Back in a new chapter! Hope you all enjoy this one!
Guest: Taiyōki knows nothing but eat emotions, reject its host, go out on a rampage until it loses power, wait for another host, then rinse and repeat. That's why it leaves its host.
Note: Vote in the poll, dudes.
"Normal Talking"
"Thoughts"
(Time and Place Indicators)
Teigu
Disclaimer: I don't own Akame ga kill or any of its characters… I also don't own the song here…
(The Next Morning; Capital's Main Street)
"Commander, is there a problem?" Run asked, watching Esdeath scan through a crowd of people.
"I just can't help it… whenever I see a crowd, I always look for Tatsumi." the woman replied, releasing a light sigh as she rested her hands on her hips.
"Commander, if I may suggest…" he said, noticing the look of sadness on Esdeath's face. "I've uncovered several men in the army who resemble Tatsumi. If you wish for it, I can call them and be here in a snap."
"There's no need to do that, Run." She shook her head in disapproval, crossing her arms. "There is only one Tatsumi in this world, and I won't tolerate any other man."
"My apologies." Run said, bowing his head slightly before he drifted off to his thoughts. "Strange… when this sadistic woman worked together with the minister… I thought that whatever skills she might possess must be lowlife… but, she's more interesting than I thought. I'll have to put my original goal on hold for now and see how this plays out, then…"
"Where are you, Tatsumi? Are you going to disappear for years like what you did as Razior? Or will you face me like what you did in the tournament?" she thought to herself, looking down on the ground.
(Same Time; Mines near the Capital)
"GAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" A group of miners screamed, running away from a group of large, hideous monsters from behind them.
"I've never seen a danger beast like that! Run for your lives!" One of the miners screamed in fear, sprinting past the others. But their efforts were all for nothing as the danger beasts easily caught up with them. The miners yelled in panic, hoping and praying somebody would save them but were cut off when the monsters grabbed ahold of them. Before they could even struggle and fight back, the human-looking danger beasts bit their heads clean off.
"It looks like I've gotten some very interesting toys…" A mysterious figure wearing a white hood thought, as he watched the danger beasts devour the miners. "It's been a long time since I've been to my playground, the Capital. I think I'll have some fun and enjoy myself…" he finished with an evil grin, turning away and leaving the mines.
-Start song (Fairy Tail OP 16 - Strike Back) -
Wooooaaahhh… wooaah… woooaaahh… woaaaoohh…
-Tatsumi is standing on top of a hilltop as the sun starts to rise before it cuts to his face, with him closing his eyes
(Strike Back!)
-Tatsumi snaps his eyes open and slashes across the screen, and the Akame ga Kill! logo shows during the instrumental
Kidō sura kae rarenai kurai no kakuritsuda to shite mo
-The Emperor and Honest are standing on the palace's balcony, watching at the war between the Revolutionary Army and the Empire
ippāsento demo areba mo chiron teikō desho?
-The members of Night Raid and the Jaegers start walking towards each other, with Najenda and Esdeath leading their respective groups
Shosen, 'unmei' to nagetsuke raretatte, No I Won't!
-In the Jaegers' Meeting Room, Marina gets introduced to the other Jaegers and she smiles before she found herself staring at Ren
Hikkurikaeshite, Because
-Chelsea looks back behind her with a horrified look on her face as blood covers the screen
datte kimi to mirai wo miretara saikō janai?
-An lifeless arm covered in blood falls to the ground in a puddle of blood and images of Akame, Leone, Mine, Seryu, Spear, Sayo, and Chelsea appear one-by-one before a black boot stomps on the puddle of blood
Bring it on! cuz I'm just gonna grow up in the battle HEY!
-A young Tatsumi and Esdeath are shown fighting each other in the tournament at the Northern Region
Buchi nuku donten! Still burning my fire
-Back in the battlefield, Run flies through the sky and kills several soldiers from above
ten wo kirisaku raimei
-Ren and Bols work together with their flames to burn down and weaken the attacking army
I gotta kakikesu
-Wave fights and quickly wins against several rebels with his Grand Chariot
Nightmare tada mirai ga mitakute!
-Kurome unsheathes Yatsufusa and cuts down all the soldiers in her way while Marina, in her combat outfit, sliced her way through everyone with her claws as she slashes the screen
Kako,
-Tatsumi shows up with a determined expression
mirai,
-Akame is seen with a very sad look on her face
soshite iki teru ima,
-Kurome cries into Wave's clothes as she hugged him
I ain't scared of my past and now for taku sa reta asu
-All of the members of Night Raid charge on into battle, pulling out their respective teigus
Screaming out for my pride!
-Esdeath flashes a sadistic grin
Namida mitakunai kara, sakebi tsuzukeru yo! Zutto…
-Tatsumi wipes the tears from his eyes as he flew down the hilltop and zoomed towards Esdeath despite the icicles that she sent to attack him
(I'm never falling down! Oi kaze wo se ni fukitobasu Destiny!)
-Tatsumi and Esdeath fight each other at a very fast pace that no one could catch up with their movements
Kono senaka ni aru,
-Akame faces off with Kurome on opposite sides of the battlefield with tears in her eyes
egao mamoritai kara!
-The rest of Night Raid assemble in the battlefield and prepare to fight back
Zutto… (I gotta blast off your pain for you and me!)
-Ren is sitting in his room, alone, as he flashed a dark look while imagining how would it be like when he has Akame to himself
(Kanashimi nante Rest in peace!)
-Marina hugs Ren from behind and he is shocked, cutting off his dark thoughts
Nando demo…
-Tatsumi charges towards Esdeath one last time as it cuts to the sky, a shooting star seen visible as it flew through the air
-End of song-
(The Next Morning; Night Raid's Temporary Base)
"Give me a break…" Leone grumbled, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she made her way towards Tatsumi's room. "Why the hell do I have to wake Tatsumi up at this ungodly hour? Doesn't he always wake up early everyday? Did something happen?" Suppressing a yawn about to escape from her mouth, Leone stopped just in front of Tatsumi's room. "I get that it's his turn to go out on patrol for today, but why didn't Akame wake him up? She's always up this early for training." Reaching out with her arm, Leone gently knocked on Tatsumi's door. "Oi Tatsumi, time to get your ass out of bed. You've got to be out on patrol in about twenty minutes." After several moments of receiving no reply from her lover, Leone groaned in irritation. "Damn it, he's gonna force me to drag him out of bed." Leone released a light sigh, before pinching the bridge of her nose. "Alright Tatsumi, I gave you a chance to get up on your own. So I don't wanna hear you complaining when I dump your lazy ass on the floor."
Opening the door to Tatsumi's room, Leone was immediately shocked by what she saw. Scattered across the room were various articles of clothing, but not all of them were Tatsumi's. Turning her gaze to the bed, Leone finally spotted Tatsumi, but she was more surprised when she saw the other person who was sleeping in his arms. A mischievous smirk spread across her face when she saw, a very naked Mine snoring softly as she cuddled up next to Tatsumi. The pink-haired sniper had a look of content on her face as she rested her head against Tatsumi's chest.
"Well… now this is very interesting… did those two have some fun here last night? Aww, now I'm a bit jealous that they didn't even invite me or Akame." Leone then made her way over to the window and threw the curtains open, letting in a bright stream of early morning light from the sun.
"Ugh… what's going on?" Tatsumi groaned in an irritated tone, raising his right arm to cover his eyes. "Who the hell opened the window here?" Turning his head towards the window, the young man's eyes instantly shot open when he saw Leone's smirking face only a few inches away from him. "L-Leone!? W-What the hell are you doing here?!"
"No, Tatsumi… the question should be, what's 'she' doing here?" Leone asked with an offended look, pointing at Mine as she sat on the edge of the bed. "And she's completely naked as well. Tatsumi, what did you with Mine last night?"
"Oi, what the hell is all this noise for?!" Mine exclaimed, sitting up on the bed with an annoyed look, not pleased that her sleep had been disturbed. "I'm trying to sleep, damn —" she stopped dead in her tracks the moment she spotted Leone near Tatsumi. The pink-haired sniper blinked for a few moments, before a fierce blush quickly took over her face. "KYAAA!" Pulling up the sheets to cover herself, Mine quickly hid behind Tatsumi out of embarrassment. "Why the hell are you here, Leone?!"
"Hmm, why are you here, Mine?" the blonde retorted, teasingly poking her comrade on the nose. "From the looks of things, you had a little late night rendezvous with Tatsumi, then the two of you played husband and wife a bit too far."
"Can you please not say it like that?" Tatsumi groaned, running his hand down his face.
"Nooooo…" Mine moaned out, hiding her face in her hands as she shook her head. "I never interrupted your time or Akame's time with Tatsumi… so why do you have to butt in and play the bad guy while I'm with him?"
"Well, it's a little late for that…" Leone smirked as she leaned closer to the flustered pinkette. "So, Mine… how was it? Did you enjoy your 'alone time' with Tatsumi? Was it better than your first?"
"Shut up…" Mine whined, pulling the sheets up over her head. Apparently, after Tatsumi put Chelsea in her place last night, Mine also wanted to spend some alone time with Tatsumi since Leone and Akame were hogging him all the time during the day and certain nights. Being the gentle and loving man he is, Tatsumi didn't hesitate to agree and once again gave Mine a night to remember last night.
"Leone, why are you really here?" Tatsumi asked, sighing deeply as he massaged his forehead in slight irritation. "I know you like to sleep, so I doubt that you got up this early just to mess with us."
"Oh well, I guess I've teased you guys enough." Leone said, shrugging her shoulders. "I just came here to let you know that it's your turn to go out on patrol. It just so happened that I stumbled upon our resident sniper cuddling with you…" she finished with another smirk.
"Wait… damn it, you're right. I guess I need to get going then." Tatsumi grumbled, sliding out of the bed, doing a few stretches before starting to get dressed, unknowingly giving both girls a show as they stared at his toned body. "Shit, it must have completely slipped my mind."
"Hmm, I wonder why?" Leone grinned as she glanced over at Mine, who hid under the covers once again after the busty blonde caught her staring.
"Okay that's enough Leone, you're gonna kill Mine at this rate out of embarrassment." Tatsumi said after he was fully dressed, grabbing Starfall before walking over towards the busty blonde. Leaning forward, Tatsumi stared right into Leone's yellow eyes. "She already gets teased enough by Chelsea, so can you please not make things harder for her? Mine's trying to adjust to us, and so far it's all good."
"You know I can't say no to you." Leone said with a small smile, a light blush spreading across her face. "Alright, I'll go easy on her for now."
"Thanks, Leone." Tatsumi said, giving Leone a kiss on the lips before he quickly climbed back onto the bed. The young assassin crawled over next to where Mine was hiding and gently pulled the sheets away from her. Mine was still quite flustered and avoided Tatsumi's gaze at first, her cheeks bearing the same color as her hair. "I've got to head out Mine, but I'll be back later. If you want to, we can spend some more alone time together when I get back."
"Really?" Mine muttered, slightly turning her head back towards Tatsumi.
"Of course, we're together now, after all." Tatsumi said, patting her head softly. "Let's make it a date. What do you say?"
"Okay… I'll hold you to that." she replied, unable to stop the large smile that started to appear on her face. "So stay safe out there and don't get yourself killed."
"How about a kiss for good luck, then?" Tatsumi asked, suddenly sliding in front of Mine, which surprised the pink-haired sniper all of a sudden.
"Geez, you're lucky I love you." Mine said with a pout, before she leaned forward and gave Tatsumi a deep kiss. When the pink-haired sniper broke their liplock a few seconds later, she gently grasped Tatsumi's hands and smiled. "Good luck out there."
"God, this is so sweet that it's making me sick." Leone sighed, standing up from the bed.
"She's just jealous." Tatsumi laughed, giving Mine one last kiss on the forehead. Hopping off the bed, he then made his way out of the room. "Alright, I'll see you guys later."
"That guy…" Mine said with a small smile, before she shook her head and got out of the bed as well and started to get dressed.
"Hey Mine…" Leone said quietly, sliding closer to the pink-haired sniper with a mischievous smile. "You never told me how your night with Tatsumi —"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Mine said angrily, turning her head to glare at the busty blonde Lionelle user.
(Several Hours Later; Village 10km Away From the Capital)
"What a boring patrol…" Tatsumi sighed, leaning against a large tree. "I haven't even seen any danger beasts nearby, which is really weird for this place." As he rested against the tree, Tatsumi looked at his pistol. "I may be more used to handling a sword, but I'll need to change into my firearms if I don't want to be overwhelmed." Tatsumi quickly loaded a full clip into his gun, before taking a deep breath. "Okay, now let's get back out there."
However, Tatsumi didn't even took five steps before he heard dozens of screams coming from the nearby village. "What the hell is going on over there?" After a few moments of not doing anything, he shook his head and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "I should at least check it out." Tatsumi thought, racing towards the location where the screams had come from. Quickly reaching the edge of the village, Tatsumi's eyes widened when he saw that most of the homes in the area were on fire.
"What happened to this place?" Tatsumi asked himself, as he slowly began to make his way deeper into the small village, but he was unprepared for what he was about to find. Turning around a corner into the village's main road, Tatsumi stopped dead in his tracks upon what he saw. Littering the street were dozens of mutilated corpses, with most of them missing their heads and various other limbs, while large pools of blood appeared to have flooded both sides of the road. Fighting back the urge to vomit, Tatsumi quickly and carefully made his way over the dead bodies.
"What the fuck happened here?"
Wading through the sea of bodies, Tatsumi eventually crouched down next to the corpse of a small child. The young assassin clenched his fists tightly as he stared at the horrific scene in front of him. There were bodies on both sides of the child, most likely the parents who had died desperately trying to protect their offspring. Turning his head away from the gruesome display, Tatsumi immediately spotted a blood-stained stuffed animal nearby. Unable to stand it anymore, Tatsumi turned his back on the appalling scene. "Son of a bitch… I can't stand much more of this. Whoever's behind this, he's killing people indiscriminately and without mercy."
"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Hearing a woman's scream of agony quickly followed by two gunshots, Tatsumi instantly shot to his feet in alarm. "STOP! PLEASE NO! NOT MY STOMACH! STAY AWAY FROM ME!"
"Oh shit, I gotta move!" Tatsumi thought, as he unsheathed Starfall and flew towards the place where he heard the scream. Spotting one of the few homes that were left intact, Tatsumi landed on the ground and burst through the front door with his foot. In a split second, Tatsumi quickly scanned the inside and analyzed the situation in the house.
On the floor in front of him there laid yet another mutilated corpse. Then on the other side of the room, there was a pregnant woman who was backing away from two large, hideously disfigured humanoid monsters. With no time to think, Tatsumi immediately sprang into action as he raised his pistol and fired two rapid shots at the closest monster. His shots were on point, hitting the monster in the head and upper chest. The hideous monster howled in pain as the bullets went right through its body. Before the other monster even had a chance to react, Tatsumi had used Starfall to slice through their necks with near-superhuman speed. Both monsters' heads fell to the floor as well as their dead bodies, before Tatsumi flicked the blood off his sword with one swipe. Taking a few moments to breathe deeply in and out, Tatsumi slowly got back onto his feet.
"Jesus, what the fuck were those things? They looked like deformed people or something." he thought to himself in disgust.
"W-Who are you?" In the rush of fighting the monsters just a few moments ago, Tatsumi had momentarily forgotten about the woman he had just saved. "A-Are you going to kill me?"
"If I was, then I wouldn't have stopped those creatures, lady." Tatsumi said, placing his pistol back in its holster before turning to face the frightened woman. "Are there are any more of those things?"
"I-I don't know…" The woman replied in a shaky voice as she fell to her knees, with tears streaming down her eyes. "T-Those two… things just… just burst through the back door out of nowhere… m-my husband tried to fight them off…" Choking back a sob, the woman hid her face in her hands. "But they killed him… t-they tore him to shreds… if you hadn't showed up, they… they would have killed me and my baby too…"
"Lady…" Tatsumi said in a soft voice, crouching down next to the crying woman as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know that you've just experienced something horrible and that you're under a lot of stress… but we have to get out of here. We have no idea if more of those things are lurking nearby and I'm not in the mood to face a lot more."
"I-I know… you're right…" The woman said, before she wiped away the tears from her eyes. Using Tatsumi as leverage, the woman got back onto her feet. "It's not safe here to be around here anymore."
"I'll give you a few minutes to gather up any belongings you want to bring along and to say goodbye to your husband." Tatsumi said, before he walked out of the house and on the front steps, releasing a heavy sigh. "I'm glad I managed to save at least one…" Tatsumi muttered, before a small smile flashed across his face. "I hope that by the time that kid is all grown up, this war will be finished. I don't want any more children to be robbed of their childhood by all this killing…"
"Thank you for waiting for me." The pregnant woman said, slowly walking out of the house with a small pack. "Where are we going now?"
"Do you have any relatives nearby that you can approach and stay with?" Tatsumi asked, standing back onto his feet and quirking an eyebrow.
"Unfortunately, no…" The woman replied, shaking her head. "I do have a sister, but… she moved to the southern countries several years ago."
"Damn it…" Tatsumi muttered, stroking his chin as he thought. "Alright, it's very risky for me to go there, but I can escort you someplace pretty close to the capital's front gates. You'll be safe from these monsters there."
"Absolutely not." The woman said firmly, locking her gaze with Tatsumi's as her voice turned towards a dark direction. "Me and my husband moved out here to get away from the greed and corruption of the capital. I will not return to a place that we worked so hard to escape from."
"You're really not leaving me a whole lot of options here…" Tatsumi sighed, shaking his head a few times. "Well, I guess there is one thing we can do. There's a Revolutionary Army outpost not too far from here, but it's hidden within a small village. I can speak with the rebels there, and I'm sure they'll take you in and protect you. Once you've rest and recover, I want you to get in contact with your sister and go stay with her for a while. It's going to get really dangerous around here soon and if you want your child to be safe, best follow what I say."
"How do you know about hidden revolutionary army bases?" she asked, giving Tatsumi a suspicious look.
"Let's just say I have a lot of connections." Tatsumi replied, causing the woman to chuckle lightly.
"You're a very strange boy at your age." The woman said, walking up next to Tatsumi. "By the way, you never told me your name, young man."
"Name's Tatsumi." he said, shaking the woman's hand.
"Tatsumi…" The pregnant woman said with a small smile, as she rubbed her swollen stomach. "That's a good name. Oh, and I'm Linda, by the way."
"Well Linda…" Tatsumi said, holding Starfall tightly in his grasp. "Let's get you to safety."
(Two Hours Later; Imperial Palace's Throne Room)
"Thanks to the Jaegers, almost all the rebels within vicinity to the capital have been wiped out." The emperor said with a bright smile, as he sat atop his throne. "You must have Night Raid quaking in their boots, General Esdeath… because they haven't made done anything in the past month. These are truly spectacular results of your security team."
"Thank you sir." Esdeath said, bowing her head slightly. "And once we do find Night Raid's hiding place… we will swiftly destroy them to end this."
"I'm quite glad, but… I apologize that I haven't been able to find a man fitting your criteria." The emperor muttered sadly, rubbing the back of his head. "If you still refuse the minister, then perhaps his son? I believe that he has a very promising future at his age."
"Your highness." Esdeath said, raising her head as she locked gazes. "As I've previously reported, I've already found the man that my heart desires. I'll be quite fine once I find him again and he's in my arms once more."
"But hasn't he disappeared? You've lost your love."
"I keep the hope inside me alive that I will recapture him." Esdeath said, bowing her head once again. "I can't shake off the feeling that I'll be meeting him again quite soon, and we will be together again."
"How moving!" The emperor exclaimed, jumping off his throne in delight.
"It's not that moving…" The minister muttered underneath his breath, rolling his eyes in irritation.
(Five Minutes Later; Palace's Dining Hall)
"It's appears that you have been a large influence on his Highness. He's become very interested in the aspect love, lately." The minister said, glancing at Esdeath who sat at the other end of the table. "But once he's older, it'll just be a full course meal of debauchery, from drinking to women to gourmet… heh. I'm getting giddy just thinking about it."
"And he'll still be your little puppet." Esdeath said with a hint of venom in her words, before allowing a small, fake smile to spread across her face. She may never reveal it in front of others, but the way that the minister controls the Empire from the shadows was something that she despised because of his cowardly method of showing his power. "Then you can continue to bend the government to your will."
"I'll give his Highness…" The minister said with a twisted smile, dropping a few cubes of sugar in his tea. "Sweet, sweet memories. Now then… I have another favor to ask of you, general."
"Alright, let's hear it." Esdeath said as she leaned forward in her seat.
"It's about a new species of danger beasts that have been spotted on the outskirts of the capital." The minister said, setting his teacup down. "I want you to capture and subdue them."
"Oh, that!" she exclaimed, perking up a bit in excitement. "I've actually been looking into that myself. At first, they were only appearing in the deep forest and in the mines… but, just this morning they slaughtered the inhabitants of a small village nearby." However, the woman's eyes narrowed as she remembered the report of the incident she had read earlier. "But it's strange… among the dead in the village were two of those danger beasts. So there may have been a survivor who managed to kill those beasts and escape."
"Interesting… we'll have to try and find this person. Maybe we'll be able to 'squeeze' some information out of them." The minister smirked evilly, stroking his beard. "But back to the topic. Apparently, these new danger beasts are very humanoid… don't you think they'd make very entertaining toys?"
"Danger beasts like these should be hunted to extinction… so I don't have time for your silly games." Esdeath thought, releasing a sigh of boredom. "Besides, when I'm hunting, I don't enjoy toying with these beasts. I prefer going in for the kill since nothing could be gained by torturing them."
"I've already ordered General Budo to eradicate them all." The minister explained, leaning forward in his chair as well. "But, I want you to look more into it just for good measure."
"If that is your wish, so be it." Esdeath replied, adjusting her cap before rising from her seat. "Ever since I've heard about these danger beasts, I've had a burning desire to hunt them. I'll try to capture two or three alive for you, but no one separates me from the rest of my prey. You can thank me by sending extra supplies to my soldiers in the North."
"You're as dedicated to your men as ever, general." The minister said, taking another sip of his tea.
"The better you treat your soldiers, the more they'll respect you. Then they'll fight even harder for you, and be more willing to throw themselves into the fight, even if it leads to death." Esdeath said with a hint of sarcasm, a smile spreading across her face, before she turned her back to the minister and began to make her way out of the room. "That's one of the reasons why my men are known as the strongest fighters there are."
(Several Hours Later; Outside the Gates of the Capital)
"Hurry the hell up, man…" A merchant hissed to his partner as he trembled in his seat. "We need to reach the city while there's still some light out!"
"I know, God dammit…" the carriage driver grumbled, urging the horses to go faster. "The sooner we get out of this hellhole, the —" the man was then cut off from his words when a group of humanoid monsters walked out of the forest in front of them and blocked off the road. "SHIT! T-T-T-THEY'RE HERE!" Both merchants screamed in horror, as the group of danger beasts had rushed towards their carriage.
However, before the danger beasts could reach the them, a small girl in white had kicked an approaching monster away.
The girl had long white hair that was tied in a ponytail, and she had a mask over her mouth that looked like a scarf with a red jewel at the end of it, which would hide her identity to anyone. She was wearing a white coat with large sleeves ending on her elbow and its collar as well as the surrounding area around it had a golden filled with various jewelry, with a few buttons on its bottom part left open; the coat had multiple gold linings and a few other jewelry were scattered in various parts of it. A black cape split into two was directly connected to it, designed with gold linings as well that made it look like she had wings.
She was also wearing a black tank top underneath, white bandages on her left arm, and black gloves with spiked brass knuckles and holes that served to allow her sharp claws to grow out from her fingernails. She had black leggings and to complete her outfit, she was wearing black high-heels with gold linings on its heels and soles.
It was the Girl of the Bloody Snow, Marina Brooks.
"This will be quick." she said in an emotionless tone just as another danger beast began to charge towards her. Rolling out of the way, Marina pounced on the beast and sat on its shoulders, slashing the face before slicing its head off with her claws. She then released the dead danger beast and jumped off it as she landed on the ground. "Your blood makes me hungry for more." Marina ran towards the next one and jumped on its shoulders again, repeating the same thing she did to the monster before by beheading it.
"You guys are making a mess everywhere!" A new voice said, and the rest of the monsters turned their heads to see Ren running towards them, before he took a deep breath and breathed out a continuous stream of fire from his mouth that headed for the danger beasts. One of the monsters had been caught in the fire immediately got incinerated alive, and causing the surviving monsters to quickly turn and around and flee into the surrounding forest.
Releasing a light sigh when she saw that Ren took care of the remaining monsters, Marina turned to the two merchants. "The monsters are gone, both of you are safe now." However, Marina's imposing outfit still scared the two men and caused them to sweat in nervousness.
"Don't worry about her, she's harmless." The carriage driver nearly jumped out of his boots when he felt a hand land on his shoulder. He then turned around to see a young red-haired man wearing an Imperial Guard uniform. "Everything is alright now. The Jaegers are here to help the citizens of the capital."
"O-Oh! I see now…" The driver said as he rubbed the back of his head. "You're all soldiers from the capital, right? Then we're totally saved!"
Back in the forest, the escaping danger beasts hadn't made it very far before ice began to encase their feet, and eventually covering their entire body. Emerging from a nearby group of trees, Esdeath and Kurome then approached the trapped monsters.
"Just as I thought…" Esdeath said, approaching the closest frozen danger beast before tapping the ice shell. "Looks like we have managed to capture all of the ones that ran away." Walking around the frozen group, Esdeath began to inspect the strange beast. "Interesting… I've truly never came across this type of danger beast before." Releasing a light sigh, Esdeath placed her hands on her hips. "Alright Kurome, let's gather everyone up and get these beasts back to the capital." However, she sighed once again when she caught Kurome staring at the frozen monsters with a thin line of drool spilling from the corner of her mouth. "And don't even think about eating them."
(One Hour Later; The Imperial Palace)
"Wave. Kurome." Bols announced, walking into the Jaeger's meeting room while carrying a small tray. "I've made us some tea. You can join in as well, Ren and Marina."
"Thanks for always going through the trouble." Wave said, looking away from the chess game that he was playing with Kurome.
"Yeah, thanks." Kurome said with a warm smile, as she ate one of her candies from her small bag.
"Oh, it's nothing." Bols chuckled, waving them dismissively. "I actually enjoy doing things like this for everyone." However, Bols stopped in his own words when he saw that Wave appeared to be quite frustrated over something. "Is something wrong, Wave?"
"I… I just don't like it…" Wave muttered, clenching his fists tightly. "You're such a good guy, Bols… but everyone around you just act like those merchants from before… they just judge you by your looks."
"If I remember right, you weren't too much different." Kurome pointed out with a cute look, causing Wave's face to flush red in embarrassment.
"That was back then, damn it!" Wave exclaimed as he slammed his fist on the table.
"Wave." Bols said, setting a cup of tea down in front of his comrade. "I believe I already told you this. I'm not a nice guy… I've incinerated whole villages that were plagued by disease… burned men at the stake who pleaded their innocence… if you compare me to Ren, I've handled the worse flames for as long as I can remember…" Bols stared down at his hands, envisioning the countless people that he had killed. "That's why I think so many people hate me…"
"But you were only following your orders as a soldier!" Wave exclaimed, standing up from his seat.
"Even if somebody else had to do it… I did what I did…" Bols said, releasing a heavy sigh. "And those frightened reactions I get from those I save… it's what I deserve."
"Dude…" Wave said, staring at the large man in concern. "Don't talk like that." Letting out a loud sigh, Wave sat back down in his seat. "Look man, if you ever —" However, Wave was cut off from his words when the door to the room suddenly opened. Turning his head to whoever went inside, the dark-haired man was surprised to see a beautiful woman holding a young girl in her arms. "Who are —"
"Hi, honey!" The woman said with a large smile on her face.
"Daddy!" The little girl cheered as she reached out to Bols.
"Whoa! Wait, what are you two doing here?!" Bols exclaimed in shock, walking up to the two.
"Wait a second!" Wave thought, alternately turning his gaze between Bols and the two newcomers. "That's Bols' wife and child?! Are you kidding me?!"
"Oh, you silly guy." the woman giggled, holding out a small, neatly wrapped box. "You were in such a rush this morning that you forgot the boxed lunch we made for you."
"Daddy, you're so forgetful!" The young girl giggled, handing her father his lunch.
"I-Is this really happening?" Wave thought, as he sweatdropped. "This scene is happening like it's straight out of a old sitcom…"
"You have such a tough job, honey." she said, gently rubbing her husband's cheek. "You need to keep up your strength so you'll be able to handle it."
"You're absolutely right!" Bols cheered happily, as he wrapped his arm around his wife's waist. "I promise I'll be more careful in the future, sweetie."
"Daddy, give me an uppy!" The young blonde girl exclaimed, tugging on Bols' pants.
"Of course, that's my good girl…" Bols said, as he picked the small girl up and carried her on his shoulder. Bols then turned to Kurome and Wave while laughing heartily. "My wife and daughter know all about what I do for the capital, but they still support me! So no matter how tough I may have it or when it comes to me… as long as I have my family, I'll be fine."
"OH GOD!" Wave thought, shielding his eyes from a blinding light that seemed to be emanating off Bols and his family. "It's so bright! Their love is too pure!" Wave then hung his head in defeat. "I'm totally useless…" he said in an embarrassed tone, crying anime tears as Kurome patted him on the shoulder in sympathy.
From the other side of the room, Marina was enjoying a cup of tea with Ren sitting beside her. She was still wearing the same outfit when she was in battle earlier, only she didn't have her mask on. "Bols has a family?" she asked, looking up at Ren.
"Oh yeah, I think I remember him mentioning it one time…" he replied, rubbing his chin.
Over the past weeks, Ren was mainly the one who could be seen by Marina's side, doing his best to help the white-haired girl adjust to her new life in the palace along with the other Jaegers. Esdeath had assigned him personally to do the task since she noticed that Marina didn't seem to be that scared of Ren as compared to when Bols tried going near her.
However, due to her being in prison for 8 years, it proved to be a challenging task for Ren. But that didn't stop him as he had his attention towards Marina almost all the time, earning her full trust as well as helping her to give her comrades a chance to earn her trust as well.
At the moment, she is also trying to open up to the other Jaegers, just like what happened to Ren. It was almost as if she was back to her old self.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she pouted cutely, staring up at the red-haired man.
"Well, it must have slipped my mind… sorry…" he couldn't help but grin in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head as a small blush appeared on his face.
"Hmph… I'll only accept your apology when you buy me ice cream," she crossed her arms and huffed.
"It's the only way?" he sighed, setting down his teacup.
Marina kept her angry look for strong for a few more seconds before a smile broke out on her face, as she laughed. "Ren, you're too easy to fool… you should be more aware, you know… it's good advice while in — hey!" she was then cut off from her words when she got lifted off her seat.
"Fine, I guess this should shut you up…" said Ren, carrying Marina off the couch piggyback-style as he headed for the door. "But after this, no more complaining."
The young girl could only keep her head low to hide her blush, having been caught off guard with his action. "Idiot… it was just a joke… why did you have you to take it seriously, Ren?" she thought to herself, forcing to wrap her arms around his neck to prevent herself from falling off.
Wave managed to snap out of stupor that he managed to see Ren leaving with Marina on his back. "Ren, where are you going?" he asked his red-haired comrade.
"Gonna go out to the capital for a bit. Marina wants some ice cream, so I'm gonna buy her some." Ren answered with a shrug, before grinning widely.
"I want ice cream too." said Kurome, raising her arm.
"Ok sure, Kurome." Ren chuckled in amusement, opening the door to the room. "I'll see if I can get some for you too."
"I get that, but why the hell are you carrying Marina on your back? She have a fracture or something?" Wave pointed out, quirking an eyebrow at him.
Ren shrugged. "No reason. I'll see you all later!" he waved his arm goodbye as he headed out with a fuming red Marina clinging on his back.
Wave couldn't help but feel curious with what he just saw between his two comrades earlier. "Could it be that there's something going on between those two? They've grown a lot closer these past few weeks, after all… wait no, that's impossible. I don't think Ren is into romance…" he chuckled, dismissing that particular thought.
Well, I hope you all liked this update and stay tuned for the next one!
Harem (Final): Akame, Sayo, Leone, Mine, Seryu, Chelsea, Esdeath, Spear
Others: Lubbock x Najenda, Wave x Kurome
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Goodbye... and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture*
-Lance
