The God Emissary of Pain_2_ Unseasanable precipitation
Far in the North or more accurately, in the icy territory of the Northern Tribes, a campaign to suppress the revolt started by the northern natives was taking place. The war was divided into two factions the natives led by their big man in a suit of armor who was their prince, hero, spear master, playboy, tactical genius, billionaire, philanthropist... (OK No! XD) Numa Seika against expedition forces of the Empire, led by their nefarious, wicked, evil, sinful, iniquitous, villainous, criminal, heinous, atrocious, appalling, abhorrent, vile, foul, abominable, odious, depraved, corrupt, shameful, scandalous, monstrous, fiendish, diabolical, devilish, unholy, ungodly, infernal, satanic, dark, unspeakable, despicable, outrageous, shocking, disgraceful, knavish, dastardly, egregious, flagitious, sadistic General Esdeath.
The battle, however, was pretty much going one-sided. The Empire's first strike managed to easily crush and frustrate the northerners' attempt into a pincer attack. The Empire spared no effort to hold back on cruelty. The northerners were beheaded, mauled, butchered, and grounded to dust which greatly lowered their morale.
"Tch, my people were massacred..." The hero of the North, Numa Seika spoke with frustration and anger. 'The Empire's savagery is an unease sight to behold. The pincer attack failed. I'll need to change tactics...' He thought as he watched from afar with his binoculars.
The Empire's forces had stationed in the north's capital borders, a little far away from Numa Seika's current position. He watched as his troops entered confront once again to repel the invaders until he managed to catch the sight of their illustrious General.
"So that's her... she's younger than I thought... Hmmm...? what's that?" The hero spoke as he focused his vision to better at her attire until he saw something that looked strangely familiar to him. "That emblem on her hat... I can't believe that there is a survivor of the Partas Clan here. I thought all of them were wiped out in the past when one of our tribesmen was crossing the border. When the incident happened I was but a child. Perhaps she here on an act of revenge?" He asked himself in curiosity.
Numa Seika decided to put aside those thoughts and focus on the matter at hand.
"Has any news from the Kingdom arrived yet!?" He asked with impatience. He had been sending a couple of messages to the Kingdom over the years but for some reason, he never received a reply from his old rival Yukimura. He decided to try this one last time. He had hoped to get reinforcements from the Kingdom to crush the Imperial Capital together and share a glass of wine with the only man that earned his respect and the only one he would ask for aid.
"We received no word from our scouts nor received messages through our falcons, my Lord" A soldier who knelt before him said.
The hero of the north gripped his spear with all his strength. If that woman was here for revenge or not, he wouldn't back down now. His people had put their faith in him. His army would face hers even if had to be on their own. The next confrontation would decide the loser of this battle. He walked towards the center of the fortress.
"Prepare our troops to retaliate! We can't let them take the Capital fortress! Our future lies in the aftermath of this battle. W shall avenge our fallen comrades' deaths and make their spirits glad!" The northern's army raised their weapons and let out a war cry in response to the speech of their hero.
On Esdeath's Camp...
The field of war once again called for her once again, she, yet again got to enjoy the thrill of battle. Thanks to her agreement with Prime Minister Honest, as long as she fought to make sure he could get away with his schemes and manipulation to keep the Empire over his thumb, he would offer her endless battlefields and wars for her to ravage. The General could only smile in delight while she thought of many ways to torture the Northerners. It had been many years since she's last been around the region of her old homeland and she wanted to make it special. She was forced out of her thoughts as soon as a soldier entered her tent and kneeled before her.
"Report! The enemy's army has started to move towards us. They appear to be in frenzy!"
A large smirk had risen into the ice queen's lips. This is what she had been waiting for.
"Excellent! Let them come! Their wrath is but a by-product of their desperation!" Esdeath replied with sadism. She left her tent. It was about time she also joined the battle. She already had thought of making an example of the Northerns and teaching them not to mess with the Empire. She had also in mind a way to entertain herself by crushing their hero's spirit. At the end of this war, she would have the North subdued and their Prince licking her boots. She would soon be returning to the capital in triumph.
With Night Raid - Revolution HQ
Night Raid had arrived at the Revolutionary Army's HQ. As soon as they got close to the entrance, the guards called the attention of Najenda.
"General Najenda, the Commander wants to see you. The others must stay within the city's limits" The guard spoke in a stern voice. Najenda frowned for a moment but she turned to look at her team and smiled.
"This is the first time you're at the HQ right? so you guys can go and get acquainted with the environment and Mine, since you just recovered, I suggest you find someplace for you to do maintenance on Pumpkin. Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it. See you all later" Najenda had left the group and before they knew it, she was nowhere to be seen.
"Soooooo... since I'm off duty, how about I introduce you all to the HQ?" The rev. spy asked. Night Raid in response shrugged.
The rev. spy took the lead and they started following him.
With Najenda
The Night Raid leader was walking through a hallway, one that ordinary revolutionaries hadn't access authorized. Part of her didn't want to admit it, but deep inside, she was nervous. Nervous because she was about to meet the supreme commander of the revolution for the second time in years. The first time was when she defected from the Empire and joined the revolution. Back then, she was highly regarded by the revolution for excelling at many missions but now, thanks to her recent poor leadership, the HEAD was losing his patience. The first time she saw the man she was surprised. She didn't expect the mastermind to be such a hard-line political figure. She expected someone more like a war hero, a charismatic leader. She didn't blame the man for his current behavior. They were getting very close to put an end to the Empire's tyranny and declare victory. They still had some problems here and there to solve and a few enemies to take down such as the great general Budo and her former co-worker, Esdeath, which she knew very well that she wouldn't be an easy obstacle to take down. And now this new treat, Pain, arrived on the scene who also managed to deal a great blow to her team by severely injuring one of their best assassins. She just hoped that whatever prosecutions the man would give, she could be capable of handling it herself so her subordinates of Night Raid could be spared. Over the time she had spent with them, she grew attached to each one at the point of thinking of them as her own family.
Before she knew it, she was in front of the HEAD's office. She put her hand on the door's handle and slowly opened it, immediately making sure she changed her worried expression to a more confident one. As soon as she took a step inside the room, she was greeted by the army's top executives around a round table and of course, in the very far end of it, was Shirõgane, supreme commander of the revolution and her superior. He had ashen hair and was dressed in an elegant army uniform which consists of a long-sleeved black coat with red details, two rows of gold buttons, and a green passing diagonally over his right shoulder. Over this is a maroon military overcoat with a gold bullion fringe on his left shoulder. He also wore a pair of white gloves and uniform trousers with black shoes. He had a black patch that covered a large portion of the right side of his face. He also had silvery mechanical armor under his uniform that went from his right shoulder and extended towards his left arm which purpose was to help him keep his body straight and firm. These were the consequences of a long record of many battles he had fought in the past. 'He hasn't changed a bit' she thought with disdain.
"Welcome, General Najenda. Please, have a seat. We got a lot to discuss" The man's words were brief and didn't contain anger nor contempt and that made Najenda insecure. She hated when she couldn't predict things and this man in front of her was the last thing she wanted to become unpredictable. She took a seat beside him and received a paper from one of the officials. It contained information on the latest achievements of the revolution and the information they've collected about teigus, the Empire's latest movements, and the evidence they gathered about Pain.
"Hmm... Numa Seika has entered in a conflict with the Empire?" Najenda asked aloud.
"Yes. We sent a message to him telling him to wait and not make any reckless moves against the capital and to accept an alliance with the Revolution" One of the officials said.
"He could be a great ally. What was his response?" Najenda asked.
"He rejected". Shirõgane replied dryly.
"Really? I suppose the rumors of him being a very prideful man are true" Najenda said.
"That can be. But if that's what he wants, I won't insist on those too stubborn to see the light" Shirogãne pronounced with arrogance.
Najenda looked through the document once more and found a name she knew all too well.
"Esdeath is the enemy commander? hmm..." She now feared the worst for the Northerners.
"With her as the commander, the Northerners can only expect a painful death" Shirõgane spat out with sarcasm.
"But Sir, the North counts with large military power and technology. Even if it's that woman attacking, they would taker months or maybe a year or two to fully conquer the North" One of the officials beside Najenda said. Shirõgane narrowed his eyes.
"You're free to believe that" He spat.
Najenda continued to look through the piece of paper until she found a name that recently had been the target of her anger and resentment. "Pain" She accidentally pronounced his name with despise. This caught everyone's attention in the room. Shirõgane looked at Najenda with a frown.
"Of course, how could we proceed without mentioning one of the main reasons you were called here? You! take your ass over here and do your job!" Najenda's heart had skipped a beat. She slipped badly just now.
"That's right, it was quite unexpected that at this point in the game we would get a new contestant. Also, General, your team was quite reckless at the mansion assassination mission. Let's take a look again..." The executive started scrolling through a few pages detailing Night Raid's last assignment. Najenda had her face down, covered with both hands in a thinking position. She could only think: here we go.
The assigned executive cleared his throat from his nervousness.
"Your team was assigned to the assassination of a wealthy corrupt family in the Empire noble district. But as soon as they arrived at the scene, they met with an unknown group of teens. Deciding that they were their new targets, the members of Night Raid boldly attacked the group with murderous intentions. Unfortunately, they weren't alone, they were accompanied by a group of other six individuals dressed in black cloaks with red clouds and pierced in various locations in the body by a strange black object not forgetting, that they all shared the same purple rippled pattern eyes. Having suffered a grave and humiliating defeat, the team retreated to treat their injuries. Some of them were fatal such as the arm of miss Akame that according to the report, had its soul extract by an unknown ability" The executive, having finished his speech, returned to his chair.
"We also did a wide search for any lost historic documents on any possible teigu this Pain could be using, but we found nothing similar that could be giving him such abilities except for the one in your report saying that one of them could control a giant bird danger beast. But we all know that there are only two teigus that are capable of doing that and one of them is in our hands and the other lies in the hands of the Empire... What I'm trying to say is that Pain is a liability to our goal. The Revolutionary Army will be leaving the job of taking out this threat to Night Raid. We hope your assassins are still capable enough to handle this on their own but we also expect that the stealth part goes smoothly..."
"Where are you trying to get?" Najenda asked expectantly. The commander simply settled in his chair and answered.
"Listen, Najenda, as you know, Night Raid doesn't take part in the public face of the revolution. In the eyes of the public, you're nothing more than assassins. Remember that at the end of this conflict, only we will be crowned war heroes. The high commands of the revolutionary army will be those who will receive guaranteed positions at the high offices. Surely you don't want to lose your future position as a grand general, don't you? During your expedition to suppress Pain, I ask total secrecy. If word spreads that we sent assassins to take out their new beloved leader, the people will start to lose faith in the Revolutionary Army. We don't need anyone acting as a deterrent to the revolutionary spirit we took so long to establish in the hearts of the populace. Therefore, I'm allowing you to silence anyone who recognizes any of you in there." Shirõgane said in a serious tone.
"You intend to sacrifice the very people you're trying to save!? I thought the Revolutionary Army was supposed to be the voice of the people, not its silencer! I truly fail to see the logic in that, Shirõgane" Najenda said revolted by the man's methods.
"Najenda... I have not come this far by bowing down to whims of conscience. If that disturbs you, then perhaps you should stand among those who oppose me as well" He said with an ominous voice.
"Are you threatening me?" Najenda asked in the same tone.
"See it whichever way you like. Just let me clarify this to you, one more slip like the incident in the mansion, and I'll strip you from Night Raid's command. The full responsibility for this task is yours. Remember why I decided to accept the defection of Hemi, Nakaido, and you as former Generals from the Empire. I do not take irresponsibility from my subordinates eagerly"
"Who do you thin-" Najenda didn't have time to finish her rant. She was stopped immediately by the man on her side.
"Remember your place, ungrateful wretch! who do you take me for!? you should be grateful I allowed you to stay in the General rank when you joined the insurrection! I should have taken the funds used to pay the Night Raid medical attention from your account!" The man's sudden outburst surprised the other executives in the room. It was rare a situation where their leader would lose his temper.
"I could have your head rolling on the floor right now for your contempt towards your superior, but it's more useful to me where it is now... You! tell her the details of her mission before I lose my mind!" Shirõgane pointed at the executive to his right in a swift manner, dismissing the animosity that had previously consumed the room.
"Right! General Najenda, your mission is to assassinate the targets. Take out Pain and anyone else who interferes while avoiding the eyes of the kingdom populace. If the mission is too extreme and becomes too impossible, you must return to your hideout immediately!"
"Assassinate all of them!? we need at least one of them alive to tell us how to undo the curse or disease that Akame is going through!" Najenda pleaded desperately.
"Ha! If you're lucky to capture one of them alive that would be great. But personally, I would like to see you try. Unfortunately, we can't make him our ally after your... little failure at the mansion. Now we have no choice but to neutralize him before the situation gets out of hand" Shirõgane commented sounding genuinely disappointed.
"You were possibly thinking of turning him into an ally!?" Najenda was baffled at the man's statement.
"You also question my methods!? remember that it was your team that attacked him first! He could have become an ally the first time you've met him but instead, you attacked him! If we had any chances of making him an ally before, now that is completely lost! Teach your subordinates some discipline. What have you been teaching those brats? Play house and dolls!?"
"Shirõgane, I believe I've been in the command of Night Raid for long enough and-"
"And you failed! Also, it's Supreme Commander for you! You must display the correct amount of respect I deserve! One last thing before you go. After you leave, go to the armory, there is a Teigu there I suspect you can use, and also, the spy I sent before will be joining Night Raid"
"That man will be joining? does he even have a teigu to keep up?" Najenda asked expetantcly.
"Man? whatever! It's the spy that has accompanied you all here that's what you need to know. Now get out of my sight! I've other more import business scheduled for today!" Shirõgane said while pointing at the door.
Najenda didn't waste time and immediately left slamming the door.
"Hey boss, are you sure it's a good idea to send Night Raid to such a mission? It seems suicidal to me" One of the executives asked.
"I laid plans for many years. It won't be now that someone will show up and ruin everything! But even if Night Raid gets wiped out I still have one card left to play..." Shirõgane said in a menacing tone of voice that sent shivers down the executives in the room.
Back with Night Raid...
"She said she would return before we knew it but she is taking longer than we expected! I did the full maintenance on Pumpkin and even had time to eat a parfait! how long does the boss will keep us waiting!?" Mine asked in an angry tone.
"Truly she is taking much longer to return than she promised but we must be patient" Bulat said.
"She is late... I got so much free time that I went to the coffee shop called AnTeigu. While I was reading my book, one of the soldiers asked me on a date. We ate together and he said he would walk me home. Unfortunately, I got all clumsy again tripped, and took down some steel beams on his head. They took him to the infirmary and said he would have to undergo surgery. I hope he is okay... Oh! where did the boss say she would be going again...? Uhhh... everyone?" Everyone had a face of horror and stood staring warily at Sheele for a few seconds.
"Hey, remember me to never ask Sheele out" Lubbock whispered to Bulat and he nodded in a panicked manner.
'They truly are a strange group...' The spy thought amused.
"Sorry I took so long. I argued with the HEAD. But more importantly, we got two new members" Najenda said while being accompanied by a tall guy with horns.
"Who, what is he?" Mine asked expectantly.
The horned figure looked at Mine and seemed alarmed by something. In a blur, he appeared before her and fixed her hair that was a few centimeters more than it should to the right, and nodded to himself appearing to be appeased with the result. Mine was left stunned. He looked at Sheele and appeared before her. "There is a bit of blood near your left cheek. Let me clean it" And so he did it and left her cheek shining clean, although the others this time weren't surprised by his actions but as to why there was blood in Sheele's cheek. It creeped them out.
"He has a habit of fixing things or what?" Bulat asked dumbfounded.
'He is also good-looking... I won't lose to him!' Lubbock thought with concern.
"Sorry for his demeanor. He is a humanoid teigu. His name is Susanoo. The soldiers told me he was originally designed to be a bodyguard but he also does house chores while he protects the user.
"Boss, you said there were two new members but where is the other one?" Mine asked curiously.
"Oh yes. That would be this spy right there" Najenda said as she pointed at the spy who gave out a smirk.
"Sorry to disappoint but I'm no guy. I simply didn't want to show you my true identity unless it was confirmed I would join. Let me introduce myself properly" The person formerly known as a man disappeared in a cloud of smoke and by taking out its hood, a redhead girl was unveiled.
"Whaaaat!? y-yo-you were a woman all this time!?" Lubbock shouted in disbelief.
"Yep and it was all thanks to my teigu, Gaea Foundation. Isn't it useful? Anyway, It's a pleasure to meet all of you. The name is Chelsea. I hope we can get along" Chelsea said while waving at them.
"Boss, what happened in your meeting with the commander?" Bulat asked and Najenda frowened.
"Had any of you ever had a feeling of being expendable?" Najenda asked and everyone tensed.
"What did that bastard said to you!?" Lubbock asked in exasperation.
"Nothing he is just the same person since I first met him so just forget it. I'll fill you guys in the mission brief along the way. C'mon! there is no time to lose!"
Time skip- Village Hidden in the Rain- Outskirts
So you weren't lying, Chelsea. The southwest region is suffering from heavy rain constantly now. There is a lot of vegetation that has grown around here too. The last time I crossed this region, there were only deserts and rocky formations but now, there is green everywhere. But how can this be? this region is known to be desertic, especially at this time of the year a rainfall like this shouldn't be possible..." Najenda thought aloud.
"I was surprised myself. When I infiltrated the village walls, the design of the buildings under construction surprised me even more. They were different from any architecture I had seen through the many lands I traveled to. You'll also be surprised to see it from up close once we get in.
"The main entrance is heavily guarded. I can see merchants getting searched everywhere from here" Bulat said while observing with binoculars.
"We have no choice but to enter through that construction site then..." Mine said.
"Don't you guys find this a little fishy? why is such a breach so little guarded? what is the point of having such strict security measures on the other side while there is such a cheaper passage on the other front?" Lubbock asked suspiciously.
"That did cross my mind but it's not easy as it seems. I had to transform into a fish to go through that passage. The workers in there seem to be using some sort of special equipment to breathe underwater. We need to take those from them if we want to infiltrate the village" Chelsea said in a concerned tone.
"What!? We will need to get all soaked!?" Mine asked panicked.
"You're distressed with getting a little wet? does water frighten you? Are you truly an assassin? have you forgotten that we're on an important mission? maybe it's not only your breasts that are undeveloped but your brain as well" Chelsea comment mischievously and Mine's face had taken the same coloration as her hair.
"You! Take that back, Now!" Mine shouted furiously.
"She is right" Najenda decided to speak up, surprising both Mine and Chelsea.
"Boss! You can't possibly be agreeing with me being undeveloped are you!?" Mine asked disbelieved in Najenda's agreement.
"Yes, I mean... No! That's not what I meant! What I'm referring to is that we are on an important mission! we are here to assassinate a very powerful target. And also... we're here to find a way to save Akame..." Najenda said in a solemn tone of voice and everyone seemed to have calmed down and taken a more serious behavior. Najenda decided to avert her attention to Susanoo who was very quiet and caught him very distant from her.
"This rain..." Susanoo whispered while looking at the thunderous skies.
"What is it? is there something abnormal about it?" Bulat asked.
"If I hadn't take time to analyze it, I would have been fooled like any passerby"
"What is so special about it? It's water, isn't it?" Lubbock asked.
"No. This rain although it seems legit it is slightly different from ordinary rain and, it's being somehow artificially being created" Susanoo said and everyone seemed shocked about the information.
"How is that even possible!? If what you're saying is true, then whoever is creating this, has in hands the way to solve all the drought crisis in the world!" Mine said amazed.
"Maybe... he is using a teigu to make this rain?" Sheele deduced with a finger under her chin.
"No... the HQ did an extensive search on many ancient documents to find details one any possible teigu they could be using but they've found nothing" Najenda said, quickly discarding the possibility.
"Or maybe he is really the God that he claims to be" Bulat opined aloud.
'It can't be...' Chelsea thought to herself. She brushed the thought aside and woke up to reality. "Oh yeah! I'll go and knock the guards out. Stay here" Chelsea said as she turned into a guard and went towards the construction site.
Night Raid was successful at taking out the guards, getting their special equipment, and going through the underwater tunnels to infiltrate the city. But no matter how much further inside they entered, they couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't alone. Once they got inside they were left speechless by the humongous skyscrapers within the city. Some of them were still undergoing construction but many of them were already completed. Many of them had giant sculpted faces on them and their possible meaning was unknown to them. There were many electric wires that connect every building and residence.
"Incredible..." That was the only thing they could mutter in contemplation of such unrealistic scenery. It was almost otherworldly to them.
"All right, enough admiring the environment! We managed to infiltrate the city. From now on, we will separate to look for information on Pain's location. In 1 hour we will meet in the city's square to head towards our destination, understood!?"
"Yes! Ma'am!" They shouted in unison.
The group had separated into various sections of the village.
Najenda was walking in the middle section. Walking among the citizens who were all mostly wearing attires that consisted of straw hats and raincoats.
'This place is definitely crowded. I need to find a smoother place to gather intel...' She thought while eyeing the streets. A few seconds later she managed to catch a glimpse of a tavern that seemed to attract a lot of customers. She entered the precinct and took a seat far in the back. She decided to wait and see if she heard anything that might be relevant.
"Have you heard? there seems to a lot of gypsies and refugees from the western region and even from the capital wanting to move here" A customer said.
"I did. But each one has to be submitted through an extensive search to even get to the city. Lord Pain is really strict"
"He sure is. But who would want to live in a place where the one who controls it is a man who shares ideals like that filth? Lord Pain is being a blessing to the people"
'Exodus from the Empire...?' She thought surprised. If the people from the capital were attempting to flee, it meant they were really determined. Escaping through the gates' tight surveillance was no easy task. She decided to ask them more on the subject.
"Excuse me you two, what's this about the people moving into the kingdom? can you tell me more about it?"
"Oh, you startled me there, miss. And yes, that is what the rumors say. It seems like they've found more security here than outside. The new houses and buildings we've been building will also help them found a new place to live" The man said and took a large glass of beer to his mouth and drank it all the way until there was nothing left.
"You all seem to be enjoying yourselves a lot on this place. Didn't you just got out of a tyrannical regime?" Najenda, after seeing the man's action and looking at everyone happy at her surroundings asked.
"If you say that, that means you're not from here right?" Najenda nodded. " Well, it was all thanks to Lord Pain that we get to enjoy a drink. Before that, we had to work our asses to even get to enjoy a single drop of water every day, barely enough to survive to keep working for that tyrant's selfish desires" The second man said with a bit of anger in his voice.
"Are you sure this Pain is not simply one tyrant replacing the other? how can you trust him so easily?" Najenda asked expectantly but she didn't expect what would come next.
Both men raised from their seats and pointed at her with anger.
"How dare you say that! Lord Pain is a saint who has taken pity on this kingdom! He and his prophets came to this village when we most needed him. We won't let you speak ill of him!"
Their outburst attracted the attention of everyone in the tavern. Najenda seeing that she was no longer welcome, left the place without a second thought.
Sheele
Sheele was traveling through a religious district that was being redecorated after Pain's image. She decided to enter a church and watch a cult that was taking place. She took a seat that was far from everyone present.
"Brothers, as you already know we've been through hard times under the regime of the tyrant whose name I rather not pronounce in this assembly. It was thanks to our prodigious Lord that we managed to endure these harsh conditions that were left by that vile man's legacy. It is through pain and suffering that this village is now united. It is through pain that we've learned to put aside our differences and work together to restore peace and order" The church priest's speech was filled with passion and conviction clear in his voice.
Sheele wanting to understand the faith in the priest's words decided to speak up.
"Uhh... Excuse me, great priest but... do you really believe in God?" The question attacked the attention of the whole assembly who turned their heads to look at her.
"Well of course young lady. We are all united here for that very reason. By chance, your belief is the opposite?" Sheele nodded her head slightly and the priest gave a warm smile.
"I don't understand. Why you believe in someone who only shows up after such a long time. Don't you all felt abandoned?"
"I'm afraid It is I who don't understand. Why do you question God's decision? Did something happen in any moment of your life that made you doubt or question his existence?" The priest asked expectantly.
Sheele looked down. Leaving any information that might compromise Night Raid aside, she told the priest and everyone else some of the events in her life. How she lived her life feeling useless and had no talent for anything. How her clumsiness made people isolate her and say she is useless and had a screw loose. How her friend, the only person who didn't mind her ineptitude abandoned her out of fear. How to defend that same person, she committed her first sin. How that sin, made a group of men assassinate her parents. At the end of her speech, the people in the church stood silent. Many pitted her but the priest decided to walk towards her and in front of her, he kneeled.
"I know life sometimes can be unforgiving. But listen, young lady, all things in life happen for a reason. You said people rejected you your whole life and even your fried abandoned you. Maybe all this pain you went through was to grant you the release of those who don't deserve you" The priest said, sympathizing with the girl.
"But what about my parents? Or even yourselves, you lived under a tyrannical rule for such a long time. How can all that pain bring any good? won't that just bring even more suffering?"
"I don't see it that way. I rather see these many years of suffering and the blood that was shed were not in vain. Steel is forged by fire and like steel, we also grow stronger. That ready us for the future. I know that because we all got to witness it ourselves just recently. With a heavy heart, we watched our families grow and change, to be enslaved and abused. We watched as we were pursued religious intolerance. But also watched as the figure who should have been the source of the people's confidence usurped by a heartless tyrant being stopped by the figure who brought us peace. See? God came to us when we most needed him. And I'm not talking about only us. I'm also counting the whole people on this corrupted world. Pain is our God, he taught us how pain can make us grow. If you do not believe that he is God, you can just believe that he was sent by God"
Sheele seemed to be in an inner dilemma. She didn't know whether believe in what she learned by sticking with Night Raid or believe in the priest's words. Not having an answer yet, she decided it was time for her to leave.
"I thank you for your words. I shall give it some thought at another time. Now please excuse me" Sheele bowed and turned herself to leave.
After she was no longer in sight, the priest caught the glimpse of something where previously, the girl had been sitting. Sheele had left but ended up forgetting her book, how not to be an idiot, on the church's pew. The priest gave out a hearty laugh.
"She was young and clumsy but deep inside, she was a good girl. To wherever the crossroads of life take you, you won't be needing this anymore.
With Pain
"We'll take our leave now. I left enough people to defend in case they decide to give an offensive approach. We shouldn't take long to return though. I wish you all the best with the defense. But before I go, I'll be stopping the rain" The deva path raised his arms and stopped the rain. The sky cleared and the sun once again, shined brightly in the sky it was a prelude that their God was about to travel to another land.
"Masayuki, I'll be leaving you in charge of overseeing the reconstruction of the village" The deva path said and Masayuki bowed in obedience.
"Summoning jutsu!" The animal path shouted, and a giant bird appeared before them. Four figures climbed on the bird and took flight northwards.
Mine
Mine wandered through the poorest neighborhood in the kingdom. A second ago it was raining heavily and suddenly, the sky cleared. "The weather of this region changes more often than my wardrobe" She thought amused. Her attention, however, was directed to the excited screams of many children who ran out of a house that stood out for being well above the average of the others who were in that neighborhood. The children, although they appeared to be clean, wore ragged clothes. It reminded her of her own days in the streets. She decided that this would be the place she would investigate, approaching the one who seemed to be in charge of the place.
"Hello, are you the one who is in charge of this place?"
"Why hello there miss. Yes, I'm the one in charge of taking care of the orphanage" The woman said in a kind tone of voice.
"Can I have a talk with you for a moment, please? I'm new to this environment and would like to know a bit more"
"Well of course. Please, let us get inside and have a cup of tea while we conversate" The woman offered and Mine accepted nonchalantly.
Upon entering the Orphanage, Mine noticed how bigger it seemed from the inside. The orphanage director prepared a bit of tea and they started their chatter.
"Sooo... how long have you been taking care of this place?" Mines started.
"10 years or more if I recall correctly. I was entrusted with this position since the rule of Master Matsudaira"
"Oh, you mean the Lord before the... the..." Mine was trying to find the proper words to pronounce but was corrected by the director.
"The vile demon Dong Zhuo, yes" The woman spoke with poison in her reply, starling Mine who didn't expect such words from someone so kind.
"Yes, that would be it. The one who took him down was Pain, right? what do you know about him?"
"He is a very kind and caring ruler who overthrew our former heinous leader. No one knows where he came from or what are his motives but he's certainly a most merciless being when it comes to his enemies"
"Hmm... if he's so kind and compassionate why do these children and the village still look so poor? It doesn't add up" Mine questioned fiercely. She had a special spot in her heart for the western children who were descendants of her race and didn't want any harm to come to them.
"You seem a bit angered. Do you have personal resentment toward our Lord for some reason? I know it's not my business but..."
"No, it's nothing of the sort. I'm just worried about the kids' wellbeing that's all"
"I see. That's good. Well, as you may know, it's not easy to recover from years of oppression. We just recovered public relationship with the west who was just a few days still, stagnant. Now that we managed to free ourselves from these shackles, the flow of commerce started to return to its former glory thanks to his efforts. The chief counselor already ordered new pieces of clothing for the children. It should arrive at any time. It's just taking a little while longer because the security in the kingdom is very strict. The children just a few days ago were all dehydrated. Thanks to our Lord's actions, the money that had been embezzled was return and now our pantry is full" The woman said with a warm smile.
"I see..." Mine said as she looked through a window and saw the children playing in a nearby park. A smile formed on her lips upon seeing the scene. While she was admiring the outside, she caught a glimpse of something hanging atop one of the buildings. It was a sign with a kind of eye engraved on it that reminded her of the guys she'd faced a while ago.
She almost forgot that she was here on a mission.
"Hey, what is that sign for?" Mine asked curiously.
"Oh, that? that is a protection sign. There are many of those spread throughout the village. It is so our Lord can always be looking after us. On top of that, there is the rain that covers our village nonstop when he doesn't have to travel to another land or pause it to give us time to work on some chores. Thanks to it, he was able to identify many traitors and intruders within the village" This statement caught Mine off guard.
"Wait! what do you mean he was able to identify intruders!? are you saying that any who tries to breach the village is automatically detected!?" Mine asked desperately.
"Yes, that's how the rain he creates works. It's such a blessing. It was also thanks to it that my husband and many others could find fieldwork. Before that, he was unable to because in dead, dry, infertile land no grain would grow.
"I-I see..." Mine stuttered.
"What's wrong? you seem a bit pale"
"It was a nice long chatter, headmistress, but now if you excuse me, my companions are waiting for me" She quickly bowed and left the house leaving the director stunned.
Night Raid meeting location
"I see... so that's how the artificial rain works. If he knows we are here, he must have already prepared for our incoming attack" Najenda said.
"What will we do? she also told me that whenever the rain stops, there is the possibility he could be traveling to another land" Mine said worriedly.
"We will continue our mission as planned. It is not confirmed that all six of them had left, they wouldn't leave their village totally unprotected. We still need to at least capture one of them in order to interrogate him. If some of them left, it just means this mission will be easier. Although the orders we received were to assassinate them all, we can use that to plan how to finish the others later. Did any of you find information on his hideout?"
"In fact we did. According to the locals, their leader has reallocated at the new tower in the midwest section" Bulat said.
"Perfect. Then let us wait no further! We will infiltrate the tower and takedown Pain!"
Time skip- Pain tower main yard
Night Raid managed to infiltrate the tower that Pain stood in but the place has never been quieter...
"This place is quiet... too quiet" Lubbock stated while looking at every corner of the place.
"Careful, we could be attacked at any moment!" Najenda stated while slowly walking towards the tower entrance, looking warily in all directions.
"Looks like you were right, Tatsumi, there are six of them trying to infiltrate the tower" A feminine voice said.
Night Raid upon hearing that, stood back to back trying to find the source of the voice.
"Night Raid! Defense position now!" Najenda said in a commanding voice.
In an instant, three figures appeared before them. It was the figures of three teenagers that Night Raid managed to recognize from the mansion incident.
"You guys are..." Mine tried to speak but was interrupted by Tatsumi.
"There is no need for unnecessary introductions. If you are here to cause trouble, you're in for a world of pain. Ready yourselves, Night Raid!"
"Cut the crap! We are not here for you. Where's Pain!?" Najenda asked angrily.
"If you want to get to him, you have to first get by us!" Ieyasu said while sending the bird that was in his hand flying towards Night Raid.
Tatsumi said as he went for the attack by releasing a huge fireball which surprised their enemy. The fireball's size was so great that it forced Night Raid to undo their defensive formation and split in two directions.
"I'm only here for Pain. But If you insist on getting in the way, I'll have no choice but to remove you from it! Night Raid attack formation now!" Najenda shouted and they went to engage the young trio. What they didn't notice was that the clay bird that was sent towards them was right on their tail. And when it was at point-blank, Ieyasu shouted "Katsu!" a huge explosion followed suit.
Back in the North with Esdeath...
Esdeath and her army had managed to freeze, bury, and mutilate thousands of Northerners. The sheer expression of suffering would be forever scarred on their faces. She couldn't but release a sadistic grin.
'Poor weak- disillusioned north savages. They didn't realize who they were up against. The strong always prey upon the weak. They got what they came for' She thought while caressing an ice crystal which contained a northern with an expression of fear on his face.
"Report! the North price has been sighted near our camp! he is trying to force his way through you, General Esdeath" a scout who kneeled before her said.
"It seems we got a snake sneaking into our battlefield" She let out a sadistic giggle"This moment must not be squandered... Encircle, eviscerate, and extirpate the odious ophidian!" It was time she teaches their hero a lesson. She would break his spirit by sending her army to the city to rape all women and children, and in the end, he would have to dance naked to entertain her troops like a good dog. She proceeded with the command and all of her armies started to advance to the city without imagining its imminent terrible fate that awaited them...
Esdeath's army gave out a loud war cry, the cavalry advanced towards the Northerners' fortified city, eager to claim their prize for the North prince's head who they were sure would be defeated by their General. They couldn't advance as far as they expected, however. A loud crash at their flank managed to stop their advance, sending snow and many of their troops flying to the air.
"What is happening!? asked one of their commanders.
As the snow cleared, a cloaked figure could be seen in the middle of the soldier's corpses. It was a bald man with many horns on his head. A crazy smirk curved into his lips as he lifted his arm and what seemed to be missiles came out of his cloak. The once bright sky started to darken, dark clouds covered the skies and rain started to fall on the once snowy battlefield, leaving the troops unknowing of what to do.
As the already dismal lighting faded away from the battlefield entirely, Esdeath felt a shiver run from shoulder to shoulder. Something that shouldn't be possible, not for her. She first suspected the ever-present chill, but quickly dismissed the thought; the snow had been falling ever since she abandoned her tent for the snowy field and the worst of it barely frosted her cheeks but suddenly it was replaced by a warm rainfall. No...this was something else. With a measured breath, she paced down the steps while she let her instinct guide her across the battlefield. The first thing her bluish eyes noted was grass and snow. Temporarily satisfied, she angled her eyes further to the right only to see her white tent who was now covered in blood. Throughout her examination, it seemed as though her eyes struggled to highlight anything of note. It was at that moment he realized she had reacted subconsciously - but acutely - to the *darkness*. This was not simply an absence of light: this was something alive. This was...malevolence so thick and smothering it was tangible. "Knock it off, Esdeath", she thought to herself as her other hand doubled its grip on her rapier. "It's too soon to be jumping at shadows when there are real monsters about. Your army needs you. Keep going." She told herself. She was in disbelief that she of all people was actually feeling afraid of some dark environment. She took a few steps forward and felt something wet start covering her boots. She looked down and focused her vision to witness the snow melting itself from the warm mysterious precipitation that had been falling for a while now. She internally sighed. She expected to take advantage of the falling snow to take advantage of her teigu's powers in its natural habitat and freeze the city whole while helping to open a path to her army. As she traveled down the path, she realized the color of the water which formed under her feet started to darken. It wasn't until she felt something hit her leg that she decided to avert attention to the ground. A half torso of one of her soldiers was being dragged by the stream of water who was now running down the once snowy mountain. What darkened the melted to snow water was blood, a lot of blood and it was her army blood! "Who could have done this!?" She asked herself from the impression. Was it Numa Seika? No, he was nothing but a northern hillbilly. He didn't possess any teigu let alone one that could cause this. Instinctively, she had to use her teigu to attack something that tried to sneak behind her.
Her attempts to neutralize whatever lurked behind her, however, were futile. The ice she had summoned to attack had been repelled by an unknown force. She searched for a responsible but couldn't tell his location.
"General Esdeath, we finally met" She heard a voice say and quickly took distance from the figure who somehow managed to sneak behind her.
"What we have here? Are you perhaps allied with the hero of the north?" She asked, trying to dissimulate her panic.
"I've come here upon the news of a sadistic woman who brought terror to any who stands in her way. But it seems it was all pretense" The now visible deva path commented.
Esdeath upon hearing that felt insulted. Not only he reaped her army's lives and now he insults her. She now cared little for the life of this man in front of her. She immediately took the handle of her rapier and attacked. But the man didn't falter. The moment she was about to cut him open, she felt an enormous invisible force field starting to repel her. And without a moment spare, she heard the man pronounce a single word.
"Shinra Tensei!" It was the only word the sadistic woman heard before being sent crashing into the river of blood.
While the beast of war sought only to cause harm and pain out of self-satisfaction, the deity spread pain as a message to lead humans into the true way of peace. The pieces in this game have been tossed into the air, but when they land, only one of them will remain standing.
Chapter End
Aaaalright people! I finally got this chapter done. Almost 9k words ooof! I got ill the past few weeks but I'm finally recovered. I hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter and as always, comment down below what are your thoughts about the story so far. See you next time, Byeee!