Hey-ho lads, who wants some fucking pudding?
Leone and the rest of the group charged into the mansion, intent on finding this "Kuroshi" girl. From how Porete had described the situation, they were expecting to be met with the mercenaries hired to guard Iokal, ready and raring for a fight. What they got instead, upon entering the mansion, was none of the guards in sight. The place was eerily quiet, and it put them all on edge.
"Leone, can you hear anything?" Akame asked. The girl in question focused her hearing through her cat ears and, after a moment, perked up with a grin.
"I hear fighting coming from this way." She said excitedly before running down the left corridor. The rest of the group followed, and they began to hear it too as they neared. Meaty blows and things being broken, as well as grunts of pain. They began to fear the worst for Kuroshi when they finally reached the room the sounds were coming from. Bulat was just about to break the door down.
But they didn't have to as one of the guards was launched through it, a broken and jagged chair leg jammed through his throat.
Bulat peeked his head inside to see who he assumed to be Kuroshi, dressed in the typical slave rags, piggybacking on one of the guards' backs while putting him in a tight chokehold. She had her legs wrapped around him so he couldn't throw her off, and his mask had been knocked off, revealing his face beginning to turn blue. After stumbling about for a moment, with one quick jerk, she snapped his neck and rolled off him as his corpse hit the floor. Looking around, they noticed the bodies of all the other guards, all slain by this single unarmed woman. As soon as she spotted them, she whipped around and got in a combat stance, eyes hardened.
"Woah, calm down," Lubbock said, holding his hands up in a placating manner. "We're here to help." Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Other than a few bruises, she looked unharmed. Impressive, considering where they were.
"Who sent you?" She questioned.
"We were sent by our leader, Najenda, to assassinate Iokal," Akame explained. "But as we were waiting, your friend, Porete, came along with a rescued slave. He'd already killed the target and said you were still trapped in here." Upon hearing this, Kuroshi relaxed, a ghost of a smile that only Akame noticed on her face.
"He always did worry about me. Thank you for coming to aid me, even if it was not needed." She walked over to a nearby closet and used a table leg to break the lock open. Inside was some foreign-looking armor with a fancy katana, likely her equipment. As she donned her armor, she questioned them a bit more, though with less hostility.
"I'm not surprised he killed Iokal, kuso rokudenashi. Did he get out unscathed?"
"He fucked up his ankle jumping from a balcony while rescuing the slave." Leone said, but Kuroshi, now in her full armor with her face covered, just chuckled.
"Of course he would do something like that, the knucklehead. He's been through worse, he'll be fine." She approached them with her katana sheathed at her hip. "Come, I doubt any of us want to stay here." They followed the woman as they left, her taking the lead.
X
Zulkir examined Yggdrasil closer as he stood in the forest at the stump he used for chopping wood. It was very intricate, more than he'd ever seen a weapon be. Many carvings covered the golden make of its shaft and head, all merging into the legendary tree that was its namesake. Even the pommel had not been neglected, also forged of gold and with two Celtic knots embossed into the sides, topped by a spike that looked sharp enough to pierce flesh if thrust with enough force. But weapons didn't enter legend by being pleasing to the eye.
He grabbed a small log and positioned it on the stump before grasping the gleaming ax with both hands and raising it above his head. Then he brought it down hard and was moderately surprised when it went right through the log. And the stump. And a fair bit into the ground beneath.
"Well." He chuckled as he pulled the ax head out of the ground with little effort. "I think it's safe to say you can cut. This would make mincemeat out of a Lawbringer." He ran the palm of his hand along the blade, grinning as it immediately cut down to the bone. He wiped some blood off on his chest before slinging Yggdrasil across his back and returning to the hideout. The rest of Night Raid was set to return soon after killing the Minister's cousin, Iokal. Zulkir had wanted to go along with them and adequately feed his weapon with blood, but Najenda had ordered him to stay put, much to his dismay. She wanted to make sure Yggdrasil didn't have any other nasty side effects. She was worried it might have nullified his unnatural durability, but that clearly wasn't the case. The only real risk he was at was exhaustion from summoning too many warriors. Then again, you can never have too many warriors at your side, especially if they come from Valhalla directly.
His first stop was the kitchen for some mead. They had restocked since last time, and he had every intention of cleaning them out again. He opened the fridge and grabbed a cold bottle, popping to cork off without issue. Back in Valkenheim, if you wanted to keep your mead and ale cold, you either made an icebox to keep it in or put it in the cold snow if you were desperate.
He removed his helmet and sat down at the table, preparing to take a swig, when he heard the front gate open.
"Guess who's back?!" He heard Leone shout. He picked up his helmet off the table and carried it along with his drink, making his way over to greet them.
"Hej vinr! Have you returned with tales of glory!?" He shouted with warmth as he rounded the corner. But he stopped when he saw the two extra people with them.
"Damn, nice place you have here." The limping Conqueror said as he looked around, his helmet dangling off his hip. The masked Orochi next to him simply nodded, though she was the first of them to notice Zulkir.
"You!" He roared in fury as he dropped his helmet and drink in favor of his bloodthirsty blade, the bottle shattering on the floor. The Knight turned his attention to him, his eyes widening in alarm.
"Oh shit." He cursed as the Samurai drew her katana. The others were surprised and confused by this sudden hostility from Zulkir of all people but were forced into action when he charged the pair, a battle cry escaping his lips. Lubbock was about to restrain him with his Imperial Arms, but he didn't have to as Najenda's mechanical hand shot out of the hallway behind the raging warrior and grabbed his arm, holding him back.
"Calm down, Zulkir!" She said as she struggled to contain him.
"I'll drag you both to the peak of this cliff and hang you by your guts!" He threatened, trying to free himself from Najenda's iron grasp.
"Friend of yours?" Porete said as he backed up slightly from the Viking.
"He's with us. You know him?" Bulat asked, and Kuroshi shook her head, still ready should he break free.
"Not personally, but I can explain once this mad beast is restrained." She said, speaking those last words with slight anger.
I've never seen him act like this. Tatsumi thought as he watched his friend go ballistic. He threatens them like they killed his family or something, but Kuroshi says they've never met. He eyed her suspiciously as Najenda finally managed to begin pulling Zulkir away from the group.
With one firm yank, the white-haired woman managed to wrench Zulkir off his feet, his back hitting the ground hard. Lubbock took this opportunity to pin him to the ground, the wires from his Imperial Arms digging into his flesh as he continued to struggle, though he didn't show any reaction to the new wounds. Najenda came over, panting from the effort of holding him back.
"Everyone, gather in the meeting room. I'll join you once I've calmed Zulkir down." They all nodded and walked off, Leone stopping briefly to give Zulkir a worried look before turning around and following the others. Lubbock released Zulkir, and he immediately stood up, turning his anger on their leader.
"You know who these halftrolls are, and yet you still invite them into our home?!" He roared, his face contorting in rage. Najenda would have to handle this carefully, otherwise he could become violent towards her.
"I wish to hear their sides before making any judgments. For all we know, they could be deserters from their factions. From the way you spoke of it, a Knight and a Samurai joining up is highly unlikely."
"Ha! Allies of convenience, nothing more! And the only times I've ever seen men and women from different factions join forces were to become bandits and murderers! It'd be best if you let me gut them and leave it at that!" And moved for the door, but Najenda grabbed his arm, stopping him.
"Let me speak to them, and if I think they have ulterior motives, then I will let you have your way with them. But until then, keep your ax slung on your back, or I will have to confine you to the dungeons." She gave him a stern look, making no room for argument. He snarled before wrenching his arm out of her grasp.
"You are soft, huglausi." He spat on the floor next to her as he spoke, his disrespect clear. "You are no Jarl of mine." With that, he turned and walked away, picking up his mead-stained helmet as he did so. Najenda didn't know what "huglausi" meant, but it was likely a jab at her leadership abilities in the argument's context. He slung the ax across his back and disappeared around a corner, the loud slam of a door following soon after.
Now to inform Night Raid of Zulkir's origins and discern the motives of these newcomers. She thought as she made for the door leading to the meeting room.
X
Najenda sighed as she sat down on her throne, the members of Night Raid gathered before her, as well as the two unknown warriors. The female stood at attention, recognizing Najenda's importance, while the male looked around nervously. He had the look of a criminal in the middle of being judged for his crimes.
"Who are these two, and why have you brought them to our hideout?" She questioned Akame.
"Porete and Kuroshi had come to the mansion not long before we had arrived, tricked into believing Iokal was hiring extra security." She began her explanation. "While Porete was welcomed, Kuroshi was secretly drugged and kidnapped to make her a slave. While Porete patrolled the mansion, he stumbled across one of Iokal's torture rooms, discovering his secret. He then killed him in a fit of rage before helping the slave escape, injuring his foot in the process."
"Last time I jump off a fucking balcony." He muttered, Kuroshi elbowing him to shut him up.
"Afterwards, we went in to rescue Kuroshi, only to discover she'd already slipped out of her restraints and slain the remaining bodyguards upon awakening."
"Pretty badass." Lubbock complemented, Kuroshi nodding in thanks. Najenda sat in contemplation for a moment before nodding and speaking.
"Thank you. Since you both seem to have noble intentions, I will allow you to stay here." Kuroshi bowed in thanks while Porete let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.
"Thank God, I wasn't looking forward to another execution." He said though he muttered the last part low enough that Najenda didn't hear him.
"But now I have something to tell you all. While you were gone, Zulkir informed me of his origins, origins he gave his blessing to share with you all." This garnered everyone's attention, and they listened closely as Najenda began.
"He hails from a land called Heathmoor."
One lengthy explanation later
As Najenda finished her tale, the others sat in silent contemplation, though that silence didn't last for long, thanks to Leone.
"I always figured he wasn't from around him, but I didn't think he was from an undiscovered continent."
"Yeah, that came as a bit of a surprise," Bulat added. "But I'm more interested in how he got here. Did he reveal how?" Najenda shook her head.
"I was preoccupied with the other, more burning questions I had. I didn't think to ask him until after he had already left. Porete, Kuroshi, can you say how you arrived here?" They all turned their attention to the two warriors, but this time it was the heavily armored Knight that spoke up.
"We'd been captured by rogue slavers and were being transported across the sea to be held in their island hideout. But, along the way, we got caught in a storm unlike any we'd ever seen before. It all but ripped the ship to shreds, knocking us two unconscious. When we woke up, we were on a beach, dead bodies and wreckage all over the place." He chuckled. "When Kuroshi saw me, she almost gutted me before I was able to talk her down. We recovered our gear and then went on our way, wandering ever since."
"Could anybody else have survived the shipwreck?" Lubbock asked, but the Conqueror just shrugged his shoulders.
"There weren't many people on the vessel," Kuroshi spoke up. "It was only us, the crew, and a few other slaves. We heard of one other captured warrior, but we never saw him since he was kept in another part of the ship. We don't even know if he was Knight, Viking, or Samurai."
"We checked the bodies afterward for supplies, and we somewhat recognized the corpses as either crew or slave. The only one missing was the mystery fighter, so he's probably still out there somewhere." Porete finished.
"If Kuroshi and Zulkir are anything to go by, you Heathmoor guys are tough bastards." Leone complemented, roughly placing her hand on Porete's shoulder though he didn't even flinch.
"When you're entire life revolves around war, you have to be strong," Kuroshi said.
"I have one final question for you two. Did either of you turn your backs on your respective factions?" Kuroshi donned a stern look and stepped forward to say something, but Porete put a hand on her shoulder, silently telling her not to say anything. Instead, he stepped forward.
"I did, but Kuroshi didn't. She doesn't take kindly to people that accuse her of such." He briefly explained.
"May I ask why you turned your back on your fellow Knights?" He stood there in thought for a moment before curtly nodding.
"Sure, fuck it. I'd been deployed to the eastern border of Ashfeld along with a small contingency of foot soldiers and pikemen. The Samurai had recently taken Bellua Road from us, and I was part of the attacking force's reinforcements. We'd been attacking villages and outposts alike on our way to the region's main fortress, a massive Citadel once used to protect a city now overrun with Samurai. Along the way, we captured a few people, both civilian and fighter. The official plan was to release them back to the Dawn Empire for a fee once we'd retaken the Citadel.
"I had been sleeping in the war camp not far from our target when I was woken up by one of the other Conquerors. He said he wanted to show me something, so I followed him to the largest of the tents, one used to store supplies." He stopped for a moment as he seemed to be lost in memory before he shook himself of it.
"He and far too many of the other soldiers were having "fun" with the female captives, raping and doing many other things I'd rather not retell. But what hit me the hardest was that they didn't even spare the children of their cruelty." His face twisted in anger as he told the story, his hatred of their vile acts made clear.
"And that's when you left?" Najenda prodded as he was distracted. He looked up at her with fire in his eyes.
"No. I killed them. Each and every one of them, I butchered them to the point they were unrecognizable. Then I took the slaves and helped them escape into the night to the Citadel, along with news of the impending attack." With his tale finished, Kuroshi gently placed a hand on his shoulder. She'd removed her helmet and face covering, revealing a reassuring smile.
"I'm sorry, I don't like thinking back on that little event." He apologized.
"No need, those kinds of actions are far too common in the Empire. Was your commanding officer a part of this?" He snorted at that.
"He wasn't among the dead when my rage had finally subsided. He wasn't the type of man to indulge in those sorts of things, but I wouldn't put it past him to take hush money. And besides, even if he were an honorable man, me being a Conqueror would've nullified any testimony I had. Has Zulkir told you about how Conquerors are chosen?" Najenda shook his head, so Porete continued.
"Conquerors are ex-convicts given an ultimatum: either join the war effort through forced conscription, fighting with a weapon as dangerous to the wielder as it is to the enemy, or face whatever punishment awaited you." He drew his flail and twirled it casually. "You can see which one I went for."
"You were a convicted criminal?" Sheele said, sounding slightly surprised.
"Some asshole insulted my mother, so I punched him so hard his ancestors felt it." He laughed. "Unfortunately for me, his father was a high-ranking Centurion, and he made sure I got arrested for taking a few of his boy's teeth."
"Well, that settles it. If you wish, you and Kuroshi may join Night Raid in our fight against the Empire. If you refuse, we won't kill you, but-" She was stopped when Kuroshi raised a hand.
"I needn't say more. After seeing what Iokal, the Minister's cousin of all people, did, I have no doubts the rest of the Empire is just as corrupt. I will gladly fight by your side." She said as she bowed respectfully.
"Yeah, what she said," Porete said, his light-hearted tone returning with a grin.
"I'll go tell our resident Viking." Bulat offered. "I doubt he'll be pleased about it, but," he turned to Porete. "you can join me if you want." He said with his signature playful tone.
"And risk getting gutted by a massive Viking?" Porete shot back without missing a beat. "Thanks, but I'll pass."
X
"My mother told me, someday I would buy, galleys with good oars, sail to distant shores." Zulkir sang lowly as he sat in his room, running the whetstone along Yggdrasil's edge. "Stand up on the prow, noble barque I steer, steady course to the haven, hew many foe-men, hew many foe-men." He was interrupted by a hard knock on the door, causing him to look up.
"Zulk, you in there?" He heard Bulat's voice on the other side, lightening his mood somewhat.
"Come in, drengr." He called, the door opening not long after.
"Hey, I just wanted to stop by and tell you what Najenda's decided to do with the newcomers." Zulkir stopped sharpening his ax at that, listening closely to what his friend had to say. "She's decided to let them join her." Zulkir shot up, throwing his hands into the air in anger.
"Of course she fucking would, damned daufi! The Samurai and their silver-tongues, I'd love nothing more than to rip that Orochi's out!" He yelled in anger.
"Their names are Porete and Kuroshi, by the way." Bulat clarified, ignoring his outburst. Zulkir huffed before putting his freshly cleaned helmet on and grabbing his ax.
"I'm bloodthirsty, want to go hunting?" He asked as he walked out into the hall, Bulat following close behind.
"Sure, what'll we be hunting?" Bulat agreed, Zulkir laughing in response.
"Imperials." He said darkly.
That's all for now lads, hope you enjoyed. Sorry for the long wait, I briefly lost my motivation to write. Briefly.
djpj7652: No trauma here, just some bacrauts who underestimated our resident Samurai and got utterly fucked up for it. Porete and Kuroshi have been traveling side by side for quite a while, long enough to get past their initial biases and see each other as equal.
Thanks for reading. I'm also too tired to proofread this right now, so if there are any mistakes, blame Grammarly for not catching them.
Skål!
-Bile