Chapter Four: The Crimson Lotus
Inside of the meeting hall, everyone except for Tatsumi was present.
"What?!" Hiei exclaimed, glaring at both Lubbock and Leone. "How did you lose Tatsumi?"
"We didn't exactly lose him, after he won the tournament Esdeath kinda just took him." Lubbock stated.
"And we couldn't just go down there and get him." Leone added.
Hiei sighed at their comments, he later looked towards Akame who was thinking heavily about the subject.
"I know what you're thinking Akame, we can't rescue Tatsumi from the capital." Mine stated.
"I know, but Tatsumi is an important friend and we're going to get him back." Akame answered, with determination in her eyes.
Once the meeting was over, everyone left the room except for Hiei and Akame. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her, she placed her hand on his and her grip tightened.
"Don't worry, Tatsumi's a skilled guy. I'm sure that he'll find a way to get out of this." Hiei stated, with a smile.
"Yea, I'm know." Akame responded, sadly. "I just..."
Both of them continued hugging for a couple minutes before parting, they exited the meeting hall. In an undisclosed location, a black haired ponytail and wearing the clothing of a samurai was walking through a mound of bodies with an unsatisfied expression.
"I've been through several battlefields and I haven't found anyone who can quench Kousetsu's thirst." The man stated, as he kept his eyes closed.
He reached for his katana's hilt and started unsheathing it, he turned around and pointed his blade's edge at an obscured man.
"Who are you?" The swordsman asked.
"I'm just a Warrior passing by." The man answered, with a wide grin. "That's some blade you got there, I can still smell the blood and sense the lives that was taken."
The swordsman sheathed his blade, but kept his thumb on the hilt.
"You know the feeling of finding a worthy opponent." The Swordsman stated, with a smirk.
"I understand entertainment, the thrill of fighting, the feeling of bathing in the blood of your enemies." The man answered, as he held his arms up. "But, it seems you're not satisfied yet."
The swordsman groaned at the man's statement.
"But, I know who can satisfy your hunger." The man added, with a smile. "The kill of over three hundred of the empire's soldiers, the demon who killed them under the moon, while wearing an emotionless expression."
"And who is this demon?" The man asked, with a wide grin.
In the middle of the night, in Hiei's room he sat up placing his hand over his eyes which were glowing bright red.
"Getsuga? Why're you so agitated?" Hiei thought to himself. "Huh..."
He started hearing moaning next to him.
"Mmmm, Hiei what's wrong?" Akame asked.
She came from under his covers and looked at him with a worried expression, he turned towards her and smiled.
"Nothing, just go back to sleep." Hiei answered, as he placed his hand on her cheek.
She smiled and lied back down in Hiei's bed, Hiei lied down next to her but his mind was still drawn on the feeling coming from Getsuga.
"There's someone out there hunting me down." Hiei thought, as he closed his eyes.
As the sun started beaming down on him, once he woke he saw Akame smiling at him.
"What with the beautiful smile?" Hiei asked, as he sat up.
"I just can't believe that I'm waking up next to such a wonderful guy like you every day." Akame answered, with a smile.
"And I can't believe I have such a wonderful girl in my life." Hiei added.
Both of them smile and leaned in for a deep and passionate kiss, once they parted they started hearing laughter coming from outside of the room. Outside was both Leone and Lubbock were outside listening to their conversation.
"I told you that they'd make a good couple." Leone whispered.
"I never thought Akame would be so..." Lubbock added.
Just as they were talking they door opened, both of them looked at saw both Akame and Hiei dressed and glaring at both of them.
"An invasion of privacy is a crime." Akame stated.
"And now it's time for punishment." Hiei added.
He reached for Getsuga and started unsheathing it, both Lubbock and Leone shouted to the point of it reaching throughout the base. Minutes later, Hiei was walking through the forest looking through the bushes.
"Those two really spoiled the moment." Hiei stated, but he started laughing to himself. "Look at me, the Moonlight Demon caring for the moment. And caring for someone important to him after..."
The bushes started rustling behind him and five lion-type Danger Beasts charged at him from behind. With a single movement of Getsuga each of them died without any notable slash marks, as he looked back someone started clapping.
"Your experience with killing Danger Beast, truly is astounding." A familiar voice declared. "Your sword is radiating such a desire for bloodshed, a desire to touch human flesh. Hiei, the Survivor of the Tsuki no Village, the Supposed Trump Card against the 2nd Strongest in the Empire, the Moonlight Demon."
"Such a long winded speech, just get out here!" Hiei demanded, with an annoyed tone.
Coming from the bushes was the samurai from before, with his eyes closed Hiei was unable to tell who he was. The man smirked at him.
"What? Having a hard time telling who I am?" The man asked. "Well, I'll save you the trouble. My name is Izou, 'The Swordsman of the Blood Mist.' I was sent here by a very odd man, who seem to know a lot about you."
After hearing that Hiei started grinding his teeth against each other, and he started releasing a malicious killing intent. Izou smirked after sensing the killing intent Hiei was releasing.
"So it seems you've gotten into the mood for an old fashioned sword fight to the dead." Izou declared, as he prepared Kousetsu.
"I'm glad that Akame and the others aren't here." Hiei responded, as he unsheathed Getsuga. "I wouldn't want them to see me like this."
Hiei's eyes started glowing red, and turned slightly slitted. Izou smirked and charged at Hiei, as both of their blades collided against each other. Their blade's bloodlust started radiated throughout the forest, so much the even the animals started avoiding them.
"Both of our blades crave the blood of our enemies, the desire to soak in it." Izou declared. "But, the difference being...mine grows stronger as it feeds off blood."
Izou slashed his sword upwards causing Hiei to lose his balance, he quickly sheathed his blade and with an incredibly fast Iaido technique. With just a single slash he cut Hiei's shoulder, leg and cheek. He stepped back away from him and looked at Izou with a look of disbelief.
"His skills and experience with a blade far outranks mine, and his blade is releasing something far dangerous." Hiei thought.
He looked up and saw Kousetsu releasing a crimson aura, Izou opened one of his eyes and smirked. Hiei looked into his eyes and saw nothing but the souls of over a thousand innocent people screaming in agony. His eyes widened and a disgusted expression appeared on his face.
"Interesting, it seems your blood as something interesting traits." Izou declared. "Now let's test something out."
He slashed Kousetsu horizontally and fired off a crimson crescent shaped slash, Hiei dodged the attack. But it sliced through several trees behind him, Izou started laughing manically at the release of power.
"I never thought I'd reach this point, but with your blood I was able to satiate Kousetsu. You have my gratitude." Izou stated. "But now, I think it's time that I do away with you."
Hiei gritted his teeth and stabbed Getsuga into the ground, he stood up and his wounds started closing up gradually.
"Just to let you know, your blades not the only one that craves blood." Hiei stated.
He placed his finger on Getsuga's blade and cut his own finger, Getsuga started glowing brightly. Hiei gritted his teeth and unstuck Getsuga from the ground.
"Just to let you know, whenever this thing drinks my blood... the beast sleeping inside it can get a little restless." Hiei declared, as he slashed Getsuga downwards releasing a powerful shockwave. "The Tsukiyomi is a creature that should be messed with!"
"I can tell, the Danger Beast that was used to create Kousetsu was one who enjoyed tasting the blood of its victims." Izou declared. "But, enough talk of the forgotten ones...let's finish this match."
Both of them glared at each other and charged, with a large amount of killing intent. As they each released their attacks, it released another powerful bloodlust throughout the area. In another part of the forest, Akame was assisting an exhausted Tatsumi.
"What was that?!" Tatsumi asked, with sweat dripping from his forehead. "It feels like two rabid animals are going at it."
"It feels like Hiei and someone else." Akame answered. "Let's go."
Both of them started going towards the origin of the immense bloodlust. Once they got there, they saw an Izou lying down against the tree with Hiei standing over him, with Kousetsu in his freehand. They looked at him with a sudden feeling of fear.
"Hiei?" Akame called out.
Hiei turned around and looked at them with his usual expression, Akame sighed out of relief.
"What's wrong?" Hiei asked, he later looked and saw Tatsumi with her. "Hey, you actually got away from Esdeath."
"Hiei, who is that guy?" Tatsumi asked.
"I don't know, just some passing by swordsman who wanted a fight." Hiei answered. "And I got his sword as a reward."
As they were walking away, Izou looked as Hiei's back and started laughing lightly to himself.
"...ahah...Hiei 'The Moonlight Demon'...your brutality...truly is...like his." Izou declared, as he took his final breath.
Once they made it back to the base, they celebrated Tatsumi's return to Night Raid. Leone was drinking large amounts of alcohol, while Hiei and Akame were eating large amounts of cooked meat.
"You need to eat more." Akame/Hiei declared, with a deadpanned look.
"How the hell can you two each that much?!" Tatsumi asked. "Akame and her sister along with Hiei would eat everything in the Capital in a matter of seconds."
"Only the cooked meat." Akame/Hiei responded.
As they were celebrating, they were being spied on by several people were outside. One of them being the most dangerous of them.
[Doctor Stylish] [Jaeger]
"I knew that kids wasn't a blacksmith." Stylish declared, with a sinister smirk on his face. "Now Team Stylish, begin our Hot yet Intense Operation!"