I have managed to squeeze out a good amount of time in my soon gonna be busy schedule to write the next chapter for this. The next time I am gonna post another chapter would be around the end of year since my schedule involves a series of exams all put together and given only an average of one week to revise for each exam. So I apologize to anyone who hates waiting long periods of time for one chapter. To make it up to you guys, we decided to extend this chapter. Like a lot more.
Also, Hikari is a guy.
I may also change the name of this fanfic as I am the kind of guy that decides the name of something after I make it.
Also, I have begin to work on the prequel. I will be uploading it when my exams are over, which is around late November. Will give more accurate details next time.
This chapter may be confusing. Sorry in advance. Lets just say that I only write the parts where certain events occur. If nothing is gonna happen, I won't touch on it unless it is a special bonus chapter. Also, I now face an even more grave problem. I have no plans for Air, Fal and Luna. Like they don't play a significant part in the entire story. I can't see them as being assassins and I definitely don't want them to die. Give me your suggestions.
Okay let's get started.
Volume 2: Chapter 1: Hunter or Hunted I
Damn it.
I admit, I screwed up. I should have kept Tatsumi under close supervision upon knowing he had a Imperial Arm that he had no knowledge about and had no control over. Now his actions have finally caught the attention of the Capital, or rather, the officials. Sooner or later this piece of news would spread to the higher-ups and it won't be long before people start investigating this case. There are already witnesses, which I failed to kill since reinforcements are already on their way.
The worst case scenario, we would be hunted by both the Revolutionary Army and the Empire. The best case scenario would be that they are at least able to avoid detection for some time. This would be wishful thinking. Rumors of Esdeath's return has spread throughout the Capital. If this were to catch her attention, which probably will, everyone in Capital's team would have to move out of the Capital and station our base somewhere secluded, and maybe underground judging on her abilities. There was also talks of her starting a police force made up of Imperial Arms users from all over the Empire.
Preparations have to be made immediately. Time is of essence. One wrong move and we would all end up dead.
...
Darkness was the only thing around me. It had stayed this way for a while now.
My memory kicked in. Memories of me dying, killed by a biological Imperial Arm.
I had expected dying to mean that I would no longer be self-aware. What I am experiencing now is what I experience every time I was asleep. It felt no different. Floating in a black void until something anchors me and hoist me back to the world I was once in.
Faint greyish light flashed across my eyes. The scene before me looked like a battlefield. But where? Flags of both sides were raised as each side fought against the other. I recognise those flags. It was that battle.
The Civil War.
Roughly 500 years ago, a civil war broke out in the Empire. The reason of the civil war was not disclosed to the public, nor was the conclusion of the Civil War. It was a pretty well-known event, yet what happened was never known. I wonder if the Emperor of that time deliberately prevented the disclosure of this event due to his failure or was it for other reasons?
I watched intently the battlefield before me. In the middle of it was a person in a black suit of armor. What struck me was what he was doing. He stood in the middle of both armies. Both side has encircled him, preventing his escape. Yet both sides were having trouble taking him down.
He had no particular fighting style. It was as if he incorporated all of the fighting styles together and was using whatever there was that seemed convenient. His attacks were wild and lacked discipline. My mentor had described the various fighting styles he has seen in battles and classified them into specific categories. This person didn't fit in any of the categories. His fighting style were unusual and yet were effective and efficient.
The numbers dwindled and eventually, both sides forced to retreat.
The rest of the dream showed the black knight chasing them and killing them every time he got close. Eventually the same nothingness from before took over. I kept drifting around until I felt my body being tugged and light begin to pour into the void I was in.
I woke up to the world that I was in. Alive.
...
{Leone's Perspective}(To avoid confusion)
I prowled the streets, trying to find someone I saw that day or with white hair. Occasionally, I would bump into someone with white hair, but none of them were who I was looking for. This is starting to get boring.
I know that I have seen the white-haired man before. Somewhere, but I don't know where. Well, dwelling on it would be useless. I eyed a bar in the corner of my eyes. Looks like it is time for me to take a quick break. I don't think Boss would mind, right? After all, I'm still doing my job properly.
Opening the door to the bar, I walked in and ordered some beer, accompanied by some food. Chugging down the beer, I begin to enjoy myself. Once I had my fill, I will return to what I was doing. After all, I can't work on an empty stomach.
...
{Lubbock's Perspective}
I sat behind the counter, reading some of the novels that were in the store. I had wanted to go hunting for the person like everyone else but was unable to because I have a bookstore to look after. I could just close the store but that can wait. Some of the regular customers to my store are nobles, which carries information. Valuable information. If I can get that out of them, I may be able to find this mystery person that have Miss Najenda worked up over.
Maybe she will even praise me when I find him. That would be nice. No, that would be perfect.
However, we must still exercise caution. It has been quite a while since I have seen Miss Najenda so worked up. Even during the days where she worked as a General in the Imperial Army, she had never shown such behaviour. She was always calm and collected. Though with our current situation, I won't be surprised. Esdeath has returned and rumor has it that she was called back specifically to deal with us. She is very troublesome to deal with. Touted as the Empire's Strongest. She alone can wipe out an entire army all by herself. Not to mention she also brought along her three demon generals. Add that with powerful people with unknown affiliations and even someone who has never panicked in their life would start to do so.
Something big is about to happen, and I sure hope we can make it through unscathed.
...
"General Esdeath, your victory over the northern race was outstanding. As expected as the Empire's Strongest General. We have prepared ten thousand gold pieces as your reward." the Child Emperor announced.
Esdeath knelt before the child Emperor.
"Thank you. I shall send them to the soldiers that I have left in the North. I am sure they would be very happy upon receiving such a reward."
The Prime Minister, Honest internally chuckled. Esdeath has no interest in authority or politics whatsoever. She lives for the sole purpose of fighting and conquering the enemy. Thus, he lets her do whatever she pleases while he rule the country from the shadows. A win-win situation.
"Now that I have returned, I shall begin my task of eliminating Night Raid, a thorn in your majesty's side. I shall begin my work immediately." Esdeath stated.
"Should you succeed, mere gold would not be able to repay. Is there any kind of reward that you would want?"
Esdeath thought for a moment before speaking. "If I may, I was thinking of falling in love."
A deafening silence followed. For a few moments, everyone was frozen in shock, including Esdeath's Three Demon Generals.
Esdeath, a sadistic person who only cares about her personal enjoyment, was talking about falling in love. This is absurd. No one would have imagine that such a heartless monster like her would be trying to find love.
"I see. Indeed, you have reached a certain age and yet is still unmarried. Allow me to offer some suggestions." The Emperor spoke, in a desperate attempt to end the awkward silence.
Esdeath interrupted him before he was about to begin his next sentence. "I have very specific standards. There are likely many who would not fit in my criteria. I shall note down my preferences and present them to you in due course."
...
My head is aching in pain, but nonetheless proves that I am alive. Even though I could have sworn I had died back then during the fight. Perhaps they spared my life?
I tried my best to get up from the bed. My body is aching. It feels like I was crushed by a carriage or something. I looked around. I was no longer in Hikari's house. I was in a room at base. It is actually disguised as a crafts shop. I tried my best to stand. For several moments, my legs refused to obey the orders made by my mind. Slowly, I felt the feeling of control back in my legs. No, something felt different. Like as if I possess more strength than usual. Perhaps this is the result of my training?
I walk out of the room I was resting in. I was greeted by the usual members that lurk within the building during the day. From my point of view, the only ones who actually go outside during the day are me, Hikari and Manic. Manic, a woman with black hair and Purple eyes. Her looks give the vibe that she doesn't seem to take anything seriously. She is friendly but what intrigues me is why people call her Manic.
Blade is always in his room making things. He seldom come outside of the room unless it was for the purpose of missions or resource gathering. He had short light blue hair. The only feature that stands out on him is his ahoge. He seldom talks, unless required to. Hikari did mentioned that he was a prodigy. He can make almost anything and was able to wield a sword efficiently even though he had never received sword in his entire life. Hikari did mention that his family was once a noble. Since we need income to fund our daily necessities, our shop provides service in the form of crafting things that can't be found anywhere else. Custom-crafting, or also known as a speciality shop. We don't mass-produce what we craft and simply make them when the order for it arrives. Blade and Joker and even Hikari are in charge of crafting while the others would be in charge of gathering resources, though Blade also helps to design and do the other steps requires.
Juggernaut is always in the gym, training his strength. He/She would always be seen with heavy armor. I have never seen his/her real appearance underneath the armor. I did ask around but apparently, no one has ever seen him/her out of the armor. The armor is also pretty special. It is impenetrable, according to Blade. He said that the armor is his pride. It is made with mithril, the most stable and hardest alloy and that nothing the Empire currently has can through it, unless it is an Imperial Arm. Even if a person with an Imperial Arm were to try to cut it, he would still have a hard time doing so. Blade even assured it, saying that he was a genius. Juggernaut also seldom speaks. His answers are usual summarised into one or two words.
Joker is in the lounge reading a book. He wears a mask, covering his entire face. He has never taken off his mask ever since I was inducted into the group. He never talks and always play pranks on everyone, though I am mostly the victim of his pranks. He does change his clothes, but usually dons a suit and tie during missions, the ones that nobles often wear to attend parties or social gatherings.
I walked to the kitchen to try to quell my hunger. It was morning and the only thing I found in the fridge was eggs. I need more ingredients but my body is already at its limit of hunger.
Thankfully, Manic came back with groceries and a fulfilling breakfast was served.
Hikari intercepted me on my way to training and announced to everyone that he will be hosting a game to know each other better. A War Game was what he called it.
Rules, which he explained, was simple. Everyone is to fight against each other in the forest west of the Capital. Free for all, no teams and the only way to win is to snatch a scroll that everyone will be carrying. Even if your scroll is taken, you can still win by getting it back. The game starts when night falls and ends at dawn. We are to assemble at a clearing at the forest before and after the event.
That means that there is still a good few hours for me to roam about the Capital, and since I had no need to work today, giving me a full day to enjoy myself.
Oddly, for some reason, ever since I had woke up from my sleep, my body was craving to go outside, or at least I feel like going outside. It was hard to explain. Let's just say that I want to go outside because my instincts say so.
After acknowledging what Hikari had said, I rushed out of the door. The back of my collar was tugged suddenly. I turned around to find Manic tugging at my jacket, preventing me from moving even one step forwards.
"Hey, Tatsumi. Accompany me around the Capital for today. If you do, I will show you around. " She emphasized a bit on the last part, suggesting she wanted to do something else. Her attempts to tease me was unsuccessful. I had known for the longest of times that nothing good comes out of acting on one's lust, at least that was what my mentor had said. He would tell us stories during camping trips of the times he spent at brothels. We never got to hear the entire story though. Sayo would always knock Ieyasu unconscious and cover my ears while blushing before our mentor got to the interesting parts. Now that I think about it, she acted very much like our mother.
My heartstrings were once again tugged, and it was pretty painful. How I was responsible for their deaths and how I could have saved them. These questions were always on my mind when I think about them.
Okay, enough reminiscing.
"Sure, why not. It's not like I have places to go." I replied monotonously. Her expression changed to one of happiness.
Ever since the death of my friends, I found myself emotionless every time I stare at myself in the mirror. Perhaps their deaths was always on my mind, causing me to neglect showing emotions.
"Give me a few minutes to get ready." she said as she ran inside.
...
Three figures knelt before Esdeath.
"I have new directives for the three of you." Esdeath announced. "Do this well. Failure would not be tolerated, especially from the three of you."
"As you command." The person in the middle said.
"We are your loyal servants." A small boy replied.
"We will accept your orders at any time!" the last one replied.
"Very well."
...
There is still about 10 more hours till night falls. Until then, I have to acquire some meat to satisfy my hunger.
Head-hunting. In the field of assassination, it implies me having to bring the head of my target back to whoever wants it. This was one of the mission type issued when I was still under the Empire. Even though I was ordered to do so by others, I never felt good doing so. I was always ordered to hunt for "criminals", however ever since Boss convinced me to defect to the Revolutionary Army, this kind of job happened less often than before, almost to the point of non-existent. Now, such a job has emerged once again. For some reason, Boss seem anxious about this particular white-haired boy, even going as far as bring his head back to ensure his death. Normally, she would have wanted us to try to convince powerful individuals to join our cause. This time was really different. She must have a grudge on him or something.
We were all briefed about what to search for during the hunt. We were to look out for either the white-haired guy, a group of oddly dressed people or the knight in black. The last one actually surprised me. Of all the years being in the Capital, there was never an incident which involved a black knight. There was also no reports from the cities and villages about it. It was like as if the person appeared out of nowhere.
I took out Murasame and begin to do the maintenance for it. There is still some time left. I have to be patient.
...
I was basically asked to carry everything she buys. I can see why she needed help, but the only thing that I did not get was why I was made to carry everything. Several times I had wanted to complain to her about it, but dismissed that notion. Complaining just because I lacked strength would not make me look good in the eyes of onlookers.
"Are you done yet?" I asked for the eighth time that day.
"Yeah, give me another five minutes." This is the fifth time she said this sentence at this store. I am starting to grow impatient.
Strange. I was not expected anywhere, so why am I getting impatient? With this question in mind, I kept waiting until Manic was finished. Even though it took a while, she eventually came out. The last stop was at a weapons shop.
"As thanks for helping me, I will give you treat." She ordered ice-cream for both of us. I sat down at some benches we saw along the way and enjoyed the ice-cream.
However, my body is still acting weird. It is restless, like as if it wants something. It isn't sexual, that's for sure. It felt weird, but I only have to put up with it, which became increasingly hard by the minute. The feeling has been intensified ever since I left the base. Out of the corner of my mind, I noticed a person leading three girls into a building. Even though it looks as though they were master and servants, something felt off. For some reason, I was attracted towards the man, and I wasn't in a romantic way. Manic has went to get a second helping of the ice-cream. I wanted to tell her that I am going somewhere for a while.
That was when my body froze. I lost control of my body. I tried to move my legs or even my hands but it didn't work. Each one of my muscle refused to listen to the commands that my mind gave. After a few seconds, my body began to move, and towards the direction where I last saw the master and his servants.
To everyone else, I am simply walking towards a certain destination I have in mind, but to me, my body is actually moving on its own, going against my wishes of stopping. My mind was in a state of panic. What's going on?What is happening to me? Is someone controlling me? Is it Hikari? Where am I going?
Even though I can't control my body, I still have my five senses intact. I can still feel the pressure the ground exerts on me as I walk. I also feel not pain in any part of my body. Hikari may have shown me that his Imperial Arm need his strings to be stabbed into a person before he can control a person's body. At present moment, my body was walking forwards, towards a specific building. My hands were brought up and I can feel myself pushing against the door upon reaching the entrance. This is a very weird feeling. Like doing something that you aren't actually doing. (Sounds weird but you get the point)
Of course, the door did not budge. I could feel my body trying again. The same result was obtained. It kept trying. After a while, my body grew impatient. (Again, this sounds weird) It begin to push even harder and the force increases with each try. Finally, a punch was thrown towards the door. The hinge of the door snapped apart and the door flew inwards into the room.
I wanted to scream in pain, but was unable to. I couldn't even open my mouth. The pain I have felt, for the first time, was immense. I could have sworn the bones in my finger was broken, but it wasn't. It was just very painful. All eyes in the room were placed on me. Turns out, there was more people than I had expected. The killing intent was clearly expressed on their faces. There were some with looks of disbelief and others with looks of mild fear. Some of them held the three girl in an attempt to prevent them from escape. The girls had faces of shock, like as if they were betrayed or something.
My mind went into overdrive. This is not good. I assessed the situation before me. One, I can't control my body. Two, I am going to fight a fight against people with weapons, unarmed. Three, I have no idea how whoever controlling me fights. Worse case scenario, I might die here without being able to save myself. Either from the pain or from the people inside. My body walked in. Luckily for me, none of them made a move to attack me. My body continues walking inside, towards the center of the room. My body then proceeded to do something weird. I stretched out my hands and not long after, something black flowed out of everyone in the room, except for the three girls. It flowed into my palm and sinked into the flesh. I feel comfortable suddenly, all of the unease that I had previously were dispelled. The craving from my body had subsided and before long, I regained control of my body. All was fine for a while until I felt numb in every inch of my body. Well, I can still move but there was this slight pins-and-needles kind of pain all over my body, which messes up my sense of touch. The people in the room now recovered from whatever that have just happened and approached me cautiously. I pretended to look threatening, trying to buy time for my recovery. It didn't work, as one of them became anxious and charged at me, all the while mumbling something about not wanting to die. I tried my best to dodge, which was successful but the numbness has yet to go away. The guy turn around to try again, only to be stopped by the sound of shattering glass. A person jumped through the window. I turned around to find Manic.
...
{Air's Perspective}
A Few Hours Ago
We arrived in the Capital in a horse-driven wagon. Of course, the sight of the Capital astonished us. We had been sold off by our village to the Capital due to the heavy taxes. Of course, the elders in the village had connections and ensured that we were sold to a good master.
Bach. That was his name. When we had first met him, I had thought he was nice. However, Fal had her suspicions about him. He was too nice, like as if he was expecting something to happen. Luna and I didn't really thought much of it, since Fal is always untrusting of others
He took us shopping, saying that our clothes were too rural-looking. All went well, until lunch. It was when we were inside a restaurant, about to enjoy our lunch when he revealed his true intentions. With a couple of guards surrounding our table.
Fal tried to protect us but her skills are just not enough. They were about to break her legs when the door to the restaurant burst open, literally. We all watch as a teenager with brown hair walked in. No one stopped him and just watch him. He walked towards the centre of the crowd. Something black flowed out from everyone in the room, except for Fal, Luna and me. Fear spread across everyone's faces. Someone tried to attack him, but he merely dodged it. Then, someone burst through the windows.
Not giving anyone inside any time to react, the person ran towards the one closest to her and delivered a punch to his stomach. She went towards another and kicked him towards Bach, who was trying to escape. Even the three nobles who had wanted to torture us were not allowed to leave. Everyone who were caught in her punches were sent towards the walls. Something cracked when they hit the wall, and it wasn't the wall. Everyone was swiftly dispatched. All were taken down with either punches or kicks to their bodies, leaving them immobilized or dead.
"Tatsumi! Are you still alive?" She yelled in concern.
"No, I'm dead. So just stop yelling. You are gonna attract attention." the brown-haired boy remarked.
The three of us looked at them with curious eyes.
"Thank you for saving us." I blurted out. Both of them turned to look at me.
"There is no need to thank us." the girl said. "I was only chasing after this guy over here."
The guy had a neutral emotionless look on his face, like as if he was thinking.
"So, what were you three doing with a bunch of guys? Don't tell me..." the girl asked with a mischievous expression. I know where this is leading to and what she was implying. If I could see my face now, it would be beet red. The same could be said about my other two friends.
I looked towards the only male in the room. He still had that neutral expression, the only difference this time was that he had his head tilted, as if he was wondering what is going on.
The embarrassment faded after some time.
"Okay, now that everything here has been taken care of, let's go somewhere else. Tatsumi, my things are still at those benches. If you lose any of them, I will kill you." her tone changed at the last sentence. The boy immediately pushed himself off the ground and ran out of the door.
"Come on, let's go. Staying here is no longer safe."
We were brought to a random building in the middle of Silk District.
"You can stay here, on the condition you don't mess the place up. If you are able to do that, I'm sure the others won't mind you girls. " she said. " Everyone here calls me Manic. If you meet any trouble, just tell me and I'll help." She gave us a smile.
"My name is Air." I said.
"Luna"
"My name's Fal!"
We were each assigned rooms to live in and we spent the rest of the day arranging our rooms.
...
Thankfully, none of the things Manic bought went missing. If it did, I would have been dead meat. I have yet to see Manic angry before, and I hope to never see it. The amount of killing intent just now was immense, and it just appeared out of nowhere, which overwhelmed me for a second. That amount was just like when I met Hikari for the first time.
My mind wandered back to what had happened back then. This experience was a first. Having your body move on its own without you moving it. There are a few possibilities on what went down. It could either be someone using an Imperial Arm to take over my body, or I have been possessed by spirits, which occult groups claim. Another question would be what was the black particles that came out of everyone. They didn't seem to harm or tire me in any way and surprisingly, I felt refreshed, like as if I had more energy to spare.
Something weird is definitely happening to me. I better figure out what was done to me and quickly, or I would be caught by surprise the next time it happens. This should definitely be kept secret from everyone else. Those three girls are the only surviving witness, so I can only hope they won't spill what happened. If they reveal this, I would need to come up with an excuse, which doesn't seem to effective in any way.
For now, I should pay careful attention to the fighting styles of the other members of the group. From what I had gathered, Hikari fights with the element of surprise in his favour. His strings are troublesome. Manic seem to have a large amount of strength. One punch was all it take to take out those men back there.
I turned my head and noticed a fire a few streets away. It seems to be the place where I was at before. Smoke rose into the air.
A fire took place. I wonder what happened.
...
A Few More Unproductive Hours Later
I was at the meeting point. I had just arrived and realized that I was the only person there. I was early, and since I have nothing better to do, I decide to survey the battlefield. Information is crucial in every battle. After a while of surveying, I got bored and decided to take a short nap near a cliff I found. To avoid being caught by Danger Beasts, I hid myself in the covers of the trees.
The next time that I opened my eyes, I found myself tied up and hanging upside down. I found Joker staring at me. He was laughing, silently since he doesn't make any noise when he iss laughing. I was only surprised, shocked and angry at the predicament I found myself in.
I was left in that position until everyone had arrived.
...
The sun is slowly setting. The game I proposed would start in a few minutes time.
To be honest, I had wanted to use this game as a way to gauge everyone's strength, Tatsumi's powers and to allow the members to let lose some steam and go all-out against each other.
Tatsumi still have no idea about the existence of his Imperial Arm. Maybe he can learn about it throughout the course of the game and find out more about it's abilities.
I had Blade make something specifically for this event.
I kept walking. I walked by a restaurant that had been involved in a fire...for the third time. I turned towards an abandoned alleyway. After a few twist and turns, I stopped.
"Come out. It's no use hiding anymore." I shouted.
A few seconds passed, and sure enough, someone walked out. I looked at the person in front of me. I stared into her crimson eyes. She was the person who was there when Tatsumi went on a rampage after his fight with Zank. There were posters of her.
Akame of Night Raid.
Whatever happens, do not fight her and don't let her follow me. I still have the War Game to go to. I counted how much time I had left.
10 minutes. Which means I have three minutes to spare.
"What do you need?"
"I was ordered to kill you." She replied.
My mind went into overdrive. I need to escape now. Using my Imperial Arms, I weaved a simple net and launched it towards her, hoping she would be caught in it. I started running the moment the net left my hands. I took a peek behind me and realize she was still hot in pursuit. She must have cut the net apart. Turning a corner, I forced myself to run, ensuring my footsteps would be silent. After turning another corner, I jumped onto the roof and start heading towards the West Gate of the Capital. After jumping from roof to roof, I let myself fall and land in an alleyway. Not wasting any time, I head for the main street and blend into the crowd. From the corner of my eyes, I can still see Akame on top of a roof, looking around trying to locate me.
I wanted to cheer for myself but can't. I am not safe until I arrived at my destination safely and ensuring no one followed me.
I kept walking towards the West Gate. My eyes darted all around me and constantly checking if anyone was still following me. I walked out of the gate and into the forest. I felt no presence behind me.
Breathing out a sigh of relief, I made my way to where everyone was.
...
Hikari arrived at the clearing where we were all waiting. Thankfully, I was released from the ropes when he arrived.
Well, the rules are simple. We were each given a scroll and a flare gun. If we stumble about an outsider and he/she is interfering with our match , the flare gun would be used. If your scroll is taken, you can try again and take the scroll(s) back at a later time. The game ends when the sun rises. Whoever has the most scrolls wins.
"With that, let's start the game" Hikari said. As he said this, everyone starting running off in different directions.
Currently, I am running towards a stream that I had seen earlier when I was surveying the area. As I ran, sounds of explosion were constantly ringing to my left. It was some distance away, but apparently, contact has been made. I continue running, all the while looking everywhere for a possible trap or an ambush.
I arrived at the stream, with no one around. Training and battle experience has taught me that the best place to survive during a battle would be near a water source. Sitting on top of a tree branch and trying my best to hide my presence, I begin to rest.
This is going to take a while.
...
Some hours later
I was still at my first hiding place. Some hours have passed and I have yet to face anyone.
It was getting boring. I jumped down from where I was. Looking around to make sure that no one was near me. Faint sounds of metal clashing against metal can be heard in the distance. Trying to avoid the battlefield, I decided to walk upstream.
Upon taking one step forwards, something came crashing towards me at high-speed. Relying purely on instinct, I stumbled out of the way. The object crashed into the earth a few metres away from me. Without any warning, it charged towards me. I could see the faint glint of a blade coming towards me. Having inadequate time to react, I was only able to bring my sword into the path of the swing in an attempt to block the strike. The strike was heavy and sent me off my feet, knocking me away from my initial spot. I landed into a tree with a shattered sword in my hands. I looked up at my attacker. Heavy armor covered every part of his/her body. Honestly, I failed to see even a crack on the armor where I can stab into, other than on the helmet. Towering over me was Juggernaut.
If what Blade said was true, I would never be able to even scratch his/her armor. The situation before me has become dire. I can't find any way to defeat him/her with that impenetrable armor. Dodging his attacks and escaping would be the best option I have. If possible, swipe his scroll before escaping.
Judging by the strength he/she just exhibit, I would be seriously injured if he is able to successfully land a hit on me. I had seen Juggernaut easily lift a 100kg dumbbell in one hand when he was in the gym, and the others claims that he was only taking it easy.
Anyways, back to the issue at hand. His/her eyes were on me and I did the same. I darted my eyes to the surrounding, trying to find a way to escape. He did travel towards me at an astonishing speed earlier. Which means that he could still do the same. He/she is wearing heavy armor. Normally, it is impossible to be able to travel at such a speed instantly. Unless he/she has an Imperial Arm, the only possibility on the speed was that it was built up over time as he kept running while increasing his/her speed. If this is true, I can be able to escape easily. I looked at him/her, formulating an escape plan in my head. I ran towards him, only for me to be thrown back by a punch. I tasted the dirt once again.
What? How is he still so fast?
I tried my best to stand up. Juggernaut started lumbering towards me. I started to run, constantly changing my directions as I did so. His/her speed has significantly reduced, as compared to before when he punched me. Maybe he can travel fast if it was only in one direction. That would explain why he was fast when I ran towards him. He must have used all of his leg strength to charge towards me in that one moment, which caught me off-guard. I was charging towards him head-on, which made it easy for him to predict where I would eventually be. I hope I can tire him out while he chase me, but I don't want to take any chances. I ran towards him again, but this time, I ran in zig-zags, giving him a harder time to predict me positions. Once I was close enough, I started to run around him, with him at the center.
I took a closer look at his weapons while I run. He carries an executioner's sword, which looked very heavy. Normally such a sword is wielded with both hands, but yet Juggernaut was using it like how I would use my short sword, a gladius, which broke just now. Using one hand.
I kept running circles around him. Surprisingly, I was able to keep up. I should really thank Hikari for his insane punishments later. Juggernaut seem to have stopped and just stood in his place, waiting for my next move. I begin my attacks. Wielding a hunting knife, I tried to stab at him/her at different places where I thought the armor was thinner as compared to the other places. Not only does it not work, which was frustrating, there wasn't even a single dent or scratch on his armor but I kept trying in hopes that the next attempt would work. Maybe what Blade boasted may actually be true. It might be impenetrable.
The best result that I had achieved was knocking him/her back. Other than that, my relentless torrent of attacks were ineffective. Add into the account that I have to avoid his blade, it was consuming a lot of my energy. Also, his scroll was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he placed in inside his armor.
This fight isn't going in my favor. I should retreat. Fighting him any longer would not be wise. Using all of my strength, I tackled him from behind. It pushed him forwards, and that was all I needed. Using this chance that I have created, I started retreating.
I kept running and running. Once or twice, I would run in a different direction in hopes of losing him. Once I think he was unable to see me, I stopped may run and begin to scale up a tree and wait. Juggernaut ran past the tree where I was hiding. I tried my best to not do anything to attract attention. Eventually he was out of sight. Yet I still did not move for the fear of him returning.
The voices in my mind are back. Screaming about how pathetic I am. I tried to reason with myself, saying that the fight was leading nowhere and that retreating was the best option. The screams in my mind just kept on increasing. No matter how I try to block it out, it just keeps getting louder and louder.
I struggled to stay sane.
It felt as if I was thrown into a fire, parts of my body hurts. I looked around. Juggernaut is no longer around. I let the force of gravity pull me down from the tree. I fell onto the earth below. I clutch my head tightly, hoping the screams and pain would stop. With each passing second, I would clutch my head even tighter, and finally I blacked out, no longer able to feel the pain.
...
It was getting boring. I have waited for sometime in the forest. I had placed my strings all over the forest to act like sensors so that I would know when someone is coming towards me. However, because of a certain fight between Manic against Joker which I picked up with the noise they caused, most of the strings to my left were either burnt or severed. I had wanted to use my remaining strings to replace the ones lost, but that would leave me with no way to fight later on.
Now I am still sitting on top of a tree, where I was from the start. There is still some time left till dawn. Occasionally, a Danger Beast would pass by. Other than that, everything is quiet and boring. I have already ate dinner, so I have no need for food from now on. For now, I would just gaze at the stars.
I think back to my earliest memory. I have long forgotten before that day. The earliest memory that I have is when I was on a bed. There were a couple of strangers staring at me while taking notes. Beside them, there were also a couple of people who were busy writing and looking into some container thing. I continue to think about my memories before that day but there was nothing that came into my mind. My mind would hurt every time I try to think past that day.
I curled my hands into a fist. I have to kill him for my revenge, but yet I need him to tell me everything about my past. He was the first person I saw ever since I woke up. Doctor Stylish.
He was the reason why everyone died, and he was the reason I can't live a normal life anymore. He pushed us towards a cruel fate. I will never forgive him, and I will have him suffer for his crimes.
Something tugged on one of the strings I have put out, snapping me out of my reverie. I jumped down from where I sat and turned to the direction where I expect the person to come out from.
Someone wearing light armor walked out. His armor and weapons looked weird. According to him, his equipment was made specially for himself and its efficiency can only be displayed to the fullest by him. There is always something weird sticking out that seemed out of place.
Moonlight shined revealed his face. He had a twisted smirk while he stared at me, thirsty for blood.
Blade.
Of all the other people in our group, I was really shocked someone like him is able to fight on the front lines. He would always exceed the expectations of people and leave them shocked. In combat, his way of fighting is always unique and he would always pull tricks when fighting. Although people would call his fighting methods dirty or underhanded, he would always not be bothered and emerge victorious. He does things which you wouldn't expect and by the time you do, you are already dead.
I stared at him. He doesn't own an Imperial Arm, but his skills can trump Imperial Arm users going at full power. Currently, he wield two different sword. One of them is a katana sheathed at his hip while the other is a giant sword which he had in both of his hand. I watched his movement closely. He points the tip of the sword at me, as if to signal his intent to challenge me. I jumped away as a projectile flew past the spot where my head was a second ago. I turned to see smoke coming out of his sword. I zig zagged towards him. The sword he was carrying constantly shot projectiles at me, but none of them were able to hit me.
When I got close enough, I tried to score a punch on him, but he used the flat of his oversized sword's blade to block my punch. My punches landed on the sword, and using my other hand, I tried my best to push him back with his sword. The sword was thrown back. However, the person wielding it is nowhere to be seen. He had let go of his blade. I looked around yet didn't find him anywhere. I looked at the only other place he could be.
Above me.
He must have used his boots with springs attached to help him jump higher into the air. When I had first recruited Blade, he had "requested" some equipments that could allow him to make whatever he wanted to. Those equipments were very costly, but at least he offered to make our armors and weapons, and also help to earn money. Those boots of his allowed him to jump higher than he could achieve. His hands were already on the grip of his katana. Iai. If I was not mistaken, Blade was able to perform Iai, a form of martial art. It emphasize being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to a sudden attack. There are many details involving this form of martial art. I have seen people using this style in combat. The best I have ever seen was capable of striking down an opponent without being seen drawing the sword. His movements surpassed the speed the naked eye can track. He had an Imperial Arm, so it wasn't really much of a surprise. Blade was falling towards me, and I am within the reach of his sword.
Blade must have thought that I would perform an attack on him while he was in the air. I moved away from where I think he would land.
I tried to jump back, hoping it was not too late. He drew his sword, and it harmlessly flew by the place where my neck once was. I smirked. I'm safe. He sheathed his katana and landed on the ground. His quick draw just now had many flaws. If a swordmaster were to comment on his display just now, he would have been very disappointed if Blade had been one of his students. Yet, to be able to perform this combat style by purely watching others fight was already impressive in my eyes.
I ran at him once again. Hoping to strike him before he could draw.
Well, that was what I planned to do. Until I noticed his left hand twisting a dial on the sheathe of the katana. I was met with questions. A dial? Why would his sheathe even need a dial? A dial is commonly found on locks to open them. It is commonly used on machine so that when turned, it would cause something to be opened. Unable to solve what he was doing, I charged, all the while cautious what what he would do. The answer to his intent came to me a little too late. He twisted the dial, something clicked. His katana was swung through the length of its sheathe and came towards me. That dial must have opened a small opening in the length of the sheath, allowing the katana to be able to slice through the sheath. Instead of the usual katana being drawn from the top of the sheath, the blade was drawn from the side of the sheath. The blade of the katana inched closer to me. I put my hands to blocked. The katana was sent into my lower arm, and was stopped there.
I have wrapped some of the strings on my lower arms when I noticed the dial. Now wanting to wait any longer, I pushed myself backwards, expecting him to chase me. He didn't do that. What he did instead was to lift the katana and point the tip at me. Until I noticed his katana stopped mid-strike. The tip of the katana was pointed at me. My eyes caught a black circle in the middle of the blade. It looked like a barrel of a gun. It was just like that oversized sword he was carrying earlier. A sword and a firearm at the same time.
He twisted and pulled the lower part of the grip out. Then he proceeded to push the handle inwards. A small light was present in the black circle for only a moment before vanishing. A projectile came flying towards me at high speed an instant later.
Once again, I was taken aback. He just pulls one stunt after another. He is really a dark horse in combat. How is he able to pull all of these stunts. I continue charging. He fired again, but the tip was aimed elsewhere. It was aimed to his left. Using the force produced, he combined it with his and brought the blade to me. That slice carried more force than usual and was sent at me with unnatural speed. I dodged by stopping and pushing myself back using my legs, and thus begins my game of dodging his attacks.
Seriously, how is he so smart?
...
I looked around me. I was back in the black void. This time has a difference than the previous times. There are light sources, seven flames of different colors circled around me. Since I am unable to see my body, I assumed they are around me since all seven of them are in my sights. Each flame was of a different color. White, Red, Green, Blue, Purple, Black and Yellow. The black flame would have went unnoticeable, since it is very similar to the color of my surrounding. The flame was of a darker shade of black, allowing me to notice its presence.
I can't move any part of my body and helplessly watched as the flames kept circling around me.
"Name. Tatsumi." someone said.
"Listens only to cold hard facts..." another person said
"doesn't believes anything before him." someone else continued.
"Nothing is genuine to him." someone else said.
"Strength ..."
"Average."
"Speed..."
"Commendable."
"Verification complete..."
"Minimum conditions met."
"Basic controls relinquished."
"Desires….confirmed"
"Sacrifice…..accepted."
I was getting annoyed. This kept going on for some time and when I try to start a conversation, I would be ignored. I had resorted to listened in on their conversation. There was talks of something being given to me, which I have no idea what it is. The talk seemed never-ending and my patience ran lower as each second passes.
Finally, I ran out of patience and was going to rant when I was interrupted.
"Complete." Someone said and immediately, I was forced awake. Light blinded my eyes.
Eventually, my eyes adjusted to the surroundings and I regain sight of my surroundings. Nobody seems to be around. I immediately check my body for any evident injuries. No injuries. I check to see if the scroll is still on me. That also remained unchanged.
So, to another person, I merely passed out for some time. I sure hope this isn't gonna happen to me often. Pushing myself off the ground, I patted off the dirt off my clothes before running East.
I jumped from one tree to another, all the while watching for any signs of a trap, since I know of a certain person who is more than able to make traps using his strings. I stopped once again after I assumed that I had run far enough from my last place. With me sitting on top of a tree, I waited for sunrise.
...
{Bulat's Perspective}
Currently, I stood at the docks, with Lubbock beside me. We were called back from our search mission to deal with a certain problem. Just a few hours ago, a few murders of some nobles were conducted under our name. The only problem was that we did not conduct any of these murders. To make things even worse, the ones murdered are nobles who opposes Honest in the shadows.
Najenda had suspected the new group of people we encountered, but ruled it out. It wasn't certain whether it was them. We were called back to base during our search and was assigned an emergency mission.
Our mission is to protect a certain merchant who recently bought the ship Ryuusen. Najenda has theorized that the likely murderers are the Three Demon Generals, due to most of the victims being killed gruesomely. No one knows their true identity.
"Let's get on the boat." I said.
Lubbock nodded and boarded the boat. I don Incursio when no one was looking and made myself invisible. Looking around for anyone suspicious, I boarded the ship.
...
I stood at where I was. My sword placed before me so that I would be able to react to his attacks. I continue staring at the person before me. Wearing a top hat, with a mask that covers his entire face also wearing a formal suit and tie. The person was Joker.
I have yet to find out what his weapon he uses. Since my sword was broken during my battle with Juggernaut, I was only to fight with a simple hunting knife. This fight is become disadvantageous to me. Running away may not be the best option at present moment. The only option I have left is to fight, survive and when a chance shows itself, run.
Dagger in reverse grip, I ran forwards at full speed, waiting for his response. Rather than making a move, his hand went into his pocket and he took out a deck of cards.
A deck of cards? What good is that? The only way to use them as a weapon would be to throw them. However, as they are pretty thin, simply throwing it would cause it to go off course. If he really is gonna fight me by throwing those cards, he must have some other weapon hidden and the card is used to avert my attention from it.
I looked to his other hand. Both of his hand are covering the deck of cards. I slow down my charge, wary of whatever tricks that he may pull. He pull out one of the cards and threw it in my direction. It was sent at me with an impossible speed. It grazed my cheek and flew by. Something flowed out of the wound. I was cut, by a card. Now that I have looked at the card, I realized that the card was unique. There was a thin piece of metal attached at the sides of the card.
What I still don't get was how the card was able to move that fast. If I saw it correctly, after he threw the card, the card was moving at normal speed before it accelerated towards me. I can't come up with any possibility that could explain why this is happening. Maybe I can ask him after the whole thing ends. For now, I should prevent myself from being hit.
I ran in zig-zag towards him. However, every time I get close to him, I would be knocked back by a barrage of cards. Somehow, the cards that he threw out would come back to him, like as if they were magnets. I need to devise a new strategy. Since we are fighting in the middle of the forest, there is plenty of places for me to hide in to conceal my presence. I started running up a tree and start to jump from tree to tree, making sure to keep myself hidden within the leaves and to keep him within my sights. I can see that Joker has stop shooting his cards and now merely stood there, looking at a particular direction. Maybe he is trying to determine my position. Once I was on his left side, I threw my knife at him and jumped out at him.
My goal is for him to at least block or dodge the dagger, leaving himself open for just an instant. I waited for him to block the knife, but made no move to do so. Instead of the dagger hitting him, as I would expect should he not block or evade, the dagger was suddenly stopped and remained in the air, inches from his face.
What just happened? I have just witness something that is impossible. How could a knife in motion just suddenly stop moving by itself? He didn't even touch the knife, and he surely wasn't even looking at it. How? How did he do it? An Imperial Arm? That could be possible. If he does have an Imperial Arm, then the odds of even running would be very slim.
I was still travelling in mid-air. I readied myself for his next move. He vanished from where he stood. A fist connected with my stomach, causing me to exhale sharply. I was unable to inhale. It hurts. I was now sprawled on the ground with my back facing the sky. I tried to stand up, before the knife that I had threw earlier fall onto the ground. It was stuck firmly into the earth, just centimeters before my eyes.
For several moments, I made no attempt to move. I was frozen in fear. The skill that Joker displayed was something that even my mentor was unable to achieve. He could have killed me anytime he wanted to. From the start, he was just playing with me, while here I am, trying my best to survive.
I pushed myself off the ground and pulled the knife out of the earth. The sn has already begin its usual journey across the sky. I looked around. Joker is no longer in the vicinity. I feel like I forgot something important, but that can wait until later.
It seems I have survived the game, even though I didn't take anyone's scroll. I was glad I at least didn't lose mine. I feel my pockets, trying to fish out my scroll to see what was written in it.
My mind went blank. My scroll is gone. I could feel my pride tearing itself apart. Joker must have took it just now. I sprinted towards the meeting point. He should not have gotten too far. If I can intercept him before he arrives, I can still have a chance to getting the scroll back.
I kept running, only to find that I was the last one there. Everyone has already assembled. I felt like a stone just crashed itself onto me. I lost.
So afterwards, the winner was announced, along with the true purpose of this game. It was hosted to welcome me into the group and also a way for every member to have a gauge of the ability of others.
"Now, I hate to ruin this atmosphere, but I have something we need to announce. Currently, due to certain incidents that occurred, our group has attracted the attentions. We are currently targeted. The Revolutionary Army would be sending more assassins after us while the Prime Minister would be doing everything he can to get in our way. Adding in the rumors that Esdeath has returned from her expedition in the North, and having come back to deal with Night Raid, which would also bring us into her list of victims. She would be forming a team consisting of capable individuals who each possess an Imperial Arm. We are exposed to a lot of dangers from every side. From now on, I would like everyone to exercise caution when being sent on missions. If you were to encounter anyone from the Empire or the Revolutionary Army, either run away or deal with them swiftly." Hikari added. "We may also be setting up a secondary base outside of the Capital should we find ourselves in more danger. With all this said, you are dismissed!"
...
{Wave's Perspective}
I walked through the gates of the Capital. This is my first time coming to the Capital and I am enjoying every moment of it. I was called to the Capital to join a task force that was formed by General Esdeath. Since I had an Imperial Arm in my possession, it was obvious why I was chosen.
Before I left for the Capital, I was given many parting gifts from the various people in the village where I was from. One of the many was a large bag of fish, which was a gift from my mother. As I made my way towards the palace, many pair of eyes were fixated on me.
Perhaps there was something wrong with my appearance.
I made my way to the palace, trying my best to ignore the stares that I was given.
After a few twist and turns in the palace, I finally arrived at my destination. I opened the door, excited to meet my new comrades.
There was only one person present in the room, and he was wearing a gas mask. Something I usually find the people in the torture chambers wearing.
I hurriedly shut the door in shock and fear. I once again checked whether I was at the right venue. I have expect to enter a torture chamber than a meeting room. I once again opened the door, this time much slower than before. The man with the gas mask was now looking at my direction.
I took a step forwards and took furthest seat at the table. For the next few minutes, a few other people entered the room. There was a brief introduction session. Apparently, the man in the gas mask was from the Incineration Squad, and he is incredibly shy, or so he claims.
The door swings open once again, and everyone turned to look at the new member. I stood up to welcome this new person. I received a kick in the stomach for my efforts, which knocked me back by a few meters, slamming me into the wall. The others rushed to attack this new person.
When I got back to my feet, the fight has already concluded. The intruder was revealed to be none other than General Esdeath herself. After explaining her actions, claiming it to be a way for her to know of everyone's skills, she ushered us out of the room and into another room, where we were made to wear formal suits.
We walked down the corridor, with Esdeath leading the way. I was getting dizzy.
"May I ask what we are supposed to do now?" I inquired.
"We are supposed to meet the Prime Minister to inform him that all members have been assembled."
"So what are we called? It makes sense to have a name for this group." someone by the name of Run asked.
I turn to look at our leader. She pondered for a moment, before she spoke again.
"I have yet to think of a name. I think the name Jaegers should suffice."
Rewrites are finally over! Rejoice.
So p.o.v changes seems to be a problem in this chapter. I labelled most of them to avoid confusion. If I didn't label, the p.o.v is either Tatsumi, Hikari, Akame or third person. I left clues in the specific part who the person is. If you think this is still confusing, tell me and I'll just change it to having labels. I apologise to all my readers for making you wait for the next chapter.
The next chapter will be available within this week. Don't worry about it. I promise it will be good, maybe.
Okay, time to marathon some anime. Review!
Thank you for reading and being patient. Have a good day!