Daybreak had arrived, and Tatsumi was running like a man being chased by a demon from hell… and one could argue that was the truth. Pushing a sticky branch out of his face, he left the path he'd been sticking to these last ten minutes, choosing instead to plow straight through the forest. He was seriously tempted to activate Hermes, exhausted as he was, but the energy emitted by the transformation might alert his pursuer's honed senses, and then it would be game over.
A shadow passed over the ground before him, barely visible in the weak light of dawn, and he threw himself into the closest tree trunk before freezing in place. Above him, the dragon unleashed a high-pitched scream that tore at his ears, forcing him to cover them. Sweat ran down his forehead as he became convinced that it had discovered him, but contrary to this belief, the winged beast soon took off towards the north. Sighing in intense relief, he pushed himself away from the hard bark and resumed his flight.
Minutes later, the forest ended, and he stood face-to-face with an open plain. A paved road some few hundred meters from the tree line led towards the high walls of the capital in the distance, but right now, it seemed deserted. In the distance, he could see his goal. These hills northwest of the capital were rich with minerals, and hundreds of tunnels stretched through them for tens of kilometers. If he could only reach the entrance to one of them, it'd be impossible for the dragon to pursue him further, and victory would be assured. All he had to do was to reach the goddamn entrance…
"HERMES!"
Pushing his teigu to the brink, he zoomed across the grass like an angry wind. Almost instantly, he felt an overwhelming presence in the air above him, pressing down with malevolent intensity. Just as expected, she'd been lying in wait.
A wall of ice erupted in front of him, growing to both sides even as he drew closer. Instead of wasting precious time to circle around it, he launched himself into the air like a projectile, clearing the ragged top of the white construction with a palm's breath. The landing shock him to his core, flares of pain shooting up his legs, but he ignored it. As he raced onwards, new creations sprouted from the ground with eerie swiftness, forcing him to run in a zigzag pattern, which enabled the dragon to keep up with him.
Finally, just the homestretch of a few hundred meters remained. Daring to hope, he threw himself forward with newfound strength, just a second before a new wall arose – this one far too tall for him to cross by leap. Gritting his teeth, he sped straight up the nearly vertical barrier, desperate to make it to the top. Icicles as long and thick as trees sprung out above him as drew close. Avoiding them cost him irreplaceable momentum. As he came a few meters shy of the top, he had no choice but to bring out his wrist blades and plunge them into the ice to keep himself from falling. Seconds later, the dragon was upon him, its long, filthy claws stretched out to seize him.
Seeing no other option, he slammed his legs into the ice and freed himself, an arm-sized talon nearly scratching his helmet as he fell down. Twisting himself around as the ground surged up to meet him, he somehow managed to land on his feet.
He looked up just in time to see the flying beast make a dive for him. Its eyes looked like glowing charcoal, making him feel like a lean, grey rabbit spotted by an oversized, black eagle. He rolled away.
The ground shook as the beast landed, creating the illusion of a miniature earthquake. He considered making a break for it while the dragon was still earthbound, but as Esdeath's gaze locked in on his, he knew the game was up. Letting his teigu armor drift away like smoke, he simply watched as she jumped down from her pet. She took four long steps, and then she was standing right in front of him. She regarded him for a few seconds, her eyes cold and expressionless.
Then she smiled.
"Two hours and thirty-two minutes," she said approvingly, having fished out a pocket watch from one of her breast pockets. "I was expecting to catch you before the second hour was up. You've gotten quite skilled at masking your presence… relatively speaking."
In other words, "just try running away from me and see how far you'll get," eh?
When Esdeath had suggested they'd do a mock hunt to test his proficiency for stealth, he'd known almost from the beginning what this was really about. She just wanted to show him how easily she could catch up with him, despite the swiftness of Hermes.
"How did you know I'd come this way?" he inquired, nodding at the tree line from which he'd emerged.
"Active teigu will have a certain presence, which can be sensed by any person, provided their senses are sharp enough," Esdeath said. "I simply followed yours until your course became obvious."
Nodding, Tatsumi figured that explained the murderous aura Esdeath was constantly emitting. "Can it be controlled?"
"Yes. Observe." Esdeath closed her eyes, and almost instantly, his skin ceased to crawl the way it always did when she was close. If she'd walked up behind him like this without making a sound, he'd never have even known she was there.
"How did you do that?" he inquired, cringing a little as he noted his voice was a bit more intent than he'd liked.
"Years of practice," Esdeath said as her aura returned. If she'd noticed his excitement, she made no show of it. "It's not something that can be taught. You have to figure it out for yourself." She made a quick gesture, prompting the dragon to lumber their way until she could reach out and grab the steering chain. "Anyway, it's time to head back. After all, today is our big day!"
Yours maybe, Tatsumi thought sourly, but said nothing. He'd thought he'd been afraid of Esdeath before that incident in the dining room, but after having seen her calmly explain how she'd gone and murdered a puppy while she was still a child… not a night had passed since then without him expecting to suddenly see her standing over him, her eyes gleaming like a phantom in the dark. That was when he was not staring at the room's only window, waiting for a pair of crimson eyes to appear in the blackness outside.
To sum it all up, his nerves were starting to get to him. If not for his daily conversations with Run, he'd probably have lost it in some way already.
The flight back to the capital went by in a flash. This time, Esdeath landed outside of the palace walls, probably to avoid getting yelled at by this Budo character or whatever. With her at his side, the members of the imperial guard didn't dare to mutter the usual insult as they entered through the gate, but the contemptuous gazes were there as always.
"I have some business I need to take care of before the meeting," Esdeath said as they came to a halt in the middle of the ginormous courtyard in front of the palace. "You go wait in the conference room. Run and River ought to be there already."
That's right. Today, Esdeath's new squad was to be officially formed. Apparently, the three remaining members had all arrived the city last night, and would present themselves today. At this point, Tatsumi wasn't sure whether to be excited or not. Run's arrival had been like a blessing, but Seryu and that mysterious doctor…
Just as Esdeath had said, both Run and River were both present as he entered the conference room, but Seryu was nowhere to be seen. Taking a seat beside his blonde friend, Tatsumi did his best not to look in River's direction. After everything that had happened, he'd found that pretending the former general didn't exist was the best way to stomach his presence.
"Someone forgot their morning grooming today," Run said, his gaze resting on Tatsumi's brown bangs, which was like a bush after the flight. Doing his best to straighten it out with some spit, Tatsumi asked about their bionic 'friend.'
"Seryu is to arrive with Dr. Stylish," Run answered. "It would appear the two of them have become quite close over the last few days."
Tatsumi snorted. "Yeah, I guess she would. You think he's turned her into a walking armory at this point?"
"I certainly hope not," Run said with a frown.
"Any news of your teigu?"
"The doctor seemed positive he could repair it last time we spoke. He even offered to 'make some improvements,' which I declined."
"Smart move."
They sat in silence for a while, unable to talk comfortably with River sitting so close. Occasionally, against his best intentions, Tatsumi would glance over at the former general. Was he just imagining things, or had River's grey hair lost its shine? Before, it had been like silver, but not it looked more like the sky of late autumn. Dull. His posture seemed different too, if only a little. Instead of sitting rigidly upright as he usually did, he was leaning forward on his elbows, his eyes distant.
After what seemed like hours, the door finally inched open, slowly. Removing his hands from the back of his head, Tatsumi sat up straight as a masked head poked into the room. For an awkward moment, the three of them looked at the hidden face, while the masked head looked back.
"Uh… hello?" Tatsumi finally said, figuring he'd have to be the one to break the ice.
The man took a step forward, revealing the rest of his body. Besides pants and a pair of leather boots, he wore nothing but his mask. His muscular and tan upper body was completely bare, save for white cloth covering most of his arms. He was tall too, probably even more so than Daidara had been, and as if that wasn't intimidating enough, his bare skin was covered with numerous scars and burn marks.
The fuck is this guy? Tatsumi thought. If anything, he looked like one of those freaky torturers from the dungeons below. Didn't Esdeath have that covered herself?
"Excuse me," the man said in a tone so soft it rivalled even the smoothness of Run's voice, which freaked Tatsumi out even more. He'd expected something in between grunting and growling. "Is this the conference room of the special police?"
"It is," River acknowledged. "Let me guess, you're Bols of the incineration squad?"
The masked man nodded.
"Please take a seat." River gestured at the line of empty chairs beside him.
The masked man did as he was asked, claiming the closest chair at the end of the table. Saying nothing, he sat like a nervous boy on his first day of school, his hands planted in his lap and gazed straight ahead.
Wait…is he shy or something? Tatsumi wondered.Squinting at the newcomer made sure to observe his reaction as he opened his mouth and said: "Hey, new guy?"
The man almost fell out of the chair.
Holy shit, he IS!
"Yes?" the newcomer said hesitantly, his voice still eerily soft.
"Doesn't that mask make it hard to breathe?" Tatsumi asked, putting words to the first thought to strike him.
"I'm used to it."
"Okay then."
Another awkward silence settled as they waited for the rest to arrive. Tatsumi had been expecting Run to strike up a conversation with Bols, but if he was interpreting the blonde's face correctly, he seemed skeptical of the newcomer. Finally, at the point when the stillness had become almost unbearable, the door was slammed open with such force that Tatsumi and Bols both jumped in their chairs.
"GOOD AFTERNOON!" the guy in the doorway yelled, his voice seemingly brimming with confidence, but Tatsumi thought his movements looked nervous. Also, what was with the yelling?
"I'M WAVE OF THE IMPERIAL ARMY!" the new guy continued. He looked like he was perhaps two years Tatsumi's senior, dressed in what looked most of all like a navy uniform. The sword hanging from his hip had quite an interesting design. Teigu?
"No one in this room is deaf as far as I know," River said dryly while inspecting the mariner with clear skepticism. "Shut your hole and sit down."
Looking like he'd shit himself in public, the young, dark-haired man let his arm fall. "Yes sir," he muttered, before dragging his feet over to the chair next to Tatsumi. He was carrying a big sack of fish. Who the fuck brought a sack of fish to a meeting like this?
Wrinkling his nose, Tatsumi subtly inched his chair a few centimeters away to escape from the odor emitted by the mariner's… lunch.
"I'm Wave," the mariner said, his voice comically low as he offered his hand.
"Yeah, I heard that," Tatsumi said as he took it. He had a strong, firm grip, but not painfully so. The chief had always said that was the mark of an honest man. "Tatsumi." He gestured at the blonde behind him. "This is Run."
"A pleasure to meet you," Run said as he leaned forward to see past Tatsumi. Almost immediately, the navy guy seemed to settle down. He still appeared to be intimidated by River and Bols though, judging by the way he only dared to look at them from the corners of his eyes.
"So, you guys are both teigu-users, right?"
Tatsumi opened his mouth to respond, but before he could the door flew open again, and Tatsumi felt his blood turn to ice as an all too familiar figure appeared in the doorway. However, a shout of alarm froze in his throat as realization dawned on him. Yes, the height, the facial features and the hair were almost right, but the eyes were completely black, without even a hint of crimson. Still, the resemblance was so remarkable that he couldn't help staring as she went to sit down between River and Bols, not even bothering to introduce herself. Without saying a word to anyone, she pulled out a miniature version of sailor-man's sack, only this one had words written on it with letters as dark and elegant as her own form: "Kurome's snacks."
Has to be a relative, Tatsumi decided. Either that, or this was some freaky-ass coincidence. Could the universe actively be trying to fuck with him?
"Uhm, hello?" the sailor-guy said, leaning eagerly across the table to offer her his hand. "I'm Wa-"
The girl slapped his hand away with such force it might actually have resounded throughout the whole palace.
"You can't have any," she deadpanned, pulling the bag of sweets to her chest like a saber lion protecting its cub.
"I… didn't want any," the sailor-guy said, squeezing his hand between his thighs in response to the obvious pain. Meanwhile, Tatsumi was dying to ask the girl about her possible relation to the Red-Eyed Killer, but decided it would be prudent to wait until he could talk to her one-on-one.
Silence reclaimed the room again as the sailor-guy sulked, not-Akame ate her candy at the steady pace, and the masked man fumbled with something in a satchel he'd brought. The only people missing now were Seryu and the mysterious doctor.
No sooner had he finished the thought than the door was kicked open again. As she marched into the room with Koro trailing behind her, it took a moment for Tatsumi to recognize Seryu, as she had acquired a completely new look. She had ditched her CDF gear in favor of a green uniform without any armor, and her caramel hair was barely reaching her shoulders. The most obvious change, though, was her right arm. It was back, and it was all metal.
"Seryu Ubiquitous and Koro, reporting for duty!" the girl yelled, slamming her feet together as she lifted a metallic hand to her forehead. As always, her mutt copied her movements in a way Tatsumi might've found cute if he didn't know of the creature's true nature. Before he could get up and greet her back (he hadn't seen her since they'd returned from the Ryuusen), she stepped to the side and began throwing rose petals onto the floor.
The hell is she…?
The thought was cut short as a man in his late twenties stepped through the door, a man dressed in a dune-colored suit inside a doctor's coat.
"Ah, it would appear I'm stylishly late, just as planned," the man said as he looked upon the gazes directed at him, ranging from incredulousness to complete disinterest.
"As far as I know, you reside not far from here," River commented, his eyes shining with dislike. "You should've been the first to arrive, Doctor. And yet here we are, wasting time on your frivolous theatrics."
"But my dear former general," the doctor chuckled, "the meeting does not start before Esdeath-sama makes an appearance, am I right?"
Judging by the look on River's face, Tatsumi guessed he wanted to continue the argument with his fists, but before he could, the doctor's attention moved elsewhere, namely to him and the sailor-boy.
"Oh my," the doctor breathed, and then he was lying on the table in front of them, studying them as though he were a collector who'd just discovered a pair of priceless artifacts in the middle of a dump.
"Crude, rural, shabby… but also quite endearing…" the doctor muttered, resting his chin in his hand as his eyes roamed the two boys, who were both leaning back in their respective chairs as far as they could without falling over. "Yes, if you were to let me perfect you, you two could become quite splendid indeed."
Oh yeah, the universe was definitely doing its best to fuck with him.
"Doctor," Run said, his timing perfect as always. "Do you have something for me?"
"Oh yes," the doctor exclaimed, Tatsumi and sailor-boy exhaling their relief in unison as the doctor got off the table. "As you requested, I refrained from modifying them in any way, which is a shame considering the things I could've done with materials of this quality, but you're the owner."
"Excellent," Run smiled as the doctor pulled out the two discs that constituted Mastema from beneath his coat, neither containing as much as a scratch. Accepting them, Run lowered his head in appreciation, before hanging both objects from his slender back. A second later, two wings, each as long as a man, sprouted from his sides.
"Whoa," sailor-boy exclaimed, his eyes glowing. "You can fly with those?"
"It would appear so," Run said, moving the wings tentatively, before allowing them to retract behind his back. "You are as skilled as they say, doctor."
"Oh no," Stylish said, dragging his tongue across his lower lip as he let his gaze travel from Run's feet to his face. "I'm much better than that."
Tatsumi didn't know whether to shudder or gag.
"Excuse me," a soft voice said, and their heads all turned to see Bols holding a plate of steaming cups. "I took the liberty to make some tea before coming here. I'm… not very good with people, particularly groups, but I hope we can all get along."
This guy has a fear of people? Tatsumi thought skeptically. Still, the tea smelled delicious, so he accepted, as did the rest.
"Now that you're all here, I suppose I might as well give you a briefing before Esdeath-sama arrives," River said once they'd all found a seat. "As you should all be aware of by now, we are to form a special police force answering directly to Prime Minister Honest. Our main objective will be the eradication of the terrorist group known as Night Raid."
Stylish coughed.
"That being said, our superiors have agreed that any members captured, alive or dead, will be given to Doctor Stylish," River said, his right eyebrow twitching.
"For the betterment of science… and the empire, of course," Stylish grinned.
Tatsumi did not know what the doctor had planned for any assassin that would come under his thumb, and he had no interest in speculating. All he knew was that it would probably involve great quantities of emotional and physical anguish. Looking at Seryu, he couldn't understand how she could look at that bespectacled freak show with such devotion. It was like she just desperately needed someone to idolize to keep herself together, and this completely blinded her to the ugliness that seemed so obvious to him.
"Uh, sir?" sailor-boy said unsurely, raising his hand to get River's attention. "Shouldn't these terrorists, if we were to catch any of them alive, be put on trial?"
Tatsumi elbowed him in the ribs as subtly as he could, but it was too late.
"Really?" River inquired, and instantly, everyone's eyes were resting on the dark-haired mariner.
"Well," the dark-haired youth began while shooting Tatsumi a look of annoyance and bewilderment, "even if we're going to have special privileges, we should still strive to uphold the laws of the realm, yes?" He looked around the table for support, but nobody said a word. "Besides, a trial would show the people how despicable the agents of the rebellion really are… wouldn't it?"
"Wave…" River began, and Tatsumi felt sailor-boy tense up. "You are a soldier. Your job is to follow orders, not question them. These assassins are some of the most murderous scum you'll ever come across. They cannot and will not be treated like common criminals. Understood?"
"Yes," the young man muttered, lowering his head.
"I have a question," Bols said, raising his hand.
"Yes?" River said.
"As you just said, these individuals are extremely dangerous, so it wouldn't be wrong to assume some of us could get killed?"
"True," River acknowledged. "As a matter of fact, we've already lost two experienced teigu-users to these people, but backing out now is not an option, if that's what you're getting at."
"No, no," Bols denied, waving his large hands back and forth in front of him. "But if any of us were to die, what about the people who depend on us? I have a family to take care of."
Tatsumi nearly choked on the tea he was drinking. This guy is MARRIED?
"Rest assured, if something were to happen to you, your family will be taken care of," River said. "That goes for the rest of you as well."
"I have a question as well," not-Akame said, somehow managing to talk perfectly normal with her mouth full of candy. "This terrorist group… the Red-eyed Killer wouldn't happen to be one of them, would she?"
"She was," River said. "However, if you have a score to settle, you're too late. She was killed during the clash on the Ryuusen."
Tatsumi and sailor-boy cringed in unison as the petite girl crushed her cup with a single hand, warm tea splattering everywhere. Droplets of blood ran down her palm in places where the glass dug into her flesh, but she didn't seem to notice. For a brief moment, the veil before her eyes disappeared, allowing Tatsumi to gaze into the raging fire behind them. It took only a moment for her to compose herself, but it was still enough to give Tatsumi chills he had thought only Esdeath could bring about.
"Ah…" the girl said, staring blankly down at the golden liquid spreading across the table. "I've ruined my tea." Bowing forward, she began gathering broken pieces of porcelain.
Watching her vigilantly, River knocked on the table to reclaim the room's attention. "Any further questions?"
If there were, they never got the chance to be asked, for it was in that particular moment Esdeath chose to make her entrance. She did not make a sound as she opened the door, but with her storm cloud of an aura, she could not have attracted the room's attention more efficiently if she'd kicked the door open and marched in butt-naked.
No one said a word as she walked up to the edge of the table, before placing her hands on it and taking a moment to study the newcomers one by one. Tatsumi felt Wave shift uncomfortably when his turn came, and it made him think of how intimidated he'd been the first time he saw her. Feigning a cough, he hid his scowl behind his hands.
"Welcome," Esdeath said, placing her hands behind her back. "I am General Esdeath, and from this day forth, the captain of the special police force known as the Jaegers."
"What a stylish name," Dr. Stylish grinned approvingly. "As expected of our commander, the very epitome of style itself."
River sent the stylish man a look that seemed to say something like: "I want to strangle you with your own entrails right now," but Esdeath did not seem to mind him speaking up.
"I thought so. Anyway, I expect River has already briefed you, so all that remains is a change of wardrobe before our audience with the emperor."
"Emperor!?" sailor-boy yelled.
"Wardrobe!?" Dr. Stylish exclaimed, before speeding around the table and throwing himself before Esdeath's feet. "Captain, please allow me to stand for the dressing of this team. With my teigu, it would only take a moment!"
"How gallant of you," Esdeath smiled, clearly amused by the display. "But I'm afraid your brand is a bit too… flashy for the gathering we'll be attending. I will be providing the outfits today, but I'm inclined to allow you to design clothes for me personally in the future."
Looking like it was all he could do not to start drooling, the doctor returned to his seat.
"Well then, my new subordinates," Esdeath said, catching Tatsumi's gaze with her own. "Are you ready to show what you're made of?"
XXXXX
Tatsumi did not like the fact that he was back in black. It helped a little that it was just a plain suit and not that accursed uniform that served as a constant reminder of all his regrets, but still. The rest of the Jaegers were wearing identical clothing, even the girls. Esdeath and Seryu both looked stunning as always, but Tatsumi thought not-Akame was ill suited for this type of clothing. She'd been a little too pale for his taste from the moment he first saw her, and now that she no longer had the crimson of her usual outfit to give her some color, she looked almost sickly.
"This way," Esdeath said, leading them down another staircase, to Tatsumi's surprise. He'd been expecting them to go right to the throne room, but ever since leaving Esdeath's quarters they'd been descending further and further. Soon, they would be beneath the dungeons, deep inside the palace's stone bowels.
"Where the hell do you think we're going?" Tatsumi whispered to Run, who was walking right beside him.
"I have no idea," he answered. "Though I suspect it has something to do with us 'showing what we're made of.' More importantly, you noticed Kurome's reaction to her sister's death, right?"
"Kurome?" Tatsumi asked, and the pieces fell into place in his head. "You don't mean…?"
"Yes," Run said, nodding at not-Akame. "That is her younger sister."
"How do you know this?"
"I've spent these last few days trying to dig up as much information as I could about both Night Raid and our new co-workers. I made acquaintance with some ladies in the department of security and intelligence who were more than willing to talk after I… eh… were quite polite to them. Anyway, it turns out Akame and her sister were both trained as assassins from an early age by the empire as part of a plan to combat the rebellion's spy network. A few years ago, Akame defected to the revolutionary army, so I imagine the two did not separate on particularly good terms."
He made a short pause, making sure that Bols and Wave, who were walking behind them, were out of hearing range.
"Even so, I think it would be prudent of you to do your best to ensure Kurome never finds out you were the one who took her sister's life."
Thinking back to the girl's brief slip-up in the conference room and the black rage it had revealed, Tatsumi could only agree with that.
Finally, after what had seemed like hours of trotting through the dark, Esdeath had them halt in front of a large, plain gate made purely of metal, like a miniature version of the one granting access through the palace walls.
"Here we are," Esdeath said while River disappeared through a small, creaky door, standing out like a mole from the stone wall. "Wait here until the gate opens, and then walk straight forward. Your first task will be to make a show of your competency to me and the rest of your superiors, so I hope you've all made sure to give your teigu proper maintenance."
Bols raised his hand. Unlike the rest of them, he looked somewhat silly in his suit, due to the hugeness of his teigu.
"Yes?" Esdeath said.
"Are we really going to fight inside the palace?" the big man asked nervously. "Won't the usage of teigu so close to His Majesty upset the imperial guard?"
"Oh don't worry about that," Esdeath chuckled. "Just go with the flow, and remember…"
Her eyes moved to Tatsumi, and he thought they narrowed, just a little.
"…I'll be watching you."
Closing the rusty old door as she followed River's footsteps, she left them in the dark.
"What do you think she meant, doctor?" Seryu asked, looking questioningly at Stylish. "Surely there are no evils for us to exterminate within the palace walls?"
"Fufu, who knows?" the older man said knowingly, and Tatsumi immediately felt a wave of antipathy directed toward him. "Personally, I do enjoy a good surprise. Besides, even if all the evil in the world were waiting for us behind this gate, you'd still protect me, wouldn't you?"
"Of course!" Seryu grinned, showing every last one of her perfectly shaped teeth. "Besides, we're part of a team now." Reaching over with her metallic arm, she made Tatsumi suppress a shiver as he felt the cold of her hand on his shoulder. "And we have Tatsumi with us. He's defeated one of the greatest evils that has ever plagued the empire…"
Realizing where she was going with this a split-second too late, Tatsumi could do nothing to stop her from finishing the sentence.
"…the red-eyed demon, Akame of Night Raid!"
To Tatsumi, it felt like the temperature had just dropped from uncomfortably chilly to mercilessly freezing, and it had nothing to do with Seryu's hand. Swallowing, he slowly turned his head to look at Kurome.
The girl's eyes were utterly empty, her gaze unwavering as she stared at him. Her hand did not twitch toward the hilt of her sword as he'd expected – in fact, she did not move a single muscle. If not for the murderous, ink-like aura washing over him like poisonous gas, he might've thought he was in the clear.
So much for keeping secrets, I guess…
Turning away, he concentrated on the reassuring warmth of Hermes as to not get overwhelmed by the girl's killing intent. Well fuck, it wasn't like he had a bunch of other shit weighing on his mind at the moment, y'know?
"It's time," Run said as the metallic gate began to rise, frowning. "Watch your back out there," he whispered into Tatsumi's ear as the group began to advance.
At first, Tatsumi couldn't see anything because of the blinding light beating at his eyes, but after a few more steps, it all became clear. They had just walked into a grand, underground coliseum. Tribunes and walls separating them from the arena itself had been carved out of grey rock. Glowing crystals webbed the sphere-shaped roof of the cavern, supplying light. The grandstand was far from full, but at least several hundred people had gathered to watch them. The emperor was there as well, sitting on a smaller version of the throne in the palace above. Prime Minister Honest was standing to his right, swinging back and forth on his heels with jerky, impatient movements. Tatsumi imagined it was uncomfortable for such a fat old man to stand still for much longer than a minute at a time. To the emperor's left was another man, one that was Honest's opposite in almost every way.
"Who is that?" Tatsumi muttered to Run, taking advantage of the fact that most of their companions were dazzled by the sheer numbers of eyes on them, with the exception of Kurome. Her gaze was still sticking him in the back like an enraged wasp.
"Great General Budo," Run muttered back. "The highest ranking official within the Imperial Army, commander of the Imperial Guard, and a warrior matched only by Esdeath herself. If my "sources" can be trusted, he's not overly fond of the Prime Minister."
Indeed, the man looked almost exactly like how Tatsumi might've imagined a general should before meeting Esdeath. Not only did he make even Bols look like a shrimp in comparison – the armor he was wearing had to weigh a ton. His shoulder guards alone were each nearly as big as him. Right now, his tanned, weather-beaten face showed little emotion, his eyes studying their little group with cold indifference.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Honest roared, taking a step forward. "For months you've been forced to live in fear, all because of those monsters plaguing our proud city during the night! NO LONGER! In his infinite wisdom, our beloved emperor has decided to take the fight to them, and the honorable warriors that will do so are now finally standing before you!"
Tatsumi frowned as the crowd erupted in cheers. What, is this a fucking exhibition?
"However!" Honest continued, "I wouldn't expect you all to just take my word for this! Instead, let me show you!" He threw his arms to the side, all discomfort forgotten. "OPEN THE CAGES! Give these men and women a chance to show off their excellence!"
As the fat man finished that last sentence, Tatsumi finally spotted Esdeath. She was leaning against a column in the back, her lips stretched wide in anticipation. Taking his eyes off her, Tatsumi focused on the several gates currently opening all around them.
"Why do I get the feeling we're gonna be fighting for our lives soon?" Wave said grimly.
As if it had both heard and understood, a gigantic, three-eyed cat sprung out from the shadows, two goat-like horns sprouting from its skull. It was followed by a dozen more, and within seconds, they were surrounded by growling, prowling beasts.
"Might I suggest we form a battle plan before chaos overtakes us?" Run said, white wings sprouting from his back. Up on the grandstand, the ladies present cheered extra hard.
"Excellent idea," Stylish said as he subtly positioned himself at the center of the group. "Though I'm afraid that without my minions present, all I have to offer is medical support."
"For the sake of proving my worth as a champion of justice, I will not spare even mindless beasts like this!" Seryu grinned. "Koro!"
The mutt answered her call by mutating into its second form. She stretched out her metallic arm, and jerked away as Koro's jaws came smashing down on it. However, when it pulled back, the limb had simply been replaced by a whip sporting several jagged metal teeth all the way to the end.
"Oh!" Stylish moaned, embracing himself. "Excellent choice, my dear!"
"Koro, rest!" Seryu ordered, and the biological teigu reverted to its dormant form. "I will do this myself!"
"Here they come!" Bols yelled, pointing the nozzle of his teigu at the largest of the beasts, which had sunken into a crouch. "Everyone, get ready!"
To Tatsumi's right, Run bent down, no doubt in preparation to throw himself into the air. To his left, Wave muttered something to himself, and a moment later he was enveloped in black armor much bulkier than Hermes. Behind him again, Kurome drew her sword.
Tatsumi summoned Hermes, and then the beasts attacked all at once.
Fire brightened the imperial chamber as Bols moved his teigu in a sweeping motion, the inferno he'd created forming a wall between them and the danger beasts. Meanwhile, Run took off into the air while Tatsumi, Wave and Kurome all shot forward, Seryu staying behind to cover Stylish. Targeting the center eye of the closest of the monsters, Tatsumi kicked into high gear. Before the danger beast could even blink, one of his wrist blades had pierced its skull.
"AAAAAHHHH!" Wave roared, ramming his fist into the side of another, the beast screaming out in agony as its bones were broken like twigs. Kurome went for a more practical approach. Her blade flashed once, and the head of the danger beast that had targeted her was rolling in the dirt. Though her sword had been dyed crimson, not a drop of blood could be spotted on her suit as she rose from the squat she'd dropped into.
Oh, fuck me, Tatsumi thought as her eyes settled on him again.
"Tatsumi, this is no time to hang around!" Run called from above while pelting the remaining danger beasts with feather projectiles.
"Yeah, yeah," Tatsumi grunted, stepping to the side just in time to evade a paw aiming for his head. The beast roared in frustration, but that did not help it much when he plunged his blades into its muscular neck.
"What did I tell you?" Honest yelled as the last remaining danger beast took one of Run's feathers to the head. The crowd began to clap wildly, and Tatsumi found himself hoping that was it.
"Now, ARE YOU READY FOR THE MAIN EVENT?"
All the gates around them flew open, revealing all kinds of monsters, some big, some huge and some that looked nothing like anything Tatsumi had ever seen before. What came after was a haze of blood, roaring and fire. When he thought back on it later, all Tatsumi could recall distinctly was a few moments, such as Wave almost getting crushed after several great earthworms ganged up on him. He helped the sailor out by cutting off the heads of half of them, and Wave spared a moment to send him a nod of appreciation after freeing himself.
Wave was not the only one to receive a beating. At one point, he was careless himself and ended up getting beaten to the ground from behind. Turning his head, he saw an ape-like beast tower over him, its irises glowing red, and once again his limbs failed him. Why, why was this still happening?
The ape-man lifted its hairy arms to crush him, but did not notice the shadow creeping up on it from behind until it was far too late. Kurome's katana sank into its back to its hilt, and the ape-man's eyes rolled back in their sockets. The brown fur covering its body turned black as coal, and then the whole animal imploded, drawn into the sword like a specter trapped by a talisman until not one strand of hair remained.
Tatsumi opened his mouth to thank her, but then he realized that her katana was pointing straight at his heart. The dark-haired girl kept it like that for a moment, neither of them heeding the battle that still raged all around them. Finally, a giant snake launched itself at Kurome, forcing her to move.
After what seemed like a small eternity, the dust settled and silence claimed the arena again. Looking around, Tatsumi could barely catch a glimpse of the ground here and there between all the corpses. Amazingly, it looked like all seven members of their group had survived.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" Honest roared as Esdeath made her way through the howling spectators, showing off her white teeth with a wide grin. "I GIVE YOU…THE JAEGERS!"
They gathered in a line as the crowd went nuts and Esdeath dropped herself into the arena, using the remains of a giant wolf to break her fall.
"My apologies," she said loudly as she went to stand in front of them. "The Prime Minister felt that a show of force was necessary to calm the aristocracy and His Majesty. I would not have agreed to it if I was't confident you'd all survive."
A warning wouldn't have hurt, Tatsumi thought as he released Hermes.
"No need for explanations, I'm sure we all understand," Stylish chuckled as he studied Seryu's shoulder, where her jacket had been torn. "But it looks like my dear Seryu has suffered a wound in her valiant effort to protect me. May I take her to back to my lab and fix her up?"
"By all means," Esdeath nodded. "Consider yourself excused. The rest of you, follow me. The real party starts now."
XXXXX
By the time they entered the great hall where the "real party" would take place, it appeared Tatsumi and the rest had become celebrities. All the onlookers from below and then some were already present as they walked through the double doors, desperate to shake their hands or at least get a closer look. If not for Esdeath's intimidating presence, they would probably have been trampled.
"Enjoy yourselves while you can," Esdeath advised as the ardor began to settle at last. "From tomorrow onwards, we'll be working overtime to get Night Raid."
Looking around, Tatsumi figured he had two choices: mingle with the rich fucks who'd just been enjoying themselves watching him fight for his life (hell no), or stick close to Esdeath (ugh). After a brief consideration, he decided the latter was preferable.
Barely.
"Oh?" Esdeath smiled as he went to stand beside her. "Not interested in making friends?"
"Please," he said.
"Works for me," she chuckled, handing him a glass of golden liquid. "But it appears you'll be making at least one new acquaintance before this night is up." She nodded at something behind his back.
He turned around.
"Congratulations," Honest said, offering a big hand. He was flanked by the two giants from that evening before the battle on the Ryuusen, the ones with the halberds. Tatsumi accepted it reluctantly.
"Prime Minister."
"Nice, firm handshake – I like it," the fat man grinned, before throwing a heavy arm around Tatsumi's shoulders. "Esdeath, I don't suppose you'd allow me to borrow this bright young man for a moment?"
"What for?" Esdeath inquired amiably, but Tatsumi sensed suspicion in her voice.
"Oh, just a little chitchat," Honest said while Tatsumi did his best to convey his pleas for her not to leave him alone with this man through his eyes. "As of today, Tatsumi is officially indirectly my employee, and you know how much I enjoy getting to know the people on my payroll."
For a moment, Esdeath looked skeptical, filling Tatsumi with hope, but then she shrugged, prompting his heart to fall in his chest.
"Why not – I need to get to know my newest subordinates anyway. Just make sure not to teach him any of your disgusting habits."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Honest said as he turned Tatsumi around and steered him towards the closest balcony. Once they got out into the cold air of late winter, the two bodyguards crossed their halberds, preventing anyone from following them.
"Young man," Honest said as the palace gardens stretched out before them, "I must thank you for your excellent performance back in the arena. It was exactly what the leaders of this proud country of ours needed to regain hope in such troubled times."
"My pleasure," Tatsumi lied, trying to think of a way to get away from the Prime Minister's perfumed armpit without offending the man.
"I must admit, when I first saw you back in the throne room I was skeptical, but you've proven yourself to be an invaluable asset. Securing Spectator and killing Akame… as usual Esdeath's instincts were spot on, and speaking of Esdeath…"
The old man's eyes seemed warm at first glance, but Tatsumi was sure something wretched was lurking right beneath the surface.
"…compared to the rest of the subordinates, you share a special relationship with her, do you not?"
Well, that's certainly true. "You could say that."
"Ah, to tell the truth, I don't know whether to pity or envy you," Honest chuckled. "But that's not the point. She and I, we've been working together since before I was the emperor's right hand. You could say she's like a daughter to me."
Bullshit.
"But sometimes I worry," Honest sighed. "I worry she'll grow bored with this city and leave to seek out more grand adventures. Unlike the rest of the generals, she has no roots here, you know?"
Tatsumi thought he could see where this was going now, but said nothing.
"I would never have guessed there existed a man that could be something more than a pet in Esdeath's eyes," Honest continued. Moving his hands to Tatsumi's shoulders, he held the boy at arm's length, as an uncle might do with his favorite nephew. As he spoke again, the stink of the old man's breath made him want to puke.
"If she and you were to become a couple, a real couple, I could not overstate the service you would have done to the empire. As a military man, isn't that your greatest wish?"
Breathing through his mouth, Tatsumi said: "Forgive me for asking, but are you aware of my… circumstances?"
"Circumstances?"
Tatsumi did his best to read the old man's face, but was unable to tell if the bewilderment on his face was real or not. Does he really not know about the village?
"Nevermind," Tatsumi said, averting his gaze. "I'll… do my best."
"Excellent," the old man exclaimed, slapping Tatumi on his back. "I can already tell you have a bright future ahead of you. Be sure to drop by my office later and tell me of your progress later. Now, get in there and have some fun!"
"Sure," Tatsumi said. He had no intention of wooing Esdeath, but hopefully this would keep the old man off his back for a while. Still, how much longer could he keep this going? After him failing to call a bluff during his last confrontation with Esdeath, he was no longer balancing on a knife's edge exactly, but that did not mean their relationship had reached an equilibrium. Sooner or later, her patience would run out, and she would most likely just take what she wanted from him, and he would be in no position to refuse. The thought of that alone made his skin crawl.
Upon reentering the party, he was immediately mobbed by a horde of guests and forced into a corner. After having shaken what felt like a million hands and answered ten million insipid questions, he finally managed to slip away as music began to play. Spotting Run and Wave over by the buffet table, he made his way over to them.
"…and then the pirates brought their ship up beside us, thinking we were just a merchant vessel," Wave said, his face flushed and the crystal glass in his hand empty. "Then we pulled the tarpaulin off of our cannons and blasted the bastards to hell!" The sailor giggled, swaying a little. "I got the Grand Chariot as a reward, since it was my idea."
"Sharing history?" Tatsumi inquired as he halted behind the sailor.
"Hey!" Wave exclaimed as he turned around. "I was just about to go looking for you. Tatsumi, right? Thanks for that save back there!"
"Don't mention it," Tatsumi said, picking up a stick full of assorted seafood.
"Wave was just gracious enough to tell me of the events that led up to him acquiring his teigu," Run explained. "As it turned out, he is quite the adventurer."
"Nah," Wave said, despite obviously enjoying the compliment. "How about you, Tatsumi? You're even younger than me – so how'd you get your teigu?"
"Not really a very good story. Esdeath scouted me and then some stuff happened."
He was pretty sure Esdeath would not appreciate him going around and babbling about that whole hostage business to everyone, so he'd decided not to confide to anyone else for now.
"Wow, you guys really suck at telling stories," Wave said dryly, while motioning at Run with his glass. "This guy summed up his with some bullshit like: 'I got it from a friend.' Well, whatever. You guys have already fought these Night Raid guys, haven't you?"
"Not so much 'fought' as defeated instantly in my case, but yes, we've encountered them," Run grimaced. "The former general did not overstate their talents back then."
"Blowing up such a beautiful vessel…" Wave muttered, his eyes narrowing. "Not to mention all the people that drowned. Those guys need to go down."
Tatsumi and Run exchanged quick looks, but neither of them spoke up.
The three of them kept talking for a while, until a bunch of women eager to go for a swing suddenly ambushed them. Run and Wave were willing enough, but Tatsumi, having never once danced in his life, anchored himself to the floor and pretended he'd gone deaf. After a while, the ones targeting him ran out of patience and left to search for more willing candidates.
Except one.
"Let me guess, two left feet?" the middle-aged woman inquired as she helped herself to a glass of champagne.
"Yup," he said, looking at her from the corner of his eye. Unlike the rest of the well-dressed ladies in the room, her attire was of a much more masculine sort. The dress looked almost like a coat, and her graying hair had been gathered into a tight, neat bun.
"I watched the display down below. You're quite a skilled fighter." She offered him a glass of his own, which he politely refused. Ever since that night of nightmares, he hadn't touched so much as a drop of alcohol.
"It's my job."
"I don't envy you," the woman said, sipping her champagne. "Going after Night Raid… but you're already aware of the danger, aren't you? After what happened on the ship."
He looked at her directly. "You were there?"
She nodded. "Yes I was. Probably would have drowned like so many of the others, if a kind soul hadn't helped me get to the lifeboat in time... although it would've been preferable if they hadn't stuffed me in a closet first." She gestured at the dancing floor. "Look at them. Nearly all of them lost a family member or an acquaintance to the river that night, yet here we celebrate, like this country wasn't slowly falling apart. If they could just pull their heads out of their behinds for a few seconds, so much could be accomplished."
"I'm sorry," Tatsumi said, bowing.
"What for?" she asked, a thin eyebrow forming an inverted U above a hazel eye.
"I was part of the force sent to prove security that night. It's my fault you nearly drowned."
She looked amused. "Did you start that fire?"
"No, but-"
"Then I have no need of your apology," she interrupted. "What's your name, Mr. Jaeger?"
"Tatsumi," he said.
"Tatsumi," she repeated. The way she said it made it sound like it was of great importance or something. She lifted her glass. "Good look, Mr. Jaeger."
And just like that, she left.
Weird, he thought as he watched her disappear between the spinning couples on the dancefloor. He had no time to reflect on the strange interaction though, as a familiar and imposing presence was suddenly behind him.
"Having fun yet?" Esdeath asked, sliding her arm through his.
"The food's good," he said.
"Mhm," she said, moving her lips to his ear, so close that she could've reached inside it with her tongue. "What did the Prime Minister want?"
Tatsumi opened his mouth to tell her the truth, but then the devil on his shoulder got the better of him.
"He wanted me to spy on you," he lied.
An almost inaudible hiss escaped her mouth. He took that as a sign that she believed him.
"I see," she said. "Is that why you were looking so troubled?"
He briefly considered telling her about Kurome, but decided against it. "Yeah."
"Don't worry about it," she said, stroking his back in a way that was undoubtedly meant to feel reassuring, but only succeeded in sending a chill down his spine. "I'll confront him about it later."
If she did that, he'd be fucked.
"I have a better idea," he said quickly, his heart racing.
"Oh?"
"I could just pretend to play along, and then tell him whatever you wanted me to say. Y'know, turn his scheme around on him."
She studied him for a moment, and his blood froze as he became convinced she's seen through him.
Then she grinned.
"Tatsumi the plotter," she giggled. "This ought to be fun."
Internally, he exhaled in relief. If Honest had been serious about wanting him to come to his office later, at least he'd now have reasons to present to her.
"So what do you think of your new teammates?" she inquired. "You were quite the team in the arena."
He shrugged. "Haven't really had the chance to get to know them yet. However, I can't deny that they're strong."
"And still, it is only the beginning," Esdeath said. "Once we've beaten Night Raid into the dust and conquered their teigu, we'll have a fighting force unlike anything since the armies of the first emperor. It will be glorious."
Ah, that's it, isn't it? "River told me once that their leader used to be a friend of yours."
"Najenda," Esdeath drawled. "I took her eye and her arm, and yet now she's still fighting. If not for her soft heart, she would probably stand by my side right now as one of the Empire's most accomplished generals. I will take great pleasure in 'entertaining' her once we've smoked her and her minions out of whatever hole they're hiding in."
"I'm sure you will," he said softly.
"Oh, don't be like that," she purred, turning his chin around with her index. "When she and the rest of the rebels have been hung and quartered, peace will return to this land. Isn't that what you want?"
"Peace, huh? Won't that bore you?"
"Certainly," she chuckled. "But I imagine I'll have acquired some new distractions by then." She slid an arm around his back, pulling him even closer. "Or what do you think, Tatsumi?"
"Liar," he said. "Fighting is your drug."
"One of two," she said, kissing him.
Rather than clench his lips together, he opened up and allowed her access. Her tongue felt like an icicle against his lips, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as the last time now that he'd gotten more used to it. Near the end, it was almost even a bit enjoyable.
"Now that's better," Esdeath said as they separated. "We have to do more of this from now on."
Tatsumi did not answer. Looking past her, he saw Honest studying them from the other side of the room. When their gazes met, the old man grinned and gave him the thumbs up.
Since the night after the battle of the Ryuusen, Run had talked to him often about his plan to institute change from the inside. All the two of them needed to do, he figured, was climb so high that they could begin carving out the evils of this country without fear of repercussion. Even now, Tatsumi was not convinced. No matter how far up they got in the hierarchy, Honest and Esdeath would remain one step above unless challenged, and he simply could not see how the two of them could accomplish it on their own. If that route were to have even a smudge of a chance of succeeding, they'd need more allies.
And he would have to get a hell of a lot stronger.
XXXXX
Kurome watched as her sister's killer continued to be spoiled by their commander. The truth must not have taken root in her yet, or else she would've already fled this stupid gathering and looked for someone to take out her despair on.
Make no mistake; she was not at all convinced that a weakling like that could possibly have defeated her sister. More than likely, he was lying in order to impress the captain, and her sibling was still very much alive, still on this earth for her to reclaim.
However…
If, by some freakish chance, her sister had slipped and this person had scored a lucky hit, then there was only one thing for her to do. To kill a person was to own them forever, and if he now possessed her sister, then the only way she could take her back would be to...
Dragging a finger across the hilt of Yatsufusa, she stretched her lips to form a smile so sinister even Esdeath herself would have been impressed.
XXXXX
AN: That's it for now. The next one will probably be more or less exclusively about Night Raid.