"Can you fight?" Esdeath asked.
"Would you like to find out?" Rai countered calmly.
Esdeath raised an eyebrow in amusement, "I plan on taking this group out on... an initiation later, you will attend that. If you survive and prove yourself useful, then congratulations. If you die or I find you unhelpful, you'll be killed."
Rai internally sighed but nodded in acceptance.
"Now, my new subordinates, your task is ultimately to eliminate and root out a thorn in His Majesty's side, Night Raid." Esdeath began, before passing out files on each known member of Night Raid, "Most recently, the name of Mine has shown up." Esdeath nodded over to Seryu, "In fact, she was identified by our resident Imperial Guard."
Seryu beamed with pride, but frowned quietly, "I wasn't able to kill Mine nor Sheele. I let them go."
Esdeath glare turned frosty, "And, why would you do that?"
"Night Raid are murderers and they deserve to die," Seryu replied, surprisingly not rising up in enthusiasm, "But, as a Guard, I was there to protect people and preserve the peace. I ambushed Night Raid in a park, but in my attempts to kill them I caused millions of dollars in damage to the park. A citizen told me that it was unfair to accuse them of murder when I was destroying one of the Empire's more expensive plots of land and endangering the life of an innocent."
Wave nodded in agreement, "As soldiers, we should be held accountable to our actions."
Esdeath slammed her hand on the table, "From now on, that is no longer your concern! Any property damage, any innocent lives you claim to be in danger are irrelevant. Our objective is to eliminate Night Raid, at any cost. The esteemed Prime Minister has seen to it that we will not feel repercussions of our actions if it is the name of capturing Night Raid. If you feel that you are unable to complete such a task," Esdeath pushed her white cap up with her hand, "I will not hesitate to kill you."
Wave and Seryu exchanged nervous glances before they nodded in agreement, "Yes ma'am."
Kurome munched on her cookies while occasionally shooting pleased looks at Rai who was watching the scene unfold in horror.
"Now!" Esdeath proclaimed, "We have a bit of a tournament to set up. Wave, you will be the announcer. Seryu and Bols will patrol. Doctor, I believe the lab is free to be used."
The Great General of Ice led them out of the room and into a different room with suits all perfectly tailored to fit the new comrades, "Change quickly, we have a meeting to attend."
Kurome shrugged and started to untie her tie-like cloth from around her neck. Wave immediately blushed and covered his eyes and turned around. Bols, being married calmly turned around and started to put on his own dress shirt. Run, for his part frowned but as a teacher, he had seen it all. Also being a gentleman, he turned away and struck up a conversation with Rai who had also turned around to the corner.
Seryu was shocked at such immodesty but quickly got over her shock and began to change. Dr. Stylish also turned around, but being gay, he was not affected by the presence of women changing. Esdeath returned quickly and finally revealed where they were going, to meet the Emperor.
-o-
"Are you happy now that you're here, Rai?" Kurome asked as she shut the door to the room she had been given. Rai had been given one a few doors down, but had opted to follow Kurome to hers for the time being.
Rai pursed his lips and shook his head, "How can you serve someone like that?"
Kurome walked over to the nightstand and placed her bag of cookies there before walking over to get herself a drink, "Because orders are orders, Rai."
"You have a choice."
"Not really," Kurome whispered, "Everything's been decided for me my entire life. Someone else decided that I was to kill my mother being born, someone else decided that I was no use to our society and sold me, someone else separated me from Akame for several years, Akame decided to separate us again when she betrayed the Empire. Akiko decided to come waltz back into my life after almost ten years."
"It was your choice not to leave the Empire when Akame did, it was your choice not to fight Shinrin on being sold, it was your choice to allow Shinrin to blind Akiko, it was your choice to join this task force." Rai countered, beginning to show signs of anger, "Everyone has the choice. Letting others decide for you is still a choice in itself."
The wielder of Yatsufusa was quiet for several moments before she smiled bitterly, "Then I will live with my inaction."
"And it will be your doom," Rai replied swiftly before moving to leave.
"There's one thing I did not chose, Rai," Kurome said softly, halting him.
-o-
Akiko walked along the outsides of the base before heading to the training grounds, unsurprised to find Akame there.
"Hey," Akiko whispered quietly, "As you were."
"Akiko," Akame muttered in response, unable to make eye contact, "I... I won't apologize for my actions. I was, we, were sure you dead."
"I thought you were dead too," Akiko replied as she climbed the tree and settled in one of the lower branches, "But as soon as I was able to, I came to find out for myself."
"And you brought Kenta."
"I couldn't just leave him there," Akiko actually grinned, "He's the brother I never had."
The red-eyed assassin winced, "At least you had someone looking out for you. Will you ever forgive me?"
Silence.
"Eventually. I'm.. willing to be friends with you. At least try to be friends at least."
"I will take that," Akame responded, a gleam of hope coming into her eyes.
"But!" Akiko turned her head to stare down at Akame who sat beneath the tree, her back against the solid trunk, "What are your thoughts on the color blue?"
"Blue?" Akame asked curiously.
"Favorite color and all, first step to friendship." Akiko replied happily as she used her Teigu's powers to pull a bowl of fruit from inside Night Raid's modest kitchen.
"Blue is a nice color," Akame finally said before she smiled softly, "However, I must regrettably inform you that green is a much better color."
"And there goes our chances of ever forming a relationship of any kind," Akiko moaned in despair, alarming Akame but then noticed Akiko's smile, "At least you didn't say orange."
"I see you two are becoming friends," Kenta said as he walked into the training grounds, much to the surprise of the sisters.
"Weren't you supposed to go to the city?" Akame asked.
"Yeah, and get me a new book! Kenta!" Akiko complained.
"Oh hush, I did get you a new book," Kenta tossed up a relatively thick book that seemed to have something to do dragons, "But I decided against the tournament. I realized that in the end, I might beat Tatsumi and he needs money for his village. I don't. Besides," Kenta grinned, "I need to argue with you both on the brilliance of red."
"Red," Akiko called down as she tossed the book at Kenta's head, "Is a poor color choice when compared to beautiful blue."
Kenta caught the book before it could hit his head and frowned before moving to sit underneath the tree. He too leaned against the trunk, though he was sitting on the left side of the trunk in relation to Akame, "At least agree that my color choice is far superior to Akame's."
"I'm sorry, cousin," Akiko said remorsefully, "I can't do that. Green is much better than red."
"You both disgust me," Kenta declared before catching an apple that Akiko dropped down.
Just a bit of family bonding. I decided to make it so Kenta did not go to the Empire.
Also a few notes -
- I added about a thousand more words to Chapter 11.
- I will most likely come back to this chapter and expand it.
- I need help on deciding pairings for Akiko, Kenta, Akame. Kurome, Rai etc. Currently, since Kenta has a girlfriend back home, he will most likely never have any romantic relations with either party.
Other than that, general thoughts? Hundred Ways to Fall in Love will be out tomorrow.
