Akame ga Kiru
The Imperial Saber
Prologue
Staring into the distance, a young man dressed in the uniform as a soldier of the Empire could only feel a numb feeling drip into his very core. Another rebellion had been put down in its infancy, another thousand souls he had ordered to be killed or made an example off and all for what? The Empire was a flawed thing, just for those who could afford the system to be made and the rest of the good people within the borders were abused. Change had to come, it had to come but what would be the point if he was supposed to protect the Empire itself from enemies? His duty, to protect the Emperor and his subjects.
How could one who swore to protect his country, protect it from itself?
Corruption had made its mark on the system that was once a fair, just and pure nation.
Ever since he was a child, he had enlisted into the Empires Armies and stayed there till his present time. He had fought, he had learned, he had listened and he had grown into a prominent figure who could hold his own against the world. He had seen many people being tortured, many people who were good folks put to death from corruption itself. Snarling silently, what could he do in order to carry out his duty as a soldier while trying to stop the evil he was supposed to destroy? Destroying the very evil that was giving him orders to put down rebellions that had the right to find a better chance for their own futures.
You Monster...
Just another demon...
A fucking betrayer...
The voices of those he had killed, ordered to put to death and all for what?
For them to tear at his soul, demanding that justice be done for his actions.
Long ago, his innocence had been lost once had to see the horrors of war. The boy that was never a boy had been born out of the injustice that he had been ordered to do. Anger, that word alone didn't do itself any credit to what he felt for performing the acts of barbarism that became of former enemies. Why did life have to snuffed out so easily, in order for another corrupted politicians domain to remain in power which had been clearly due for a change? That word sent a jolt of excitement through his veins, to change in order for the Empire to exist. His mind started to process the very things that he was ordered to never to consider, for the Empire had to exist for Order to continue as it arose from the fires of Chaos itself.
But what if that for the Empire to exist, to be that pillar for all citizens to prosper had to change to meet those demands.
Tears started to form, as the boy who was a soldier knew that for the current system had failed itself. Corruption had clearly taken root in all systems of administration of government, the Emperor was unaware due to the front that had blinded him to the reality of the Empire itself. He knew that in his heart, to fight for Justice a new System had to be implemented in order for the rebellions to stop and for the people to have faith in those that had formed the Empire form its humble origins over one thousand years ago. The soldiers of the past, those who had helped form the very borders of a super power would be rolling in their graves for what the current system had caved into itself for all the sins that human committed to their own personal satisfaction.
He needed people in power, the ones who knew what the dawn of a new day was giving rise too.
"How?"
Speaking a single word: how could he stop the Empire from collapsing into total anarchy?
These answers would be considered treason, in the eyes of his superiors and his own mentors in the past recently. They would be affronted to know that him, an idol to the youngest of the Empires military would be a traitor to his core for trying to save the Empire from itself by killing the very corruption that ran its system. The Emperor's authority had be limited, it had to be since his very own Ministers were abusing the powers given to them for nearly the entire reign of the child-emperor. Gnashing his teeth together, this was treason to consider in disposing the Emperor for the need to change but that wasn't the problem at hand here. The problems weren't with the younger boy, know he had met at some point or another because the System was flawed.
There was no justice, no equality, no change and nothing could be done to stop it...
Unless he took matters into his own hand, trying to reason with the few that could do something to stop the collapse of a millennium old power that had formed from the barbaric times in the ancient past. Would anyone listen to him? At least those who were willing to see that the without the need to purge the bureaucrats that ran the Empire for the Emperor, that the very thing they fought for would be nothing but ruins in the near future? Perhaps he'd have to join the revolution forming at its core near the south-eastern borders since the North was now a genocide of its native populace in trying to challenge the might of the Imperial Armies that reined supreme for many years.
On that note he cringed, the Northern Armies were lead by the woman who was said to be the strongest within the Empire.
God damn his soul, that woman was probably the most alluring horror that the world had been tasked to witness. Her eyes were beautiful, make no mistake but the depth of empathetic feelings were deeper than any ocean and the chill of her glare made storms stop in their wake. Her presence alone would make most fear for their own families, since she made a point to wipe out anyone connected to being a traitor to the empire and her ways had forced submission from everyone still loyal to the Empire. Closing his eyes as memories wormed their way from his heart, he could remember clearly what was at stake if he had to become a rebel himself.
"Leading an army is not like commanding a squad, its not the same. For you must be the pillar that your men look up too and for that you must never waver, for they will follow you until victory is achieved. There is no glory to those shamed in defeat, but never expect victory to be achieved until the very last of your enemies are dead..."
Lessons were drilled into his head from those who had parted knowledge and first hand experience when had asked or learned under those people. Most were dead, or retired from active duty with just a few still serving the Empire to this day. He couldn't do this alone, he needed help or first off: get advice on whether this course of action would do any justice to the evils that were lurking within the Empires borders itself. Sighing to himself, he'd have to find answers and create time in order to get those answers from the few that would assist him in this type of manner.
Loyalty and Ambition.
He knew that this line would be scrutinized in order for his questions to be answered. Loyal to the Empire but it could be mistaken for a power ploy to increase his standings in the political arena as well as the Military. It frightened him to the point where he watched the setting in front of him, with intense details that made him realize what he was actually staring at.
A village was burning to the ground...
With several key rebellious leaders nailed to crosses in order to send a message to the rest of the world: fight the Empire and die, painfully.
He had been ordered to make an example of the rebellions brewing within the Empire itself. His superiors wanted to send a message, to the rest of the would-be rebels that were lurking to rise up and challenge the existence of the Order that had been established, he had performed those orders to the letter and not once, enjoyed a single moment. His men had learned, fully aware of his tastes when it came down to an enemy that had fought there hearts out for a cause that was doomed to fall. They were aware of his fairness to a subdued enemy and were fearful of his wrath if they had committed any atrocities within his sight.
By that, it meant two things.
Looting and Rape.
The rebels were their own countrymen, fellow citizens who were trying to make themselves into a better livelihood for their own reasons to fight. He'd respect that courage to stand up when tyranny had pushed them once more too far, he could respect that courage to fight and he'd damn well give them fair-quarter once he destroyed their means to assemble an army on any day of the week. Unlike most of his peers, he had been the one to show his kindness to his enemies, they were to be treated with respect and to understand that their actions weren't without emotions of the Empire. He had cried silently, he had shed tears for the weak that were given no quarter from his fellows since they had nothing other than to fight in order to live.
Those that were rebelling, had their reasons and he could understand why.
In another life, his position could have been the same way as the rebels had rose up to challenge the Empire to have a shot at a better life. To bring a peace to their futures without having any sort of evil torment their own children, slavery due to the high taxes from the local Governors that held territories to report back to the capital of the Empire itself. The areas that had been granted from the Prime Minister himself to his fellows had each horrors rumored within their luxurious homes and it caused an unholy anger to surge back up into his stomach once more.
The Capital had become a fester hub of sins, of evil and it honestly was only getting worse.
Never had been there personally, at least within several years had he been physically in that city that spanned far beyond the eye that it could see. A city so massive, it was the heart of the Empire and now it had become its greatest disease infecting the whole stability that had once been its golden light. The commerce alone would make any merchant guild there richer beyond any single entity, which were few in number but command great influence to the common man within its walls. Again that urge to fight for change had been electrifying his veins with a desire that came close to the one inside his heart, he felt that need to believe it was so right.
But was it?
To change a form of government was near nigh impossible without having the need for a unified front to change that alone and rebelling was much more simpler to do within the immediate time-frame that it took for men to form opinions on the matter. The Prime Minister would brand him a traitor and have him publicly humiliated before allowing such an issue be whispered amongst the ones in power. In either way, he would die quick and without mercy from the ones hunting down the rebellions within the borders of the Empire. His very name would be a poison for those to utter if they wanted to emulate him or use him as a means to an end, to inspire those that the Empire was wrong. It wasn't, the Empire itself was still a power to stabilize the world...
But the Corruption had to end.
It must end and it would one way or another.
If the Empire wanted to flourish and expand for all its citizens to see a better tomorrow...
Or it would crumble into chaos, where horrors would a reality every day until Hell itself came to devour the remaining vestiges of justice and fairness once more. A world where every person would be equals to their fellow neighbors, not an enemy but as a friend. An Empire where everyone flourished to see the dawn of a new era, to see a road of Justice, Fairness and Equality that would make another child smile at the life he or she was given. Anything less of that and the Empire's system had failed in that regard, as it failed to provide for its people: only to abuse them for power alone corrupted those who wielded it.
Unwillingly, he watched as the setting of the burning village faded away into an older memory that ran fresh on his mind.
"Hey lets become hero's, to get money to get this village out of poverty!"
A boy spoke to him, whereas he grinned in response while sticking out his hand in agreement. He smiled, "Heroes for life, where justice prevails over all and we will never back away from our words." The trees that the two were under were healthy, green and so full of life that the animals within its branches scurried without the fear of a predator. The warmth of the sun, filtered down making the two boys comfortable as a girl's voice spoke up from behind them.
With a soft wind, caressing their faces as the summer months drew closer to their end.
"Ieyasu! Don't forget about me, the three of us will become Heroes together and the village will become rich because of us!" The young girl smiled, as her friends grinned at each other. "Damn right Sayo, you and I will be the greatest duo together to kick ass until the end of the world. For justice, for our village and for our dreams to come true."
The last of the trio could only retort playfully, "Hey what about me? Am I that bad?"
Sayo smiled, "Not at all Tatsumi, you'll be the leader. After all, you like telling others what to do and its usually to get food."
Tatsumi only laughed bashfully while rubbing the back of his head, "So lets make a promise. We all become heroes and promise to return here, to show the village what we did in order to make it great and rich forever."
The three formed fists and bumped them together.
As the sun shined bright overhead, not hindering the hearts of the children who did not know of the true world that lied ahead.
Tatsumi returned to reality, wishing that it wasn't so dark and cold as many had said to him over the time he had been alive.
It was amusing, he thought to himself as his eyes watched the flames of the village he had burned to the ground. This was an old memory foolish yet heart warming past. A past that he had promised to return too in time, as his friends were still out there fighting to become heroes from the last time had heard off. They wanted to become freelancers, roaming heroes while he wanted to try something different to get his village away from the taxes that plagued it. He had went and enlisted into the nearest Imperial recruitment station for the Army.
And he hadn't looked back, trying to strive for a promise that seemed impossible to reach without bloodshed.
Again, it was an old promise...
One that he believed for all people to have, to become a Hero to help all those who were poor and weak to grant them a better livelihood.
There wouldn't be a need for poor villages, being taxed, being forced to sell children into slavery to pay off debts. There wouldn't the need for friends, to die and to have the hope of the people become nothing more than a dream. His eyes watered as he watched the flames of another village fall to his forces, falling to his own orders as injustice had been committed against the justice that the ones who rebelled had the right too. Sheer anger gripped his heart, he felt the need to scream at the injustice of the world that he had been ordered too inflict on those that had the right to fight for a better life. So he had to ask himself: where was the justice in that!
"Colonel Saber."
A voice brought him out of his thoughts, Tatsumi looked over apathetically to the elder Lieutenant.
"Have the villagers been given a route for them to flee and to find new lands to settle, at least the ones not associated with the rebels nailed to those crosses?"
The question was met with a swift response.
"Yes sir, they were given any spare food supplies for their journey and horses for them to carry their belongings. As per your orders, we didn't loot their valuables in the village until they took what they could and no women were taken against their will."
Tatsumi let a small smile of relief appear, the elder man was aware of his reluctance to allow such atrocities to be committed as other units were to do against an enemy. However it didn't mean that the unit that were with was weak, not by a long shot and for it was worth, every man was loyal to the 'Imperial Saber' who led them against the enemies of the Empire itself in battle after battle. An entire legion of man, over ten thousand souls had become a disciplined force that fought with the tenacity of a Danger Beast that smelled blood on its prey and they didn't give in to their emotions at first glance. Control was the driving factor in their battles, they were loyal, they were strong and they didn't falter against any enemy. Especially against the face of Evil itself, as it hid in many forms of its own devices.
Being it rebel or foreign alike...
They were hard soldiers, fair and respected to the enemy as they would do to them, in their own shoes. None of the areas that had rebelled spoke of trying it again, out of respect and admiration to the young Colonel of the Imperial Saber Legion and it gave a spark of hope for those to have in seeing change come to the Empire in that figure of that young man. Enemies of the Empire within the Western region respected tales of such a leader, they offered submission to him out of respect for the tenacity they held in battle and not one of the Empire's foes would dare see such an officer die in shame. If he were to be defeated, he would be treated fairly and equally as one of their own, for he had given such things to them and they wouldn't be swayed otherwise.
The Western portion of the Empire, was secured from both Rebellions and Enemy's beyond its borders for now.
But for how long?
As only corruption remained, though it fled at the sight of the Imperial Saber Legion once it had been stationed within the provinces and that alone made the common people smile with hope at the sense of justice, that had been long since removed during the reign of the Child-Emperor, whether Tatsumi knew or not. He had become an idol to the many that seen his actions on the field of battle, few called him a monster but more so as a figure of fairness that had been absent for so long in war, it made many wish to see the true light of the Empire. This light would drive him, so how into the world stage where he had to change the very country he loved in order for it to survive the coming tide of war.
For it once was a dream and now a twisted nightmare ready to be awaken from.
"Thank you, Lieutenant. Anything else to add?"
The young Colonel spoke, while watching the flames eat away at the former homes of the rebellion that was put down. Out of the two thousand villagers, five hundred were killed because of their actions and the rest were spared under the terms of surrender, many of them were children and women who couldn't hold a weapon to defend themselves properly. His heart burned to see children, whose faces were horrified to see their own fathers, brothers or family members crucified but his orders were absolute: make public examples and give the rebels no quarter if they were to resist.
Many did and a few understood their fates: making their families spared the coming chaos that consumed their lands.
And he kept his word as the rebels were executed.
He had made sure that no rape, not a singe pillaging and murder were to be done: at all costs...
"A messenger came from the Capital an hour ago, sir. It stated that you personally were to be stationed at the Imperial Palace until further notice, I got the impression something big is starting to happen. These were orders from..."
Tatsumi interrupted annoyed, not at the man who rather where the orders were issued from.
"From that lard of a Prime Minister or the Emperor himself, I'm aware." The lieutenant went silent as the flames gave way to the burning crackles of wood and stone from below the two soldiers. Smoke clogged the air as blood stained the earth that was meant for food to be grown, not for Danger Beasts to consume the dead that were buried underneath their own homes. In the end, he spat off to the side clearly unhappy with the news being delivered. The blood shed had stopped finally here, only for more to follow in the wake of the Empire's leadership: this was getting out of hand, immediately.
"I leave the Legion in your command, there are no other officers in charge sides you or myself. Lead them well, fight for glory and do not become the monsters that men become with power. The Imperial Sabers will not become degenerate dogs that rape and pillage our countrymen." With that, his cloak that was equipped onto his uniform swept over past the horizon behind him. As flames red as blood and orange as the ghoulish nature of a monster arose into the night skies, leaving behind him a trail of destruction as his troops looked on nearby. They marched as a howling wind blew from the west, sending his cloak backwards as the soon to be ex-commander watched the burning homes of people who had never raised a weapon in their lives. Steel encased soldiers marched by, in formation and without sparing a glance at their own citizens.
All in the name of the Empire.
And Colonel 'Saber' Tatsumi could only sigh in acceptance of his new station in the capital.
The true corruption lied there and there wasn't a damned thing he could to do, other than to purge it: like a festering wound.
So for that he did the one thing he could do in his power.
He shed a single tear, just not for those were lost.
But for the ones who deserved to be lost in the fires of hell itself.
End Prologue
Author's Note: Well, I honestly had to try this out because of a funny story really: how I came to post this prologue.
Someone on this site, who was from my hometown (and state) literally pieced together who I was on this site. Let me tell you, its fucking scary as to how determined this individual to was find me and no, nothing happened since I was at work when he actually asked about my pen-name. This person was young, probably around the age when I first came onto this site nearly seven years ago. I was exactly Fourteen at the time and Christ, did I feel like an old man (Not really, but it shows how time flies).
Long boring conversation short, kind of amusing to say that.
Back to this story I got this urge write out a certain story that I had been dying to see, in this section for many a moons now. I just wanted someone to start a different spin on the Akame ga kiru universe or rather, the story of it as the characters having different AU roles. So I came to the conclusion, what if 'Tatsumi was a loyal soldier' of the Empire and was fluently concerned for his country as it started to dismantle itself from the Evil within? This is quite the take on it and I know for a fact, someone probably did something similar on their own story: so for that...
I do apologize if that is the case because I haven't skimmed through these stories for quite some time.
So I present a tale on Tatsumi whose a solder of the Empire, which will expand greatly into the world that he is currently in.
And for those who will ask for a pairing, I'm a fan of Esdeath/Tatsumi so by means expect the backlash to occur.
