Chapter 65: The Bait

Whether due to Kobayashi's guidance, Tatsumi suddenly became enlightened and cooperated fully with every single request.

It did not take much thought to realize that he wanted to lull everyone into a false sense of security to find an opportunity to escape.

The strategy was simple yet practical.

However, he overlooked one thing: it was only the second day, and such a drastic change in attitude had already drawn someone's attention.

Of course, this was also intentionally arranged by Kobayashi.

This suddenly unusual, pure boy was the meticulously prepared bait he had cast. Would the fragrant Tatsumi, radiating a mysterious aura, successfully lure you out, Doctor? I am truly looking forward to it.

The work of the Jaegers was demanding. Aside from hunting down members of Night Raid, they also had to eliminate the Danger Beasts swarming the surrounding areas.

Even though it was only the second day, combat was still inevitable.

Mount Fikuma.

Wave and Tatsumi formed a duo.

One had to admit that, aside from standing on opposing factions, their personalities and life experiences were remarkably similar—especially since they possessed the same type of Stand... No, the same type of Teigu.

If Tatsumi could be considered the male protagonist of Night Raid, then Wave was undoubtedly the male protagonist of the Jaegers.

Surprisingly, the two found plenty of common ground.

Yet, Tatsumi still intended to seize the chance to escape. Taking advantage of a moment when they were surrounded by Danger Beasts, he activated Incursio, broke through the encirclement, and sprinted far into the distance.

Upon discovering his escape, Wave panicked and shook with anxiety, immediately activating Grand Chariot to give chase.

Tatsumi had only recently acquired his Teigu, and his operational skill fell short of Wave's, while Incursio's performance also lagged behind Grand Chariot. Coupled with his refusal to fight back, he naturally received a thorough beating.

Still, he was clever.

Using the stealth capability of his Teigu, he forced himself to submerge and conceal his presence in the water, only emerging after Wave had departed.

Kobayashi followed the entire way, acting as a spectator lurking in the shadows.

After all, he needed to ensure that Tatsumi, this piece of bait, was successfully delivered.

"Good grief. Wanting to show goodwill is a fine sentiment, but what is the meaning of taking a beating without fighting back?"

Kobayashi carried the injured Tatsumi on his back as he approached the edge of the forest, lecturing him along the way: "You must understand that while the power of persuasion is supreme, it only works if you beat your opponent into submission first, forcing them to listen to you calmly. Otherwise, talking is just an utter waste of breath."

"Ugh... Mmm..."

Tatsumi desperately wanted to retort, but his severe injuries left him unable to speak.

"Alright, alright. Let's rest here for a bit."

Kobayashi set Tatsumi down.

He had him lean against a tree trunk to recover.

Right at that moment, a long blade suddenly swept past the corner of his eye, coming to a decisive halt right against the skin of his neck. The chilling edge and frost emanating from it caused goosebumps to erupt across Kobayashi's skin.

The suffocating aura of death washed over him!

With just the slightest slice, Kobayashi would lose his life right here.

Yet...

"You hesitated, Akame."

Kobayashi showed no panic. Instead, continuing his previous posture, he chuckled and said, "Whenever you encountered enemies in the past, you always took their lives straight away. As an assassin, lacking decisiveness in your strikes is a major taboo. Surely you know that?"

"Kobayashi..."

Akame's gaze flickered for a fraction of a second before returning to its usual cold expression.

"I am merely obeying the Boss's orders to ask you a few questions should we cross paths."

"What questions?"

"What kind of future did you actually see?"

At first, they had indeed felt angry and disappointed by Kobayashi's desertion, but they quickly sensed anomalies.

—I used the concealment ability of the Teigu.

These were the words Kobayashi had uttered when *Spectator* was destroyed.

Initially, there was nothing unusual about the statement. However, when combined with Kobayashi's subsequent lack of grief over Sheele and Bulat's deaths, as well as his various abnormal behaviors upon meeting Esdeath, the members of Night Raid could deduce one thing: the hidden ability of *Spectator* was the power to see the future!

That exact reason explained why he quit Night Raid, and even went so far as to utter the phrase, "I simply feel that the current Night Raid cannot possibly win."

Of course.

All these deductions were based on their understanding of Kobayashi, and they could not completely rule out the possibility that the persona he displayed was a deliberate deception to fool them.

What connected all these pieces together, however, was the promise Kobayashi had made to Leone yesterday:
—He would never join the Empire.

Viewed in that light, the reason Kobayashi had now joined the Empire could only be one thing.

"—You are a double agent."

"Stop!"

Kobayashi made a timeout gesture with his hand and said, "I can't let you continue rambling on about what comes next. Save all your questions and ask Tatsumi later."

"Tatsumi..."

Upon seeing the battered and bruised Tatsumi, Akame's blade nearly slipped downward.

Taking advantage of her lapse in concentration, Kobayashi swiftly scrambled out of her attack range. Meeting Akame's furious glare, he put on an innocent expression, raised his hands, and said, "Don't look at me like that. I didn't do this."

The weak Tatsumi also grabbed the hem of Akame's garment and shook his head slightly, proving that her injuries had nothing to do with the person before them.

Kobayashi scratched his head and called out to the surroundings, "Lubbock, stop wasting energy setting up traps. Come on out."

"Ahaha... Was I exposed?"

Lubbock stepped out from behind a tree trunk with a cheeky grin, simultaneously retracting all the tripwires he had laid out for his traps.

Unserious as he might seem, he was surprisingly clever.

It was obvious he had already deduced that Kobayashi was not an enemy, and that his departure from Night Raid had valid reasons behind it.

"Alright, alright. This place is not safe for long. You guys should get going quickly."

Kobayashi urged them to leave.

Akame remained still, but Lubbock quickly hauled Tatsumi up, and the two hurried away at top speed.

Engaging in combat was out of the question.

The longer they dragged it out, the more perilous their situation would become.

The wisest course of action right now was to evacuate immediately.

As he watched their receding figures gradually vanish, Kobayashi's viewpoint continuously rose into the sky.

On a distant mountaintop.

Dr. Stylish and his enhanced soldiers were observing the area from afar.

Unfortunately, the capabilities of a Teigu vastly surpassed those of enhanced soldiers, and Kobayashi had easily detected them instead.

"Rather than reporting to Esdeath that I am in league with Night Raid, you prioritized finding Night Raid's headquarters as your top objective, Doctor?"

It seemed he had failed to draw the man out completely.

Still, the outcome would not change, Doctor. Your time is up.

***

Night Raid Headquarters.

Tatsumi was recounting his experiences within the Jaegers to the others. Just as everyone had surmised, the Jaegers were likewise composed entirely of Teigu users, and the strength of each member was comparable to those in Night Raid.

Yet, Esdeath existed in an entirely different tier.

Having witnessed even a fraction of her power, Tatsumi asserted that they stood zero chance in a direct confrontation—a conclusion that matched Kobayashi's initial assessment precisely.

However, Akame's proposed solution was her own Teigu, *Muzan: Murasame*. As long as the cursed blade could inflict a wound on Esdeath, its lethal poison would instantly eliminate her.

The answer was far from ideal, but they had no choice except to pin their hopes on Night Raid's ultimate trump card: Akame.

"Speaking of Kobayashi, he..."

"Just as we suspected earlier."

"That idiot! Why couldn't he just tell us if something was wrong? Why did he have to run away?!"

"Even though you say that, Leone, you're actually the happiest one here, aren't you? You came back fuming mad just yesterday."

"What did you say?!"

Her thoughts exposed, Leone angrily reached out to pinch and rub Mine's cheeks, causing the petite, twin-tailed girl to squeak out repeated pleas for mercy.

"Regardless, Tatsumi returning safely is the best outcome possible."

"Alright! Let's hold a banquet then!"

"Yeah!" xN

No, no, no, no! How could they drop their guard the moment they returned?

It seemed Najenda's absence had made them all far too lax.

Employing his *Clairvoyance* ability, Kobayashi shook his head with a helpless sigh, then addressed the shadowy figures creeping up from behind to surround him:

"To completely overlook the possibility of being tracked—that is the most unforgivable mistake an assassin can make. Wouldn't you agree, Doctor?"