Mission 1: What Are You?
"He...he's a monster! Run for your lives!" The scream of the bandit was followed by similar shouts and the sound of stampeding feet.
A clearing that was once filled with at least 30 bandits was now being vacated. However, at least 14 of those bandits lay bloody and most certainly dead. Body parts littered the ground and the sloshing sound of blood as the other bandits escaped permeated the air. However, there was one person still alive and not moving from their place in the center of the clearing.
His red trench coat was stained with blood, but it was barely visible. He wore no shirt under the trench coat, showing off his well toned body and six pack. The person himself was a teen with brown hair and an odd looking sword slung over his shoulder. The sword itself was mechanical and a barrel sat just over the tip of the blade. Said teen smirked as the bandits ran about.
"Aww come on boys! I thought you'd have an easier time if you took us on 1 by 1! Ieyasu and Sayo even went in opposite directions to give you guys what you wanted!"
No one replied or even slowed down. In the time it took the teen to finish his sentence, the area had already quieted down. He shrugged and went about picking whatever little money he could from the deceased bandits.
"Not worth killing them all anyway. Too boring." He yawned as he sheathed his gunblade on his back. "And only about 500 bucks on em all? Shit, no wonder they were desperate enough to attack us. Either way, better try to find..." He sensed the air and noticed that both Ieyasu and Sayo were outside of his sensory range. "Welp. Fuck that noise. I'll just meet them in the city."
With his words, he began to make his way back towards the main road.
For the next hour, he hadn't encountered anyone or anything. It was oddly peaceful, he had to admit. The dirt road that wound towards the capital made soft crunching noises beneath his feet as few birds chirped here or there. The feel of the wind was relaxing and he was grateful he got the moment to enjoy just existing instead of fighting, killing, and dealing with his two best friends.
That peace was interrupted as he sensed a Danger Beast begin to get particularly active. He could sense plenty of them all around, but this one was a bit surprising to him.
'An Earth Dragon? Feels like it's on the main road too. Welp, better go deal with that before-'
His thoughts were interrupted as a shout was heard.
"Wah! An Earth Dragon!"
"Fuck! I thought they didn't come to main roads like this!"
With a shake of his head, the young man gripped the hilt of his gunblade before leaning forward and seeming to vanish. He appeared several meters in front of two men running frantically with their carriage. The earth dragon was gaining on them swiftly.
'Not much of a dragon…' The brown haired man deadpanned, looking at the bug like creature.
The two men noticed the young man and their eyes widened. "Get the hell out of here kid, before it's too late!" One of them shouted.
The man just stepped aside as the men ran by him. "Don't worry." He said as they were in hearing distance, barely above normal speaking volume.
As the earth dragon began to come closer, its massive form able to cast a shadow over the young man, the brown haired person drew their blade.
And that was it.
The earth dragon immediately went silent, its body freezing in place as if it were about to strike the person.
No longer hearing any commotion, the two men slowly stopped and turned around to see what had happened. The air was silent as the young man stood in front of the unmoving danger beast.
Until blood erupted from almost every part of the creatures body. In the next second, its body fell apart into minuscule pieces.
"Holy...shit…" One of the men breathed out.
"What just happened?" The other asked, both happy the danger was over, but bewildered on how the young boy even killed the creature to begin with.
"You guys alright?" The young man sheathed his weapon as he turned and slowly approached to two men.
"Yeah. That was amazing kid!"
"You killed a class one danger beast all on your own!"
He shrugged and folded his arms, a small smirk on his face. "It wasn't a threat. Just a mindless bug that needed to be crushed."
The two men paled at his words. It wasn't even gloating. Just a statement of fact.
"By the way, the name's Tatsumi." He introduced himself and held a hand out for a handshake. "Remember it. Once I get to the capital, you'll probably be hearing it a lot."
Both men graciously shook his hand but held perturbed looks on their faces.
"So you're trying to make a name for yourself in the capital?"
Tatsumi nodded. "In a sense. Heard the place is a cesspool of corruption and depravity that knows no bounds. I'm going to be cleaning the place up with two friends of mine."
The two men were surprised. Most country folk didn't have a clue about the real nature of the capital, but this kid seemed to hit the nail on the head. They shared a look, seeming to contemplate something between themselves. Tatsumi didn't miss the look and held a gleam in his eye. His smirk seemed to grow a bit more sinister.
"Listen kid. The capital is far worse than you can imagine. You may be strong, but there are monsters there far worse than the earth dragon you just killed."
"Oh I know. There's a prize there I'm hoping to get my hands on. A beauty with blue hair and a sadistic streak just as long."
Both men truly paled again hearing his words. "You can't mean...you're going after Esdeath?"
The boy shrugged again. "She's on the list. Maybe not even at the top to be honest. But anyway, you guys should get going. Get to wherever you need to be before another danger beast decides to set its eyes on you."
With that, Tatsumi gave a small wave and began to walk towards the capital. The two men could only look after him in both shock and skepticism.
"Going after Esdeath…" One sighed in disbelief.
"That kids going to get himself killed. Good thing we didn't invite him to the Revolutionary Army. He seems like a danger to even himself, let alone our comrades."
"But the way he killed that earth dragon. And without a teigu even. Maybe he could do something?"
"Let's keep our ears to the ground then. His name was Tatsumi right? Maybe he really will make a name for himself in the capital...right alongside Night Raid."
He had reached the capital and the first thing that he felt was the familiar chill of death. Depression hung in the air and the stench of blood wafted from almost every corner of the city. He took a deep breath, a smile on his face.
"Aah! Feels great to finally be here!" He stretched and placed his hands on his hips. "And I can feel that Sayo and Ieyasu are already here. Wonder what they're up to…"
Tatsumi began to make his way through the city, sticking out like a sore thumb not just because of his long red trench coat, but also because of the bright smile that was on his face. Many people shot him dirty looks as he held his head high and took in the sights around him.
"Beautiful if not rustic architecture. Small places of nature here or there. Could use more, but the place is surrounded by a forest. If I get tired here, I can always just dip into the forest and relax." He placed his hands behind his head as he walked.
He had already noticed someone start following him a while ago.
But he paid them no mind. Instead, he focused on what seemed to be a line formed in front of what he assumed were military barracks.
'Are they free recruiting? Should I check it out?' He pondered. Cleaning up the kingdom could also be done from inside the ranks of the military. With nothing better to do, since it seemed like Sayo and Ieyasu were off doing their own thing, he got in line and waited.
It took a while, but he finally reached the front and took note of the bored expression on the officers face.
"Yo." Tatsumi greeted cheerfully.
"Fill out this form and give it back to me." The man said flatly without even looking up.
Tatsumi took one look at the form and frowned. "Uh...what the hell is this?"
The man finally did look up and the bored expression on his face turned into a scowl. 'Another country brat looking to get famous…' He thought before pinching the bridge of his nose. "If you're looking to join the ranks, you have to sign that and pay-"
"Pay an exorbitant fee on top of buying my own gear and essentially starting as a fucking intern for the lowest rank?" Tatsumi ripped the paper into pieces. "That's a joke right?"
"Look, we get people like you trying to join all the time. We don't have the time to screen and test every brat that walks in here with a sword. You start under the lowest rank so we can see who has the stomach to even join our ranks."
"That's the dumbest thing I've heard in a while."
"If you don't like it, just get out!"
Tatsumi shot the man a dangerous glare, flowing with killing intent. The officer was about to stand up but was glued to his chair, swallowing a lump in his throat.
"Part of the cesspool." Tatsumi called to the man cryptically before turning and exiting the barracks. He began walking down the road with a bit of anger. He could still feel the person from earlier following him and he sighed. 'Fine. Let's see what they want.'
He didn't have to do much as the girl approached him from behind.
"Hellooo~" She called in a singsong voice.
Tatsumi turned to face her and took in the beauty in a single glance. Blonde, skimpy, and stacked.
'Hm, nice rack.' He thought minutely before noticing the teigu she had. She smelled of blood and alcohol. For a moment, he thought her part of the cesspool as well, but he could sense something more about her.
"Why the long face little guy? Don't worry, big sis is here to help you out!"
"Big sis? Is that how you greet a perfect stranger? Must have a lot of 'little bro's' running around then."
The girl was taken aback by the quick retort. The shock turned into a smirk as she crossed her arms under her chest, obviously trying to drag his attention there. "That's usually what people call me. I just don't seem to know why." She played coy.
Tatsumi rolled his eyes and placed a hand on his hip. "So can I help you?"
"Maybe." She chirped, just a bit annoyed he didn't turn into a blushing mess at her assets. "But I know I can help you! Country boy come to the big city to find fame and fortune right?"
It only took him a moment to know that telling this girl the truth would either scare her away or get him dragged into something he didn't want to be dragged into. At least, not without Sayo and Ieyasu. He figured that the girl was a member of Night Raid. She clearly wasn't with the military, and again, he could sense something other than depravity from her.
At least, the bad kind of depravity. She seemed somewhat like a thief and con artist, but not to an extremely malicious point. Dangerously playful he would put it.
"Uh, you okay in there?" The woman asked, waving a hand in front of his face. Tatsumi blushed and took a step back, gaining a predatory smile from the woman. 'Heh, caught him off guard. This should be fun.'
"Yeah...just thinking of how obvious I must be."
"You're dressed a bit better than most country folk, but the trench coat and optimism is a dead giveaway."
Tatsumi made a show of sighing and hanging his head. "I couldn't even join the military. What am I supposed to do now?"
The blonde smiled a toothy grin and leaned forward. "The military? You know, I may be able to help with that."
"Oh?" Tatsumi was intrigued. He knew where the conversation was going, but on the off chance she actually was with the military, she could help him do something fun.
"Interested? If so, why don't we go have a chat. Treat me to a drink and I can help ya out."
A bit later found the duo at a tavern, dozens of drinks in front of both of them. Tatsumi was surprised, but mostly interested, in how much the girl could drink without getting drunk. She was fairly amusing.
For her part, the woman was flat out shocked Tatsumi could keep up with her in drinking and not get more than a little buzzed. She was starting to like the kid. Too bad she thought he wouldn't last the week in the capital. He might have made a great drinking buddy.
"So, about the military." Tatsumi interrupted their jovial conversation. He leaned back in his chair, folded a leg and held his drink loosely.
"Yeah, yeah." The woman started. "So, first of all, you're going to need some connections, aka me, and a bit of money."
Tatsumi frowned. "How much? The sign up fee was already pretty steep."
"I know a guy. He waives the sign on fee for a finders fee. It's not cheap, but still cheaper than what those dicks are asking for in the barracks."
Tatsumi smiled. 'Yep, she's just trying to rob me. Let's play along.' He pulled out a sack of money and dropped it on the table. "Is this good? It's all I have but if it gets me in the military, then so be it."
The blondes eyes widened, lighting up like the sun. "Hooo!" She was almost drooling, but caught herself quickly. She cleared her throat and picked up the bag, seeming to weigh it. "Uh, yeah, this should be just enough. Maybe my friend can even get you placed higher up in the ranks with this."
"Sounds good. What next?"
The blonde downed one more drink before standing up. "I'll go and have a chat with them. Shouldn't take too long. But I have to be discreet so you should wait here for me. I'll try to be back as soon as I can."
She winked at him and began to leave the tavern.
"This'll be a great lesson for you kid." She called back with a wave as she exited.
Tatsumi sighed. "Well, gonna have to punish her for that one later. Depending on what happens tonight, maybe I'll have to be a bit harsh with her."
He sat and continued to drink for a few more minutes before he noticed the bar keep looking at him with an exasperated look. Tatsumi smirked.
"Don't worry, I know she's a con artist. That bag was full of chocolate coins in foil. She'll figure it out sooner or later."
The barkeep just smiled and chuckled. "Really? For a second I thought you were just another sucker fooled by the charms of this city."
"Doesn't take a lot to see what this place is all about. Anyway, I'll take a dozen more dragon bombs."
The barkeep paled at the amount of alcohol but brought the boy what he asked for regardless. The kid had a liver of steel.
Tatsumi didn't stay at the tavern much longer. He knew if the blonde thief found out about his little trick, she'd probably come back for him. He was banking on her being too prideful to check the coins immediately. Sure enough, he saw the girl running back towards the bar as he hid in an alley. With a smirk, he just began to wander the city again.
As it got late, he was a little surprised he hadn't seen the girl again. He hadn't really focused on sensing for her energy, which he cursed himself for in hindsight. If she really were with Night Raid, he should've followed her. It was probably where she had headed.
'Plus it's getting late. I should've found somewhere to stay by now. I've been having a bit too much fun.' He sighed and leaned against the railing of a stone bridge, closing his eyes for a moment as he folded his arms. 'Sayo and Ieyasu haven't moved since I've gotten here. That's a bit worrying…'
The boy was deep in thought, attempting to sense his two friends better in order to maybe get a clear picture of what they were doing or going through. Right before his senses were able to start feeling their life force, a strong stench of blood shocked him back to reality.
"Another one, already, milady?" Tatsumi heard a male voice call. He looked up to see a horse drawn carriage. It was foul with blood. To the point that it wasn't refreshing to him. A stomach churning amount of death.
"You know I can't help it. It's just the way I am." A sweet sounding girl called out next.
Stepping out of the carriage was very cute girl with blonde hair and a white puff hair clip, her blue eyes shining in delight.
"Hello there! Are you perhaps without a place to rest your head for tonight?" She asked.
Tatsumi bit back bile. This girl reeked of death and depravity. But it wasn't the worse he had encountered before. It only took a moment but he was able to reign in his building excitement, regardless of how much his blood was boiling…
"Uh...yeah. I'm new to the capital." He answered tightly.
"Well then, how would you like to come with me. I can provide a bed and a meal if you're interested."
Tatsumi shook his head. He was going to fish for how much she actually wanted him. It would add to her punishment. "Sorry, but I'm flat out broke. Got swindled earlier by one of the locals…" He looked away from her, aiming to show that he didn't completely trust her.
The girls smile only seemed to grow. He saw the darkness within her eyes.
"Well of course you're broke. You wouldn't be about to sleep out here if you weren't!"
"Lady Aria has a bit of a habit of helping out those in need." A guard spoke as he approached. Another was right next to him.
"You really should accept milady's kind offer."
"Pretty please?" Aria added.
Tatsumi looked at the guards, sensing the taint on them as well. They were well aware of the sins of this girl and even partook in it. The blood of the innocent was strong on them all.
"...Fine, I guess. Beats sleeping on the street anyway."
"Great! Let's go home!" The girl cheered.
'Rip...tear…'
His blood had reached a boiling point as he sat in front of Aria and her family. His mind was a haze of anxiety as he held back every ounce of his being from tearing into the family.
The closer they had gotten to the estate, the heavier the stench of death got. Tatsumi was absolutely sure that this family was steeped in depravity and needed to be cleansed. A minor part of the capitals sins, but a thorn sticking out nonetheless.
He had defaulted to standard answers as he spoke with Aria's father and mother, telling them that he wanted to enlist in the military and find his friends.
Speaking of which, he felt them on the property and had a good idea at what had went down. It only made his blood boil even more. He would need to confirm it, but at the moment, he was doing his best to keep his cool.
Maybe he should stay the night at least? If he were to simply punish them right then and there, he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep control afterward. Besides, if the father was being truthful about his connections in the military, it could still lead to some fun down the road for him.
Nevertheless, the family would be facing judgment sooner than later if he had his way.
Soon enough, he had been lead to his own room where he was able to sleep for the night.
The following morning, his eyes flashed red as the stench of death reminded him of where he was.
Sayo and Ieyasu's presence were still on the property. He knew where they were and wanted to go see what was up with them, but decided against it. The family hadn't tried to do anything to him that night and he wanted to see exactly what their motives were.
To his surprise, he was taken out shopping with Aria and her guards. The girl seemed normal in that light, albeit, buying far more than any normal person could possibly have need for. For a moment, he wondered if he could possibly be mistaken about the girl. His sensing abilities, as good as they were, were not perfect.
'No...I want to give people chances and that's already cost me before. I know what she is. Regardless of how she looks and acts.'
His thoughts were interrupted by a guard telling him about the castle that sat at the center of the kingdom. He explained that the emperor was just a child and that the land was plagued by corruption due to the minister controlling things from the shadows.
'So...the minister is the one actually in control…' Tatsumi thought. Then the guard pointed out wanted posters showing people from Night Raid.
That got Tatsumi's interest. He was particularly drawn to the one with the name 'Akame'. Something about her was vaguely familiar…
'Maybe joining Night Raid would be more entertaining. I can see if any of them are also contributing to the cesspool of this city.'
The group finished shopping and returned home. Tatsumi was left to his own devices until evening where he was allowed to have dinner with Aria and her family again. He smelled poison wafting from where the food had been brought from, but when the food arrived, it was fine.
'Guess they want to keep me around a little longer. How kind of them.' He thought sarcastically as he ate and listened to Aria's father prattle on about his time in the military.
Aria's mother explained that she was a botanist and preferred to work with exotic and poisonous plants.
Tatsumi could only roll his eyes at them. 'I'm sick of this. Guess I'll take care of them tonight.'
He was sitting on his provided bed meditating when he felt them.
His eyes slowly opened as he felt the life force of Aria's mother fade away.
'Someone's taking my kills.' He thought and stood up. Putting on his trench coat and equipping his gun blade, he made his way into the halls of the manor.
The stench of blood and death hit him harder than before, righteousness mixing with the putrid stench of depravity. His meditation had calmed his boiling blood, but it was hard to restrain in that moment.
'The blonde thief is here too.' He felt the vaguely familiar energy alongside Aria's father. Then the fathers energy disappeared. 'Shit, if I want any part of this I should double time.'
He vanished, exiting the manor and stopping within the shadows of a tree. The night sky seemed red, the moon reflecting the blood in the air. The mood was perfect.
'There you are.' He thought as he saw Aria and a guard running towards a large shed where he felt Ieyasu and Sayo's energy. 'Looks like it's time for the climax.'
Vanishing once more, Tatsumi landed behind Aria and the guard. They flinched and turned, but relaxed when they saw who it was.
"Tatsumi!" Aria cried happily, though the fear about her was heavy.
"Great. Tatsumi, me and Aria will take refuge in the barn. You stay here and hold off the enemy until the authorities can arrive." The guard called dismissively.
Tatsumi rose an eyebrow. "Really? That's the dumbest shit I've heard all day." He stopped as he felt one of the assailants coming towards them.
He turned just in time to see the girl he had seen on the poster land before them.
The girl stood, her piercing red eyes seeming to match the air around them. Her stoic expression did nothing to mute her beauty; her long raven hair gently bellowing in the wind. She held a katana that Tatsumi immediately identified as a teigu.
'Now she seems like she could be a little fun. Better than that earth dragon from a few days ago for sure!' The boy drew his sword with one hand and held it towards her, an almost feral grin on his face.
The girl didn't hesitate in rushing forwards. He waited…
"Not a target." The girl called and prepared to leap over him.
Tatsumi's grin fell and he grabbed the girl by the leg as she attempted to land on him. He spun once and threw her back the way she came. The girl was fast enough to gracefully land on her feet and readied her katana again.
"You're not a target. You don't have to die." Her monotone held just a bit of an edge to it.
"It's rude to just ignore an opponent like that. Besides, I can't just let you kill Aria."
"So you won't step aside?"
Tatsumi wasn't even upset at the girls apparent arrogance. He was sure she had seen her fair share of battles. Perhaps tonight was just another mission for her.
"Like I said, I can't let you kill Aria."
"Then you have chosen death."
"Ugh...that was easy…" The blonde girl that had attempted to rob Tatsumi earlier walked through the forest towards where Akame should have been finishing the end of the mission. When she reached the opening in the forest, she was surprised to see Akame still facing down some enemies.
"That's weird...it's not like Akame to take so long...wait a minute!" Her eyes widened as she noticed the guy standing across from Akame. "That's the bastard that gave me chocolate coins instead of real money! Granted they were delicious, but no one swindles the swindler!"
She was prepared to go give the guy a piece of her mind, but before she could move, the fight had already started.
Tatsumi's emerald eyes met Akame's ruby orbs. They held each others gaze before they both blurred forward.
Their weapons clashed and Akame immediately felt the strength behind the young mans blows. Her eyes widened and she leapt into the air to avoid a sideways cleave. She came down with an attempt to kick him but was surprised as he ducked under her leg.
Just like before, he grabbed her other leg and slung her away from Aria. The girl was able to land on her feet again but was surprised to find Tatsumi already in front of her. Before she could even try to block, the brown haired boy kneed her in the stomach, making her world go white for a moment.
The force bent her over his knee for a moment before the momentum caught up and sent the girl bouncing over the ground before slamming into a tree, splintering its base.
"Good job Tatsumi!" The guard from before called and moved to stand next to him. He pulled out his rifle and aimed it at Akame's downed form. "Let me finish her!"
Just as he was about to pull the trigger, he saw a flash of red. His mind paused as he saw his rifle, with his arms still attached, falling to the ground. He looked to Tatsumi, just to see the boy with a dark glare on his face.
"Who the fuck said you could interrupt."
He couldn't manage a response as the pain from his severed limbs hit him full force. His howls drowned out the serenity of the night as he fell to the ground, blood gushing from his wounds.
The blonde walked into the clearing with a surprised look. "Holy shit kid, what was that?" Her movements were slow and deliberate. Her hands were up in a placating manner and her eyes seemed closed.
Tatsumi knew she was tense. She was subtly moving in the path between him and Akame.
"Hey, you're the thief with the nice rack."
"So you were looking!" She called, losing her tense demeanor for a minute. However, she heard Akame groan from behind. It reminded her that this boy had just decimated someone that was arguably their strongest or second strongest member. "But yeah, sorry about earlier. You got me good with that chocolate."
Tatsumi sheathed his weapon and smiled. "You ate em didn't you?"
The girl had the grace to blush and folded her arms. "I was getting something out of it!"
A blur of black moved past the girl and Tatsumi rose an eyebrow. Akame appeared before him, weapon already blurring. Tatsumi began to simply dodge the slashes Akame threw at him.
"Hey, hold up there!" The blonde suddenly grabbed the girl mid swing by the back of her long coat.
"What are you doing Leone?" The girl leaned her head back and looked up at the now confirmed Leone.
"Catching up with an acquaintance." She smiled at Tatsumi. The boy shrugged. "Anyway, you probably shouldn't be trying to protect this girl so much Tatsumi."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"You seem like a smart kid. And kinda ruthless with that guard. So I wonder what you'll think of you're little innocent girlfriend once you see what's in that barn."
The entire time, Aria had been both frozen in fear and amazement. She was amazed that Tatsumi was so strong, defeating the black haired girl with relative ease. However, she had become terrified as Tatsumi cut off her guards arms. The man had bled out while the others were talking and none of them seemed to care or notice.
It actually made Tatsumi seem extremely attractive. But it also let her know that he could easily turn that blade on her.
Unfortunately, a heavy aura settled over her and she was no longer able to even think of running. She could only look in fear as Tatsumi and the Leone girl approached her.
However, they walked right by her, going to the large doors of the shed.
Leone kicked the doors in and the heavy smell of death flooded out.
"Take a good look kid. This is the real face of the capital."
Tatsumi's smile settled into a neutral line. His fist clenched and he went stock still. The building was full of bodies, decaying and fresh all the like. Even human skeletons were strewn about. Bodies were attached to torture racks and tables, hung from the ceiling, and in cages lining the walls. It was truly a display of absolute horror. Leone stepped next to him as he took it all in.
"We learned that this family had a habit of picking up out of town folk from the countryside. They would torture them to death for their own sick entertainment. That's the reality of this seemingly innocent little family."
Tatsumi took one more step in and looked up at one of the bodies closes to the door.
"Sayo…" He whispered.
Hung up by her wrist bare naked, her body covered in deep cuts and gashes, was his friend Sayo. She hung limply, blood no longer even dripping from her wounds.
"So you knew one of them...I'm sorry…" Leone offered. She turned her head to see Aria finally get enough of her bearings to attempt to sneak off. She growled under her breath. "Nuh uh. Where do you think you're going?"
Leone grabbed Aria by the head with a bit of force, making the smaller blonde cry out in pain.
"We're not quite done with you, sweet cheeks."
"You did this Aria?" Tatsumi asked.
Leone answered. "Yep. Her and her parents. The guards knew and were complacent. They were just as guilty."
"She's lying! I-I didn't know anything about this Tatsumi! I'm the one that took you in, remember?"
"Tat...Tatsumi...is that really you?"
A voice echoed in the shed, coming from Tatsumi's left. He glanced over to find his other friend, Ieyasu, in a cage and covered in warts, boils, and scars.
"Ieyasu…" The brown haired teen breathed out.
"She did this...that girl brought me and Sayo here...they fed us, but then everything went black. She would spend hours torturing Sayo…"
"Stop." Tatsumi spoke sharply. He turned to look at Aria, his face still emotionless.
Aria felt a shiver go down her spine. Part of her was going to shout out in indignation, but the look on Tatsumi's face made her blood run cold. Her words caught in her throat. "I...did it…" She whispered. She didn't know why that was all she could say. Her head hung...was she feeling...shameful? Remorse? Why? She had never felt it before when torturing her victims.
"That it?" Leone asked, looking at the girl in disgust. "That's all you have to say?"
Akame drew her blade again. "I'll kill you."
"Wait." Tatsumi called.
"Seriously?" Leone asked in annoyance. "After all this, you're still going to protect her?"
"Didn't say that. It's about time I shed some light on things too." Tatsumi turned back towards the shed and looked up at Sayo's body. "Alright you two, playtime's over. I gave you more time than you deserved."
Everything went quiet…
Everyone looked at Tatsumi with questioning gazes…
Until they heard a chuckle.
Eyes widened as they looked up at what they thought was a corpse. The girl known as Sayo opened her eyes and smiled.
"Aww, you're no fun!" She called with a giggle. With seemingly no effort, the girl broke the stock that bound her wrist and dropped to the ground, landing on her feet as if nothing was wrong.
The sound of metal breaking came from their left as Ieyasu kicked the bars off of his cage. He stepped out and stretched. "So I take it you're in a bad mood then."
Tatsumi glared at the boy. "I lost a few kills tonight thinking you two idiots may have actually gotten killed."
"Aww, look Ieyasu! He was actually worried about us!" Sayo teased. As she approached Tatsumi and the others, they saw her injuries starting to fade away. Life seemed to return to her skin and by the time she stood beside Tatsumi, there wasn't even a single scar on her body.
"Miracles do happen!" Ieyasu mocked shock as he approached, his body healing in the same way.
Leone, Akame, and especially Aria were shocked at the development.
"Wh-what? But I killed you!" Aria snapped.
Sayo looked at the girl with a kind smile. "No, but it was a fair shot. Honestly, it was the most pleasure I had outside of Tatsumi torturing me. A for effort!" She gave a thumbs up.
'Pleasure?' Both Akame and Leone thought at the same time.
"The poisons were great too." Ieyasu nodded sagely.
Sayo huffed. "I bet they were! Too bad Tatsumi had to go and ruin the fun!"
The brown haired boys eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "The family was being targeted by Night Raid, so they all would've been dead tonight anyway."
"Not to interrupt but, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Leone shouted.
The trio turned to the blonde and she couldn't help but shiver at their combined look.
"Hold that thought." Tatsumi said before moving to stand before a shivering Aria. He looked directly into her eyes before cupping her cheek. "Pitiful human. Enjoying the pain and suffering of others. Causing grief and heartache for the sake of vanity."
As he spoke, Aria had a close up view of his eyes bleeding into a crimson red. Behind him, Sayo and Ieyasu's eyes would be doing the same, sending the same chill down Leone and Akame's body.
Aria felt small as all she could see was Tatsumi's blood red eyes as if they were the moon in the sky. She would be the only one unable to notice Tatsumi's shadow growing beneath them both. His shadow began to form as a mass behind the girl.
"Care to give death a try?"
Fangs formed in the mass of darkness that sat behind Aria. Tatsumi moved his hand from her cheek to her breast, getting a blush from her…
Before shoving her backwards into the makeshift jaws. One of her arms outstretched towards Tatsumi.
"Huh?" Was her last breath before the darkness slammed shut on her, severing her arm and sending a spray of blood out in all directions.
Both Akame and Leone had to step back as the glowing red eyes of the three settled on to them. They finally felt the pressure from them…
"What...are you?" Leone breathed out in fear.
Her answer was three simultaneous grins...
