Chapter 15 The Demon Slayer

Kaito, Mine, and Leone continued to journey along the roads in the countryside. They took great care to remain close to the kingdom's capital while at the same time avoiding the passing Death Trooper squadron here and there. At the moment they had no real goal other than to find clues as to where their friends might be and to restore their hazy memories.

As they strolled along the verdant hills and occasional dirt road, Kaito found himself in a state of deep reflection. After all, he had learned, the truth behind this world seemed to slowly but surely be revealing itself.

"Nox is definitely the one who's responsible for the sudden paradigm shift in the world. Me, Leone, and Mine all seem to remember a great light rewriting the world... and then here we were, no more than cogs in the machine kept by an overlord who rules this new society. As such, he more than likely holds the answers.

That said, I have a feeling he won't exactly be welcoming me into his castle for a chat over biscuits and tea.

I have to get stronger, stronger than I've ever been if I hope to stop him. And I also need to gather up people who can stand with me against someone who can end everything with the snap of his fingers."

"I don't think we'll find our friends in the capital... I was already absurdly lucky to run into you two," Kaito finally broke the silence as they continued to move across a dirt road surrounded by trees and dense foliage.

"I think you're right... if they were around these old' parts we should have seen them by now, but who knows right? Trying to find someone in the great city is like finding a needle in a haystack," Leone remarked.

"Indeed and—

Kaito stopped in the middle of his sentence as the three came upon something that got their eyes. On a nearby tree, two wanted posters were pinned to the trunk by a knife for bounty hunters and law enforcement. The first read; 'Red-Eyed Killer, Akame. Wanted for Treason & Rebellion against the Nox Dynasty. The second read; 'Rogue Death Trooper; Ame. Wanted for the murder of high-value targets within the Dynasty'.

Akame — that name caused the trio to grasp their craniums and flinch in pain as a sharp headache boomed through their brains. Recollections of the world that once was, memories of the Red-Eyed Killer who could cut through any in her way. They couldn't get a clear picture, but one thing was certain, she was their friend and someone they can trust with their lives.

The name Ame, however, did not seem to ring any bells, but given her Wanted status she was one to keep an eye out for at least.

"Well we know one of them it seems. I hope this Akame is still out there..." Mine pondered to herself.

"I remember a few things about Akame, a few faded memories, but I know she is badass and can take care of herself," Leone explained as a few memories of them partnering up appeared in her mind. She had a feeling that they would meet again someday down the road.

After a moment of silence, Kaito took a deep breath and stretched his arms.

"Well we'll need to get some supplies if we plan to travel further into the countryside," he proposed.

"Sounds like a plan. I know a few places that are safe for us to trade supplies and avoid law enforcement," Leone added. Even in this new world, she was still an expert when it came to dealing with shady individuals in the black market.

"Cool," The young knight noted before the blonde took hold of his right arm.

"And maybe I could show you some other things~," She teased.

"Hey!" Mine shouted as she hugged the left arm not wanting to be left out of the relationship. Kaito smiled knowing full well that being their lover would be no easy task.

Little did they know that a certain someone was watching over them with great interest.

A few days would come and go before the trio could rest again. In that time all they could really do was take on any jobs they were given or hunt to gain enough trade supplies to exchange for what they needed. At one point Leone almost dragged Kaito into a lingerie store but Mine thankfully stopped her. Right now they enjoyed lunch in a small restaurant that was perfect lay low for them.

"There's a lot of ground to cover and we might need a guide to help us travel around... but now we have the supplies to keep us going for two months," Mine analyzed.

"Agree, we will look for a guide after lunch, but for now try to get some downtime before we head out," The young knight asserted which the girls nodded in agreement.

In another two hours, the trio was out on the road that would lead them beyond the countryside areas surrounding the outskirts Capital.

"Hey Kaito," Mine called out.

"Yes, Mine?"

"You know we are being followed, right?" Mine asked whilst reaching for the case wherein she kept pumpkin.

"Yeah, I know. We have been followed since we first... I count six guys," Kaito analyzed.

"Six? I think it's seven," Leone corrected him.

"Seven huh? I must have missed one. Maybe it's a little guy hiding behind the bigger bald one," the knight joked.

"Well... it's time for a workout," the wild woman said with a smirk as her Teigu activated giving way to her animal-like form to emerge.

"I have been dying to do this for a long time now," The sniper said with a smirk before she pulled out her Teigu out of the case. Kaito likewise went on to quickly unsheath his Teigu and said.

"Let's go!" he shouted. However, before the three could do anything, they stopped as they heard bodies hitting the ground. All the Death Troopers had their throats slit in the blink of an eye.

"Okay... what the fuck?" Kaito spoke out loud.

"Yeah but...wait a second," Leone remarked before taking a deep sniff in order to get a new scent. The wild woman smelled the clean air, blood, and something flowery that hit her nose.

"What is it, Leone?" Kaito asked while still being on guard.

"I smell someone... and she is nearby," Leone answered before taking off north towards where the scent went.

"Wait for us Leone! Wait! Kaito let go of me!" Mine shouted as the knight carried her like a princess and ran to catch up with the lioness. Kaito had activated his armor to keep up with Leone.

The three soon ended up on a large open field. At the heart of it, they soon saw someone they never thought would cross paths with. A young woman with midnight blue hair with cyan highlights and cyan color eyes. She wore a white sleeveless top with a high neck. Overtop, she wore a dark purple straight-lined black jacket and hakama pants that were tucked into a butterfly pattern fabric around her lower legs. Moreover, she also had on a white haori with a butterfly wing pattern.

"The Rogue Death Trooper... Ame," Kaito thought.

The Rogue could tell that they knew of her but that didn't seem to bother her in the slightest mind.

"Before we clash... here is a song for the knight in shining armor and his allies."

Confident yet calm and collected, her voice oozed with a silent passion. Without any doubt in her eyes, she sheathed her sword and closed her eyes.

On that hot afternoon, the mysterious Ame began to sing without fear of her pursuers.

I Beg You (By -English)

"Give me pity

As if gentle touching a little fallen bird

Give me such a sadness

Tears in your eyes

Looking down

Saying I'm so pitiful

I don't mind even if you kick me around with your shoe

It's fine even if they're dirty

I'll take your muddy hand

Hey let's dance in a circle

Let's eat up

All the unsightly rabbles

An unbearable amount of spice is just right

lie, lie, lie, la la la...

The frightened bird

Is unable to say things like goodbye

Falling silent as a gesture asking for love

Thought it was being humble

lie, lie, it's a lie, not a lie, it hurts

Anyone wants to be hurt badly

And then go to a gentle world

Let's melt into one

Let's stuff our mouths

With love and hatred, we munch on

Inside a jar of sweet sweet chaos

lie, lie, lie, la la la...

Because you laugh vaguely

I feel like seeing you

I know you're here to stay with me

I just want to be loved

Lie, lie, lie, you're to be with me

Where lightning blossoms

A wretched and heavenly feeling

Only love needs to remain

Just sadness accumulates quietly

Simply burying wishes and regret in it

Even the scars from the spring day long gone

Where we tied our bond, disappears

Soon we'll be in a sparkling dream

The light rotting off

Is supposed to reach you

It's so bright

And my tears won't stop

Hey, please stay by my side

Take my muddy hand

Don't let go

Please stay by my side forever

Don't let go

It gets dark, stay with me

Don't let go, I can't see

Just stay by my side forever

Don't let go

I just love you

Forever."

Her melody rang with precision, she was a graceful butterfly. Naturally, the young knight blushed a little in amazement while the girls were stunned by such an artful display. After Ame was done, she took a bow and opened her eyes to see the travelers before her.

"Hello there," she greeted with a warm smile. The three blinked for a minute before getting out of their awe state of mind and speech.

"Hello Ame, my name is...," Kaito started but before he could even react he found Ame aiming her sword at him. He didn't panic but instead held his hands up and deactivated his armor.

"You're Kaito, I know that much," she said.

"We're not after the bounty. We were just wondering why you helped us back there?"

"You three are quite an interesting group. I have been following you three since you left the capital, figured you were rebels that might need help," Ame explained only to then ultimately sheath her katana once again.

"You need a group, right? How about joining up with us? We need someone to help us with traveling whilst avoiding Death Trooper routes."

Ame giggled. "Sure smooth talker, but that's only if we make it out of here."

"Wha—

Everything turned to a blur in that instant.

A massive burst of orange and yellow flames engulfed the area where Kaito, Leone, and Mine once stood wholeheartedly. The power of that blast not only scorched the earth but open up a massive burning. There would not have been any time to react to that attack, an unavoidable dead-end one may say. However, the girl known as the Rogue Death Trooper and great Azure Trailblazer would beg to differ.

Picoseconds before certain demise came, Ame moved like an incarnation of light itself. She casually sprinted over to the trio grabbing each of them by the hand as time around them seemingly stood still. She then instantaneously darted away with them right in time to avoid the eruption of fire that took place.

By the time it was all over, Mine had to throw up and Kaito was left with his ass on the ground in disbelief as he saw Ame's loomed over her.

"You saved us? I couldn't even see anything..." he proclaimed in shock. Her speed was incredible.

In the distance, a new threat landed amidst the open field. A man with pale skin, blood red, messy hair, golden eyes, and dark pupils loomed over the blazing battlefield. He wore a golden and red cloak over his slim body which itself was covered by Kavacha and Kundala. A living shadow alongside blood red and golden flames surrounded his body at all times giving him a startling look that dripped with strength beyond measure.

Kaito's eyes widened. "You are..." he mumbled.

"That's right, fool," an emotionless and more serious version of his own voice shot back.

"Just like you... I am part of the original Dragon Knight, Naruto Sieghart," he continued.

"But that's...—

" Impossible? Wrong," the fiery man cut him off.

It all started to click suddenly.

The memory of a flash of light.

A broken world.

And a hero who just like this reality is merely a fraction of what he once was.

"That's right... the original 'Naruto Sieghart', his existence was cracked apart when the concept of Naruto itself was eradicated across the multiverse by Nox in his godly form." Kaito thought as he slowly stood back up on his own two feet.

"Gaze upon me, Remnant! My name is Kogane Amaya... I am the embodiment of the Dragon Knight's vast power given flesh. Kaito Sieghart, you, on the other hand, are merely the humanity of the knight... your power is beyond lacking. To absorb you here and now would give me no gain," the fierce male, Kogane, proclaimed as he slowly approached with a spiral of fire and shadow swirling his overpowering presence.

"Looks like you already know each other... good," Ame shined in, "I can hold him back for a while, but we can't win against that kind of power as we are now."

Kaito sighed. "No way we can escape either... looks like it's do or die."

Humanity versus Strength.

Soul versus Body.

The war of the Dragon Knights begins.


Ame's Bio

"Revenge is naught but hollow emotions... for once it is fulfilled there is nothing left for the victor."

Background:

A protagonist of a different story — Ame was originally born in the north to a young couple of entrepreneurs.

At the time her father formed a business alliance with the Prime Minister and as a consequence, Ame became acquainted with Honest's son, Syura. It was later decided by the old man that the two would marry when they became adults.

In hopes of escaping his obligations and indulging in his business life, Ame's father killed her mother and abandoned Ame and her younger brother Kai when they were young. He then proceeded to do business in the Capital.

Some time afterward Ame and Kai had to fend off a danger beast attack by themselves. Due to their extreme poverty, they ended up feeding on their flesh. As a result, Ame developed immunity to poisons and Kai gained super speed.

Later on Ame's little brother Kai was tricked into eating poisoned food and soon after her village was destroyed by Aria's family which led Ame into a path of revenge. To that end, she drank the liquid from a vial containing the Extract Teigu known as Water God: Kõri no Ha (Ice Blade). However, the Teigu rejected her and the only reason she survived was due to her resistance to poison.

Kõri no Ha was a Teigu made from the blood of Aquadox, a danger beast so powerful it was truly self-aware and considered itself a god amongst simple beasts.

Ame spends the next seven years in search of revenge against the family that brought the death and destruction of her home. In that time, she was able to establish a hidden orphanage outside of the Capital for children who had lost their parents to crime in the Capital or during the war.

In the original world — Ame never crossed paths with Night Raid but she was there to witness the death of Aria and her family from the sidelines. With their demise, her need for revenge was, at last, satisfied and she could spend her days helping in the orphanage and singing for any who'd listen.

Syura is still trying to get her to be his wife, but she always turns his down.

In Nox's altered world — Ame's orphanage was burned down when Syura followed her there and exposed it to the Empire. Thus she was angered to her limits and joined the puppeteer's army of Death Troopers to end Syura. However, after learning of Nox's shady nature she decided to go rogue.

Personality:

A killer confident in her skills - Ame is commonly quite stoic, but in reality that is due to her keeping her thoughts to herself. Deep down she suffers just like anyone else. She can also come across as uncaring, but most of the time this is because she is emotionally closed off due to the death of her six-year-old brother, Kai.

Once fully acclimatized to a group she becomes more communicative and can often be brutally honest when needed to those she considers her precious allies which may lead to some tension.

Appearance:

Ame wears a white, sleeveless top with a high neck. Overtop, she wears a dark purple straight-lined black jacket and hakama pants that were tucked into a butterfly pattern fabric around her lower legs. Moreover, she wears a white haori with a butterfly wing pattern.

The only accessory she wears is a blue crystal pendant. She has a tattoo of three fancy snowflakes on her right collarbone, the tattoo is the stigma of her Teigu.

...

Character Data

Name: Ame

Origin: Dragon Knight, based on the original character created by Jenn Snow (Jenn_is_Starry_Music)

Gender: Female

Age: Late teens

Height: 157 cm (5'2)

Eye color: Cyan

Hair Color: Midnight blue with cyan highlights

Family:

Mother (Deceased)

Father (Alive)

Kai (Deceased little brother)

Status: Alive

Faction: Rogue

Cover: Street Musician and Orphanage

Caretaker

Teigu: Water God: Kõri no Ha. An Imperial Weapon that gives the user the ability to manipulate water and ice. Kõri no Ha is an Extract Teigu. It also has the potential to manipulate any liquid including blood inside someone and humidity in the air.

Classification: Rogue Death Trooper, Human Ryu-Jin hybrid.

Notable Abilities & Techniques:

-Has perfect photographic memory.

-Can sense the death of others.

-Can create ice spikes from any direction or location allowing her effortlessly impale or dismember foes.

-Her Ice dragon construct can be used to fly

-When possessed by Aquadox, Ame's body changes. Her hair extends out forming wings and her pupils gain the shape of dragon wings crossing over each other. Large spikes line her spine and a black dragon's tail wraps around the left leg.

-Furthermore when awakened Aquadox creates a cage of ice around the area where all life is killed by extreme cold.

-While possessed, Ame can use a move called Shadow Vapor - which is basically a condensed beam of black smoke and dark energy powerful enough to turn gigantic foes into dust.

-Ame can provide healing to others by licking their wounds. The same should apply to her own battle injuries.

-Ame can use an ability called Dark Rain — which summons a poisonous rain that can kill or poison a target on contact.

-Ame also has an attacked called Liquid Stalagmite which consists of hardened poisoned liquid in the form of spikes converging on the opponent. This is usually used in tandem with Dark Rain.

-Ame's true Trump card, Over Blood, is locked because her Teigu never truly accepted her as its owner.