Hey guys, I'm finally back with a new update for this fic! I apologize for the extremely long wait for this chapter, but I started college again and that has been eating pretty much all me free time. I need to focus as much energy I can on my classes if I even want a chance of not failing them (nobody said being a computer engineer would be easy, lol). Well anyways, this chapter will pick up where the previous one left off and will have Tatsumi fully revealing his secret to everyone in Night Raid.
P.S. I know this might disappoint some of you, but will excite others, I've decided that if I do start another fic that it will be a My Hero Academia fic. I have the the start all planned out, and not to toot my own horn, but I think it's pretty damn good, and it will have Izuku meeting All Might and receiving his powers under totally different circumstances. After that I plan to do my normal writing format, and do the main story with my own spin on canon events. Izuku will also have a harem in the fic, because I feel there's a severe lack of Izuku x harem fics on this site. Also Izuku won't be receiving any secondary powers, i.e. Spider-man's abilities, like in a lot of fics I've been seeing recently. Another thing I plan on changing won't change the story much per se, but I plan on UA Academy being a college instead of of high school. This way it won't be as weird for Izuku to have a harem, plus I've always felt that it was odd for kids to be doing such dangerous training, I had a similar feeling with Naruto. So to those of you who were looking forward to possibly seeing a High School DxD fic from me, I sincerely apologize. But I've fallen in love with My Hero Academia and would much rather write a fic for that series, plus I would be much more passionate about writing a fic for this series. (If you want the basic premise of how this story would start P.M. me or simply ask in your review)
P.P.S Highschool DxD and Date A Live were both just confirmed to have new anime seasons coming soon! The new season of DxD is called Highschool DxD Hero, and it's set to release in 2018, it also has a new art style which actually looks really good. Nothing has been released about when the new season of Date A Live will be released, or what it will be called, but I'm just hyped that it's coming back. Fairy Tail, Sword Art Online, My Hero Academia, and now Highschool DxD and Date A Live! All of my favorite anime are getting new seasons and I couldn't be more hype right now! 2018 is seriously going to be an amazing year for anime, and it can't get here fast enough! ALSO, a My Hero Academia movie has also been confirmed to come out next year as well!
P.P.P.S If you're a fan of Spider-man, I HIGHLY urge you to check out the trailer for Sony's new animated Spider-man movie if you haven't already. It's called Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse and it comes to theaters Christmas 2018. The animation and art style in this movie looks absolutely stunning and it looks like it will feature Mile Morales as the lead character, with likely cameos from numerous other versions of the Friendly Neighborhood Webslinger. I've been dying to see a Spiderverse movie for years, and it looks like Sony is going to deliver, so far it looks very promising. 2018 is gonna be a great year for super hero movies as well as anime.
Well that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic!
"Speech"
"Thoughts"
Teigu
"Incursio"
Disclaimer: I don't own Akame ga Kill, or any of its characters.
(The Following Morning: Window Overlooking the Streets of the Imperial Capital)
"Livestock...livestock...livestock..." Gebaze, the overweight financial official, muttered repeatedly with an evil smirk, watching depressed and exhausted worked walk the streets below. "I never get tired of seeing those ragged faces...you can't really call it exploitation when you're dealing with pigs and vermin." Gebaze chuckled lightly and rested his head on his fist. "The alcohol I bought with those peasant's taxes is particularly delicious. I think I'll start collecting even more starting next month."
"Master." A soft, feminine voice spoke up from behind Gebaze. "It's time for you massage."
"OH! I've been looking forward this!" Gebaze exclaimed with a smile, turning in his chair to face his personal maid. Quickly snapping his fingers several times, Gebaze turned back around in his chair. "Make today's a refreshing-full-body rubdown...with a happy ending."
"Of course...master. I'm always happy to serve you." The maid muttered, as she slowly walked towards Gebaze, silently extracting a needle hidden from within her mouth. Reaching the back of Gebaze's seat, the maid swiftly plunged the needle into his neck, slicing through crucial nerves and piercing his windpipe. Wheezing out a strangled gasp, Gebaze's eyes rolled into the back of his head, before he slumped forward in his chair. Snapping her fingers, the maid was briefly surrounded by a veil of smoke. When the smoke dissipated it revealed that the murderous maid was actually Chelsea in disguise. "Mission accomplished." Wiping the bloody needle off on Gebaze's expensive clothes, Chelsea slipped it back into her makeup container. However, Chelsea's eyes widened when she heard muffled shouts and rapid footsteps coming from the floor below. "Shit, they have to coming this way! It'll be too dangerous to make a run for it..." Chelsea quickly scanned the entire room, looking for anything to help elude her pursuers. A sudden idea flashed through her mind when she spotted one of Gebaze's house cats. Waisting no time, Chelsea grabbed her Gaia Foundation.
"This is the Jaegers!" Wave exclaimed, kicking in the door to Gebaze's bedroom. With Kurome tailing closely behind, Wave rushed into the room. "We intercepted information that Night Raid may be targeting this home! We're here to respond to this urgent matter!" Reaching the center of the room, Wave was confused when he didn't receive any type of reply. "That's odd, I thought Gebaze was supposed to be home at this time."
"Wave." Kurome said, as she gestured to the lone chair near the window. Walking over, Wave tightly balled his fists in frustration when he saw Gebaze's lifeless corpse sitting in the chair. "We're too late."
(Several Hours Later: Night Raid's Hidden Base)
"That whole mission was a trap." Chelsea said in an irritated tone, before taking a sip of her coffee. "I barely made it out of there."
"You're one tough bitch if managed to get out of there unscathed." Mine complimented, as she set her own mug of coffee down. "I'll admit, I'm pretty impressed."
"Well that fat bastard did have a couple house cats roaming around." Chelsea explained, patting her Gaia Foundation, which was resting on the chair next to her. "I transformed into one them to blend in and sneak out."
"I don't think I could have kept my cool in a situation like that..." Mine muttered, as she stroked her chin. "I hate to say it...but your teigu is pretty versatile."
"It would have been a tough job for you Mine, because everyone knows what you look like." Chelsea said, taking another sip of her coffee before leaning back in her seat. "You should just leave these types of jobs to me."
"Chelsea..." Mine muttered, as her eyes widened slightly, thinking that the auburn-haired assassin was looking out for her.
"Yeah, you should just stay here and watch the hideout." Chelsea said, a mischievous smirk spreading across her face. "Benchwarmer."
"GAH! Chelsea!" Mine exclaimed, as she prepared to leap off the couch and chase after the auburn-haired assassin. "I'm gonna-"
"Alright, that's enough you two." Tatsumi said, standing between both girls. "It's early in the morning, and Chelsea, you just got back from a mission, so please don't start bickering."
"Okay..." Mine muttered, as her face tinged red in embarassment. "But I'm still pissed at her."
"Ah, I was only teasing her a little..." Chelsea tried to reason, but the stern look she received from Tatsumi told her that he wasn't buying it. "Oh alright, I'll stop messing with Mine for a bit."
"Thank you..." Tatsumi said, breathing a sigh of relief as he sat down between Leone and Akame. "I'm just happy that Chelsea made it back unhurt, that was a pretty close call."
"Oh..." Chelsea cooed, as she perked up slightly, another teasing smirk on her face. Rolling her sucker around in her mouth, Chelsea rested her head on her hand. "Where you worried about me, Tatsumi?"
"Yes I was." Tatsumi replied without missing a beat, causing Chelsea's eyes to widen in surprise, before her entire face flushed bright red. "I just...I've seen a lot of terrible things since I came to the capital...and I don't want anything bad to happen to you...or any of my comrades."
"That's...well...I..." Chelsea stuttered out in a flustered tone, as she repeatedly stumbled over her words to try and come up with a response. "Thanks...I guess..."
"There he goes wooing over another girl." Sayo thought with a soft smile, rolling her eyes. "He doesn't even try most of the time."
"The Jaegers are really cracking down hard on us..." Akame said, as she sneakily rested a hand on Tatsumi's thigh. "We can't keep this up much longer."
"Yeah, they already took out all those freaky ass new danger beasts." Leone added, noticing Akame's hand resting on Tatsumi's thigh. With a small smirk, Leone scooted closer to Tatsumi, their hips now touching. "So now we're the only important targets they have left." Her mischievous grin widening, Leone wrapped her arm around Tatsumi's neck, and buried his head between breasts. "Enough about this boring shit! Now that we all know you and Esdeath did the nasty, did you two enjoy your little tropical vacation? I know that she's got quite the pair of knockers, but I'm just dying to find out who's got better tits, her or me?"
"God Leone, there's a thing called subtlety." Mine huffed in irritation, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "You can't just blurt stuff like that out."
"Eh, why not?" Leone asked, cocking her head in confusion. "I've never been one for all that subtlety shit, I like to get right to the point. I don't see any reason to dance around the subject."
"That's pretty apparent..." Mine muttered underneath her breath, as she rolled her eyes.
"Like I already told you guys! We were both dragged into that situation unwillingly!" Tatsumi exclaimed, briefly gasping for air after pulling his out from between Leone's bountiful bosom. The young assassin's face was bright red in embarassment, as he stared down at his lap. "And you know...after getting to know Esdeath better...I started to see her good points...then eventually one thing lead to another..."
"Getting stranded on a deserted island with a beautiful woman...It's not like I'm jealous of you or anything." Lubbock said, as he chuckled awkwardly, stirring some sugar and creamer into a cup of coffee for Najenda. "But given who you were with, I'm definitely not jealous...not at all. You should've just left her behind. "
"Try not to get any tears in the boss' coffee, eh Lubbo." Leone teased with a smirk, nudging the green-haired assassin.
"I couldn't just leave Esdeath behind like that..." Tatsumi said quietly, as his cheeks flushed red once again. "I wanted her to join our side, so there's no way I was going to abandon her...not after everything we went through together...especially...you know..."
"Aw Tatsumi, you don't have to be so bashful about this." A new, seductive voice said from the other side of the room. Raising his head, Tatsumi was surprised to see Esdeath and Najenda walking into the room. Both of them were lightly dressed, with their hair damp and a towel wrapped around their necks. Esdeath sauntered across the room and breezed between Akame and Leone, brazenly taking a seat on Tatsumi's lap. Tatsumi nearly jumped out of his seat in surprise, as Esdeath leaned closer, whispering hotly into his ear. "Go on...tell them all how you made me submit to you...how you completely dominated me..."
"Oi! That's enough!" Leone exclaimed, butting her way between Esdeath and Tatsumi. "Don't get so comfy with Tatsumi when we're all right here! You may have agreed to join our side, but I still don't like you clinging Tatsumi all the damn time!"
"Yeah, we won't let you steal him away." Akame added, as she tightly grabbed ahold of one of Tatsumi's arms. "We love Tatsumi too."
"Oh, there's no need to worry girls." Esdeath said with a smirk, gently running a hand down Akame and Leone's cheeks. "As I said before, I'll allow you all to keep your relationship with Tatsumi, I have no intention of stealing him away...however...I still plan on being the main girl in his heart...you can all settle for being his concubines."
"We'll see about that." Leone said, as she glared dangerously at Esdeath. "We won't just sit around and let you have your way."
"Yeah, and Tatsumi isn't like that." Akame said, a small smile spreading across her face. "He's not the type of guy to pick favorites...he'll love us all equally."
"You two have roaring fires burning inside you...I like that. I love an opponent that is willing to challenge me." Esdeath said, as she clapped her hands together. Turning her head slightly, Esdeath caught sight of Mine, who glaring daggers at her while remaining silent. "I just hope you girls prove to be worth competitors...because I oh so hate weaklings that give up at the first sight of a challenge...but after that little practice battle yesterday, I'm sure you'll all prove to be exciting rivals."
"Alright, that's enough of this." Najenda said, releasing a heavy sigh, as she continued to dry her hair. "As much as I would love to hear you guys discuss this more in depth...Tatsumi, I believe you told me that you had something important to share with us as soon as Chelsea got back."
"OH! That's right, it almost slipped my mind." Tatsumi said, gently removing Esdeath from his lap, before he stood up from his seat. "If you all don't mind, I'd like to move to the meeting room...it's time I told you all my secret...a secret that could influence how this upcoming war will play out."
"Wait...d-did those two take a bath together?" Lubbock asked in a dumbfounded tone, as he rapidly looked back and forth between Esdeath and Najenda. "WAH! How could I possibly miss such a beautiful scene!?"
(Five Minutes Later: Night Raid's Meeting Room)
"Okay Tatsumi..." Najenda said, as she sank into her special chair and lit a cigarette. "You've certainly got our attention, so what's this big secret that you've been hiding from us."
"I've already told Akame and Leone a portion of what I'm about to tell you all, but they still don't know everything." Tatsumi said, pausing briefly to take a deep breath to calm himself. "Ever since I arrived in the capital several months ago...I've been having these sort of...prophetic visions-"
"Wait, wait, wait! Hold the fuck up!" Chelsea cut Tatsumi off, as she stared at him in disbelief. "Are you trying to tell us that you can see the future?"
"I wouldn't say that...it's not like I can do it whenever I want...I've just seen glimpses of events that are likely to transpire in the future." Tatsumi explained, resting his hands on the meeting room table, tightly balling his fists.
"Then tell us...what type of things have you seen?" Chelsea asked, as she crossed her arms over her chest, still not entirely convinced. "Because this sounds like a load of shit to me, and a complete waste of our time."
"Let him speak Chelsea!" Najenda exclaimed, slamming her fist onto her chair's armrest. "I know this may be hard to digest, but I don't believe that Tatsumi would lie to us...especially about something this big. Now Tatsumi, please tell us what you saw in your visions."
"I saw...death...so much death..." Tatsumi said with his voice shaking slightly, as the horrible visions once again flashed through his mind. "I saw the deaths of so many of my comrades...Lubbock...Leone...Mine...myself..."
"Oh come on, are you guys seriously buying this crap?" Chelsea asked the room, staring at her fellow Night Raid assassins, most of them seemingly shocked by what Tatsumi was saying. "How can you guys-"
"I saw your death too Chelsea." Tatsumi added, which caused the auburn-haired assassin's eyes to shoot open in shock. "I saw your head impaled on spike in the center of a small town...and a crowd of people gawking at it..." Chelsea didn't know how to interpret what she was hearing. She didn't want to believe it was true, but the pained look in Tatsumi's eyes and the shaky, fear in his voice all told her that he wasn't lying. He really had somehow seen her own gruesome death. "If you're still having doubts, then I'll let someone else explain...the person who first showed me these visions." Tatsumi grabbed ahold of Incursio's key, and was briefly cloaked in blood-red light. When the red light died down, Tatsumi stood before everyone in his Incursio armor. "Are your ready, partner?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, everything is set and ready to go."
"Okay let's do this." Tatsumi thought, taking off his helmet and placing it on the table. "Everyone...I'd like you to meet Incursio." Everyone in the meeting room anxiously stared at the helmet, waiting for something to happen. For several moments the helmet sat motionless, but soon the eyes slots began to glow an ominous red color.
"Hello, can you all hear me?" Almost everyone in the room, minus Tatsumi and Esdeath, nearly jumped out of their seats when a rumbling, almost demonic, voice echoed out from the helmet. "Oh my apologies, I didn't mean to startle you."
"T-Tatsumi!? What the hell is going on here!?" Mine exclaimed, frantically gesturing towards the helmet on the table. "Why is that thing talking?!"
"My, my, now isn't this interesting." Esdeath said with a smirk, as she rested her head on her hand. "I didn't know that teigu could communicate with their owners."
"Normally they can't, but I was created under different circumstances. When I was crafted into this teigu, my body may have died but my consciousness survived, trapped in this suit of armor. I'm sure you've all heard stories about me, how I could evolve and adapt to any climate to hunt my prey. That trait seemed to stick with me, despite being forged into a teigu. With every new host I would evolve and adapt to their bodies, and subsequently grow stronger myself."
"So eventually you evolved enough to gain the ability to speak with your hosts..." Akame finished, catching on to what Incursio was getting at. "That's incredible...nothing like this has ever been seen before."
"This is so crazy..." Sayo muttered in shock, as she pressed a hand to her temple.
"Good, I'm glad to see that you catch on quickly, that will make things easier. At first I resented you humans for what you did to me, turning me into nothing more than a tool. After I was transformed into a teigu, I was used by countless soldiers over the centuries to fight in horrific wars. These wars caused by petty squabbles over such trivial things as land and resources, almost all of it fueled by greed. None of my previous hosts during this period ever questioned their orders, or why they were even fighting in the first place. They simply did what they were told without question, and spilled copious amounts of their brethren's blood across the battlefield. For centuries I was simply an instrument of war, and over the decades my rage and frustration grew. I began to devise schemes on how I would exact my revenge upon the people that had enslaved me. I even managed to come up with a plan to slowly corrupt my hosts, so that I could eventually take over their minds and regain my old body."
"Wait..." Mine interjected, her eyes narrowing dangerously at Incursio. "After hearing something like that, how are we supposed to trust you? How do we know that you won't betray us and try to manipulate Tatsumi?"
"I understand your caution, and you have every right to doubt me, but my view of you humans changed many centuries ago. When Bulat became my host, I finally saw a soldier that was willing to fight back once he saw the corruption and greed in his government. He questioned those who gave him orders and decided to fight for what he believed in, he fought for a cause that he believed was just. I saw the same burning passion within Tatsumi when he became my host. He fought to protect his comrades and those weaker than him, and was willing to put his life on the line when it was necessary. I saw the same sentiments within the other members of Night Raid and the revolutionary army as well. You people have changed my perception of humanity, and I wish to help you overthrow this corrupt empire in any way I can."
"Just a second ago..." Leone said, as she tightly clasped her hands together on top of the table. "You said Bulat became your host centuries ago...but he died a few months ago...how is that possible?"
"Ah, this is where things are going to get very hard to comprehend. You see...I actually come from the future." Everyone's eyes widened in shock when Incursio said this, except for Tatsumi. "I come from a future where Night Raid does defeat the prime minister and the empire, but it comes at a great cost. The only surviving members of Night Raid were Akame and Najenda, and thousands of civilians and revolutionary army soldiers also perished in the fight for the capital. I was overcome with a strange sense of sadness once the fighting stopped, and I believe that feeling came from Tatsumi dying during the fight. This young man is the only host I've ever really connected with, and is the only one I've deemed worthy to evolve my armor passed its base form. So once the battle was over, and I was carefully removed from Tatsumi's body, I began to devise a plan to be with him once again. As I stated before, with each new host I grew stronger and gained new abilities. After several centuries, and dozens of hosts, I gained the ability to send my consciousness back in time into my past form. So, now having a chance to save Tatsumi and many others, I turned back the clock, managing to keep all my memories and some of my new abilities. I arrived in the past just before Tatsumi made it to the capital, so I sent him projections, or visions, of events that would transpire in the future I had come from. Visions of death and destruction that would hopefully spur him to change his dark future, and I'm happy to see that he has made some significant changes so far."
"Remarkable..." Esdeath said with a smirk, staring at Incursio with great interest. "This is truly remarkable...never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine I'd be in a situation like this. After hearing your little tale, I think it's safe to assume that I also died in the future you came from?"
"Indeed, everyone who still worked for the empire was killed, including you and the prime minister. You met your end in a battle against Akame, and I must say that it was quite the spectacle, both of you displaying incredible power and strategy."
"Hmmm, now that is truly interesting." Esdeath said, her smirk widening as she locked eyes with Akame. "This makes me more eager to see your true potential Akame...if you were strong enough to defeat me in this alternate future, then you must really be something special."
"There's just something I don't understand..." Sayo said in a shaky voice, as she tightly balled her fists on top of the table. Her head was lowered, with her dark hair hiding her eyes. "If you really did come from the future...if you really came back to make things right and save us...if you really did show Tatsumi visions of his future..." Suddenly Sayo raised her head, showing that tears were streaming down her cheeks. Slamming her hands onto the table, Sayo violently stood up from her seat. "Why didn't you warn Tatsumi about about Bulat and Sheele's deaths!?"
"It pains me to say this, but...Sheele and Bulat's deaths were necessary."
"W-What..." Sayo breathed out, her eyes widening in a mix of shock and anger. "What the hell did you just say?"
"In the future I came from, Sheele and Bulat's deaths were instrumental in Tatsumi's growth as an assassin, and they helped strengthen the bonds between Night Raid's members. This fact hasn't proven to be different in this timeline."
"You son of a bitch!" Sayo exclaimed, as she stormed around the table, getting face-to-face with Incursio's helmet. "There's no way I could ever trust someone who would allow his comrades to die like that! Bulat and Sheele didn't need to die! You could have found another away!"
"There was no other way given the time constraints I-"
"Well you should have tried harder!" Sayo shouted, her face beet red as she chocked back a sob. "Sheele...Sheele was my first friend in Night Raid aside from Tatsumi...she looked out for me like a big sister...without her support I don't think I could have lasted in this occupation...now that I know you could've possibly helped save her...how the fuck am I supposed to believe you? I have every reason to doubt you now."
"I understand your rage child and I don't mind if you hate me, but you must understand that I am here to help you all. Do you think I wanted Bulat to die? He was good man who didn't deserve to die in this despicable conflict, but his death was an unfortunate necessity. If there truly was a way to spare him and prepare Tatsumi at the same time, I would have gladly chose that path, but I had no other options. The same thing unfortunately applies for Sheele as well, her death helped both you and Tatsumi grow. I know you may not want to admit it, but it is the truth. Listen child, since I've arrived in this time period, several massive changes have been made that will help drastically change the future. One of them is Tatsumi managing to convince Esdeath to join our cause...the other is you still being alive."
"What..." Sayo said, taking a frightened step back. "What do you mean by that?"
"In the future I came from, you Sayo, never joined Night Raid and became a assassin. You died like an animal in that shed in the capital along with Ieyasu. Tatsumi never heard your faint cries for help and rushed back to save you. You were simply another unknown casualty of that godforsaken, evil place."
"Oh God..." Sayo breathed out, as she clutched her head, seemingly in pain. "Oh fuck...I remember...that horrible, dark place...that bitch would torture me for hours on end...her knife endlessly digging into my flesh, but never enough to kill me...just scar me and me scream in pain..." Using her free hand, Sayo braced herself against the table, her knees starting to shake uncontrollably. "What the fuck...I remember...being chained up...all bloodied and mutilated...then...then I remember everything turning black...like someone flipped off the switch in my brain..." Sayo's eyes widened in panic as her breathing became ragged. Clutching a hand over her thundering heart, Sayo collapsed to her knees. A sudden flash of nausea washed over Sayo, and she couldn't resist the urge to vomit.
"Sayo!" Tatsumi exclaimed, racing over to his childhood friend's side. Almost instantly, Tatsumi was kneeled beside Sayo, placing a comforting hand on her back "Are you okay!?"
"Y-Yeah...yeah...I think I'm good now..." Sayo struggled to say, as she stood back up on say legs, wiping bile from her lips. "W-What the fuck was that?"
"Are you sure you're alright Sayo?" Tatsumi asked, gesturing to Sayo's face. "Because your nose is bleeding." (A/N A free internet cookie to those of you who can guess what video game I'm referencing with this scene.)
"Huh?" Sayo said in a confused tone, as she pressed two fingers underneath her nose. She was shocked when she saw blood trailing down her fingers. "What the hell...I didn't hit my head or anything on the way down."
"That's not it child, I was afraid something like this might happen."
"What are you talking about Incursio?" Tatsumi asked, carefully helping Sayo sit back down into her chair. "Is Sayo in danger or something?"
"I don't know, but we must be careful right now and keep a close eye on her. That child was reliving memories of her own death, and her mind was violently rejecting those memories. Her brain couldn't process whether she should be dead or alive. This was likely caused by me informing her of her untimely demise in my previous timeline. However, if we just give her some time to rest, her mind should be able to readjust and she'll be just fine. It's simply an unfortunate side effect of the technique I used to travel back in time."
"So will that happen to all of us?" Lubbock asked, as he stared at Sayo with a hint of worry in his eyes. "Because that looks really painful."
"Fuck you Lubbock..." Sayo growled, glaring fiercely at the green-haired assassin. "This shit isn't funny..."
"Sorry...it's just...I'm worried you know?" Lubbock said, as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I understand your concerns, but I don't know who this will happen too, or when. But as I said, it's very unlikely to be fatal or cause any serious injuries. You'll just have to give your minds to readjust. However, there is one thing I'm almost certain of, everyone that died in my timeline will most likely experience this at some point in the future."
"Then everyone Tatsumi saw in his visions..." Akame muttered, staring at her fellow assassins, dour expressions on most of their faces.
"Heh, that's not a very comforting thought..." Leone joked half-heartedly, as she nervously rubbed her arm. "I hate being reminded of my own mortality."
"I know that you're all likely disturbed in some way by what I've told you all today, but please rest assured that I am here to help you. Tatsumi and I will do everything within our power to make sure you survive this war against the empire, and live to see the smiling faces of the innocent lives we've saved. This I swear."
"Well...there you have it..." Tatsumi said, standing at the end of the table, next to Incursio's helmet. "This is the dark secret I've been keeping from you all...and I felt that it was finally time you all knew...I just want you all to know that what Incursio said is true. I will do whatever I can to make sure we win this war, and that Night Raid loses no more members."
"Well I must say that things have gotten far more interesting." Esdeath said with a smirk, as she leaned back in her seat. "Now I'm even more delighted that I switched sides."
"Well boss...what do you think?" Chelsea asked, turning to face Najenda. "I had my doubts at first...but after hearing all that...I don't know anymore...and after seeing what happened to Sayo, I don't think we can deny this."
All eyes in the room were on Najenda, as she rested her head on her fist, her one good eye hard and serious. Flexing the fingers of her mechanical hand, Najenda released a heavy sigh and leaned forward in her seat. She clasped her hands and rested her elbows on her knees, locking eyes with Tatsumi from across the room.
"It's just as you said Chelsea, we can't deny the validity of what Tatsumi and Incursio have said. I see no reason to doubt them or question their loyalty." Najenda said, as a soft smile spread across her face. "If they really were planning anything, then there's no way they would have revealed something like this to us. Tatsumi...I'm sorry you had to shoulder a burden like this for so long, but I thank you for sharing this with us, it really showed me how much trust you have in all of us."
"Thank you boss, I figured it was time for all of you to know." Tatsumi said, briefly glancing at everyone within the meeting room, the previous worry on their faces slowly fading. "And I'm sorry for not revealing this sooner...it's just that all the pieces weren't in place yet...and I didn't want to jump the gun on anything."
"There's no need to apologize Tatsumi." Najenda said with a smile, as she stood up from her seat. "Well if that's all, I believe it's time to adjourn this meeting." Walking over to Esdeath, Najenda patted the former empire general on the shoulder. "And it's about time you left Esdeath."
"Oh that's right!" Esdeath said, shooting up out of her seat. "I've been enjoying myself so much here that I lost track of time! The prime minister will start to get suspicious if I'm gonna much longer!" Quickly darting around the table, Esdeath gave Tatsumi a quick, yet passionate, kiss. "Goodbye Tatsumi my love, until we meet again." With one last wave, Najenda escorted Esdeath out of the room.
"C'mon Sayo, I'll help you to your room." Tatsumi said, as he wrapped one of Sayo's arms around his neck and helped support her. "After what happened you need to get some rest, let your mind recover." However, Tatsumi was surprised when Sayo suddenly grabbed his sleeve, her hands shaking.
"Please...just stay with me for a little while Tatsumi...I don't think I can be alone right now." Sayo pleaded in a weak voice, staring up at her childhood friend. "When I was reliving those memories...when I saw my own death...it felt almost as if a cold hand was wrapping around my neck...chocking the life out of me...I was so scared."
"Don't worry Sayo, I'll stay with you as long as you need." Tatsumi said with a smile, as he placed a comforting hand on top of Sayo's. "Now come on, you really need to get some rest."
"I think we should give those two some space." Leone said, walking in between Mine and Akame. "I think our presence would only make things worse."
"Yeah, Sayo looked pretty traumatized by what happened." Akame added, as she watched Tatsumi leave the meeting room. "She needs her closest friend right now."
"I'm just worried about something like that happening to me." Mine muttered, tightly balling her fists to stop her hands from shaking. "Tatsumi...Tatsumi did say that I was one of the people to die in his visions."
"Don't worry Mine, when that time comes we'll be here for you." Akame said with a small smile, as she placed a hand on the pink-haired sniper's shoulder. "Tatsumi and I won't let you suffer alone."
"Count me in too." Leone said with grin, wrapping an arm around Mine and Akame's necks, hugging them against her breasts. "We're all in this together, I'd never abandon my fellow harem sisters in their time of need."
"God, never call us that again." Mine said in an annoyed tone, as she tried to wriggle free of Leone's grasp.
"Yes please, that was really weird." Akame agreed, staring at Leone with an odd look.
The three female assassins stared at each other for several moments, before they all burst out laughing.
"Huh, I guess they are stronger than they look..." Chelsea thought, watching the three assassins from across the room. "Maybe they do have what it takes to survive this war..." Looking down, Chelsea stared at her shaking hands. "Will anyone comfort me during my time of need?"
(The Next Morning: Just Outside the Capital)
"We're not with Night Raid! We swear!" A captured thief pleaded, as he desperately fought against his restraints.
"We only stole because we were hungry! We didn't kill anybody!" A second their added, his eyes full of panic as he stared at his captor.
"So you admit to stealing, yet lie about not killing anyone." Seryu said, fiercely glaring at the three thieves tied up before her. "There were three bodies found in the home you looted, one of them was a little girl, couldn't have been older than six." The two bandits who had begged for mercy both flinched in fear at this revelation. "Evildoers like you, who would kill even children...the only worthy punishment is death. Coro..." The biological teigu appeared from behind its master, bearing its large and horrifying fangs. "Prey." In the blink of an eye, Coro lunged forward, devouring the two thieves.
"P-Please wait!" A third female bandit exclaimed, tears streaming down her face, as she bowed her head. "Those two forced me to help them! They threatened me and my family! Please, I didn't help them kill anyone, I was only supposed to carry whatever they stole. Just give me a proper trial, I'll spend time in prison! Just don't kill me!"
"Despite what you say, you helped them. A crime is a crime." Seryu said, her arm transforming into a large sword. "I don't wish to bother my captain and higher-ups over this. I will pass judgment upon the evil right here." The female thief began to sob hysterically, as Seryu raised the blade above her head, ready to strike down the bandit.
"Please! I have a daughter and I'm pregnant with a son!" The female thief exclaimed at the last moment, which caused Seryu to stop her blade mere inches away from the woman's neck. The woman's forehead was buried in the dirt, her tears staining the ground beneath her. "Please, if you have to kill me...at least wait until I give birth. Give my son a chance at live...and let me say goodbye to my daughter. Please...I beg of you."
"God damn it..." Seryu thought, gritting her teeth and tightly balling her fists. "It's just like that time in the bandit fort...FUCK! Ever since Tatsumi said those things to me I've become soft! I can't kill this woman! My conscience won't allow it!" Growling in frustration, Seryu's sword arm returned to normal. "Get up."
"H-Huh?" The woman said between sobs, as she hesitantly raised her head.
"I SAID GET UP! NOW!" Seryu exclaimed in irritation, yanking the woman back onto her feet. Grabbing a knife from her boot, Seryu cut off the woman's restraints. "Get out of here! You have ten seconds before I change my mind!"
"A-Are you seri-"
"10!" Seryu yelled, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "9! 8!"
"Thank you! Thank you! You not only saved my life, but my unborn son's as well!" The woman said, bowing in appreciation before she ran off into the nearby forest.
"Son of a bitch..." Seryu muttered underneath her breath, running her hands through her hair, as she stared up at the clear blue sky overhead. "What the fuck is going on with me..."
(Ten Minutes Later)
"Hey Seryu!" Wave called out, as he ran up to the auburn-haired Jaeger. Bending over, Wave stopped for a moment to catch his breath. "What happened to the thieves you caught?"
"Two of them are no longer a problem." Seryu said, walking passed Wave without looking at him. "The third managed to escape in the commotion." Wave wasn't about to say anything, but his eyes widened when he noticed blood dripping from Coro's mouth.
"Wait!" Wave said, as he grabbed ahold of Seryu's arm. "You killed those two prisoners didn't you? I know us Jaegers have special privileges, but I don't think that means we can just do whatever we-"
"They weren't with Night Raid, but two of those thieves were murderers. They were scum, so it wasn't a total waste." Seryu explained, shaking free of Wave's grasp. "We have to keep up this pace if we want to wipe out all the evil in the capital." Turning back around, Seryu began to walk back towards the capital. "Now come on, we have to see if general Esdeath has returned."
"I've had this creeping suspicion ever since I got here...the capital is seriously screwed up..." Wave thought, as he stared down at the hand that held Seryu's arm, remembering the strong chill that had ran down his spine. "It's a twisted and warped place, fully of monsters masquerading as people..." Reaching down, Wave tightly gripped Grand Chariot's hilt. "But...I have to repay the man I owe so much to...I'll just do my duties as a soldier and nothing more."
And done! I know this chapter wasn't super long, but it's meant to be sort of a filler chapter leading into the next big arc, where we'll see Night Raid and the Jaegers finally clash in an all out battle and we'll see if Tatsumi manages to save Chelsea in this timeline. I hope you all enjoyed Tatsumi finally revealing his secret to everyone, and the little extra reference I threw in there. The next chapter will pick up right where this one left off in the manga, and start the next big arc, so look forward to that. I'll try to have the next chapter out before Christmas, but no promises. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (I NEED AND LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK!), check out my profile and other fics if you haven't already, and PM me any ideas you might have for any of my fics. So until next time, I'm outta here!