Okay. So I wrote and I wrote and I wrote. When I reached what I would guess is the 75% mark of this chapter,it was already longer than any other chapter I had ever written. So I decided to split this into two chapters instead. Purely out of necessity. Since I didn't want to delay the realease any longer.

The consequences. (1/2)

Tatsumi was not that far away from Esdese when she left the prime minister. He had been on his way back from the bar in the slums. Heading for their chambers to change his clothes. He was standing in a giant corridor, chatting with the guards when she approached. Tatsumi had always made a point to talk a lot to those that patrolled the inner castle. They usually had a good sense of what all those that lived in the higher levels were occupying their days with.

The first thing he could feel was the power of her presence. Causing him to stop himself in the middle of a sentence. Turning his head to the end of the corridor.

The power and anger she was emanating was so strong that he could feel it several gigantic rooms away. He immediately realized that something big was going on. He could tell just from the fury he felt from her. Moving closer to his position at an incredible speed. The thing that scared him about it was how uncontrolled it was.

Ha had seen Esdese furious many times before. He had witnessed her rage and it's terrifying effects. But her anger was usually as cold as her powers. He had seen her filled with rage but yet she always stayed in full control. She always seemed to be calm enough to think about the situation and analyze what was going on.

Not so this time.

As soon as that wave of power and danger washed over him, he knew that this was diffrent from anyhting he had seen before. It didn't feel like cold maliciousness. It felt like an inferno of rage and indignation. It felt completely untethered and wild. Without any control to it. And it scared him greatly.

He turned his head to the two guards that he had been chatting with.

"Run!" he hissed loudly and grabbed Incursio.

The men looked at each other but before any of them could react, one of the great wooden doors in the other side of the corridor exploded into wood chips and smoke as Esdese's elbow smashed through it. Her figure flying into the long room. Bringing dust and smoke with her from the other obstacles she had destroyed on her way there. Causing some people in the corridor to scream and those nearest the door to fall over.

Tatsumi immediately turned invisible. Summoning Incursio. He was not quite sure of what was going on. Or why she was so angry. But he knew that it was not safe to be around her right now. So he decided to immediately turn invisible. But it was too late.

Esdese had not known exactly where Tatsumi was. She had actually been heading for their chambers. Thinking it most likely that he would be there. More acting on instinct than actual reasoning. But as she flew into the room there was a tiny little moment, a fracture of a second, when she saw Tatsumi. Just before he disappeared into thin air. But now she knew that he was there.

"TAATSUUMIIIIIIIII!" she roared at the top of her lungs and kicked off the floor. Launching herself towards that end of the corridor. Destroying the floor behind her as she did. All her instincts and abilities as a hunter honing in on him.

Tatsumi didn't hesitate for a second. If that rage was directed at him then there was only one thing he could do. He immediately turned around and jumped out of the corridor. Through the door he had entered through. Fleeing away from Esdese.

The problem was that he knew that Esdese could detect him slightly when he moved around in his invisibility. Even when he remained still she was often able to tell if he was nearby or not. So he quickly realized that he was in a bad position. If he moved around she would track him down and if he stayed still and hid then she might be able to slowly pinpoint his position just by telling how close he was.

There was only one option left to him. He needed to outrun her. Somehow.

As soon as he left the room, he came into a new corridor that stretched in two directions. He immediately picked one direction and ran away as fast as he could. Staying low and close to the floor. He realized that he needed to change direction again soon. Since he wouldn't be able to reach the end of that corridor before Esdese entered it.

He picked the first exit he reached. Which was a huge marble staircase that went upwards. Turning around a corner after a while. He immediately started to climb it in long leaps. Turning the corner in a matter of seconds. He kept climbing it for almost twenty seconds. When he reached the top floor he was faced with three giant doors. All going in diffrent directions.

He stood there for some heartbeats. Trying to remember if he had been in this part of the palace before. But then he heard a loud boom behind him and once again felt that oppressively strong presence wash over him from behind. Moving closer at a fast pace. He realized that she was climbing the stairs as well.

He immediately jumped through the door to his right. Not even having the time to close it behind him.

He went through the door and entered a vast library. Large wooden shelves moving all the way up to the ceiling. Several meters high. Spreading out for many rows before him. The opposite end of the library was covered with large windows. Tatsumi immediately moved in between the shelves. Staying low and moving quietly. He had never been in this room before. He didn't know if it had any other exits.

Just some seconds after he had started to sneak through the room, Esdese entered it. Halting herself in the doorway. Her earlier movement causing a strong wind to blow into the room. Making her hair blow before her and the loose papers in the room to fly up in the air.

Tatsumi halted his movement when he noticed that. He stayed low and absolutely still. The room was completely silent. It seemed like they were alone in it. After some moments he could hear her footsteps. Slowly moving in towards the center of the library. Her instincts on absolute edge. Searching for him.

Tatsumi dared not to move. Afraid of making a sound. She seemed to be two or three bookshelves away from him. He listened as the sound of her boot's footsteps echoed through the silent room. The sound slowly moving past the point where he was and moving further into the room. Tatsumi himself was trying to think about what he should do next. It was dangerous to move around right now. The slightest of sounds could reveal his position to her.

"I know that you're in here." Esdese said. Her voice a low growl. "I can feel it."

Tatsumi waited for her to say something more. So that he could move a little bit under the cover of her own voice. It took a little while until she spoke again.

"Show yourself." she hissed. Her voice almost a whisper. "Stop playing the coward."

Tatsumi started to move a few silent steps away as she said that. But as he took the fourth step, a long and thin spear of ice came flying through the bookshelf beside him. Loudly creating a hole and sending the books flying just a meter behind him. The ice spear piercing the floor a decimeter behind one of his heels. Tatsumi froze all his movements again. Less than a second after that, Esdese appeared in the end of the aisle he was in. Appearing with lightning speed in the end he was moving towards.

Tatsumi remained absolutley still. Holding his breath. He could hear his own heartbeats.

Esdese stood still in the end of the aisle. Slightly hunched with a hand on one of the bookshelves. Her eyes staring directly at him. But Tatsumi stayed still. He didn't know if she had detected him or if she was just looking at the ice spear behind him.

He met her gaze for almost ten seconds. Not breathing. Then her eyes moved away from him and looked down the aisle. She remained like that for a little while longer. Her eyes scanning the aisle. Then she slowly took a couple of steps to the side. Disappearing around the corner.

Tatsumi would have sighed in relief but was afraid that she would hear the sound of it. He very carefully allowed himself to breath again. Listening to how her footsteps traveled down a diffrent aisle.

He stood still for a long while after that. He looked at the door that he had entered through but he knew that he couldn't just make a run for it. She would hear him the moment he started to move around. He had to put his hopes on that she would leave the room.

But he got no such luck. After some minutes Esdese grew tired of searching for him like that. She simply raised her arms and smashed her fists into the bookshelves on both her sides. Causing them both to fall over in opposite directions. Hitting the shelves behind them. Causing a domino effect that spread quickly.

Tatsumi immediately realized her plan. She would bring everything down in the room and then look for him as he started to get out of the way. But the situation gave him the cover of sound once again. The room filled with noises now that the shelves were tipping into each other and books were fallling down on the floor.

As the shelf on his side started to tip over, Tatsumi caught one of the books that fell down from it. He threw it across the room. It hit the door he had entered through, just as Tatsumi intended. Causing it to slam shut. Tatsumi didn't know if she had taken the bait since he couldn't hear her over the noise. But he put his bets on it.

He launched himself in the opposite direction. Jumping out from the aisle just as the bookshelves collapsed against each other behind him. He brought his arms out in front of him as he flew through one of the glass windows. Not really knowing what awaited him outside. Guessing that it was better than remaining in the library.

He was met by a blue and clear sky as the entire city spread out in front of him. As far as the eye could see. He was rather high up. A lot higher than he had expected. Luckily for him, he was not going to fall all the way down to street level. Just a couple of stories under the window he had jumped out of a big inner garden stretched out. Raised in an inner yard. Positioned in one of the higher levels of the palace.

Tatsumi braced himself as he flew down towards the garden. Palm trees meeting him. Just as he was about to fall down into the thick vegetation, the wall above him exploded outwards. Sending stones and glass flying in all directions. Esdese flying through the smoke. Moving down after him. Tatsumi could only see her figure for a short moment before he fell through the foliage of the inner garden.

He landed in the middle of the vegetation. Surrounded by colorful fauna and bushes. The vegetation exotic and beautiful. Tatsumi had no time to admire the scenery though. He immediately jumped into the nearest bush. Laying down flat on his stomach under it.

Just as he did, Esdese entered the garden. Smashing down where he had been standing a second ago. Creating a small crater as she did. Sending dust and dirt flying in all directions. She straighted up and looked around. Searching for some movements. But she could see none. She had seen how some of the leaves had moved away for his invisible form. She knew that he was there somewhere.

"You cannot escape me, Tatsumi."she growled. Her eyes scanning her surroundings "I can smell you."

Tatsumi looked at her boots. Invisibility activated under the bush. She was standing less than a meter away.

Esdese could feel that he was close. But her patience was limited at his point in time. Currently not having the composure for a slow and steady hunt. She lashed out with a hand to her side. Sending a rain of ice spears in that direction. Shredding the entire garden on her left side. Obliterating the vegetation. She watched as the trees and bushes collapsed. Trying to detect any movement outside of the expected.

The bush Tatsumi was under was partly blown away from him as a tree trunk fell down besides him. Blowing dust up into the air. But he remained still. Esdese was way too close for him to move around. Even if she was looking in the opposite direction.

He thought that he was safe when a single piece of glass came falling down from the wall she had destoyed above them. It hit him in the back of his thigh. He barely noticed the hit. But when it bounced of him it made a distinct metallic sound. Unlike any of the noise the chaos around them created.

Tatsumi could feel how her gaze landed on him. As quickly as he dared, he turned his head up towards her. Finding her looking straight at him. He looked at her, wondering if she was just following the sound or if she had found him. After some moments he realized something. His heart skipping a beat as he did.

The tree that had landed beside him had sent dust and earth flying when it landed. He had dirt lying on top of him. She could see that it was just hovering in the air.

He remained still for some moments but she slowly turned her body towards him, so that she was facing. That made him realize that the jig was up. He deactivated the invisibility but remained in his crawling position. Both of them stood still and watched each other. Waiting for the other one to act. After a little while, Tatsumi took the initiative.

"Hey. Why are yo-" was all he managed to say. Esdese lifted her foot and brought it down towards his back in a stomping motion. Tatsumi immediately rolled to the side. Avoiding her foot with just some centimeters.

He kept rolling away. Ice spikes piercing the ground where he had been. "You ruined it." she called out to him as he rolled away from her. The ice following him. "It was perfect. And you ruined it." Her voice cold and hard.

Tatsumi didn't waste a moment. He immediately activated Incursio to the fullest. Exploding forward, past Esdese. Wearing the teigu's evolved form. Heading for the garden's exit. Revealed to him now that Esdese had leveled half of the garden to the ground.

He didn't need to look to know that she was following him. And she was close, he could feel it. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see her sword come swinging against his back. He brought his spear up in order to block it. He managed to do so in the nick of time but the force of the hit sent him flying to the side. He managed to land on his feet but Esdese was on him before he even had stopped his momentum. Swinging at him again.

This time Tatsumi had a more proper stance though. When he blocked her attack he managed to hold his ground. A loud clashing sound boomed through the garden as the two powerful forces met. Esdese's eyes widened ever so slightly. Suprised that he was standing his ground. They immediately started to trade blows. Blocking and attacking. Though Tatsumi stayed more on the defensive. He knew more than most about how insanely powerful she was. He knew that he couldn't win a fight against her in the long run.

Though suprisingly, they were more evenly matched than they both had suspected. At least in comparison to most fights Esdese could remember. It didn't take too long for her to start enjoying herself. A smile slowly appearing on her face. Even if the frown remained.

Tatsumi was trying to figure out a solution but it was extremely hard to do. He had to spend all his focus on their fight. Otherwise he would lose quickly. He decided to try and put some small distance between them. When he noticed that Esdese was going in for a stronger swing, he simply lightened his stance slightly. Their weapons collided with a loud metallic bang. Causing the wind to blow away from them. The strength of the hit made Tatsumi glide backward because of his lighter stance. His entire body moved a couple of meters away from the impact. Even if he remained standing. His feet making long marks in the dirt.

Esdese started walking towards him before he had even stopped. She was still radiating that same hostile and oppressive aura. But now she had started to smile.

"Glad to see that you are getting into a better mood." Tatsumi shouted. Trying to calm down the situation with conversation.

"This will be your last fight, Tatsumi. Your final battle." she said as she walked towards him. "And I am not about to let my bitterness ruin this final, beautiful moment."

Tatsumi took a stance. His eyes searching for escape possibilities.

"Come now, Tatsumi. Give me all you have. I don't want your final glorious combat to be lessened because you are not fully engaged in it." she called out.

Tatsumi took a step backwards but that immediately made Esdese pounce at him. Bringing her sword around in a powerful swing. Tatsumi blocked and once again they were fighting. This time Tatsumi had a hard time focusing on anything but the battle itself. Esdese was not holding back. Not only did he have to watch out for her swings and kicks but he also had to avoid ice spikes and projectiles that appeared out of the thin air all around him.

It didn't take long for one of her larger projectiles to destroy one of the walls on their side. Tatsumi immediately moved through the hole. Fighting of Esdese's attacks as he did. After a little while they had both moved through a couple more walls. People fleeing away as soon as they burst through the rooms.

Soon enough they had entered a huge staircase. Moving down along the wall in what looked to be the insides a tall tower. The stair moving in a circle. Attached to the wall of the cylindrical room. The middle of the room open all the way down to the bottom.

They moved down the broad stairs at a high tempo. Tatsumi backing off and Esdese following. Tatsumi slowly realized that this might be his best chance. After a little while he acted on his idea.

As soon as the fight allowed him to do so, Tatsumi jumped off the side of the stairs. Falling down towards the bottom of the room. He had expected Esdese to follow him and she did. But first she threw a boulder of ice after him. Larger than a house. Destroying the sides of the stairs at it flew down after him. Esdese speeding down the stair behind it. Almost fast enough to catch up to it.

Tatsumi landed at the bottom of the cylindrical room. The floor shattering under his feet. Esdese would be expecting him to move out of the room as soon as he had landed. But he wouldn't. As soon as he had stopped he turned upwards towards the incoming boulder. He lowered himself and then jumped up towards the ice. Bringing his spear up in a swing towards it. Putting all of Incursio's power into that swing.

With a loud crack the giant ice boulder shattered into many diffrent pieces. All varying in sizes. The largest ones bigger than a cart and the smaller ones as big as an arm. But the large mass of ice did not stop it's decent just because it had been divided. The ice scattered and started to destroy the stairs on the edge of the room but it still fell downwards. But that served Tatsumi well. He swatted away the block right in front of him with a swing of his spear. Then he allowed his momentum to carry him into the blizzard of blocks that came falling down.

This could be a deciding moment. There were two ways in which he could go. Either he could jump upwards. Kicking off from diffrent ice blocks to keep his momentum going. Or he could just fall down to the bottom of the room with them. The big thing was that Esdese couldn't see him currently. She would have to guess in which direction he was heading. It would be over in a second so she couldn't just track his presence like usual. Not in this chaos.

The ice was destroying the stairs all around it. If Esdese picked one direction and he picked another, then that could be where this fight ended. That might allow him to escape. He made his choice.

He noticed how the ice at his left was being pushed away. He realized that Esdese had also understood what this meant. She was moving through the ice debris herself to find him first. But he had another trick that she didn't know about. He knew that he could still activate the invisibility in this form. He had learnt it when he fought Makeias. He activated his invisibility and just a moment after that, the ice a little bit under him was smashed to splinters by Esdese sword as she flew by him. Just a couple of meters away. Tatsumi waited until she had passed behind a couple of ice blocks before he started to jump on the diffrent ice boulders.

Esdese herself concluded that he must have jumped down again. Him moving up and breaking the ice must have been a feint. She couldn't see him anywhere. And all the noise and movement around her made it impossible for her more sensitive perceptive skills to locate him. She let herslef fall down with the ice. Using her arm to knock away any ice above her that came falling down towards her.

But when all the ice had fallen down and the noise had settled, she stil couldn't see him anywhere. She immediately turned her head up and saw him. He was almost a hundred meter above. Standing at the stairs. Just at the point where they ended. Where the ice had destroyed them.

Tatsumi looked at her for just a fraction of a second before he turned around and started racing up the stairs. This was his chance.

He knew that she could still just jump from the walls in order to reach him. But that would require her to do a zig-zag movement between the room's walls. It would take some seconds. And that would be enough, now that he had the speed and agility of his fully activated teigu.

He accelerated to his highest speed. Moving up the broad stairs in leaps. He was so focused on giving everything that he got that it took some moments for him to recognize how everything had changed around him. He only noticed it when he saw a small rock in the air. Hovering some meters from the stairs. Flung up into the air as the ice crushed the stairs some moments ago. But the stone was just hovering in the air. Perfectly still.

After some heartbeats, Tatsumi realized that Esdese had activated Mahapadma. She had known that this might happen. She had planned to simply use Mahapadma to solve it.

Yet he was still moving.

He didn't understand why he was able to move around. He had been so focused on just moving forward as fast as possible. Focusing all of his strength on that. And somehow, Incursio's defensive abilities had repelled the effects of Esdese's mahapadma. He was still able to move.

He looked down over the edge of the stairs as he raced up them.

Esdese had already started to jump up the walls. When she saw him still moving around she got a suprised look on her face. Her smile lessening slightly. But then it grew wider than before. A dangerously happy look filling her face. Even now, she found joy and pride in his abilities. Even now, he excited her.

Tatsumi started to feel a small bit of relief. Now it seemed like he would be able to get away. Since Esdese had to jump along the walls in order to reach him.

He finally reached the exit of the room. The hole in the wall that they had entered through. He was just about to jump through it as he got a premonition. His instincts warning him of something his mind couldn't understand. He started to turn around but it was a little bit too late. Esdese's swing hit him straight over the back. Her sword cutting a deep dent into his armor. Sending him falling forward. He turned around as he landed on the ground. She had ice attached to her legs and elbows.

Tatsumi didn't have time to think about how she had gotten up there so fast as she attacked him again. Bringing her sword down against him. Tatsumi blocked but had a hard time attacking her back now that he was lying down. He tried to move backwards but it was not easy as she continued to swing down at him with hit after hit.

Soon he grew desperate and decided to make a dangerous trade.

He moved his spear a little too far to his side when he deflected one of her attacks. Which allowed her to reach down with her free hand. Grabbing a hold of his arm. Pushing it down to the ground. Tatsumi knew that her grabbing him with her hand could have dire consequences but Tatsumi was desperat and now her other side was open. Since he had deflected her sword arm and her free hand was grabbing his arm. He directed a kick at the point where her chest and stomach connected. Right at her side.

But Esdese had expected the attack. She immediately covered her side in a layer of spikey ice armour. What she hadn't expected was Tatsumi's strength. Brought forth from desperation and fear.

She started to freeze his arm but just as she was about to get done, his kick broke through her ice armor. His armored leg shattering the ice. The strong kick hit her straight in the side. Causing Esdese to involuntarily let out a pained yelp as she was launched to the side. The success of the attack was so unexpected to her that she had not prepared for it in the slightest. She flew away to the side by the force of it. Dropping her sword as she did. Her cap flying off her by the impact.

Tatsumi was suprised as well but he had no time to spare. He started to stand up but noticed that his right arm had been frozen to the ground under it. He immediately started to tear at the ice with his free hand. After some moments he managed to get free. He turned around and started to get back up. Abandoning his spear as he did. The weapon still frozen to the ground.

But he didn't manage to fully stand up before Esdese tackled him from behind. Knocking the air out of him.

"You will not escape me!" she shouted loudly. As he crashed on the floor with her on top of him. Her voice part anger and part desperation.

Tatsumi turned around under her but the moment he did, a cold and mind-shattering pain hit him in the shoulder. Esdese holding an ice spear in her hands. Leaving her sword on the floor in her attempt to catch him. She had brought the spear down towards him as he turned around. Hitting him straight in the shoulder. Parts of the ice broke of as it hit Incursio but Esdese double handed stab was strong and Tatsumi had no time to defend.

Tatsumi screamed out in pain as the ice spear pierced his body. Going through his shoulder and into the floor under him, lodging itself there. Pinning him in place.

Tatsumi's hands went up and grabbed the piece of ice that went through his body. But as he did that, Esdese brought up her hand and brought it down on his head. Her fist covered in ice as she did. Hitting him straight in the armor in front of his face. The hit causing Tatsumi's head to ring as it was knocked to the side. He let go off the spear and brought up his arms to defend himself.

But the first hit had left him dizzy. He didn't managed to stop the second hit, coming from her other hand and after that he was way to disoriented to block her fast and brutal punches to his head. Soon enough his arms were just sloppily flailing in the air.

Yet Esdese kept hitting him with all she got. Punch after punch. Her frustation not allowing her to stop. The ice broke against the armor of Incursio with every hit. Being resummoned around her fists as soon as she drew them back. Soon enough her knuckles were bleeding and Tatsumi's arms had fallen down to the his sides. His body twitching with every hit.

After a little while a crack in the armor appeared. Just over it's head. Esdese grabbed it with both her hands, bent forward and pulled with everything she got in her. Grunting loudly. And soon enough, the armor gave in. Very slowly being pulled back to reveal Tatsumi's face. The armor torn apart over the front of his head.

Esdese rose up a little bit when she was done. Looking at him. Panting heavily from the ordeal of pulling apart Incursio with her bare hands. Her face sweaty. Under the armor, Tatsumi's face wasn't that bad off. He was clearly bruised up and had the beginning of a black eye forming but beyond that, he had no serious injury.

His eyes were unfocused and his mouth slightly open. His eyes slowly settled on her. "Esdese..." he mumbled dizzly.

His voice made Esdese draw a sharp breath. She raised her fist and brought it down in the middle of his face. The last thing Tatsumi could feel was how his nose caved in and how his front teeth bent inwards.

Then everything went black.

Akame looked at how the whole procedure entered the room. Marching into it slowly. The group of people that were entering it in front of her was a varied bunch. Some were regular soldiers. Some looked like small giants. Too tall and thin to be considered regular humans. She could see one child and one fully armored man. The entire group walked through the tunnel behind them and into the room.

Makeias' retinue.

Akame herself stood behind a table. A single chair standing beside her. Opposite to the table's only other chair. She was surrounded by her friends and colleagues. Leone standing closest to her right side. Isamu a little bit further away on her left. Beside him stood one of the leaders of the revolutionary army. And beside Leone stood the leader of the religious movement known as the path of peace. Clad in his long robes and animal skull. Behind them stood an array of representatives and warriors from the revolutionary army. Along with some students of night raid. Training to become future members.

They were all standing in the dim lit room. With walls of earth and stone. Far underground. This was the meeting place that they had decided upon randomly. Intended to be a neutral ground for both parties. But Akame knew that wasn't the truth. She had a few cards up her sleeve.

She looked at the approaching group. She recognized the boy from the jaegers. Having met him before. Though he had changed slightly. Wearing a black coat and one of his eyes covered up with a bit of cloth that was wrapped around his head. He had a light scar across his chin and his hair was a bit wilder than before. But she recognized him immediately.

And beside him walked the one person she felt the least prepared to meet.

Kurome was meeting her gaze intensly. Barely even blinking. But her face was completely empty. Devoid emotions. Akame kept her own mask as well. Could she make this work out? A part of her wanted this meeting to be successful. Just for that sake. But even if an alliance was reached between them, would Kurome understand herm now that she had left them empite herself. Or would she still feel like her betrayal was to grave. Akame didn't know.

She moved her eyes to the other side of the approaching group. Dismissing that problem for the moment. Her eyes landed on Kai, the main administrator of Makeias' forces. Not that she had any idea of who the man was. But he was wearing a full plate armor that covered up everything but his head. His cloak swaying behind him. A giant sword strapped across his back. He seemed to be in his twenties but his eyes told her that he had seen a lot of hardships would say his attire looked a bit eccentric for a regular soldier but it paled in the company that he was in.

Beside him walked Tom-Tom. Akame had never seen him before either. She had seen his tribesmen before but the old man stood out even among them. His long beard swaying with each step he took. His staff way taller than his bent back. And the big owl that stared back at her from his shoulder.

As if to contrast how big the man was, a small child walked besides him. Akame looked at the tiny figure. Easily the smallest in the room. Her blonde hair reaching down to her knees and a military helmet on her head. Way too big for her. She had nothing but damaged rags on her otherwise. The little girl glared back at her with angry eyes.

Then Akame's eyes finally landed on the one in the middle of the retinue. The pillager.

The man looked almost regular in the company that he was with. She immediately noted that he was taller and thinner than the last time that they met. He was walking slightly hunched forward with his hands in the pockets of his cargo pants. Akame looked at the bandages that covered his entire body. She didn't know their exact purpose even if she knew a little bit about Morbus. But she was sure that there was a reason for them. She would have to be careful.

Makeias was smiling at her. She met his eyes with an empty expression. He was her biggest failure. If she had just killed him down in the mines so long ago then two of her old students would still be alive. If she had killed him back then, they would not be in this pressed situation. If she had succeded with her assassination then Najenda might still have been...

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen!" Makeias called out and raised his hands on his sides as he reached the table. "No need to be so tense. We are only here to talk, aren't we?"

Akame nodded. "Just so." she lied. "Thank you for coming her personally, Makeias. I really hope that we will come to an agreement."

Makeias gaze landed on her. His big smile still not reaching his eyes.

"Though I must say that I am a bit suprised." he went on. "I did not expect to hear from you. At least not in this manner. After all that went down in Garu. And... before that as well." he said and his smile widened.

Akame ignored the insinuation and started to sit down in her chair with closed eyes.

"I mean, the last time you and I met in an underground room like this, you were trying to kill me, Akame." Makeias said and started to sit down in the other chair. "I don't want to bring any grudges to this meeting but I lost a lot of men that day. You are just as fearsome as they say."

Akame looked at him for some moments. She didn't want to walk down this road but there was one thing that she wanted to know. "I lost two of my students to you that day. I will leave that behind me but I would like to ask you about what happened to the one that you didn't leave for me to find."

"I am sure that you have guessed that she is long dead." Makeias said. His smile becoming a bit more compassionate. At least giving her that courtesy.

"How did she die?"

"Her end was more painless than the one I left for you. That is all that I will say."

Akame's gaze was rock hard. "They were barely teenagers."

Makeias shrugged. "I told you the last time we met, it seems to me like they grow younger every day. Besides, you killed sixteen of my men. They had families and friends that I had to write the death memos to. But I will be kind and say that we are karmically even."

She was about to bring up Garu but stopped herself in the last moment. She couldn't start that fight. It would lessen the chances for diplomatic success drastically. And she was not yet ready to leave that option behind. She decided to move on.

"I will not pretend that I don't hold a grudge against you, Makeias. But I believe that my own wishes comes second to what is best for my organization and the people of the empire. You have killed people that were very dear to me. But for the sake of the future, I will leave that behind me. Can I ask you to do the same?"

"Suprisingly noble words for an assassin." Makeias said. "But I couldn't agree more. I am here for the sake of the future. That is all that matters now."

"We have come here to offer you a chance to ally yourself to us. We believe that an alliance between us will bring the end of the empire with it."

"Yeah, yeah. You stated so much in your letter." Makeias said and waved one of his hands in the air. "And that is all well and good. But what really matters to us right now is what circumstances you demand for this alliance to go down. To be more exact, what is it that you demand of me?"

Akame brought forth a folder. She pushed it over the table, to Makeias. He picked it up and opened it. The room was silent as he read through it.

"You know that these demands are impossible." he said after a while. His eyes still moving across the papers.

"We are willling to tolerate a few exceptions and some of these demands are negotiable. But we won't budge on the main point."

"You want me to stop all my foraging from the common people." Makeias said and looked up from the folder.

"It's raiding, plundering and pillaging. Let's be honest here." Leone said with a hard smile.

Akame nodded. "You will need to stop your force's cruelty towards the common people if this alliance is going to happen."

Makieas closed the folder and put it down on the table. "And how will I then sustain my forces?"

"The revolutionary army have been able to sustain themselves just fine with the support of the people and anonymous backers."

"Well, not to sound condescending but I don't wish to end up the same way as your organization has." Makeias said and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Our current state has little to do with our resource management." Akame said plainly.

"Is that so?" Makeias said. His smile staying. "Either way, I don't think I can get that kind of support that quickly. It will take some time to find that kind of supporters. And during that time my soldiers will have to live on some rather poor standards."

"Is your morale so low that you can't even push your own men to do some sacrifices?" Leone asked mockingly.

"Ohh my organization is very diffrent from yours, my lady." Makeias said and smiled at Leone. "I actually have to give my soldiers hopes of victory. They aren't gathered by some lofty ideals of a better world. They stay together with me because they hate the empire. And hate can only substitute solidarity for so long. If I start reducing their living standards as well then that might lead to problems."

"So you can't control your own troops then?" Leone pressed on.

"Ohh I know how to put the whip into practice." Makeias said and shrugged."But they work hard for me and put their lives on the line every day. I prefer to tempt them with rewards instead of threatening them with punishments."

Leone was about to answer but Akame silenced her with a look. She then turned her eyes to Makeias.

"I have made it very clear that we won't work together with you unless you can stop this pillaging of the innocent. Shall I take this as a no?"

The room was very tense as all attention was focused on Makeias. Everyone in the room knew that this might be where things turned messy. Akame didn't let it get to her. She and hers had prepared well for this. They knew what to do as soon as it was evident that Makeias wasn't interested. All the preparations were done. The pillager would not leave alive.

Makeias eyes slowly traveled down to the blade at her side. Murasame. Then his eyes slowly moved up to hers again.

"Ohh I don't know about that." Makeias said slowly.

"What?" Akame asked. She had been sure that he was going to decline.

"There are a lot of things to gain from an alliance with the remnants of the revolutionary army." he went on and tapped his fingers against the folder on the table.

"Sure." Akame said. A bit uncertain all of a sudden.

"I will need to take this back to my army. This conditions will need to be discussed at length in my organization. I am sure you will understand."

Akame was unsure on the right course of action. She had been certain that negotiations would fail. She had prepared to take down the pillager. It had always been the main objective. But what if this actually could work? What if an alliance between them really was possible?

"Of course." she said after some moments.

"I suggest we set up a second meeting. In a week or two. Then we can decide if this really is possible." Makeias said.

Akame's mind raced. She wanted to end this here. Giving the pillager more time created more uncertainties. But how could she demand so without seeming hostile or suspicious. She couldn't just demand that the pillager decided everything on spot. That seemed unreasonable. As if the only thing she was striving for was more fighting. She couldn't do that. Not now that she was the leader. She had to give peace a chance.

"Fine." she sighed. "We will have a second meeting. On two conditions."

"Mhh?" Makeias raised and eyebrow at her.

"The first one is that I will decide the location. You can decide how long to wait but I would advice you not to take too long. Our common enemy won't be weakened forever."

Makeias simply nodded in response.

"Secondly, I want one of your subordinates as ensurance that you will contact us again."

"That is fine." Makeias said. "But only if I get an hostage in return. So that I know that my own subordinate will be treated well."

Akame nodded. Her gaze then wandered through the strange group standing behind Makeias. She decided pretty quickly. "Okay. Then I want that one as my prisoner."

She pointed at Wave.

Wave seemed suprised but not much more than that. Makeias looked at him over his shoulder. Akame had struck him in a bad place with this. Wave was his admiral. If something would happen to Wave then he would risk losing all of his newfound naval power. Since those men were loyal to Wave and not him.

Makeias was about to try to object when Kurome stepped forth. Putting herself in front Wave. "I will take Wave's place." she announced loudly.

"Deal." Makeias said before Akame could object. "And I will take that beautiful young blonde beside you."

He pointed at Leone.

Leone smashed her fist into her hand so hard that the bang of it echoed in the room. "Deal." she said with a challenging smile on her face. To Akame's dismay.

"Give me a second." Akame said and turned to Leone. "Are you sure about this?" she whispered so silently that she thought only the two of them could hear it. "He didn't pick you by chance. And he is not the kind of man to swayed by your looks. He is too cold for that."

Leone just smiled and patted Akame on the shoulder. "Relax. I know how to handle myself. I survived the hospitalities of Esdese for months. I think I can handle the pillager."

Akame didn't like this but she couldn't back down now. On the opposite side of the table a similar discussion was going on.

"I should be the one to go. She requested me." Wave objected in whispers to Kurome's back. The smaller girl standing in front of him.

"Like I could leave you with them. They will stab you in the back before you even turn it towards them." Kurome said silently.

"They can't do that. Then Makeias will kill his hostage."

Kurome was silent for some moments. Not able to argue with that. But she had her own reasons. "Let me do this, Wave. I have some unfinished business here as well." she finally said.

Wave opened his mouth but then closed it. Stopping himself.

Makeias turned in his seat and looked at Kurome. Waving her closer with a hand. When she walked up to him he grabbed her arm.

"Be careful. We might have to improvise later on." he said silently. Kurome looked at him. A bit suprised at the interaction.

"Don't concern yourself. I am not Wave."

Makeias nodded at her and let go off her arm. Only then did Kurome realize that the hand that had grabbed her was not covered in bandages. The only part of his body that wasn't. Apart from his feet.

Makeias smiled at her and rose up from his chair. "Well then. I will contact you soon enough. Then we will decide if there is a possibility for an alliance. And by extension the fate of the empire."

Akame nodded and turned around. She squeezed Leone's shoulder and then started to leave the rooom. The group behind her started to follow her. Kurome looked at Wave one last time over her shoulder. Then she started to walk towards the other group. Leone starting to walk towards Makeias' group at the same time.

Makeias looked at Kurome. Thinking about the situation. After some moments he picked up the folder on the table and startd to leave the room as well. As he was about to turn around he looked over at the other group. Focusing on the man in outskirts of it. The man wearing a huge animal skull. As part of his uniform. The religious leader of the path of peace.

Makeias smiled at the man. The black empty sockets of the skull stared back at him. After some moments, the big animal skull nodded to him.

Author's note:

Will keep this short so that I can continue working with the next one.

So yeah, this chapter ended a little bit adruptly. Since it was supposed to be the halfway point of a much bigger chapter. But the bright side is that half of the next chapter is already written. It will hopefully be done within a week. 7 days at most.

And hey, more than 400 followers now. Nothing like a meaningless milestone to boost one's self-esteem! But seriously though, thanks a lot for reading. If no one would read this then it would not be written.

Take care of each other.