Disclaimer, I do not own Dark Souls or Akame ga Kiru

Soul of the Betrayed

Adrien stepped slowly down the streets, a heavy downpour coming down in the afternoon, his armor and body soaked to the bone. Not many were out, only the occasional bystander, all of whom had some kind of rain-gear, looking at the knight strangely for his lack of any. He was currently equipped in his elite knight set. The well designed short robes that covered well concealed chainmail would do well to protect him without hindering his movements, the large metal pauldron on his left shoulder and the shiny angular helm made it distinct amongst even his large array of armor and clothes.

He had not slept or truly rested in nearly a week since his last encounter with Night Raid, and Run's funeral. He was constantly patrolling, searching for the reclusive group. The assassins had not shown their face in the same time, a clear indicator they were in hiding, and not taking any chances after losing a member, and having two others injured, one of which being permanently crippled.

The first few days of his restlessness had come with his companions showing concern for him, mostly Seryu and Bols. Wave also showed his concern, but was more adamant to keep his distance from the knight. Esdeath had also commented on his searching, noting if he worked himself too hard he would eventually be no good. But there was also a sense of understanding to her words, obviously seeing why he was doing it, and not outright objecting to it.

He was doing this to punish himself.

Of course, this was no real punishment. As an Undead, he did not need sleep, nor food or drink. Instead his punishment was to patrol on his own, while everyone else worked in alternating pairs. While he was used to wandering alone, the company he had been privy to in the last few months was something he very much enjoyed. He could tell the others were somewhat worried, even Esdeath had begun to somewhat show her concern, although only in small ways. This punishment of his was also because of his lack luster performance. Despite his power, he had been mostly holding back against Night Raid, knowing they had the best of intentions, and based on his own research, had done real good in their missions. He still did not wish to fight them, but knew it was a stretch to say he could reason with them, at least not without holding a sword to their throat of course.

Adrien shook his head of that thought, he wasn't going to resort to such measures. As he continued his trek through the city, his thoughts wandered to all of his encounters since awakening to the new age. Most would be considered victories for himself, but at an unnecessary cost to two of those encounters.

Dr. Stylish and Run were both deaths that were possibly avoidable if he had truly gone all out on Night Raid, but his convictions of the group prevented him from doing so. His first fight with Night Raid resulted in a net zero since neither side really lost anything. His fight Against Bulat and Akame had resulted in both his and Bulat's death, something Adrien still considered a 'loss' for the most part. And the fight within the canyon could be considered a straight loss due to his axe being stolen from him. All in all he didn't have a great track record.

That would end though. With him patrolling on his own, it not only might encourage Night Raid to attack him, but also would prevent any of his companions from being caught up in a potential fight. Although it could also have the opposite effect, perhaps seeing this as an opportunity for the assassins to take care of the 'weaker' groups without having to worry about him. It was a risk, but he was given little choice. Adrien briefly looked up to the still raining sky and sighed, hoping that the emperor would heed his words and be proactive in his efforts.

Seryu cleaned her new sword diligently, her reflection in the grey metal looking back at her, showing a downcast expression. She missed Run. She missed Dr Stylish too, his funeral still fresh in her mind. Her hand gripped the sword a little tighter, her face turning into a scowl. Night Raid. You will face Justice...all of you. Koro nudged her leg, and her expression softened as she pat the dog's head. Then she thought back to Adrien's encounters with the group, and all he had said to her. She shook her head.

"I... shouldn't be getting worked up. But I can't help it." Seryu said to herself. She looked up from her sword at the empty courtyard around her, it was the middle of the day, and rain was pouring down heavily. She was sheltered by the overhang she was under, but she remembered that Adrien was still out in the city, searching. "He shouldn't be out there alone. Its not his fault..." Ever since Run had died, Adrien seemed to blame himself for the young man's death, and while her and Bols had tried to dissuade him of such a notion, the knight seemed adamant to make up for his 'mistake'. Even Esdeath seemed to be at least somewhat concerned for him, despite initially being very disappointed in him.

"Still concerned about Adrien?" a young voice called to her, and she looked behind her to see Kurome had come to visit, a bag of cookies still in her hand. Seryu nodded deftly after getting over the sudden shock of the girl's appearance. "I wouldn't." Kurome said simply as she sat down next to the orange haired girl, who's eyes turned somewhat miffed at that.

"Why? Adrien might be strong, but he's not invincible, what if Night Raid ambushed him and he's not prepared? What if he gets captured, or killed?" Seryu asked challengingly at Kurome, who's expression had not changed.

"He won't. He's fought off four members of Night Raid singlehandedly, is immune to poison, and is inhumanly tough. Even if they did get the drop on him, I wouldn't be surprised if he was still able to win, or at least get away." Kurome's words seemed to strike with Seryu as the guard's face went from miffed to one of somewhat shocked curiosity. "No, what you should be worried about is if he'll decide to leave the Jaegers." This made Seryu's face instantly turn into an expression of anger.

"He would never!" Seryu shouted, standing up suddenly, and Koro falling down, shocked. "Adrien would never abandon us! He's saved our lives, he's fought alongside us, he's killed members of Night Raid as well! He's-"

"He's not human." Kurome's interruption caused Seryu to pause as her face scrunched up. Kurome's face remained neutral as she looked out into the courtyard and continued. "No human should be able to use so many different Shingu, or be able to wield multiple weapons and armor that rival imperial arms in power so effortlessly. He's demonstrated impressive strength and durability that is not derived from some armor he wears, but instead seems to be his own body. And of course, the most damning evidence is that he's immune to Murasame's poison. Whatever he is, he's not human." Kurome let her words hang in the air as she bit into another cookie while Seryu stared at her slack-jawed.

"N-No. Your lying! And even if he wasn't, that doesn't mean he-"

"Do you remember Sheele? The member of Night Raid with purple hair that he 'eviscerated' in front of your eyes?" Kurome asked, and hesitantly, Seryu nodded, ignoring the interruption. "If that was the case, then how come me, Wave, Bols, and Adrien all fought her within the canyon? If you don't believe me there, ask Wave and Bols. They'll tell you who they fought." Seryu's face seemed to lose it's color as she said those words. "If your wondering, I haven't told Esdeath, and I doubt Wave and Bols have fully realized it yet who they fought. But..." Kurome stood up and looked at Seryu with a fierce gaze. "I will eventually have to tell them, or maybe before then Esdeath will realize it if she sees Sheele. Either way, let me ask you this, How confident are you that Adrien won't betray us?"

"Ouch! Watch it will ya?" A complaint escaped the mouth of Sasha, and recent recipient of two new robotic limbs. The blue haired girl laid in the small bed provided within the secluded confines of the secret revolutionary base. The doctor beside her had a large brown beard and wore a standard lab coat along with glasses on his nose. He sighed with exasperation.

"Ma'am, I'm just tryn' to help, now, can you feel this?" the doctor asked as he gently shook her metal foot, and shortly afterward, she nodded. "Good, you'll probably be a bit wobbly before you get used to them, but once you do, you'll be right as' rain." He said with a small smile, before the door to the room opened and Najenda walked in, a recently lit cigarette in her mouth. "Miss Najenda, I would ask if you please didn't smoke within the infirmary." The commander of Night Raid stared at the doctor for a moment, an incredulous and challenging look on her face, before it broke down into a humorous laugh.

"I told you not to call me Miss, Freddy. I still owe you an arm." Najenda said as she held up her robotic appendage, and then directed her gaze to Sasha. "And now she owes you two legs." She said before seeing his unchanged gaze, and reluctantly putting out her cigarette and throwing it away.

"You owe the revolutionary army those limbs, not me. And please refer to me as Fredrick, if you aren't going to call me doctor." Fredrick said sternly, and Najenda merely shrugged as she moved past him to the bed.

"Whatever you say doc." Najenda's casual reply only got an annoyed grunt from the doctor as he left, leaving the two in privacy as he closed the door. They sat for a brief moment in silence as Najenda looked at Sasha with a look of sympathy. "I understand the feeling." Sasha merely stared at her now robotic legs with a small scowl

"I should have defeated him. I should be looking for him now."

"Doing what? Crawling after him and slapping him with your nubs?" Najenda replied sternly. "You need to rest, we all do, thats why we're hiding out here for now. Were nearly two hundred miles from the city. Sure, our objective isn't getting anywhere closer, but we're just going to have to play this smarter. Avoid Esdeath and Adrien, take out the smaller targets before we get to our main objective." Najenda paused, letting Sasha absorb the information. "When your ready, we'll come back and get you."

"What!?" Sasha exclaimed, shocked at the sudden sidelining.

"We need to be cautious from now on, we still have a mission, and your not ready to join the fray again. Like I said, once you're better and ready to fight, I'll come back and retrieve you." Sasha was practically fuming as Najenda said this. "I know you still want to get back at him, but killing yourself isn't going to accomplish anything. Just be patient, okay?" Reluctantly, Sasha sat back in her bed, and looked out the window into the forest that surrounded the building.

"I hate it when other people are right... Fredrick was always right." Sasha remembered, fond memories of one of her best friends coming into her forethoughts. Najenda looked at her with pity, knowing who she was thinking of, and knowing that pain first hand. "I... I shouldn't have left like I did. At least, thats what I think to myself sometimes. But then I remember if I had died, then who would be there to avenge them?"

"You want your vengeance, you'll get it. I can't guarantee you'll be the one to take him down for good, but I can at least assure you you won't miss it." Najenda said confidently, but her words seemed to have no effect on the woman in bed, her gaze fixated on the window. "Just, don't push yourself too hard."

"Fucking Run!" A masked man screamed as he and his cohorts tried to flee their building, tripping over themselves to get away from the man who had just broke into their building of operations. Around them were several dozen chemical stations, all producing a highly addictive drug that that was sold throughout the empire. It's calming, suggestive and numbing effects were especially popular with criminals and thugs who would use the drug to spike someone's drinks, convince them to hand over the key to their house, and promptly steal all their belongings.

Another strategy among buyers of the substance would spike a woman's drink and take advantage of her, or worse, get a woman addicted to the substance and manage to sell her off to slavers or whoever wanted her. Those that made the chemical knew this well, and those that used it in their activities paid high dollar for a genuine supply. It was also quite popular with imperial officials who would use it rather brazenly, and thanks to the prime minister, the discipline and drive to crack down on the production of these drugs was minimal at best. So it made it all the more confusing when an official member of the Jaegers found their location, and started cleaving through their members one by one.

A blood splatter covered the floor of the chemical room where the makers of the drug had just fled, the limp body of the guard falling, now missing and arm, cleanly cut right at the shoulder. Adrien stepped over the body as he pushed forward. He remembered hearing about the drug, and what it could do to people back in the capital, but only here had he stumbled upon a deal in-progress, and managed to beat the location of the manufacturer out of the supplier. The Elite knight armor had blood covering it's right arm, and parts of the helmet were covered in blood, a clear sign of the damage Adrien had caused so far.

Four more guards rushed in, all wearing a mask for their nose and mouth, all armed with pistols and all of them trained them on the knight. Adrien merely raised his shield, and the bullets pinged off harmlessly. Adrien swiftly approached them, the bullets doing nothing to slow him. The guards shot at his legs, and managed to illicit blood sprays, but he did not slow.

"What the fuck is this guy!" The closest guard said as he ran out of bullets, and thus, Adrien was upon him. Adrien cracked the edge of his shield against the man's head, resulting in the man falling to the ground immediately with a bleeding head wound. The second guard attempted to draw a sword, but Adrien was upon him with an uppercut with his free hand, sending the man flying upwards and back into crates of ingredients. The other two managed to draw their swords, and rushed him at the same time. Adrien gripped his knight shield with both hands and shoved it forward, simultaneously blocking the attacks, and shoving them back. Adrien kicked the one on his right in the stomach while blocking another strike from the one on his left. A haymaker quickly dispatched of him as well. They were both down for the count, the blunt force trauma too much for their bodies to handle. Adrien pushed forward wordlessly.

The back door to the location was now wide open, the people escaping quickly, taking files and important documents with them. All their product however was left behind, and the evidence that they were there never taken care of. The alley was full of the sound of rushing footsteps as the men fled, their guards staying behind to try to hold off their invader. Adrien came through a final set of double doors and was greeted with a myriad of tables and chairs, all with papers and documents strewn about, while he wasn't exactly an expert investigator, even he could tell they had been looking for their most important files.

If he wanted, he could chase them, but he knew that with them fleeing, they would lead him to more production areas and offer a chance to shutdown more of the production of the drug. At least, that was the theory. Guards rush in, these in particular having rifles, the first to have them since he started his assault. He rushed them back, and heard the rifle fire as he rapidly approached them. Bullets clanged off his shield as he held it in front of him and slammed into the first guard, sending his rifle flying. Adrien reached into his bottomless box and withdrew the pair of dark curved swords with foreign designs on them. The sellsword twinblades made quick work of the first two guards as Adrien used both and arced into a powerful attack that cut across both men. Blood spewed from their wounds as Adrien attacked, and as the other guards attempted to take him down, they followed suit.

Seryu walked the streets with purpose, remembering Adrien's route exactly, and aiming to confront him. Mr Adrien... Seryu thought as she walked, her conflicted feelings coming to the forefront of her mind. Why? Why would you do this? Wave and Bols said the same thing. That Sheele assassin is alive, and still owns her imperial arms. Thats... Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as she saw men running away hurriedly from a building to her right. The broken, open door to the structure a clear indication of some form of invasion. She equipped her twin pistols and rushed to the door, quickly looking inside for threats.

Seryu gasped as she saw the wreckage within. Koro sniffed around curiously, going towards the bodies of the downed guards. A few of them were still breathing, but only barely. Then she noticed it. The smell of aphrodisiacs and artificial refinement. While she hadn't been a guard for a terribly long time, she had been around enough to recognize the smell of drugs. While in their refined state most were odorless to humans, the process of making them, and the cheaper, less refined versions of the same drug often had an artificial and sickening stench.

Seryu knew better than to expose herself to potential toxic fumes, and covered her ace with a plain green bandana. She brought out her pistols as her and Koro cautiously entered. This must have been some kind of production facility. But its operation right here in the middle of town, how could the guard have let this kind of place slip by? Was it covered up that well? Seryu continued past the corpses and lucky few unconscious as she walked into the rather dingy interior. As she looked upon the carnage, she noticed loose bullets littered the ground, the lead tips bent and warped, having hit something extremely solid, and bounced off of it. Theres nothing around here that could have done something like this. Except for Adrien... Seryu picked up the pace as that thought crossed her mind, now determined to find the end of the destruction, and it's culprit.

Adrien dropped the now corpse of one of the workers from the production site, the body hitting the dark stone of the alleyway. The white froth from the corner of the man's mouth an indication he had consumed something to end his own life. Like the last three had. Adrien had attempted to pursue and infiltrate another production facility, but the workers were simply going to remote locations and attempting to dispose of the documents in one form or another. He had stopped them, but when he attempted to interrogate them, they would somehow consume something already in their mouths and kill themselves. He assumed it was something hidden within their teeth, but had yet to find a way to stop them. At least he had the documents. After putting them into his bottomless box however, something tugged at him, a feeling that was both familiar and unfamiliar. It was telling him to turn around, and when he did, he saw a familiar silhouette.

"Seryu." Adrien said simply as he began to approach his friend, but she did not move, instead she was looking at him with a mix of relief and... apprehension. The conflicted expression was not lost on him. "Is something the matter?" A growling sound came from below him, and when he looked down he saw Koro baring his teeth at him. He's never done that before. Whats gotten into him? He looked back up and saw Seryu removing the bandana that was covering her mouth and nose.

"Is it true?" Seryu asked, her voice cracking with emotion as she looked at her previously most trusted friend. Adrien looked at her and cocked his head, before he could question her, she spoke again. "Is it true you kept a member of Night Raid alive!?" Adrien paused, his posture becoming stiff as she said his. "That Sheele woman from Night Raid, I thought you had killed her that night, so why did Kurome tell me that she was there when you ambushed Night Raid, and was able to take your axe!?" Seryu's tone became louder and angrier as she confronted him, but her tone also conveyed what she felt the most. Betrayal.

"Why!? Why would you let her live, give her the imperial arms back, and then take her back to Night Raid! Tell me!" Seryu's rant became more frantic as tears streamed down her face, the storm of emotions inside her coming out. Adrien said nothing for a moment. Instead he allowed her this, as it was a long time coming.

"Seryu." Adrien's calm tone seemed to take a bit of the edge off of Seryu's angered expression, but it did not fade. "I'm sorry, after everything. You most of all, deserve to know the truth." Seryu's eyes widened as a stabbing sensation entered her heart, the feeling from earlier coming back in it's purest form, as her worst fear seemed to be coming true. "I am not human." And just like that, as if a bolt of lighting had struck her, that feeling of betrayal and heartbreak was marred with confusion.

Najenda watched carefully as Tatsumi sparred with Susanoo. The two were fighting hand-to-hand, and Tatsumi was doing considerably well for himself. They were all in a small training area at the rebellion's base, the plain dirt ground having a large square drawn into it to signify the sparing area. It was plainly clear that Tatsumi was losing, and had taken multiple hits, but he was not giving up, and had managed to land a few on the organic imperial arms as well, but it was impossible to know given the regeneration factor he had.

"Doing pretty well isn't he?" Lubbock said as he approached Najenda, and she nodded, although the stoic look never left her face. Lubbock turned his attention to the fight, watching as Susanoo attempted to deliver a right hook to Tatsumi, who managed to avoid it juts in time. "So, is this your training, or..?"

"He requested it. In fact, he's been sparring quite a bit lately. Mostly with Susanoo and Leone, but still, he's been keeping himself busy..." At that, her face grew a bit apprehensive, a look of concern on her face as she continued to watch the match. Lubbock quickly picked up on why she looked concerned, his own face copying her visage.

"Too busy, right?" Lubbock inquired, to which Najenda slowly nodded. They watched Tatsumi's face as he fought. Most people would see his face and think he was simply very determined and focused, but she knew better, underneath that face was a boy angry enough to slaughter half an army, not only was he angry at the empire, and at Adrien, but also himself.

"He blames himself for everything that happened that night. I understand why, but he's barely gotten any real rest since then. He might not look like it, but he's very sleep deprived. I admire his determination, but he's no good to us dead." Najenda stated while crossing her arms, Lubbock nodding in understanding as he watched Tatsumi continue to dodge and weave. Only now he noticed that Tatsumi's eyes had dark circles under them, and looked as if he hadn't slept in days.

"Have you talked to him about it yet?" Lubbock asked simply.

"Not yet. I'm wondering how far he's actually going to go. Leone has already warned him about pushing himself too hard, but that seemed to have gone nowhere. I'll talk to him tonight if I'm not called somewhere, but in case I am, I want you to talk to him." At that, Lubbock's expression became one of shock and disbelief as he turned to face Najenda.

"What!? Why me?" Lubbock asked, and Najenda simply smirked as she turned her gaze to meet his.

"Because Akame has her own training to do, and while the others can help, I trust you to get him on the right track again." Lubbock looks down, but then nodded somewhat hesitantly.

"I can try at least." Lubbock said as he looked back to Tatsumi, just in time to see him get punched in the gut by Susanoo, and knocked on his ass. "Well, I'll go ahead and say something, try to get him to take a break right now at least." Lubbock says as he nears the fallen assassin. He glances at Susanoo, who looks back, and they exchange a nod. Najenda ushers Susanoo away as Tatsumi struggles to get up.

"Had enough?" Lubbock asks teasingly, earning a sharp glare from the downed assassin. "Come on, you're there on the floor by your own devices. Get up and I'll treat you to something to drink. They have a bar around here somewhere, but I hear the booze is shit." Tatsumi manages to stand on his own as Lubbock talks, and sighs.

"No thanks. I have some important training with Incursio in a few hours, I can't afford to be-" Tatsumi was cut off as Lubbock rushed him, and out of shock he fell backwards. He quickly realized now that Lubbock had faked him out.

"Night Raid can't afford for one of it's members biting off more than they can chew. Everyone needs to rest Tatsumi. Give yourself a day or two to relax and heal up, and you'll be ready to train again." Lubbock said, watching with a pitiful gaze as Tatsumi got up slowly. He could tell Tatsumi was in a lot of pain, and was not thinking clearly. He put his arm around Tatsumi's shoulders as they began to walk. "C'mon Tatsumi, lets talk." He then proceeded to lead the young assassin to the 'bar'.

Lubbock took a long swig of his drink as he watched Tatsumi barely give his a sip. They were sitting inside of what the revolutionaries called their bar. Although all it really consisted of was a large tent and a small table where various alcohols were severed. Most of which were watered down to save on the supply. The few tables that were scattered under the tent only had a few other patrons there, and none of them looked terribly happy to be there.

"Man, not only does the booze suck, but so does the bar itself." Lubbock commented as he looked around, and then looked back to Tatsumi, who was staring down at his watered down beer. "I understand." Tatsumi looked back up, his gaze becoming curious.

"Understand what exactly?"

"What your feeling right now." Lubbock's words seemed to strike with Tatsumi as he stopped for a moment, before looking away. "Your blaming yourself for what happened. For Mine... For Sasha, but it isn't your fault, and running yourself ragged like this isn't going to help anyone."

"I'm...not-" Tatsumi stops himself, knowing that Lubbock was right. "But I need to get stronger, for everyone's sake. Akame and Sheele are both training right now aren't they?"

"They are, but they're also taking breaks and resting. You aren't, at least, not enough as you should be." Lubbock said, and Tatsumi didn't respond, instead he merely took a sip of his drink. "Listen, just take it easy for a little while okay? I know you want to be stronger, we all do. That way nothing like whats happened will happen again. But it's going to take time. Alright?" Tatsumi gripped his glass tighter, a frustrated expression on his face, thoughts going back to that night. How Sasha had been maimed, and Mine... There was nothing left but ash. Lubbock was right, he wasn't going to be able to rival that kind of strength overnight.

"Alright. I'll take some time off." Lubbock smiled gently as Tatsumi conceded.

"Undead? But... you don't look... dead." Seryu said weakly after hearing Adrien's explanation. At the moment he was telling her about himself and how he has so many abilities, the weapons he made from his enemy's souls, how magic worked, and how it was uniquely different, the difference between pyromancies, sorceries, and miracles, and much more about his nature.

"Appearances can be deceiving." Adrien said as he sat down on a empty crate within the alley, and then removed his helmet, revealing his face, before he fiddled with his collar and pointed at a place on his neck. Seryu moved closer and while it was difficult with the low light, she was able to see a strange circle that looked to be in a constant state of ember. Her eyes widened as she saw the brand.

"What is that? W-Why is it still... burning?" Seryu said cautiously, a small amount of concern for her friend showing, even if she was conflicted about his true intentions. Koro was looking at Adrien with an angry face at a distance, now wary of the man.

"This is the darksign, a sign of my undead nature. There is no removing it." Adrien began moving his collar back up, but did not put his helmet back on yet. "With it, I cannot truly die, and will be sent back to a bonfire if I sustain too much damage. Among other things." Adrien looked away, his face becoming somber as he once again reflected on the curse, never enjoying the topic, but having accepted it many millennia ago. At least, he assumed it had been that long since he had come to terms with his nature, it was getting increasingly hard to remember. Thats... not good. Adrien thought as his mind concluded what he already knew was true.

"That sounds pretty good... even if you still feel pain." Seryu said a bit reluctantly, still unsure of how to take all this.

"You might think that, but unfortunately it is not that simple. If I lose my purpose in the world, and live without meaning, I will hollow, and if I hollow, I will go mad, unable to tell friend from foe, nothing more than an animal, wrapped in human garb." Seryu seemed skeptical at first, but what would he gain to tell her this? Was he going to mislead her just for the sake of doing it? No, Mr Adrien isn't like that... he wouldn't tell me this if it wasn't the truth. Seryu thought, her mind still trying wrap around the implications of everything Adrien has said. "Thats not all I need to tell you about. The empire have been deceiving you more than even me." At that, Seryu's eyes widened and Adrien began his lengthy explanation of the empire's crimes against it's own people, and the corruption from within. Seryu was silent the whole time, but hearing Adrien's claims made her throat dry, and made her want to scream and tell him he was wrong, but something was stopping her. Something that felt similar to what she had been feeling about Adrien, only now it was directed toward the empire.

"...Thats when I realized the empire had been allowing these types of things to occur." Adrien continued, his eyes drifting to the now cold corpse of the worker. "But there is an even greater threat that could come about if th-"

"Stop." Seryu's simple request made him do so, as he looked at her curiously. "I don't want to hear anymore. No more of your... lies!" Adrien was a bit taken aback by her defiant tone, concern on his face. Did I take this too far? Adrien asked himself, his gaze now set on Seryu's trembling form. Was I too hasty with all this new information? Curses. I should have revealed one thing at at time instead of all at once. Adrien was berating himself, but his thought stopped when Seryu spoke again. "I can't believe you! Ive dedicated my life to the empire! I cant just believe they would do these things!"

"Seryu, please, I know this is a lot, but you must understand that this is the truth. Besides I still need to tell you why these things are far worse than you imagine." Seryu was even more conflicted now. Even after all that, theres something worse? Theres no way! "If this corruption is allowed to fester, it won't only be the empire and it's citizens in danger, but the whole world will be too. There is humanity that is stirring within the capital, and if allowed to continue it will manifest into the abyss, a nigh unstoppable darkness that will consume the world. Please, for the sake of everyone, the Prime minister must be stopped."

Seryu looked at him, her conflicted feelings still present, tears threatening to burst forth once again. She was being asked by the person she trusted the most to betray the empire, the nation she had given her life to, and upon which many of her morals were grounded. But now all of that was being questioned with this new information Adrien had brought to her. She still wasn't sure, she didn't know what to believe, but there was one thing for certain, that even now, some part of her still knew to be true. That Adrien could be trusted.

Author's notes:

I'm Alive! I hate how my update dates are getting farther and farther apart, but for some reason I find that my drive to write seems to waver when many other things in life tend to come up or take my focus. If I had the power to create copies of myself and have one at home, and one at work, I think my life would be perfect, but alas, this isn't My Hero Academia. I guess I should just continue to the best I can.

I'm hoping that with the new year, a new determination will help me make chapters faster, with the same quality, or better, as before. As always I really appreciate all the support you guys have given me over the year, and I'm hoping I'll be able to reciprocate that support with better chapters with shorter in-between times. But anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and as always...

Thanks for reading!