120 Tatsumi's Suspicion: The Interrogation

Akame, too, had realized something. A look of incredulous, complex emotion flickered in her eyes. Only Leone held Qi’s severed head tightly; ignoring its deathly chill, her expression remained dull and numb.

Losing three comrades in a single day was a crushing blow to her. Despite her usual boisterous demeanor, she cared deeply for her companions, trusting and even relying on them. Her comrades were her family; the death of three family members in one night left her fragile heart struggling to cope.

Although they would force bright smiles the next day, burying their sorrow in the deepest corners of their hearts to fuel their resolve, it did not mean they had truly forgotten the pain.

Najenda cast a long, somber look at the frozen head. "Let's leave. This place is no longer safe. We will resolve everything once we return."

...

Dawn broke, and it was a rainy day. The gloomy sky mirrored the state of the Night Raid members. After setting up a makeshift shelter in a remote location and holding a simple funeral for Bulat, they rested until midday.

Akame returned from hunting Danger Beasts, looking lonely as she prepared food. After the group ate in silence, they gathered together. Mine had regained consciousness, her wounds temporarily tended to, and she joined the others, watching the still-unconscious boy with a tense atmosphere.

"Boss, did you knock Tatsumi out because you suspect him?" Lubbock asked, breaking the stifling silence.

"Even though he hasn't been with us for very long, he has no reason to betray us," Leone asked, her voice sounding puzzled as she seemed to recover her usual self. "His village was impoverished by the Empire's corruption, and his two friends were cruelly tortured to death by nobles in the Capital. Why would he betray us?"

Seeing everyone’s eyes turn to her, Najenda said calmly, "On the night we killed Ogre, Qi pulled me aside and said something."

"Oh, that time? I was wondering when Qi and the boss had become so close, or if you two were hiding some secret, scandalous affair," Leone joked. Even as she spoke of the owner of the head she had held the night before, her expression remained unchanged.

"Cough, do I look like the type who enjoys cradle-robbing? Qi told me, 'After I finished fighting Budo, I saw Tatsumi sneaking out of the Imperial Palace. As for whether he was there to assassinate someone or for another reason, I don't know. I’m just telling you what I saw; you can judge the rest for yourself.'"

"Tatsumi didn't seem like that kind of person, so I never mentioned it. Besides, the Empire made no further moves, and I gradually forgot about it. I just didn't expect..."

"They remained still until Esdeath returned, and then they struck with terrifying force. Not only did they try to ambush our base, but they also cleverly intercepted each of you. If not for Qi, our losses would have been even greater," Najenda said slowly, lighting a cigarette once more.

"That can only be considered a suspicion; it's hardly proof of betrayal, is it?" Akame hesitated, offering a slight defense for Tatsumi.

"Also, only we in Night Raid knew about Qi’s weakness, yet the enemy was able to force him to launch an attack even after being decapitated. This means his weakness has been leaked," Mine said, arms crossed, deep in thought.

"That, too, is a guess, not evidence," Leone mused. Although there was a possibility of betrayal, she truly did not want to lose another comrade. Until the truth was clear, she wanted to believe in him.

"And there's the question of how exactly Bulat died. None of us saw it. The only one alive at the scene was Tatsumi. When we arrived, he had just punched the last enemy to death while wearing Incursio," Lubbock added another question.

"Enough. Debating this won't lead to any conclusions. We'll know the truth as soon as we wake Tatsumi," Najenda said, putting an end to the argument.

"What happened to me? Where am I?" Tatsumi stirred and opened his eyes.

"Tatsumi, why did you do it?" Najenda stared intently at the restrained boy.

"What do you mean? Wait, why am I tied up? Why are you all surrounding me? Boss, what's going on?" Tatsumi looked confused by the situation.

"Why did you betray Night Raid? Why are you working for the Empire?" Najenda slammed her hand on the chair and shouted.

"Betray Night Raid? Me? When did I ever betray Night Raid? I haven't betrayed anyone, and I certainly wouldn't work for the Empire! My two friends were killed by the darkness and corruption of the Empire. What on earth is going on?" Tatsumi looked genuinely bewildered.

"If you claim you didn't betray us, then can you tell us where you went after you killed Ogre?" Najenda’s gaze locked onto his eyes. Everyone else watched him closely, hoping to hear an answer that would satisfy them.

"Ha... haha," Tatsumi’s eyes shifted nervously. "After I killed Ogre, I went back to the base, of course."

Najenda’s expression remained unchanged. "Is that so? You didn't go anywhere else?"

"Go... where?"

"Like the Imperial Palace, for instance," a cold glint appeared at the corner of Najenda’s mouth.

"W-what do you mean? I don't quite understand," Tatsumi gave a dry laugh.

"You’re not very good at lying. Qi said he saw you coming out of the Palace. What explanation do you have for that?"

"T-that was... I took advantage of the chaos to try and assassinate the Minister and the young Emperor. It didn't succeed, so I didn't tell anyone."

"Qi once said that assassinating them wouldn't be difficult, but I didn't let him do it because the time wasn't right. You heard that, so why did you go off on your own to kill them without notifying us?"

"That's because..."

"Enough, don't keep making things up. Your story is full of holes. Now, for the second question: how exactly did Bulat die?" Najenda cut his excuses short.

Tatsumi’s expression shifted several times before he finally hung his head in defeat. "...Before I joined Night Raid, I went to the Palace to assassinate the Minister and the young Emperor to avenge Ieyasu and Sayo. But I failed and was captured. Later, the young Emperor granted me an audience."