The waters were calm as one could not expect in the night. Usually, there would be a danger beast attempting to capsize the boat Akame inhabited on.
So far it was a quiet day, she did some of her style of fishing. Ended up catching some small fish to her dismay. Back in her time with Night Raid she was usually catching tons of tuna left and right no matter the size and shape. If she was near a lake that is, but otherwise any other form of meat would suffice except humans that is.
No matter, it's not like she had the grand appetite before her battle with Esdeath. After countless battles and assassinations, the deaths of her dearest friends and comrades, and eventually facing the greatest trial of her life: Surviving her own Tegiu, she was bound to eventually lose some things along the way.
Well, at least now she didn't have to worry about cutting herself anymore when cleaning Murasame or what's left it now. The poison was part of her now. She managed to tame the beast side of her teigu.
Maybe she will start her own life all over without any more of the assassin nonsense.
Heading into the one-room cabin on her boat, she rested. Holding herself from the sting of her skin. The marks still hurt being a reminder for as long as she is alive, the pain will remain. Although it won't kill her.
Once night fell, she woke up to the boat rocking and swaying back and forth. A thunderstorm followed. Akame go up to make sure that the sails didn't catch fire. Heading out, she got her coat and walked across the deck. With a constructed katana at her side. Akame was sure there wasn't anything amiss.
Another lightning strike happen. This time, it was a bold purple color. She didn't think anything of it. Her only focus was on maintaining the sails. Not dropping them completely but just enough to get the wind pushing the boat.
Muuuuuuuuu.
A deep hum came from below the restless waters. Akame readied herself, gripping the handle she kept her cool in this roaring waves. Water ramming the boat, splashing letting water land on the deck.
Keeping her eyes steady focus on the sails. She clicked her tongue. Due to the storm, it seemed everlasting and she in the middle of it. There was no end in sight. Akame will just have to hold out into the clouds break and the weather dies down.
Muuuuuuuu.
It was louder and more ominous. Either the danger beast had already come up from the water or it was so big that even the heavy thunder and brash winds couldn't hide its roar.
Akame looked around, she circled around the boat making sure there were no leaks. Once she did a round and ended up hearing a loud crack of wood before something completely collapsed.
Turning around to face her cabin, it was crushed. She kept her hands steady. The storm wasn't strong enough to destroy it. What could it be?
Muuuuuu
This one was short, the reason why was Akame turned around a drew her blade and strikes a tail. Unfortunately, it was covered in armor. Using her agility, she dodged and weave from the surprising precision that came from this danger beast. Suddenly a dark purple array caused its tail to vanish. Akame was more or less concerned about the boat. She couldn't do anything out at sea in a storm such as this with a danger beast lurking in the waters.
She needed to kill the thing before anything more damage can be done to her vessel. The cracking of wood got her attention again, leaping away from a massive claw breaching from below the deck. Akame felt frustrated. Now that boat had a hole she couldn't last long if the beast wasn't killed. Oh, how she wished Murasame hadn't broken in her last fight with Esdeath.
The monstrous hand clawed at the deck. It pulled itself up. The facial reveal didn't surprise the young lady. What caught her attention was the purple gem stuck into its forehead. She dashed towards the beast as it roars in anger.
The creature didn't look amphibious, it had wings and seem capable to fly. Yet, it retreated into the waters. Inside the boat. Sprinting towards the gaping hole in her vessel. She looked down. There was nothing. The lightning from the dark sky's above illuminated enough to see through the whole. No water aside from the rain coming down inside. It left Akame confused.
The storm was not letting up. Water was filling up the inside. No sight of the beast. The vessel wasn't at least sinking but it would be slowly weighed down by the water if the storm kept up.
Akame tried to think of a way to hold the vessel together. Going towards the wheel, she gripped it tightly before turning with her strength. The steering wheel was rigid and stiff, she narrowed her eyes in irritation. Damn this old vessel, she should have gotten a better one. Even then it wouldn't matter in this storm logically though to her, it would at least give her some comfort for the unforeseen voyage.
She could feel the vessel slow down with each pound of water entering through the deck. Akame braced many times as the high waves crashed onto her mediocre vessel. Soon after the third wave hit, the stiff wheel broke under her pressure and raging waters.
With frustration, she gritted her teeth.
Muuuuuu.
It was here again. Akame got up to draw her sword. With a purple flash of light, the creature was above her vessel. Heavy wings, dark as night with glowing purple veins allowing the danger beast to be seen.
Dropping down like a bullet, it dived to wreck the main deck and Akame. The teenage girl leapt to the left dropping down, its body tore through most of the top of the vessels structure. With only the bottom and rest of the frame holding it together.
The beast landed on the end of the vessel. Akame was running out of surface to walk on. With the ship leaning onto one end, Akame only had one shot to take down the creature. Sliding down the wood that remain left, the black haired girl leapt at the creature.
As the beast roared with Akame as well. A purple flashed appeared in a blink of an eye. Her slash was on point, accurate, even it should have been a clean hit. However, without any second to spare, a claw dig into her back then another.
Akame screamed in pain. Falling down she reached for the railing. Grabbing it, Akame hanged on the side of her sinking ship. Pulling herself up with a pained effort. She heard the monster chuckling at her. Akame shook her head to rid of the hallucinations. At this point to hear distorted sounds, it wouldn't take a genius that she was bleeding at fast rate.
Glaring at her enemy, made a hand motion to come at her. Taking it as consent to eat her, the beast took flight preparing to eat its meal.
Akame was wavering, the poisoned scars from her self-inflicting wound during Esdeath's fight and the wounds of this beast were weighing on her. She stumbled even fell down to her knees. Really at this point, she was surprised that she lasted this long.
Most likely the beast would clamp on her head or torso, having her blade readied at the hip. This will be the last one. Water was now at her waist, she would lose her life. Either by the raging storm or the creature flying at her. Reaching into her skirt pocket, she pulled out a broken blade of Murasame.
The beast tackled her into the stormy sky's, her normal blade stalled from its teeth sinking into her abdomen. Other blade, however, Akame used all her might to strike the purple core on the forehead of the beast. With anguish, the beast fell from the skies. Its core beaming brightly. As she and the beast hit the ocean, the purple light engulfed them both with nothing else left.
Centuries later...
In the void of nothingness, Akame thought she reached death.
'Where?' Her question didn't feel entirely answered. She couldn't see herself or feel herself, it's as if she was intangible to everything.
'What?' As if she could feel something. A warmth, something innocent. It came across her very being. A gentle lukewarm sensation, as if she was in a warm bath.
'Where?' The void was vanquished, reveling a sunset on a beach. By the shores where waters break into the sands, a child stood standing holding something. A handle. Specifically a sword handle, Murasame's handle!
'When?' The child grasped it, holding it with carefulness. Hugging it towards his chest, the handle was about half of his small body.
'Why?' There has to be a reason she is seeing hallucinations. Her broken sword in the hands of a child. On a beach no less when she was at see moments ago. Or was she truly dead?
'How?' As if the child could sense her, he looked away from the sword and at her. He was truly innocent as if saw something that truly amazing.
"So...pretty." The boy spoke reaching up to Akame. Without question, the teenage ex-assassin reached to grasp the boy's hand but couldn't. What she saw as an incomplete visage. Fog or mist was in the place of her hand.
Akame couldn't speak. Nothing was allowing her to do anything. She was only looking at the boy. Only allowed to look at him because he was the next bearer of Murasame.
"Izuku! Come here! Your mother is going to worry if we don't head back."
The short attention span of a child made the boy looked past Akame. In an instant he took off running as if she had any eyes, they stay on the sight of the child.
The boy known as Izuku reached out to grasp the man's hand. "Dad! Look what I found!"
The white-haired man crouched down showing interest in his son's findings.
"What is it, dad?"
"It's a katana handle. Son where did you find this?"
"It was in the water!"
The man gave his son a puzzling look as to do with it. Izuku soon became excited.
"Dad, can I keep it?"
With really no harm in a blade-less handle. The father smiled at his boy. "Sure. Just make sure you don't leave it lying around. Otherwise, you mom might think it's garbage." With a chuckle, the man patted the boy on his head ruffling the similar curls they shared. Holding out his hand, the son took it while holding Murasame in his other free arm.
Akame was subconsciously following them. It was as if she traveled wherever the sword went.
Soon the father, son, and spirit arrived at the home of the family. Akame followed them up to Izuku's room. Where he showed the sword to his mother, Akame assumed.
The parents were setting up dinner when Izuku places the sword handle on his bed that showed sheets of some blonde man flexing his muscles. The picture reminded Akame of Bulat.
Once nightfall had started, Akame could only observe for what seemed to be a couple of hours before the child got up.
Izuku holding Murasame in his hand. He took a sloppy, poorly formed stance. Akame recognizes this stance. It was hers just a terrible imitation of it.
For the next several hours in the night, she would witness the boy practicing swings and slashes. As if Izuku's body was on autopilot because his eyes didn't seem all that awake.
Once dawn settled, Izuku went back into his bed. Sweat drenched his clothes and the floor. Akame while the whole time could only speculate what just happen. Did this child have a sleeping disorder? Why would he imitate her, how did he imitate her to be exact? Is this going to be a normal thing?
The warmth of her very being came once more as Izuku snuggles with Murasame handle.
By the time morning was up, the mother came into the room to wake her child. After some cooing and Wpleasant good morning kisses, Izuku awoke to an aching pain. The mom was troubled by her son feeling in pain. So she examined the places, after a couple of massaging the aching areas, Inko just came to the conclusion that Izuku was sore most likely from playing too much on the beach yesterday.
The day went on as a normal family could get, Akame tried with all her will to look around but she could only look at Izuku. At this point, it was really bothering her. She never felt so confined yet secure at the same time. Wherever Izuku went he would take Murasame with him.
Eventually, the dad or better known as Hisashi takes Izuku to the beach once again with Inko, the mom, to have some fun. They played with the water in their bathing suits when Izuku wonders off at moments that catches his attention, I mean he is four after all.
Akame looked a bit lazily as Izuku crouches down to pick up something. A black piece, soon Murasame began to pulsate causing the dark piece to fuse onto katanas handle.
"Wow...that's so cool." The child said in awe. Instinctively he looked back at Akame who was now a hundred percent positive that he can see her. Soon Izuku reaches out to her, this time Akame could touch him, her hands were there. Feeing the warmth, she had been sensing.
"Hello." Izuku greeted. Akame kneeled down before the child. She smiled, she could feel it. Yet why didn't she have clothes? The red scars were there but where?
"Your pretty." Izuku stated, Akame just ignored her previous thoughts and thanked the boy. While she couldn't hear her own voice, she noticed the boy understood her.
She and Izuku held hands for what seemed like minutes, but in actuality, it had been an hour. The two would converse back and forth with simple small talk, Akame doing her best to make sure the child was at ease.
Given how her existence reacted when the piece of the blade attached itself to the sword. Maybe in the coming of the future, she will get more answers as to why she is in this state.
"Izuku! Let's go home!"
"Coming!" Izuku leads Akame to his parents.
"Hey, Mom! Dad! I meet this lady, she is very pretty. See?"
The adults gave each other a puzzling look before asking. "Who son? Can you point to her?" The dad kneeled down. Izuku pointed next to him and up. Akame was surprised, was only the child able to see her.
The mother was the first to react. "O-Oh! My she is really pretty right dear?" Inko encouraged Hisashi to play along with the imaginary friend. Every child has one.
"Yes, really pretty almost as pretty as your mother, son. Let's go she is probably on her way home."
Izuku gave a look at Akame before saying. "She doesn't want to leave?" This earned a chuckle from the dad.
"Well, then why invite her over to stay the night?"
Izuku looks at Akame again before turning to Hisashi. "She said thanks."
"Well, then it's settled. Let's go, the four of us." Hisashi winked at Inko. Who in turn smiled at the situation.
Izuku still hanging onto Akame's hands leads her to back him with his family.
'This is sure is odd.' Akame thought.
"It sure is!" Izuku exclaimed at her.