Another Route

by RayneTDX

Everyone he cared about, dead. It has always been like this. Tatsumi tries his best to move on, but there are some things he just can't ignore. Being targeted by both Night Raid and the Empire, Tatsumi has to survive no matter the cost, all the while trying to live with the monster he has become. Major spoilers inside. PAIRING UNCONFIRMED.

21. Volume 2: Chapter 7

"Speech"

'Thoughts/Voices'

[Names of Equipments or Imperial Arms or Weapons/Title]

Flashback/Dreams

---

Volume 2: Chapter 8: Fall I

{Tatsumi's Perspective}

Light. A single ray of light shines down from above, acting as the only source of illumination in this pitch black pit. It wasn't bright, but allowed me to discern the faint outlines of things in my surrounding.

Dust boldly flew around in the air,causing some sort of light show every time it gets near the ray of light. Grunts of pain came from all over the place, signaling to me that I'm not the only one suffering. Small hills comprising entirely of rubble was now a common sight. In fact, there is so much debris that some even clung to my body. Some were even the primary cause for my sorry state. A massive piece of rubble rested comfortably on my left arm, while another was found clamping down on my right leg. Other smaller pieces of rubble can be found on me as well.

I made attempts to move, something I normally do when waking up from sleep. The pain derived from doing so brought me back to reality in less than an instant. My movements are now impeded. There are also minor cuts and bruises I acquired throughout my body. There was also an annoying ringing in my head which contributes to the injury count I accumulated. No need to say, I was very fortunate to still be alive after falling from a height of… who knows how much.

Pushing against the uneven rubble that traps my left arm, I was able to pivot it to a certain angle just enough to free my left hand. Several groans of pain later and a gruesome mess of what was once my arm was free. Oddly enough, even with some fractured bones and some pieces of bones sticking out of my arm, it didn't hurt as much as I think it would so long I don't touch it any more than necessary. The fact that I have both of my hands now...didn't make my existing situation any better. There is absolutely no way my left arm is usable in any situation.

All that remains is my right leg. Just like my left arm, bones were broken. I tried pushing it off using my left leg but it didn't even budge. Then again even if the rubble on my leg is removed, I wouldn't have gotten any further ahead. There is still the problem of getting out of this place. Some time had passed since falling into this pit and there is bound to be Danger Beasts lurking in the shadows. I did fall into a Labyrinth after all. With my less dominant arm and my dominant leg out of commission, I won't be able to protect myself very well.

Whoever thought of building a city above a nest of Danger Beasts?

All I could do would be to wait for help.

So I waited and waited even more. Dust and small pieces of rubble from above would settle down over time, contributing to the occasional sounds that I could hear not including the groans of other victims. There were some shouts from others, but most were simply cries for help. I didn't bother replying them. I was in a similar position as them and simply could not provide any form of aid for them. In fact, I was counting on their cries bring help.

Thump

After who knows how long, I could hear footsteps. It was faint, but I could hear them clearly. Relief spread through my body. It is still some distances away. I need to signal to whoever it was so that they would know where we are.

I tried to shout but my parched throat didn't allow me to do so without causing me pain. I should probably find another method to produce sound. Picking up a piece of rubble from the ground around me, I smashed it onto the ground where it was picked up from. A tapping without any sort of pattern sounded, just loud enough to be heard from a distance. Whoever made those footsteps would have heard the tapping.

Sound! I need to signal to them with sound. I tried to shout, but my throat was already parched and my body has already succumbed to exhaustion. Who knows when was the last time I had water and food. Picking up a rock near my right hand, I begin to tap it on the ground in a slow rhythmic pattern, but loud enough to be heard from a distance. I was simply hoping someone would notice the sound.

Thump Thump Thump

I could hear those footsteps approach. With renewed vigor, I tapped the rock even harder onto the ground, causing it to crumble into small tiny particles. Even if it broke, it was more than enough. The tapping caught the attention of the other survivors in the area who eventually took note of the footsteps. Shouts were heard, calling for the ones who made those footsteps.

There seems to be more than one person, a deduction made from the irregular rhythm and even overlapping sounds to the footsteps. Help is finally here! The other survivors also seem to notice this, and some of the more spirited survivors started to shout out to our would-be rescuers, hoping for aid to be rendered to them first.

It would only be a matter of time before they discover me.

Everything is alright now.

Help is here.

Squelch

Eh?

There was this wet noise, the sound you make when your boots were removed from mud on a rainy day. It was accompanied by a silence. A total silence that lasted for only a few seconds, which seems longer than I thought.

An ear-piercing scream resonated across the area, followed by a swift sound akin to whistles before something wet but warm landed on my face. My fingers landed on the thing that landed on my face. It was warm to touch and was kind of sticky like slime. There was even a faint metallic scent. I removed my fingers from the slime and held it up to the light. My eyes adjusted to the light, revealing to me what had stained my fingers.

It was red….and sticky...reeks of metal.

Realisation sank in. Relief fades away, replaced by overwhelming despair.

Screams began to echo throughout the area once they realize what's happening. Some threats were heard, but it was simply drowned out by the other noises in the area. Some survivors had tried to put up trivial resistance but with the fear of impending doom and the injuries and exhaustion placed on them, it was only a matter of time before they too were slaughtered. Honestly, it was nothing but a one-sided massacre.

Footsteps arrived at where I was. My eyes moved from my fingers to the source of the footsteps.

Humanoid body structure, pig-like features and covered entirely in hair from head to toe. Two tusks protruded from the corners of its mouth, reinforcing their similarity to boars. It also had an abundance of fat on its body, making their bodies roundish. Boars that stand on hind legs. Its forelegs were actual hands, gripping tightly onto all sorts of blunt weapons. Possessing no intellect within their eyes, they act purely on instinct and experience.

An [Elder Orc], leading a band of [Orcs].

Orcs hunts in packs. Strength commonly lies in numbers after all. Individually, any rookie Adventurer or Mercenary would be able to defeat an Orc without much trouble. However, if encountered in packs, even experienced Mercenary Corps or Adventurer Party would experience some form of hardship when dealing with them.

Currently, the Danger Beast looming above me wields a blunt weapon resembling a club made from the stem of an uprooted oak tree. Its head is exposed, revealing visible scars on its head. Some pieces of armor littered across its body. A pauldron, rerebrace, couter, vambrace, and gauntlet made out of sturdy steel was firmly attached to his left hand, protecting his entire left hand. Had he had a few more pieces of armor on his left arm, he could have had a full set of armor… for one arm. This Danger Beast species should supposedly tower above me at a height of 3 meters normally. However, since its an Elder Orc, one which has survived countless battles against other Danger Beasts and adventurers, it should possess a considerable amount of experience. Living for a considerably longer period of time than others of its kind, its height was further increased by another 1 meter should it have been compared to a normal Orc. It is also slightly smarter...only by a bit.

I don't have the time to be thinking about other things.

The Elder Orc trundled towards my location. Upon descrying my miserable form with one leg trapped underneath the rubble, the corner of his mouth begins to widen, forming a large ghastly smirk on his face. It trundles towards me, each step seems to be capable of causing a miniature quake. Using every bit of my remaining strength, I tried my best to remove myself from under the rubble. I furiously kicked the rubble on my right leg while tugging my right leg, ignoring the pain that was induced as a result of my actions in hopes of being able to remove it from underneath the rubble. I could hear the snort and chuckles of the Orcs nearby watching me at my futile attempts for survival.

It was ineffective and I eventually subjected myself to stop all actions and watch him in despair once he got close enough. Escape was no longer possible. Maybe it was more accurate to say that escaping wasn't even an option in the first place, judging from this battered and broken body of mine.

It stopped before me and lifted the giant club above his head before slamming it down on me in one swift motion.

Squelch

There was no pain. There was this fast impact on my left arm, but that only lasted for an instant. Surprised, I glanced towards my left, only to find a miniature geyser of blood coming from the stump that was once my left hand. Looking even further beyond, I could see my left hand. It took another few more seconds before it registered in my mind what had happened.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH"

My ears hurt. I was screaming my lungs out, reverberate across the area I was in. My vision was blurry and unfocused. When I run out of the air, I simply stopped to breathe before screaming again. I could hear some laughter mixed in with the screams. Looking towards the source, I could find them coming from the Elder Orc. It was distant, however. Like a small voice mixed in with a variety of other sounds, yet able to distinguishable from the rest.

My right hand clutched the stump, an instinctive reaction made to stem the bleeding. It was pain which I have never felt before. I could do nothing but scream. I directed my hate-filled eyes towards the Elder Orc. I could feel that it was enjoying every bit torturing me. I tried renewing my efforts in getting away, but no action was made. I was paralyzed with fear and pain.

Whispers.

Within all that screaming, my ears pick up whispers.

Just like that period of time, voices began to resurface in my mind. It had halted for a while…no, that's incorrect. It was always there. I simply ignored and got used to it and it eventually dwindled down to nothing.

So why? Why, after all this time, did it resurface? Why did I take note of them?

'Are you really alright with this?' A single voice within the collective voices muttered out.

I paid it no mind. In my current situation, I gain nothing from listening to it. I can deal with it only if I survive through this ordeal. I could hear some sighs from those voices. There was some murmuring as if they were discussing something before they stopped… completely. I can't seem to catch anything from their conversation, not that I paid much attention to it in the first place.

Following that, a series of events began to unfold.

My right hand was removed from clutching the stump which was once my left hand… against my will. Blood flowing from the stump gradually slowed to a trickle. My right hand that was once clutching my bleeding stump is now in front of me with outstretched fingers. It looked at me confused before its expression turned into shock. Seconds later, small black particles were now floating out of the skin of the Elder Orc, assimilating and attaching itself to stump before extending out slowly in hat looks like an imperfect cylinder. Slowly faux bones, muscle, sinew, flesh, nerves, and skin began to form within the black cocoon of what looks to be my left arm. It connected itself to the stump, inciting a small jolt of electricity that generated a small grunt of pain from my lips. When it's done, it looked just like my hand before. The only difference would be the color.

"T-This is…" I gasped at the phenomenon. Just like that time when I coincidentally rescued those three girls, my body was no longer in my control. I can only gaze, astonished at the spectacle before me. Colors gradually dyed my hand from where my stump was and eventually my hand regenerated. Whoever controlled my movements gave it some experimental test, bending my joints and giving it some quick test punches. Naturally, control over bodily functions was not returned to me so I could only watch as it did what it wanted.

The Elder Orc recovered from its shock and wasted no time at all to launch another strike. It must have panicked upon seeing that I had my arm regenerated and assessed that I could be a possible threat. It had also called for other Orcs nearby for help, hoping to overwhelm me with numbers. Seconds before its weapon could reach me, black spikes pierced into his body. I directed my eyes towards the closest source. From what was once my left hand, a black spike could be seen coming out of it. Looking at it for a moment longer, I could see that same blackness starting to spread. Before long, the flesh, bones, and blood that was once mine turned into black sludgy liquid.

All these took less than a few moments. I took another breath, trying to calm myself down. Was I hyperventilating? I tried my best to control my breathing, but so far none of the method employed was effective.

Turning my eyes back to the Danger Beast before me, I could see how the flesh surrounding its wounds were slowly dyed black. It gave a few cries of pain and made several attempts to free himself. However, no matter how much it struggles, none of its efforts were rewarded.

Serves you right. was what flashed through my mind upon laying eyes on it suffering state, though it was only for an instant. I was more afraid of what was going to happen to me.

The ink black spikes have started to 'melt' and splattered onto the floor in a variety of wet noises. Moments later, the Elder Orc and the band of Orcs are also collapsed onto the hard ground. Sounds of pain echoed once more in my general vicinity.

Okay, Okay. What the heck just happened? This isn't normal. Since when was I capable of such feats. I don't deny that weird things had happened before, but what just happened seems to top everything that has been happening so far on the weird scale. This is just an impos-AHHHHH

As I was brooding over what had just happened, the black liquid which was once solid slid across the ground like snakes before coalescing itself around my crushed right leg. Bones which were crushed began to realign and mend. Immense pain flooded through my nerves. The process took only a few seconds, but the pain that lasted for several moments longer made it seem as if the wound was still there. Some of it traveled to my other wounds. Any excess black liquid not used simply slithered around my body, seemingly protecting me as my injuries heal.

My body stood up from where it was lying on the ground. After giving my right leg some firm step as a test, it walked towards the kneeling figure of the Elder Orc. The black liquid followed, slithering along the ground close to me. It would keep close, but maintaining a certain distance so as to not impede my movements.

The Elder Orc was riddled with holes in its body. It's weapon no longer in his grasp. Hunched over, it tried to stem the bleeding from some of the major area with its right arm. Its left arm dangled uselessly by its side. The weight of the armor on its arm must have been too great for it to lift in his current state.

Halting my footsteps before him, my left hand reached out towards him.

Eyeing an opening, his left hand curled into a fist and flew towards me. I was knocked away by a blow to my side… or at least that must have been how it (including me) envisioned. The reality was different, however. The black liquid shot up from the ground and stabbed into his left hand that was still in motion. It tore through the armor and pierced through its forearms. Acting similar to a tentacle, it wrapped itself around the forearm before dragging the Elder Orc face-first into the ground. Its other hand pushed against the ground, trying with all its might to get back up. Had there been no other interferences, it just might be able to break free through sheer strength. However, the other parts of the black liquid did not remain idle. Piercing into its flesh from different angles, numerous spikes rose from the ground.

A firm grasp placed its head prompted some of the black liquid to slither upwards; traveling around my leg, across my torso and slithering around my right arm. The same right hand shot forwards before piercing into its flesh, giving the black liquid a way into its body. Once all of it has entered, my body retracted my hand and shook off the crimson liquid covering it in one swift motion. I watched as the Elder Orc started to make all sorts of expression. From its initial pain-filled one, it moved on to one resembling confusion before descending slowly into a mixture of pain and despair. Its mouth opened in a silent scream before it collapsed. Black liquid flowing out of his wounds traveled across the body and before long, the corpse was covered head to toe in it.

'I guess that should do.' the voice in my head began to speak once again. It seems as though he was somewhat refreshed. The black liquid moved away from the corpse which is now devoid of any form of flesh. As if not satisfied, it disseminated and headed towards the other numerous prey in the area. It seemed as though they were ravenous, to the extent that I could hear their imaginary voices. The corpse of humans, injured bodies of Orcs. It didn't care for who it was. As long as something is deemed as food, it simply consumes.

What… just happened? Is there a way to explain this? In the first place can such a thing even be explained?

Thoughts flowed in my mind, but nothing conclusive was formed.

*sigh* 'What a pain. Why are such reactions labeled as normal? Can't you just ask instead of trying to make up answers of your own?' The voice in my head asked.

"Huh? W-what?" I muttered out before I realized.

'What a typical response.' *sigh* 'There is no need to speak to me like that. Just imagine words in your mind. That would allow you to communicate with us.'

'Like this?' I tried to voice mentally. It was a different experience when thinking of words. Usually, my thoughts should come to me without any effort. Thinking of the words to the thoughts I harbor is somewhat taxing since there is an additional step of paying attention to them.

'Oo, he got it on the first try. He's a fast learner despite how he looks.'

A different voice commented this time.

'That or I give good instructions. Now could you please be quiet? You speaking might serve to confuse him further.' the initial voice spoke.

'What do you mean? He's been taking everything that's happened so far somewhat well. I'm sure having me join in at this point won't change anything at all.'

'That isn't the issue here! We have to break it to him little by little. Dumping everything at him all at once won't help him in any way. That's why if you could please just let me handle this, I'll ensure he at least knows the basic of what's going on.'

'Tsk. Fine!'

*sigh* 'Well that's one problem gone. Anyways, are you still listening?'

I nodded, only to realize how I should have replied to him mentally instead of using body languages. He might not be able to pick up my movements given how he sees through my eyes, or so I assume.

'Good.' It seems he was able to read my movements. 'Since we are in your mind, we see through your eyes and are capable of reading your thoughts and commands before they turn into actions. We don't really do the latter part though. You won't like it if someone can read your mind right? It's that kind of reason as to why we prefer you to speak to us mentally. Now, do you have any questions you wanna ask?'

Having been thrown into such a weird situation, I should probably calm down and think about what is going on. There's a lot of questions I want to ask, but yet nothing was translated into words. I guess the most basic question should be...

'Y-You have been talking for quite some time so I didn't have the courage to interrupt, but who are you?'

'Standard question. Hmmm...I wonder who I am as well. To be honest with you, I have no idea who I am at this moment.' This is definitely not the answer I was expecting. Isn't the identity of oneself extremely important? His tone made it seem like as if it was nothing important to him. 'I do possess memories and the personality of someone which I'm unsure whether or not is me. For now, I would regard them as mine.'

I am unsure if he could see the frown that had appeared on my face.

'If it's too hard for you to comprehend, you can simply think of us as people who share your body. Like multiple players using the same account to play a game. Don't think too much about it."

'Players? Account? I feel like I heard something I'm not supposed to know. Wait… you mentioned us, so exactly how many people are inhabiting my body?' I asked.

'Not very much. Maybe about a handful. I've never met all of them so I'm not too sure myself. That won't be too much of a problem though. At most, it would be noisier than usual. In your head only.'

'Is that the reason I keep hearing screams?'

'Screams? Oh...that. Don't pay them any mind. It's kind of creepy at first but becomes downright annoying when you get used to it.'

'You know who's making them?'

'One thing at a time. It's best you don't know. It'll make things harder to comprehend if you know too much at the start.'

I sweatdropped at his comments. This is already too much to digest so I guess it okay to ignore that for now? People living inside of me, mystery power which I never seem to recall where I got it from. At least now I can blame every weird thing that happened to me previously and in the future on this power.

I looked down at my feet. From who knows when the black liquid had gathered once again after who knows what it had done and simply circled around me. It seemed to have increased in volume. This reminds me…

'Say, what is this black liquid exactly?' My hands reached out to touch it, slipping in without much effort. Its texture and feel resemble that of any liquid you could find.

'Hmm...I wonder what it is as well. It would be convenient to call it 'Darkness', but anyone with a bit of knowledge would know that darkness is simply the lack of light. I won't say it is darkness, seeing as to how it has a form. I've used this Imperial Arm before but has never been successful in unlocking its secret. This 'Darkness' is capable of almost anything. You can use it to create objects, replace lost body parts or heal your injuries, reanimate the dead and a variety of other uses. The weirdest part is how it's alive - or at least seems to be alive. I also noticed how it was different from the last time I saw it. A few changes must have taken place.'

'So this is an Imperial Arm after all. Are you the previous user or something? Also is there any drawbacks from using this power?'

'Well, I am not the previous user personally...though I used it before so I guess you can consider myself a previous user? As to your second question, I have used it a few times before while I was controlling your bodily functions. I don't have definite answers, but it seems physical and mental fatigue are some of the more lighter consequences. The power hasn't been overused yet so I can't say for certain that what I mentioned are the only downsides. I don't even know if you can even overuse this thing.'

For some reason, my impression of this person in my head is steadily dropping. He doesn't seem to have concrete answers to some of the more important answers. Then again, he isn't the only person in my head. Had he been the only person, I won't have made it so far… right? There's bound to be someone reliable among them right?

'You thought of something rude about me, didn't you?'

'I-It must have been your imagination!' I hastily tried to cover up my thoughts on him. Isn't he surprisingly perceptive?'

'Hmmm...Whatever. It's about time for the side-effects to kick in. You can consider that fortunate. We can have a long talk when you get here. You have too many questions and I have the obligation to answer them.' *sigh*

'Where am I going?'

'Oh don't worry. I simply going to pull your consciousness into this mindscape so that you could see us. We could hold a conversation here without being affected by what goes on outside. You can say it's kind of convenient.'

'Wha-'

I never got to finish. As soon as I wanted to pose my next question, my body began to shut down. My vision slowly got blurry before it faded to gray and finally became black.

...

{Third Person's Perspective}

[Fortress City of Thiriom]

The current haven for adventurers within the Empire located in the east of the Capital, it had existed since the founding of the Empire by the First Emperor. Though unclear why it was around for so long, many Imperial Historians have speculated that it could have been used as a defense line against attacks from nearby nations of that time. The fortress city was noted to have been taken over on many occasions and taken back just as many times. However, the fact that a Labyrinth also existed underneath the city was also not missed. Once relative peace was achieved within the Empire after its founding, the city began to attract adventurers due to the existence of the Labyrinth under the city. Although most of the Mythical-Class and Legendary-Class Danger Beasts within the Labyrinth were slain by the soldiers of the First Emperor to craft the Imperial Arms, it was still a nest of Danger Beasts. The subjugation of the Danger Beasts within the labyrinth ensured a constant source of rare materials, attracting greedy merchants. Through trade, revenue generated by merchants began to rise. Taxes was implemented by the nobles governing the city to direct some of the revenue to the pockets of the nobles. Before long, the Emperor of the Empire took notice and decided to use this city to generate revenue for the Empire in the form of annual tax.

This city is currently under the jurisdiction of the Fleurbreme House with the high noble status of Earl.

The Fleurbreme house was found during the early days of the Empire. In that time, an abundance of untamed lands was a common sight. However, the Royal Family and the Imperial Nobles were kept busy by the constant harassment of other nations surrounding the Empire as well as the uprising resistance groups within the Empire formed by the remnants soldiers of former nations crushed and annexed by the Empire in their last attempt to restoring their nation. It was not a hard fight thanks to the Imperial Arms the Empire possess. However, it was no easy task as well. Manpower was spread thin to handle all of the problems at once. It was time-consuming and no excess manpower was available for the development of uncultivated lands within the Empire. Pioneering Corps assembled by volunteers comprising mostly of Third and Fourth sons of Imperial Noble Houses who are tempted by the prospects of acquiring noble status emerged to cut open paths into savage lands. The initial status of the volunteers ensured that they had slim chances of inheriting their House's wealth or even becoming the head of the House. Their imminent futures would be arranged marriages with other noble Houses and if that didn't work out, losing their status as nobles. The reward for their successful pioneering would be the lands they found as well as status. Feudal Lords began to pop up everywhere and they were granted the noble title of Knight and even allowed to raise an army of their own, so long they remain loyal to the Emperor.

The founder of the Fleurbreme House had cut open lands close to Thiriom in his time. As centuries pass, the Fleurbreme House who faithfully served the Royal Family acquired the noble title of Earl/Count for their loyalty, gaining numerous vassals and reaping countless achievements. Naturally, their land had expanded and eventually Thiriom was placed under their care.

(A/N: Earl and Count is essentially the same in the Nobility Hierarchy. The reason for the different names is due to origins(Roman, German English etc.). If not mistaken, their powers are next in line after Marquis/Margrave. )

The current Head of the Fleurbreme Feudal Noble House, Hadarone Fleurbreme was often regarded as a shrewd man. Born as the second son of his household, he was always considered as lacking whenever compared to his elder brother to the point he developed an inferiority complex towards his Brother. Inheritance was not possible when his Brother was more favored than him. He schemed to remove his brother from the race. Once he turned 15, he had his brother cornered and planted false charges on him. Once his father banished his brother from the house, he had hired bandits to ambush his brother and have him killed. Naturally, the bandits were killed by soldiers of the House a few days later to cement a good image of himself in the eyes of his people and to also get rid of evidence relating him to the death of his brother.

With obstacles removed, he was able to become the Head of the Fleurbreme House without much trouble and he began to live his life carefree without any motivation.

When Honest came to power, he realized how much of a threat Honest is. He heard of rumors of how Honest gather support by buying favours from the Second or Third Sons of influential imperial noble families, enticing them with the offer of becoming the next head of their respective houses in exchange for support to be chosen as the next Prime Minister. It was to ensure these noble families becomes easy to control once he became the Prime Minister. Once he received the title of Prime Minister of the Empire, he made efforts towards quelling the chaos the Duke families caused within the Capital that the Previous Emperor was unable to stop due to his failing health, which was made worse by Honest later on once the fights were resolved eventually leading to his demise.

He decided to distance himself from Honest and the Capital, moving only when necessary. He didn't support Honest and neither did he oppose him, something which annoyed the Prime Minister to no ends. Once Honest has quelled the chaos caused by the Dukes within Imperial Nobles in the Capital, Honest next big project involved removing the power the Fleurbreme House held. Honest's caution was warranted. However, as the Fleurbreme House has been governing Thiriom for the past few generations, the House naturally had connections from multiple other houses both within and outside of the Capital who also wished to acquire a small portion of the profits generated by the city. Most of the High-Ranking Imperial Court Officials were in his favor. Honest's countless attempts at removing his influence never actualized. He was unable to remove Thiriom from their governance since doing so would only garner dissatisfaction towards himself. Removing allied Houses of the Fleurbreme house was also not possible due to the amount of damage he has to cause. Direct confrontation would also be mistaken by the other nobles as being petty. He had also dispatched assassins to kill him and bandits to kidnap members of his family to use as bargaining chips. It was foiled every time.

The profits generated from Thiriom was immense. Majority of the profits was spent on crafting superior equipment as well as training and cultivating elite and talented soldiers. Rumor has it that these soldiers were on the same standard as the Emperor's Personal Guards. Even servants and maids of the House were taught the basics of combat and education. Bodyguards and soldiers of the Fleurbreme House were more than capable of repelling any attacks Honest decides to send their way.

After many indirect confrontations between the two, numerous letters were eventually exchanged and the two sat down and talked it over. They had compromised and promised to remain indifferent to the affairs of one another and let the other person do as they please unless one party is suspected to be taking hostile actions against the other, during which the other party would be taken as declaring his intent for war unless compensation was made. It was also put on paper to signify its authenticity, even if this contract was made under the table.

Nobles are prideful creatures. Their social class is ranked just below Royalty. It may seem counterintuitive, but no matter how corrupt they are they won't let anyone or anything tarnish on their name. They are very similar to merchants in their thinking which makes them easy to predict and manipulate. Even though most of their decisions revolve the cost-benefit thinking, they value and honor connections and promises made with others. They do break promises as well, but they make sure to cover it up to the best of their abilities so as to keep up their image. In such a case, even if Honest were to do anything sly and fishy against the Fleurbreme House, all it takes is to have the contracts consisting of their agreement and also evidence of past attempts at assassination revealed to ruin Honest's reputation among the nobles. Consequences vary from losing political allies to being removed from the position of Prime Minister. For Honest, he wouldn't have to worry about the Fleurbreme going against him during his time as the Prime Minister.

The power held by the Fleurbreme House exist only because of the city Thiriom. All their achievements couldn't even compare to the value that the city held. Once the news regarding the collapse within the city reached the ears of Hadarone, he was immediately thrown into a frenzy and spent the next few sleepless nights trying his best to mitigate the potential consequences this catastrophe would bring.

Had the damage only be limited to a small section of the city, solutions would have been simple. Just toss in a few hundred gold into reconstruction and everything would go back to normal within a few months - weeks if every worker worked overtime. Even without sending any of his precious soldiers down to the field, he could do put up requests with more than favorable rewards and the masses of Adventurers and occasional Mercenaries Corps with financial issues within the city would flock to him asking for details. Manpower was hardly an issue.

Take note, 'was'. Adventurer parties out on odd jobs or Subjugation Quests posted by their respective Guilds. Mercenary Corps, hired by incompetent or paranoid feudal nobles in the Empire who are unable to amass enough military power to deal with skirmishes on the borders of their land. Traveling Merchants who have yet to return from their travels. Take away this small handful of people and you have the total number of victims in this incident.

Where is the manpower going to come from other than his soldiers? And how much Golf does it take to rebuild the entire city? And how long before it's completed? Even if the city was rebuilt, it would take years if not decades before that city starts generating profits again.

All these thoughts troubled the Patriarch of the Fleurbreme House to no end.

'Knights have to be sent to help with evacuation and rescue of possible survivors. Various countermeasures need to be implemented to tide over the possible threats faced during the period of rebuilding the city. Heads of other noble Houses would start coming to him currying favors from me all to maximize the profits they leech off from me once this incident is resolved. And who's to say they won't just abandon me right now or seize the city for themselves amidst all the chaos?' Hadarone allowed himself to sigh, hoping that in doing so all of his pent-up frustrations would be released together with it.

He was never one to invest in pipes or cigars to help soothe his nerves. Instead, he despises the thought of even being offered one. It's what he considered as an effective way of shortening one's lifespan and being offered one was like being told to die early - though he does understand their sentiments and would reject them politely. No way in the nine levels of hell would he ever allow himself to die early without being able to enjoy life's pleasures to the utmost limit.

Though some of his personal hobbies he takes pleasure in might draw suspicion to what kind of a person he might actually be. Of course, only when one finds out. Precaution is the best word that defines his current way of life and would continue to be for the long time coming. Thoughts and actions were always moderated before he made them known.

'That sly bastard hiding behind the throne is also another headache. There is no way that bastard would not jump at such a once in several lifetimes opportunity to get me under his thumb permanently. I bet my entire fortune that he would laugh his ass off just thinking of my predicament when he hears of the city's collapse. It won't be long before Imperial Soldiers of the Capital starts making their way towards my city and began stealing every valuable they can find. To make things even worse, he might renew his efforts in sabotaging me. God knows what plans he might devise this time.'

His left hand reached for the thin metal piece that rested on the bridge of his nose that is connected to two rectangular lenses on each side and set them down on his desk. Bloodshot eyes were revealed - the result of his efforts in pulling all-nighters which he deeply regrets doing but claims that it is a necessity. Placing his fingers on his temples he started rubbing them hoping to ease his mind from the head-splitting pain in his head he had been enduring for the past few days, which was a miraculous result of him taking breaks at intervals during his work.

Even that break was slowly dwindling in numbers as the hours passes by like seconds. Time isn't a luxury he can afford in his current situation. It wasn't wrong to say he is on borrowed time.

It would be time before respective Heads of his vassal Houses starts heading towards his mansion to seek an audience to discuss possible countermeasures as well as to provide manpower to help him in his evacuation efforts in the city. They should have already left for his mansion as he thinks of this.

Looking back towards papers sprawled across his desk, his hand got back to work crafting reports and all kinds of dispatches that would be enacted in the coming days. His mind laid out all kinds of plans, while his hands worked to put those down into words and make them a reality.

He has no time for breaks least someone stole the march on him.

…

{Tatsumi's Perspective}

When I opened my eyes, all kinds of sights were firmly imprinted in my eyes.

A world of white. Other than the ground which I step on, everything else was mostly white. Oddly, the world illuminated by that same shade of white. It wasn't just emitting light from one spot, but every part of the white sky was giving off light.

The ground, however, was dyed black. Pitch black. Looking at it is like looking at a bottomless pit. Maybe because of the white of everything else, the black ground seemed more ominous and foreboding. If one stared at it long enough, one would find some sort of movement within the ocean underneath. Stepping on this black ground creates ripples on the surface of it. With all that said, it was as if I am standing in the middle of a large black water ocean. The earth was like ice forming on this ocean. Liquid underneath, but solid on where you're stepping on. Occasionally, small black particles would rise up from this black ground like ashes carried into the sky by the heat and wind. These black particles would rise up and eventually you won't find any trace of it, disappearing into the far white skies above.

The terrain was lackluster, lacking any form flora or fauna. There are some black extensions from the ground that looks like the remains of dead trees without any leaves or life. I guess you could call these black trees landforms. There were also white pillars with intricate carvings on them extending down from the sky above, though they didn't seem to touch the ground. These pillars don't exude any light like the sky and in some places the black dying trees of certain height would wrap itself around the white pillars, forming some sort of pretty scene involving two opposite colors. The land was also uneven, forming faux slopes and hills. In the far distance, you would see a tall black hill littered with marble white gravestones and white pristine swords littered around said gravestones.

"Weak." A gruff voice brought me out of my sightseeing.

Directed towards the source of the voice, my eyes landed on a mountain. A man that towers over me with at least 3 times my height. His hair tied into a neat ponytail similar to how girls would do. Yet however, nothing feminine could be felt from his attire and the air he carries. If I wasn't mistaken, there are some place within and outside of the Empire where males keep long hair. Developed muscles could be found all over his tanned body. The stern expression he carries mixed together with his intimidating aura reinforced his image of strength. I swear he is the type of people who would plunge headfirst into a fist fight against an entire horde Danger Beasts and still be able to live through the ordeal.

With arms crossed, he gazed down at my cowering figure desperately trying to prevent myself from shaking. I didn't reply to his comment, mostly because I didn't know what to say to him.

What can I say in my current situation?

Apologise? I feel like he would really lash out at me if I did that. If I could choose between a sword or his fists to help send me to the afterlife, I would undoubtedly choose the sword. It won't hurt as much.

"Cut him some slack, will ya? The kid's already shaking because of your staring." A new voice sounded. A scoff from the previous speaker was the only form of reply obtained. Turning to the newcomer that made himself known, I laid eyes on a well-built man. He wasn't as built as the person before, but he did have an ample amount to suggest that he could hold his own in a fight. Messy unkempt hair, fair complexion, and a loud voice. His clothes didn't help to earn himself points as well. Some parts of his pants were torn and skin was exposed. The sleeve of his shirt was also ripped. Even I would pay the minimum amount of attention to my appearance. If he is trying to keep up a feral look, he did a great job.

"If it wasn't for the fact that he is coming, we won't be here. Try not to scare him or we would have a ton of trouble later." The newcomer lamented as he slowly walked towards the two of us. Examining me closely for a few moments, he let out a hum of approval.

"The kid's experienced with a sword. No doubt he has some skill. Or maybe it's luck? Ahh, who cares. He still has a long way to go before any of us can even consider him to be a worthy opponent."

A satisfied smirk was pasted across his face.

He turned towards the man mountain standing beside him before focusing back on me.

No… he isn't looking at me but what's behind me.

Curious, I turned towards where he was looking at.

Someone was staring at me intensely. Our faces were mere inches apart. Flustered, I hurriedly backed away from her.

Her eyes continued to bore holes into me. I stared at her as well, wondering what she wanted from me. She had a fair complexion and long blonde hair that extends down to her waist. She was also kind of tall for a girl and I had to look up at her. Observing her from a safe distance, I noticed how she didn't seem to possess any semblance of an expression on her face as she watched me. If I have to use one word to describe her, it would probably be 'mysterious'. I was unable to figure out what she could be thinking, mainly caused by the blank expression on her face. A few more seconds passed and still no words were uttered by either one of us. With each passing second, I was becoming more and more uncomfortable under her gaze.

Confused and disturbed, I looked towards the previous two people, hoping that they would provide me with an explanation.

The man mountain didn't say anything and continued to watch over our interaction in silence. The only sound that could be heard was from the feral person, who was stifling his laughter as he watches over my exchange with the girl before me.

"Can I ask why she's staring at me?" Unable to bear her staring, I meekly let out my voice that only he could hear clearly.

"She's just curious." His laughter threatened to escape from his mouth with each passing word. "She'll stop after a while… probably."

"Probably? So there's a chance she won't stop? Not that I have anything against her or anything but it's kind of discomforting, so I hope you could have her stop..."

"Why not just ask her yourself? Won't that be easier for you?" his teasing is too obvious. I am definitely not falling for it.

"I could, but I think it would be more effective if she heard from someone she know. Since you have known her longer than me, naturally I asked you."

"Sorry to break it to you, but even I can't stop her. She doesn't really listen to any of us. She just does what she wants most of the times. You can try it out yourself, but it's best you endure." All sort of hopes I had for him was lost. No good. He doesn't just look unreliable, he is unreliable.

If his words don't have any effect on her, then what use are mine.

Which reminds me…

"Say, what are your names?"

Power of words sure is amazing. It was a sight to behold how rapid the expressions on three different faces changed just from my words. Even the girl staring at me flinched and looked away for a second before fixing her eyes back on me.

"We do have names which we got from our memories but we are uncertain whether they are ours or someone else's." his expressions were one which I was unsure of. Is that doubt or is that mockery?

"Why would you doubt your own name? Isn't that weird? It's like saying that your memories aren't reliable."

His eyes shifted to the man mountain beside him and the woman who is experimentally poking my cheeks as if I was some fragile stuffed toy. Since the woman didn't even spare them a glance, the two man could only look at each other before the feral man sighed.

Turning his head to look at me, I witnessed a sad smile stretch across his face. It was as if he wanted to say something but can't.

"I think it's best if he tells you. We would just confuse you if we tried to explain. He does a much better job than us at such things." he finally muttered.

"Who's he?"

"The person controlling you and talking to you before you came here."

"... and who exactly is he? I heard his voice but did not see his face."

"He's just like us. Come, we'll lead you to him." I was puzzled whether or not I was looking forward to meeting this person. Since coming here, all of the people I met was either slight eccentrics or downright weird. I have these people here as evidence. I rest my case.

We headed towards the hill littered with marble white gravestones and pristine swords. Though the hill was some distances away, it only took a few moments to reach here. I started taking note of how fast we were approaching our destination after a while.

"Distance… not constant… changes." Her first words since our meeting were short and vague answers to an unspoken question which came with awkward pauses after every one or two words, like as if she was shy or hesitant. In some ways, it reminds me of how Luna was when we first met, just not as many pauses as this girl had.

"T-Thank you?" Her answer did provide some sort of clue as to why we were traveling so fast. As far as I could see, their every step covered the average distance that any person would cover. With the distance between where we were and where we are heading to, time in the tens of minutes would be the minimum amount spent for us to arrive. However, only five minutes passed and the mountain was before us.

I was unable to find any sort of clue to serve as a reason for our fast travels. The girl's answer did shed some light on the matter. Sadly, it was comparable to a small candlelight attempting to light up a dark ballroom.

Which reminds me…

"U-Ummm, could you let me go?" Her arms coiled even tighter around my chest once the words left my mouth, signaling her rejection of my proposal. I could only content myself with being a stuffed animal in her arms, having to be carried around and hugged all the time. It came as a pleasant(?) surprise when she picked me up but soon turned to be an annoyance and a jab at my pride as a man once I was rejected from being let down to walk on my own. It would have been great if she could reflect more emotions on her face. That way I wouldn't be so embarrassed having to be carried around. Even her speech was monotonous. What's this? A female version of Blade?

So far, there were only two expressions I have seen from her. A normal emotionless expression and a satisfied expression, both of which seems to be no different from one another. Her satisfied look was revealed when she had me in her arms. At least she displayed emotions, unlike Blade who can only vocalize his emotions instead of displaying it.

When we were close enough, the marble white gravestones started glowing faintly. A beautiful scenery was formed just from these lights. Small particles floating around in the air started to emanate a warm glow. The swords themselves also gave off such effects, blinding me as we approached closer. Once my eyes adjusted to the light, more details could be unearthed. The was no markings or words engraved on the gravestones. The swords were also lacking in detail, some even looked to be made purely out of white light and nothing else. A gravestone, a sword, followed by a gravestone again. The pattern repeats itself and spirals itself around this black hill. We followed this white lined path, circling countless times around this hill. Each circle was shorter than the last and eventually, we reached the top of the hill.

I was too busy being captivated by the sights to be inquiring them about the road upwards. Even after the journey ended, no words of question let itself out.

At the top of the hill lies a relatively large clearing of dark earth. Within this clearing was an out-of-place cottage. Small puffs of grey smoke clouds floated out from the brick formed chimney at the top of the cottage.

Gingerly placed down on the ground with evident reluctance, I was given a reassuring pat on the back before being pushed towards the door of the cottage.

I looked back towards them, who were already turning to leave. I guess they were not staying. I turned back and reached for the door handle.

Oddly, my hands were trembling. Sweat was forming on my palms as well, causing some weird feeling to arise every time something touches my hands. Questions start to emerge.

What's going to happen?

Why am I hesitating?

What can I expect if I open this door?

What will be different from now on?

Am I going to be okay?

Taking a deep breath to muster up whatever scraps of courage I have left, my hands reached forwards and pushed down on the handle of the door.

The door slowly swung open, revealing a nice warm house. I didn't realize that the air outside was cold until I entered this house. I took small steps as I ventured inside. There is a wall mirror placed near the front door of the house, allowing me to see myself from head to toe. The house resembles everything an ordinary civilian's house would look like. I looked around the house, taking in the homely atmosphere that emanates from every corner of the house.

Now that I look carefully, isn't this place familiar? I've seen it somewhere, but couldn't place a finger on the exact time or location.

My eyes lay upon the figure of a man in his mid-twenties sitting comfortably on the sofa. He seemed ordinary, the kind of face which one wouldn't remember if you only glance at him for a while. Bespectacled, with black hair. His eyes scanned all over me. Chills were sent throughout my body just from his looks. Was he sizing me up?

I really feel uncomfortable now.

"So dragging your mind in here produces such results. It seems to project yourself in the state you were in before you fell unconscious. And it seems the location where you end up in is random. Interesting experience." His mumbles to himself discomforted me even further, like as if he was in a world of his own surrounded with his thoughts of results he obtained from observations. I was grandly ignored and left to wonder what it was I should be doing.

"U-umm… could you explain to me what's going on? What is this place? And wha-" A hand placed upwards at me halted all questions I was about to ask.

"Firstly, I'll say this. Time here is not constant and doesn't always flow at the same rate as time outside. Results I acquired from some experiments I did some time ago. So take your time to collect your thoughts. When you are done thinking, shoot out all of your questions all in one go. I'll give you whatever information you need to satisfy all your questions, only when I deem you can take them. The last thing I need is you confused and getting wrong impressions about things I'll be saying."

"Where is this place?... who were those people? What is going on here? Umm..wha-" A befuddled look was etched onto his face as though done by a knife. One of his hands was raised, signaling me to halt whatever questions I still have.

"Odd. I find it very odd. Aren't you gonna question about the Imperial Arm? Based on what little information I possess, you don't seem to be aware of its existence."

"That was an Imperial Arm?"

"What did you think it was?"

"I don't know... Besides, I don't remember ever having obtained an Imperial Arm. So, I couldn't help but think it was something else." I did recall him saying something about an Imperial Arm, but I was too preoccupied with whatever was going on and it slipped from my mind.

"That's strange. Are you saying you don't remember when you got it? It should be a memorable moment for anyone to acquire a rare weapon capable of miracles." It seems he misunderstood what I was saying.

"No. I'm saying that I didn't even know I had the Imperial Arm in the first place."

"..."

"..."

There was this silence that transpired between the two of us. It was calming, yet contain the feeling of impending doom, especially when it seems that it was going to be caused by this person before me.

"So you only mention that now? Why didn't you mention it sooner? Don't answer. I think I already know the answer." His volume increased to an extent that expressed his irritation, yet wasn't loud enough to display irritation. His fingers began to trace small circles on his temples.

"Do you have any clue why you don't have any memory of obtaining the Imperial Arm?" I put my hands to my chin and began to ponder. Not many reasons can explain how I can forget about how I acquired a weapon that was so rare and powerful. Could it be that I lost my memories?

I produced my thoughts to him, who only nodded.

"Amnesia huh? I'm surprised. So what's your earliest memory?" I tried to retrace my memories. The earliest memory, would be my parent's death? No, wait. I have memories of them. So I guess it should be before that. Retracing memories even further was hard. The memories were fuzzy and distorted. It is starting to hurt just thinking about it.

"If I'm not wrong, my earliest memory was about my parents. It should be about… can't remember anymore. It was fuzzy but that was the earliest I can think of."

His brow furrowed and his left hand reached to stroke his chin. Had there been any sort of facial hair there I would have ignored his actions.

"Huh. I see. Any other questions?" He seems to have a lot to think about, seeing as how unfocused and uncaring he was towards what I was going to say next. Yet perhaps it was because of the things he was thinking that he continued to listen to what I was going to say.

"Umm… the ones I mentioned before were some of the major questions"

"I see. Okay. I'll explain everything to you. Hopefully, your answers to questions you haven't raised would also be here." He paused and his hands started adjusting his glasses that rest on the bridge of his nose. After a moment of pause to recollect his thoughts, he spoke again.

"This world is… a space which our minds are connected to, I think. I'm not very sure either. The people who were with you before, and even me are supposed to be the previous users of the Imperial Arm. We are not very sure about our identities either. Our memories given were very detailed, but we doubt whether these memories are really ours. After all, an Imperial Arm is capable of many things that we can't comprehend. If you want evidence, where you are is a good example. This world was created by the Imperial Arm and it connected all of our thoughts and minds to it. No way something like this can be achieved without an Imperial Arm."

His eyes were no longer on me, moving all over the room we are in. At some point, he had stood up from the sofa and started to move around the room. I moved with him, staying at an arm's length from him. He carries answers that I need. Sometimes he would stop at the frames of empty pictures that hung on the wall with the help of a rusty nail. The metal string that carried the pictures displayed age, threatening to snap at any moment. I looked past his shoulders to see what he was peering into. I wonder what it was he was seeing through his eyes that would have captured his attention for so long.

"All of us supposed past wielders of the Imperial Arm can exercise some kind of power here. With our mind, we can create structures here, peek through your eyes to see what's it like in reality and also relive the events that occurred in our memories. This house you are in is one such example."

"Then what about this mountain of graves and swords which your house lies on?" I inquired.

"The name you gave for this structure is kinda cheesy. Ever since I opened my eyes when I first arrived, it has been there. We have no idea whether it's created or simply a naturally existing structure." his answers isn't helpful. Is he really reliable?

"Moving on, this world we are in is immense. Many of us have tried to reach to the edge of this world to see how large it could be. Some of us even tried to scale some of the structure to see how high we can reach. We would have succeeded if not for one problem. We would always be sent back to this mountain structure every time we reach a certain distance away. We also noticed some other things that are strange. One would reach the mountain faster if they were walking towards it as compared to when they were walking away from it."

"So distance isn't constant?" The words of that mysterious and creepy girl echoed in my head, allowing me to shed some light as to what her words meant.

"Well, it a theory. But then again this isn't a physical world, only one created by the weapon's mind as a representation of the things within its mind."

"I see, so it's the min-" I paused as realization finally hits me. Eyes wide as saucers as this tiny piece of information started to invade my mind, spreading to all corner of my mind before it is the only thing on my mind. I could see how the person before me displays an expression that could only be described as a mix of relief and annoyance. Relief that I finally got what he meant in his words and annoyed that I only finally got what he meant in his words.

"So it's still…" I didn't need to finish my sentence. A single nod from him was the answer to my unfinished question. Some form of fear begins to take root inside of my mind. My head hurts.

How nice it would be if I was left unaware.

"So… does it have intelligence or self-awareness?" He only shrugged his shoulders, signaling to me how even he doesn't know.

A heavy weight was placed on me. It isn't called responsibility or burden, but some indescribable feeling I've never felt before. If I were to guess, I would say it was along the lines of fear. Frightful of what was inside of me, yet being able to anything about it.

That's it. It's called being depressed… I think.

I could feel eyes from somewhere was staring at me. My eyes darted towards all directions. The walls seemed alive. The sky itself was closing on me. Is it me or is the temperature within the room gradually getting higher and higher? Small beads of sweat began to emerge and trickle down the sides of my face once it grew large enough. It felt as if I was a goldfish being thrown into the middle of a large ocean, becoming overly aware of your surroundings once you realize what transpired.

"Oi, you alright?" A distant voice called out to me.

The light coming from outside the window no longer gave off any sort of warmth. If anything, it has become even more sinister as each second passes. The voice calling for me started to resemble cries akin to a tortured man's scream; shrill and painful.

The hand that's shaking me broke me out of my thoughts. At some point when I was wondering how my surroundings became omnious, the person speaking to me had stood up from where he was and walked over to me. I must have been pretty distracted if I wasn't even able to notice his approach.

My eyes stared into his hoping for some kind of reassurance from him, but the instant it met his an even greater fear took hold of me. I looked elsewhere… anywhere that wouldn't inspire even more fear than I have already experienced.

"Keep it together, kid." That was the only form of comfort that he provided for me. Words which wasn't much but was capable of taking away some of my fear away. Maybe it was because I was thinking how everyone else here has to live with this feeling the whole time that comforted me.

My hands reached for my face, and it was only then I realized how I was sweating buckets of cold sweat. I rubbed those beads of sweat that stuck to my face onto the sleeves of the shirt I don.

"Let's call it a day. You clearly don't look like you're in any state for more questions, given how your usual pale complexion looked even paler than when you walked into this room."

"No, don't mind me. Please continue. I still have a lot of questions to ask." I pleaded for him to heed my suggestion. My body screamed for rest, but my mind beckons otherwise. It feels like as if my instincts were signaling to me how I should stay and find out more. My head throbs painfully and it's starting to hurt thinking about things, but I can't stop here.

"*sigh* I say again. You are not in a state for more question and answers. I'll send you back. I'll get you in here again once I feel you're ready for more." He relented after a long moment of silence where he constantly stares at my face.

The disappointment on my face wasn't enough to have him reconsider his decision. I could only content myself with whatever meager information he had just provided me.

He stood up from where he was seated and spread out all of the fingers on his right hand, having his palms facing me.

Black particles began to encircle me, swirling around me with increasing ferocity. My hands were already in front of my face, instinctively protecting me from whatever was going to happen. My eyes sting from the wind and I had to narrow them in order to be able to see what was going to happen. Sounds of wind rushing past my ears started to pick up in volume. My eyes darted around in panic. I began to notice how the black particles seem to be gushing out from his palm.

The surroundings started to lose its features. The walls of the house started to fade becoming translucent and eventually fading into nothingness. Next was the furniture, reduced to a mixture of ethereal lines weaved together by a skilled designer, which also fades away as though it was never there. Oddly, even though the walls were no longer there, I couldn't see any of the sights I saw when I first entered. There was only a white radiant light glowing outside.

I don't know whether it is of significance, but I noticed from when I first entered this world. I wanted to ask, but I was too engrossed with other things that were thrown in my face since coming here that it didn't feel important anymore.

Is it normal for them to have black eyeballs? It looks cool though…

Ah… I forgot to ask for their names as well... I'll just ask them again next time I'm here.

---

Hey there!

First off, I want to clarify that the previous arc together with the current arc which features non-canon plotlines serves a very obvious purpose in this fanfiction.

I admit that my grammar and vocabulary might not be the best, but I can only ask that you bear with it.

Also, since this is a fantasy world, I would be bringing in all kinds of fictitious elements found only in stories. Magic won't be added. It is too much of a panacea. The only magic here would be the Imperial Arms, which defies logic.

Just so you know, I based Tatsumi's Imperial Arm on a variety of things from other franchises, mainly Light Novels. If you have read 'Sevens', you might find things here very familiar to you. I finished that Light Novel recently and it was a pity that it ended. The character development was good, and as we progress the story we slowly watched as the main character grows from an unreliable person with tons of issues to a schemer (thanks to certain people in a certain place) and eventually, an Emperor.

One thing in this entire fanfiction that I have been wanting to implement was the concept of nobility playing a more active part than just being helplessly slaughtered one-sidedly. I do understand that Akame Ga Kill is a series that tells of a group of assassins that work against a corrupted Empire and doesn't focus much on anything else irrelevant. Of course, all of the nobles are OCs. I will be adding a lot of OCs into this story solely to further the plot. If you don't like it, I highly suggest you drop this.

I should probably get this story progressing at a faster rate, and increase the word count per chapter. I kind of want to finish this story fast and work on my other stories. This is probably why my other stories aren't updating. My friends and I focused all of our time to planning and writing on this story solely and temporarily put our other stories on hiatus. We might have one or two chapters out, but that would take an even longer time than before.

I've been busy with my current full-time job before I go to University and catching up on mangas, animes, and light novels, and my commitments to some games and lessons… I really have too little time.

I'm sorry for releasing this so late. Heck, I don't even remember when was the last time I released the previous chapter.

So with all these things said, I'll probably not know when I'll update again. Maybe it'll be next week, maybe it'll be next month. I don't really know.

I just hope you'll be here again when I update again…

With that said, please review! I do enjoy reading your feedback in my free time. It keeps me from the thoughts of dropping this story… That somehow sounds like a threat doesn't it? I swear I really didn't mean anything when I write that…

Anyways… I'll see you next time…

Have a nice day!