There are multiple levels of pain. First, there's the mild pain; the kind you get from maybe pulling a muscle or sleeping badly, the kind of pain that you register consciously but are able to block out almost completely because it's not serious. Then, there's moderate pain; landing badly after a long fall, belly-flopping into a pool, basically the kind that really hurts but won't usually leave a scar. Then there's the far end of the spectrum; debilitating pain, usually the result of losing parts of your body and is normally the precursor to death. Obviously, there's a wide range of variety between those three kinds of pain.
If Haru had to rate what he was going through right now, then he would say that he was definitely hovering somewhere around debilitating pain. He was lying on his bed, his hands and feet bound to the bed posts to keep him from thrashing about as he tried to ride through the binding process with an Imperial Arms. Wave after wave of heat assaulted his body, and it felt like he had swallowed the sun as he bit down on the mouthpiece he had in harder. It had gotten to the point where he couldn't even see the ceiling clearly anymore, though whether it was from the sweat or the pain, he couldn't tell. All he knew, all that he could focus on, was that this thing was trying its damnedest to burn him alive.
As another heat wave struck him, he convulsed, biting down on the piece harder as he groaned. I will not give into this he vowed as he fought to steady his breathing before the next wave came. He had already survived many things he shouldn't have; the destruction of his home, two harsh winters in the mountains on his own, and several skirmishes with Imperial soldiers as a member of the Revolutionary Army. While joining a bunch of rebels had never been a life goal for him, seeing just how bad life was throughout the empire had opened his eyes and forced him to make a choice.
Now he was taking the next step; taking an Imperial Arms for his own. He had applied to join Night Raid, the Revolution's assassin branch, and been accepted on one condition; that he manage to wield an Imperial Arms. So, he now found himself in what he would grudgingly admit was his toughest battle yet. And it wasn't even a fight, at least not in the conventional sense. It was more a test of his resolve as the weapon tried to cremate him from the inside. This particular weapon was the only one that he had reacted to, and more importantly the only one that had shown any reaction to him in return. However, when he had asked about it, he was told that everyone that had tried bonding with it had been reduced to a pile of ashes in less than a minute. Well, he was pretty sure that he had already lasted longer than the others, although pain has an interesting way of warping your sense of time passing.
After what could have been as little as a few minutes, or as long as a few days, he felt the heat subside to dull warmth. Finally able to breathe again, he spit the bit out of his mouth and took a deep breath right before he felt someone splash him with cold water. It was pure bliss, and he quickly asked for more as he relaxed, finally feeling the cramps that had formed through his body due to the strain. Opening his eyes, he noticed a subtle shift in the colors, but not so much as to affect him outright. "So?" he asked, turning his head, "Was it successful?" "You still live, Haru," the doctor responded as he emptied the bucked onto his chest, "That can only mean that it worked." While he worked to remove the bindings, Haru dwelled on that answer. He had an Imperial Arms now. At last, he had the power to effect real change. It was scary, but also incredibly gratifying.
Wandering through the capital, Haru admired at how people payed him no mind. In fact, a number of them made it a point to walk around him, and no one got incredibly close as if they feared he was contagious. He was walking through the streets of an upper-middle class district dressed in a simple brown cloak with a walking stick. He also wore a blindfold that covered most of his face, from just above his eyebrows to just before the point of his nose. It served the dual purpose of covering his scars as well as giving him a slight advantage over others. To anyone that didn't know him, he appeared to be a wandering blind beggar that had lost his way. However, the blindfold was a special kind of one-way fabric, so he could see perfectly well while others couldn't see his eyes. While it was a little humiliating to have people he didn't know looking down on him and pitying him, it did give him the ability to move around unnoticed and gather intelligence on their targets.
Right now he was fishing, for lack of a better term. Night Raid had obtained information on a wealthy family with a rather twisted past-time that involved the homeless. Hoping to capitalize off his choice of clothes, Haru had volunteered to head into the capital and find them. But, after spending almost two days touring through the wealthier districts, he had yet to come across any of them. Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way he thought as he sat down to rest. Of course, it could be that he was still just too eager to try and make a difference. He had only been with Night Raid for two months now, and this was the first time he had gone off to complete a job on his own. While he would never admit it out loud, he was a little nervous about trying to carry this one out alone, especially since he was in the capital city.
Without realizing it, Haru drifted off to sleep where he sat. When he woke up, it was to a rather bad cramp in his back, and to the realization that it was already night. Jumping up and mentally kicking himself for the lapse, he made his way towards one of their nearby hideouts. Well, I guess I'll just have to start again in the morning he thought. As he came up to a bridge, however, he saw his target in front of him. The daughter of the target family had stopped the carriage she was riding in to talk with a boy that had been sleeping on one of the benches. While not close enough to hear what was said, Haru saw the boy nod and them both smile. They then both got into the carriage before it went on its way again. Grinning at his luck, Haru let them get far enough ahead of him before he started tailing them. While it was horse-drawn, he was lucky that they were in no obvious hurry, so they kept to a rather reasonable pace.
Before too long, he had followed them all the way back to the estate in the upper district. When he saw the security, however, he decided that he was better off staying out of the property. There were four guards at the main gate, and he was willing to bet there were at least twice their numbers spaced around the grounds and inside the house. Too much for him to handle alone without going all-in and risking capture. And since he wasn't exactly the 'stealthy' type, sneaking past that many people was also out of the question.
And so, despite the fact that he had wanted to handle this alone, Haru left and made his way back to the hideout in the lower districts. It was time to call in some back-up. After sending the message off, he stretched out on one of the couches and tried to get some proper rest. If there was one thing he had learned from his time with Night Raid, it was that it was always best to grab rest when you can. As he drifted off to sleep, he began to remember his first meeting with them, as well as his first exposure to their line of work.
"So, this is the guy they sent us?" Leone asked, sounding amazed. They had all gathered to meet their new member, especially since it was said he brought a powerful Imperial Arms with him. However, the blindfolded guy standing before them couldn't be that person. The short sword sheathed at his back didn't look anywhere near special, and neither did the throwing knives on his hip. "Yes, he is," Najenda replied, lighting a cigarette. For whatever reason, she didn't sound half as concerned with this turn of events as Leone thought she should. Thankfully, she wasn't the only one concerned. "How the hell do they expect a blind man to fight, let alone be an assassin?" Lubbock demanded, walking up to him, "Seriously, what could you possibly offer us?"
"Well, first off, I can see just fine, lettuce-top," Haru responded, getting a small laugh out of Leone, "And I can fight just fine, too." "Oh, really?" Lubbock said, getting up in his face, "Maybe we should have a little test, then? Just to be sure." "All right, I just hope you like cremation," Haru replied, refusing to back down. Before it could go any further, Najenda interrupted them, "Well, as it just so happens we have a job that needs completing. If you think you're up for it, that is." "Wait, you don't mean that guy from immigration, do you?" Mine asked, her voice rising, "But that was my job!" "Which just means that you'll get to help break in our new member," Najenda said as she left, "Oh, and Lubbock? You go with them, too." And with that, she left the main hall, leaving Lubbock and Mine to gape at the door.
"Well, now that that's settled, where do I get to drop my stuff?" Haru asked, pointing to the two bags behind him. Ignoring the glares from Mine and Lubbock, Bulat walked up and said, "I'd be happy to show you to your bed." For whatever reason, this caused a slight shiver to run up Haru's spine, but he ignored it as he grabbed his things and followed. Two rather long hallways and a staircase later, and Haru was looking at the largest bedroom he had ever seen. Granted, it was only 3 meters by 4 meters, roughly, but after spending most of his life sleeping in barracks, or out in the wild, it was luxury beyond compare. "Wow, all this space for just one person?" he asked, turning to Bulat. "Yep, although now that you mention it, it can feel a little empty with just one person," he said, "If you need anything I'm just down the hall, so don't hesitate to ask." Shrugging off the return of that odd feeling, Haru went about unpacking. Thankfully, he didn't have much, so he was done in short order. Flopping down on the bed, he sighed as he sank a little ways into the mattress. Definitely better than a bunk he thought with satisfaction.
"Well, you look comfortable," Leone said, startling Haru and sending him bolting back onto his feet. "Anyone ever tell you not to do that?" he asked, quickly calming himself. "Relax, I just wanted to see if Bulat was giving you a hard time," she replied, waving a hand, "Don't want him scaring off the new guy so soon." "And why would he scare me off?" "You did realize it, right?" she asked, smiling, "That he's gay?" Taking a moment to fully comprehend what she had just said, he was quickly glad that his blindfold covered his face. "Alright, then, I'm locking my door at night," he said, turning around and grabbing his sword. "Heading out so soon?" Leone asked, stopping him from leaving. "Yes, actually, I am. I get the feeling that those other two want to spend as little time around me as possible," he said, looking her in the eye. It wasn't really fair, to be honest, since he was really the only one that could see the other's eyes. But he had learned it was a good psychological trick and had made it a point to use it when he was in a rush. "Yeah, yeah," Leone said, stepping aside, "Just try not to die, alright?"
After meeting with Lubbock and Mine outside and having a short 'discussion' about where to try and hit this guy, they set out for their target's home. They were after an official in the immigration bureau, specifically the one in charge of sending illegals home. He had made a name for himself in the slave trade, selling the younger ones he caught at enormous profit. The older ones, however, were subject to a different form of 'punishment.' When they came up to the house outside the capital, Haru saw that the official had purchased a rather large plot of forest-covered land. When they heard gunshots, the three of them immediately drew their weapons and prepared for an attack. Seconds passed with nothing happening. Finally, unable to stand the tension, Haru said, "Maybe that wasn't for us?" Several more shots in the distance severed to support his suggestion, and Lubbock grudgingly agreed the new guy had a point.
The next few hours were spent searching through the forest to find out just where this guy had set up. When they had finally found where their target and his guards had set camp, Haru had to fight down his gag reflex. The smell alone was bad, and it had been because of it that they had found it so easily. But the sight of so many mutilated corpses in a rotting pile to one side was almost too much. To make matters worse, there were several live people cowering in a cage on the far end of the camp. Clearly, they were the day's 'sport,' and the hunters were out finishing the last batch off before setting them loose. "How… How can someone do something like this?" Haru asked when they had put a bit of distance between themselves and the camp. "Trust me, that's not even the worse of what we've seen," Lubbock said as he checked his gloves. Mine, meanwhile, had opened her gun case and was busy customizing her rifle, electing not to say anything about this cruelty. Taking a moment to steel himself, Haru joined them as they waited for the hunters to return.
It was after dark when they returned with several fresh bodies hanging from poles. There were six men in total, including their main target who was laughing with the rest as they relived the hunt. After allowing them the time to put their 'catch' aside, as well as their weapons, Lubbock and Mine were about to attack when Haru put a hand out and stopped them. "This one's mine," he said, making a decision. "What, are you crazy? You can't take on six guys with rifles alone!" Mine said, trying to keep her voice from rising too much. Smirking, Haru unsheathed his sword while saying, "Just make sure the prisoners get out alive, okay?" Without another word, he stepped clear of the foliage and calmly walked into the camp.
It wasn't too long before one of the men noticed him. The sword he chose to use probably helped with him being noticed. The blade was easily two inches thick and curved up to a point at the end. It had been forged from the scales of a rare Danger Beast, and had left the blade a dark red. The hilt, meanwhile, was stylized in the shape of a flower blossom with eight petals, alternating between a deep orange and a lighter red in color. It reflected the light of the camp fires menacingly as he approached.
"Hey, who're you, kid?" one of the guards demanded, sitting up and grabbing his gun, "How'd you find this place?" Ignoring the man, Haru continued to walk through the camp, holding his sword away from his side. "From hell you have risen," he said as the first man brought his gun up, "And to hell you shall return." Before he could even pull the trigger, Haru was in his face, his sword cutting clean through his arms. Spinning with the strike, he buried a good two inches in the man's chest. Rather than let the body slide clear, he pulled the blade up and used it as a shield as the others opened fire. Silently counting to five in his head, Haru pulsed his own powers into the corpse, setting it on fire immediately. Using the burning corpse as a distraction, he hurled it forward and broke them into two groups. Going for the two on the left, he took the first one's head off before they even realized he was there.
His slash into the second man's chest, however, wasn't as deep as he would have liked. His Imperial Arms, however, saved him the trouble of a second strike as the man burst into flames. Turning to finish the last three off, he noticed two things. First; that the last two guards were smiling at him with their guns lowered. Second; the official they were here to kill was lunging at him with a pair of elaborate brass knuckles. Sensing the danger, he dodged the first punch before trying to jump clear. As the man's fist continued into the ground, Haru saw a brief flash before the ground erupted and sent him flying. "You think you can get away that easily, brat?" he demanded, rushing after Haru. Landing hard, he barely had the time to smack the next punch aside before being forced to dodge the man's other hand. "So, you have an Imperial Arms, too?" Haru asked when he landed again. Staring at him, the official replied, "Of course I do. You think you're the first to try and take my life?"
"Well, I'm impressed with its strength," Haru said as he relaxed his stance, "But, a physical weapon isn't of any use against me." "Ha! As if I'd fall for such an obvious bluff," he replied, "I don't know if that sword is an Imperial Arms or not, but it won't save you from my fists!" Smiling, Haru looked beyond him and his guards to see that the cage was, thankfully, empty. "Mine! Lubbock! Make sure you guys stay well back!" he said, reaching up to his blindfold, "I can't guarantee this attack will stay under control." Off in the trees, they winced at Haru's casual use of their names. If either of those guards got away, they would have problems. Sneering at Haru, the official just raised his hands again, prepared to end this. However, when Haru pulled the blindfold down around his neck, he and as his guards froze.
"You know, you're the first people to see this since I got my Imperial Arms," Haru said, raising his sword above his head, "Too bad it won't be something you can brag about." "I'll kill you, you freak!" the man shouted, rushing him. Smiling, Haru brought his sword down, calling out, "Zündung!" After that, Mine and Lubbock were forced to shield themselves from the ensuing heat. Haru's one attack had created a massive wave of fire in front of him, engulfing the three men, their camp, and a good piece of the forest behind them. After letting it burn for about five seconds, just to make sure everything was destroyed, Haru said, "löschen," while he pulled the blindfold back over his eyes. The flames were snuffed out instantly, like a person blowing out a candle, and Mine and Lubbock were left gaping as their 'newbie' came strolling back to the trees, sheathing his sword and smiling slightly.
"What?" he asked, noticing their looks of amazement. "You have that kind of Imperial Arms? Seriously?" Lubbock asked, being the first to recover. "Yeah, but it's not that impressive," Haru said, scratching the back of his head, "If I had any real control over it, I wouldn't have needed you to release those people beforehand." "You just blew an entire camp away, and you're saying that's not impressive?" Mine asked, sounding indignant. "Well, there's also the small problem of attacks on that scale leaving me rather weak," he replied as he leaned against a tree. He could already feel his legs starting to shake, so losing the ability to stand wasn't too far off.
Noticing his weakened state, Mine face-palmed while Lubbock just laughed. "Man, and here I thought you were some kind of ultimate badass," he said, taking one of Haru's arms, "Come on, we better get you back before you faint." "I don't faint!" Haru protested. However, this didn't spare him from the teasing about his lack of endurance. While he weathered it in good humor, it did highlight one of his chief concerns. He had been lucky that the guy had used a hand-to-hand weapon. If it had been someone of equal strength, or had been able to dodge the attack, he would have been helpless.
Noticing a strange scent, Haru woke up to see that Leone was leaning over him from behind and staring at him curiously. Taking care to keep his face neutral and not move, he watched as she leaned closer. "Think he'll notice?" she asked someone. "Naw. Well, maybe," he heard to the side, the voice definitely belonging to Lubbock. Grinning, Leone brought out a marker and was about to try and draw something on Haru's blindfold. Just before it could touch the fabric, however, he spoke up. "Do it and die," he said, causing her to jump back in surprise. Fighting the urge to laugh, he sat up and noticed that Lubbock was also gaping at him, as well as Mine. "How the heck do you do that?" he asked, part shock and part amazement. "Well, let's just say that kitty over there has a distinct odor, and leave it at that, shall we?" he said. The marker smacked into his head not even a second after he spoke, thrown by a slightly ticked Leone. "You don't say that about women, match stick!" she said, huffing.
"Yeah, yeah," he said, scratching his head and yawning, "Where're the others?" "Waiting for your lazy butt outside," Lubbock replied as he left the room, "It's already late, so now's as good a time as any. Let's go." Grabbing his sword, Haru followed them outside to see that everyone was there. "Uh, I know I asked for help, but did you have to bring a freaking army?" he asked, looking at Akame. "You said there were too many to handle alone," she said with a straight face as she walked past him, "So I brought help." "…that's not my point," he mumbled, but was ignored. Sighing, he followed as they made their way through the back streets to the estate.
It was simple enough subduing the guards outside the wall, and since they had been found to have no knowledge of what went on, they elected to spare them. Once inside the grounds, they then had to decide how to take out their intended targets. Well, to be more accurate, Akame had to decide it. "Leone, Sheele, you head inside and take the parents," she said, taking a firm grip on her sword, "We'll draw the guards to us." "And how exactly are we going to manage that?" Haru asked. As an answer, she looked at Lubbock, who in turned smiled gleefully. Yeah, that inspires confidence Haru thought as they moved out.
As it turns out, Akame's idea of a distraction included standing on a wire net in the air. How Lubbock was able to secure it so it would support their combined weight, Haru didn't know, nor was he about to question it. He was just trying to focus on the building and not the drop. Heights had never been his strong suit. The plan, however, worked like a charm, and the guards came rushing from the building to stop them. Unlike the ones outside the walls, these ones were complacent with the family's actions, which, unfortunately for them, made them targets as well. Glancing to his side, Haru saw Akame drop down from the net to land in front of the first three with Bulat in his armor landing right behind her. Confidant that they could handle them alone, Haru took a step off and landed at the rear just as another pair of guards came out of the trees.
"Sorry, guys," he said as he drew his sword, "This just isn't your night." Before either of them could move, he stabbed the first one through the heart before grabbing the other guy's throat. Pulsing his powers, Haru ignited his hand, setting the second guard's head on fire. He wasn't even able to scream as the fire sucked the air from his lungs, causing them to collapse and add to the agony of his death. Rather than snuff them out himself, Haru let it burn out on its own while he went to find the others. They should have mopped up the other targets by now. However, as he came upon a clearing, he saw Akame fighting with the boy he had seen picked up the other day as he tried to protect the daughter. The fact that the kid was holding his own was impressive, until he tripped up and Akame stabbed him in the chest. Noticing the lack of blood on the blade, Haru came up between the girl and the shed she had been fleeing towards. When he picked up a whiff of a familiar stench, he nearly rushed the girl and cut her in two right then.
Only the boy getting back on his feet stopped him. "So, you won't lower your guard even when I'm down, huh?" he said, picking his sword back up. "I didn't feel flesh," Akame replied, getting ready to attack again. "Why are you here? What could you possibly gain by killing the innocent?" he asked, raising his own sword. Before they could come to blows again, Leone grabbed Akame's collar and dragged her back. "Hold on," she said as Akame looked at her in annoyance, "I owe him a favor." Walking over to the shed, she continued, "You think we're just going around killing innocent people?" In one swift motion, she kicked the doors in, revealing a grotesque torture chamber lined with corpses. "So, tell me who's innocent," she said as he walked up and looked inside. When Haru saw that the kid recognized the girl hanging in the center, he felt his own powers flaring up.
Noticing movement to the side, he saw that the little girl was trying to sneak away. He was at her side in less than a second, grabbing the back of her neck and twisting her around so she faced the shed. "You really think you're going to escape from this?" he demanded, holding the blade up so she saw the blood. Before she could try and argue responsibility, a voice called out to the boy and it was clear that they were friends. Haru didn't even need to hear the conversation, he just watched as the girl's face twisted as her 'play thing' turned on her and sold her out. "And why shouldn't I do it?!" she demanded finally, pulling away from Haru, "You're all just worthless hicks from the country, no different from cattle! Why shouldn't I be able to do whatever I want with them? But that girl, she had such smooth hair! While I had to struggle with my own! Who does she think she is to have something like that, she's only a cow! That's why I made sure that she suffered as much as possible!"
Haru was prepared to set her ablaze right then and there. However, before he or Akame could so much as move, the boy walked up to her and, in one quick move, cut clean through her chest. Watching the corpse hit the ground, Haru admired the cold efficiency. After killing her, the boy walked over to talk with his friend, although from the looks of it he was on his last seconds. Turning away to give him some privacy with his friend, Haru reached down and ripped a piece of cloth free from the girl's dress to clean his sword off. When he had sheathed it and turned around, he saw that Leone was now carrying the kid. "Leone, what are you doing?" he asked, walking over. "What does it look like? I'm recruiting us a new member," she said, smiling. Sighing, Haru face-palmed as they rejoined the others. This was going to be interesting to explain to the Boss when she got back.