face-to-face under the shade of a large tree.
"You want to discuss the Empire, don't you?" Rei Ao preemptively guessed her intentions.
To his surprise, Najenda first nodded, then shook her head.
"What does that an?"
"It's not entirely about the Empire," Najenda explained, her single eye fixed on him. "The Revolutionary Army is planning a full-scale attack on the Empire. I want to hear your thoughts as both a powerful individual and an outsider."
She then laid bare the Revolutionary Army's entire strategy.
Rei Ao raised an eyebrow. "You sure trust a lot."
Najenda shook her head slightly. "It's not trust. It's just that soone of your caliber wouldn't concern yourself with the Empire."
"Fair enough," Rei Ao said, shrugging.
Indeed, the small Empire held no interest for him. Forget his current strength—he had two incredibly powerful wives backing him. With that kind of support, conquering this planet was nothing but child's play.
"Since you want my opinion, I'll be blunt."
Rei Ao's playful deanor gave way to seriousness.
"First, with your current forces, you can't defeat Esdeath or the Empire."
Without Tatsumi and his final explosive evolution, the chances of toppling the Empire were almost zero. Against Esdeath and the Supre Teigu, sheer numbers were aningless.
"Second, allying with foreign invaders is a bad move."
Rei Ao scoffed at the Revolutionary Army's desperation. Such alliances would inevitably lead to conceding territory for temporary peace.
Najenda's expression tightened as Rei Ao pointed out the flaws in their plan.
She had once believed that with enough manpower, the Revolutionary Army could have a chance against Esdeath. But after witnessing Esdeath's battle with Rei Ao, she realized how much she had underestimated the Ice Queen.
Even she now doubted the Revolution's chances of success.
"The higher-ups are drunk on the news of General Budo's death," Najenda admitted.
"Anything else you want to ask?" Rei Ao asked, cutting straight to the point.
Najenda hesitated for a mont before voicing her deepest concern: "What kind of price would it take for you to help us overthrow the Empire?"
Rei Ao wasn't surprised by the question.
"Unfortunately for you, offering all the won in the Night Raid wouldn't be enough—excluding the n, of course. I'm not interested in them."
"…"
The blunt rejection left Najenda in a bind.
She knew that her team mbers—Sheele, Mine, Leone, and the others—might be willing to sacrifice themselves for peace. But even that felt insignificant compared to the task of toppling the vast Empire.
And Rei Ao wasn't wrong—he could have any woman in the Empire. Why would he settle for such a small price?
"However," Rei Ao said, his tone shifting, "there's a way to change my mind."
"What is it?" Najenda asked, her intrigue piqued.
Rei Ao raised a single finger.
"First, I want all the won of Night Raid to beco mine."
Najenda had expected that condition.
"Second," he continued, "the Empire's rulers, the Revolutionary Army, and the foreign invaders will all be wiped out. I will beco the new Emperor."
His lips curled into a playful smile. "What do you think?"
Najenda froze, stunned by the audacious proposal.
She had never imagined that Rei Ao would want to beco the Emperor himself.
Rei Ao, on the other hand, had only just co up with the idea. It wasn't out of ambition, but the notion of leaving the Empire to the Revolutionary Army after toppling it didn't sit well with him.
Who were they to inherit the fruits of his labor?
"Rei Ao, your conditions surprise ," Najenda admitted, still processing his words. "You're not planning to stay in this world forever, are you?"
"Of course not," Rei Ao replied without hesitation. "I just want to experience what it's like to be Emperor. Managing a country doesn't interest ."
He added with a smirk, "I'll leave the Empire in soone else's hands. Maybe Esdeath…"
"!!"
Najenda's single eye widened in alarm. Esdeath managing the Empire? That was the last thing she wanted.
"Or," Rei Ao continued, "if Night Raid becos mine, I wouldn't mind letting you handle it."
"…"
Najenda couldn't answer.
Rei Ao's conditions were clear: total domination and complete erasure of the current factions.
"I'm sorry, but I'll need ti to consider this," she finally said.
"Take your ti," Rei Ao said with a shrug. "If you agree, just initiate the trade."
With that, he turned to leave. "Now, if you'll excuse , I need to go collect my paynt."
Najenda didn't try to stop him.
…
In the misty waters of the hot spring, Aka sat quietly, waiting.
"You've got quite a spacious spring here," Rei Ao's voice broke the silence.
Aka turned to see him approaching, his confidence on full display.
With a splash, Rei Ao entered the water and pulled Aka into his arms.
Their skin pressed together, and the rising heat was unmistakable.
"You seem a little shy today," Rei Ao remarked, surprised.
"I'm not," Aka muttered, turning her gaze away.
"Hmph, lying isn't good," he said, his fingers brushing against a sensitive spot.
"!!"
Aka shivered, her body betraying her composed deanor.
Her eyes t Rei Ao's, glistening like dew. "Thank you for saving Kuro."
"If you're thankful, then give what I'm owed," Rei Ao replied with a smirk.
She nodded earnestly. "Of course. I'll make sure to properly repay the trade."
~~~
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