The subsequent silence in the room was only echoed by the noise of crickets rubbing their wings together in the tall grass of the yard; the window Akame had entered through left open and funneling the sound throughout the house's interior.
He didn't know what to make of her at first. Yet experience told him what he needed to know from her cold disposition.
A trained killer.
An assassin.
This wouldn't be the first time he had seen one. In fact, it was better to say that he had once lived with one. His past life's adopted father, Kiritsugu Emiya, a man whose notorious renown amongst the magic community landed him the title of the Magus Killer. A special designation earned after his numerous successful 'hits' against other mages.
In that regard, he might have had been the same in the eyes of the aristocratic magical families whose lineage spanned for several centuries. There was a reason he was dubbed with the moniker of the 'Second Magus Killer,' but then again, his targets had always been the one's who took their magecraft too far and effected the innocents.
Yet he digressed, those were memories to reminisce for another time. What mattered was the knowledge he could infer from them. Kiritsugu had many habits that were distinct from normal civilians.
Kiritusgu didn't talk much, rather he was socially awkward.
He preferred quiet places and would often look at others with a detached expression in his eyes. The sheer indifference commonplace amongst assassins. Furthermore, the only times the detached expression would leave his eyes was only when he shifted his gaze to the west, a trace of murderous intent filtering across them that Kiritsugu would never act upon.
Akame in comparison was tame. She still looked at things with the softness of one whose heart had yet to grow numb.
He had seen the way her taut expression softened when she had noticed the toys that his sibling had left lying on the ground. In fact, he had even carefully noted how she had stayed as far away from Artus and Anna's shared room as possible.
His impression of her had already shifted into something more positive at that point compared to when he had first sensed her cross the bounded field he had set up. Bounded fields were a type of magecraft based on topography which all magi knew how to establish to secure the location of their workshop. Naturally, he was no different, third-rate as many had once called him, but he liked to consider himself as specialized instead.
The point of the matter however was what he had felt while Akame triggered the surveillance function of his bounded field.
Killing intent.
It was why he had sprung into action so quickly, only to reassess his judgment after observing Akame.
Assassin though she may be, possessing a frigid disposition and apathetic regard, she was unable to hide her true personality. Everything he had silently inferred about her led him to the conclusion that she wasn't as unfeeling as she may have had appeared.
With the sheathing of her weapon, he too was quick to dismiss the swords he had created in the air using his magecraft; an art called Tracing which allowed him to manifest any weapon he had ever seen as a short overview of the skill.
As his traced swords vanished into mots of blue flickering light, he took keen note of the way Akame stared unblinkingly at them. Despite living in the world for eighteen years already, he wasn't clear on the aspect of what locals thought of magic. Worse, because of the relative isolation of the border town his deceased father had founded, his periodic displays of magecraft used as tests were taken as miracles by the common folk instead. In which case, he couldn't ascertain if magic was common place in the new world at all.
For Akame, it was probably different for her. Just the attire he could make out from beneath the cloak she wore denoted her foreignness to the border town. Her knowledge about the world must have had extended farther than his town's people.
Hopeful, he maintained his silence, waiting for her to speak first.
When all traces of the swords disappeared, Akame released a breath she didn't know that she had been holding before staring at him critically. The expression on her face was enough to inwardly excite him as it seemed as if she may know something in regards to magic. Yet, the words that came out of her mouth left him at a loss.
"What Teigu is that?" She asked, not daring to move while remaining vigilant of the air around her.
Teigu? What's a Teigu?
He didn't let his confusion show on his face, but he didn't answer the question either because it would only give away his lack of knowledge.
What he could see from Akame was that she regarded him with an air of mysteriousness that made her wary. In fact, he was half-certain that if she wasn't cautious of him she wouldn't have had conceded so quickly. As such, before he too could determine her capabilities, it was best to leave a certain level of intrigue about himself.
Therefore, he dodged the question by deflecting.
"And what business do you have by intruding into my family's home armed?" He replied back.
Akame's lips pursed together, her antisocial tendencies making her distinctly uncomfortable.
"Mission," was the only word that left her mouth, her voice monotone. "Teigu?" She tried again.
He shook his head, making it clear that he wouldn't elaborate on the topic.
She fell silent as a result, he unsure of what exactly she was thinking, but she did drop the matter.
"You are an assassin?" He questioned.
Akame only nodded.
"Target came here," she said, eyes still glancing occasionally into the air out of precaution. "I'm searching for clues."
He fell into contemplation as he processed the words he heard, and it didn't take him long to understand just who the target was. His brows furrowed, his lips slightly curving down.
The target she must have had spoken of was the old friend his father had had a falling out with, Edwin if he could recall the name. Ever since the argument between his father and Edwin had occurred, his father had not once agreed to see Edwin all the way up till his father's death.
Of course, he had never had much of a good impression of Edwin as a result, but when he had healed Edwin previously, and had seen the sincerity in the man's eyes, he could tell that he was a changed person.
This was the man his father had once recounted to him as a loyal friend and subordinate during the off times his father went drinking and reminisced of the past.
They weren't blood brothers, but they had been brothers all the same.
He had always noted the sadness in his father's eyes when he vaguely spoke of the matter, but he never commented on it to prevent his father from drowning himself with alcohol.
As such, now that a change had occurred in Edwin, how could he possibly allow an assassin to target him?
"What reason do you have for pursing this target?" He stared at her unblinkingly.
"Reason?" Akame echoed before shaking her head. "He has killed many in the name of the Emperor. He's someone who can't be left alone."
His expression didn't change in the least after hearing Akame's words. In which case, Akame thought it best to elaborate further about the corruption of the Empire and what Edwin had done on the orders of Honest the minister, but even still, unnerved as he was with the information, he remained steadfast.
"Murder isn't always the answer," he said, closing his eyes before opening them again. "Don't tell me you would even condemn this child Emperor too?"
Silence was his response.
It was enough of a confirmation.
"I can't agree with this," he abruptly sat up, eyes narrowed, ignoring the guilt and shame that flashed across Akame's eyes to convey a point. "You're fighting for the wrong reasons."
"Because no one else will," she cut in curtly, her white-knuckled grip around the pommel of her sword signalling to him how strongly she felt on the matter.
He didn't care.
The ends don't justify the means.
"Although its true that there are some people we have no choice but to kill, but the thing is, people can change," he said.
The way she looked at him after he spoke was with a glare and spurn that was piercing in the calm of the night.
He disregarded it, stepping closer to her despite the way she eyed him as if ready to lash out. Yet she stiffened at his next words, the meaning behind them like a bolt of lighting striking through her that caused her to slacken and tremble.
"Weren't you the same?"
The words hung in the air, the information he had gleamed about Akame from the aspect of his Tracing magecraft apparent in his mind. The history of a sword's wielder made known to him at a glance.
A child sold off by her parents and forced into harsh training.
A weapon for the Empire which eventually learned to turn around and bare its fangs.
"Shut up," her voice was low, losing the detached monotone of its earlier pitch.
He didn't listen, instead meeting her cold gaze with his own.
She stared at him, and he at her.
A second passed, then another.
"You aren't a bad person," he whispered. "Your beliefs are just misplaced."
She bristled. "And what would you know?" She gritted out through her teeth.
"Enough to know that a part of you agrees with me," the admission stunned Akame. "Why else would you not have attempted to cut me down already despite it being clear that I'm getting in your way?"
He moved away from Akame and towards the window she had come from, staring out towards the moon that never changed regardless of the world. His appearance denoting a wisdom that didn't correspond to his age, fully capturing Akame's attention.
Perhaps it was a type of charisma.
A disposition not seen before in a world of death and deceit.
That of a Hero.
"I know that you won't fully believe me and that we are at odds with each other in regards to your mission, but why don't you stay in this little border town and see for yourself that others can change?" He turned around to stare at her. "I can also guarantee that I won't interfere should you still deem Edwin someone that has to be killed. What do you say? How about it?"
Akame hesitated, but ultimately came to a decision.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to all, trouble was brewing within the nations of Wakoku bordering the town.
The nations of Hageshi and Heiwa
Thanks for Reading! Sorry for delays
Next update coming is Holyman of the Church Creek
P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious
Note: In response to another review about chapter length on the smaller 3 updates, you're right. If the chapters continue being small and less frequently updated in the polls, the story goes nowhere. Therefore in future smaller updates i'll delay the intended update until its more of a full chapter.