Chapter Five

Northern Loss

He couldn't understand what drove him to attack his own sister. His own flesh and blood. Was it his need to fight for something? Or to stall in order to find a way to save his sister through non-lethal terms? These questions flew through his mind as Heiyoru dodged and blocked V'yenta's nimble and long attacks, each attack becoming much harder to avoid than the last. Behind the facade of his intentions of killing her, there was another secret side of Heiyoru in which he was conflicted on his determination on slaying his sister. Even though he hated the fact that she was on the wrong side, Heiyoru still considered some part of her to be his beloved sister.

Needless to say, Heiyoru putted family above all else.

Though, he didn't have a family to put 'above all else'. Many of them were either dead or somewhere on the other end of the world.

He wished it didn't have to come down to this.

He wished that there was a way to save his sibling; it would be the only he had ever protected successfully in his entire life.

The teal-eyed boy didn't want to lose anyone no more.

Heiyoru wanted to be strong and reliable.

But, behind his carefree and determined nature, Heiyoru believed that he was coward, in a way. For all of his actions before all of this. Running away from every dangerous scenario in his life and never truly going head on with a true threat to the peace. Heiyoru was aware of this mistake or 'flaw' of his, and hated himself for it. Whenever he would run away or decide not be involved, someone would either suffer or die.

As if they were taking his place.

This thought haunted Heiyoru from the first day his tribe was brutally murdered a few years ago, during one of Esdeath's, the Imperial General, very first attacks on the Northern region, which was, ironically, where she was born from as well.

If he was just stronger that day, he could have done something.

"M-mom..?"

"Stay here, dear."

"B-but, everyone is screaming outside.."

"I have to go get your sister," Heiyoru's mother smiled, hugging him before she left him in the hut, "Don't worry, I'll be okay.."

If I was just as strong that day.. Mom didn't need to die..!

In a swiping motion with her scythe, V'yenta's scythe was attempting to decapitate Heiyoru, but he barely escaped the clutches of death as it only grazed the side of his neck. He responded with a middle thrust towards her chest, and his sister responded with a swift evasion and came crashing down with her weapon. Heiyoru reacted and pulled his shield up towards the air, which caused sparks of steel clashing toward each other.

Nggh! I won't be able to keep up! Her attacks are quick and heavy, and Escutcheon is mainly a defensive-type Teigu! This is so damn stupid!

The Iceshard Rebel pulled her scythe apart, changing its form a rather long-range version: two chained sickles, protruding with a crude form and spike above. Grinning deviously, she hurled one of them at her brother, taking him off guard from its traveling speed and sheer force. The force of the sickle coming at him knocked him into the harsh snow, covering him in white particles. Grunting in pain, his left forearm was injured. It may have not been broken, but it was surely cracked. V'yenta sighed, puffing her cheeks as she swung her sickle in a circular motion playfully.

Heiyoru's right hand felt.. empty.

"Oh shit.." Heiyoru whispered in shock.

The teal-eyed Northerner had just lost his short-sword, Escutcheon's 'key'.

Without the key, his shield was just some regular buckler. It was impossible to activate Escutcheon's "three phase" abilities without its key to activate and deactivate its powers, using them in rapid succession.

"Kind of disappointing, brother.." V'yenta admitted.

"Shut up." He responded, keeping his cool. Heiyoru then spotted it! It was far behind V'yenta, but he had doubts that she was going to simply allow him to get it back. V'yenta was crazy, but even Heiyoru knew that she was quite smart; she knew there was something significant behind the sword and she played that to her advantage.

"Your face," She pointed out, "it looks kind of grim. Lost something?"

"Don't worry; I'm going to get it back and lodge it straight down your fucking throat." Heiyoru threatened deathly, with his facade of anger.

"Ooh~! I never shy down from a challenge!" V'yenta responded, "Come and take it then!"

Heiyoru crouched slightly and lunged at her with the blunt of the shield. Smirking, she whipped her sickle at Heiyoru but failed to him when he avoided upwards and stepped on her shoulder, giving her a slight 'oof'. V'yenta expected no less; she knew that the shield charge was a mere feint and his main, absolute goal was to get that blasted sword of his. Telling by the engravings and sliver-like outline of his shield, the crazed young sister knew that the shield was special, maybe a Teigu.

She wasn't going to let him lay a finger on it.

Regaining grip on her thrown sickle, she tossed into the air, in which it successfully extended its chain and tangled around Heiyoru's neck. Gagging, Heiyoru attempted to release himself from the steel grip, but it was no use! She pulled him back with a slight pull towards her and when V'yenta was in touching length with him, she wrapped even more of her chains around his neck, making it much harder from him to properly breathe.

It was done, V'yenta wanted where she wanted his 'beloved' brother.

She stared at him, and he stared at her. Anger and murder was visible in the eyes of his sister, and even she embraced it since she saw herself as nothing but a 'rampaging danger beast' murdering out of pure game until she is put down. Loneliness and resentment could do that to any human, even it was just for a day. However, when she was expecting the same from Heiyoru, she did not receive the reaction she had hoped for.

His eyes and face were filled with guilt and regret.

Why? Was he sorry for leaving her to her inevitable fate of hunting danger beasts and being found by thugs whom she tore into pieces?

No, she wouldn't fall for it! Not again! Not ever!

"V'yenta.." Heiyoru wheezed.

Her head tilted in curiosity, raising her free sickle into the air, "Any last words?"

Heiyoru, maintaining his guilt-ridden expression, spoke, "I'm sorry I left you. I wish I took your place that day."

V'yenta shook her head slowly, gaining even more rage from his words, "Shut up, shut up, shut the fuck up!"

"No matter how you see it, you're just angry.." Heiyoru breathed, "Angry at me and I understand.. but just understand that I would have done anything to save you from those Imperials! I didn't care about anything else other than you and mom that day."

"You fucking trickster.." She dropped her sickle, and giving him a flurry of slaps, her eyes beginning to break down, "Don't talk like that! Shut up, you dog! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut.. up..!"

V'yenta had slapped him so many times, his left cheek began to bruise already. The chains still gripped tightly around his neck, but he gave her an assuring expression, which said that he wouldn't curse her in hell for killing him.

"Hey," Heiyoru said softly, "You don't have to keep doing this. Just do it."

"What!?" She barked, regaining grip on her sickles.

"I'm sick and tired," Heiyoru said to her, "I just want to get over all of this. I hope you can forgive me and we can just walk off this chart.. please?"

Her teal eyes softened and she whimpered, but in an instant, her expression returned to hostility and rage, "No, I'm going to kill you for leaving me! And you'll burn for what you did to me and mother!"

"That's how it's gonna go huh?" Heiyoru sighed sadly, but looked at her solemnly, "It's okay, V'yenta."

"..!"

"I love you, sis." Heiyoru frowned at her, his right hand leaving from the chains that held him,

As she was about to swing at his neck, V'yenta gasped sharply at the pain erupting from her abdomen. Looking down, her gut was struck with a knife lodged in her stomach. Blood dripped profusely down her vest. Before she could comprehend what had happened, Heiyoru managed to loosen her chains and jumped up with all of his might, head first. It was a direct hit, as V'yenta's head went up and clamped her mouth shut, biting her tongue in the process. Moving back as she screamed in the pain in her mouth and gut, Heiyoru dashed for his blade and successfully retained it.

V'yenta's eyes pulsated with red veins, her mouth dripping with blood due to her gushing tongue and her gut sliding down her boots with a similar red liquid. She was tricked, she lowered her guard and fell for his charm! That did it for her; she let out a bloodcurdling roar and barred her teeth at her brother, who stared at her with a pitiful stare. It appeared true to Heiyoru, there was little left he could save.

The best he could do now was end it here.

"I love you, so in order to save you.." Heiyoru returned his blade into its sheathe, preparing its second ability, "I have to kill you!"

"HEIYORU!" V'yenta screamed in utter rage, reattaching her scythe together. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S GONNA DIE!"

"Shield Gear, phase 2," The shield wielder chanted, and with a final twist and click of his blade, he uttered, "Ancilia."

The lined engravings of the shield glowed brightly, until they blinded V'yenta with an illumination of shining light. As the light dimmed down, Heiyoru was already on his way to end her, his hand still gripped on the key of Escutcheon. How old, using the advantage of the blinding light to gain the first charge. It mattered little to V'yenta; she had already won! In terms of speed, she was excelled beyond Heiyoru. The one with the first strike would win, and she would be the first to do so! The engravings still glowed with a golden color, but she did not notice. V'yenta was far too focused on ensuring that Heiyoru would be on the ground, choking on his blood.

And so, in response, she too charged at him, a roar accompanied with her actions.

Neither of them thought about each other, in terms of positive moments. Both siblings knew that they would have nothing after this. Literally. However, it was always in their fates to forever be cursed with loneliness.

Heiyoru lost many close people to him, especially the one he fell in love with.

And for V'yenta, she lost her beloved mother, whom she idolized so much.

All they had now, was each other. But even so, that was an ill thought. Only their thoughts on the outcome would emerge as they clashed with one swipe on one side. Their dedication to live empowered the forces of their blades, but only one would live in the end and endure much more pain.

For both Heiyoru and V'yenta, death didn't sound that bad at all.

WOOSH!

The sword of Heiyoru's Escutcheon and V'yenta's scythe collided against their opposite wielders and had some type of contact. Silence enveloped the snow-ridden environment as the two siblings passed each other. Neither motioned a hint of a direct hit. V'yenta, confident that she had won, had just dodged the incoming sideways slice that would most likely split her stomach. Her eyes fixated on Heiyoru's naked right hand, which dripped with blood, having seriously lacerated his arm, and possibly more.

However, that made no sense.

She swore that she had aimed for his neck. His head should have been cut off cleanly from his stupid neck! How could she have missed her target so pathetically!? Were her senses dulled in the moment, due to some remorse for her brother? Insane! Heiyoru merely suffered a cut on his arm, blooding marking his jacket of where he was bleeding from. He turned around, with a guilt-ridden expression on the verge of breaking down.

Why is he frowning?

"I'm sorry."

SPLOOSH!

Wh-wha..?

All the sudden, an extreme jolt of sharp pain emitted from her lower chest. Screaming, she had realized her stomach was cut. It was split open, her small intestines threatened to fall out of her abdomen's snatch. Grasping it tightly as her throat began to choke on overflowing blood, painting the snow red, she wondered to herself of how she had failed, gaining sight of her weapon, which was smashed into pieces during the clash and nowhere near where she could get any part of it. And also how more painful it was than she had thought.

"Gyahhh...! Ungh..! It hurts.. IT HURTS!" She wailed as fell to her knees, but Heiyoru couldn't move. He wasn't heartless, but just frozen. There was nothing he could do for her. This would be how his young sister would die, how her life would end. Re-twisting the hilt of his sword to release the effects of Ancilia, his grabbed his head in horror as he helplessly saw her grip her own stomach to prevent her organs from falling out.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry.. His conscience repeated, in which he soon blocked out.

"How.. how.."

"Second Phase: Ancilia." Heiyoru said to her as he walked closer, "It disrupted your six senses and confused what you were seeing."

The light! She had just remembered, having foolishly reminiscing how she just stared into the seemingly harmless light.

"You're so.. amazing, big.. brother.." She said softly, falling over.

Much to her surprise, Heiyoru caught her in his arms, as slid on his knees and supported her head. This close, she looked so peaceful to him than he ever saw her. Was she truly happy with dying? It broke his spirit to the utter core. Gripping her shoulders tightly, Heiyoru used his free hand to add pressure to the split stomach that he had caused. V'yenta didn't understand him at all; he wanted to kill her so badly, yet it now appeared that he was doing his best to save her.

Why?

"I thought.. you wanted.. to kill me..?" She gasped, blood overflowed out of her mouth and touching her ears.

"I was lying," Heiyoru responded quickly, panicking as he tried to stop the severe bleeding. In mere minutes, she would be dead from loss of blood. As she shook, and her skin went pale, the northern boy knew that his sister was quickly going into hypovolemia. No matter what how hard he pressured his hand against the wound, the blood would always find its ways to get through, "I'm going to save you, don't worry.."

"Big brother.."

"H-huh..?"

"It was so sad without you here.. I wasn't happy at all.." The young girl whined, tears beginning to form around her near-lifeless eyes, "I.. was angry.."

"I know.. so come on, I need you to hang on! I'll get help!"

"I was so sad and angry that I wanted to kill you so bad.." She sniffed, "I thought you left me because you blamed me for mother.. and I hated you, even though I knew you didn't do anything.."

"..."

"I wanted.. to see you.. so much, back here.." V'yenta continued, despite her body beginning to shut down, "I wanted to kill you, or die by you. The master.. told me that you were.. going to come back, and I just.. felt so happy.."

"V'yenta.." Heiyoru whispered to her, afraid of losing his sister, "Who.. who told you..?"

She slowly put one of her hands behind his head and moved him closer to her mouth. She whispered a few words, and it was only a mere name. A name that Heiyoru felt that he was familiar with.

He couldn't believe it. This was impossible. Of all people, how could it be so? Shaking with utter shock, he shook his head in disbelief. V'yenta responded, with dilated eyes, nodded in confirmation. With one breath, V'yenta said one final sentence, with all of her strength left in her very soul.

"Heiyoru.." V'yenta shivered, and with one final breath, but barely audible, she said, "I-I.. want.. to go.. home.."

With that, V'yenta's eyelids shut and her hand slid from her wound. She was dead. Heiyoru had been to familiar with the scene of loss. This was truly hell; how many times would he have to see this over and over again? Losing one loved one after another? Would death ever free him from his miserable life? There would never be no end to this. But, with what he had heard from his sibling's final words, he knew where to look.

Out of the darkness of the night, in the whistling of the cold wind and the dead of the air, Akame walked slowly towards Heiyoru. In her heart, she knew that there was some kind of personal connection with the ringleader and Heiyoru. If she were him, the same situation of chasing the ringleader would be the same. As she stared into the appearance of the dead female, she did indeed look similar to Heiyoru in a way.

And most of all, she looked so peaceful.

Just like.. hers.

"Heiyoru?" Akame called out to him softly, troubled by the deathly silence around him. He was shaken up and turned around to her, expressing to worst kind of dreaded expression that she had ever seen her entire life, "Is she..? D-did you at least get..?"

"..." Heiyoru just shook his head, his mind unable to comprehend what he had just done. He also wasn't very fond of telling her about what his sister had just said to him as well.

'The cindering of one's body, means the release of one's very spirit.'

An important teaching of the Tsuya clan that Heiyoru was born from, he was taught that the cremation of bodies would free the spirits of the dead. Whether they would go up to heaven, or down to the pits of hell, were up to their gods. Having burned his sister's body in an unmarked area, Heiyoru and Akame departed the vicinity of the bandit hideout, returning to Yoneru Village to think of their next plans. Disgruntled by their failure to gain any information, and for the very first time, Akame wasn't sure what to do next. She did not know of any other caves that would inhabit Iceshard Rebels, and neither did Heiyoru.

Before they entered the nearby haven, Heiyoru insisted that they stayed around the horizon of the hideout, where he had slain his own flesh and blood. Akame understood how he felt and agreed.

Neither of them talked, with Akame staring down into the ground patiently, and Heiyoru staring sadly into the rising dawn as he sat down with his connected arms on top of his knees. She barely knew anything that was happening at the moment, she needed to know of the events that transpired while she fought against two hulking thugs.

"Heiyoru," The assassin uttered, "Please speak."

"What?" He replied bluntly.

"Are you okay, what happened?" Akame asked worriedly, eyeing his wounds and mental expression.

"I'm fine."

"But-"

"I said, I'm fine! Why the fuck do you care!?" He snapped, staring at her with utter anguish. So there was something wrong.

"Something happened," Akame pointed out, "Something that you were familiar with, and you cannot help but be angered by such a deed that you have done. I understand."

"Oh yeah?" Heiyoru scoffed with a laugh, "How!?"

"Because I have lost those who I hold dear to my heart as well." Akame confessed, her hand sliding over her chest, "I know how you feel. I too felt the same way, a long time-"

"I should have saved her!"

"W-what?" Akame shook very lightly, more confused than shocked by his sudden tone. Heiyoru let out a shaky sigh, his eyes averting from Akame. He turned his back to her, revealing to her only the back of his grey jacket.

"I-I.. just killed her, my sister." Heiyoru gulped, hesitant on whether it was the right thing to say so to a friend that wasn't exactly close to him. After all, he had met her only a few days ago. Akame let out a slightly jolted noise under her breath; it sounded very familiar to her memories.

Kurome..

Mmm, I love you, big sis.

"I should have done something." He sighed, shaking his head, "All that mattered was getting information out of her, and I can't I didn't try to do my best on talking to her in the first place!"

"..." Akame blinked, her feelings began to flow in pity for the boy in front of her. Feelings of the heart.

"..We.. weren't always going at each other's necks," Heiyoru added, remembering the days of the good times, "We loved each other a lot, but I was never really able to see her all the time. Deep down, I think my mother loved me more than her.."

"Do.. do you wish to talk of it?" Akame attempted to put her hand on his shoulder, but he immediately slapped her hand away and backed off.

"You know what? I don't even know why I'm even near you!" The teal-eyed boy turned around to face her, pointing his finger at her as he suddenly changed the subject. At this point, she was utterly confused and slightly agitated. What did she do to gain such hostility from him, "Of all people, why do I go to you!?"

"I don't understand."

"Oh, of course you don't! I'll tell you everything then!" Heiyoru began, having lost his nerve, "First, my mother was raped by Imperials led by a bitch who could control ice! So was my sister as well! And you know what she said to me? 'You're weak, and this is what happens to the weak, so become strong'!"

Akame was speechless; she didn't realize how much he antagonized her. But still, the picture was already clear to her. Akame was smart enough to put the pieces together, and spoke her mind, "You joined the Revolutionary Army to merely fight against Esdeath?"

"Everyday, from the day I joined the rebels, I thought of how I was going to end her pathetic life," Heiyoru walked up to Akame, face-to-face, "I wanted to end her life! Then again, it takes a Teigu to fight a Teigu, right? I wanted to kill her or be killed by her!"

"Your negativity towards me has not yet been clear!" Akame responded, raising her voice.

"Think of it! The 'great' Akame kills my only reason to fight on! I wanted to end her life, by my hand!"

"For the sake of revenge?"

"For the sake of my people!" Heiyoru protested, "I had people that died for me, and I couldn't save them.. and if I can't avenge them, then what good am I?"

"You are committed, are you not? For the reason you wield your sword! You should already know that; if you have no reason, then you should not be wielding one in the first place." Akame responded, her voice calming down in comprehension for his personal anger, "Fight for those that sacrificed themselves. Do not let the lives of the dead be in vain."

Heiyoru took a deep breath and gave a straight look, "E-even after all of what I said, I'm not sure how I feel about you.."

"..!?"

"I don't know where my feelings lie for you, Akame," Heiyoru said, breathing heavily out of his nose, "I don't like you, but I sure as hell don't hate you."

"I.. suppose that I feel the same as well." Akame replied slowly with a hint of red, nodding her head.

"...I'll.. be fine, okay? I.. just don't want to talk about it yet." Heiyoru's expression became a facade of a stern expression, one that Akame could easily see through.

"You're in pain, I can see that." Akame noted, and suddenly moved in towards Heiyoru.

In sudden flash, Akame put her arms around the broken down boy and breathed softly. She had never really gotten this intimate with anyone before in her life, but at this point, the red-eyed killer wasn't quite sure what to do. Heiyoru reacted with a surprised gasp, attempting to get her off him as the teal-eyed soldier attempted to cover his true feelings.

"W-what're you-"

"Many of my friends died for me as well, but there was nothing else I could do, " Akame revealed to him, sighing lightly as the side of her head laid on his beating chest, "It is obvious that we have lost many things we cared for in our lives. In our times of distress, we can only weep."

Heiyoru blinked as he heard her words go through his shell; in a way, it made sense to him. There was nothing else he could do in the time of mourning for someone. In his mind, he wished he could bring them back or even sacrifice himself in order for them to come to life, but it would never happen. All he could do now, was cry his eyes out and move on to whatever the future held for him.

At that same moment, Heiyoru covered his eyes with his right forearm and sobbed uncontrollably. Not even the pain in his entire body could interrupt such a feeling of release.

A/N:

Quite a long chapter, abeit why it took so long for it to be published. Approximately, two weeks, it took to make this because it is near the end of the year for my classes and I have to work double the load in order to get through the year. Expect the chapters to be delayed significantly from May 30th to June 8th.

Other than that, thank you for reading this! We are near the end of the road for this short story.