Hey guys here it is the third Chapter I hope you enjoy thanks for the reviews and follows
"A life lived that accomplishes nothing is just a slow death" Lelouch vi Britannia
Tatsumi was alone fortunately one of the training facility's that Nightraid had was currently unoccupied. It made the perfect place for him to meditate. While Tatsumi did this he extended the reach of his mind and prodded those of his copies. It seemed that the horned tiger hat he had remade had made it to his home village. From what the tyrant danger beast had seen Ieyasu and Sayo's parents hadn't taken the news of their children's death well and were in mourning. Tatsumi's eyes snapped open as he sensed Najenda and Lione approach. "Yes?" he asked as he rose from his sitting position.
"We got a new request" Najenda stated. "I thought you might be interested she said "Leone tell him about it" she ordered.
"Okay" Leone stated she was in an unusual serious mood. "Our targets are Ogre of the capital guards and an oil merchant Gamal" Leone began.
"Let me guess since you said I would be interested this Ogre person must be accepting bribes from the merchant?" Tatsumi asked. Leone nodded. "There is more isn't?"
"Yes" Leone added. "It seems that Gamal isn't just bribing bribing Ogre to overlook his crimes, we are not sure but Ogre is also framing some else for Gamal's crimes to take the fall for him."
Tatsumi tightened his already clenched fist. "Why does the client desire his death?" he asked.
"Apparently her fiancé was framed for Gamal and sentenced to death" Leone answered. "He had heard them talking when he was in his cell and sent her a letter detailing all of this."
Tatsumi nodded understanding these feelings the client must have had. "How did she get enough money to pay?" he asked. Gesturing to the coins "This is a healthy or unhealthy amount depending on how you look at it"
"I scented Veneral disease from her" Leone answered. "So she must have been selling her body for this."
Ever the pragmatic one Tatsumi asked. Before Najenda could. "You have checked the accuracy of her story that is why you approached me?" He asked. Tatsumi made it from the outset that he would only kill those who deserved death.
"They are guilty" Leone answered. "I observed them from the merchants attic."
Tatsumi looked at Najenda for approval after all she was the leader of nightraid. A nod was all he needed "Fine then" he said. "I am going to kill these bastards and feed their remains to the dangerbeasts" Tatsumi stated the last part with a cold ice like edge to his voice. Though his facial features did not change.
"Ogre will be a formidable opponent, for any of us even though he is without a Teigu" Najenda stated. "Ogre the demon that is what he is known as, the man is feared because of his swordplay and the way he ruthelessly hunts down all criminals in the capital" Najenda informed him. "He usually is on patrol with his subordinates otherwise he is in the barracks where in his private quarters Gamal delivers the bribes, on his days off he usually is drinking by main street near the palace" Njenda explained. "Are you sure you will be able to take him down?" she asked.
Tatsumi had already geared up and put on a helmet that he had fashioned after one of his fathers designs (It's the Deepground helmet because it looks more intimidating than regular SOLDIER) "His head is mine" was all Tatsumi said as he walked past them. "I don't care how, Ogre dies to night" they heard him say.
"Do you think he can pull it off?" Leone asked Najenda.
It was Akame who they had not noticed was there who answered. "Tatsumi is strong enough to take on four teigu users at once without even trying, I am sure he will be fine."
"Whats that?" Leone asked playfully. "Has our little Akame developed a crush on the new guy?"
Akame didn't react "He will be able to defeat Ogre and return to us safely" She repeated herself.
"I Think you're right" Najenda agreed taking another puff from the cigar. "I just hope that he doesn't overdo it." she commented. "I have a feeling that Tatsumi here is an over achiever."
Gamal sighed as he walked through his estate it was starting to become evening and the sun was barely visible over the horizon "It looks like I will have to use the bathroom again" he said before he stopped pausing in thought. "I wonder if I will have to use it again?" He asked.
The question was rhetorical and the fat bald man didn't expect to receive an answer. Imagine his surprise when he did. "It will no longer be an issue" a voice answered.
Whirling around Gamal found himself looking at a cyclopean figure. Its helmet conspired to cover all of its facial features and its visor was styled into a single blue eye. Whatever else the body entailed was hidden by a long type of trench coat that was grey in colour and went down to the figures shins. What was more discomforting was that the figure had three massive swords all of them wrapped up in bandages for some reason. "Who are you?" Gamal stuttered as it lifted him of the ground by his head, which was unimaginably painful for the oil merchant.
Gamal felt the cyclopean eye bore into him "your killer" it answered as with a sickening crack of Gamal's skull he clenched the hand he was holding the oil merchant with into a fist. Looking down at his target Tatsumi felt nothing bt disgust at the man "Ogre will be on break in an hour" he said to himself. "I best prepare. So that I cannot be caught unawares." Then taking the body to a small inconspicuous spot he where he had dug a shallow grave he tossed the oil merchants body unceremoniously into it -face down- before he kicked the dirt he had dug up over it. Slowly and patiently Tatsumi made his way to palace main street. "I will kill him" was what Tatsumi thought his fist clenchinng in anger and anticipation of what was to come. "it is time for you to pay your due"
Ogre was walking down the main street anticipating his drink. "Ah there's nothing like a good drink of Sake after a long day on patrol" the one eyed brute said to himself smugly.
"Ogre-sama" two shady and sleazy looking officials spoke walking up to him. As he turned around they spoke. "We would just wanted to congratulate you on a job well done" the fist one said.
"And thank you again for the other day" The second one finished with a conspiratorial smile.
Ogre smile and waved them off "No problem you can take whatever problems you have to me any time. I'll deal with them" he said as he wave the two officials off. Grinning cruelty to himself Ogre thought. "I am the king of this city, the highest authority. I can do whatever I want when I want ow I want and as much as I want." The man's depraved thoughts were interrupted by a small stone hitting him square between the back of the neck.
Turning around Ogre caught a glimpse of a figure disappearing into a side alley. "Why you!" Ogre snarled as he started to run after the figure. His chase led him deep into the city in alleyways. "What kind of fool does this person think they are?" Ogre asked himself. "Do they really believe that they can lose me when I have the home ground advantage." It was true when he had joined the capital guards Ogre had made sure that he knew every nook and cranny in the capital. That had greatly assisted in his rise to being a chief member. Smiling and anticipation showing in his red eye Orge felt a wave of satisfaction. His prey would be running to a dead end. If they wanted to escape they would have to climb leaving themselves an open target. In Ogres language that made them easy pickings.
As the two came to a stop Ogre faced down his 'prey' with a wolfish grin "Well now looks like your trapped" he snarled with a malicious grin adorning his facial features. "There is nowhere to run" he stated spreading his arms out wide. "I am Ogre the demon I bring down judgement upon all, the weak don't matter only the strong matter in this city." he stated. "I am the judge no one can judge me!" Ogre declared.
The figure who was wearing what Ogre thought was a rag through it of revealing not some street rat vagrant but a fully armed figure with the look of a Soldier to it. "Well don't you look like quite the soldier" Ogre commented not sure if he was mocking the figure or complementing it.
"Which is the one that wins?" the Cyclopean figure asked. Pulling one of its three bandaged swords out and holding it in stance in front of it.
"What?" Ogre asked instinctively taking a step back. He got the feeling that he was not facing some fresh recruit here but a hardened veteran. "It looks like he might not be just another punk after all" Ogre mentally noted noticing the way the figure held his sword. "He definitely has seen combat before, I can't see any openings."
"Between a dog and a wolf" the figure replied. "Does loyal hound win or does the feral wolf?"
"What nonsense are you blabbing?" Ogre asked the two of them had edged forwards and had begun to circle each other. Ogre couldn't resist lopping his blade.
"You are trash" The figure replied. "Fattened and drunk on your power letting yourself drowned in it, just like everyone else here you're revolting" it stated.
Ogre now couldn't contain himself "Why how dare you!" he shouted as he charged at it. A little too late did Ogre realise that he had made a mistake him a fluid motion he had been disarmed literally with his arms being cut off and he found his foes sword embedded in the centre of his torso.
"The answer under most conditions is the wolf, especially the lone wolf." The figure stated as it placed its boot on his face putting a slow pressure on it. "The hound while formidable can come inside to the relative protection of home at times. The solitary wolf has no such luxury" it explained. "So while the hound relaxes the wolf grows stronger to survive not knowing that such luxuries and comforts existed. That is why the wolf wins."
"I'm the hound and you're the wolf?" Ogre stated weakly coughing up immense proportions of blood.
"I see" the figure stated as it looked through the cyclopean visor at him. "You have always thought that was your role, in that case you are a poor hunter" It concluded.
Ogre tried to ask what but he was only able to cough up more blood. Luckily or unluckily for him the figure understood.
"A hunter never takes any unneeded risks" it answered. "Taking to many risks is unacceptable because it would mean that it would not be able to hunt" it explained. "You see When a wolf attack the sheep the shepherds come to defend them with great prejudice. So does the wolf continue?" it asked rhetorically. "No there is to much risk there with the shepherds circling the herd. No that is unacceptable and the risk is to great. So the wolf will go were they are not say the larder, the coops or possibly the stables" it explained.
"You're a sadistic bastard" Ogre managed to say coughing up as much blood as he had left.
"No, not really, I may take the slight but sweet satisfaction of seeing you pay for your sins but I take no pleasure in meaningless torture." the figure answered. "I am dragging out your death so you can feel the fear of dying" it explained. "While your death will never bring your victims back your prolonged suffering will ease the pain that those close to will feel."
Ogre could understand that logic he had used such methods himself, the fear of death was more unbearable than the actual feeling itself. Even as he had been spoken at by the figure he could feel the tendrils of fear slink their way inside his mind and latch into there gripping him in its presence. He would have smiled but Ogre found that he was to weak to. Then the light in Ogres eyes died forever. The Tyrant who controlled the streets of the capital died on street that had been deemed so insignificant that it didn't even have a name.
The cyclopean figure bent over and lifted the corpse up by its hair with a small flex of its wrist it separated the head from the torso before wrapping it the rag that it had previously disguised itself in. Then it proceeded to hack unceremoniously with its sword at Ogre's corps until there was only a stain and a jumbled mass of flesh and guts to remember him by. As the figure turned and left a single pristine white feather fell on the remains of Ogre.
"Did you kill him?" the client asked Leone desperately begging for an answer
"I know Gamal is dead I believe one of our members dealt with him" Leone answered. I truth when she and Akame had left to kill Gamal in his estate they found him missing. It was only to Leone's heightened sense of smell that thanks to the Lionelle that she was able to discover where his body was. She had also found a singular white feather that smelled a little like Tatsumi resting above the hole the Gamal's body had been stuffed into.
"Fear not" A new voice sounded. "You have been avenged."
Leone spun around her instincts kicking in to see a figure that she could tell but barely was Tatsumi. His style of clothes was more intricate and complex not to mention that helmet It gave her the creeps. "Tatsumi?" she asked. The Cyclopean figure nodded before walking up to the client. In his left hand he held a bundled Leone could tell from the smell of the blood that it contained something most likely this was Tatsumi's way of showing proof.
"Here" Tatsumi said holding out the bundle "is his head." To prove this he unwrapped the bundle revealing the Head of Ogre "Do you want it?" he asked the client.
"The Client shook her head and answered "No."
"Understood" Tatsumi replied before unceremoniously dropping the head on the ground and crushing past being recognisable it with his feet.
Leone noticed a particular satisfaction to his foot as it pivoted reducing Ogres head to mush. "Whoa he must really hate guy's like that" she thought.
"Thank you" the client replied breaking into tears and dropping to the ground on her hands and knees "Thank you."
Tatsumi for his part turned and looked Leone in the eyes "shall we return to base?" he asked.
Leone for her part was caught up by that stare it was transfixing. What ever Tatsumi had said was lost on her as she felt as though she was about to be killed. "uh what?" she asked.
Tatsumi made a sound that could either have passed for a noise of disapproval or a sigh. "Do we return to base?" he repeated.
"Uh yes immediately" Leone answered as she and Tatsumi began to make their exit.
"You are unnerved" Tatsumi stated it wasn't a question.
"Uh yes its just that when I looked into you visor for a moment I felt as though well I don't know but something terrible" she answered.
"I see" Tatsumi replied. I guess it does work then just that Ogre didn't observe his full surroundings" he stated.
"What do you mean?" Leone asked confused.
"This helm was designed to look moderately human and moderately inhuman" Tatsumi answered. "The idea is to let the opponents mind play tricks with them when they look me in the wearer in the eye. It will be useful when you have locked blades with someone and need an advantage" he explained.
"But I thought you said that it didn't work on Ogre" Leone stated confused.
"He didn't try to look me n the eye" Tatsumi answered. "He was more focused on keeping me away from the edge of his one eyed vision and on my sword grip and footwork" Tatsumi elaborated for her.
"Oh so that's why" Leone replied under standing now. "Did you designed it?" she asked.
"Not entirely" Tatsumi admitted. "It was based of something my father drew from his hazy memories as is the equipment that I am wearing."
"So this is what you were making a few days back" Leone realised.
"Yes" Tatsumi answered her even though she hadn't said it as a question.
"Tell me why can't you do it in your normal gear?" Leone asked. "From hat I have seen of it your regular gear seems to be pretty good. So why aren't you wearing i?"
"While you are content to perform top secret assassinations in your casuals I am not" Tatsumi answered.
Leone wasn't insulted because she could tell that he wasn't being rude only stating what he had seen. Then it dawned on here "You're kidding me that high quality uniform you have is your casuals?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yes" Tatsumi answered. "Just so you know I didn't buy it everything I have except for my fathers sword" he indicated to his buster style sword "I made with my own two hands."
"Maybe we should get the revolutionary army to have you make their armour" Leone said as a joke.
"I doubt it" Tatsumi answered before Leone could ask why he continued "You see what I am wearing is specifically made for my style and my fathers style of fighting." he explained.
"What type of fighting is that?" Leone asked interested.
"You could liken it to the role that shock troops fill" Tatsumi answered.
"Colour me impressed" Leone replied. "I didn't know you could fill that role" she stated.
"You never asked" Tatsumi replied. "Also can you refrain from latching onto me" he asked Leone as she taken him into a playful headlock.
"Aww come on its just a little bit of fun with Onee-san" Leone teased playfully. She had yet to understand that such actions were not really appreciated by Tatsumi.
"I don't have a sister" Tatsumi replied. "She died in a miscarriage seven months after my village burned down" Tatsumi said this in an empty voice. "My mother was lucky to survive" he added almost barely audible
"I'm sorry" Leone replied as she let go of him. "I didn't mean to open old wounds."
"There are no wounds there to reopen" Tatsumi replied. And walked off ahead of here.
"I should have known better" Leone said to herself. "I should have recognised that look of loss that makes his eyes empty."
Tatsumi apparently had still heard her and called out "its not your fault."
"Just what kind of hearing does he have?" Leone thought as she hurried to catch up with Tatsumi.
Akame looked up as she saw two figures approach the base. The first she recognised as Leone the second she didn't but she assumed was Tatsumi because of the way he held himself. What she had noticed about Tatsumi's posture was that he always held himself upright and proudly no matter the situation he was in. He had confidence in his beliefs, Akame only hoped that they weren't brought crashing down.
"Who's that with Leone?" Lubbock asked. As he saw Leone and Tatsumi enter.
"That is Tatsumi" Akame answered in her usual manner.
"You're kidding right?" Lubbock asked. "That's Tatsumi, where on earth did he get that gear from?" he asked.
"I made it here" Tatsumi answered for himself walking up to the two. "You have something to say about my equipment?" he asked Lubbock.
Lubbock was about to look Tatsumi in his Cyclopean Visor when Leone stopped him by calling out "Tatsumi why don't you take that thing off as it is you scared me good with that don't want anyone loooking you in they eyes while you're wearing it" she said walking up to Tatsumi and giving him a nudge.
Sighing Tatsumi acquiesced to Leone's suggestion. "Can you stop acting all familiar with me?" he asked. "We've barely known each other for a week."
"Thats pretty long in this line of business" Leone replied playfully. "Hey were are you going?" she asked as Tatsumi walked away.
"To get changed" Tatsumi answered as he exited.
"Whoa what a serious guy" Lubbock commented.
"I would say bloodthirsty, ruthless and tad viscous though I am not so sure about any of them" Leone remarked.
"What makes you think that?" Lubbock asked.
"When we went to kill Gamal Tatsumi had already been there and had disposed of him" Akame answered.
"Yeah I don't see the problem? He took out part of the contract. So what?" Lubbock asked in his usual manner.
"Evidence suggests that Gamal's skull was crushed" Akame answered.
Seeing that Lubbock was still not getting it Leone expanded so that he could understand. "His skull was crushed, from what we could tell it was crushed by a hand."
"Whoa that pretty hardcore" Lubbock agreed.
"I don't know" Leone commented. "Either he is efficiently ruthless or ruthlessly efficient. The only reason we found Gamal's corpse at all was because of the Lionelle heightened senses"
"What are you saying that he disposed of the body that well?" Lubbock asked grudgingly admitting that he was impressed.
"Yes" Akame answered. She turned her head to look a Leone and asked. "Did you ask him about it?"
Leone scratched the back of her head guiltily before saying with a cheesy grin well you see I kind of, well, I forgot."
Akame sighed if it was anyone else they would have done a double take. A double take was the sacred art of flipping onto ones head and making a loud thumping sound when someone messes up something relatively simple, in short it was comedic. Akame thankfully for her was immune to the curse of the double take that infested the majority of humanity and just sighed instead. "Now we will have to ask him in his quarters."
Lubbock sensing that this was a conversation that he wasn't really a part of and shouldn't be. He knew better than to interfere in a woman's conversation "well I guess I'll see you later" he said before exiting the room.
"Do you think he misunderstood?" Akame asked confused.
"I think he has been enough of situations were he has been right otherwise so I don't really think we can convince him otherwise besides if it really bothers him he'll go asking Tatsumi about it up front" Leone answered.
"I don't think that the thought that Lubbock may think that we are an item with Tatsumi is a pleasant one." Akame stated.
"Yeah the thought that he might think that sends shivers down my spine" Leone admitted.
"I guess we should go after him then" Akame said.
"My bud I guess you're right" Leone agreed as the two departed and sped after Lubbock.
The Next day Tatsumi had woken up about an hour before sunrise and had begun his drills when he was approached by Najenda. "Yes is there something?" he asked politely.
"Its nothing" Najenda answered. "I just came to congratulate you on your first contract."
"I did what was necessary" Tatsumi answered. Still maintaining his drills.
"Well I guess you are doing a good job" Najenda commented. "Though they reported Ogre as MIA. They found a body that could have been is but they haven't claimed night raid has done it, do you know why?" She asked.
"I took steps to ensure that nothing can be traced back to nightraid" Tatsumi answered.."How did you do that?"
"I left evidence that suggests to a third party" he answered.
"A third party?" Najenda asked confused. "What third party?"
"the best kind" Tatsumi answered still continuing his drills "the kind that does not exist."
"May I ask why?" Najenda asked curious as to Tatsumi's reasoning.
"This way the empire will be jumping at shadows thinking they have more enemies" Tatsumi answered. "It is easier for your enemy to overlook you when they think that there are other threats out there" he explained. "Also when the revolutionary army wins Nightraid will have less of the public animosity if none at all"
"Ah I see" Najenda replied. "I didn't think that you had thought that far ahead." she admitted. "Though what makes you think that the revolutionary army will win?" she asked.
"The basic concept that nothing a human builds lasts for ever" Tatsumi answered. "That and that the empire is a weak old man who will be unable to defend himself from his vengeful sons"
"You believe that the revolution will succeed?" Najenda asked incredulously.
"Yes there are several figures in the Empire that is are removed will significantly weaken it" Tatsumi replied. "Fore most among them is the Prime minister the one who controls the child emperor like a puppet. Yes if the revolutionary army desires to win it is not the emperor or any of the generals that they need to defeat foremost. It is Prime Minister Honest."
"I didn't know you were a visionary" Najenda commented.
"I'm not" Tatsumi answered "I am a pragmatist" He then stopped his drills and walked out.
"What he was doing was difficult for Bulat yet he didn't sweat at all" Najenda said. "Just how strong is he."
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