Well I said I'd have this chapter out quick, so here it is. I'm glad you all liked last chapter, because I thought it came out very well. This story officially passed 150 followers/favorites and is inching towards 100 reviews. Which is totally awesome, considering this is only the third chapter. This chapter will have Night Raid's battle against the intruders, Tatsumi's training with Akame, and his fight against Ogre, so I hope you're all looking forward to that. So with all of that out of the way, let's get to the fic!
"Speech"
"Thoughts"
Teigu
Disclaimer: I don't Akame ga Kill! or any of its characters
(Forest Surrounding Night Raid's Hidden Base)
"Bulat-san!" Tatsumi called out, sprinting to catch up with the large man. "Wait up!"
"Huh?" Bulat said, surprised to see Tatsumi following after him. "Oh Tatsumi! Do wish to join me?"
"Yeah!" Tatsumi exclaimed, finally catching up with Bulat. "This is my chance to prove myself to everyone, so I want to give it my all!"
"That's the spirit!" Bulat shouted with a massive grin. "Also, please call me Bro or Handsome!"
"Okay, Bro! Man it actually feels pretty good to say that!" Tatsumi cheered, liking the sound of Bulat's new nickname. However, Tatsumi nearly tripped when another vision flashed through his mind. This time it was the images of himself dying, while wearing the elaborate dragon-like armor. Tatsumi clutched his head in pain, as the vision haunted his mind. "Why am I being shown this again?!"
"I like the sound of that!" Bulat exclaimed, flexing his muscles and flashing Tatsumi a bright smile. But Bulat stopped when he saw Tatsumi clutching his head. "You okay Tatsumi?"
"Y-Yeah, I must still be a little woozy from giving all that blood the other day." Tatsumi lied, as the pain in his head began to subside. "I'll be fine, so don't worry about me, Bro."
"Okay." Bulat said, not totally believing what Tatsumi had said. "Well anyways, let me show you something cool. Take a few steps back!" Tatsumi did as he was told, and move back several feet. "INCURSIOOOOOO!" Tatsumi's eyes widened when a set of armor began to form on Bulat's armor. It was the same armor he had seen the large man wearing when they had first met.
"Whoa! That's fucking awesome!" Tatsumi exclaimed in awe of the armor. However, a sudden chill ran up Tatsumi's spin as he gazed at the armor. "I...I feel like I've seen this armor before...Like I'm getting some serious déjà vu here...I didn't get a real good look at Bro's armor when we met that night...but now...it's almost as if the armor is calling out to me."
"Right?" Bulat said, jabbing his thumb towards his chest. Again, Bulat noticed that Tatsumi looked as if he had zoned out. "Why does he keeping spacing out, out of nowhere. Hmmm, I'll have to talk with him later, see what's going on with him." By now Tatsumi had snapped out of his thoughts, and went back to admiring Incursio. "This is the Teigu Incursio."
"Teigu?" Tatsumi repeated in a confused tone. "Aw who care!? I don't really understand, but I'm seriously pumped up right now!"
"Alright!" Bulat exclaimed, pointing at Tatsumi. "I'm going to assign you your first job!" Tatsumi immidiately perked up when he heard this. "You think you can handle it?"
"Hell yeah! I'm ready for anything!" Tatsumi cheered, causing a smile to spread across Bulat's face.
(Half Mile South; River Near Night Raid's Base)
"If she's here that means Night Raid's base really is somewhere nearby." A tribal mercenary said, as he stared Akame down. The dark-haired girl stood before three tribals mercenaries. Her face was emotionless, as one of her hands rest on the hilt of her sword. "It was totally worth the few days it took to follow that blood trail and stake this place out."
"Still, she's such a cute girl." One of the larger mercenaries said, licking his lips. Akame's eyes hardened momentarily, as she tightly gripped her sword.
"Looks like we could have some serious fun after we finish her off." Another tribal said, as a wicked smirk spread across his face. "Try not to cut up her body too-" Before the mercenary could finish, Akame seemingly vanished. In the blink of an eye the red-eyed assassin had unsheathed her sword, and slashed all three of the mercenaries' throats. The three tribals stared at Akame with wide eyes, as she appeared behind them.
"You three are much too relaxed in enemy territory." Akame said in an emotionless tone, swiping the blood of her sword; splattering the blood on the ground around her. "You all should have kept your guards up. Then maybe you could have at least defended yourselves."
"*Gurgle*" One of the mercenaries tried to speak, but instead all he did was gurgle the blood that had filled his throat. Two of the mercenaries collapsed to their knees, both dying with a single thought on their minds. "How...is she...so fast?"
"Shit!" The last mercenary thought, clasping a hand over his throat to stop the blood that was spraying out. "If I'm going down, I'm at least taking this bitch with..." The tribal raised his blade to attack Akame, but he was suddenly paralyzed. "...Me?!" The tribal's eyes widened when he saw markings beginning to spread across his body. "That blade was...poisoned?!"
"One cut spells out your death." Akame said, before she resheathed her sword. "All I need to do in knick you and you'll die." A gentle breeze blew Akame's hair, as she turned to the forest behind her. "I should probably go check on Tatsumi." Securing her blade, Akame sprinted back into the dark woods.
In another part of the forest, another tribal raced towards the edge of the woods. The mercenary had seen several of his comrades killed, so he thought it was best to retreat. "I can't believe the enemy detected our infiltration! I was sure we had covered our tracks better! Well it doesn't matter! But Night Raid's hideout is definitely here! That information alone has immense value! I'll escape and report what we found out to our contact in, the Empire!"
On a cliff about a mile away, Mine released a steady breath as she tracked the tribal through the scope of her rifle. The pinkette was crouched in a patch of bushes near the cliff's edge. "He's run quite far away." Mine sighed and stood onto her feet. "I'll have to risk exposing myself if I want to hit him." The pinkette took a steadying breath, and slowed down her heartbeat. Aiming her rifle, Mine scoped in on the tribal's head. Before Mine could take her shot, she heard the bushes start to rustle behind her. "I hope you're in position Sheele."
"I gotcha now!" A tribal screamed, leaping out of the bushes behind Mine. The mercenary never saw the toothy grin that had spread across Mine's face. When the tribal was a few feet away from Mine, Sheele sprang into action. Springing out from behind a tree, Sheele used her massive scissors to bisect the mercenary.
"I'm truly sorry." Sheele said, as the tribal fell to the ground in two separate pieces.
"Thanks Sheele." Mine said, flashing Sheele a quick smile. The pinkette then reaimed her rifle, as a large amount energy built up at the end of the weapon. "That was a nice pinch right now. I'll reach that bastard just fine now..." A massive beam of energy fired from Mine's weapon, and sped towards the fleeing mercenary. The tribal turned to see the stream of energy at the last second, before he was completely incinerated. "Damn that was a nice shot! The more of a pinch I'm in, the stronger my Pumpkin is."
A half mile away south, Leone's ears perked up when she heard a loud bang ring out throughout the forest. The busty blonde was sitting atop the mutilated corpse of a mercenary she had pummeled to death.
"Huh, that was Mine's Pumpkin just now." Leone said, releasing a light sigh. "I can't believe she use's such a bothersome Teigu." A feral grin spread across Leone's face, as she cracked her knuckles. "My Teigu is real simple, I turn into a beast and beat shitheads to death."
In a cave west of where Leone was, Lubbock groaned in annoyance when he saw the person that had been caught in his wires. A young dark-haired girl was strung up in Lubbock's wires; the wires slowly digging into her skin.
"I thought that the weight in my threads felt rather light, but I guess it was a girl after all." Lubbock said in an annoyed tone. "Why does it always have to be a pretty girl?!"
"P-Please save me! I'll do anything!" The girl pleaded, her voice full of fear and desperation.
"No can do." Lubbock said, flexing his fingers. The wires encasing the mercenary tightened, and began to tear into her skin. The girl screamed in pain, as the threads tore into her body. "I knew a man who died falling for a woman's seductions." The girl let out one last strangled breath, before she slumped forward. Lubbock turned her back to the, as he dropped her dead body. However, before Lubbock left the cave he cast one last glance at the dead girl. The green-haired man groaned again, and scratched the side of his head. "Damn it, what a waste of a beautiful woman! Sometimes this job really fucking sucks!"
(Back with Tatsumi)
"They aren't taking me seriously." Tatsumi thought, as he hid in the bushes that Bulat had pointed out. "Bro said that the enemy may try to escape through here, and that I just had to slow them down. Tch, I should be on the front lines with the rest of them. How can I prove myself to the boss if I'm stuck back here on fucking guard duty." Tatsumi's eyes suddenly widened when the bushes in front of him began to rustle. His hand slowly reached for his sword, as he prepared to ambush his opponent. However, Tatsumi immidiately deflated when a rabbit ran out of the bushes instead of an enemy. "I want to kill that fucking rabbit for getting me all hyped up."
"*Sigh* Of course I get the job for made for newbies." Tatsumi said in an annoyed tone, adjusting in his hiding spot. "Are these assholes even gonna come through-" Before Tatsumi could finish his sentence, a tribal mercenary burst out of treeline in front of him. "Oh fuck!"
"So they even had a runt like you stationed out here!" The large mercenary said, as he came to a skidding stop.
"I won't let you get through here!" Tatsumi exclaimed, unsheathing his sword. His emerald green eyes hardening, as he glared at the tribal. "This is my chance to finally prove myself. I have to kill someone I hold no anger towards. If I hesitate even for a moment, I might die!"
"Tch, don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're a kid!" The mercenary shouted, as he pulled out his own blade. The two enemies stared each other down, waiting for the other to make the first move. It was Tatsumi who made the first move. He charged towards the mercenary, his grip on his sword tightening. When Tatsumi was close enough, the mercenary wildly swung his blade. Tatsumi easily parried the sloppy swing, and slashed the tribal across the chest. The mercenary roared in pain, as blood gushed from the deep laceration on his chest. Tatsumi then kicked the mercenary in the stomach; sending him crashing to the ground.
"How was that you bastard...these are the skills...that I learned with Sayo and Ieyasu!" Tatsumi exclaimed, standing over the profusely bleeding mercenary.
I...I beg of you! If I die my-" The mercenary was cut off when Tatsumi stabbed his sword through his throat.
(With Mine and Sheele)
"I wonder if that new kid is dead yet." Mine said, walking along a fallen tree trunk.
"I don't think you'll have to worry about him." Sheele said, as she walked besides Mine.
"Huh? It's rare for you compliment someone, Sheele." Mine pointed out, quirking a pink eyebrow.
"Well he did fight against Akame and survived, didn't he?" Sheele asked, adjusting her falling glasses.
"Well I guess that's true." Mine said, as she sat down on the tree trunk. "That was pretty impressive, I'll give him that."
"Besides..." Sheele said, regaining the pinkette's attention. "According to Akame, who actually fought him, he's full of potential. If he keeps training, he has the potential to be a general."
"Akame really said that?" Mine said to herself quietly. "Maybe he's not such a newbie after all."
(Back with Tatsumi)
"Shut up." Tatsumi said in an icy tone, retracting his sword from the dead mercenary's throat. As Tatsumi stood over the mercenary, some of the village chief's words rang through his mind.
"Always be wary on the battlefield. Your enemy may try to get you to lower your guard, but you must not fall for their treachery. It's kill or be killed during a fight, so you must always be on guard."
"I'm not falling for your fake sob story bullshit." Tatsumi spat, resheathing his sword. "I promised I'd keep Sayo safe, and prove to the others that I have what it takes. So your petty tricks won't work on me."
"He didn't hesitate even for a moment." Akame thought, watching the scene unfold from the treeline. The dark-haired girl had planned to intervene if anything went wrong, but she was surprised to see Tatsumi not fall for the enemy's ploy. She expected Tatsumi to briefly hesitate, and give the mercenary a chance to counterattack. But instead he finished off his opponent before he could even finish speaking. "He's changed so much in the short time he's been with us. It seems he quickly realized that this job isn't a game, and that any wrong move could end with his death. Hmm, you've intrigued me even further Tatsumi. What's going on inside that head of yours?" Akame decided that it was time to finally make her presence know, so she slowly approached Tatsumi; making sure she didn't startle him, because he was probably chock full of adrenaline and was likely very jumpy. Once Akame was sure Tatsumi knew she there, she spoke up. "I'm glad to see that you're still in one piece."
"I wasn't going to let this piece of trash take me down." Tatsumi said, turning to face Akame. "I wanted to show you all that I can be an effective assassin like you."
"Well you definitely did that, I must admit that I'm rather impressed." Akame said, causing Tatsumi to quirk an eyebrow. "I was expecting you to fall for that mercenary's trick, and that I'd have to rush in and save you. But you proved me wrong."
"My village elder warned me to be vigilante on the battlefield, and to not fall for an enemy's sob stories." Tatsumi said, locking eyes with Akame.
"Good, you must never hesitate on the battlefield. The final blow has to be swift and decisive." Akame said, briefly gazing down at the dead mercenary at Tatsumi's feet.
"I want to become stronger, so that I can protect those I love and to rid the capital of all the filth inhabiting it. I also want to change the future for the better." Tatsumi's eyes suddenly widened when he realized what he had just said. He looked to see that Akame was giving him a confused look. The young man immidiately became flustered, and began to rub the back of his head in embarassment. "Heheh, forget I said that last part."
"HIYA!" Both Akame and Tatsumi turned to see Bulat burst of the trees next to them. "I know the enemy came running this way! Leave them to me!"
"It's already been taken care of." Akame said, surprising the large man. "Tatsumi took care of him."
"Really?" Bulat asked in a slightly surprised tone, earning a nod from Akame. "I sent him back here to keep him safe, but I guess I didn't need to worry about him after all."
"Akame?" Tatsumi said, getting the dark-haired girl's attention. "Like I said before I want to become stronger...and from what I've seen you're one of the strongest people I've ever met...plus you're the only other person here who I've seen use a sword...so what I'm trying to say is..."
"You want me to train you." Akame finished, causing Tatsumi to nod his head. "I think that can be arranged, but you're likely going to be training with all of us."
"I kinda expected that, but I mean outside my training with the others, I want you to personally train me." Tatsumi said, his eyes full of determination.
"I'll see what I can do." Akame said, turning around and walking back into the forest. "Come on, we should head back and report everything to the boss."
(5 Minutes Later; Out in Front of Night Raid's Base)
"I must say that I'm impressed Tatsumi." Najenda complimented, earning a small smile from the young man. Behind Tatsumi, the rest of Night Raid's members were drinking and laughing; celebrating their successful defense of their base. "You definitely proved yourself in your first real battle."
"Thank you boss." Tatsumi said, slightly bowing his head.
"From Akame's report you seem to be ready, but you're still a little rough around the edges." Najenda said, lighting another cigarette. The silver-haired woman took a quick puff, before she resumed speaking. "We still need to teach you a lot of things in order for you to survive this job. So first thing tomorrow, you'll be paired up with Akame and training with her. Is that alright with you Akame?"
"Mmhm." Akame mumbled, paying more attention to the meat she was eating than on Najenda.
"If Tatsumi slacks off at all, you're free to kill him." Najenda added, causing Tatsumi's eyes to shoot wide open.
"Sure thing." Akame responded without missing a beat.
"What the hell?! She didn't even think about it!" Tatsumi thought, as a slight chill ran up his spine.
"Well aren't you the lucky one, getting trained by a cute girl like Akame." Najenda teased, causing Tatsumi to blush brightly. "Good luck, and try not to get killed!"
"O-Of course, boss. I-I look forward to it." Tatsumi stuttered out with a forced grin. "I assume you'll have me training with the others as well?"
"I was planning on that, but we'll worry about that later." Najenda replied, as she took another drag of her cigarette."Well enough talking, go join the others and have some fun."
"Yes ma'am!" Tatsumi cheered, running off to join the others in their party.
"Hmm, kids got some real talent." Najenda said with a small smirk. "I just hope Akame doesn't accidentally kill him."
(Next Morning; 5:30 a.m.)
Tatsumi was soundly sleeping in his room; finally able to fully enjoy the sensation of sleeping in an actual bed. As Tatsumi slept, he never noticed Akame silently sneak into his room. The dark-haired girl walked up Tatsumi's bed, and gently began to shake the sleeping boy. But instead of waking up, Tatsumi groaned and simply rolled over in his sleep. Releasing a light sigh, Akame grabbed Tatsumi's mattress and flipped it over. Tatsumi was immidiately sent hurdling onto the floor with a loud crash.
"What the fuck!?" Tatsumi screamed, throwing the mattress off his back. The young quickly scanned around the room; looking for who had disturbed his sleep. He glared at the red-eyed assassin when he spotted her. "What the hell Akame?!"
"You said you wanted me to train you, right?" Akame asked in her usual monotone voice.
"Yeah..." Tatsumi replied, not following where Akame was going.
"Well your training starts now. Get dressed and meet me at the training grounds in ten minutes." Akame said, as she turned to exit the room.
"But it's only..." Tatsumi glanced over the clock on his wall. "5:30 in the morning!"
"So." Akame said, turning to face Tatsumi again. "I'm up this early training every day, and if you want my help you'll be up too...And if I were you, I'd stop with all the yelling. Mine really hates when people wake her up early."
Tatsumi suddenly went pale, as he imagined Mine disintegrating him with her rifle. "Okay, I'll be down in five minutes."
After getting dressed, Tatsumi quickly and quietly made his way down to the training grounds. When he arrived, he found that Akame was waiting for him. The dark-haired girl appeared to be doing some stretches. Tatsumi couldn't help but stare at the beautiful girl, as she went through her various movements. The young man's face began to flush red; imagining many impure things he could with the girl.
"If you're done staring we can get started." Akame's voice jolted Tatsumi out of his perverted thoughts.
"S-So, what are we doing f-first?" Tatsumi asked, trying to control his raging blush from being caught staring.
"We're going for a run." Akame replied, doing some final leg stretches.
"That's all, we're just gonna go for a run?" Tatsumi asked in a confused tone.
"How do you think I can run so fast. I've done dozens of speed exercises, and I always started with a morning run." Akame explained, as she entered into a sprinter's stance. "However, we won't have to do this anymore after you can do one thing."
"And that is?" Tatsumi asked, walking up next to Akame.
"Catch me." As soon as the words left Akame's mouth, the girl took off down the path ahead. In a matter of seconds Akame was already almost a hundred yards in front of Tatsumi.
"WHAT!?" Tatsumi screamed, as he quickly raced after the sprinting assassin. No matter how fast Tatsumi ran, Akame always seemed to get farther and farther ahead of him. The young man's legs were burning, as he tried his absolute best to at least keep Akame in view. Tatsumi chased after Akame through the winding forest; racing past trees and fallen logs. Akame appeared to almost be a blur, as she sprinted through down her usual trail. After almost a half hour, Akame finally came to a stop. Akame looked like she had barely broken a sweat; Tatsumi on the other hand looked as if he was about to die at a moments notice. He was panting heavily, and his clothes were drenched in sweat. "*Pant* I...at least *Pant* managed to keep...you in *Pant* view...that whole time..."
"That's because I wasn't running as fast as I could." Akame said, causing Tatsumi's eyes to widen. "But after today's performance, I know we still have lot of work to do." Akame walked past Tatsumi, down the path they had just ran down. "Let's head back. The next part of your training will begin once we reach the training grounds."
"Uh...Akame." Tatsumi called out, getting the dark-haired girl's attention. "I...I don't think I can walk."
"*Sigh* I'll help you then." Akame said, supporting Tatsumi against her shoulder. "We have even more work to do than I thought."
(Two Hours Later; Night Raid's Kitchen)
"We'll need to increase our skills so that we can rise through the army's ranks."
"If we become familiar with these ingredients, we can avoid food shortages."
"Ieyasu...I'm so glad Sayo and I learned how to cook." Tatsumi thought, as he chopped up some vegetables. After his grueling morning training with Akame, which consisted of evasive and swordsmanship training after their morning run, Akame informed Tatsumi that he'd be helping her preparing Night Raid's meals. "Thanks to it..."
"MORE PLEASE!" A sudden exclamation from behind caused Tatsumi's left eye to twitch in annoyance.
"I'm being treated like a cook instead of an assassin!" Tatsumi thought angrily, as he dished out a second helping to the waiting Night Raid members. "Damn it. Even though I'm an assassin now, I'm stuck with kitchen duty."
"It can't be helped." Akame, now wearing a pink apron, said as she popped a grape into her mouth. "I'm in charge of cooking at the base, so it's only natural that you help me while I'm training you."
"Tch, you're only the cook, so you can eat all the samples you want." Tatsumi pointed out with a deadpanned expression.
"That's not true." Akame said, popping another grape in her mouth.
"You're not doing a great job of convincing me." Tatsumi said, as he returned to cutting vegetables.
"Pffft, nice apron Tatsumi." Mine laughed, causing Tatsumi's grip on his knife to tighten.
"What did you say?!" Tatsumi exclaimed, whipping around to face Mine. However, Tatsumi stopped when he saw everyone gathered around the pinkette. "What's going on? Are you guys heading out?"
"Yeah, we got a new assignment. So we're heading off to the capital." Mine explained, placing her hands on her hips.
"Thanks for looking after the base for us." Sheele said with a warm smile.
"I'm not the damn maid!" Tatsumi exclaimed in a pissed off tone.
"Haha, the newbie and Akame are watching the house!" Mine laughed, as she pointed at Tatsumi. "Having fun cutting up carrots all day!" With a wave, Mine and the other Night Raid members left the room. "Ta ta!"
"That girl! One of these day I'm gonna-" Tatsumi's train of thought was interrupted when his vision of Mine flashed in his mind.
"What are you saying? I'm already on the winning side. I love you."
"Damn it, I wish you could show me your nice side more often Mine. I know it's in there somewhere." Tatsumi thought, as a his eyes filled with sadness. "You may be a bitch to me sometimes, but I still don't want you to die. Something...something happens between us that makes you fall in love with me." Tatsumi then glanced over Akame, who was busy washing dishes. As Tatsumi gazed at Akame, he remembered his vision of her as well.
"You promised me! You said you'd survive! Tatsumi...I...I never got to tell you my feelings."
"Then there's Akame. I...I guess she must also grow feelings for me as well." Tatsumi pondered, as he set his knife down. "And now that I think about, Leone has been acting really clingy around me. I didn't see anything in any of my visions, but she's acting like she has a serious crush on me or something." Tatsumi sighed, and leaned against the counter. "What am I going to do? I want to give Mine a chance, but then there's Akame and possibly Leone as well. I just don't know-"
"Tatsumi." Akame calling his name, snapped Tatsumi out of his thoughts. "Can you help me with these dishes?"
"Sure thing Akame." Tatsumi answered, as he began to dry the dishes. The two cleaned the plates and other dishes in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. Tatsumi didn't know why, but he always felt calmer and more relaxed around Akame. Even though they had only met recently, he felt like he already had a strong bond with the girl.
"Tatsumi, can I ask you a question?" Akame asked, finally breaking their silence.
"Yeah, sure thing Akame." Tatsumi replied, as he finished drying off another plate.
"When we first met you thought you had seen me before, or that we had previously met...Can you explain why you though that?" Akame asked, stopping and turning to fully face Tatsumi.
Tatsumi had frozen stiff when he heard Akame ask this. The young man had never been a good liar, and he knew Akame would likely see through any fibs he came up with. However, Tatsumi felt like he could trust Akame with anything he told her. The girl was so quite and reserved that she probably wouldn't tell anyone if he asked her not too. Plus, Tatsumi had been itching to tell someone about his visions ever since he started having them. It was eating away at him, so he decided that it was best to just let the truth out.
"*Sigh* Can you keep a secret Akame?" Tatsumi asked, earning a nod from the dark-haired girl. "I'm serious Akame, you can't tell anyone else this."
"What's going on Tatsumi?" Akame asked, concern briefly flashing through her blood red eyes.
"On...on my way to the capital I...I had a vision." Tatsumi explained, as he looked down at the counter.
"A vision? What did you see?" Akame asked, as Tatsumi took a deep breath.
"Death...lots of death. But these visions were very specific and felt so real." Tatsumi said, as his voice started to become shaky.
"Who did you see die? Anyone specific? Tell me what happened Tatsumi." Akame continued her questioning, placing a comforting hand on Tatsumi's back.
"First it was a red-haired girl I had never seen before...her head had been decapitated and impaled on a spike...But then...but then I saw Leone die. She was lying in a pool of her own blood, with over a dozen gun shot wounds in her chest." Tatsumi revealed, causing Akame's eyes to widen in shock. The dark-haired girl rarely showed her emotions, but what Tatsumi had said truly surprised her. "Then I saw Lubbock being cut in half. Next it was Mine, she died in my arms. T-Then the last one was m-me. I saw my own death Akame, and you were there with me when I died. I died in your arms." A few tears escaped Tatsumi's eyes, as his fists clenched on the countertop. He decided it was best to leave out the parts where Mine and Akame both confessed their feelings to him. "Then the whole time there was this demonic voice, that told me what I was seeing was what lied in my future. That's why I asked if we had somehow we had met before. Because if we had then maybe what I had saw could have just been some horrible hallucination. But I did meet you all, and that proved to me that what I saw wasn't just some dream. It was real, and it was what my future had in store. That's why I want to get stronger Akame, so I can protect you all and brighten my dark future." Tatsumi turned his head to see that Akame was staring at him with wide eyes. "You...you probably think I'm crazy or something now."
"Tatsumi..." Akame said, locking eyes with Tatsumi. "I believe you."
"W-What? You don't think I'm crazy?" Tatsumi asked in a surprised tone.
"No." Akame replied, gently squeezing Tatsumi's shoulder. "I don't know why Tatsumi, but I trust you even though we only just recently met. I can't help but feel like we already have a strong bond."
"Yeah, I kinda felt that too. I feel like we really connected, even when we first met." Tatsumi said, as he quickly wiped the tears that had formed in his eyes.
"That's why I'm gonna work even harder on training you." Akame said with a small smile. "I'm going to do my absolute best to prepare you for what lies in the future, so that you can stop those horrible things you saw from happening...I'll be there to help you...and don't worry, I won't tell anyone what you told me."
"Thank you, Akame." Tatsumi said, smiling warmly at the dark-haired girl. "I knew I could trust you with this."
"If you ever want to talk with Tatsumi, I'll make time for you." Akame said, as she took off her apron. "Now come on, it's time for the next part of your training."
"What are we doing now?" Tatsumi asked, tossing off his own apron.
"We're going hunting." Akame replied, as she lead Tatsumi out of Night Raid's base.
(10 Minutes Later; Mountains to the South of Night Raid's Hidden Base)
"Hey, Akame we're getting really far from the hideout." Tatsumi pointed out, glancing back at the sprawling mountains behind them. "Is it really alright for us to be out this far?"
"We'll be fine if we go a little deeper into the mountains. Actually we should be there in a few minutes." Akame said, as she pushed through the bushes in front of her, and stepped into clearing with a pristine isolated river and waterfall. "See, we're here."
"Wow. This place is really beautiful, Akame." Tatsumi said, not noticing that Akame was stripping out of her clothes behind him. "How did you find this place?"
"I stumbled across it while I was hunting for supplies one day." Akame replied, as she tossed off her shirt. "Now hurry up, we're going to kill some river prey."
"What're you...WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Tatsumi exclaimed, as he stared at Akame with wide eyes. The dark-haired girl had shed her clothes, and was now dressed in a small red bikini. Tatsumi's entire face burned red, as he stared at Akame's beautiful body. If watching her stretch was great, this was ten times better.
"I need to be able to move fast in the water." Akame explained, walking over to a small ledge overlooking the river. "So I shed all unnecessary clothing."
"Oh...that makes sense then." Tatsumi thought, as he suddenly felt stupid for overreacting.
"We'll be hunting for Elegant Tuna. There's a lesson in all of this." Akame said, before she dove into the water.
"But...aren't those the rare monster fish that are super caut-" Tatsumi was cut off when several Elegant Tuna burst out of the water, and landed in Akame's wicker basket. "What the fuck!? Is she fishing with dynamite or something?!" Moments later, Akame resurfaced for a quick breath of air.
"You must dive to the bottom of the river, and make your presence completely unknown. Then when you prey is close you strike. You'll need to make snap decisions. Can you handle it?" Akame explained, before diving back under the water.
"Bring it on!" Tatsumi exclaimed, ripping off his shirt and diving into the water after Akame.
(Later That Night; Back at Night Raid's Base)
"So..." Najenda said, taking a bite out of her Elegant Tuna. "In the end Tatsumi managed to catch eight...That's very impressive for your first time."
"Hey..." Leone said, nudging Tatsumi with her elbow. "Is it true that you ripped off your shirt, and yelled 'bring it on!' Tatsumi's face flushed red in embarassment, as Leone leaned in closer. A shiver ran down the young man's spine, when the busty blonde whispered in his ear. "Because if it, maybe you can give me a preview in private later."
"That's enough teasing, Leone." Najenda said, grinning at the madly blushing Tatsumi. "The poor kid looks like he's about to pass out."
"I'm not teasing." Leone whispered, as she gave Tatsumi one last sultry wink before she went back to eating her food. After hearing that Tatsumi turned so red, that his face was the same color as Akame's eyes.
"So Akame, how did Tatsumi do on his first day of training with you?" Najenda asked, turning to face the dark-haired girl.
"He's still a little green..." Akame said, as she stared at the Elegant Tuna head in her hands. "But Tatsumi is a very quick learner, and I have no doubt that he'll make a great assassin."
"That's great to hear." Najenda said, setting down her chopsticks. "Leone, tell me about your assignment from the other day."
"Our target is Ogre, from the capital's garrison, and an oil merchant named Gamal." Leone explained, as she clasped her hands on top of the table. "According to the client Ogre's been accepting very large bribes from Gamal. Apparently every time Gamal commits a crime, Ogre uses someone else as a scapegoat. The clients fiancé was framed for one these crimes, and put to death. He managed to overhear Ogre and Gamal while in prison, and managed to send out a letter explaining everything to her. Here's what she's paying for the job." Leone pulled out a sack full of money, and tossed it on the table.
"Wow, she sured saved up a lot." Tatsumi said, staring at the pile of coins in front of him.
"I could smell a sexual transmitted disease on her." Leone said in a dark tone, as her fists clenched tightly. "She probably made that money by selling her body to any sleaze bag who would pay for it.
"Have you confirmed all the facts, and proved the client's claims?" Najenda asked, lightning a new cigarette.
"Yes, they're both guilty of the crimes the client mentioned." Leone replied, as she took a calming breath. "I overheard Gamal and Ogre discussing their dirty dealings from the attic over his oil shop."
"Okay." Najenda said, taking a quick drag from her cigarette. "Night Raid with accept the contract. Our new nation won't need treacherous scum like Ogre and Gamal. Deliver divine punishment upon them."
"It'll be a cinch to take down Gamal, but..." Leone said, as she began to rub her chin. "Ogre is a completely different story. He's been nicknamed the 'demon' because of his skills with a blade. Criminals around the capital know to fear him. He's usually seen with his band of lackeys. Beyond that, he usually spends most of his time in the guard house. The bribes he takes from Gamal are conducted in his private quarters. On his days off, he never strays too far from the garrison...and he usually drinks on the main street near the palace."
"Looks like our only shot is on his days off." Tatsumi said, earning a nod from Najenda.
"But security around the palace is extremely tight, so we can't send Akame on this job. Her face is plastered all over wanted posters scattered around the capital." Najenda said, as she released a light sigh.
"Couldn't we just wait for Mine and the others to get back?" Akame suggested, as she looked at Najenda for approval.
"But we have no idea when they'll be finished with their job." Leone pointed out, leaning back in her seat.
"In that case..." Tatsumi said, as he slammed his hand down onto the table. "We have to carry out the mission by ourselves!"
"So, you're saying you'll take out Ogre?" Najenda asked with an amused smirk.
"*Sigh* Yes, I'll go after Ogre. Akame and Leone can take out Gamal." Tatsumi said, causing Najenda to quirk an eyebrow.
"Well they don't know what I look like either, but you said you wanted to take out Ogre." Leone said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I want to see what you can really do Tatsumi. Prove to me that you can handle this on your own."
"Tatsumi..." Akame said, getting the young man's attention. When Tatsumi looked at Akame, he could swear he saw worry briefly flash through her blood-red eyes. "I'll admit that you're very skilled...but the way you are right now, you won't be able to take Ogre down."
"I appreciate your concern Akame, but while we're just sitting here discussing our options...there might be more people being falsely accused by these assholes, right?" Tatsumi said with a determined look in his eyes. "Don't worry about me, I'll kill Ogre." Tatsumi's eyes suddenly became filled with sadness, as he gazed at the table. "I don't want anybody else to suffer...or have their loved ones stolen from them so meaninglessly."
"Just like how it was with you and Ieyasu..." Akame thought, as she stared at Tatsumi.
"Alright, it's settled then. I must say I admire your determination, Tatsumi." Najenda said with a grin, leaning forward in her chair. "You take out Ogre."
"Well said Tatsumi!" Leone cheered, wrapping her arm around his neck and pressing the side of his face into her breasts. "I love your resolve!"
"Leone and Akame, you heard Tatsumi. You both will take out Gamal." Najenda ordered, earning a nod from the both of them.
"Well, I guess I'll get ready and report back to you when I'm done." Tatsumi said, as he walked out of the room to prepare for his mission.
"Just please come back in one piece Tatsumi." Both Leone and Akame thought, watching Tatsumi leave the room. This wasn't missed by Najenda. Night Raider's leader had a small smirk on her face, as she put out her cigarette.
"Looks like they've both taken a liking to our little Tatsumi." Najenda thought, gazing at Leone and Akame with an amused look. "This outta be fun to watch."
(The Next Night; Streets of the Capital)
"If you go straight down here, you'll eventually be on the main street." Leone said, as she pointed at the road that was in front of Tatsumi.
"Alright, I got it!" Tatsumi exclaimed, clenching his fists in determination.
"Tatsumi...before you go...let me tell you a little bit about Akame's past." Leone said, immidiately gaining Tatsumi's full attention.
"This is my chance to learn more about Akame. I might be able to better help her overcome her inner demons, if I know more about her past." Tatsumi thought, paying full attention to what Leone had to say.
"When Akame was real little, she was sold to the empire along with her younger sister. I mean, it's pretty common for poor parents to sell their children." Leone explained, causing a sad look to spread across Tatsumi's face.
"So even as a child she had to endure such hardships." Tatsumi thought, slightly clenching his fists.
"She then got accepted into a training program for assassins, along with other kids that were in the same boat as her. There she learned how to kill...and survived horrendous circumstances. She lived that way, carrying out any orders the empire gave her. She was a full-fledged cold-hearted assassin..." Leone continued, sending a chill up Tatsumi's spine. "But after each mission, Akame could feel the empire's dark intentions a little more...She was eventually given a mission to take out the boss, Akame was persuaded by her however...Akame turned her back on the empire, and joined the revolutionary army that actually cared about its people. Most of the comrades she's grown up with..."
"What about her sister?" Tatsumi asked suddenly, surprising Leone.
"Akame doesn't really like to talk about her sister." Leone said, as she rubbed the back of her head. "But, all I know is that she's still working with the empire."
"That means..." Tatsumi said, as his eyes widened in realization.
"Yes. Akame even left her little sister behind." Leone said in a saddened tone. "Well...you better get going. You don't want to miss your chance to take out Ogre."
"Okay." Tatsumi said, as he turned and started to walk down the street. "I'll see you and Akame later."
"Good luck Tatsumi, and happy killing!" Leone called out, before she left to meet up with Akame.
"Akame...I can't believe you had to leave your sister...the pain must be so hard to deal with...I won't give up on you Akame. I'll help you in any way I can." Tatsumi thought, as he threw up his hood and began to scope out his target.
(Brothel; Two Miles West of the Capital)
"Man!" Gamal exclaimed, wiping some sweat off his brow. The disgusting looking man adjusted his robes, as he walked back to his room. "I feel so much better after taking a leak. I think I'll have that whore get me off one more time before I go."
"Sure thing." A low voice said from the shadows next to Gamal. "I'll get you off this mortal world." Before Gamal could react a pair of extremely arms wrapped around his neck; holding him in place. The man struggled to turn his head, to see who was strangling him. "I got you now you sick fuck." Gamal's eyes widened in shock when he felt a blade pierce his stomach. The last thing Gamal saw before he died was a pair of blood-red eyes staring into his very soul. Leone chuckled as she dropped the Gamal's corpse onto the ground. "The bastard should be happy, he got two sexy babes at once!"
"I wonder how Tatsumi's doing against his target..." Akame said, as she wiped her blade off on Gamal's dead body. "I hope he's okay."
(Main Street; Empire's Capital)
"Ah! Nothing beats an a drink after a good lengthy interrogation." Ogre said, walking down the capital's main street. The massive man grinned, as he several people waved to him.
"Master Ogre." One of the people called out. "You did an excellent job the other day. Thank you so much for your help."
"No problem." Ogre said, waving to the man. "If you ever have a problem that needs fixing, just let me know." The corrupt man's grin turned sinister, as he continued his stroll down the street. "I'm the king of this town...I have all of the authority...I can do whatever I want!"
"E-Excuse me, Master Ogre." A quiet voice called out. Ogre spun around to see a hooded boy standing behind him. "There's something I want to speak with you about."
"Well what is it? Out with it boy, I don't have a lot of spare time." Ogre said in an annoyed tone.
"I'd like it better if we discussed this in some place more private." Tatsumi said, gesturing to a alley next to them. "Could we perhaps speak down this alley?"
"Whatever kid, just make this quick." Ogre said, as he followed Tatsumi down the alleyway. Once they were both in secluded portion of the alley, Tatsumi stopped. "Hmm, I don't sense any danger coming from this kid." Ogre thought, as he stared at Tatsumi. "Well? Is this private enough for you?"
"Ieyasu give me strength." Tatsumi thought, slowly sliding his hand onto the handle of his sword. Taking a deep breath, Tatsumi sprang into action. Before Ogre could even blink, Tatsumi had unsheathed his blade and stabbed it into Ogre's chest.
"He's so fast!" Ogre thought, as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. The massive man, hailed as the 'demon', hadn't even lain a hand on his on sword before Tatsumi had attacked.
"Looks like Akame's speed training is already starting to pay off. I'm still nowhere near as fast as her though. " Tatsumi thought, driving his blade even deeper into Ogre's chest. Tatsumi forced Ogre onto the ground, and pulled his sword from his chest. As Tatsumi stared at the mortally wounded man, Akame's words from the other day rang through his mind.
"You must never hesitate on the battlefield. The final blow has to be swift and decisive."
"That's right." Tatsumi thought, as his grip on his blade tightened. His eyes widened when he saw that Ogre was reaching for his own blade. Reacting instinctively, Tatsumi horizontally slashed his sword; cutting off both of Ogre's arms.
"AHHHHHH!" Ogre howled in pain, as his arms began to spew blood.
"Shit! I better kill him quick before some comes to check out what's happening." Tatsumi thought, raising his sword for one last strike. With one swift swing of his blade, Tatsumi decapitated Ogre. The evil man's head was sent skidding down the alley. "Heh, I did it. That wasn't so bad."
"Hey! What's going on down there!?" A feminine voice called out from down the alley's entrance.
"Fuck!" Tatsumi exclaimed, as he bolted down the alley in the other direction. "I have to get out of here!"
"Hold up criminal!" The girl shouted, as she began to chase after Tatsumi. However, the girl stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the body in the middle of the alley. "M-Master O-Ogre!?" The girl fell to her knees at the man's side. Tears fell from her orange eyes, as her small companion walked up next to her. The girl tightly clenched her fists, as her fast contorted in fury. "Coro, we're going to bring whoever did this to justice!"
(Two Hours Later; Night Raid's Base)
"Nice work on taking out such a strong opponent, Tatsumi." Najenda complimented, as everyone gathered in Night Raid's meeting room. "Very impressive indeed."
"How was that Akame!" Tatsumi exclaimed with a cocky grin. "I finished my first mission, and I finished my report. I even pulled it off without a scratch." Tatsumi yelped in surprise when Akame suddenly lifted up his shirt. "What the fuck are you doing?!"
"Great idea Akame!" Leone cheered with a perverted smirk. "Rip all his clothes off!"
"Leone. Boss. Hold him still." Akame said, as she held Tatsumi's arm over his head.
"I'm on it." Najenda said, taking over holding up Tatsumi's arms.
"Hell yeah! Count me in!" Leone yelled, as she held onto Tatsumi's ankles.
"Oh...I'm so glad..." Akame said with a warm smile and slight blush, when she saw that Tatsumi was completely unharmed. "I've seen so many of my comrades die from not reporting their injuries. I'm so happy you aren't hurt, Tatsumi."
"S-She really does care about me." Tatsumi thought, as he too began to blush.
"The mortality rate is extremely high for one's first assassination." Akame said, shaking Tatsumi's hand; causing him to blush even more at the sudden contact. "You really did do an excellent job."
"T-Thanks, Akame." Tatsumi said, as he released Akame's hand.
"Akame was rough on you, because she didn't want you to die." Leone said, placing her hands on her hips.
"Cooking is a way for people to communicate without speaking. A difficult hunt taught you valuable assassination skills." Najenda added, smiling at Tatsumi. "Do you realize how important the time you've spent with Akame has been?"
"Yes." Tatsumi said, as he turned to smile at Akame. "I look forward to learning much more from you Akame."
"And I look forward to teaching you." Akame said, returning Tatsumi's smile with one of her own. "Just remember to come home safely from now on, Tatsumi."
"I will." Tatsumi said with a wide grin. "I promise you this Akame! I can't wait to work with you more Akame!"
"Pfft, what kind of 'work' will you be doing with you stripped like that?" Leone asked, wriggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"You're the ones who stripped me!" Tatsumi shouted, glaring at Leone.
"Okay." Najenda said, as she got Tatsumi's attention. "I think you should probably train under Mine next."
"It's just one problem after another for you, huh?" Leone teased, lightly punching Tatsumi in the arm.
"H-Her?" Tatsumi said, as a shudder ran through his body. "This could either be really good...or the worst fucking experience of my life."
(Two Days Later; 7:30 a.m. Night Raid's Training Grounds)
"Again!" Akame commanded, as she began to unleash a barrage of attacks with her training sword. Tatsumi was panting heavily, as he dipped and ducked underneath Akame's incredibly fast strikes. "You're getting faster Tatsumi, but..." Tatsumi suddenly hissed in pain when Akame's training swords hit him in the ankle. The young man immidiately fell to the ground, and grasped his ankle. "You still need to be a little faster."
"But I am improving?" Tatsumi asked, rubbing his sore ankle.
"At a very rapid rate. In the few days I've been training you, you've improved leaps and bounds." Akame said, as she put away her training sword. "Well we better head inside and start on breakfast."
"Sure thing Aka-"
"TATSUMI!" Akame and Tatsumi both turned to see Leone sprinting towards them. The busty blonde had a frantic look, as she approached the duo.
"What's up Leone?" Tatsumi asked, standing back onto his feet.
"It's Sayo." Leone said, causing Tatsumi's eyes to widen. "She's awake, and she wants to see you right now!"
"Thanks Leone!" Tatsumi exclaimed, sprinting past Leone back towards Sayo's room. "I'm coming Sayo!" Tatsumi ran as fast as he could through the base's halls; skidding around corners and bursting through doors. The young man had reached Sayo's door in less than two minutes. He took a deep breath, and pushed the door open. He immidiately began to tear up when he saw Sayo sitting up in her bed. "SAYO!"
"Tatsumi!" Sayo yelled, as Tatsumi ran over and pulled into a tight hug.
"I'm so glad you're awake." Tatsumi said, a few tears escaping his eyes.
"What happened Tatsumi? The last thing I remember is you rescuing me from those awful people." Sayo said, as Tatsumi released her from his hug.
"A group called Night Raid helped me rescue you. A doctor healed your injuries, but you fell into a coma for a few days. Night Raid has been looking after you ever since you got here. I'll have you all meet them eventually, but they're really good people and they're working for a great cause." Tatsumi said with a smile, trying his best to wipe away his still flowing tears. "I'm actually a member of Night Raid now."
"That's great to hear." Sayo said, as a grin spread across her face. "So where's that big idiot Ieyasu? I bet he'll be happy to see me." However, Sayo was surprised to see a saddened expression form on Tatsumi's face. "What's wrong Tatsumi? Did something happen to Ieyasu?"
"I-I'm so sorry Sayo." Tatsumi said, clenching his fists tightly. "But Ieyasu didn't make it. The people who captured you both, the mother infected Ieyasu with Rubola." Sayo's eyes widened when she heard this. "He...he died right before I came back and rescued you."
"Oh my God." Sayo breathed out, as she cupped a hand over her mouth. Tears began to pour from Sayo's eyes, and Tatsumi quickly pulled her in for another hug. "Did...did he at least get a proper burial?"
"Yes. He's buried out back." Tatsumi replied, releasing Sayo from his embrace.
"I want to see him, and say my goodbyes." Sayo said, as she began to shift in her bed. However, as soon as Sayo started to move she immidiately noticed that something was off. The girl immidiately began to panic slightly when she couldn't feel her left leg. "T-Tatsumi..." Sayo's voice was shaky and full of worry. "W-Why can't I feel my left leg?"
"I...I think it's best if you see for yourself." Tatsumi said, hanging his head. Sayo hesitantly raised the blankets covering her. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw that her left leg, from mid-thigh down, was missing. Sayo immidiately let out a blood curdling scream that could be heard for miles.
And done! So Sayo is awake, and she now knows that she's missing her leg. Next chapter will deal with Tatsumi's training with Mine, and Sayo adjusting to her new life with Night Raid. So what did you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Don't really care? Let me know. Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW, and PM me any ideas you might have for this fic. So until next time, I'm outta here!
Happy New Year, I hope you all have an amazing and awesome 2016!