Akame ga Kiru

The Imperial Saber

Chapter Thirty Five

The storm had grown more intense as Tatsumi stared forward while riding his horse through the strengthening force of nature. He checked over on his flanks to see Seryu, Wave and Bols who were all centered around him. Leading the small contingent of Jaegers wasn't got him nervous, it'd be him to be wary of the terrain, the cliff faces were enclosed on both sides of them now and it certainly got him to consider a lot of things. The reports that had been given by the scouts were more then enough to warrant a legitimacy in the sense that this road had been traveled heavily as a trade route. As much as he wanted to ignore a question nagging at him, it came forth to spill over.

As in why did he feel like he'd been watched?

The young Colonel scanned the top of the ridge lines to see the forests above in the darkened air due to the storm's cloud overhead.

As the rain pelted his face did the Imperial officer crack his neck despite the fact not a soul heard him. His thoughts were akin to the storm raging overhead, the lack of any signs of life or other merchants on this supposed trade route got him thinking. He wasn't enjoying this in the least, "Son of a bitch! The terrain is heavily in favor for anyone just waiting around for someone to jump on. Damn it all, why didn't the scouts report the terrain and anything deemed to be common sense? If Esdeath disregarded even the most simple of details for something like this then I can't say for sure if I'd trust her to lead any army."

Doubts arose and fell within seconds inside his mind.

While those thoughts weren't of a positive note, Tatsumi knew the woman could lead any army but he was just flat out uneasy heading into this area. He didn't even wait for the General to arrive at the gates as the orders were to deploy immediately! Plus he'd rather not contend with his fiancees attitude pertaining to this hunt. Right now he had to formulate any means to have everyone in his team to survive, he had to find a way or else everyone was going to be buried under the very ground they were traveling. Really the last thing he needed would be to attend anyone of his remaining friends funeral and not being able to do anything to prevent these dangers was a slap to the face.

It was an insult to just rush into this obvious trap.

Since no matter what, every soldier had to be cautious and to respect the capability of any enemy in a war.

Did he hate the Revolution?

Possibly so, hell he'd bet a lot more then he had ever considered, so it begged another question. Did he hate Night-Raid and all those who wanted him dead? The questions in themselves had answers that were never clear with words, Tatsumi had to only steel himself and speak through his actions. As many had done in the line of being a soldier of the Empire, he'd give all who wanted him dead an answer and not one of them would clearly understand until his sword met their hearts. Tatsumi didn't even remotely flinch when lighting flashed across the skies when he steered Noburu away from a sharp decline of rocks and managed to merely continue on his route to the sighted assassins.

Yet one in their group managed to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Damn man! Talk about a storm of the century. Never seen such a violent one and I've seen many of them on the seas." Wave spoke up loudly while shaking his head as droplets went down his neck. Amongst the small team of Jaegers, Tatsumi had to agree with the elder sailor. Even he'd hadn't seen such a powerful force of nature at all, "I hear you Wave. Hopefully this canyon doesn't become an ocean itself, I'd hate to build a boat with the damp wood nearby. Think we can build a ship with stone and a lot of praying?"

The pouring water barely made that assumption a bit more closer to reality.

Bols amusingly spoke up while adjusting his teigu on his back despite being on horseback, "Worst comes to shove. I'll just burn all the water away and make it so we're in a steam bath. Nothing wrong in using your imagination when the occasion calls for it." The large man's playful suggestion made the three Jaegers either laugh, or grin at their most senior comrade. Tatsumi found the tension that been among them was nearly nonexistent now, so he had to admit it felt a lot easier to worry less with the storm itself.

Distractions were a welcomed attempt to make any one of them feel confident.

Seryu commented with a grin to make the larger man laugh heartily, "Bols! What would the captain think? Using our teigu for such a meaningless and pointless means? Must I report you back to her once we get back? Hmm?" She teased the elder man as Koro made a slight impression akin to his master despite being on her shoulder. Through the erratic movements of the animal that the young girl was riding, Koro had a frantic time to keep himself attached onto his masters own form. His ears were flapping in the wind and quite frankly the poor canine creature seemed very uncomfortable in such a position.

Bols clearly wasn't troubled by the heart felt humor by the younger woman riding next to him. He had a quick yet obvious attempt at being completely terrified, "Oh no! I can't bare to stay away from my cute daughter and my lovely wife master Seryu! I beg you for this ones humble apologies in misusing an Imperial-arms!" Even through the mask the man held a smile that wasn't so subtle, the Jaegers within the group all smiled at each other as the closer they got to their destination. They all knew when to get serious but at the moment they needed to realize they'd support one another. Not to mention it didn't hurt to share a few laughs to alleviate the tension and anxiety building up within themselves.

It became a welcoming sensation within this down pour of rain.

"I guess you learn new things about people you thought you knew. Maybe I should expect some more crazier things." Wave jokingly retorted to the two other Jaegers who were laughing at the respective humor on display. While being drenched in their respective clothing, the Jaeger team certainly looked out for one another on their journey. Bols returned to his usual self after a few more moments of chuckling, "There's nothing wrong in having a good laugh with those as your friends. So I for one welcome this change of pace and to be quite honest Wave, I do envy those seafood dishes you cooked up for us the last time."

The two men had their smiles in place while increasing their mounts to keep pace with their lead who had a small smile of his own.

Keeping himself steady, the Colonel looked to the terain while having a smile on his face. As soon as he did that did Tatsumi realize just how dangerous things were getting."This route is leading us into a canyon of sorts, the rock formations are getting steeper and the forest is thinning out quickly." All the sanity inside his head, or what was left of it had come to life. A lot of uneasy thoughts came back taunting his body physically and mentally. Really just imagining enemies on the higher elevations just made him ever more so paranoid about what Night-Raid had in store for them now.

No signs.

And they were walking right into the heart of enemy territory.

He couldn't ignore the warnings inside his gut now, he knew that somewhere along this road would something truly stand out. The low visibility due to the increasing down pouring rain certainly aided in his uncomfortable mind set to eye the wood lines that were steadily becoming vertical. It became a hassle to formulate any likely means to miss the signs of an ambush, the young Colonel certainly didn't want to set them off intentionally without first seeing the means to do so. If he had to spring the obvious, he'd at least want to start planning counter measures to turn it into his favor down the line as well.

"Where?"

That word became lost in the down pouring rains that fell all around him, Tatsumi said that word lowly enough so not one of the Jaegers could heard it. Perhaps they ignored it, or maybe the young Colonel honestly knew that danger was literally waiting for them now. Cold unwelcoming gusts of wind obscured his sense of hearing to create a dull roaring as he sped onwards on his trusted mount. Both emeralds orbs were colder then any natural ice due to the rising cliffs on both sides of his team. Without a doubt he knew that once the height overwhelmed the Jaegers, then the real process of deciding options came into play.

It seemed like the forests above were unnaturally growing darker.

As that sense of paranoia gnawed at his mind.

Time seemed to just trickle on by almost taunting him personally. He kept on scanning the upper tiers of the cliffs that were starting to tower over them. The terrain changed from a forest onto a more rockier and a lesser lively sense of anything that lived in this kind of environment. Rain poured endlessly to seemingly have water go down the back of his neck, the cold liquids clashing with the ever inferno of his body growing more and more anxious by the moment. Oddly enough he felt the heat that his flesh exulted to slowly disappear into the coldness of the world itself.

What could he use to win?

What was the best way to make sure everyone had a fight chance?

While adjusting his beret under the dismal weather did he ask those questions silently. Even more pressing was when the Colonel eye the road behind them, "Will they attack from behind? If that's the case then what can I use to make sure we all survive? Seryu can switch from defensive to offensive on any given moment due to her new weaponry and Koro alone is more then enough to be a body shield. However she's not exactly experienced in fighting in a such a group, neither are the rest of the Jaegers as well."

He eased his horse to avoid a string of sharpened rocks that were aligning at the base of the slopes, Tatsumi quickly didn't need an active imagination to realize how bad a body could get skewered. Rain battered his vision briefly when he passed on by the formations which gave him a cold chill, he looked to the upper grounds that were looming overhead. The trees were suffocating any line of sight to anything that inhabited those woods and more so did the storm itself add to the miserly. It only grew in strength as his small team weathered it's forceful existence to make any caught in it's grasp a fight to remain amongst the living.

"Tatsumi!"

His name finally reached his ears over the powerful gusts of wind.

Turning back his head to the person who called out his name, Wave pointed upwards to the inclined cliffs on both sides of them. Following the direction did the Colonel inwardly grow more concerned as to what he was seeing now. It made him tighten the reins ever more uneasily, "Damn this storm and all the rain coming down! As if springing into an ambush was enough to get me panicked, but this is just the last thing I needed to see."

Small rivers of water were sliding down the slopes.

They were forming small ponds worth of liquid on both sides within the canyon.

"How much time would it take to fill up this clustered route? How flooded would it be for us to risk our lives and just why are we evening doing this?" Shaking his head briefly to ward off images of a flooded canyon with them inside. Tatsumi could only bite the side of his lips when he shouted back over the storm, "I noticed! And Wave, I suppose you don't know how to build a ship? Unless you fancy swimming inside a small river in the next couple of hours?" The humor wasn't lost on the sailor who gave a cheeky grin to the Colonel's taunting jab at his prior service.

"Sailor, Tatsumi! I sail the ships, not build them! So unless you can magically create a vessel then I think we're done." The elder teen's clarification made the younger Imperial shrug in response to the piece of information. However the humor merely prolonged the inevitable as natural instincts were starting to erode any sane attempt to remain easy. It was beyond that point now and for those traveling into the depths of the storm, it made them paranoid now.

For every moment they drew themselves further into the area that had been the recent sighting of Night-Raid's assassin, the tension grew ever more obvious in the forms of the eyes of the Jaegers scanning their sectors of vision. In fact nothing seemed amiss despite Tatsumi's heart steadily going faster. He was expecting anything, or something completely to catch their eye and not a single damned detail stood out much to his tightened grip on his horse's reins. Slowly the young Colonel turned his face to the slopes to see small rivers and pieces of muddy slides coming down as they passed on through the canyon.

"Where?"

That single worded question became like a snakes venom that slowly sifted in through his veins.

Maybe he felt uneasy in not just because he was willingly going into an ambush, no that wasn't it and mainly it filtered down into a simple idea. Perhaps he was finally comforting that inevitable part of war that seemingly lingered on the perimeter of a fire's warmth. That cold hard reality of things outside of the light were lingering, the scent of death and the almost true certainty of it claiming any who walked into it's awaiting hands. His small group of fellow comrades and soldiers were walking right in the maw of the beast itself full aware of how dangerous it truly became in it's element.

This route through two fully condensed rock faces and slanted earth became the path in which death reined.

Although a distraction out of those more paranoid thoughts came in the form of Seryu who seemingly asked the obvious question. It was the source of their uneasiness within the down pouring rains, "Alright, I'm saying this right now. Is anyone else finding the lack of any evil doers or signs of the enemy a bit off? Koro hasn't picked up anything and I'm not liking the fact we're riding blind within the storm."

Surprisingly Wave managed to give grim response despite the thunder overhead.

"You too huh? Well, I'm glad that I'm not the only here feeling that. Really I do not like how clustered these canyon walls are driving us into a choke point. It's bad news for anyone and everyone!" The sailor proclaimed while gesturing to the towering cliff faces looming on both sides of their group. None of the horses were giving off signs in smelling anything as well, or else they would've certainly been less then willing to move into an area they didn't feel to be right.

Animals were more tuned to their environments more then humans.

Tatsumi found that piece of information oddly comforting at this moment.

Seryu nodded almost certain in how they all were feeling the cold shivers running along their backs, "Best we be alert for any evil doers who are just waiting for us. I just hope the Captain and the others are going to be alright if our route is a decoy." The group of horses swerved around a bend leading into a more widening girth between the canyon walls as the wind shot past them in violent gusts. Lightning streaked across the skies to create an ear shattering crack and the entire area lit up in a ghoulish bluish coloration of light itself.

Despite the horrid conditions the worry wasn't lost over the wind.

Everyone in their team knew why she'd say such a thing.

Bols gave a warm chuckle to ease the younger girl's worry, his mask hid the smile which was evident in his voice. He gestured with a thumb behind them, "It's okay. I'm sure the General and Doctor are going to be fine on their own Seryu. Least you forget, our superior is the strongest in the Empire and I doubt she'd go down that easily for the enemy's sake. After all we even have the Colonel leading us, so are you doubting him as well?"

It only took a split second for the young orange haired girl to response.

She did so with a resolute expression that only became visible in the flash lightning. Her tone certainly carried the steel to warrant a degree of danger to those who'd attack them now, "Never! I'd never doubt Tatsumi nor the Captain, but I will always care for them inside my heart Bols. I don't want to lose either of them, no matter what Evil criminals or any traitor throw at us, I refuse to lose anymore of the people I care for!" There wasn't a lie in that statement that any of the Jaegers could ever imagine to be misleading, Seryu spoke with conviction and to question it was practically insanity. Although the person who lead them held a small smile at the girl, to hear that faith in her tone was rather heart warming in itself.

She seemed offended that he suggested she'd not believe in them.

"Then have faith in them to lead us and we'll all go back home together, Seryu."

When Bols told her this gently, it made both Wave and Tatsumi have different expressions form. Both of them were adjusting there horses to avoid colliding into their fellow Jaegers because of the eldest man's response. Wave had to whistle out happily, "Hell yeah! Now that's an answer I can hope for Bols and nothing is even better to take on our enemies. They wanted us, well they got us and we aren't going to back down because they want to play dirty." The three of them were smiling confidently for each other!

Despite Tatsumi's own face being shadowed with his bangs concealing his eyes from view.

"They believe in Esdeath and I that much? Do they really believe in me to lead them right?" He mentally asked that question while staring up at the chaotic heavens. Thunder and lighting became all too common as he prayed, "Please don't allow them to die, don't make them suffer for something that I am responsible for. I ask that you allow me to take my life if need be, please god, I ask that you don't have them take the fall for me."

Tears were leaking down onto his cheeks even though they were hidden away as the salty droplets were masked from the world itself.

So they rode in silence when each of the Jaegers looked to one another and nodded reaffirmed in their belief that they'd be lead right. They had their hopes and dreams resting on the shoulders of a young Colonel who felt all too familiar with such a weight. Tatsumi honestly felt like that this was similar to when he first saw his soldiers as the legion he'd been granted almost over a year ago. During that moment he felt that weight of ten thousand souls fully smack him in the face and the weight of the world came thundering down at his rank as an officer of the Empire. It truly made him feel like he had to ascend beyond his limits to truly make sure that none of his friends, his comrades and they in turn trusted him.

Trusted him in hold their lives in his hands...

It really felt all the more heart wrenching to know he couldn't do anything to stop this madness!

"I could have pleaded to Esdeath, begged her to at least allow us to put measures in place to reverse this trap. God damn it all! Why? Why!" Both sets of his teeth were gnashing themselves together so fiercely that he'd possibly break a tooth. It hurt so badly to know he could have done something, or anything but the will of his fiancee overrode any sense of practical use against their enemies. She wanted them all to take on Night-Raid but at the expense of them needlessly risking the lives of these people behind him?

It was so god damned unacceptable!

Staring up at the skies with a snarling expression, he had hot streams of liquid running down his face when all but pleaded for their safety. He couldn't do anything else but wing it, so to pray and to rely on nothing was simply agonizing. Tatsumi knew he wasn't religious compared to most in his own beliefs yet he still begged, "Please hear my prayers, I don't want them to die. As I said, I'll take it all, I'll accept the pain and everything attributed to war on my flesh! Mine, not theirs and I beg for their safety to see the next light with their own eyes. Please!" The young Colonel used a hand to pinch away the tears and managed to compose himself through what little time he had.

All the while a sharp pain erupted from his wrist making him look down.

"Strafe?"

The teigu impaled through his own flesh seemingly became aware of his gaze and it sharpened its painful awareness to make him gasp out silently. He grunted when the sharp consistency of the painful pattern came to make him blink away the tears he had just stopped forming. Inhaling heavily he ignored it by shaking his head left to right to remain focused on the matter on hand, he had to make sure that none of his friends and none of his soldiers died at his expense. He wouldn't allow them to throw their lives away at the orders of a woman who clearly didn't value them because if she did, Esdeath would have asked him to make plans to counter-initiate against this blatant scheme of Night-Raid.

"Hey what's that up ahead?" Wave spoke loudly while flicking his head to the side to get wet hair out of his eyes.

Tatsumi raised his face to see a rough figure of sorts through the rain. He managed to raise a hand to signal to the other Jaegers to stop their own horses, "So this is it huh? If I have to give my life to turn for the others to go back home, then so be it! I'll take all the punishment, I'll take all the pain and I swear that I will not back down from whatever is thrown at me. I will bring them all home one way, or another." His hands tightened into balls that made every single one his knuckles crack, or turn a bone white due to the pressure alone. Nothing more could be said to make him feel any less at peace now, he had to again face the weight that lay across his shoulders once more.

He pulled Noburu into a stop as the others followed suite behind him.

The young Colonel got off his horse but not before speaking to the others, "Leave the horses. Last thing we need is for them to get caught in the crossfire, so send them back. They'll be around if we have to get them again." His boots sunk into a small muddy puddle as he walked to the front of his horse which was one of his oldest companions. His animal had been with him when he was barely a captain, or even beyond that as he idly stroked the horse's face gently. She snorted affectionately while nudging herself against his touch.

Tatsumi could only speak softly to his long time friend, "Be safe Noburu and don't get into trouble. I'll see you again."

Turning to face the darkened distance in front of him, the young Colonel rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck to start gauging the battlefield. His eyes scanned the sides of the largest width of the canyon yet and found absolutely nothing out of place. Looking to the heavens to see the swirling masses clouds along with the occasional bout of lightning, the entirety of this field wasn't exactly amiss in any shape or form. Every time he took a step forward, Tatsumi had to inhale sharply while adjusting to the rain that ran down the back of his neck. With an organ called a heart racing, the young Colonel felt he'd been sent into the heart of a danger beast's layer without even trying to defend himself.

Plus the cold water did himself no favors as he idly rolled his shoulders once again.

"I don't see anyone around." Wave stated a bit cautiously while placing his hand onto the weapon he held onto tightly, the older boy certainly felt out of place now. The lack of any movement, or really anything made the small group of Jaegers uneasy. Seryu added her piece as well while Koro remained at her side, "Think it's a decoy? If these evil doers aren't here then they might be aiming for the captain herself and we've been tricked. Other wise we'd have been ambushed already, I mean I don't see anything out here either."

Bols came up between them while looking to their lead who remained silent as the dead, "Colonel? Your orders?"

All of the Jaegers looked to the white uniformed soldier who seemingly ignored them for a moment, Tatsumi stared up at the tree-lines trying desperately to spot anything amiss. He had to withhold an urge to scowl at the lack of anything out of the ordinary yet he spoke up, "Be on your guard. We don't know even know if this is the real thing, but in case it isn't, we're going to head back to the capital or hopefully meet up with the rest of the team." His eyes scanned upwards to the skies while ignoring urges to blink away the liquid trying to blind him due to gravity alone. Absently his throat tightened when he started to move on foot towards the figure in the distance.

Stepping into several puddles of water, Tatsumi felt his boots become drenched due to the depth of the large pools were nearly up to his ankles.

"Come on! What are you looking for Tatsumi? What is it that's going to get you now?" Those questions were taunting him if not they were outright tormenting him. His eyes were consistently scanning and moving around for any signs of running fowl. His body tensed awaiting the blow that never came, his heart raced and his limbs trembled when adrenaline began to run through veins inside his flesh. Here the young Colonel practically expected his sense of control to wither away like rocks before the waves bordering the ocean, he felt the erosion finally hit close to his heart that been steeled to prepare for this day.

Soon enough the Jaegers were reporting in what they were seeing, Wave was the first to sound off less then happy.

"I got nothing over here!"

Eventually the soldier stopped when he noticed the figure in the darkness that had been unbearably silent, righteously both of his emerald orbs were unflinching. Placing a hand onto his saber which was sheathed at his waist line, the young Imperial moved cautiously to draw the weapon in a sharp manner. Everyone behind him looked over in alarm to see him moving through the darkness with the saber drawn, the lightning from above flashed to make the weapon briefly glower and it highlighted it's owners face. Tatsumi remained alert despite the eerie silence that the canyon's clearing had offered to them within the swirling confines of the storm above them.

Walking slowly he came to witness exactly what was concealed within the down pouring rains.

The young Colonel tilted his head to the side to mummer silently.

"A decoy?"

A dummy like figure stood in front of him stuck into the damp ground and the lack of an details on it's exterior supported the fact that this route was the feint. Tatsumi slowly eased himself down when the other Jaegers came to support his flanks while studying the object of their interest. Eventually Seryu asked him curiously, "So does this mean Night-Raid isn't here? It looks like this lead was false Tatsumi, so do we head back to meet up with the captain?"

Bols supported that notion somewhat concerned, "It couldn't hurt to make sure either. We'll have to meet up with the General and others soon enough, so your orders? Colonel?" Despite being familiar wit the younger Imperial, Tatsumi understood that the man was maintaining his discipline in the field. Ironically he felt less compelled to do so but he looked around one last time while making the decision on what could be done now.

He eased himself down to have the saber's edge level with the muddied earth.

Standing in a growing puddle of liquid, Tatsumi focused his thoughts on what he saw so far, "Okay! Nothing's wrong here, so it's possible we've been mislead, although why would they go after Esdeath directly? It doesn't make sense to me at all, hell going after the biggest threat isn't bad in theory but in practice it's a bit more difficult. No, it can't be right since no one can take on Esdeath on equal grounds that easily."

His eyes were locked onto the puddle's surface as he pondered silently. Briefly he looked over to the other Jaegers who were easing themselves into a more looser formation while covering each others backs. Something wasn't right about this area, he knew for certain that even Night-Raid wouldn't dare to take on Esdeath that easily. No way in the deepest parts of hell would they be that suicidal, besides if they were that determined to just take him out then what in the world could they do to her? Understandably fists were clenching the cold metal of his weapon tightly as he asked himself, "Was I really wrong about this supposed ambush?"

His silence finally ended when Wave requested to look around the area.

Briefly glancing at the elder boy who seemed somewhat determined, "If you want Tatsumi, I'll just move on ahead for a moment. Check if anythings out of the ordinary, I promise I'll make it quick and we'll head back." Both Bols and Seryu looked to him as if curious to the request and the said person had to make a choice. Before he made his choice he chose to look around one last time to see no signs of anything to get him on edge and once again, he saw nothing to warrant his paranoia to bleed over into anxiety.

Plus the Colonel figured it'd be better safe then sorry.

"Do it Wave and quickly, please."

The sailor gave a cheeky grin and saluted before moving past the dummy.

"Roger that, sir."

Watching the boy go past him, Wave offered him a slap on the back to show he appreciated the order to scout around. A wary smile formed in the rain as the Colonel slowly but surely got himself to relax briefly to settle his heart. He sheathed his saber back onto his side while the other Jaegers dropped their guard for a moment to compose themselves while in this dreadful storm. Perhaps he had thought too much to realize that even Night-Raid might have baited the Jaegers out for another reason, so perhaps maybe he was just a little too paranoid to fight an enemy he had yet to take on.

Exhaling loudly he looked down to see himself in the shifting surface of the puddle to see his eyes staring back and the cloud's over head...

"What the hell?"

Narrowing his eyes down into the pool of water, the reflection of him shifted constantly due to the rain but something seemed odd about it. Every time that lightning flashed he noticed a thin back line circling just right over his head, Tatsumi felt his heart race. He blinked a few more times to see that the thin back lines were real and that they weren't just some incursion of his mind to be going insane. Inwardly he crushed his hesitance to slowly shift his gaze upward to see exactly what he was actually viewing from the puddle's surface.

As the young Colonel looked upwards his eyes noticed small strands of droplets falling onto his face.

And it appeared that the heavier waters were being split?

It was like they were hitting something thin...

"Oh my god!"

Tatsumi felt his face pale as he looked up to see that the rain had been hitting small strands of metallic wiring, the wires themselves were placed above them and he followed their length. These were wires that had been set up before they ever got here, they weren't meant to be subtle for a reason. Someone intentionally set them so he could notice it, because if that wasn't the case then those wires were going to be for him regardless. His heart started racing due to the implications in what this really meant, his mind came to a stunning conclusion that sent shivers running along his spine.

These weren't just wires meant to contain anything, he could imagine they were meant for something that could potentially fly.

Something, or rather someone who had wings!

In particular a certain person that had an armored teigu with a pair of black wings.

Glancing quickly to Wave who moved past the dummy that remained motionless, or so it had done expertly, although when it bulged just once. His eyes went wide when the bulging mass started shift, the arms twitched and followed by the head conforming into something with horns! The young Colonel knew right away now that his paranoia wasn't just true, his instincts had all but screamed at him to obey it's call! And he had dismissed it because of an obvious ploy, a ploy that was hiding right in plain sight!

Tatsumi yelled out desperately in a warning to get the elder boy out of harms way, "Wave! Get away from that thing! Now!"

It was too late.

Far too late for anything to be done.

The dummy shifted into a cloud of smoke that concealed it's true purpose, Tatsumi literally watched in a horrid fascination to see the next few moments in perfect clear clarity. Wave looked back in alarm to have his face morph into a horrified expression as something literally slammed into his rib cage. A sickening crack coursed through the air as the sailor yelled out, though not before spitting up blood in an agony reserved for when bones caved under a sudden intrusion of force. Just like that the young Colonel saw his friend get lifted off his feet. Within seconds he was sent flying towards one of the upper canyons to disappear into the raging downpour and it forced the young Imperial to stare down the attacker.

He glared angrily at the form of a man who walked out of the smoke with a stoic expression on his face.

A man who had horns curling around the sides of his skull.

Immediately he bit orders to the stunned Jaegers behind him who had identical expressions of stunned horror to see Wave literally being sent flying, "Defensive formation! Bols watch our backs and scorch anything that isn't us." His eyes turned to Seryu who looked tense as he nodded to her while speaking sternly, "Seryu! Get Koro ready to align himself to defend you, or to attack anyone! This isn't fake, we're the targets and both of you, get ready to fight for your lives."

He got two responses to that even though the two were shaken at how quickly things deteriorated.

"Understood, Colonel!"

Koro started to growl loudly when his body grew in size.

"Roger!"

The two prepared themselves as a pair of emerald orbs never left the form of the horned man who remained a good twenty paces away. He didn't dare look away from the threat because he knew inwardly as his stomach clenched, then this person would have taken full advantage of that mistake. Quickly he drew out his saber again while remaining in a loose stance, Tatsumi had to briefly glance to his flanks worriedly. He didn't like the fact that the rest of Night-Raid still remained in hiding, "Where are they? I've never seen this guy before so I have to assume that Night-Raid has gotten new members, or the Revolution more then likely lent them reinforcements. Son of a bitch!"

Lifting his saber directly at the horned man did Tatsumi warily asked him, "I take it that the rest of Night-Raid is lying in wait?"

The horned male gave no response.

Hell he didn't even give an inkling to answer to him at all.

Instead a familiar female voice he hadn't heard in a long time replied from his right side, "Lying in wait for sure, Colonel Saber. In fact I dare say you and the rest of your Jaegers kept us waiting, we were beginning to wonder if you'd ever arrive. Even after we sent you an invitation to come out." The tone wasn't meant to be a taut by any means, the person stated it as if it were a fact. A fact he had to bitterly swallow because they were indeed lying in wait for them and they didn't do a thing to counteract it at all.

His gaze wandered to the right in which a person walked out of the darkness.

"It's her."

A single eye patch on a person who had white hair and a metallic gauntlet of an arm. The leader of Night-Raid seemingly had a presence that sent him on edge, Najenda had a grim smile set in her features. Raising her metallic limb at them all, she issued a decree that would make him snarl all the more angrily. "In the name of the Revolution, Bols the Incinerator your deeds are what are going to make you our priority to take down. For all the lives you have taken, for those who were destroyed at your hands and in the name of Justice, the Incineration Squad shall be annihilated off this earth."

The woman's remaining eye roamed over to Seryu who had two pistols in her hand as Koro growled menacingly at the Night-Raid lead. "While the Revolution has made no need to say it, but we of Night-Raid are personally glad to bring our comrades killer to justice for their crimes of murder. Expect no mercy from us and your teigu will be in the service of the Revolution soon enough, girl." Even in the rains that masked the expression on the white haired woman's face, that tone in which she declared that they'd kill Seryu was enough to warrant a grim satisfaction in their actions.

Tatsumi didn't even flinch when Koro stepped forward to shield his master while guarding his back, his eyes were noticing two more figures silently moving from the opposite side. He could imagine one of them was either Akame, or that lioness girl herself, yet he felt uneasy. Those were the people he knew but the horned man in front of him was a new face, he couldn't imagine who else they had lying in wait for them. Was there anything else that Najenda had planned for him and his team? Who else did they have waiting in the wings to take a shot at him personally?

Unfortunately Seryu managed to snarl out a scathing response to their intentions, "Koro and I will never fall to you evil doers! Justice will be prevail and it'll be a cold day in hell when I allow him to serve with Evil, so try to come claim him! If you can scum!" The teigu growled out slamming it's fists together with it's bulked up limbs in a show of intimidation, standing near the epicenter of the ground trembling. It was here that Tatsumi had to address her anger as much as it consumed him on the inside.

Najenda had a small grin growing despite the rains masking her face.

The young Colonel could feel it clear as day.

He only had to glare back at the teigu as it caught his gaze, "Seryu. Don't rush into this fight anymore then necessary, so have Koro between you and Bols at all times. If you get angrier, they'll just find it easier to exploit an opening, ignore them because the words of traitors aren't worth it." He turned back to the horned man who hadn't even twitched as Najenda let loose a barking laughter ahead of them. She found something humorous in his words about them, Tatsumi could more then likely figure it out based on why alone.

"Colonel Saber, my, my, my. You've gotten a lot of admirers lately, haven't you?" She asked rhetorically amused as the said person refused to take the barbed insult. It seemed that Night-Raid was well aware of his experiences in the capital, he waited as she continued onwards. "I find myself split on whether to kill you, or secure you alive for others who want you among the world of the living. Perhaps you'll enlighten me on whether to decide that choice and, if not..." She trailed off as if shrugging mainly out of boredom in that matter.

If she expected him to react angrily, or negatively to her words then she'd be in for a reality check.

He'd react all too happily.

Tatsumi started to laugh humorlessly and it was loud enough to warrant everyone's attention, "Oh really? I'll enlighten you alright, I'll enlighten so clearly that it'll be quite easy to understand what I'll do to you traitors and assassins alike. Greed effects anything and everything when enough gold is shown. I had wondered if my messages to your Revolution have gotten through their thick skulls and it seems to have failed. So I guess I'll have to rearrange the orders in when your heads come off." Here the young Colonel rolled his shoulders while taking a step over to the right side.

He started to draw the blade that Esdeath gave him.

Through the pouring rains his hair hid his face from view, "I want to be angry at you Night-Raid bastards. Really I want to be enraged, but at this point, all I feel is a cold numbness inside me when I stare at you. I don't know whether I should be frightened, or you be terrified because lately I've been told that I've been acting particularly like something that shouldn't be said about lightly." Tatsumi just laughed loudly to let loose because he felt that unholy anger. He felt that rage when someone truly got through to him and finally had enough of it to be suppressed, he truly felt like...

Well like a real monster who had enough in being provoked honestly.

Thunder roared overhead as the sound shook the ground slightly for those under it's epicenters.

"Does it matter really? He's made his intentions clear against us, Boss. He's not going to cave in against us unless we break his spine, literally. Perhaps a blessing that fate has given us finally." Yet another familiar voice spoke up from the shadows on the opposite side of the clearing, Tatsumi pegged it be to Akame. She sounded very similar to her younger sister who was off in the other group, although she shared no love or even hesitation to take him down. The young Colonel could feel that bitter sweet happiness to take a swing at ending his life.

Plus he doubted she'd forgive him for Mine or Sheele at all.

Which was perfect for him.

He was done playing the sympathy card to them!

Turnings towards the source in where the assassin stood with her teigu waiting, he made the note to spring at her as soon as the battle begun. He found his target, he found the only way possible for the rest of the Jaegers to survive and he'd do all in his power to take her down. Also he found this to be an opportunity to tear out old skeletons, he figured to be kind soldier to simply return the favor. If Night-Raid wanted to reopen fresh wounds, he do the same to them to even the playing field so to speak.

The young Colonel's smile flashed in the lightning to make it seem sinister in nature.

His tone certainly made this encounter all the more amusing, "Break me? I dare say you're years behind in that regard, Akame. In fact, I'd be more amused to say if you'd want me alive because your dear sister asked me for permission to take you on today. Odd for sibling love, right?" His smile didn't let up when he lifted both of his blades to be level to the ground under this dreadful storm. The subject struck a nerve with the black haired teigu user as it seemed, her response was less then friendly.

"Don't you dare her into this, I have no need to listen to your worthless words, Saber." Akame seemed particularly angry when he mentioned Kurome and he pressed that advantage. If Najenda wanted to rub salt in the wounds, then he'd simply return her intentions and perhaps he'd feel better knowing they weren't pull punches to take him alive.

Oddly enough Najenda didn't rein in the girl and he was completely content with that.

"Worthless because it's the truth? Kurome literally begged me for her to come with me and to take you on Akame. She really wanted to kill you, I can attest I actually persuaded her to wait and reluctantly she did because I made a promise to her." He couldn't see her facial expression due to the visibility yet he could imagine the shock plastered on her face. However he had to get her to forcibly come after him and the best way to avoid anyone behind his back dying to that cursed sword. Tatsumi inwardly crushed any hesitation to not use any means to have her eyes trained upon him.

He had to have her try to kill him.

Just because he had to protect those behind him right now!

His mind continuously tried work out an possibilities to even the playing field, Tatsumi inwardly bit his cheek to stop himself from not consider anything radical. "Wonderful! I don't know if taunting her will work, but I can't allow her free reign over this battle. I can barely see anything and I doubt Seryu, or Bols have better vision as well. Damn it, I can't believe I'm taking a page out of Esdeath's book, taunting people and literally making them worthless. Still it's the only way to get everyone out of here alive, if Wave doesn't return then I know I'm truly pathetic." Maybe this was it felt to truly start letting go, Tatsumi slowly began to allow his smirk to grow in shadows his bangs. He may have felt that need to truly let go but it wasn't just for his sake.

The young Colonel knew inwardly if he had to let go of anything.

It'd be for those standing beside him.

He would get them all home and nothing would stand in his way to say otherwise!

Lifting one of the blades onto his shoulders, the young continued onwards without missing a beat in his tone. "You called me worthless? If that's the case then your words are nothing less the same, you and Najenda alike betrayed our nation because you couldn't handle the fact you are worthless." His eyes flickered to the figure of the Night-Raid lead who was silent, Tatsumi just snickered loudly. Apart of him always wondered why a General, a person who commanded an entire army, somehow found the cowardice to flee to the Revolution.

A General served to inspire their soldiers.

They were the ones who protected and fought for the Empire to maintain their nation's strength. They had the power to change anything, or rather something because of that army behind them. So again why did she even flee to that Revolution? It was the same thing as the regime he was trying to end, they both killed innocent lives indiscriminately so why? Why should he trust such a group such as these assassins and their accursed Revolution?

Tilting his head to the side he wondered why the were waiting.

Still he took advantage while he still could, "It doesn't matter what you say to me because I will never adhere to the words of traitors and cowards. The Revolution, the cause you follow just so happens to disregard lives like the rest of the sickness that infects our country and it especially seems like to me it's no different from the Prime Minister himself. You call me worthless, then I say you're no different from I! I wonder if you guys think that Sheele was any different to considered the same?"

That got the reaction he'd been hoping for as a roar of rage came to his senses.

"Behind me?"

Whirling around Tatsumi managed to slice away at the infuriated form of a beast teigu user, Leone's eyes were practically feral slits that made him less then pleased. Her claws managed to grip his sabers edge as he crouched down to slash at her abdomen, the black blade cut into her flesh within seconds. Blood spilled to the ground although he kicked her off to have skid back, the wound on her lower ribs were healing themselves immediately. In fact her body literally steeled itself, the muscles underneath strained as the regeneration became all too apparent.

It reminded him when he encountered the feral girl in that forest some time ago.

"This is no different from Yumi. Then again, I've never seen Leone in combat and take a sword strike head on. I'm still not seeing what the others can do, although it's a moot point, as long as they come after me then the others are safe. You can do this Tatsumi, you can do this and all you have to do is just take down them one by one." So with that in mind Tatsumi didn't have to very shocked when he witnessed her stand upright again. Although her form trembled when stared at her with an empathy that rivaled any persons worst nightmare.

Perfect.

A smile easily split across his face when he brushed off the attack, "Why so angry at me? It wasn't like I wanted to kill her but when it comes down to it, this is war and in war, you don't have the luxury of deciding whose going down." He laughed harshly as the beast teigu user snarled almost primordially furious at his callousness of the former assassin's death. As long as they all focused onto him, Tatsumi would go beyond that line in order to secure the lives of those who didn't deserve to die. He'd be the focal point for all the rage and hatred they harbored against him inside their hearts, the Colonel wasn't naive to believe that they'd forgive him.

If he couldn't even forgive himself for what he had done...

Then there was no chance in hell Night-Raid forgave him for Sheele and Mine.

Not anymore.

He stared over at the horned man just in case he made a move, his eyes never left that inhumane stoic face which seemingly waited. It gnawed at his conscious to understand just what that man was waiting for really. The two handed spear like weapon at his side remained idle in its position, so the young Colonel just bit the inside of his cheek to remain focused on his task. A task that already had gotten him the results in which he waited for Leone to strike again out of rage, so once more he pressed the old wounds with a fresh new wave of forced taunts.

All he had to do was remember the face of Renji, an old man whose life was coldly cut down.

Tatsumi exhaled loudly finding his resolve to bring another murderer to justice and to meet the cold steel of his blades, "Isn't it odd that I'm telling you why you're all so worthless? It's because that cause that you all serve! I've had it with them and personally, I think the entire Revolution itself is a damned joke. You kill and kill, so many and just like the days I had to ask myself: when does it end? Huh?" The rhetoric held a bitterness when he voiced it out, Tatsumi began to walk towards the direction in which Akame was currently at.

His ears picked up someone coming up behind him and he paused in mid stride with one his blades leaking droplets of crimson.

"I can see her."

Once more he chuckled although this time sardonically, "You claim the Revolution will bring change and a new system in place. Anyone with a brain can see that, but is it really going to be different? Whose to say that even if you try to overthrow the Prime Minister, what's stopping one of your own in replacing that monster huh? How many more are going to be buried when the same damned thing happens again and again! Well it all comes back in time!" He trailed off laughing as if telling a joke that certainly got it's point across to the Night-Raid assassins. Why should have cared for what their cowardly Revolution but he'd humor their dreams, all of their hopes and so, he would do what reality had done to many.

He'd crush it without hesitation!

Nothing would survive utterly when he was done with them.

Finally his words earned a reply from the assassin who he'd crush, all to save lives behind who were dependent on his word to return home. He'd crush a person, this very person whose very existence would cause death with one scratch and she replied without any sense of emotion. It seemed like Akame had enough of him and it suited his purposes all too easily, so he didn't lose that smile plastered on his face. He stopped just far enough to see her shadowed face. She could see the expression on his face, he'd be an idiot to not believe that for one moment.

Especially with two words that summed up her tolerance of him breathing among the living.

"Shut up."

He watched with a keen eye to see her stance shift in where he saw her teigu point directly at him. He couldn't tell in what her eyes were blazing, so he'd peg it'd be hatred. She hated him, he could live with that and possibly live with the fact she'd do all in her power to kill him. To send him into hell, to be with those who killed thousands and refused to accept that they enjoyed it. Tatsumi never enjoyed killing broken rebels, not once but he did enjoy the sweet satisfaction to those who deserved to die ruthlessly in any manners deemed fit of playing god with lives. Men like that monster behind the throne, oh did he admit that much.

If he enjoyed kill anything with that satisfaction in mind.

He loved killing monsters because it took one monster to devour another to end it, painfully.

The sweeping sound of metal cutting through air, followed the by a declaration would rattle anyone's bones in the sheer coldest degree. Akame of the Demon sword, the one hit killer and the wielder of Murasame issued a proclamation, "I longer have the desire to see what our friends saw in you. So, Colonel Saber, as a servant of the Empire I consign you to death. Let those who died at your hand demand your blood and may you never rest in death itself. I'm done holding back in getting justice for our family's murderer, so I hope that you will always rot in hell."

Only the rain fell and it concealed the tears of acceptance on the Colonel's face.

"You can get in line. All like the rest of them, all you have to do is just get in fucking line for my head."

He merely raised his own blade at her own, a smile in place with all the intent to accept it. He replied almost gleefully akin to a certain woman who held the effect on his heart, "In the name of the Empire and to the Emperor, traitors shall be brought to justice. As second in command of the Jaegers, I offer you mercy if you surrender and a quick painless death. Resist and I shall make you wish you chose my one time offer of mercy, for I shall not say it again."

No words were needed as the assassin remained silent as the grave.

Tatsumi grinned as lightning flashed overhead, "I don't think I'll be able to keep my promise to your sister now. After all, I don't control who goes down in a war and I'll say the same thing as I said to your dearest sister Akame." The soldier closed his eyes when the teigu on his forearm pulsed strongly, the pain became akin to daggers stabbing into his wrist over and over again. His heart raced when the pain awakened his eyes to have them remaining alert and forever unable to back down! His savegry had come forth in what his vocal cords produced.

"In war, first contact is always the moment in where nothing ever goes to plan!"

An armored carapace shimmered into existence as the rain pelted it's metallic surface, both wings came around to flap idly to ward off the pains inside his spine. Tatsumi refused to flinch while inside the metallic hood as the world came to light, the darkness from the rain receded into a dull gray that lightly illuminated the surrounding terrain. He arched his back briefly when the avian appendages from the armored teigu set his nerves a flare with agony, so it's user bit back a pained groan and managed to grit his teeth together to ignore it all. Silently he opened his eyes to see the world in it's bleak state and to see the enemy that proclaimed his route into hell itself, he saw her clear as day from what the teigu provided under it's weight.

A weight that fought against the world.

And it anchored him down to be chained to its cruel reality.

"Hate me all you want, despise me and utterly curse my existence. I will not abandon those who I've chosen to protect, you can hate me with all your heart. It won't changing anything at all for anyone Akame, we're just stuck in a war. An endless cycle of corruption, I'll never be able to be granted forgiveness but I will accept all in what I've done."

Akame surged forward with blade flashing brightly in his vision, Tatsumi snarled loudly when caught the blade against his own. Sparks screeched to life when metal grounded against metal, the steel became heated due to the forces press them together. The assassin flipped over the massive armored exterior as Tatsumi reversed grip his saber to flawlessly parry the strike sent to his abdomen, he turned around without even speaking to see the emotionless facade of the black haired girl. In his helmet did the vision he could see the darkened exterior of her flesh, the sheer amount of blackened sin that stained her mortal shell was more then enough to make him laugh beneath the carapace.

Strafe seemed to be pulsating violently as his arm pressed down onto her smaller frame.

He took a step forward only to make her grunt in frustration, the young Colonel pressed this new type of warfare that he taken as inspiration. A familiar blue haired woman entered his mind when he hissed out words that followed to carve out his heart, "I wonder how many you've killed Akame. How many innocent men, woman, or even children were you ordered to kill? You think you're the only seeking redemption, is that why you finally caved into your cowardice to betray the nation that you served?"

The girl rolled to the side as she performed a series of slashes and expertly refined movements that made him fall back briefly. His saber caught the cursed blade that would end his life even if it scratched him, the black blade came fluently slice nearly into her rib cage. He focused on nothing but to keep her contained, he couldn't ill afford anyone to be hit by her and as much as it pained him to fight. Tatsumi needed to fight in order for those he cared for to survive, he nothing in response to this madness and nothing came to aid him in his fight for survival.

Even as the assassin harshly ordered him, "Shut your damned mouth."

Perhaps that was a sign his words were piercing her own nightmares.

Finally.

"What? You think you're a good person as well? Murderers can't ever be forgiven, I know you and Kurome were under the Assassination Squads that the Empire created. Regrettably I don't much more then that but honestly." Here the young Colonel laughed coldly while forcing her back away from the rest of the Jaegers. His blades were nearly cutting down her parried blocks when he skirted away completely trying to gauge the best way to get through to kill him. Tatsumi waved his arms almost completely at ease in what he was stating to her.

He pressed her, he wanted to know what it was like to pretend to fight for justice! He wanted to know just what drove a person like her to cower before her very life to not stand against those who made her in what she did so. To flee like a coward, "How many children did you kill? How many people? Family members whose loved ones you took, you're no different from the other countless monsters out there, I at least gave them a choice in how they died! To prove that there was a worth in their defiance to that true monstrous creature behind the throne!"

Questions like those were never meant to be answered.

But they were felt!

Akame again didn't respond when she flipped her teigu blade to faintly skim the exterior of the darkened armor, those two red orbs were flaring like they were alive. She stared right at them unflinching to see them damning her into the abyss, they were nothing but soulless orbs of damnation that could never be sated. She rolled away from a swing before managing to get inside the guard of the larger armored user who merely flapped its wings in agitation. The gust of the artificial limbs slashed water at her to obscure her vision briefly.

Murasame came to within inches of impaling it's sharp edge against his inner thigh...

Yet the Colonel locked his elbow against the flat side of her wrist causing her to wince at the pressure alone.

He loomed over her while forcing her back.

Every step he took against her she had to concede ground because of his larger weight and size, the wings were folded back to even add more resistance when her target growled out. His words were continuously striking at her in ways no sword, or spear could ever do in such a short amount of time. Tatsumi refused to allow her any room to maneuver, "You can't hide the horror's you've done in life, no one can and I am no different. I can see their faces, the faces that whisper those damning words that come all too easily when I stare at myself in a mirror. They whisper to kill me, to damn me and to always call me the very thing that I try so hard to forget." The girl in his vision seemingly wanted to refuse those claims, literally she wanted to downright reject it and as much as she wanted to hate him.

She had indeed killed many.

Hundreds if not thousands of people under the Empire's orders.

Her hand started to tremble when the armored teigu user crushed the limb that was entrapped. Her body practically began to quiver as the cold exterior of the armor touched her flesh. Both eyes were growing wider as Akame felt something oppressive looming over her, the armor user aside did the assassin stare up at those red orbs which burned with a gaze that went right through herself. She snarled out of reflex before watching the black blade raised above her head.

Her eyes went wide as she tried violently to get her limb out of the winged armored user's grip.

"In the end why does is it matter? Maybe I'll never understand, or maybe I'm just completely worthless to try to do anything good."The winged avian user said bitterly through the helm, Tatsumi angled his blade so that it'd pierce the girl's chest and by extension her lungs. His blood burned with the need to end the threat in his grip, he had to end her and he'd oblige the call to war after suppressing it for so long. No longer could he hold back the surge that demanded to be sated, no longer could he deny that urge to kill and no longer could he remain a fair person.

"Just let go."

Those three words empowered him beyond anything he could ever imagine. Tatsumi closed his eyes briefly to hear the cries of a young boy, a child forced to cut down many and it was all for nothing. He saw himself standing there with a bloodied sword in hand, the line of headless corpses kneeling over to face the men who ordered their demise. He could see it all, the looks, the pleas, the damnation and all their rage scarred him so much. How many more would have to die before someone like himself would appear again?

Just how many more would need to be buried?

He opened his eyes to see Akame glare defiantly at the weapon being raised over her head.

"Let go, Tatsumi."

The blade would have descended if not for something he didn't foresee.

A limb stopped his intent dead cold.

"Forgive me, but my master is most adamant to have you restrained." A flat voice spoke up from behind him as the Colonel blinked owlishly to see the horned man gripped the sharp edge of the blade from cutting into the pinned assassin. Tatsumi looked to see a gray shaded man through his helmet literally stopping the blade from moving an inch, he tried to move the weapon but it felt like he had lodged it into granite. Grunting internally the young Colonel desperately tried to wedge the blade through the horned man's fingers.

The saber remained firmed in this man's grip.

Slowly the man forcefully brought his weapon to lay level at his side, he turned to Akame who had a look of relief on her face. He motioned her to break free, "You can break free now, Akame. All the measures are in place, so allow me to restrain our captive. I promise I'll cook a feast when we get back, alright?" With that faint smile in place, it made the black haired assassin smile gratefully in return to her comrade. Tatsumi jerked his arm back to reclaim his weapon but the man merely turned back to him almost like he were taking his time.

The man stared at him as if trying to gauge his expression through the armored carapace.

Instead Najenda appeared directly on his left side, her lone eye stared at him akin to pity. Pity for what he had been saying and ultimately her tone became resigned, "What happened to that young man who had a fire in his eyes? Despite that naivety I saw a young man who truly wanted the best for his dreams, I honestly wanted to see in who or what you'd become, but it seems that Bulat's words were in vain. A pity but that is what happens when a person falls into depravity that is our nation."

Tatsumi snorted loudly through the helm as he returned her words with his own.

It didn't take a genius to hear how disgusted he sounded, "Oh really? So says the one serving a cause that kills innocent people. Don't take the moral high ground here assassin because I've seen what your Revolution does to men who they think deserves to die. It's no different from that monster behind the throne so don't hide the truth. You're the damned traitor to our country, general." Najenda didn't even flinch at the accusation because she idly flexed her metal gauntlet to have it creak a few times. Her lone eye carried little remorse to his angered tone especially in what came next.

It shocked the young Colonel because it wasn't just the callousness...

Because it was the truth.

"Innocent's are merely collateral, they will always be collateral when battlefields erupt and the enemies that are locked in combat. It's called War, Colonel, a thing that you've all but seen except you're not an expert on it. Not even close." She sounded almost justified when her eye stared right through him, Tatsumi refused to accept that she justified her actions. Were the innocent really so worthless to those who wanted to change everything?

Again the man locked his hand around the blade and this time around the young Colonel witness the flesh on the man's hand. Ever so slightly he twisted the blade to have it cut into the flesh and something rather specific was missing when this horned man didn't flinch. Maybe it was the toleration this man had for pain could have stood out for one thing.

"No way."

It simplified itself before his eyes.

"He's not human."

The lack of blood from the blade's sharpened edge.

Najenda seemingly waved her remaining arm as if explaining the weather, an irony that weather seemed far more natural then the expression on her face. Her tone brokered no room for sympathy to him, "The thing about Esdeath is that she's always been overly eager to fight. No matter how many soldiers, enemies and whatever she deems to be a conquest, she's always been predictable. Trust me watching her suppress rebellion and revolts, it's rather memorable." She stared directly at his red orbs that were burning with rage, she merely spoke the condemned fate of his actions.

Infuriating emotions arose inside his heart when Najenda even had a smirk in place, "You have the same attitude as her, maybe you've rubbed off on her and what not. Hell, you rush right in and don't even bother to understand why. So in other words your time around her has made you the very same thing, Colonel. Predictable." Those words were more insulting then hurtful in any shape or form for the soldier to listen too. He withheld all urges to not attempt to cut her down for those comments.

His arm clenched when the horned man shifted as the armored teigu user started to pull back. Tatsumi merely tilted his head at former general, "If that's the case, then am I truly what you're all so desperate to avoid? The Revolution will bury more and more, as the Empire has already done, so tell me will it end? How many more will it take for everyone to see? Because I highly doubt spilling more blood is going to appease those who already been buried." His form trembled when started to chuckle spitefully, in fact the young Colonel felt that blood boiling emotion called hatred. Tatsumi had been hateful in his life but none now so potently, it consumed his heart to make it heart to beat amongst the living world.

Najenda remained silent for a moment while contemplating even as the horned man barely flinched at the strength of the winged armored user.

"Will it end? No, but I think it's a good of a start as any."

The Night-Raid leader said simply while looking down at him, "It doesn't change the fact that you're a wanted man Colonel. Either you come with us willingly, or we take you in as a broken display and it doesn't matter to me what you choose." Her words echoed into his ears as that sentence echoed into his ears. The armored seemingly entrapping those words as his disbelief rose to new levels, did the Revolution truly believe that it'd end?

That was it?

"No, but I think it's a good of a start as any."

Really?

She thought it'd be a good start?

"How fucking naive are these people truly?"

It wouldn't end even if the Empire was destroyed! They would be in the very same situation as they were in now. If a new nation did arise from the ashes, the corruption still wouldn't be destroyed or even removed. It'd come back, it'd come back eventually and it'd would never learn its lesson in being allowed to exist. Why bother in trying to eliminate it now when it was plentiful, when it was so obvious and when it was an open target?

The Revolution would only prolong the inevitable decay unless they purged it out before it'd have time to grow once again. "They think that it'll just magically go away? Once the Empire falls, the true face and all the real horrors will only begin. It'll hide itself away among them, it will come back and it will repeat itself in whatever fashion it thrives to make it true." That thought was so utterly asinine that it became almost like a damned joke. It made Tatsumi snicker briefly when they'd think it'd be a good start, to rip out the foundations of the very home they were birthed in and that was a good start? For moment he kept on snickering before he started to laugh loudly.

Just as the lightning flashed overhead.

He laughed for all it was worth and he truly started to let go. It was not because of what others thought about him, no that wasn't it. It boiled down to the people standing right in front of him, if the Empire were to be ripped apart then what? How many countries would allow it to piece itself back together, how many millions of souls would be buried because of how cruel this world was at it's heart? The corruption would be absorbed in other places of the world and it'd continue to spread. It would spread until someone like him would be at the center of it's suffocating presence to realize it all over again.

It'd be a cycle of a never ending war within the soul of humanity...

So he laughed for all his heart's worth.

All in complete earnest because of how stupid these Revolutionaries were!

It hurt to breathe when he looked over at the stunned Night-Raid leader, she looked like she had just seen a ghost. So despite that madness they were supporting, Tatsumi offered a rather genuine reassurance, "You think you know? There's a big difference between assuming and knowing what will happen to anyone in the future. So let me assure you, as long as there is breath within me, as long as there is a will to hold me together!" His armored frame began to shift violently making the horned man narrow his eyes alarming. The young Colonel didn't say a word just as he dropped the saber to the muddied ground in where it sank.

His fist clenched as from beneath the confines of the armor did a faint wailing echo into his ears.

When he looked into the orbs of the thing holding his limb, he hissed out his last defiance to the world and to their cause. Tatsumi had enough of them, "I will never yield to you traitors, I will never stop in my dreams and I will allow your cause to spread. That is my duty as a soldier of the Empire and I shall never back down from the likes of you cowards. Never!"

Seemingly like a fluid motion his free arm pulled back and his fist clenched with all the pain that echoed inside him. All the anger that surged after years and years of being held back, it all came surging forward like a tidal wave. His eyes were wide with a hatred not seen since the very atrocities that awakened him to the cruel reality of the world, Tatsumi felt all the deaths and lives he had ruined onto his shoulders. He felt that weight, that weight he willingly bared for the guilt that ate him night and day had finally peaked over the control he held inside his mind.

So for once in his life and for once he listened to those three words that gave him a means to an end.

"Just let go."

Esdeath's words washed over him like a cooling cascade of water and it truly felt...

The fist smashed into the horned man's face as a small boom of pressure released itself to crush the earth around them.

It felt liberating.

And the man was sent flying towards the opposite side of the canyon walls to have rocks fall over him to conceal his form from view. Boulders,a series of muddy rivers and fountains of water all fell upon the horned figure who became obscured to those watching the sight. Thunder boomed overhead when he looked over to the Night-Raid leader who watched in a single eye baring horror to see something similar to this young man. Najenda felt her heart freeze over when she looked on to see the wings of the teigu user to spread out fully and the intent was inside those red orbs that pierced her flesh to the depths of her mind alone.

The former General saw a figure siding alongside the young Colonel who retrieved his fallen saber on the muddied earth.

"No! No, no! Not another one!"

When Tatsumi raised his black blade at her stunned form.

She saw a familiar demonized outline of a blue haired woman standing right on the side of him with her rapier raised at her as well. It brought back the phantom pains in which her eye socket throbbed, so she reached towards her patch. Her mind refusing to see in what had been created, she saw the very same person who robbed her of her own dreams to create peace. Najenda pressed her mouth into a thin line to see the same monster that plagued her nightmares.

"Esdeath."

The Revolution had two real monsters to contend with now.

And unfortunately for her...

She was the target of this newly awakened monster itself.

A bluish cloak stood over the mountain that washed over the valley floor, the canyons that split the lands and craved into the earth itself. Gusts of wind on the updrafts threatened to expose the face behind the hood that concealed it's details in shadow, the Observer who stood watch over the events down below smiled. The storm may have obscured the gaze of those who wanted to understand yet the true face of the world itself had come forth. It wasn't that hard to imagine that spine tingling sensation in when something had shifted.

Something had awakened and it certainly could be felt.

Blue smiled even when lightning cracked the sky to briefly illuminate his flesh.

A pair of eyes were sparkling in sheer excitement now.

Off to the side another figure in an akin cloak spoke up warily, "My lord we should depart. This storm is just getting worse and those fighting in that valley below are well beyond our assistance." The man didn't reply to the suggestion before shifting to lower the hood to stop the falling rain water from hitting him in the face. Slowly he turned to face the other individual who seemingly felt uneasy under the deteriorated conditions to face down his superior.

"Don't you feel that subtle change in the air, my friend?"

The question was met with a puzzling silence.

Blue grinned beneath his hood, "You know what it is? I can say it's the deep breath before the plunge. The calm before the storm, if you'd imagine it. The irony of today and how nature seemingly prepares itself for the struggle ahead!" His cloak got whipped up by the wind as the Observer watched the sight below him. The struggle that became all the more of a reality had resurfaced after a long time of absence, a long time that had been waiting and had returned anew to restart an age old dedication.

Change.

"Are you going to interfere with the one you've invested into, sir?" The other cloaked individual remarked almost curiously as Blue merely hummed thoughtfully. For a moment he remained silent and only the sounds of the raging storm could be heard. Even though the silence was brief, Blue finally turned around to face his subordinate all the more equally.

Raising his hands he just scoffed out loud, "And why would I interfere? If fate requires for change to come then I'll oblige it by nudging the players to their destinations. However no matter what is said, we observe and we watch until it is time to reveal all the pieces in play, my dear friend. After all the good book revealed only a fraction in what's coming." The man spoke exhaling enjoying the gusts of wind that seemingly wanted to reveal his face to the world. He manged to briefly hold the sides of the fabric while turning around to see change well on it's way onto the world.

"So you'll allow your investment to perish? Just like that?"

The straightforward question made the head of Observers shrug casually about the one they spoke about.

"If it's his fate to die then I will not try to fight it. As in nature does everything survive regardless of what is thrown at it. So it'd be a cruel thing for one such as that kid to die now, but who am I to try to stop the will of the future? I'm not a god, so where's the effort in that?" Blue remarked all the more bemused while returning to his observations on the battle field below them. Neither of the two wanted to say much more after that, it would have been the end for it.

It seemed to be the end of their conversation expect for one thing.

Casually snapping his fingers, Blue spoke with a grim yet a very satisfied smile in place. "However it'd be a more crueler fate for him to survive as well. Destiny can be cruel at times, only because for those who deny their fate is nothing but to show in how cruel our world will become, so that is the price if change is ever to come. So relax my friend, we're just doing our job all the more respectively now."

And with that the two's conversation ended under the pouring rain.

Just as an explosion rocked their location from the battlefield below them in the valley.

A new war had begun.

End Chapter Thirty Five

Author's Note: As always leave a review, I mean the more I get, the more likely I'll be motivated to get the next chapters set.

I'd been listening to a lot of Within-Temptation recently, so their songs rubbed off on me for this chapter.

Let the confusion come forth, I like it and I shall keep you guessing until the end my friends. I shall leave you to guess is to imply you're wrong, or maybe, you'd be right to figure it out. The end of this ARC is coming closer, I'm literally circulating through a lot of possibilities and unfortunately I don't think I'll ever get it perfect. There's a lot detail, a lot of consideration for what or for who is going to react to whatever the fight brings itself about. I can only have faith in you readers to be completely set for what is coming.

A few people had some questions regarding to Tatsumi acting more sinister when the gloves come off.

So the monologue moments are a merely a means to convey how far his mind is becoming sick at not just the Revolution but of himself. There's a self satisfying feeling to see a character literally break away because everything has aligned to stand against him. This is the true challenge inside this story, to watch and imagine a self-destructive moral decay of a man whose had enough of all the negativity that damned against his life. Tatsumi is reaching that point in where you start to see the results of the world and how it affects many people who can grasp it's truer nature.

There's more at work then you'd realize if you can read in-between the lines of our main character's descent and eventual ascension through into the future.

Another person threw me back to second chapter, about how Night-Raid were 'shitting their pants' at the sight of him. Well regarding that, it was merely a shock to see such a regular person give off a nasty atmosphere in itself. Overtime that shock and momentarily fear in fighting something dormant was what I implied, that internal fear has eroded into a burning hatred since then. Honestly the moods are flipped with Tatsumi now, so really things are a lot more worse off then these words if you look at the big picture. What's done is done and I've probably reached the point in where many people that read this are more then invested at this point in time.

Regarding the assumptions and views on the Revolution's end game via Tatsumi's thoughts, I ask you to ask yourselves whether corruption could survive. In any given new country arising from the ashes of the old, if you don't kill or remove the sources of this moral disease in a society. Will the fragments just unassumingly come back to form the core of the issue again in another future? You have to place yourself in our main characters shoes, the bad in people doesn't just go away, in his mind he has to remove it because the message and intent are what force people to change their ways.

So in this case...

Tatsumi has reached his breaking point while remaining idle far too long for his control to last.

And the result: the fight you're about to view in the future chapters.

Well you have to wait see, so I wish you are all safe and to have good fortunes wherever you live at.