Author Notes: I would like to personally thank the readers who have followed and/or favored this fanfic. It is truly a pleasure to know that there are people out there who support this story. In particular, for the readers who have taken their time and have left their feedbacks for chapter 1, I would like to say that it is much appreciated. Your evaluations have inspired and motivated me to write this chapter.
Please bear with me if I make any mistakes or errors, especially in terms of the language (spelling, grammar, etc.).
All characters from Akame ga Kill that appear in this fanfic rightfully belong to Takahiro. I do not own anything in regards to their creation; I have Takahiro to thank for that. Nevertheless, the story plot and the OCs that do appear are of my ownership.
And without further ado, here's chapter 2.
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Chapter 2: Kill the Reunion
"Life is a game it's a survival!
That's right! How do you start?
Time and Space, it's a crossroad through a gate!
Where do you go?"
- Dead End (OP from Mirai Nikki)
Location: Unknown. Time: Night. Year: 1024 (Day 1).
'What happened…? Argh, why do I feel so sluggish...!'
Another presence!
Alarmed, the pair of crimson orbs snapped open in urgent. Disregarding her splitting headache, Akame took in the standing sentry whose strapping figure overshadowed the flame-colored moon. Clad in a suit of armor and equipped with an imposing lance, the man was menacing as he towered over her.
"I'll have your head, Akame of Night Raid!" Realizing that the assassin was regaining consciousness, the man struck down with great vigor.
Out of reflex, Akame guarded with her right arm and instantly regretted it. The lance's shaft pierced straight into her gauntlet, lodging its tip into the protective gear. The shockwave sent her arm trembling. She gritted her teeth, her left arm shooting out and supporting her predominant limb. In an endeavor to shield herself, she crisscrossed her arms above her upper torso.
Her opponent was no pushover. His strength was prodigious as he impelled his weapon downward, aiming to penetrate the gauntlet. Beads of sweat rolled down Akame's forehead, the threat of death advancing towards her as the spear embedded itself deeper into her wrist guard. 'It wouldn't last. I must strike back!' She grunted and tried to push back, though with little success.
Under normal circumstances, Akame would never have permitted herself to be in such perilous situation, lying supine on the cold concrete floor as she tried to confront a foe with brute strength. It was indisputably unlike her character to do so, going against everything she learnt as an assassin. A swift retaliation with Murasame would definitely have been a more favorable option, but that was only feasible if she wasn't currently weaponless.
'…And hand-to-hand combat wouldn't do me much good either.' To degrade her situation further, Akame was well aware that her right arm was lacking strength, almost as though it was paralyzed. In that instant, she knew that she wouldn't last much longer. She was going to become meat on a skewer if she only defended.
At the same time as that thought, Akame reacted. Her right leg swiped wildly along the ground, colliding into her foe's patella, hard.
Thwack!
The sickening sound of fractured bone echoed into the night and pain loosened the man's grip on his weapon. Like greased lightning, Akame pressed her hands against the ground and utilized the momentum. She delivered a soccer-style kick to the face, leaping back onto her feet in the process.
Blood gushed from his nose as the man recoiled from the blow. Black spots smeared his vision and before he could react, he had his lance snatched away from him. He tottered on his feet. That split seconds of staggering was enough for his foe to use his own weapon against him. The man gagged as a sharp pain shot through his body. Red liquid spilled out of his chest like paint.
"You… Night R-" His sentence was left unconcluded as he collapsed into his own pool of red, his last moments captured by his callous killer as he lost his consciousness.
Expression lacking as per usual, Akame confirmed that the guard was indeed lifeless before holding out her right hand for a thorough examination, ignoring the serrated crack that ran along her gauntlet. The limb's peculiarity was noticed the moment she moved it. The strength and skill that she had taken years of honing were on dearth. Flexing one finger at a time, she noticed that they possessed no sensations whatsoever. Mystified, her eyebrows narrowed ever so slightly as she rolled up her sleeve and took off her gauntlet and glove.
'Wh-what is this?!'
The sight that greeted her stunned the typically cool assassin to the core. The customary red tattoos that she deemed to be inerasable were no more, substituted by black scripture-like markings that now branded her right arm. The imprints were alike the ones that appeared on the bodies of the victims cut by Murasame. However, different to the common scenario, they didn't spread across her entire body. If not for her own beating heart that signified her living state, she would've thought that she had died from the instant poison.
'But how?'
The surrounding silence offered no answers or solutions. Comprehending the unproductiveness of trying to deduce a valid explanation, she decided to leave it unconcluded for the time being. She exhaled, burying any unnecessary thoughts. Her cool composure returned, along with the realization that not only was she weaponless, but the backpack and brown cloak she had prior had also disappeared. Instead, she wore a black jacket over her customary attire—a sleeveless mini dress and a red tie.
'I don't recall getting changed.'
Completely baffled, she took in her surroundings, partly hoping to relocate her belongings. Coming up empty, she scanned the area and discovered that she was alone in the middle of a courtyard. The tall walls of an enormous mansion stood around her, its interior emptied of any inhabitants. The scent of death lingered in the air and she could feel her assassin instincts react to the odor.
'Standing around idly will accomplish nothing… I'll scout this area. With a bit of luck, I should find out where I am.' Her mind made up, Akame readjusted her attire. The idea of being in unknown territory without her katana made her brows furrow. Taking a deep breath, she took off in what she believed was the right direction. She concealed herself within the shadows of the mansion walls, her presence masked. Her movement, as expected of an assassin of her caliber, was swift and graceful… but apparently, not indiscernible.
"Akame!"
The red-eyed assassin didn't get very far before a cheerful voice captured her attention. Stopping dead in her tracks, she whirled her head towards her left and noticed the approach of a short figure. His blonde hair a little disheveled, Yukio waved at her with an enlarging grin plastered on his countenance.
No longer on his own, Yukio was delighted to be reunited with the only person he was acquainted with in this era. From its position of being slung on his back, Akame's backpack bounced up and down with each step that he took, highlighting his inner joy. Pulling a stop adjacent to Akame, the young man paused to catch his breath. "Phew, I've found you at last! What a relief!"
"How did you know where to find me?" Akame inquired evenly. Given that she was quite confident with stealth, she was inwardly startled that she was discovered so easily. How did Yukio know where she was? From a distance, it should've been impossible to see or sense her.
"I'm not sure. Call me crazy… but when I found Murasame lying on the ground and picked it up, I sort of got this sensation that you're nearby." As if it was an everyday occurrence for a katana to escort people to the owner, Yukio replied offhandedly. Passing the blade back to Akame, he then removed the backpack from his shoulders. His usual smile faded as he slowly unzipped the pack. "Akame, I'm sorry. I don't know if it's from the repercussion of my trump card, but most of the Teigu that you've collected are missing. Only three are left when I first reclaim the bag from the top of a tree."
"It can't be helped." Reequipping her blade, Akame merely shrugged, her first priority not being on the Teigu. In spite of everything, she was simply satisfied that their journey was successful. Considering all the risks that were mentioned, returning to this era in one piece was more than she could ask for. Although it was a pity to have lost so many Imperial Arms, she had a hunch that she would rediscover them again in the near future. "Thank you. I can deal with the rest. You can go back now."
"Wait, what? But I can't just go back, you know! This time travelling thing is supposed to be a one-way trip. I'm struck here as well," Yukio reminded the girl with a hint of exasperation in his tone. If he knew that her attitude was that of indifference, he wouldn't have bothered with transporting all the relics. Ideally, he would have conserved much energy. "Since I'm basically stranded in this timeline, I'll be coming along with you. I've got nowhere else to go…"
"Oh." Her expression void, Akame pulled out Murasame and tested it. The blade felt strange in her possession. The moment her fingers clutched around the katana's hilt, she felt a throbbing sensation coursing through her right arm. As though suddenly burnt from the contact, she flinched and was compelled to drop the Teigu as pain like a thousand needles jabbed into her nerves. With a clattering sound, Murasame hit the floor and Akame had to steady her trembling limb with her left.
"Akame… what's the matter?" Confused, Yukio tilted his head to the side and his hand stretched forward in a display of concern. However, it was halted in midair as Akame took a step back.
"No, I'll be alright. Just stay there." Unable to fathom the reason behind her Teigu's rejection, Akame knew better than to get Yukio involved. After all, there was no telling if this effect was contagious. Biting the inside of her cheek, she waited for the discomfort to settle. Dubious of the source of this phenomenon, she tried to retrieve her weapon with her left hand. Unwilling to undergo the same acute pain, her fingers warily came into touch with the Teigu and she was greatly relieved when she could pick it up without anymore difficulties.
'Murasame is rejecting the use of my right hand. Why?' Bewilderment gathering like storm clouds, Akame briefly brandished the katana in a well-rehearsed movement before giving it a censorious look. This was not looking good; with her right arm rendered unusable, she was forced to adapt to her non-predominant hand, fast! Danger lurked at every corner and as one of the Empire's most wanted criminals, Akame couldn't afford to be handicapped. Even whilst she practiced swordplay with both limbs during her assassin's training, she was not naturally ambidextrous.
"Um, Akame…" Discerning her carefully hidden uneasiness, Yukio was about to offer some words of encouragement when he noticed her gaze hardening in an instant. His heart jumped when the assassin took her fighting stance and emanated an immense quantity of murderous intent. Gulping, Yukio's scrutiny travelling towards his left and his pair of emeralds widened. About half a dozen of guards clad in dark clothing had them trapped in a circle. The guards' desire for blood was as obvious as the guns in their possession.
"Hey, look what we've here."
"More damned assassins, huh?"
"We'll handle them first and then regroup with the others!"
As though ascertaining their determination with words, the guards trained their firearms on the duo.
'We're done for!' Yukio's body involuntarily shook. Unlike Akame, who had faced more dire situations than this, the young man was wholly naïve in terms of battling. At gunpoint, fear shackled his legs to the ground and he found himself on his knees. The gunshots simultaneously rang in his ears. He squeezed his eyes shut and cowered, his arms feebly shielding his face as a last-ditch effort to protect himself.
In contrast to the young man's terrified behavior, Akame sprung into action instantly. Her head crocked to the side, she avoided the first bullet. A crescent-shaped swung with Murasame and the second projectile aimed for Yukio was sliced in half. Keeping a close track of all the shots, she deflected the next attack with her blade. With adrenaline rushing into her veins, Akame's eyes darted from left to right as she continued to ward off bullets with indiscernible swings.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Having anticipated his death, Yukio was confounded when his body remained untouched by any projectiles. His eyes opened circumspectly, stealing a look that had his jaws hanging open in disbelief. Akame stood defensively in front of him, brandishing Murasame in précised movements. There were occasional flashes, the result of metal colliding with tungsten alloys. Sparks flew and every single bullet was hit off course.
'Man, I knew she was good… but wow! I didn't expect her to be this good!'
Although Akame radiated a fearsome aura, Yukio originally deemed that a part of her skill was derived from the power of her Teigu. That assumption was quickly discarded, tossed out like a piece of trash. He underestimated her. The demonic blade, Ichizan Hissatsu: Murasame, held no contributions to her awe-striking agility that even bullets couldn't compete with.
'She's unnaturally strong.'
Much to the guards' frustration, none of their shots were having the desirable effect. Coming into terms that they were simply wasting precious resources, they ceased fire and pulled out the swords strapped onto their belts. Regardless of how intimidating their foe was, they held strength in numbers. Encouraged by that thought, they charged towards the assassin in unison.
"Eliminate." Her face void of any emotions, Akame counterattacked. In a series of high-speed movement that was invisible to the naked eye, she dashed into the striking range of the enemies. Murasame danced its usual rhythm as Akame emerged from the other side of the throng, unscathed.
Too stunned to respond to her strikes, the guards were dealt with a single cut on their exposed neck. Feeling something crawl over their bodies, they collapsed onto the ground, their heartbeats suddenly brought to a halt.
"Yukio, are you alright?" Murasame secured back inside its scabbard with a soft click, Akame turned towards the young man who sat stock-still, gawking at the sheer incredulity of her feat.
Once again, fate was unforgiving. Just when Yukio thought that he could acclimatize to this timeline, the reality penetrated his skull, obliterating any hopeful thoughts. How gullible was he to believe that he was out of harm's way whilst traveling with someone like Akame? He, an amateur in physical conflict didn't belong in bloodbaths with a professional assassin. Killing was like second nature to Akame. She didn't even bat an eyelash when she slain those sentries. After witnessing such display of carnage, Yukio mentally berated himself for his stupidity. Just what did he get himself into?
"Wait, what? But I can't just go back, you know! This time travelling thing is supposed to be a one-way trip. I'm struck here as well,"
"Since I'm basically stranded in this timeline, I'll be coming along with you. I've got nowhere else to go…"
Currently, the words that left his lips moments ago seemed delusional. He had been with Akame for no more than a few hours and already he saw blood being spilled all over the ground. He was not safe here. This was way out of his league!
'I don't know anymore! She seems so delicate and yet she can kill like that… She's dangerous! Maybe I ought to get out of here…'
"What a stench!"
His primal instinct to take flight was lamentably postponed when a feminine voice sounded. Yukio's head turned in the direction and he was once again rendered speechless.
A woman around her early twenties was striding towards them with a carriage that emitted confidence. She had long spiky blond hair with two extensive bangs that framed the sides of her head, hanging just past the white scarf she wore around her neck. Clad in a revealing outfit consisting of a black tube top, pants and brown boots, the woman seemed unaffected by the cool breeze of the night. But what Yukio found more unsettling than her shortage of clothing was her lion-like ears, claws and tail. From appearance alone, he felt certain that they were not part of a costume.
His brain rebooting back into action, Yukio recalled the information that was ingrained into his head a long time ago. 'Animal King: Lionelle, a belt-shaped Teigu that enhances the user's five senses greatly and gives her animal-like characteristics. It enables the user to locate specific enemies over a long distance. Its side-effect includes a somewhat personality and trait alteration.'
"Eh? Akame, what are you doing here? Wait… you took them down already! Crap, there isn't even a single one left for me!" The woman heaved an annoyed sigh as she directed her attention to the black-hair girl. Her tail twitched with each sentence, emphasizing her irritation at this inopportunity for a fight. "These guys were meant for me, not you! You're meant to help Bulatcchi chase after the escaping targets."
"Leone…" Try as she might, Akame couldn't suppress the emotions from seeping out of her voice. Her crimson eyes quivered with longing as she beheld the person before her. Leone's existence was the solid proof that she and Yukio succeeded; they arrived back in the past when Leone had yet to suffer from the numerous gunshots in the abdomen dealt by the prime minister.
'She's still alive!'
In that instant, Akame was tempted to lunge into a heartwarming embrace, though the more rational side of her held her back. Leone was clueless of her future and if Akame was to act all emotional, then her friend might think of her strangely. For that reason, the red-eyed assassin concealed her feelings behind her typical poker face. "Sorry Leone, but the details of the mission have been eluding me. Can you tell me the specifics again?"
"Huh? What's gotten into you Akame? Since when are you so forgetful? I thought only Sheele is like that." Leone's eyebrow quirked up and she scratched the back of her head. "Come on, recall already. We're assigned to take care of a gang of drug-dealers. We've discussed this before; I'll take down those bastards that protect them while you and Bulatcchi eliminate the ringleader who is on his way to his escape route."
"Oh, I see." A monotonous response was all Akame gave. Truth to be told there wasn't anything else that could be said. She couldn't really inform her friend that she was at a loss of her current arrangement because she had just come from the future. Knowing Leone, the woman would probably drag her to see a psychologist.
"Oh, I see? That's all you say after taking my part of the job? You know how much I was looking forward to beating them up to a pulp?!" Though the woman demanded with a malicious glint in her golden orbs, her flippant tone let her mischievous intention slip. With a playful punch on the younger girl's head as a light punishment, Leone finally turned her interest to the boy sitting on the ground. "And who's this? He's not a target right? He doesn't look like he's from around here."
Akame, still tending to the bump on her head, opened her mouth to speak when Yukio beat her to it. Despite his nervousness, the young man felt his habit overcoming his apprehension.
"The name's Yukio. May I have your name and gender please?"
"I'm Leone and I'm… Hold on a minute, can't you tell that I'm female?" A little offended by his question, Leone placed her hands on her hips and studied the young man with immense curiosity. His scent was distinctive and the nativity presented in his carriage confirmed his innocence. 'Hmm, he isn't someone ordinary, that's for sure. The atmosphere around him is so different… it's like he has never experienced the taste of corruption.'
"Hey, there you guys are!"
The blond hair woman's triangular ears perked up at the voice of the One Hundred Man-Slayer. Whirling around, she allowed a friendly smile to grace her lips as she waved the man over. "Bulatcchi, did you get him?"
"Sure did." The man donned in a silver protective armor with a long cape trailing behind him nodded. A halberd-like weapon placed behind his back, he fisted his hand and directed his comrades a thumbs-up before regarding Akame thoughtfully. "Found you at last Akame. So this is where you went, huh? You caught me off guard when you just suddenly vanished into thin air."
Despite the calmness in his tone, Bulat was, in fact, quite worried when he realized that his partner had disappeared out of the blue. Quite certain that Akame didn't possess the gift of invisibility like his Incursio, it was only his sense of duty that prevented him from searching for the girl. Instead, he readdressed his focus to the mission and executed the targets.
Fleetingly reminded of Bulat's heroic battle against The Three Beasts and his tragic death, Akame had to restrain the underlying joy of being reunited with him. Nodding stiffly as a means to mask her feelings, she commented nonchalantly, "something important came up. Sorry."
Aware of the sudden confidentiality that surrounded the girl, Bulat interpreted her unspoken message and dismissed the conversation by shifting the topic to Yukio. "And this young man here is?"
"The name is Yukio. May I have your name and gender please?" the owner of Baransu asked absentmindedly as he found himself studying the warrior's well-built muscles that were plainly noticeable regardless of the armor's covering. Clandestinely comparing the differences, Yukio briefly wondered if he would ever be able to match Bulat in terms of height. It seemed unlikely though, as Yukio knew that he was not genetically tall. 'And if I recall correctly, he is wearing the Demon Armor: Incursio. It's a Teigu that has a near-indestructible defense and greatly enhances the user's physical abilities such as speed, strength and agility. The weapon behind his back must be the Neuntote… a halberd that is capable of cutting through Danger Beasts with ease.'
"I'm the hot-blooded man Bulat, but you can call me Aniki or Handsome. Nice to meet you," Bulat extended his hand for a handshake. To his delight, the younger man took it right away and shook it.
"Um, sure Aniki." Yukio decided to take up the first offer. Calling someone handsome seemed awkward when both of them were of the same gender. More to the point, he had yet to see Bulat's appearance behind the mask and therefore couldn't jump into a conclusion and label him as handsome.
"Yukio-kun, Bulatcchi is gay," Leone interrupted their greeting with a snicker. Upon noticing the closeness between the two males, she couldn't help but disrupt the sociable atmosphere. In her opinion, it was better for Yukio to be acquainted with such fact before he discovered it the hard way.
"He is… what?!" As though electrocuted, Yukio withdrew his hand in haste. His first impression of Bulat contorted tremendously as he glanced towards Akame for validation.
"Leone is right."
That was all the confirmation he needed. Disturbed by that piece of information, he took cover at first chance and ended up hiding behind Akame who looked at him with a slightly confused facade. Grabbing the girl's shoulders, Yukio used her as a human-shield against Bulat.
"Hey, hey, now… He has gotten the wrong idea, thanks to you two!" The One Hundred Man-Slayer was clearly dejected by Yukio's change of attitude. Hand lowering back to his side, he heaved a sigh that was still audible under his armored helmet.
"Since we're finished here, we should head back now." Paying no heed to Leone's laughter or Bulat's displeasure, Akame suggested as she slowly but surely took a step away from Yukio. Her vigilance not failing her, she detected the young man disheartening. She didn't mean to upset him but it was as an old saying went: old habits die hard. Her social awkwardness and guiding principles prohibited someone, especially one who she just recently met, from standing behind her unguarded back.
"Ah! Boss is never gonna let me off if I'm late again!" Leone exclaimed as dread crept its way into her. The image of Najenda flexing her mechanical arm resulted in a reflexive shiver. The blonde reached out and in a flash, grabbed the back of Yukio's jacket with her paw, capturing the fabric in a vice-like grip. "This way Yukio-kun. Since you've seen our faces we can't let you go free. You're coming with us. The base is short on hands these days."
"Hey, wait! Where are we going?" Dragged on the ground like a doll, the young man's struggles proved to be futile against Leone's beast-like strength. Instinctively, he glanced towards Akame who was carrying her backpack a few feet back. 'What's going on?'
"You're one of us now."
By some means, Yukio's unannounced question was successfully conveyed. But if he had been expecting Akame to help him, then he was sadly mistaken. The girl merely responded coolly and observed his pitiful state with indifference.
"I ain't too sure about this, but if Akame says that you're now one of us, then all you need is an official admission from the Boss for you to become a Night Raider," added Bulat enthusiastically, walking adjacent to Yukio. The armored man's long strapping legs gave him no difficulties in matching Leone's quicken pace.
"Wait… What Night Raider?"
"Argh! That hurts!"
"I can walk by myself! Let me go!"
Those were Yukio's unheeded cries that echoed through into the cool night as the three members of the elite assassin group, Night Raid, departed and vanished into the shadows…
Mission: Assassinate the drug dealers
Participating Members: Akame, Bulat, Leone
Result: Targets eliminated
Rewards: A new member?
Author's Notes: So that's the conclusion of chapter 2. Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts and opinions on this chapter.
IMPORTANT: As I'm in the process of developing the story plot, I'm still undecided about certain character deaths. Should I start inserting death flags? To ascertain an answer, I've decided to include a poll on my profile page. This poll will be opened for a while; therefore, please check it out. In addition, for the guest readers who have yet to become part of the fanfiction community, you can leave an anonymous review instead since apparently only those who have signed up can vote.
The poll's question is: Which character of the listed below should definitely live to see the success of the revolution? Choices include: Akame, Bulat, Chelsea, Leone, Lubbock, M.C (Yukio), Mine, Najenda, Sheele, Susanoo and Tatsumi.
Next time: Kill the New Recruit—Yukio becomes acquainted with the other members of the infamous Night Raid as he learns about the corruptive nature of the Capital. At the same time, Akame finds herself dealing with the side-effects of time traveling.
