Heya, back again with another chapter, not much to say but the Q and A has been updated, please leave reviews if something confuses you or even if you just feel like expressing your thoughts. Anywho... here we go!
Chapter: The Resolve of a Dishwasher
Days passed since Tatsumi heard from Kurome, but according to the local rumors, General Esdese had assembled a team of Teigu users to combat night raid. But during the day he tried to keep those thoughts out of his mind, he tried to enjoy what he hoped to be his last few days at his job. Leone never showed up after that night, and by doing so it was made clear she was obviously apart of Night Raid. He never quite did find out why they came to the cafe every day, but he had the feeling it had something to do with him. As of now his feelings were conflicted about the subject. If things went according to what Kurome said would happen, then it would be his job to hunt them down and kill them personally, but after getting used to someone after such a long time he might have second doubts about killing them. As for now his primary focus was getting a stain off a particularly difficult plate. His concentration was interrupted by his manage leaning into the kitchen door. "Hey Tatsumi, you've got a customer." he said with a grin before disappearing back through the doorway. His first thought was Kurome, 'Why would she meet me here of all places?' he thought as he took off his gloves and washed his hands. He then walked out the swinging doors to be greeted by the familiar, busty blonde and her cheeky grin and for once it brought a smile to his face, he never really thought he'd miss the sight of the thief who robbed him blind. He wiped the smile off his face hoping that neither she not Yui saw it, but obviously they did. After walking up to the table he said, "Long time no see, what can I get ya?" Leone replied with, "Aww I can't just come here to talk to my favorite sucker?" Tatsumi rolled his eyes, but there was something in her voice that suggested she wasn't entirely joking. "Alright fine I'll take the steak and egg combo." She said rolling her eyes with an amused smile. After taking her order, a few minutes later he came out with the food, but she wasn't there. Instead there was a bag small bag of coins sitting on the table on top a napkin. 'A tip?' he thought setting down the plates and picking up the bag. Under the bag, there was writing on the napkin. He picked it up and read it, it was an address, the very pub he took her too on the first day. "What's this?" Yui asked grabbing the napkin out of his hand. "Hey!" he said trying to grab it back but she kept it out of his reach by extending her arm away from him where she could read it and her using her other arm to push him away. "An address? From Leone? How romantic." She teased as he swiped it out of her hands and crumpled it up. "Well i wouldn't call a pub a very rom- wait that's not the point!" He said flustered. Yui only giggled and walked away saying, "Have fun!"
Later, Tatsumi sat in the pub at the same table he'd been before with Leone. As one might expect empty glasses were strewn across her side of the table and she was babbling something in a slurred manner. He merely tuned her out until her tone changed, sounding sober, and serious. "I think you'd of figured it by now." She said sitting up and looking him dead in the eye, of course referring to her connections to Night Raid. Schere and Mine must have told her about what happened that night. He responded with a simple nod sat back in his chair. "So I'm going to ask you, what are you going to do with this information..." She asked. "Normally I'd kill you in your sleep but since you saved Mine's life and our Akame has taken an interest in you, I'm going to give you a choice. You can walk away, go on with your life, or you can join us and take down this corrupt empire." The idea came as a shock to him, he'd never considered joining Night Raid. "Now why would I join a group of heartless killers?" He asked, a stern look on his face. "Because I know you see it. The poverty, the crime, even the flat out oppression from the city guard."She said, and it was true. On multiple occasions he'd seen people beat within an inch of their life by the city guard for refusing to pay the taxes they couldn't, and how they turned a blind eye to the drug trafficking. Sometimes women would be arrested for no reason and all and were held for several days. Even if they did come back they were never the same. "This empire is beyond saving. And it's our job to make sure it's destroyed, to make room for a better one." She said, the look of sheer anger on her face as if painful memories were flashing through her head, her fingers scratching at the woof beneath them. He stared at her for a moment, but then the thought of Yui flashed through his mind. How she'd grown to love the empire that once had forsaken her, she forgave society. "I don't necessarily think you're wrong... There are many things wrong with the empire as it stands." He said, and as he did her fingers relaxed. "But I do think your way of going about it is wrong." he said, imagining all the death and destruction that would come from all out war to destroy the empire. He thought of Yui lying dead on the ground, caught in the crossfire of a worthy cause, and it made him sick to his stomach. "I want to change the empire, I want to protect it until it's ready to change it's ways. And if you want to destroy it, then i suppose the next we'll meet is on the battlefield." he said standing up from the table and walking away...
After that incident, he began to take his preparation for the military a bit more seriously. Having barely touched his sword in the time he spent in the capital, is body had become out of shape, weak compared to the prowess he once wielded, slaying danger beasts without a second thought. He began training his body every day before work, and for hours on end afterwards. Whatever Kurome was getting him into, he couldn't face it with the way he was now. Hours upon hours of reviewing what he knew about the way of the sword, even inventing his own techniques. Soon days passed, and days turned to weeks. Soon enough Yui began to join, at first he denied it but when she said he couldn't always be there to protect her he allowed it. It wasn't hard to see he was far from Kurome's level or that he barely stood a chance against Night Raid, but he wasn't willing to give up from something as simple as the threat of defeat. The routine went on until one day on his way to work, Kurome walked by him casually. He went along with it and as they passed she slipped a piece of paper into his hand. After walking until she was out of sight, he opened up the note and read it. "General Esdese is holding a martial arts tournament today." He didn't quite know what she wanted, so he did the only thing he could think of. "Hey Yui, I just remembered I have to... do something. You mind covering for me? Thanks." He said running off. "Wait where are you going?" She asked but he was already down the street by the time she finished. "Jerk." she said with a sigh and kept walking.
Later that day, he signed up for the martial arts tournament, standing in front of his opponent. A large hulking man with a bull head stood in front of him with a mocking smile. Tatsumi wasn't afraid of him, in fact it was kinda funny, he'd hunted a few danger beasts that looked like him before. "On the East side..." The black haired man in a blue coat announcing the fight said, "Kalbi the Butcher!" Motioning to the bull man in front of him. "On the West side, Tatsumi the Dishwasher!" The audience couldnt help but break out laughing at his title. He kept a stern face, staring at his opponent. "Dishwasher?" the bull man blurted out laughing. "Well you're pretty small so I guess I'll be taking the prize money." Tatsumi kept his expression, refusing to show any signs of emotion. "Ready! Fight!" The announcer said and the bull man raised his fist. "Taste my explosive fist!" He shouted but Tatsumi cut his punch short by planting his foot in his foot on his chest and bouncing back, drawing his sword. He then dashed at him full speed, sliding through his legs as he went by, slashing at his as he went. The bull maa let out a cry as his leg went limp but swung his fist around at Tatsumi, giving him barely enough time to raise his sword and block it. Before he could pull his fist back, Tatsumi turned his blade and slashed his knuckles, nearly severing the fingers. The bull man pulled back with a scream but Tatsumi silenced him by planting his foot in his face, hard enough to send him flying out of the ring. It was unusually brutal but he wasn't taking any chances. After a moment of silence, the crowd cheered. He looked around at the crowd before giving a big smile. After seconds the cheers died out and a woman walked down the stairs from the spectator booth. She had ridiculously long, light blue hair and wore a white military uniform that was rather revealing in the chest area. This person, he could only assume to be Esdese approached him. "Tatsumi... that's your name right? It's a nice name." She said. "Th-thanks." He said a but nervously. "Your win just now was magnificent. I'd like to give you a reward." She said reaching into her uniform to pull something out. Thinking it was money he could send home to his village he said, "Thank you very much." And bowed slightly closing his eyes. When she finally reached himshe he feeling of her cold hands on his neck and then something clasped around his neck lead him to open his eyes, and see she had out him on a collar and was now dragging him out of the arena. "From now on you belong to me." She said and began pulling him with her. "It's much too distracting out here, come to my palace." Tatsumi struggled and fell over. "W-wait a second." He as said, but she only pulled him to her and said, "No I will not wait." Before chopping him in the back of the neck, forcing him to pass out. The last words he heard were, "Let's talk in my room, just the two of us." While he lay asleep, he caught the strangest case of dejavu.
Much later, he awoke to a female figure hovering over him and a soft bed beneath him. 'Yui?' Was his first thought until his vision cleared to reveal Esdese hovering over him on all fours. His body tensed up but she only thought this was cute. "Good morning." She said with a slight blush and a smile. He lit up like a tomato. 'I mean I said I wanted into the military but this is crazy.' He thought and an image of Kurone saying she would take an interest in him popped into his head. After along silence of her staring into his eyes she sat and allowed him to rise. "As of now you belong to me, as my lover and a back up Jaeger member." She said. "Jaeger member... Wait lover?!" He asked in a panicky voice. "Of course. I intend to train you into a high ranking general such as myself." His attention was caught at the word train. 'She'll train me?' He thought, the woman who conquered the north in a matter of months was offering to train him... in exchange for love? After a long silence he spoke up, "Well... I'm not exactly sure how to handle this." Esdese simply stood up and walked towards a pair of glass doors. "I'm sure you will..." She said as she opened them and walked in. Apparently it was a shower, and not long after she went in the water started running, and he could see the outline of her body. Meanwhile in the shower, Esdese took her time sitting under the hot water. 'I'm glad he's beginning to understand.' she thought.
After she walked out of the shower, Tatsumi facing the other way sitting on the bed, she sat on the bed next to him. 'Be cool be cool be cool.' He thought over and over and turned towards her, only to find her wearing nothing but a button up shirt, revealing the majority of her cleavage and just barely covering her nether region. "Is something wrong?" She asked approaching him on all fours. "N-no!" He said jumping off the bed and heading towards the showers himself. "I must need to take a shower." he finished nervously. She grabbed his hand and stopped him. "It's fine." She said and leaned in close to his ear. "I like the way you smell." Tatsumi blushed at this and she started giggling. "You really are the cute one." She teased and dragged him back to the bed. "Don't worry I won't do anything tonight." And strangely enough he was a bit relieved by this, he'd had enough excitement for one day. When they lay down, she wrapped her body around his, using him as a sort of body pillow. The feeling was beginning to come across, that he didn't really have a choice in the matter...
