Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Akame ga Kill franchise and this fanfiction has not been written for profit!
A/N: Do my eyes deceive me? Did I just complete a chapter in less than a month? Yosh! I sure did! What can I say? I really liked writing this chapter. I had intended to hold off posting this until I completed the next, but decided against it. If I've got a chapter complete already, why NOT upload it?
Anyways, as always, thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows folks! Another special shout out to DoomMarine54, who likes this fic so much, he not only submitted 3 reviews, but also sent me multiple private messages in an effort to get me to see the light of his sheer appreciation! He is too kind!
In response to the most recent guest reviewer who reviewed the 4th chapter on November 1, thanks for your review and your feedback. I don't anticipate this fic being short per se, especially if I keep writing chapters as long as this one, but I see where you're coming from. The manga is 60 chapters, but I'm certainly not going to cover everything it covered. I'm simply writing from the standpoint of what the anime could've been. I'll let you in on this much: By the end of this fic, there's going to be room for a sequel, but that's all I'm gonna say for now! You're right to be mindful of chekov's gun, but I'd rather not comment on how I intend to resolve the Akame/Kurome subplot right now! ;)
Anyways, without further ado . . .
Updated 1/17/17 - Fixed prose and grammatical errors.
Episode 18: Kill the Diplomats – Part 2
Days before Ambassador Abdullah's murder, the Jaegar's were all sitting in their conference room in the Jaegar wing of the imperial palace. Esdeath was yet again asking Bols numerous questions about love, diligently writing down his every word as if it were gospel.
"So he hugged you back did he?", Bols asked, scratching his chin. "That is a good sign."
"I thought so too, but he hasn't done much else.", Esdeath responded. "In my research thus far, I have heard much about this zone of friends and how undesirable of a position it is to be in."
Bols laughed. "Ah, you mean the friend zone?"
"Do you think I am in this friend zone? And if so, what tactics might I employ to move beyond its nefarious circumference?"
"I can't say for sure. You could try asking him"
"Could that work? But what if he says I am within the friend zone's perimeter? No no, much too risky at this stage."
"Have you tried doing something you both consider fun?"
"Fun? Hmm, fun. Battle, torture and hunting. We briefly fought side by side while we were on that southern island, but I did not get the opportunity to ascertain whether he particularly enjoyed it. As to the other two, I'd need further inquiry. Why do you ask?"
"It wasn't until my third date with my wife that she really fell head over hills for me. Instead of her cooking a meal for me or me cooking a meal for her, we decided to prepare the meal together. It was then that we discovered that we had a mutual passion for cooking. 6 months later, we were happily married."
"Fascinating", Esdeath said, deeply intrigued. "So if Tatsumi likes battle, torture or hunting as much as I do, he's as good as mine?"
"I wouldn't go that far, but . . ."
"Excellent", she dreamily interrupted. "I can't wait until our next meeting!"
To which Bols sighed, getting the feeling that his commander was only cherry picking his advice.
With that, the Ice Queen stood up from her chair at the table and looked upon the five Jaegars in a commanding fashion. "You've all got your orders. "I'll trust you will all follow them to the letter."
Upon seeing each Jaegar give her a firm salute, she gracefully exited the room.
With their fearless leader gone, Run, like always, took charge of matters, given that he was more or less the group's second in command. "We should begin making preparations at once."
As usual though, Wave appeared to be the only one willing to give said matters any additional thought. "I know Esdeath assigned our teams for this mission, but maybe we should go ahead and go to Ali Jinnah and Reispan together. It would certainly increase our chances."
Run shook his head in disproval. "Negative. The commander gave us these orders, so we'll stick to them."
Bols encouragingly placed his hand on Wave shoulder. "You don't need to worry. Good ol' Bols will have your back throughout the mission!"
"That's not what I'm worried about." Wave sighed while excusing himself from the room.
He proceeded to briefly roam the palace hallways before making his way to the nearest balcony. From that vantage point, much of the capital could be seen, making it a sight to behold. Wave leaned against the balcony rails, evidently lost in thought. He recalled the events in the mountains weeks ago when he discovered his comrade, Seryu Ubiquitious had murdered that Revolutionary Army member he had subdued. How the girl laughed chaotically about her sadistic actions. How she didn't even appear concerned about the danger she placed her teammates in. "Why is someone like her in the military?"
Of course, such contemplation would have to be saved for later, as someone poked the former navy member on the back a couple of times, interrupting his thoughts. He turned around. "Kurome?!"
"We're about to head out to Ali Jinnah", she said stoically. "But if you run into my sister, only beat her half to death."
"You heard Run back there didn't you? Esdeath gave us orders to kill if possible", he responded.
Kurome looked directly into his eyes, still nonchalant. "It will be fine. Just beat her half to death then bring her to me."
Wave sighed. "Fine, but you've gotta do something for me as well."
To which Kurome raised one eyebrow, unsure of what he would request.
He gave her a thumbs up sign while grinning from ear to ear. "Be careful out there, alright?
"You don't have to worry about me", she responded, swiftly turning around and walking away.
Wave found himself cringing at his own actions. "Oh man. That must've looked super lame. Why did I do that?"
[. . . Sin Esperanza . . .]
Within the western nation of Reispan, well below the outskirts of one of its thick and grassy jungles, was a small valley containing an even smaller town called Sin Esperanza. The town bordered a massive lake. And to the edge of the lake was an even more massive dam overlooking everything within the area.
Leone and Mein were sitting idly by behind bars in the town jail house. The jail cell they were in was cold, dark and dusty. And two young Night Raid women had been stripped of their imperial arms and bound with hand cuffs.
Despite the circumstances, Leone was still in high spirits. "Look at the bright side, Mein! Now you get to spend more time in your home country!"
Mein was practically fuming however. "I already told you this isn't my home country! I was born on the borders of the Grand Empire! Besides, we wouldn't have to spend more time here if you would have just gone with my plan to let me snipe this Reispan ambassador!"
"C'mon, you know that way would've taken way too long to set up. This way is much easier and more direct."
"How is getting captured and getting our weapons taken away much easier?"
Leone pondered for a few moments before grinning from ear to ear. ". . . it'll come to me."
"WHAT?!", Mein shrieked. "You mean to tell me you don't have a plan?!"
"Relax. Like I said, it'll come to me. Just wait."
"What part of saying 'it'll come to me just wait' should I be relaxed about?!"
Just before Mein could continue to bicker, a middle aged woman drew near. She had cropped black hair and was donned in a prestigious buttoned black robe that readily revealed her cleavage as well as her bare toned legs. Alongside two guards with assault rifles, she approached the two Night Raid members' containment cell until finally looking upon them face to face. "So, I take it you two are the assassins I heard about,
Mein looked surprised. "You heard about us?"
"Aye, that I did. The Grand Empire warned me that assassins might try to come after me soon. I had assumed that they were simply trying to improve their bargaining position in our upcoming negotiations. The Grand Empire is useful to an extent, but isn't exactly trustworthy. Nonetheless, it seems they were telling the truth for once as why else would two lovely foreign pretty young things like yourself be wandering outside of a town I would just so happen to be visiting today?"
"We like the booze and we like scenery", Leone smirked. "But mainly the booze."
"And in your efforts to admire the 'booze and the scenary', you just so happened to be carrying around two of those mystical imperial arms I've heard so much about."
"I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell us what you did with those", Leone casually requested.
"They're safely locked away in the governor's mansion. After some analysis, they'll definitely be a useful asset to the Reispan army"
Mein glared directly at the ambassador. "So what exactly did you come down here for?"
To which the ambassador responded. "I could probably have you both tortured and interrogated, but I have too many other things to occupy my time. So instead, I had decided to come down here and have you both executed here and now."
At the mention of this, both of the guards cocked their rifles and aimed them squarely at Leone and Mein.
"But that was before I knew just how . . . appetizing the two of you were", said the ambassador, licking her lips.
Mein raised one of her eyebrows, unsure of what was going on. "Say what?"
"So I've decided to give you two an ultimatum. Either I execute you two here and now . . . or, you can agree to become my slaves."
Mein growled. "As if we would . . ."
But Leone cut her off, elbowing her in the side. "I was getting tired of being an assassin anyway. The pay is crap and the job security is deplorable."
"I had a feeling you would see reason", the ambassador replied while turning to the guards. "Let them out of the cell, but keep your weapons trained on them at all times. They did come here to assassinate me after all."
As the guards let Leone and Mein out of their cell, the ambassador motioned for them to follow her. "Now that that's out of the way, proper etiquette demands that we properly introduce ourselves. My name is Alicia Eduarda. I am Reispan's finest ambassador and trade negotiator. And you are?"
"I'm Leone and I'm the Grand Empire's finest massage therapist!", the feral assassin grinned, somewhat enjoying herself.
Alicia smirked amorously. "Massage therapist? That's good to know."
Night Raid's genius sniper simply sighed. "Yeah . . . I'm Mein"
To which the ambassador stopped and took a few moments to run her fingers through the younger woman's hair and even smell it. "My my my, you're not purely of the Grand Empire are you? Such radiant pink hair and pinks eyes. You're a Reispanian girl, aren't you?"
This only seemed to irk the genius sniper's nerves, even causing her to clench her teeth.
A response which greatly amused the ambassador. "And such fight in you too. I think I'll enjoy you the most", she said with a wink. "Needless to say, let us head back to the governor's mansion."
And so they all proceeded to exit the jail house, the ambassador walking in front, Leone and Mein walking behind her while still handcuffed and the two guards walking behind them with their weapons pointed at their backs.
As they walked out, the two Night Raid members got a closer view of the town. The first thing they noticed was several long lines of people waiting outside of what appeared to be supply buildings. Upon closer examination, the person at the front of one line was given a loaf of bread by a supplier. The person at the front of another line was given a flu shot of some sort.
As they continued walking, Alicia noticed that these lines had caught her two slaves' attention. "As you can see, Reispan makes the welfare of its people its chief priority."
"This is all provided by the Reispan government?", Mein asked.
"Indeed. We provide our people food, shelter and healthcare. Your Grand Empire is plagued with corrupt nobility sucking away everything from the poor, but here in Reispan, everyone is equal. Everyone has the same rights and privileges. It is what some would call an idyllic society."
They walked further into town, Mein quickly noticing a conversation between a mother and child on the nearest street corner.
"Mother, I'm hungry", said the child.
To which the mother responded, whispering. "Please, don't speak so loudly. You know what will happen. We've already consumed this week's rations. Please, just hold together a little longer."
Something else caught Leone's attention. The buildings looked run down, many cracked windows, worn doors and a great deal of termite infested wood.
The group continued traversing the town until they made their way to a large and pristine multi-story building of the most exquisite décor. The governor's mansion no doubt. Contrary to the buildings throughout the rest of the town, this one was in excellent condition. What's more, it had its own garden out front and a set of horse stables to the side. Even more atmospheric was that the mansion sat directly across the town's docks which were overlooking the lake. Truly an impressive piece of scenery.
With Alicia still walking in front, Leone and Meine entered the mansion, awed at its interior. To the left were several musicians each donned in formal wear, a pianist and a few violinists playing classical music. To the right was a painter currently in the process of completing a wall sized portrait of the ambassador.
They all made their way upstairs until finally entering what appeared to be grand master bedroom. At one part of the room sat a kingsized bed with red velvet sheets of the finest quality. At another side of the room was a black leather couch suitable for three people to sit in. The ambassador casually took a seat. "Well, what do you think of my mansion?"
"Your mansion?", Mein asked probingly. "You called this the govenor's mansion."
"Just a formality here in Reispan", the ambassador responded. "Here in Reispan, we have governor's mansions throughout most of our towns and cities. It's where high ranked officials can stay when they visit."
:epme raised her handcuffed hands. "That's all well and great, but could you remove these? Walking around with them is a real pain."
Alicia reached for the end table next to the couch she was sitting at, pulling out two black spiked collars and a remote control. She walked up to her two new slaves and fitted the collars around their necks. She then pulled a key out of one of her pockets, uncuffing both of the young women. Afterwards, she looked upon the two guards in the room, motioning them to leave.
Mein looked puzzle. "For someone who we were just trying to assassinate, you sure do have a lot of faith in us. What's stopping us from finishing the job right now?"
To which the ambassador responded while clicking the button on her remote control. "This"
Just then, a wave of electricity surged throughout the bodies of both Night Raid members, causing them both to the drop to the floor as they gritted their teeth in pain.
"You two are my slaves now and slaves shall do as they are told", Alicia chimed before glancing towards the door to a small adjoining room nearby. "Now, the first thing I want you to do is to go into that bathroom there. There are a few outfits lying on the counter. Each of you will change into one of those outfits on the double. And don't think about trying anything funny. Should you not return within 60 seconds, I will be hitting this button again at a much higher voltage."
Mein and Leone did just as she said, entering the nearby bathroom with great haste. With 5 seconds to spare, they made their way back into the ambassador's bathroom, only now donned in outfits that were . . . uncanny to say the least. Leone was now wearing a thin blue two piece bikini with the bra portion solely covering her nipples. The genius sniper, on the other hand was wearing a thin red two piece bikini with assless panties.
"Oh my", Alicia blushed, seductively sliding a hand across Leone's chest and doing the same across Mein's bare behind afterwards. "Remarkable craftsmanship."
As Mein felt this middle aged deviant molest her in such a fashion, she grinded her teeth to the full extent of which her molars could bare and tightly clenched her hands as well, visibly undignified by the current situation. Oddly enough,Leone's reaction was much different; she appeared to be amused.
At that moment, a few guards carried a large human sized cage into the room, the ambassador motioning them to set it right next to her bed before turning her attention back to her two slaves. "The both of you will stay here while I attend to some important business. I'll return in a few minutes, mmkay", she said a wink and an air kiss.
With the ambassador and her guards gone, Leone and Mein were locked behind bars both at their lonesome.
Leone started giggling before playfully slapping her companion on her glutes.
To which Mein blushed and growled. "Hey!"
But Leone simply continued to giggle. "She's may be an evil bitch, but she's right about you having a nice ass."
The talented sniper muttered expletives while continuing to blush and growl, but stopped upon noticing Leone's sudden seriousness. "What is it?"
"She locked our imperial arms some place in this mansion. Even if we didn't have these collars on, there are too many guards for us to get out of here and complete the mission without them. We've gotta get them back before she sends them off to the Reispan army."
"Easier said than done", Mein sighed. "I told you we would've better off had you let me snipe her."
"It's not like we knew for sure that she would be in this town. That was just a rumor, remember?", Leone shrugged. "But that's all water in the bridge. We need to focus on the problem in front of us."
"And what do you have in mind?"
To which the feral assassin smirked mischievously. "Oh . . . I have a few ideas."
[. . . The fruits of a revolution . . .]
Just as the sun went down and moon rose up, two of the Jaegars entered the town of Sin Esperanza. Whereas Run, Kurome and Seryu had ventured off into Ali Jinnah, Bols and Wave arrived in this frail city in a valley. Just as they entered the city, they were approached by several armed guards.
"State your business", one of the guards said, looking in the two men's direction.
"We're the Jaegar's and we're here on behalf of the Grand Empire", Wave responded. "We heard a rumor that your ambassador would be visiting this town before participating in the upcoming trade negotiations in the Reispan Capital. We suspect a group of assassins known as Night Raid might try to target her and wish to see to it that they fail."
"The ambassador has ordered us not to permit any guests to see her tonight. You may arrange an audience with her tomorrow."
Bols nodded. "I see. Then is there an inn we can rest at for the night?"
"There is", one of the guards said, pointing in one direction. "Just keep walking straight ahead and you'll find an inn in the center of town."
Both Wave and Bols bowed their heads graciously before treading further into town. At the very moment the guards were out of sight, a young girl in raggedy clothes ran up to them, her attention focused on Wave. "Please sir, you're a foreigner. Foreigners are supposed to be rich. Could you please spare me several gold pieces? Our family is starving and we don't have enough for any additional rations and . . ."
Wave reached into one of his pockets, rummaging through it for gold pieces. "Easy now little girl. I'd be happy to help you." He pulled out 10 gold pieces, preparing to place them in the girl's hands.
But before he could, several guards could be seen walking by on patrol. At the sight of this, the girl quickly ran off in the opposite direction. Wave shouted out. "Hey, don't you want some money?"
Noticing this, the guards quickly confronted the gracious Jaegar. "Hey! Stop what you're doing this instant!"
As they surrounded him, Wave looked perplexed. "I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?"
"If we catch you doing that again, you'll be spending the rest of your days in the slammer! Is that clear, punk?"
"What are you talking about", he responded. "All I was doing was-"
But Bols interrupted him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We apologize. We're new here and didn't know about your laws. We won't besmirch them again.
"You'd better not!", one of the guards snarled before they each walked away and resumed patrol.
"Why'd you stop me?", Wave asked his comrade.
To which Bols responded. "This country . . . it doesn't appear to be like ours. Lets leave it at that for now and head to the inn."
And so the two continued walking until they reached the inn the guards had mentioned. As they looked at this establishment's exterior, neither of them were impressed, noting that it was about as raggedy as the clothes on the little girl they had just encountered. Still, neither of them being snobs, it wasn't an issue that would prevent them from occupying this place for the night.
They headed inside, but the interior was just as run down as the exterior, holes in the walls, cracks in the doors and mice and roaches boldly running across the floor with impunity. At the side of the entrance was an elderly man with a bald head and a thick white mustache sitting at the front desk, snoozing.
Bols rung the bell on said desk, immediately waking this elderly man up, his eyes instantly fixated on both Jaegars. "Alejandro Enrique at your service. The mayor of Sin Esperanza and the owner of its finest Inn. How can I help you?"
Wave jumped back in shock. "You're the mayor?! What's the mayor doing in a place like this?"
The elderly man scratched his head for a moment. "¿qué quieres decir con eso?"
To which Wave raised an eyebrow. "Uh . . . what?"
Alejandro pondered for a few moments before laughing out loud. "Oh, you mean why is it that the mayor is staying in an inn?"
"Sure . . . I guess that's what I'm getting at."
"It's because I have been assigned to stay here and am not allowed to stay anywhere else."
Wave still appeared to be confused. "But you're the mayor. Back in my hometown, the town isn't exactly as well off as we'd like it to be, but our mayor probably has the nicest place in the town. It's his reward for taking on the task of serving the people and because the weight of all the responsibility he has assumed."
"Your home town sounds lovely, if not ideal", Alejandro nodded. "But that's not quite how things work here in Reispan. The people here elected me mayor, but the election itself was simply for show. The mayor's only power is to make requests for rations each month. Beyond that, the government handles everything else. Even the guards here, they don't answer to me."
"Those guards stopped me from giving a beggar some money earlier. Threatened to lock me up if I did it again. What's the deal with that?"
Alejandro sighed and shook his head in dismay. "Here in Reispan, private charity is illegal and punishable by imprisonment."
Wave couldn't believe what he had just heard. "WHAT?! That's ridiculous! Why would they impose such a law?"
"The government's rational is that providing for its people is its job as opposed to the job of the citizens. Instead, anyone who wants to provide charity should give to the government so that it may better do its job."
"That's outrageous!"
"But it is the way it is. Reispan wasn't always like this. When I was your age, our greatest problem was the corrupt nobility. We eventually started a revolution. A cause I didn't hesitate to join. I remember those days so well. How proud I was to believe I was making a difference. Hmmph." The last part of that sentence was etched with cynicism.
"So how did things turn out like this?"
"We won the revolution. And the first thing the leaders of the revolution decided to do was to abolish nobility and make everyone equal as well as form a government whose responsibility was helping the people rather than helping itself. Problem is that some people have a very different idea of what it means to be equal as well as what it means to help the people. It is because of that that we effectively ended up simply trading the burdens we had with a set of new ones."
"I can see where you're coming from", Wave nodded. "In our country, there's currently a revolution underway as well. But as you're suggesting, revolutions are misguided and not the way to solve things."
Hearing this, however, simply made the elderly man bellow with laughter. "Is that what you think I'm saying? Oh heavens no. Our revolution wasn't misguided in itself. Our problem was that we never seriously sat down and considered the ramifications of it. Rebuilding a country . . . pursuing an ideal. These are courses of action that need to be thoroughly debated at every level. Actions which should only be pursued if considered realistically. We didn't do this. We were naïve. We simply thought it'd be as easy as getting rid of the corrupt nobles that oppressed us and thus paid the price for it with what you see not just in Sin Esperanza, but in towns and cities throughout the country."
Wave shook his head. "With all due respect, you're mistaken. You didn't need to have a revolution. I'm sure that had you worked from within the system, maybe you could have found a solution that could have avoided all of this."
To which the elderly man sighed. "At this point, we'll never know. But don't let me bore you with tales of the old days. The two of you are here for a room, yes?"
"Indeed. We would like to stay here for the night if you'd have us", Wave replied, bowing his head politely.
"Hmm . . . that'll be 1000 gold pieces."
"WHAT?!"
"Just kidding", Alejandro chuckled. "Usually, I'm required to charge that for inn usage, but it's been some time since I've had guests, so I'll let you stay free of charge."
Wave once again bowed his head. "You're very generous. Thank you."
With that, the two Jaegar members entered their room. There were two worn down beds present and the floors were cracked. Nonetheless, they both agreed that it far surpassed sleeping outside.
[. . . It all starts with a massage . . .]
Back at the governor's estate, Leone and Mein, still dressed in their demeaning outfits, had been having dinner with the ambassador. All three sat at a grand estate table, Leone and Mein sitting to the left and right of Alicia respectively.
Much to the genius sniper's irritation, the ambassador kept stroking and running her fingers up and down her back while listening to Leone finish what appeared to be an amusing tale. "And so then I told the thief 'Not your pants, damnit! The gun!"
The ambassador pounded the table with her free hand as she laughed. "You're killing me here!"
Leone laughed heartily while pouring more wine into her captor's cup. "That's the plan! Have some more!"
Alicia, with no grace or etiquette, poured the entire cup down her throat in one swooping fashion.
Seeing this gave the feral assassin some ideas. She leaned closely to the ambassador's side, blowing and whispering in her ear even. "Say, you seem a little tense. Why don't we head back to your room, so I can release some of that extra tension with one of my world class massages?"
To which Alicia blushed her cheeks before showing a flirtatious smile. "Yes, I do think some released tension would do me a world of good."
And so all three women returned to the master bedroom they had occupied earlier. As they got in the room, Leone sat on the bed and turned her attention to her pink haired companion. "Why don't you make yourself useful and help the ambassador get a little more comfortable?"
In keeping with her demeanor throughout the much of the day, Mein continued to swear under her breath while grinding her teeth. She pulled away Alicia's robe, helping her out of clothes until she was wearing nothing more than her undergarments.
Leone then took the opportunity to pull the ambassador to the bed. "Lay on your stomach and I'll do the rest." She climbed onto the middle aged woman's back and began sensually rubbing her shoulders.
Alicia let out a pleasant sigh. "That's nice."
For several moments, Mein watched with repulsion as her companion worked her hands all around the ambassador's scantily clad body. She shuddered to think where this massage was going, much less what part she herself would have to contribute. Fortunately for her, however, a delightful sound began filling the room. Snoring. She looked upon Alicia, immediately realizing that she was already well asleep. At this time, Leone got off the bed, opting to instead cover the ambassador with a blanket.
Mein widened her eyes at the sight of this. "How did you do that?"
Leone responded with a knowing wink. "Easy as pie. When you've given as many massages as I have, with some focus in the right places, you can put just about anybody to sleep, especially if they've already been drinking!"
"Good. I've been waiting for an opportunity like this all day", Mein responded, sporting a devilish grin. "Lets snap her neck and get out of here!"
In an unusual display of collectedness, Leone shook her head. "Not yet."
"What? But this is our perfect chance!"
"No, we still need to get our imperial arms back. If we can't find them after looking around, we can come back here and torture the information out of her."
"But what if she wakes up before we get back?"
To which Leone boastfully smirked. "Trust me. She won't."
With that, they swiftly exited the room, peeling the door open to see whether any guards were nearby before slipping out. Most of the mansion's servant's had already retired for the night and the hallways were dimly lit with candlelight, making patrolling guards the only issue as far as reconnaissance was concerned. They had both fortunately performed enough prior covert operations to know how to consistently avoid detection, always making sure to stay within the shadows.
Mein and Leone searched the guest bedrooms, but found nothing. They scanned the kitchen and the dining room, but detected nothing out of the ordinary. They looked around the main hall, but didn't see anything concealed. They finally stumbled across the only room that was locked.
"Jackpot!", said Leone, pumping her right fist.
Mein crossed her arms. "How do we get in?"
Leone removed a hairpin stowed away in her hair and began fidgeting with the door knob. "As if you need to ask."
"And here I thought you stole some of the ambassador's hairpins for fashion purposes."
"Duh. Hairpins have many uses. For example, when we get back home, I'd be happy to give you a makeover. A few hairpins here and there, and that nice ass of yours won't be the only thing that distracts men from your flat chest."
"Screw you!"
"Oh c'mon, Mein", Leone giggled as she got the door open. "You know why you picked that outfit instead of the one I'm wearing."
"Shut the hell up!"
As the two Night Raid members entered the locked room, the noticed that it was a study room of some sort. There was a litany of books lined up in shelves. In the center of the room, there was an encased world map on an oak table. And on the side of the room opposite to the entrance, there was a study desk with an ink quill and some official documents sitting on it.
Both women approached the study desk, inspecting the litany of papers scattered on its surface. Mein grabbed one of the candles hoisted on the wall and held it over the desk as Leone looked through documents scattered on it. One of the documents contained a detailed diagram of the very dam that was overlooking the town with red ink marks placed on various points. Another document appeared to be a signed order from a very high ranked member of the Reispan government titled 'Operation Clean State.' However, neither of these documents appeared to address where the two confiscated imperial arms were being kept.
"No choice", said Leone, shrugging her shoulders. "Looks like we'll have to beat the information out of the ambassador."
But Mein smirked. "You say that like it's a bad thing"
"I like a fight as much as the next gal, but there are too many guards here to fight without our imperial arms. Creating a scene is a bad idea."
"Maybe we can take her hostage. Force her to show us where our weapons are while using her as a human shield."
"Not like we have any other option at this point. Lets go."
And so they exited the study room, Leone having made sure that the door was relocked upon slipping out. They skirted their way past guards on patrol and made it back into Alicia's master bedroom without incident. But just as they closed the doors behind them, they came face to face with an elderly maid.
The maid looked upon them, eyes bulged and her mouth about to open. Sure to release screams that would awake the ambassador as well as alert every single person inside the mansion. Leone instantly placed her hand over the maid's, muffling her voice to great effect, Alongside Mein, they walked into the adjoining bathroom and closed the door behind them.
Mein looked into the maid's eyes. "We're not here to hurt you. Just cooperate with us and I promise you nothing will happen. Agreed?"
The maid calmed herself down and nodded her head, prompting Leone to release her. "You two are ambassador Eduarda's personal servants. What are you two doing out of your cages without her supervision?"
"That's a good question", Leone smirked, amused at the situation. "But not as good of a question as to what the cleaning lady is doing in the ambassador's bedroom in the middle of the night without any cleaning supplies on hand."
A sense of panic could be seen throughout the elderly woman's eyes.
This only made Leone chuckle to herself. "Thought so. You figured that you could steal some valuables while the ambassador was asleep. You must've noticed how drunk she had been getting at dinner earlier and how neither of us were present in our cage, thus figured you might be able to pull a fast one."
"Please. Don't tell anyone. I have grandchildren to feed. I only wanted to buy additional rations. You have to believe me."
"I believe you", Leone replied. "Just get out of here, okay?"
Hearing this, the maid was overjoyed. "Oh thank you. Thank you. Bless you for your kindness."
The maid prepared to exit the bathroom, but not before stopping dead in her tracks and gazing at Mein for a few moments.
"What?", the genius sniped asked, a hint of irritation in her voice. Having already been subjected to the ambassador's constant advances throughout the day, she was dreading the thought of this old lady coming onto her as well.
"You're not a foreigner, are you? You're Reispanian. That hair and those eyes, I'd recognize it anywhere. Only someone with Reispanian blood could have them."
Mein appeared to grow even more irritated to a sharp and deeply serious degree. "You've got the wrong, idea. I wasn't born here in Reispan. I was born on the western borders of the Grand Empire. Besides, only my mother was Reispanian. My father was born in the empire."
The maid smiled with sincerity in her eyes. "I see. Your mother and father must be very proud to see that their daughter has turned into a such a fine beautiful woman."
"How could they be proud? My parents are dead. They died just after fleeing this damn country! And you don't have to tell me about my pink hair and pink eyes. I spent most of my life being ridiculed for it!"
Hearing this caused the old woman to let out a heavy sigh"Child . . . I'm sorry. I didn't know you went through so much. I'm sorry you had to endure so much because of your blood. I know how things look here. I know what you must think of us. But please, don't go hating your heritage just because of the acts of some.
Mein narrowed her eyes for a moment before sighing as well. "Yeah whatever. Just go already."
The elderly maid gazed at her fellow Reispanian for a few more moments before walking away and exiting the master bedroom entirely.
Leone looked at her companion with a slight hint of concern in her eyes. "Something you want to talk about?"
But Mein simply brushed it off while walking out the bathroom. "No."
Leone followed her, heading back into the bedroom area with the sleeping ambassador in her sights. They had yet to find their imperial arms, so torture was there only option. However, just as they approached the sleeping Alicia, there were several knocks on the bedroom door. The two Night Raid members looked to each other with panic in their eyes and immediately ran back into their cage, closing it behind them. They then lied down, pretending to be asleep.
After a few additional knocks, the bedroom door opened, three guards entering the room. "Ambassador Eduarda!"
To which the middle aged woman sharply opened her eyes and sat up, quickly covering herself with the bed sheets to hide her indecent state. "How dare you barge into my bedroom in the middle of the night without permission?! If this isn't an important matter, I will have you hung!"
"Ambassador!", a guard responded, handing Alicia a sealed letter after giving her a firm salute. "This is straight from the Grand Chancellor himself."
Wasting no time, Alicia opened the letter and read its contents via candlelight. "I see. So he wants us to commence with operation Clean Slate as soon as possible? Very well. Anything else?"
"Yes your excellency, there's one additional matter. Two representatives from the Grand Empire have arrived and are currently residing at the Inn. They call themselves 'Jaegars', ma'am, and they'd like to arrange an audience with you. They say they're here for some assassins"
The ambassador rubbed her chin. "Jaegers and assassins, eh? Interesting. Very well, I'll hear from them in the morning. You're all dismissed."
And thus the three guards exited the room just as promptly as they had entered. Alicia turned her attention to Mein and Leone. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the two in their motionless state. She had wandered when they had gotten back into their cage and how she had gotten back into her bed, but swiftly brushed away such thoughts upon remembering how much she drank at dinner. Then, with a simple sight, she went back to sleep.
Leone peaked towards the direction of the bed to make sure the ambassador was laying down and asleep before whispering in Mein's ear. "That was a little too close."
Mein whispered in return. "Yeah, no kidding. So what's the plan?"
"The damn door locked as soon as we got back in, so torturing the ambassador for info is out of the question. Not to mention the Jaegars are here, making our situation all kinds of screwed. We absolutely have to get our weapons back if we're gonna stand a chance against them."
[. . . For whom the bell tolls . . .]
Back at the inn in the center of the town, Wave found himself waking up in the middle of the night, the sound of someone humming the tune of a rather pleasant melody. The Jaegar sat up in his bed, quickly realizing who was humming this tune. "Bols, it's pretty late you know."
The masked muscular man had been sitting up, gazing at a picture of his daughter. It took him a few seconds to register the fact that Wave had just said something. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."
Wave smiled, having grown very accustomed to Bols' utmost sense of politeness. "No big deal. Why are you still up by the way? You'll need to be in tip top shape should we face Night Raid tomorrow."
"It's strange. I keep hearing a bell."
"Huh. I don't hear anything."
"Really? How odd."
"So what's that you're humming?"
"It's a song my daughter has been practicing for her upcoming piano recital."
"A piano recital?", Wave said, surprised at yet another example of his comrade having a rather mundane personal life.
"Yes. It's a lovely song. I think she'll do well."
Wave's eyes narrowed. "Since we're both awake, you mind if ask you something?"
"Sure. Go ahead."
"You've done a lot of things. Killed a lot of people . . . much more than I have. You've personally had to raze entire villages. All of it being for the greater good, but still . . . you remain a good man. Inspiring even. In my time in the Capital, I've seen fellow soldiers who are corrupt to the core, but you've been able to do your job and still remain uncorrupted. How?"
"Good? Inspiring? Uncorrupted? Those are the last words you could use to describe a man like me. I've done all the things I've done so that I would be able to take care of my wife and daughter, but does it really matter? How many mothers and daughters have I taken from other men simply trying to support their families?"
"You're wrong. I've seen pure evil even within our own ranks. You're not like that. You still have the heart of caring decent man."
"Do you think that is enough?"
Wave looked at his friend with confusion. "Enough for what?"
"Enough to pay the price for every life I've taken away? I don't know if that's the case, but if I've learned anything in this world, it's that we always reap what we sow. I can only hope that what I've reaped won't one day come back to haunt my family."
Hearing this gave Wave some; he pondered for a few moments, reflecting on his masked companion's self-derisive thoughts. An idea then occurred to him. "That won't happen."
"What?"
A look of focus and determination appeared in his eyes. "You have my word, as long as I live, I won't let anything happen to your wife and daughter!"
Beneath his mask was the look of a man that was touched by such kind words. He didn't know what to say. He was used to being distrusted due to his foreboding appearance and having no one to confide in besides his wife. But Wave . . . he was a different sort of fellow.
Wave, detecting the silence that followed his proclamation, starting cringing out of embarrassment. "Damnit. I said something lame again, didn't I?"
To which Bols shook his head. "No no. I'm grateful for what you said. Thank you."
The younger Jaegar member smiled upon hearing these words. "So . . . is it okay if Kurome and I attend your daughter's recital?"
"I don't see why not. But why just you and Kurome? What about Run, Seryu, and Esdeath?"
Wave appeared to be flustered. "Uh . . . yeah, they should come too!"
[. . . The end of Sin Esperanza . . .]
The night eventually came to an end, followed by dawn. Mein and Leone had been well asleep, reasoning that they'd need to be at full strength should they encounter the Jaegars.
Their slumber, however, quickly came to an end as the ambassador approached their cage and yelled "You two, wake up!"
To which the two Night Raid members instantly awoke, cautious as ever while in the presence of their self-proclaimed master.
Alicia opened their cage and directed them towards the bathroom. "It's a real shame, but I'm going to need you both to put back on the clothes you had been wearing yesterday. You once again have 60 seconds to change. Don't even think about trying anything funny."
And so they did, spurting into the bathroom and putting back on their normal attire, Mein being very relieved to be out of what she considered to be a degrading outfit. They came out the bathroom just in time, Leone asking the ambassador "What's the occasion?" upon walking out.
"You'll both need to be dressed appropriately when you appear before the Grand Chancellor."
Leone looked at the ambassador somewhat puzzled. "Oh yeah? And what does Reispan's grand chancellor want with us?"
"The Grand Chancellor would like to see for himself the two criminals who committed the heinous act of killing every single man, woman and child here in Sin Esperanza."
Both of the Night Raid assassins looked upon Alicia with shock and confusion. Mein quickly spoke up. "What . . . did you just say?"
Alicia leaned in close to the genius sniper, yet again stroking her long pink hair. "It's such a shame too. I really planned on having more fun with you two . . . especially you. But alas, duty comes first. I can't have monsters like you wondering freely throughout our fair country. The Grand Chancellor will see you both before your public execution."
Leone snarled, instantly losing her composure. "What did you do to the people of this town?!"
Alicia simply laughed, amused by the anger her words appeared to be producing. "Nothing. But the water being contained by the dam? That'll surely wipe out this entire town in a single stroke and I will see to it that you are both hung for sabotaging the dam in an effort to kill so many innocent people."
"Cut the crap!", Mein snarled, outwardly infuriated at this point. "Why would you do this to your own people? Is this how Reispan makes the welfare of its people its chief priority?"
But Alicia merely continued to laugh. "You're such a little fool. You just don't get it, do you? The people are Reispan's chief priority. It's because of this that this town needs to be destroyed. The maintenance required to keep this dam in working condition and the rations we regularly send out here is a great burden on our resources. Resources which would be much better used elsewhere. Imagine all the additional rations other towns will be able to get when we've eliminated this one. In the end, more people will benefit at the cost of the deaths of some. It's only logic."
Logic which Mein didn't buy for a single instant. "You don't give a damn about the people! It's why you leave the people suffering on the streets while you enjoy the luxury of eating and sleeping in this godforsaken mansion! You talk about equality, but you're no better than the damn nobles!"
Alicia smirked, not fazed by her fellow Reispanian's words. "I am nothing like the nobles. My way leads to peace and prosperity. If you can't see this, that's your own problem. Not that it matters as the opinions of the dead are worthless. Especially dead criminals."
From one of her pockets, the ambassador removed the remote control to the shock collars on Leone and Mein. She audaciously held it out in front of the two assassins with her thumb hovered over the shock button. "Now come. We should begin heading to the Capital at great haste.
And so the two night raid members followed Alicia, reluctantly at that. As they exited the bedroom and made their way downstairs, they saw over 20 armed guards present next to the mansion's front door. One of the guards was standing next to the elderly maid Mein and Leone had encountered on the previous night, the barrel of his rifle trained squarely on the maid's head.
Leone grew furious at the sight of this and turned to the ambassador. "What are you doing?!"
The ambassador turned to two of the nearby guards and simply nodded her head. Responding accordingly, the guards grabbed both Mein and Leone and covered their mouths.
Alicia then turned her attention to the elderly maid who was at gunpoint. "This one was found rummaging through the halls last night well past her curfew. Usually, I would let this sort of thing go with maybe three or four months of manual labor, but I also discovered that someone broke into the study last night. The files on the desk in no way resembled the formation I had left them in yesterday afternoon. This woman swears she had nothing to do with it and I am more or less inclined to believe her. Thus, I've decided the perfect way to settle this matter. Should she tell me right now who broke into the study, she'll be absolved of her crime and I will personally execute the real culprits myself. Should she lie or refuse to answer, she will die here and now."
Mein and Leone desperately tried to speak, to confirm that they were the ones who broke into the study. They understood full well that the ambassador was playing a sick game and had no intention of executing them there in the governor's mansion. Even if they had not been set to be executed regardless, neither of them could bare sacrificing an innocent life for their own cause. Leone herself attempted to knock away the guard holding her, but without her imperial arm, she merely had the strength of a normal young woman.
But the elderly maid finally spoke up nonetheless. "You want to know who broke into your study, correct?"
"That's correct", Alicia responded. "Just tell me who did it and you'll be safe and sound."
The maid looked towards Mein and Leone as they struggled and then looked back to the ambassador eye to eye. With a heartwarming smile, she said "I did it. I broke into your study."
Judging by the look on the ambassador's face, this was not the sort of answered she expected, much less wanted. She released a frustrated sigh, only to then snap her fingers. Bang. At the very next moment, the maid was lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. The bullet pierced right through her brain, making it an instant death.
The ambassador then shook her head in dismay. "Such a fool. To my understanding, she had grandchildren to take care of. Why should she throw away her life to save two people she knows nothing about is anyone's guess. But at very least, some good comes out of it. Now, our society is one fraction less foolish."
All of the sudden, there was a look of blood boiling hate in Mein's eyes as she witnessed this depraved scene play out. Alicia took note of this. "You're so adorable. Why couldn't the Grand Chancellor have delayed his order for a just few more days? How I would have enjoyed breaking that spirit of yours."
Wishing to further flaunt her control of the situation, Alicia then turned her attention to the large picture of herself hung up on the wall. "By the way, you two ought to really read a lot more mystery novels. Maybe if you were a little more well-read, you'd know that the valuables are usually kept behind the finest looking painting in the house."
A few of the guards then pulled the portrait down and another guard opened a safe behind it, only to pull out the two imperial arms that had been stored within it: Lionelle and Pumpkin. Seeing the ambassador's intent, said guard then walked towards the her with the two items in his hands.
Alicia shifted her gaze back to the two Night Raid assassins. "I had intended to do some analysis and learn firsthand how these imperials arms function, but with representatives from the Grand Empire here, I wonder if I should instead try using them as bargaining power in our upcoming negotiations. What do you think?"
Leone mumbled something, but no one was quite able to make out what she was saying while there was a hand covering her mouth. "Let her speak", said the ambassador.
As the guard pried his hand away from Leone's mouth, she said "What do I think? I think you've just made a big mistake."
At the instant these words came out of her mouth, she bit the hand of the guard that was holding her, causing him to cry out in pain and release her from his grasp. Seizing the opportunity before her, she then leaped forwards, grabbing her imperial arm out of the hands of the guard that had been holding it.
However, at this very moment, the guards surrounding her opened fire, pumping her body full of lead. Naturally, the feral assassin fell face down to the floor, blood flowing out of her and she lied there motionless.
Alicia sighed at the sight of this. "One disappointment after the other. What did she think was going to happen when she tried something so reckless?"
Though suddenly, a stream of laughter could be heard. Upon closer inspection, it was coming from what was thought to be a dead assassin. Only now . . . "I'll tell you what I think is going to happen. I think I'm going to get up and rip every one of you apart, limb from limb, right down to your entrails. For what you just did, not even one person in this mansion here in going to be on the receiving end of mercy in any form."
A look of fear and anguish overcame the ambassador. She looked around the room, wondering why the guards were just standing still, observing the sight before them. "Shoot the body! Shoot it now!"
Hearing her orders, they all fired in unison, but it was too late. For Leone had already moved out of the way, the only thing remaining on the floor being the electric collar Alica had attached to her the other day. What's more, the guard who had been holding Pumpkin was now missing both of his arms, blood pouring out of where they used to be.
Leone swiftly grabbed Mein, kicked down the mansion's front door and escaped into the front yard. She turned to her comrade, ripped off her electric collar and handed her her prized weapon. "Time to paint the town red with these bastards."
All of the guards that had been in the mansion ran outside to confront the two assassins, many of them being mowed down like fodder either by headshots from Mein or lethal body blows from Leone.
More guards appeared, coming from within the town. As the two Night Raid assassins were finishing off the remaining guards from the mansion, they started firing from behind. Of course, Mein simply chuckled at this develop. "Dumbasses."
Before they could fire another shot, she turned around and fired a large blast out from her Pumpkin, almost instantly incinerating the group in one fell swoop. No doubt a result of the pinch they had placed her in by attacking from behind.
It was amazing how much of a difference having their imperial arms had made. There were probably around 60 total town guards, but the two assassins had successfully killed most of them in mere minutes. The ambassador certainly didn't see any point in sticking around, instead opting to make a run for it.
Alicia fled to the nearby docks, hoping to get on one of the available sailboats in an effort to get to safety. She had just about untied the closest boat from one of the dock's post when she heard a gunshot go off and a sharp burning pain in her leg simultaneously. The ambassador grabbed onto the post, unable to keep her footing otherwise. She turned her head and noticed a furious Mein pacing towards her with her imperial arm in hand. "Spare me now and I can make it worth your while. All it takes is one recommendation from me and you can have just about anything you want in this country"
Of course, Meind didn't say anything. Even if such an offer could ever interest her, her rage and her desire to see this vile woman suffer dominated her thoughts. Thus, she instead simply fired another shot from her Pumpkin, this time flying right through the ambassador's left arm. All the while still ominously walking towards her.
Despite the sheer pain Alicia had to be in, she continued to talk. "High spirited to the bitter end, eh?"
But remained continued not to speak, firing another shot instead, this one piercing the ambassador's other leg.
Ever still, the mortally wounded ambassador was insistent on talking. "Careful now. If you let hubris cloud your judgment like it clouded mine, you're sure to make a grievous mistake."
The genius sniper was unfettered; she continued to draw near until she stood face to face with Alicia, her Imperial pointed at her fellow Respanian's head point blank. The rage and hatred that overwhelmed her eyes was unlike any that had ever been seen from her before. Her index firmly was firmly hovered over Pumpkin's trigger.
But just as the trigger was about to pulled, a young man clad in familiar black and blue armor could be seen descending in the air directly above the talented sniper. "Grand Fall!"
Leone, seemingly coming out of nowhere tackled her fellow Night Raid member simultaneously, knocking her out of the way of what surely would've been a devastating life-ending attack. Life ending indeed since said attack blew through a thick chunk of the dock wood she had been standing on.
Mein was quick to get up off the ground and regain her footing. Standing right next to the wounded ambassador was the armored man who had nearly killed her just now and a masked man in possession of a flamethrower. "I recognize these guys from Tatsumi's description of the Jaegars. The one on the left is Wave. He uses Grand Chariot. The one on the right is Bols. He uses Rubicante. Both of them are at least as strong as us."
Leone nodded her head. "That sounds about right. I'll take Wave. You take Bols."
Wave gazed carefully upon his targets. "It looks like we got here in the nick of time. Just sit back, Ambassador Eduarda. We'll get you some medical attention just as soon as we're done here."
Alicia smirked with the utmost satisfaction at her serendipity. "Yes, these assassins have already slain so many of our guards who did everything they could protect the people. Please, you must avenge them."
To which Wave clenched his fist. "We will."
Mein suddenly fired several shots at Bols, but none of them did her any good, for the flamewielding Jaegar member concurrently used Rubicante to fire out a burst of flame, completely nullifying her shots. What's more, Bols kept his finger on the trigger, maintaining a constant wall of flame in front of him.
The genius sniper attempted to thwart this tactic by running to Bols' side and firing from there, only to be shocked as he merely turned towards her direction and continued to maintain his flame wall. "He's not giving me any openings, nor is he making the effort to put me in a pinch. It's almost as if he's . . . oh shit! He's stalling! Waiting for his partner to beat Leone!"
Meanwhile, Leone instantly found Wave's foot buried in her face, the result of a speedy flying sidekick. A blow which sent the feral assassin tumbling backward several yards before falling on her back.
The Grand Chariot wielder nonchalantly walked towards his opponent. An honorable warrior through and through as the thought of attacking someone on their back didn't even cross his mind. His sole concern was stopping this villain from causing any more harm to innocent people.
Leone quickly regained her footing; she leapt right back onto her feet with no trouble whatsoever. She popped and cracked her neck a bit before spitting out a loose tooth. She then looked towards her adversary, smirking confidently. "Not too shabby. Had you moved that fast earlier, I wouldn't have been able to get to Mein in the nick of time."
"Unlike you assassins, we Jaegars actually prioritize the lives of innocent people. Had I gone full force back there, Ambassador Eduarda would've died as well."
"Innocent people? Do you even know what the ambassador was trying to do prior to you getting here?"
"Don't think you can fast talk your way out of this, Night Raid scum. I'm taking you down right here!"
Leone cracked her knuckles. "All right, you asked for it!"
Wave rushed towards the feral assassin once more, but she firmly stood where she was standing, instead raising her two fists into a boxing stance. The Jaegar member threw his right fist squarely at his opponent's face, only for her to slip her head past what would've been a damaging blow, countering with a straight right punch of her own. An attack that smashed into the former Imperial navy member's face head on, sending him flying several yards backs and onto the ground.
Over the course of the next several seconds, Wave reeled in pain in spite of his superhumanly durable armor. Little wonder that as the combined effect of Leone's super strength and Wave's own momentum in rushing towards her would've surely reduced any normal human to a bloody pulp.
Nevertheless, being no stranger to a fight, Wave got back up just fine. "My mistake. You're a lot better than you look."
"Awe", Leone winked and blew him a kiss. "Compliments will get you everywhere!"
"Hey, that's not what I meant!", he responded before walking towards her and adopting a boxing stance of his own. "Don't count on me being so reckless again."
To which Leone smirked, maintaining a similar stance. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Wave took the initiative, throwing a left jab towards Leone's face, but the feral assassin swayed her head again, preparing to fire off another right handed counter. His left stopped mid-trajectory however, clearly a feint. Wave instead used his left hand to knock Leone's right out of the way, her face now being wide open. He subsequently threw another punch, this time a powerful right. To which Leone responded, weaving backwards and catching the blow on her right shoulder. She then fired off a a fearsome left hook aimed precisely at Wave's right temple. But Wave nimbly slipped his head back, causing the feral assassin to hit nothing but air and concurrently placing her jaw in the path of a swift left handed uppercut.
An attack the young woman skillfully intercepted with her right hand covering her chin, still feeling a fraction of the punches power as she felt a sharp pain in her jaw. She followed up with a straight left. Wave, having anticipated the trajectory of her move, slipped forwards, simultaneously throwing a straight right. To which Leone grinned, stopping her left mid-motion, a feint just like the one her opponent resorted to earlier. Instead, she threw a straight right of her own. Both warriors put a great deal of strength into these attacks, rotating their hips and torsos counter-clockwise to add power to their blows as they were thrown.
Bam! It was a dual exchange, both adversaries hitting each other head on at the exact same time, both feeling their brains rattle upon impact. Neither fighter fell however. Rather, they had both braced themselves, maintaining their footing after the attack. With the temporary impasse, Leone took the time to pop her nose into place, thankful of her regenerative abilities saving her from having to put up with a broken nose.
Thanks to his armor, the Grand Chariot wielder was not outwardly damaged, though whether there were any internal injuries was a different matter entirely. Even still, he nicely regained his composure within seconds of that last attack. "Not bad. Where'd you learn to fight like that?"
Leone was momentarily taken aback by her opponent's straightforward candid demeanor; she couldn't help but be reminded of a companion she was quite fond of. Then, with a light chuckle, she responded, "You learn all sorts of things growing up in the slums of the capital and having to fight off perverts at the massage parlor all the time. How about yourself?"
To which Wave replied, "My grandfather taught me."
All of this didn't escape the ambassador's attention. She sat at the dock post, her consciousness fading as she watched her own blood pour out of her. Mein appeared to have hit her vital arteries while shooting her earlier. "After all that, it looks like I'm going to die regardless. In that case . . ."
Alicia removed a remote device from her bra, different from the one she had used to electrocute Mein and Leone earlier. Then, with her last breath, she yelled. "I MAY DIE HERE TODAY, BUT YOU WILL ALL DIE HERE WITH ME IN SERVICE TO MY COUNTRY!"
Mein, Leone, Bols and Wave all stopped what they were doing, alarmed by the ambassador's words. Without hesitation, she pushed the button on her device, immediately setting off a chain reaction of explosions at the dam overlooking Sin Esperanza.
The Jaegar and Night Raid members watched with dread as the dam crumbled and gigantic waves of water larger than the entire town came hurling in their direction. Waves of water that would surely drown them and everyone in the town.
Leone, Mein and Wave each braced themselves for what appeared to be the end. That was until they saw an equally gigantic wall of fire in front of them. Upon closer inspection, the source of these flames were clear. Bols was standing at the edge of the docks, pouring out more flames from Rubicante than any of them ever thought possible.
For a few moments, they each just stood there in awe and disbelief. Wave especially, for he had not even ever seen his commander Esdeath put on such an awesome display of power. "Bols?"
The masked Jaegar responded, in his usual sincere demeanor. "Wave, I can only keep this up for 30 minutes at most. Get everyone in this town to the hills. I'll join you afterwards."
Wave nodded and turned to face the two Night Raid members. "You heard him. I only have 30 minutes, so lets finish this right now."
Mein rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Are you that stupid? We're going to help."
Beneath his helmet, Wave's eyes widened and his mouth dropped wide open. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Is this another trick or something? Why would you . . . help me?"
The genius sniper had heard just about enough however. She walked up to Wave and poked her finger in his armored chest. "Listen, we're not helping YOU. We're helping the people in this town. Had you not gotten in our way in the first place, we would've killed that psychopathic bitch and prevented her from blowing up the dam."
Wave nodded his head. "I see then. For now, we'll call a temporary truce. Agreed?"
To which Mein and Leone responded simultaneously. "Agreed!"
"Good! Now lets go!", he yelled before running off into the heart of the town.
Mein followed suit, running off in the same direction. "I assume you've got a plan dumbass!"
Leone was about to follow them before hearing Bols say, "Wait!"
[. . . Ave Maria . . .]
Sin Esperanza may have been a small town, but for once, its size played to everyone's fortune as there were no more than 500 people to save. People who would've been reluctant to listen to the unbelievable claims of foreigners if not for the clear and visible wall of flame blocking the gigantic waves that busted through the destroyed dam.
Even more helpful was that the foreigners were acting under the management of the town mayor, Alejandro Enrique. Under his leadership, Leone and Wave used their superhuman strength and speed to carry people up one of the area's nearby hills, well above the valley Sin Esperanza sat in. A process which was expedited by some of the wagons found near the horse stables at the govenor's mansion. With them, Leone and Wave were able to haul entire groups of people.
Meanwhile, Mein alongside several other townsmen, gathered supplies from the governor's mansion. Apparently, a great deal of extra rations was being stored there, despite constant pleas from the townspeople. These supplies were placed i into the remaining wagons and hauled up the hill thanks to the available horses.
This process continued for nearly the full 30 minutes Bols had allotted. As Leone and Waved hauled up another group of people, Alejandro approached them. "I believe that's everyone."
"Are you sure?", Wave asked.
To which the mayor graciously nodded. " Sí. Estoy absolutamente seguro!"
Upon hearing this, Wave released his Grand Chariot state, reverting his imperial arm back to its cutlass state. His sheathed his weapon and sighed in relief. "I'll take that as a yes."
Wave then walked over to the edge of the hill, seeing his comrade from afar as he was still holding the massive body of water at bay. There was a great deal of steam being lifted into the air as he did this, but despite having evaporated so much water for a full 30 minutes, there was still a great deal of it on the other side of Bol's wall of flame. When considering how much water there was in the ocean however, it wasn't surprising.
Nevertheless, with a job well done, Wave yelled out to his companion. "Hey Bols! We've done it. We've saved everyone in town!"
For some reason or another though, Bols merely continued maintaining the wall of flame his Rubicante was producing. Wave wasn't sure what to make of this, yelling even louder "You can stop now Bols! Everyone is safe! Come on up here!"
But for one reason or another, the masked Jaegar simply stood there, his finger firmly on the trigger of his imperial arm. At this point, the Wave was visibly frustrated and cried out once more, this time yelling with all of his might. "STOP! EVERYONE IS SAFE! STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND GET UP HERE RIGHT NOW!"
Still holding his flamethrower in his hands, Bols turned his head ever so slightly, looking upon everyone on the hill out of the corner of his eyes. Wave gritted his teeth, preparing to activate Grand Chariot and run down to the docks directly. But before he could muster another move, Leone grabbed him from behind, locking both of his arms into place.
Wave snarled in response and tryied to desperately to break free, but it was no use. Without activating his imperial arm, he couldn't hope to compete with the super strength Lionelle granted Leone. A fact the feral assassin was well aware of given that Tatsumi's imperial arm was no different in that respect.
"Backstabber!", Wave spat, desperately trying to break free. "I should've known you wouldn't keep your word."
To which Leone responded calmly and nonchalantly. "I am keeping my word. After you ran back into town earlier, your friend asked me hold you down just as soon as we were done saving everyone in the town."
Upon hearing this, the Jaegar stopped struggling, perplexed at the nature of his companion's request. "But . . . why would he ask you to do that?"
Suddenly, the demeanor on Leone's face changed to a look of sorrow. "Because, he doesn't want you to share his fate in a pointless attempt to save him."
Wave's eyes widened. "What . . . are you talking about?"
"His imperial arm. Rubicante. He explained everything to me. For the past 30 minutes, he's been using its trump card. He's able to greatly increase the size and intensity of his flames beyond what they would usually be capable of. However, maintaining these flames, especially for that long requires a level of stamina far beyond any normal human's. They also have a different fuel source."
"Fuel . . . source?"
"His blood."
Down in the valley, at the docks of Sin Esperanza, Bols stood firm. Nevertheless, he had heard his comrade's every word. The pain and exhaustion he was in had to be excruciating. The fact that he was still standing was extraordinary. His willpower was no doubt well beyond human.
As he loosened the grip on Rubicante's trigger, he started hearing the sound of his daughter playing that song she was preparing for her upcoming piano recital; the one he had been humming in the middle of the night. Still seeing everyone on the hill in the corner of his eyes, he noticed Wave being held down by Leone, kicking and screaming. Oddly enough though, Bols couldn't help but notice that his companion's voice appeared to be muted; he saw his lips moving, but heard nothing coming out of them. Instead, all he could hear was the sound of his daughter playing that pleasant song he liked.
He turned his head back towards the gigantic body of water waiting to crush him, his flames steadily weakening. He had long expected this moment to come; the moment when he would finally reap what he sowed for all those people he had killed at the behest of his superiors. But for some reason, he didn't feel any fear. Even the pain he had just been feeling moments ago had vanished without a trace. A part of him was glad. Glad that he was finally able to use his unique talents for something he honestly felt was good.
He gradually loosened the trigger on his imperial arm. All thoughts about Reispan, the Empire and even the Jaegars slipped from his mind. Instead, he could only think about the two people he cherished the most. The more he thought about these two people, the less he could visualize reality. Instead, what he began to see was a room he visited all too often. There were various pictures hanging throughout the room. Each of them were of him and his family; from his wedding day to the day his daughter was born. He looked further into the room and saw his wife standing next to his daughter who was sitting at their black acoustic piano, playing the exact song she would soon be playing at her recital.
His wife, attentively watched as their daughter played this song to absolute perfection. "What's this piece called?", she asked.
To which their daughter happily responded, still playing the song. "Ave Maria."
She then looked up at her husband with a warm and endearing smile. "It's a lovely song, isn't it honey?"
Bols found himself stretching his hand out towards the pair. "Yes . . . it's a lovely song."
At that instant, Bols' flames died out and the waves plowed through the entire town of Sin Esperanza without a moment's notice, crushing everything in their path and filling the entire valley it sat in. The water rose up within mere feet of the hill Wave, Leone, Mein and the townspeople were standing upon.
Leone finally released Wave from her grasp, only for him to fall on his knees. His face was stricken with grief.
Alejandro walked up behind him, resting his hand on the young man's shoulder. "It may not mean much coming from me, but your friend was a hero to the bitter end and none of us will ever forget what he did."
"Neither will we", Mein added, her voice full of sincerity.
The lone Jaegar member got up and began walking away towards the jungle, presumably headed back to Capital. Before leaving though, he turned his head towards the two Night Raid members present. "Since you both kept your words, I'll keep mine. But the next time we meet, it will be as enemies."
With that, Wave disappeared into the trees, no one seeing any sight of him. Leone shrugged her shoulders and sighed, but understood the Jaegar completely. They were enemies and nothing was going to change that.
Mein turned her attention to Alejandro. "What are you all going to do now?"
"For the first time in my life, it honestly feels like I have made a difference. I want to continue doing that, but don't think I can continue to do it on Reispan soil as long as our government is the way it is. In my younger days, I once came across an island down in the south. It was uninhabited and had an ample supply of vegetation, water and fish. It's the perfect place for us to migrate to and start anew. We can build a new society without repeating the mistakes of the past."
Mein rubbed her chin, pondering on Alejandro's plan. "Leaving Reispan directly is too dangerous. If the soldiers saw you all leaving at the border, they would kill you on site. Fortunately, the borders are not without its chinks. It'll take two days, but Leone and I could smuggle you all out the same way we got in. After that, you should tell us where this island is. We can have some people clear out any danger beast inhabiting it in no time"
Hearing this girl's willingness to go to great trouble to assist him and his people caused Alejandro to shed a tear. With a gracious nod, he said "Muchas gracias."
The talented sniper cheerfully smiled and nodded her head. "De nada."
With that, the mayor walked away to discuss matters with some of the other townspeople. Leone walked towards her fellow Night Raid companion, amused by her demeanor. "Am I seeing things? Is Mein actually being nice?"
"Don't get used to it", she responded, still smiling.
"So what's the occasion?", the feral assassin asked, nudging her companion.
"I never told anyone this, but even though I want to end discrimination against Reispanians, for the longest time, I actually hated Reispan and its people. I wanted to think it was because my parents died fleeing this country, but the truth is that I hated having Reispanian blood. It's childish I know, but I blamed Reispan for my misery. I don't know what it was, but today was different. Something about that maid . . . it just made me let go of my hate towards my people."
Hearing this, Leone went from amused to sincere, happy for her friend. "It sounds like you've grown up a bit"
"There's still one problem though: The Reispanian government. Even if we can end the discrimination against its people in the Empire, as long as this government treats its people like this, they're still going to suffer. How can we stop this?"
To which Leone answered, a sudden look of disappointment in her eyes, "I honestly can't answer that."
[. . . Bestimmung . . .]
One day prior to the death of Ambassador Eduarda, in a nation north east to the Empire, two of Night Raid's other members were partaking in a mission similar to Mein and Leone's. This was the nation of Bestimmung. Though it was a nation littered with snow and mountains, it was a nation nonetheless known for its people's dual sense of strength and sophistication.
In the southern region of the nation, there was a city called Herz. A prosperous city that was on the cutting edge of trade. Within one of the city's wealthy estates, a ball was currently being held, many pairs of people elegantly dancing on the ballroom floor. At one of the tables near the floor, Tatsumi was sitting down. He was dressed in a black tuxedo and he was nervously fidgeting.
That was when his comrade, Chelsea, walked up to him. Her lollipop was surprisingly absent and she was wearing a radiant black backless sleeveless dress. She smiled at the young man and stuck her hand out towards him. "May I have this dance?"
A/N: Woot, the end of another chapter. Like I said, I really liked writing this chapter. I'd like to think I gave Bols a better sendoff than the one he got in the original. Also, Ave Maria is a real song and has quite a bit of history behind it. I recommend listening to the piano version of the piece. Just go to youtube and type in Ave Maria Schubert Liszt Valentina Lisitsa piano. Click on the first video!
Thoughts? Hate it? Love it? Meh? Feel free to favorite, follow or leave a review! Lemme know what you think of this fourth chapter in this Down a different branch AKG installment. Till next time! :D