Soul of the Tempest - Shinatsuhiko

by BringZStorm

Tatsumi lost everything at the young age of seven. He is found and raised by a former general of the empire as a warrior destined to pave a road with blood and death. Carrying the blessings of the wind, he has only one mission. Bring down the Millennial Empire. [Originally Blade of Tempest - Shinatsuhiko]

13. Chapter 13 - Double Agent

Happy Christmas, Merry New Years and Holiday Greetings everybody! (Same from the editor)

Sorry for the long wait, this chapter took quite a while to write.

I just wanted to thank all my readers for a wonderful year. I'm really glad I rewrote this story and I'm a lot more confident in it, although there are flaws here and there that my editor is not afraid to point out. I'm grateful that you guys were so supportive of this story and it has been incredibly fun for me to write this.

As a thank you gift and a Christmas present, this DOUBLE sized chapter!

Cheap advertisements and holiday greetings aside, without further adieu...

Chapter 13 - Double Agent

---

Under the red light of sunset, the majestic form of the Imperial Royal Palace could be seen from every corner of the capital city. Having stood a thousand years, the palace embodies the royalty and majesty of the empire. Every section of its intricate architecture speaks volumes of the talents and abilities of the creators, yet inside the audience chamber, the beautiful architecture only furthered the oppressive atmosphere.

Bathing in the dim lighting, before the emperor, Yoshiro knelt with his head low and his eyes closed. Standing beside the young emperor who sat on his throne with a small frown, Prime Minister Honest stroked his beard as he observed the young man. At the bottom of the stairs, before the throne, standing to both sides of the red carpet that led from the door to the throne, stood 6 men, 3 on each side. Each man had enormous political and economic power, standing at the top of the Empires political hierarchy and the acting advisors of the young emperor.

"Do you know why you've been called here?" One of the men to the left asked. Yoshiro slowly opened his eyes.

"No." He replied simply. Another man growled and yelled in an angry voice.

"Don't lie! You-" Prime Minister Honest clapped his hands once and the man instantly closed his mouth. The silent message of 'You're before the emperor, calm yourselves' was communicated through a single gesture. Honest placed his hands behind his waist and looked down at Yoshiro.

"Less than a week ago, Akame betrayed us and defected to the rebels." Honest said. "And you are suspected to be a potential traitor as well." Yoshiro's eyes widened and he abruptly stood up.

"What!? There's no way that Ak-" He yelled while facing the emperor and his advisors, but a wave of anger exploded from the advisors. The sharp looks of anger and suspicious silenced Yoshiro and he quickly returned to a kneeling position. "I ask for your forgiveness, your majesty. I spoke out of line." He apologized quickly. The young emperor shook his head.

"You're forgiven, I understand this is shocking news." Yoshiro closed his eyes, silently sorting out the news.

"...Is this true?" He asked hesitantly.

"We heard this directly from Akame's sister, Kurome. It appears her sister had attempted to convince her to defect together. Needless to say, the traitor failed." One of the men said. Yoshiro stayed silent after hearing the undeniable truth.

"You are under suspicion for treason due to your association, yet thanks to your years of service for the empire, you've been granted a chance to prove your loyalty." Prime Minister Honest announced. "Our scouts have discovered a rebel camp 300 miles southeast of the Capital. Exterminate them." It was a suicide mission with the death penalty waiting if he failed. Yoshiro looked up at the emperor and Honest with cold, ruthless eyes.

"Yes, your honor."

---

Yoshiro stepped out of the audience chamber and began walking towards the room where he knew his mission details awaited. As he stepped by a window, he stopped for a moment and looked outside, relishing the sweet release from the oppressive atmosphere inside the room.

Outside the window, the sun had disappeared off the horizon and the red sky had transformed into the dark indigo of night. He closed his eyes and smiled, recalling a scene from the night before under the same sky.

Yoshiro strolled through the almost empty streets of the empire under the dark indigo night sky. The uncanny way hundreds of thousands of people disappeared the moment night arrived never failed to send shivers down his spine. Comparing to the congested streets of the empire during the daytime, the few dozen men and woman walking around might as well not exist.

He took a bite out of the pastry he held in his right hand. It was a simple meat bun stuffed with pork and vegetables, fried to a golden crisp. A single bite causes scorching hot meat juice to burn the insides of your mouth. It wasn't bad. It wasn't bad at all.

While thinking this, he nonchalantly turned and strolled into an empty alleyway, after confirming no one was within sight range, he took the last bite of his meat bun and called out to the presence that had been following him for the past hour.

"You can come out now." A figure dropped down from the rooftops about twenty steps away from Yoshiro and he raised an eyebrow. "Akame? Weren't you sent to Heliyx to find and kill a rebel leader? You're back already?" Akame frowned slightly, hesitating as if conflicted over what to say. Yoshiro's confusion rose to a new level, having never seen such hesitation from the red-eyed girl.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Yoshiro asked, now slightly alarmed. Akame took a deep breath.

"Yoshiro, defect from the empire with me."

"...eh?" Yoshiro immediately checked the surroundings for observers or some form of surveillance, and found none. "Eh? Ehhhhhhhhh?!" Once he confirmed they were the only ones around, he involuntarily released a screech that was completely out of character. "A-are you serious? What happened?!" Yoshiro yelled in succession.

"... I met someone in Heliyx. He opened my eyes to the truth that was right in front of me this entire time. Yoshiro, our blind loyalty to the empire had clouded our conscience and tricked our morals. For what purpose have we been killing so many people? Realize the truth Yoshiro. We shouldn't be fighting for the Empire." Akame said with regret and a hint of desperation in her voice. Yoshiro grew silent after hearing her speech. With his hair overshadowing his eyes, Akame was unable to see the look on his face. Slowly, he raised his face and a murderous look was directed at Akame.

"...Don't screw with me, you think the empire will just let you leave?" Yoshiro asked while pulling out his blades from behind his back. Akame grit her teeth and laid her hand on her katana, dropping into a combat stance.

"Yoshiro, you are coming with me. I failed to convince Kurome, I will not fail again." Yoshiro smiled darkly and spun his daggers in his hands. The back of the blade glided along his fingers in a fluid motion and he looked at Akame condescendingly.

"You think you can beat me?" A wave of killing intent washed over Akame and she held her breath. The Elite Seven had a ranking system based on the order of the completion of the initial trial, but the rankings could change through a duel between two members. Gozuki encouraged these duels since competition cultivates growth, and so the lower rankings of the Elite seven constantly changed. The only ones who retained their positions throughout all the years were Najasho and Yoshiro.

Akame had never once defeated Yoshiro in a duel. Yoshiro would always use the surroundings and his stealth to his advantage and checkmate Akame before she could do anything. Even worse, she was now in a situation where she can't lay even a scratch on her opponent with Murasume, and he would be holding nothing back.

But she didn't waver and she tightened her grip on her Teigu.

Seeing that, a smile appeared on Yoshiro's face and his killing intent disappeared and he sheathed his daggers. Akame's eyes widened in confusion, silently asking Yoshiro what his intentions were.

"It seems you are serious. I'm glad." He said softly. Seeing his expression only further confused Akame, who slowly released her grip on Murasame.

"W-what are you-"

"But I can't come with you." Akame's eyes returned to a glare.

"As I said, you are coming with me even if I have to-"

"I am different from you and the other five." Yoshiro interrupted in a loud voice. Akame took a step back at the anger in his voice. "You performed your acts with eyes blinded by the teachings of the empire. You guys are not at fault, the empire is responsible for raising you that way. But I am different. I performed the same acts knowing what I was doing, knowing who my victims were. That responsibility is mine and mine alone." Yoshiro's revelation struck Akame speechless. She wanted to shout at him, ask him why he did what he did if he knew it was wrong, but then she realized the truth.

The anger in his voice was not directed at her, it was directed at himself.

Yoshiro turned around.

"Rest assured, I will take care of Kurome for you. Leave the city while you can, it won't be long before the Empire sends troops after you." He warned and began walking away, but after three steps, he stopped. "... The person who opened your eyes, what was his name?" Still extremely confused and caught up in the moment, Akame responded.

"T-Tatsumi." Yoshiro froze and a large, genuine smile appeared on his face.

"I see… I'll have to thank him won't I." He mumbled just loud enough for Akame to hear. Her eyes widened at the implied relationship between her benefactor and her best friend.

"Akame, from now on, use your talents for what you believe is right. Take care."

"W-wait!.." Her shout was meaningless as the form of Yoshiro had already disappeared from the alleyway. Those words never reached Yoshiro's ears.

Yoshiro smiled from the recollection before sighing in dejection.

"I'm conflicted as to whether thank that bastard or not. He saved Akame but now I am the one who has to deal with the aftermath. At least warn me beforehand so I can make some preparations..."

He continued walking, having wasted a few minutes in a flashback. He grumbled under his breath.

"Suicide missions suck."

---

"Suicide missions really suck." Yoshiro grumbled under his breath.

Drops of blood dripped off the tips of the daggers Yoshiro held in his hand. The daggers were seven inches from the tip to the butt. The handles were pitch black, made of an odd material that felt oddly like skin, just soft and flexible enough to fit perfectly to the drip of the user, ensuring that the blade wouldn't slip at all when held tightly. From the handle, the back of the blade was straight except for a crescent curve near the handle. The edge of the blade had a similar inward curve, except it bulges outwards before returning to a straight edged blade that narrowed to a tip at the very end. The blade had a dark blue hue, the same color as the night sky.

Yoshiro picked up the body of his victim and set him in his bed. He wiped his blades clean with the underside of the blanket and shifted the victims body so that the slit on his neck was hidden from view.

"And that's the 9th…" Yoshiro whispered to himself. The sound of footsteps resounded outside the tent and Yoshiro frowned. The flaps to the tent opened and two people stepped in.

"Captain, the tro-" The first one said before the other one covered his mouth with a gloved hand.

"Shhh…" The guy whispered, pointing at the unmoving body of their captain. The eyes of the first man widened and he quickly covered his own mouth. They hurriedly stepped outside of the tent and whispered towards each other.

"It's rare for the captain to sleep this early." The first one pointed out.

"The captain has been busy recently coordinating the different camps and rushing them towards Heliyx. He deserves it, so let's shut up and leave him alone. We can inform him about the matters later." Their whispering voices disappeared off into the distance. Behind them, standing hidden behind the tent, a figure seemingly emerged from nothing, like a person floating to the surface from underwater. Yoshiro peaked out from behind the tent and confirmed the soldiers had left.

"I've got around another 15 minutes before they realize their patrol is dead. In that time, I have to take care of at least the rest of the sleeping troops." Yoshiro whispered to himself.

He clenched the grips of his daggers and his figure vanished, submerged into the surroundings without a trace of him existing in the first place.

Location - Rebel camp - 76 miles north, 53 miles east of the Capital. A temporary base set up by a rebel army squadron of 60 men. Patrol consists of three groups of 6, another 8 men were standing watch at the walls and entrances of the encampment. Around a third of the camp was asleep and the rest working. Within 15 minutes, the first group of patrols were suppose to return.

Which they won't be.

After the rebels realize the patrols haven't returned, they will definitely send out men to confirm their status. Once they notice the 18 bodies littered in the ditches and behind the hills surrounding the area, the camp will go into maximum alert. There was not a chance that Yoshiro will be able to take down everyone in the camp within that 15 minute time period. So at the very least, he will send the soldiers living in the dreamworld into an eternal slumber.

But at this rate, I don't have the time to be disguising each and every body… Guess I'll just have to risk an earlier exposure. Yoshiro thought as he dashed right by a rebel, who didn't even blink. He slipped into a tent and picked out the half a dozen heads resting inside the dark interior, his form melting out of the darkness. His blades glinted from the thin ray peaking through the flaps of the tent and blood sprayed into the darkness.

The sound of blades tearing through the air dissipated and the light breathing and snores that were apparent before was now completely missing. Yoshiro closed his eyes, knelt down and offered a silent prayer to the corpses that slept under their covers. His eyes opened and his form once again disappeared from the tent.

Outside, a soldier yawned as he lazily walked by the tent, having not noticed a single thing. He drowsily took one step after another, after a few more feet, he was greeted by his comrade.

"Is it the end of the shift yet? I'm reaching my limit. Haaaaaaaah～" He asked before covering his yawn. The other man gave him an exasperated smile.

"You're gonna have to hold off from sleep for another while, patrol hasn't returned so a group has been sent to check on them. If I find out that they've been sneaking alcohol again I'll actually rip them a new one. Once their safety is confirmed, you can go fetch the-" His voice was lost as alarmed shouts reached his ears and he spun towards the sound of the voices.

"Emergency! Emergency! The patrol were found dead and hidden in a ditch southeast of here! It's possible that the enemy has already infiltrated our camp!" The sleepy man's eyes widened and he looked at his comrade. The friendly rebel narrowed his eyes and turned to the sleepy man.

"Go wake everyone up! Search the camp for the assailant."

"No need, I'm right here. And don't worry about waking up the others, you'll be joining them in an eternal sleep." Those were the last words the friendly soldier heard. A presence appeared suddenly behind him and pain erupted in his throat. Strength faded from his body and his knees buckled, as he fell he tilted his head to the side and met eye to eye with the invader.

A youth in his late teens, gripping a pair of black daggers, returned a look of sadness.

The groggy soldier who was now fully awake opened his mouth to scream the name of his fallen comrade, but only a faint gurgle could be heard as blood muffled his scream. His body his the floor and he weakly glared at Yoshiro who looked down sadly.

"Sorry. This needs to be done." The man died without hearing those words.

The clanking of armor and footsteps rushed from the four corners of the camp and Yoshiro found himself quickly surrounded by all the soldiers that remained in the camp, numbering slightly over a dozen. Their glares were just as sharp as the spears and swords they pointed towards Yoshiro and filled with anger.

"You bastard! Were you the one who killed everyone?!" One man screamed with bloodshot eyes. Yoshiro closed his eyes slowly and clenched his daggers.

"Yeah." The man roared in anger and rushed towards Yoshiro. One of his comrades yelled for him to stop, but it was already too late. He jumped up and swung his sword down from overhead. Yoshiro swiftly spun on his right heel and poised his dagger. The incoming sword harmlessly slipped by and the man's momentum carried his heart right into the blade. The blood spurt out from the wound, spilling all over Yoshiro's blade and splattering onto his cheek.

"You...mon...ster…" Taking his final breath, he filled all his hatred into that one word. Gravity naturally pulled the lifeless body off of his dagger and the thud that followed sent the rest of the remaining rebels into a frenzy.

Yoshiro whispered something under his breath, his voice masked by the commands of the one remaining captain.

"Do not rush in! He can't escape as long as we keep our encasement! Attack on my mark!"

"Too slow." Yoshiro replied. His figure vanished from the vision of the soldiers, confusion spread among the ranks of the rebels and they searched the sky for Yoshiro whom they assumed had jumped. But no matter where they looked, they couldn't see any hint of movement.

"W-where did you come from!?" The confused scream came from the captain. His expression was filled fear and confusion, a look shared by the soldiers to the left and right of him.

"G-get him!" The captain ordered. The two soldiers next to immediately responded by dashing forward, and in an instant, clean, beautiful cuts appeared on their pharynx. They collapsed onto their knees, holding their dripping throats, futiling wheezing for air and choking on their own blood. Gasps and yells of confusion erupted from the other soldiers. The captain looked around and screamed.

"W-what are you all doing!? Why aren't you attacking him!?" He screamed at the dozen other soldiers. The soldiers shook under the fury of their leader. Their faces were cramped in fear and confusion, without a single clue what to do.

"Captain? Attack who? What happened to those two soldiers!?" A soldier screamed hysterically, holding his head. The Captain pointed his finger towards empty air.

"Who else?! The assail- " His screams were interrupted by a hole that opened in his throat, stabbing through his larynx. With eyes filled with pity, Yoshiro brought his head close to the dying man.

"It's no use. They can't see or sense me. This is the power of my Teigu - Reaper's Shadow - Pandora." Yoshiro whispered as he pulled Pandora out of the captain's throat. His eyes wide in horror and shock, the Captain lost all feeling in his body and his body dropped to the ground with a soft *thump*. The remaining soldiers froze.

With their leader and comrades killed in an unknown manner by something they couldn't comprehend, something snapped inside them. Simply put…

They lost their minds.

Some dropped their swords and ran, knocking over comrades and bulldozing through tents, tripping and crawling, desperate to get away from certain death. Others collapsed, crying like a child, swaying on the border of consciousness, the fear rendering completely unable to move nor even think properly. Several began swinging their swords in blind defiance against death, attacking whatever was near them, be it air, tents, or allies.

Not a single one was able to escape the invisible blade that would inevitably take their lives.

"And that… is 58." Yoshiro whispered as he pulled the pitch black daggers, Pandora, out of the heart of his last victim. He pushed himself off the ground and looked around. The torches that provided the only light in the darkness laid spotlights on the corpses of the rebels. Their faces, tear stained faces of fear, fury filled faces of anger, scrunched up faces of pain. Those faces engrained themselves into Yoshiro's mind, never to be forgotten.

"You...mon...ster…"

Yoshiro looked up at the sky. A drop of rain fell from the heavens and landed on the edge of his eyes, rolling down his cheeks.

"Yeah… I agree."

---

The Empire's Elite Seven, the strongest assassins group working to protect the empire from the shadows. Each member was trained from a young age over the course of 6 years by Gozuki, one of the Empire's best.

This group disbanded less than two years after it began performing its duty.

In just under a year after their mission at the tomb of the first emperor, in a fateful confrontation against the Oargburg clan, an ancient group specialized in the art of assassination, at the cost of their leader Gozuki and second seat Guy's lives, the remaining members of the fearsome Oargburg clan were completely wiped off the face of the earth.

Having lost their figurehead and father, the remaining members of the Elite Seven were transferred under the authority of the army. Soon after, former first seat Najasho, former sixth seat Poney, former seventh seat Green were transported to the country in the East, Archana, as reinforcements for the ongoing war.

Former fourth seat Yoshiro and fifth seat Akame remained in the Capital in order to deal with the growing threat of rebellions due to their specialty in stealth assassinations that exceeded the others. Unexpectedly, a year after their disbandment, Akame defected from the Empire. Yoshiro was under suspicious as a possible traitor, but he proved his loyalty after wiping out a rebel company single handedly in a single night.

The Emperor and Prime Minister Honest were so impressed by his feat that they created a new order of assassins and appointed him a special position. The sub-leader of the Empire's Shadow Guard - or as Yoshiro himself secretly called it.

Corruption's private weapon.

From an outsider's perspective, Yoshiro seemed to have earned the trust and respect of the Emperor and Prime Minister, as well as recognition for his services. But Yoshiro knew the truth. His position was a chain that bound his limbs and stole his freedom. He was being monitored constantly by his new 'comrades'. He had to carry out each and every order the figureheads of corruption gave him, and although he didn't need to worry about failure, he knew that a single suspicious move would lead to his head leaving his shoulders.

The pressure was overwhelming, the need for perfection even greater. When he was offered the position, Yoshiro had realized he was checked in a single move.

With a genuine smile and sincere gratitude, he accepted this gift from the Emperor.

Treasures are protected by traps, but looking from a different perspective, the existence of traps indicates the existence of the treasure. The trials laid down before Yoshiro only served to prove that the path was the right one. Unknowingly, the Empire lead Yoshiro down the path to its own destruction.

High tension? Humongous pressure? Constant surveillance? Always one step from death?

What a joke.

Absolutely nothing has changed. These conditions… I've been living under these conditions for 7 years now. You've greatly underestimated me, Empire.

---

In a dark underground room right below the Empire's royal palace, nearly a hundred young men and women knelt before a single man in a square formation. The room was rectangular, with brick walls and tall pillars holding the roof from collapsing. The plainness of the room was completely unbefitting a space connected to the royal palace.

This room was one of many additions to the royal palace added long after its construction a thousand years ago. These rooms served as the meeting places for the various underground organizations and groups the public shouldn't know about. The group currently gathered in one such rooms is no exception.

The newly established shadow guards. By combining the survivors of the assassination trial that took place years ago with the elite assassins serving under the Empire, this group was to be the hands and feet of the Emperor. They took orders directly from the Emperor and served only him.

Which also meant the advisors, who controlled Emperor from the shadows, could use them at will.

The leader of the shadow guards was Azeriel, a man in his mid-twenties with straight, blonde hair and a handsome face. His body was well toned and he was a head taller than Yoshiro, a handsome man by every standard of man. His background was largely unknown, a wanderer who showed up in the Empire's army a few years after the Elite seven was established. His abilities and mercilessness stood out in his time on the battlefield.

He stood imposingly in front of the dozen's of kneeling assassins, scanning each and every one of them before his eyes landed on the only one who knelt out of formation directly to his right. Yoshiro, who felt Azeriels gaze land on him, opened his eyes and raised his head, returning a blank look. A smile appeared on Azeriel's face and he turned towards the crowd, the smile no longer present.

"As of today, I pronounce every single one of you dead. You no longer exist as men and women, assassins and warriors. You have been reborn as the eyes and ears of the Emperor, searching for those that threaten the Empire. Reborn as the blades and arrows that strike down the beasts that bare their fangs towards the Emperor and his throne." His voice bounced off the cold hard walls and reached the ears of those who knelt from every direction. His eyes glinted maniacally and his tone turned sinister.

"From today on, you no longer exist as humans. You are weapons. Now prove to the Emperor that you are worthy to be kept."

"Yes." The response was not loud, but perfectly in unison. Their voices echoed from every direction, and so no one noticed a single voice that was missing from the response.

---

The shadow guard's received their first mission the day they were established. A simple and mundane mission to escort an advisor on his way to the city of Kalaren east of the Capital. Of course, this did not call for the mobilization of the entire rank of the shadow guards, so certain members were selected to perform their duty, yet in order to secure success on their first mission, they sent in their strongest. A small group of a 6 men were chosen, amongst them were the leader Azeriel, sub-leader Yoshiro, and Kurome as well as the strongest out of the remaining assassins. Their group immediately departed, following the advisor's carriage closely, observing and scouting out the surroundings for any signs of danger.

Anything ranging from wild boars to bandits within a 500 meter radius would be wiped out without a trace. Silently. Stealthily. The round trip would take a little over a week and the advisor would rest every night at a small city on the way. While the advisor rested, the shadow guards took shifts to watch at night.

Yoshiro, the sub-leader, lead the group. He didn't know if it was a test and it honestly didn't matter to him. He did not have to act like an assassin of the empire. He was an assassin of the Empire. He lead the group efficiently and professionally, fully expecting the unexpected.

But he never expected Kurome to approach him and ask for them to share the night shift. He had no reason to deny her request and consequently, found himself in an awkward situation sitting beside Kurome at the top of the inn the advisor was resting at while feeling like the air was a dozen time heavier than usual.

Half an hour passed by in silence, Yoshiro not knowing what to say.

Out of the blue, Kurome spoke.

"Yoshiro-nii, I heard you were suspected for being a traitor." Yoshiro mentally made an 'uwaa' noise. He smiled bitterly and nodded.

"Apparently Akame defected. They suspected me by association. It was only natural but… I still can't believe it." Yoshiro said softly, closing his eyes during the short pause. Kurome was looking straight at Yoshiro's face from the side, evaluating whether he was telling the truth.

"It's the truth. She came to me and asked me to come along. I refused and reported it to my leader." Yoshiro turned to look at Kurome with a bit of confusion.

"Why did you refuse?" His question could be mistaken for a traitorous statement, but Kurome understood his question. 'Even though you loved your sister, why did you refuse?'

"Because I can't." Kurome said firmly.

"Why?" Yoshiro asked even more confused. Kurome frowned and tilted her head, looking towards the city. The glittering specks of light from the household that were still awake was few in number, but they shone brightly in the darkness.

"Even if you ask me why… because it's wrong? Onee-chan betrayed the Empire, there's no way I can do that." Kurome responded like it's a matter of course. Hearing Kurome like that, Yoshiro's mask slipped for a moment, revealing a hard to describe face that was a terrible mixture between an regretful grimace and a pitying frown. Sensing a change in Yoshiro, Kurome turned to face him and found him staring at the sky.

"Yeah… you're right." He forced out of his mouth. He closed his eyes and mourned.

It's already too late for her.

Kurome who was weak willed and heavily dependant on her precious big sister, the the point where the first few weeks after separating from Akame, she was always scrunched up in the corner of a room, refusing to get up unless physically forced to. It took years before she actually smiled, and her genuine, happy smile was never shown to anyone other than Akame.

So where did her weakness go? Who or what did she depend on in replacement of Akame?

The answer was both obvious and frightening.

In order to keep herself sane, she changed the object of dependency from her sister to the Empire. Her weakness was converted into strength forcefully by booster drugs. Her brittle mind was reshaped to blindly believe the empire's justice.

This girl… no longer has free will.

"Our shift is over, I'll leave waking up the next group to you." He ordered as he pushed himself up from a sitting position and patted off his backside. He lent a hand to Kurome and pulled her up, she nodded to the orders and hopped off the roof. After confirming she disappeared, Yoshiro tilted his head to look towards his right, before hopping off the roof and entering the inn.

He leisurely strolled through the inn and stepped into his room with a small yawn. After locking his door, he stretched lazily and laid down on his bed, silently closing his eyes, waiting for the presence outside of his door to vanish. After confirming the guy in charge of monitoring him had left for good, he hopped out of his bed and walked over to his window. A light, fresh breeze entered his room and Yoshiro pulled out his trusted daggers with a smooth spin.

Now… let's see what leader-sama is up to.

After activating his Teigu and dropping out of the inn from his window, Yoshiro headed into the city towards the direction Azeriel had disappeared off to a while ago. Taking advantage of the time between shifts, the shadow guard's leader had slipped out of the inn. What he didn't expect was that Yoshiro's conversation with Kurome had caused their shift to last longer than planned. He was luckily able to avoid Kurome's detection, but he was unable to escape Yoshiro's eyesight.

Without casting a single shadow, nor making a single noise, Yoshiro hopped from rooftop to rooftop, searching the deserted alleyways and hidden corners of the city. Time slowly passed and Yoshiro's search was without result. His frown, which had been deepening throughout the search, was now apparent and he thought about turning back. Suddenly, a muffled voices reached his ears and he quickly turned in the direction of the sound.

He stopped at the edge of a roof and peeked down into the alley. Slivers of light slipped out from the cracks in the door and into the dark alley. The sound of speaking was without a doubt coming from behind the door.

Yoshiro quickly dropped down and placed his ear on the door, closing his eyes and focusing his attention to his hearing.

"...assemble in Heliyx. Once all the troops gather, we'll be ready to start waging our war. We need you to delay or altogether avoid attacking our men on their way." A scruffy voice said. Immediately afterwards, a familiar and clear voice replied.

"Impossible. The shadow guards receives its orders directly from the Emperor, there is no way I can delay any operations if the Emperor orders it, unless I want suspicion to fall on me. Not to mention since we were just created, chances are, the Empire isn't going to hesitate at all to use us. I recommend you order the troops to stay hidden until the storm dies down." Yoshiro's eyes widened as the voice of Azeriel permeated across the wooden door. From the contents of their conversation, there's no doubt that they were speaking of either the rebel army or some other resistance force. Just like me… Azeriel is a spy?

"There's no way we could-" He abruptly cut up his sentence in an unnatural way, as if someone else had shut him… shit! Yoshiro leapt away from the door and seconds later, it swung open at full force. Azeriel who had his short sword unsheathed looked around.

"My imagination?" He mumbled quietly to himself after seeing nothing but a deserted alley. His eyes fell to the floor below him and he lightly touched the ground with his fingertips. A small smile appeared on his lips and he stood up straight before turning around.

"I'll be taking my leave here. I've made my report and gave my recommendation, please make your judgments based on it. I will not take responsibility for what happens if you don't make the right choice." He said to the people inside the room before his figure vanished from the entrance, leaving behind a small cloud of dust. Yoshiro debated on whether to hop back down into the alley and confirm the appearances of whoever Azeriel was talking to, but decided against it in case there was some sort of trap.

He turned around and began following Azeriel back to the inn. Soon, the building they were staying in appeared in sight, but Yoshiro lost track of where Azeriel was. He looked up and saw that the shadow guards were fully on guard and thought that maybe Azeriel was waiting nearby for a chance to re enter the building. Yoshiro shrugged and headed back to his open window.

Right under Yoshiro's window, Azeriel stood with a smirk. He, who was able to avoid the detection of two fully alert shadow guards, observed Yoshiro's open window with interest. Yoshiro, who saw this, only had one thought.

This is bad...

---

Through the bustling streets of the small city of Allenhart, a small carriage pulled by two large, majestic white horses strutted through the streets. From a glance, even commoners could sense that whoever sat inside was, without a doubt, an important person. The deep down fear and reverence caused the crowded streets before the carriage to split apart, and its place, hushed whispers filled the space.

Standing at the four corners of the carriage, creating a rectangle around the vehicle, ironically stood four shadow guards. Kurome walked behind the cart towards the left, alert and constantly surveying the surroundings. But secretly, she felt relaxed, holding confidence that nothing malicious would be able to reach the carriage.

As the carriages passed by, Kurome peaked to her left. In the shadows of the house, Yoshiro leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. His concentration was focused on his other senses, a felt a pair of eyes landing on his and opened his eyes. His eyes met Kurome's for a second and he smirked.

After all, those two are waiting in the shadows…

The carriage passed by and Yoshiro raised his voice to the presence that appeared above him.

"Don't you have your side of the street to monitor? Leader-sama." Azeriel who was perched at the edge of the roof above Yoshiro, with his knees spread and his elbows resting on his thighs, hopped off and landed lightly next to Yoshiro. He brushed his hair absentmindedly and replied impassively.

"I've checked the area, there's no one suspicious so I've got a few minutes to spare. More importantly, Yoshiro-kun, your reaction was a little slow." His voice was riddled with false concern, a tone that changed with a flip of the hand. "Did you…" His eyes narrowed. "...not get enough sleep last night?"

Yoshiro's eyes flicked towards Azeriel's hand that had reached behind his back, probably grasping his weapon.

"No, I slept fine. Though I am rather bothered by an odd dream I had." Yoshiro replied calmly. Azeriel raised an eyebrow. "In my dream, for some reason, we completely lost track of rebel troops and the Emperor was quite unhappy. You and I were punished as traitors, it was a terrible sight." Yoshiro tilted his head and showed Azeriel an eye smile. "Just after I rid myself of the Empire's suspicion, that would be terribly troublesome, don't you agree?" Having said that, Yoshiro vanished from the alley, leaving Azeriel by himself.

Azeriel smirked while staring at the spot Yoshiro stood moments ago.

"A small hint accompanied by a subtle threat… you are quite the character." By the time his voice rebounded off the walls of the alley, his form had already receded from view.

The shadow guard's mission proceeded quietly. The advisor's carriage traveled at a mild pace, crossing 60 miles over the course of 2 days. With only a little under 10 miles to go, the stopped on the third day at a medium size town just southwest of their destination.

The town was much larger than Hayami's or Ieyasu's village, yet the economic activity in the area was too little to be considered a city by the Empire's standards. The houses were sturdy and well built, constructed out of bricks and cement. The main roads are paved while the smaller streets were not. With a population of just over 45,000 people, it was a clean and relaxing town.

The advisor decided to stay in a well-off inn at the eastern edge of the village, prepared to depart as soon as the sun rises above the horizon the following morning. Following the advisor in, Yoshiro quickly scanned the area and confirmed there weren't anything out of place. The advisor stepped up to the owner and began pompously negotiating his stay. Yoshiro rolled his eyes as the annoying and arrogant voice reached him when, out of the edge of his vision, he saw two men furiously whispering to each other.

Closing one eye, Yoshiro focused his hearing and picked out the quiet conversation that was occuring in the crowd.

"... him?"

"Yeah… we got to report this back on the double, this is a once in a blue moon chance that we can't afford to miss. Be discrete, now go!"

Yoshiro turned his head in the direction of the door and saw a figure walk out the door in a way that seemed like he was in a hurry but desperately trying not to run, creating a forced speed walk that looked incredibly suspicious. Yoshiro frowned and quickly called over one of the shadow guards.

"Take over." Was all he said to the guy, who nodded and followed the advisor who was being led to his room on the floor above. Yoshiro turned towards the door and stepped out of the inn. He turned and walked down the street. Azeriel soon stepped up beside him and fell into the same pace.

"Where are you going?" Azeriel asked with a relaxed expression, though his voice held sharpness. Yoshiro glanced to the side.

"I happened to overhear a suspicious duo having a dangerous conversation. So? Interested in putting a cap on this before something we don't want occurs?" Yoshiro's tone shifted towards the end and Azeriel twitched.

"I'll see what I can do, I'll go investigate so you stay with his honor." Azeriel ordered and he jogged down the street. Kurome walked up in his place and took a bite into the cookie she held in her right hand.

"What's wrong?" She asked while tilting her head. Yoshiro shrugged.

"Leader-sama is going to go deal with a small threat real quick. We are to stay with the advisor." Kurome nodded, before pulling out another cookie from the small cookie bag she had strapped onto her waist. Yoshiro raised an eyebrow.

"Where'd you get that?" Kurome narrowed her eyes and covered her cookie pouch protectively.

"Even if it's Yoshiro-nii who asks, I can't give you any you know? These cookies are mine and mine alone." Yoshiro narrowed his eyes before smiling lightly.

"Can't? Why not? Is it that addicting?" Kurome nodded her head once.

"Yeah. They're the best."

---

It was already twilight when Azeriel returned, bringing with him dark news. His face was distorted in annoyance and his fists were clenched white. Yoshiro glanced at Kurome who was sitting beside him on the roof of the inn. She had her head tilted, obviously curious why their leader looked so ticked.

"I'll go see what's wrong." Yoshiro said before hopping off the roof, dropping down ten meters before landing lightly on the ground. Azeriel stepped past him and Yoshiro sent him a questioning look.

"Prepare for the worst." Azeriel said through his teeth and walked into the inn. Yoshiro frowned and hopped back up the inn.

"What's wrong?" Kurome asked. Yoshiro shrugged in response.

"Who knows? He seems to be in quite the terrible mood, I wonder what happened?" He asked as he turned to look behind him. His eyes caught onto movement at the end of the street as a shadow hid into an alley. His eyes narrowed slightly but by the time he looked back at Kurome, they had returned to normal.

The two engaged in random conversations for quite some time, Yoshiro sharing some of his memories of the Elite Seven with Kurome. But eventually, the atrocious attempt at assassination and stealth that was going on around them was became too much to ignore.

"Yoshiro-nii, can we get rid of these noisy guys already?" Yoshiro nodded.

"We ignored them up until now so that more of them gather, but it's gotten to the point where it's more suspicious to not notice huh? I'll go wake up the others, keep them at bay." In response, Kurome took her hand out of her cookie pouch and plopped it into the other bag that was strapped onto her waist on the other side. Dozens of white pills peaked out from under the cover. She picked up one and popped it into her mouth.

She hopped lightly on one foot, waiting for the usual power surge. After a few seconds, Kurome turned her head to Yoshiro and nodded. His figure disappeared from the roof and there were loud clamors that filled the surrounding area. Kurome sighed in disappointment. Her hand landed on the ominous katana that was strapped to her left side. Black sheathe, blood red hilt, an ominous seal pasted on the side of the hilt, it could only be described as haunted.

"If that level of speed was enough to shock them, then they don't have any business going against the Empire." Her left thumb pushed on the guard of her katana, with a click, the blade flickered under the moonlight. A dark, relaxed smile appeared on her lips. "I hope there's at least one of them that's worth turning into a puppet."

Yoshiro, who had entered the inn through the open window that he had kept open, walked over to Azeriel's room and went to knock on the door, but it was a wasted gesture. The door opened before he could and Yoshiro faced Azeriel's blank expression.

"They came." Yoshiro reported simply. Azeriel clicked his tongue bitterly.

"I tried to stop them, but not only would they not listen, they even questioned my affiliation." Azeriel whispered lowly. His gaze sharpened. "They reap what they sow. Do as you will."

"Ice cold…" Yoshiro mumbled. But then he sighed before rubbing the back of his head. "...but I guess I'm not the one to say anything." His hand blinked to the hilt of his dagger that was strapped onto the back of his waist and with a smooth spin, blood spilt into the air. The assailant that had followed him through the window flipped backwards, blood dripping down from the tip of her chin.

"Hoh? Not bad." Yoshiro scrutinized the woman. She was a girl in her early 20s, average height, about a head and a half shorter than Yoshiro. Her eyes were light blue and her dirty blonde hair tied in a wavy ponytail. She held two pistol swords in her hands, each about half the length of her forearm. "But not shooting me the moment you saw me was a mistake, you know?" She narrowed her eyes and fell into a close combat stance. Yoshiro shook his head.

In an attempt to avoid attracting attention from Yoshiro's companions, she chose the shortest path to her doom. She dashed forward, closing the distance between the two in seconds. Yoshiro turned his body to the side and held out one dagger in his right hand, blocking and deflecting the blows like they were jokes. His movements were restricted to a minimum, but each were more than enough to defend himself.

He took steps back, slowly dragging the girl deeper into the inn. She noticed his attempt and quickly hopped back, her frown turning into an annoyed scowl. Yoshiro tilted his head.

"What's wrong sis? If you don't put your back into your swings nothing will change~. Do you even want to do this? If not then go home, I won't stop you." Yoshiro taunted in a voice that was just asking to be punched. The girl snapped and charged forward, her arm extended far behind her. She swung her pistol in a large radius, putting all her strength into it.

Yet it was blocked, but not by Yoshiro. Her blade was embedded deeply into the wall of the inn, the feedback from the impact rendered her right arm useless. Yoshiro stepped forward and slipped his dagger into the abdomen of the woman.

"You aren't fit for this line of work sis, not if that level of provocation is enough to destroy your reasoning. Hopefully, in your next life, you won't be forced into this occupation." Yoshiro said, pulling out his blade. She collapsed helplessly onto the ground, holding her wound and glaring upwards with hellish fury. She shakily moved her left arm, hoping to point her gun at him. He flipped the dagger into a reverse grip and prepared to plunge it down.

"Wait!" Yoshiro turned around to face the one who stopped him, and he had to forcefully stop his eyes from narrowing. The chubby advisor that was in his mid 30s had his hands held out, beside him stood two of the shadow guards. "Do not kill that girl. Her appearance will fetch a good price." He said with a disgusting smile. The eyes of the girl widened in fear and she began desperately trying to push herself up, but she didn't have that much energy left.

Yoshiro turned his attention back to the girl, who had lost all her fury. Instead, her eyes were clouded with disgust and desperation. His right arm raised and the dagger in his hand transformed into a projectile that shot through the heart of the girl. She gasped her last breathe and passed away.

"You! You dare defy my orders?!" The advisor roared in fury. Yoshiro turned around and knelt before the advisor.

"Forgive me sir, but we shadow guards received direct orders from the Emperor. 'Do not let any harm befall my aids.' This woman was without a doubt dangerous." Yoshiro defended with a monotone voice. The advisor grit his teeth.

"She was wounded and clearly unable to move! I will have you-" Yoshiro turned his cold, merciless eyes at the advisor.

"She had a pistol in her hands, at this range, should she fire, even I would be unable to stop it. I judged her dangerous and removed her as per his highness's orders. Or... is it that you are telling me to defy the Emperor's orders?" Yoshiro asked with a dangerous glint in his eyes. The advisor's face turned red in anger. He wanted to shout for Yoshiro's execution, but the mere suggestion that he may be defying the Emperor's orders was enough to prevent him from opening his mouth. Instead, he huffed in annoyance and returned to his room.

After he left, Yoshiro released a small breath. That was a risky move to make, one that could have possibly removed 8 years worth of progress on the spot. His eyes turned to the corpse of the girl. By killing her, he had put his mission at stake. It would've been a smarter move to just capture her as per his orders… but there were lines Yoshiro would never cross, not even for the sake of his mission.

Death could be seen as release from life. Yoshiro would never defend his actions with such a poor excuse, yet he took a small amount of comfort at the thought.

Dooming a girl to a lifetime of shame and suffering was without justification whatsoever.

Yoshiro sighed and knelt down, retrieving the dagger that was buried in the girl's body. Closing his eyes, he offered a silent prayer before reaching his hand out. His palm glided along the girl's face, closing her desperate eyes forever.

"You're a pretty good guy aren't you?" Azeriel, who had appeared out of nowhere some time ago, said from behind. Yoshiro opened his eyes and stood up, turning towards him.

"This is the least I could do. Kurome is still fighting outside, are you coming?" Azeriel sighed.

"I have to. I'm the leader of the shadow guards, there's no way I can just stay put during an attack like this." He said sadly. "Well, I knew what I was getting into, but I really wished to avoid killing my comrades for as long as possible." With that low mumble, he walked down the corridor and hopped out the window.

"Never thought I'd ever meet someone so similar to myself." Yoshiro mumbled under his breath as he compared the uncanny number of similarities between Azeriel and himself. A small frown emerged onto his face and he closed his eyes.

Avoid killing his comrades huh? 0 points, Azeriel. The moment you took on the job of a spy, you should've gotten rid of that sentiment. You are not a spy, but the leader of the shadow guards. If you hold onto that identity of a spy… your destiny is failure.

He opened his eyes and walked over to the window, the sound of combat reaching his ears.

I am Yoshiro, sub-leader of the shadow guards, former member of the Elite Seven. I am the hidden blade of the empire. A weapon. Rebels… are my enemies.

A dark cloud shifted into the moons way, blocking out light for only a second. But by the time the moonlight reappeared, Yoshiro was gone.

---

After the assault that night, resulting in the rebel's losing 3 dozen men who thought they had enough manpower to kill an advisor of the empire, the mission ended without any further incidents. The shadow guards, having completed their first mission flawlessly, proved their worth and solidified their role as the Emperor's sword and shield.

A few months passed and Yoshiro was quite bored. Since he was the sub-leader, after the first mission, his role became that of a trump card that Empire only used on missions that required special attention. By definition, that meant that Yoshiro didn't have anything to do other than train and wait for his orders that may only come once or twice a month.

In his boredom, he found himself wandering around the enormous perimeters of the Palace. Since the headquarters and barracks of the shadow guard was underneath the palace, they were naturally allowed to move around in the area. Although the training of most members took place in the large rooms underground, Yoshiro was given special freedom since he was once a member of the Elite Seven, who, under Gozuki, had a large amount of freedom.

Their faces were common sight for the people who come and go from the palace, and so, there was no need to keep them hidden.

Speaking of former members of the Elite Seven, Yoshiro came across Kurome who stood in an Iaido stance in front of a wooden post at the center of a large, grassy piece of yard. Kurome, who's skills were well beyond that of the other members of the shadow guards, combined with her usual blank expression and cute appearance, became rather popular among the members. Thus she was given the made up role of sub-sub leader, which placed her below Yoshiro but above the rest of the members.

Yoshiro erased his presence and stood to the side, crossing his arms and observed Kurome quietly.

A breeze brushed past, causing the grass the rustle. Kurome's breathing was quiet and steady, her eyes were closed and her face relaxed. The wind suddenly increased its force and Kurome's hair was blown in own direction. The sound of Kurome taking a quick, deep breathe broke through the air and her eyes snapped open, at the same time, a *click* and *swish* sound reached Yoshiro's ears.

Kurome sheathed her katana, a second *click* resonated in the air and a clean, diagonal cut appeared on the wooden post, the top half sliding down from the lower half. She released her breathe and relaxed her stance.

Yoshiro stopped hiding his presence and began clapping. Kurome turned towards him and raised an eyebrow.

"Yoshiro-nii, what are you doing here?" She asked, nonchalantly pulling out her cookie pouch. Yoshiro glanced at the bag before replying.

"There's nothing to do after I finished my training session so I decided to take a stroll. I ended up stumbling upon an impressive scene. Iai hmm? That's quite nostalgic."

A period of hyperconcentration, followed by high speed movement that slices through the weakest point of the target in a single slash. Concentration, speed, power, technique, precision. The 5 pillars of sword-art are tested in a single swing of the sword, it is a test that directly reflects the skill of the swordsman.

"At your age, to be able to slice through an 8 inch thick wooden post is quite the feat." Yoshiro complimented. Kurome smiled as she crunched down on her cookies.

"...Onee-chan was able to do it better, right?" She asked after swallowing her bite. Yoshiro frowned slightly, but nodded.

"Yeah. After only five seconds, she split a 12 inch thick wooden post before I even registered that she had moved. Her sword also snapped in half. She accidentally struck the weak point of her katana while she was at it too." Yoshiro said. Kurome nibbled at her cookie, feeling both proud and slightly bitter.

"Onee-chan was the one who showed me this test. Even now, 20 seconds and an 8 inch wooden post is my limit." Kurome confessed. Yoshiro's frown deepened and he stared at Kurome. Kurome, who felt his gaze, tilted her head and looked at him.

"Kurome. I've been avoiding this question for some time now, but…. What do you plan on doing about Akame?" Yoshiro asked. Kurome frowned.

"What do I plan on doing? She's a traitor right? So I have to kill her."

"Kill her? But you still love her don't you?" Kurome narrowed her eyes angrily.

"Of course! I love onee-chan! That's why I will be the one to kill her. No one else." Kurome yelled. She clenched her fists. "My beloved onee-chan who betrayed me… I will be the one to kill her." Looking at Kurome who's emotions of love and hate had already been completely distorted and combined, Yoshiro laughed.

Kurome glared at Yoshiro.

"What's so funny?" Yoshiro smirked conceitedly.

"Kill Akame? You? Don't tell unfunny jokes like that please." Kurome clenched her teeth and her hand fell onto the handle of her katana. Yoshiro's smirk deepened.

"Do you think you can beat me?" In that moment, Kurome was struck by a blast of killing intent that numbed her arms. "Don't underestimate the Elite Seven. If we are talking raw combat, Akame stood at the top of our group right behind Najasho even before obtaining Murasame. You're telling me that you, who is falls short in the 5 pillars of sword-art, will defeat her?" Kurome growled.

"If it's using Yatsufusa, then-" Yoshiro laughed. He disappeared and reappeared behind Kurome, instantly locking her arms behind her back. He whispered into her ears, lightly, coldly.

"Enemies that die by your sword would never be able to match up to Akame." He pushed Kurome forward, who stumbled and glared at Yoshiro. "Kurome, do you know the difference between the Elite Seven and the Groups of Terror?" Kurome grimaced at the mention of her old group.

"Potential." She stated bitterly. Yoshiro laughed mockingly.

"Potential? What bullshit. What difference in potential could there be between the 7th and 8th to reach the finish line during the forest test? Between you and your sister? You who share the same genes, the same will to protect each other." Yoshiro knelt down before Kurome and looked her dead in the eyes.

"They put a limiter on you, a limiter called the booster drug." Kurome's eyes narrowed.

"The booster drug allows me to fight on par with onee-chan despite being that much weaker, there's no way that's limiting me!" She defended. Yoshiro scoffed.

"If it weren't for those drugs, you'd be able to fight on par with your onee-chan regardless. Drugs not only cause addiction and terrible pain during withdrawal, they damage your brain. Reaction time, decision making, concentration, sensitivity. Those drugs you take lower all of these crucial skills. Strength comes from training and technique comes from practice. Like hell drugs can replace those." Yoshiro preached angrily. Kurome wanted to protest, but she couldn't beat the logic.

She knew how painful her withdrawal was, the dozens of drug laced cookies she had to eat daily were proof of her desperation to avoid the pain. She could feel her senses dulling, her body crumbling and her strength fading bit by bit every time she took one of those pills. She lowered her head, unwilling to accept the reality that was being thrusted before her.

Yoshiro grabbed her shoulder and shook it. She forced her eyes to look at Yoshiro.

"Kurome. If you truly wish to kill your sister, then I will help you. With my own hands, I will remove your limiter and unleash your true potential." Yoshiro whispered. Kurome shook under his gaze.

"...Why?"

"Why? For the Empire's sake of course." Yoshiro's eyes shined with determination.

He may not be able to release Kurome from the mental shackles the Empire has placed on her, that was a job for someone else, but at the very least, he will free her from the drugs that tormented her day by day.

"This is the least that I could do." Kurome saw the look in his eyes and looked down at the ground.

"... Alright, I get it. I'll do as you say." She mumbled under her breathe. Yoshiro smiled and released her shoulder, taking a step back.

"Perfect. Then let's get started right away. For now, hand over your cookies." Kurome looked up in shock and quickly jumped back several meters, protectively hugging her cookies to her chest.

"NO ONE TAKES MY COOKIES!" She screamed uncharacteristically. Yoshiro smirked mischievously.

"Too bad, if there is something I want, there's no way I won't be able to obtain it." He pulled out his daggers and vanished from sight. Kurome almost stumbled over her feet.

"Y-You're using your Teigu to steal my cookies?!" Kurome screamed in shock. She turned her senses to maximum overdrive and carefully observed the ground for Yoshiro's footprints. Although Yoshiro's teigu hid himself from the enemies 5 senses, it did not erase his existence, so he would naturally leave footprints on the grass.

"But that's only assuming I'm on the ground." Kurome felt a presence above her and naturally looked up. Taking that opportunity, Yoshiro, who had already dropped down behind her from the sky, thrusted her hands forward to Kurome's waist. He lightly tapped it and Kurome jerked, to the side while making a high pitched squeak. The grip on her cookies loosened for an instant, and Yoshiro's hand transformed into a bolt of lightning, robbing the cookie pouch in the blink of an eye.

"Ah!" Kurome yelled in alarm, her hand flew to Yatsufusa and in a blink of an eye, sliced at Yoshiro. His eyes widened at the speed of the slash and quickly bent his knees and tilted backwards, the blade slicing right by him. He hopped back and landed a safe distance away.

"That was close!" He yelled. Kurome's glare was sharp and filled with anger.

"Give them back." She said in a threatening voice. He threw his right hand forward and shook his pointer finger.

"Nope, as part of your training, I will keep track of your diet. Treats are not good for you, specially these ones." Kurome's anger faded, instead replaced by a hint of fear.

"B-but if I don't have those cookies… I-" Yoshiro took out one and flicked it towards her. She reacted quickly and caught it.

"Kurome, without hardship, you will never grow stronger. This will be painful, this will be hard, but if you truly wish to surpass your sister, then harden your resolve and push through it. Don't worry, I won't let you die. No matter what." Kurome stared at the cookie in her hand blankly.

The drugs that made her strong. Strong enough to fight side by side with her beloved onee-chan. It was limiting her? It was hurting her? She knew the damage it was causing, she could feel it, but the option of not taking the question was never given to her. But now it is.

In order to surpass her onee-chan, in order to kill the onee-chan that had betrayed her.

Her hand clenched down on the cookie. The cookie crumbled under the force of her grip, and the powder slipped out from her palm, becoming poison to the soil. She turned her eyes to Yoshiro, who grinned at the look

"Now that's what I'm talking about."

Yoshiro threw the cookie pouch to Kurome, who caught it with confusion.

"You might want to be conservative with that. That's all you'll get for the next month." Her eyes widened as if to say 'you kidding?'. Yoshiro jerked his head in the direction of the palace.

"Go pack up, we're going on a mission. The objective is simple. Prepare you for the battles to come." With that being said, Yoshiro began walking back to their underground base. Hesitantly, Kurome followed. They seperated after entering the base. Kurome heading to pack while Yoshiro headed to their Azeriel's office. He barged in without reservation.

"Yoshiro, huh? What do you need?" Azeriel asked without looking up from the papers he was reading. There was only one person in the shadow guards insolent enough to enter Azeriels office without knocking. Of course, Yoshiro only did this when he knew no one was watching.

"Leader-sama, I'm bored so I'll take Kurome on a training trip. Take care of the rest will you?" That got Azeriels attention and he looked up from his work and sent Yoshiro an annoyed gaze.

"I want to know why you're taking Kurome too, but I doubt you'll give me a straight answer. Instead, I'll ask you this. How the hell am I supposed to explain to the empire why you're gone for an extended period of time?" Yoshiro shrugged.

"Can't you just say its for an investigation or something? We'll only be gone for a month or two." Azeriel sighed and pinched his nose.

"Sometimes I wonder if revealing your spy status would save me some work." He grumbled. Yoshiro smirked.

"Having me as your sub-leader makes things easier on you doesn't it?" Azeriel gave him a deadpan stare.

"Do you ever listen to yourself talk? Sigh, I'll do something about the mission so just make sure you don't come back for at least 2 weeks. I've known you for less than a week and I've never wanted a vacation as much as right now."

"Perfect, I'll leave it to you, leader-sama." Yoshiro said and began to leave, but he stopped a few steps from the door. Without turning around, he said. "As thanks, leader-sama, I'll give you a small warning." He tilted his head back and looked at Azeriel from the edge of his eye.

"After hearing news about rebel movement, we, the shadow guards, head over to eliminate the threat only to find that the info was incorrect and no one was there. That scenario has already occured 3 times this month." Yoshiro's eyes were unamused and Azeriel closed his eyes.

"I get it already. Just get out of here." Yoshiro gave him an eye smile and exited the room. Azeriel sighed before looking back at the sheet of paper in his hands. It read 'Suspect: Yoshiro'. He spun the pen he had in his hands absentmindedly before writing down two words.

'All clear'.

Yoshiro met with Kurome at the entrance of the base, a large double gated door. Kurome had with her a small bag that she carried on her back. The bag was hung on her left shoulder and the strap extended across her front to her right waist. The bag opened at the top and was tied closed by braided string.
Yoshiro held out his hand.

"You restocked right? Hand over all the cookies and pills you have on you."

Kurome slumped slightly and handed over the bulging cookie pouch hidden in her bag under a layer of clothes. She then unstrapped a pocket that was tied to her waist, one with a dozen white pills inside. Yoshiro nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. Let's go."

"Where?" Yoshiro stepped up to the large double doors and pushed then open, revealing the wide staircase that lead to the palace. A dim ray of light poured down from the top of the steps. Yoshiro turned to Kurome and smiled.

"The mountains of course."

---

From the capital, the duo traveled nearly 300 miles over the course of a week. During their trip, Yoshiro tested the limits of Kurome's addiction. He deprived Kurome of her drug for as long as he could. Within 6 hours, she began to feel an itch. After twelve hours, it transformed into pain. By the 24th hour, she was writhing in pain, tears streaking down her face. Her breathing was labored, her pupils had shrunk and her mind was completely clouded by shock.

Yoshiro couldn't watch anymore and fed the drug to her. With a quick chop to the back of her neck, she fell into unconsciousness.

Yoshiro's gaze fell to his shaking hand. 'How many years has it been? Since I last felt this anger?'

The Kurome that laid unconscious in his arms overlapped with the scared, trembling girl that fell asleep in the forest many years ago. The empire that took the lives of this innocent girl and trampled on it.

"I will never forgive them."

Kurome woke up a few hours later and found herself sitting at the corner of the carriage they were traveling in. She turned her head weakly, surveying the surroundings. Her eyes fell on Yoshiro who sat at the opposite end. Yoshiro, who noticed she had woken up, only said three words.

"You did well." Kurome's body ached and her mind was beyond exhausted. Those words brought a small smile to her face and she returned to a light slumber.

Their trip brought them to a mountainous area north west of the capital. A place named Seiga. Due to its naturally harsh environment, which was one of high altitudes and freezing cold, the area remained largely unexplored as no one saw any merit in doing so. The local's have many legends and myths that describes the mountain as a sacred sanctuary, where even the corruption is unable to reach.

Yoshiro dragged Kurome several miles up the mountains, taking up nearly an entire day. They eventually reached a point where breathing became noticeably difficult and their skins were numb from the constant cold. Thankfully it was summer so the snow only reached up to their shins. At that point, Yoshiro found a cave hidden behind a thick forest and thought 'this will do'.

They made their way into the cave, finding a large, dark area. The pair set up their camp at the place, lighting fires around the cave to brighten it up. At this point, Kurome who was dead tired, finally had enough of waiting.

"Yoshiro-nii, why did you drag me all the way up here?" She asked with a glare. Fully expecting the usual secretive and mischievous answer, or rather lack thereof, she was caught off guard when Yoshiro replied seriously.

"Kurome. What are the 5 pillars of sword art?" Kurome was surprised by his serious tone, but replied normally.

"Concentration, speed, power, technique, precision." Yoshiro nodded.

"Correct. The 5 pillars of sword art are the foundation of swordsmanship. Only those who have mastered all 5 can be considered a true swordsman. But let me ask you, which one is the most important?" Yoshiro questioned. Kurome tilted her head in confusion.

"Most important? Aren't they all equally important?" Yoshiro shook his head.

"That is where you are mistaken. Speed and power come from physical training. Technique and precision come from repetition and refinement. Anyone can obtain those from training hard enough, so what separates the truly strong from the others? The answer is concentration." He explained. "The ability to focus all your senses, all your mental capabilities on observing and analyzing the opponent. The ability to do so under the threat of death and pressure of danger. The ability to do so while ailed by pain and plagued by sickness. Even in a battle between a master and novice, the novice could overcome the master through concentration." Kurome had a look of doubt. Yoshiro noticed that and continued.

"The perfect example is your sister." Kurome froze and her eyes widened.

"Akame is a natural born assassin. In a real battle where it was kill or be killed, she is able to adapt to her opponent's fighting style. The longer the battle goes on, her precision, technique, movement become tuned to her opponent until eventually, her style becomes a perfect counter to her opponent. This fearsome ability stems from her natural ability to hyper concentrate." While he was talking, Yoshiro had begun crafting a small fire. He piled various pieces of wood he had picked up during their trek and built a pyramid. Using a small match, he started the fire with little effort. A decent amount of smoke came out due to the wood being partially wet, but it was nothing they couldn't ignore.

"Kurome, do you remember the battle between Akame and the leader of the Grave keepers?" Kurome nodded. It was her reunion with her sister after being held hostage by the enemy after her friends and comrades were brutally killed. There was no way she could forget that.

"Despite being inferior in every area except speed and technique, Akame broke through Weneg's damage transfer and defeated him while sporting hundreds of cuts and heavy exhaustion. This was without a doubt thanks to her ability to concentrate. And that ability is what you'll train during our little trip." Yoshiro stood up and Kurome followed. They walked out of the cave, where a large boulder sat buried under snow near the entrance of the cave.

"Sit up there." Yoshiro directed. A clear question mark could be seen above Kurome's head, but she followed her orders regardless. "Cross your legs, close your eyes. Breathe slowly." She crossed her legs and closed her eyes. The painful coldness and howling of wind became all the more apparent. She slowly breathed in and out, not feeling the usual satisfaction of plentiful oxygen entering her body due to the high altitude. But Yoshiro didn't seem to care.

"Can you hear the fire crackling inside the cave?" Kuromes face scrunched up and she searched for the distinct sound, but found nothing in the mess that was the mountain environment. She shook her head after a few minutes. "Then don't move until you can hear it." Her eyes opened and she stared at Yoshiro with a deadpan, as if he told her to fly to the moon. Yoshiro expected the look, so he explained himself.

"This is called meditation. It was a method of training concentration Gozuki had taught Akame years back. Focus your mind on one thing and one thing only. Ignore the numbness on your face. Ignore the discomfort from the lack of oxygen. Ignore the excruciating pain from drug withdrawal. Instead, focus your attention on finding the flame that burns within the cave. If you can do that, then our training is complete."

That was Yoshiro's plan. Transform Kurome's withdrawal into an aid for training. Overcome the pain with concentration and the addiction with willpower. Yoshiro specifically chose a high altitude and mountainous area to not only accelerate her training, but also to serve as a small distraction and buffer for her withdrawal.

Kurome was really hesitating, facing the brutal and seemingly impossible objective that was just presented to her. Yoshiro sensed her unease and spoke.

"If you don't want to do this, we will head back right now. If you can't even muster the willpower to begin this training, then there's no way you'll get anything out of it. You'll never overcome the booster drugs and you'll never be able to defeat your sister." Yoshiro said as a matter of fact. He was not provoking her, just presenting her options in front of her. Without pressuring Kurome to continue, he headed back into the cave.

Kurome stared at the place Yoshiro stood moments ago.

He was serious. He fully planned on putting her through pain and suffering. His training was absurd and sounded like nothing but torture.

But his eyes were serious. He knew that she would come out on top and overcome her own weakness.

She was weak. As far back as she could remember, she had been nothing but weak. The weakness that needed to be protected by her beloved onee-chan. The weakness that separated her from her protection. The weakness that was pointed out to her over, and over, and over again.

The booster drug made up for her weakness, it made her strong. But that strength was nothing but a lie. A lie that was mercilessly destroyed by Yoshiro. He trampled on her strength and exposed her weaknesses.

And yet, he was the first and only person who believed that she could become strong.

She closed her eyes and listened. She heard the wind roaring by her ear. The sound of dry branches creaking and cracking. She listened for the fire in the darkness, the light at the end of the tunnel.

Her skin burned from the cold. Her hand and body trembled in a futile attempt to keep her warm. Her stomach growled and churned in hunger. As time went on, a familiar tingling could be felt all over her body. One that would eventually become a hellfire that burned at her nerves and ate at her mind. She endured it all for as long as she could.

Was it an hour? Two? A dozen? She had no idea. At some point, she felt a hand force her mouth open and inserted an object inside. She bit down on the object and a familiar taste filled her mouth. She swallowed it and continued to concentrate until eventually, the burning sensation that was directly attacking her mind faded away.

She opened her eyes and Yoshiro's face was right there, staring with a blank expression.

"Can you hear it?" He asked. Kurome shook her head, fearing the worst. But Yoshiro only smiled.

"Good, cause if you managed to do that in only 48 hours I would be shocked out of my mind." For the first time in a long time, Kurome's eyes widened to epic proportions, showing her shock clearly. Yoshiro hopped down from the rock and crossed his arms. "You scared the crap out of me. I checked on you after an hour and you didn't budge at all. If it wasn't for the occasional twitch and pained expression, I probably would've thought you fell into a coma." She attempted to stand up, but her legs refused to respond, causing her to lose her balance and fall forward. But she was caught lightly.

"Be careful. In this cold, your body has been essentially frozen. It'll take more than a few minutes before you can move." He explained as he carried her into the cave. He placed her down on a sleeping bag near the fire and began cooking something. Kurome watched weakly.

"I was sitting there for 2 days?" She asked in disbelief. Yoshiro nodded.

"Yeah, you went way beyond expectations. I thought you'd only last 12 hours before the withdrawal would destroy your concentration, but you somehow conquered it for an extra 36 hours. I stopped you because I feared any more would cause damage even if you don't notice it." He explained with a proud expression. A good aroma floated into Kuromes nose. Yoshiro slightly stirred the soup that was boiling over the campfire, before scooping its contents into a small bowl.

"Drugs work by forcing your mind into a certain state that is naturally impossible. But the human brain is highly adaptive, so as you use the drug, your mind adapts to the unnatural state despite constantly taking damage. When you stop taking the drug, your mind attempts to go back to its pre-adapted state, yet it can't. This causes something akin to a mental breakdown, what we call withdrawal." Yoshiro brought the bowl and spoon to Kurome, helping her up. He supported her as she slowly took a sip. A comfortable warmth flowed into her body, and she felt her body temperature slowly rising. While Kurome was consuming her meal, Yoshiro continued his explanation.

"Just like how getting rid of a habit is a dozen times more difficult than developing a habit. In order to return your mind to its original state, we must force it back. By enduring the withdrawal, you force your mind back to its original state where it will eventually adapt and return to normal. But hammering a distorted piece of steel runs the risk of breaking it, therefore, you must not overdo it." Kurome nodded, enjoying her meal and attentively listening at the same time. Yoshiro smiled.

"You surpassed my expectation by an astronomical margin. At this rate, you'll be free from the drug by the end of the month. The first few days will be absolute hell, but I believe you'll succeed." Kurome smiled slightly at the praise and slowly moved her hand, which had begun to thaw, clenching and unclenching it.

"I'll do my best, Yoshiro-nii."

Kurome's training continued from that day on. For the first week Yoshiro periodically stopped Kurome once every 12 hours, feeding her half a cookie and some food. For the second, it became 24 hours. For the third, he only gave her the drug once every 48 hours. Week by week, the amount of exposure to the drug decreased and Kurome forced through the pain that came with the change with sheer willpower.

Finally, on the 28th day of her training, she heard it. The soft crackling of the fire. As weak as a candle in a hurricane. But she clearly heard it.

She opened her eyes and attempted to stand up. Her knees proceeded to give out since she had been sitting still for the past 7 hours, and she comically fell off the rock. She managed to kill the impact with her hands, so the only damage she received was to her pride. Yoshiro noticed the commotion and stepped out of the cave.

"... What happened?" He asked while looking at Kurome's unmoving body. She struggled for a bit before finally managing to push herself into a sitting position in the snow.

"I heard the fire!" She said in excitement reminiscent of her innocent days. Yoshiro smiled widely and picked her up. He brought her back in and began preparing the usual meal.

"As promised, our training is over. You've mastered the ability to concentrate three days faster than Akame. You did a great job." Yoshiro complimented with a large smile. A small, rare smile appeared on Kurome's lips. She warms herself up on by the fire, the flexibility in her joints returning to normal.

Yoshiro placed a pot on the fire and stood up.

"Now, let's put your new skill to the test shall we?"

Yoshiro led Kurome outside after making sure she was able to move properly on her own. Taking a few steps into the forest, Kurome found a familiar wooden post. 8 Inches in diameter. Yoshiro passed Kurome her Teigu - Yatsufusa, which he had been maintaining for her for the past month.

She relished in the reassuring weight in her hand and brought her hand to the handle. The sword smoothly slid out of its sheath while letting out a shivering *sheee* sound. Light reflected off it's blade and she looked at her reflection on the blade. Her face was slightly pale from the lack of eating over the past month, but at the same time, her eyes lacked the exhaustion that was constantly present previously.

She released her grip on the handle and gravity dragged the blade back into its rightful place. She turned her head to Yoshiro and nodded in thanks. He tilted his head, referring to the wooden post that was just waiting for her.

She stared at her imobile opponent and dropped down into her stance, her left hand holding the sheath and her right lightly gripping the handle. She closed her eyes and focused her strength into her arms and leg. Her eyes opened and instantly, she saw it. A small crack peeking out from under the snow that covered the wooden post.

She swung her sword at hyperspeeds, the blade slicing through the wooden post right where the crack began with frightening accuracy like a hot knife through butter. The only sign that she was ever in her original position being two footprints imbedded in the snow and a small streak that lead to where she currently, stood, on the opposite side.

"How do you feel?" Yoshiro asked. She stared at the sword in her hand.

"Light…" She mumbled. She was hungry and her joints were not completely flexible. She's also been skipping on her strength and speed training for the past month, so surely she's weaker and slower than before.

So why didn't she feel the impact at all? Why did it feel easier than before?

A rare smile emerged on her face. She felt exhilarated. Seeing that, Yoshiro grinned.

"It seems you like it. Let's head back. As promised, your training is over. Let's head back." Kurome nodded, secret happy that it was finally over.

But fate wasn't going to let her journey end without a climax.

A thundering roar and the earth shook. The two jumped at the sound and quickly raised their guard. Kurome narrowed her eyes.

"Yoshiro-nii, what was that?" Yoshiro shook his head in response. He had no idea.

"Whatever it was, we're going to avoid it. I left Pandora in the cave. We're going to go retrieve it and get out of here." Kurome nodded and they rushed back to the cave where they were assaulted by a wave of smoke. They coughed as the smoke choked the air and blocked their vision.

"Crap, our camp might've caught on fire." Yoshiro theorized through a coughing fit. Kurome's eyes widened suddenly and she quickly grabbed Yoshiro's arm, pulling him away.

"Yoshiro-nii, something is coming!" As she said that, a humongous shadow bulldozed out of the cave, causing the entrance to collapse somewhat. Ducking and dodging through the falling debris, the two managed to escape the rockslide and ended up outside of the cave.

"Huff, what was that?!" Yoshiro yelled in indignation while trying to slow down his breathing. Kurome, who was looking at the ground while panting, froze. A large shadow crossed over hers. She slowly looked up.

A gargantuan reptile towered over them, standing at a height of nearly 30 meters. Two thick, large hind legs and long tail supported its wide upper body, allowing it to stand on two feet. Dark grey scales covered it back and its pale skin was hanging from its flesh. Two bones spiked out from its shoulders, piercing through its skin. Its claws were longer than tables and infinitely more deadly. It's mouth opened, showing dry, ice covered teeth that could crunch through rocks like a knife through paper. It's eyes were filled with hunger and bloodlust.

"A-a Death Tagool?!" Yoshiro yelled. During his years in the Elite Seven, he made a point to read everything he could find on everything from basic tactics, to history books, to creature encyclopedias. One entry in one of the many encyclopedias was the Death Tagool, a monsterous danger beast thought to have been extinct since 500 years ago.

It's rank - Ultra Class

"This thing… has it been hiding in these mountains for the past 5 centuries?!" It was unbelievable, but the duo had much more important things to worry about other than why it was here and how it survived for so long. "Kurome! Be careful! From it's appearance, it's significantly weakened, but don't let your guard down! It can fire extremely powerful energy beams from its mouth! Avoid it's scales and try and attack the thinnest parts of it's skin!" Yoshiro warned. Kurome closed her eyes for a moment, swallowed her anxiety, and focus all of her senses on the beast.

The beast finally noticed the presence of the two and released an earth shaking roar. The shockwave from its voice was enough to almost knock the breath out of Kurome's chest.

"Yoshiro-nii! Go retrieve your teigu!" Even with a weapon, a large danger beast such as the Death Tagool could be said to be the worst enemy for Yoshiro, whos specialized in assassination and used short daggers. But without a weapon, he couldn't do anything to fight. Knowing that Kurome was correct, Yoshiro agreed.

"Whatever you do, don't die!" Leaving those words behind, Yoshiro ran towards the entrance of the cave that was riddled with debris, smoke leaking out from the gaps in the blockage. Yoshiro took in a deep breathe, closed his eyes and slipped into the cave.

Kurome, who hadn't diverted her attention from the danger beast for even an instant, jumped backwards, slipping between the claws on the monster's feet. She jumped towards the monster, pushing off it's foot and hopping onto its knee, then up to its shoulder. Its reptilian eyes followed Kurome's every movement, its hand flew towards her as she landed on its shoulder.

Her eyes narrowed and she bent her knees. She performed a brilliant backflip, the palm that would've splattered her onto the ground flying harmlessly below her. Her hand gripped the hilt of Yatsufusa, and quickly slashed at the palm. Pale pink blood flew from the wound that appeared in its hand, spraying onto the ground. Without having time to savor the small victory, her eyes widened when the wind that the palm swipe hit her, sending her right off the monster's shoulder.

She landed roughly on the ground, unable to adjust her body to an upright position, she managed to prevent any damage by redirecting the impact. She pushed her body up, but quickly flopped back down onto the ground, a tail passing over her head at the speed of a sprinting horse. It struck the side of a cliff, causing the entire layer of rock to collapse.

She lifted her body off and sprinted towards the left side of the beast, circling around it, searching for a weakness to exploit. The creature was pale, which indicates a lack of exposure to sunlight and nutrients. Its blood was pink, which meant it was suffering iron deficiency. Its skin was saggy, a sign of aging, and its teeth were frozen. Kurome slipped under a tail swipe that would've shattered every bone in her body while continuing to analyze her opponent.

All the evidence points towards the creature being inactive for an extended period of time. It has probably been hibernating or sleeping, most likely deeper in the cave they had been living in. They had not spent any time exploring the cave since it was unnecessary. Yoshiro accidentally setting fire to the camp probably woke it up.

If that is truly the case, then not only is it starving, but it should be extremely tired as well. It's reaction time should be at its worst. Kurome's eyes narrowed in concentration as she read the next tail swipe, catching onto the tail as it passed by. The held on as the creature attempted to swing her off after noticing she had clung on. Her arms felt like they were going to be torn from her body, but she held on until the perfect moment.

The tail slightly flipped upwards and she released her grip, the force sending her flying towards the head of the Death Tagool. Her sword drew a beautiful parabola, flying past the beasts neck.

The blood chilling sound of steel striking something incredibly hard echoed in the area and Kurome's wide eyes turned to the woundless neck of the Death Tagool. Hidden under the sagging skin covering its neck stood a layer of scales that were harder than steel. The Death Tagool's mouth turned towards Kurome and enormous amounts of energy began gathering in its mouth.

A high pitched screech reached Kurome's ears as the energy released light and sound. Stranded in mid air, without anyway to change her course, she could do nothing but stare death in the eyes.

And death looked away.

The head of the danger beast snapped slightly to the right, only by a few inches. But that was enough to cause the energy gathering to implode. A large explosion occured right outside the mouth of the Death Tagool, the heat burning off the skin around its mouth, revealing a gruesome sight of scorched flesh and bare bones.

Kurome released a small breath of relief before adjusting her mid-air posture, landing safely on the ground. Yoshiro blurred into existence beside her.

"Sorry it took so long - *cough*- the smoke made it hard to find what I was looking for." He said while wiping his teary and bloodshot eyes. In his hands held two pitch black daggers, his Teigu - Pandora.

"No, you came at just the right time." Kurome replied while taking deep breaths, having just brushed against death. The two heard and angry roar followed by the high pitch screen of energy gathering. Their eyes snapped back at the very, very angry danger beast.

"Kurome, don't rush. Wear him down cut by cut, slash by slash. Aim your attacks at the skin on the back of his legs. With its large body size, the blood will flow out on its own. It might take hours, but we'll come out on top eventually." Yoshiro advised. Kurome pushed a slow breath out of her lungs and nodded. The energy that had been gathering peaked in power and was released in a flash. It completely missed its mark as Yoshiro and Kurome disappeared from their spots, the energy beam gouging a deep, scorched trench its wake. Far off in the distance, an explosion pulverized the side of a rock, creating a crater the size of a large cottage.

Kurome appeared behind the ankle of the monster, leaping upwards and delivering a flurry of slashes to calf of the monster. They were light and thin wounds. In respect to its body, they may as well be paper cuts, but their effects were drastic. Blood leaked out from those cuts like waterfalls, rolling down the leg of the Death Tagool and pooling at the foot of the creature.

The large mass of the creature meant it had a lot of blood flowing through its body. The pressure of that blood maxed at the bottom half of the monster. A single opening was more than enough as the blood opened the wound on its own.

Yoshiro, who had appeared behind the other leg, stabbed both daggers as far deep into the back of its knee as he could, letting the power of gravity create the wound as the daggers made two vertical cuts around half the length of its calf.

The monster roared in pain and stomped its foot, throwing the duo off its leg and tried to crush them under its titanic weight. But it was a feat on par with trying to swap flies moving at speeds fast enough to surpass human reaction times.

It was impossible. They ran circles around the ultra class danger beast, avoiding the fierce attacks and laser beams that came their way, inflicting scratches and cuts wherever they could. Hours crawled by, the stamina of Yoshiro and Kurome decreasing steadily. But the movements and power of the Death Tagool decreased at a faster rate. The sparkling, white snow surrounding the entrance of the cave was stained pale red, sections of the earth was gouged out, leaving scars along the ground, puddles formed at the bottom of craters where the Death Tagools beam struck.

The knees of the Death Tagool struck the ground 5 hours after the beginning of the battle. Kurome's consciousness blurred and she quickly stabbed Yatsufusa into the ground, using it as a pillar to support her. She was panting heavily, her arms felt like bricks and her legs like jelly. Yoshiro limped past her and towards the fallen beast.

"Hold on just a bit longer. I'll finish it off." He said. Kurome's hand reached out and grabbed Yoshiro's arm.

"I'll do it. I'll turn him into my puppet." She said between her heavy breathing. Yoshiro's face showed a bitter expression for a moment. Thankfully, Kurome's eyes were fixed on the monster and missed the look.

"Alright." Yoshiro agreed. He supported her and they walked over to the Death Tagool which was laying on its side, facing the duo in a near-death state. Kurome pushed herself off Yoshiro and gripped Yatsufusa in a quick draw stance. An ominous aura surrounded Kurome as she closed her eyes and mustered all her concentration. Her eyes slowly opened and she drew Yatsufusa at the fallen Ultra-class. Sinister black lightning sparked from the Teigu as it carved an X mark deep into the flesh and bone on the danger beasts chest.

A low growled was the last thing that the duo heard from the danger beast as it's body disintegrated into dust and was absorbed into Yatsufusa.

As the last speck flew into the cursed Teigu, Kurome lost her grip on her consciousness and everything faded to black.

---

Over the next 10 months Kurome's abilities improved by leaps and bounds. After returning, she began rebuilding her strength and physical abilities that have waned over the month in the mountains and began applying her new skill of hyper concentration to combat.

By the time she fully recovered, her abilities matched that of when she took her booster drugs.

With Kurome fully released from the restraint the drugs had placed on her for years, Yoshiro turned his attention to the other issue that had been obvious as day to him and only him.

Azeriel was overstepping his bounds.

In the time period of just over a year since the shadow guards have been established, the rebel army had already finished organizing themselves and began their operations starting from the city of Heliyx. The Empire had been largely ignoring them, having sent a large portion of their forces with Esdeath to fight to Northern Tribes and to the East in their conquest of Archana.

Instead, the job of suppression was left mostly to the shadow guards and the small army that remained in the Capital.

Yet the rebels were going strong and showed no signs of stopping, partly because of their potential, and partly because of Azeriel's incompetence. He would warn several key groups in the rebellion of the information the shadow guards have on them, and the rebel's would organize their movements to counter that. This would result in the shadow guards not finding their target at best, and a few losing their lives at worst. In short, the shadow guards were not performing their duty properly.

And that cannot be allowed.

Recently, Yoshiro could feel the doubt and annoyance rising in the upper echelons of the Empire and accepted the truth that he desperately wanted to avoid.

Azeriel had become a hindrance. And hindrances will be removed.

Yoshiro's plan, which had been prepared for months now, was finally placed into action.

Predicting Azeriel's behavior, one evening after they received intel on the movements of rebel troops, Yoshiro brought Kurome to the garden in the back of the palace and introduced her to a new type of training. He walked up to one of the many trees in the garden and kicked it. The tremor shook the tree, causing dozens of leaves to fall from the sky. There was a sound of daggers being drawn and the sound of the air being slice apart along with the leaves.

There wasn't a single one that hit the ground in one piece. Each leaf was split in half from stem to tip. Kurome watched his movements, surprised by the fluidity and accuracy. Kurome attempted to do the same, but frowned when several leafs escaped her onslaught by a thin margin. Whenever her sword neared the leaf, the wind that was naturally caused by the sword's movement blew the leafs away, causing her swings to miss.

This wasn't a training for strength nor accuracy. In order to properly split each and every leaf, speed and technique was needed to overcome the difference caused by the wind. Of course, slicing through each leaf was easier with two blades rather than one, but at the same time, to wield both dagger simultaneously while maintaining the speed and technique to split each in half was a mind blowing feat on its own.

Kurome struggled with the training for hours. The clock struck midnight and Yoshiro abruptly stopped her.

"Kurome, over there." Yoshiro pointed. With a tilt of her head, she turned her eyes in that direction. At the end of her vision was a passage that was open to the garden, with pillars on one side of the path and the walls of the palace on the other. From the pathway was a corridor that lead deeper into the palace, where the headquarters of the shadow guards was located. In other words, it could be said that this was the entrance to the shadow guards' base.

"... Leader?" She mumbled in confusion. The person that slipped out of the entrance to the headquarters greatly resemble Azeriel. "Where is he going?" She asked Yoshiro. Yoshiro didn't respond, so she turned to look at him. His eyes were narrowed dangerously.

"Recently, more often than not, we receive information on rebel forces but end up not finding anything right? Sometimes, they are even waiting in ambush." Yoshiro whispered to Kurome. Her eyes narrowed slightly and her tone sharpened.

"Are you saying that our leader has betrayed us?" She replied in a low, threatening tone. Yoshiro glanced at Kurome who was clearly angered, not sure if it was directed at him for suggesting the idea or at Azeriel.

"Only one way to find out." He said before activating his teigu and following after him. Kurome stared at the spot Yoshiro had been moments ago, before turning her eyes to the direction Azeriel disappeared off to. Her hand clenched tightly, the betrayal of her sister still fresh in her mind. Her figure vanished from the garden and into the night

Yoshiro doubled his caution against Azeriel, having nearly been exposed by his keen instinct once before, one that could've cost him 8 years of hard work in a single night. Thankfully, he was able to establish a partner-like relationship with Azeriel.

But Yoshiro was fully prepared to forsake that bond should Azeriel prove to be a threat to his mission.

Yoshiro and Kurome followed loosely behind Azeriel, Yoshiro throwing his concentration into overdrive to make sure Azeriel didn't sense anything. Azeriel traveled several miles through the empty streets of the Capital until he eventually came upon an inconspicuous, lower class tavern. In order to avoid detection, Yoshiro headed inside on his own to keep up with Azeriel, Kurome waited outside.

As soon as Yoshiro entered the tavern, he spotted Azeriel walking up the stair to the rooms where people stayed the night. The last time he tried to listen in that same way yet fell short to Azeriel's incredible instincts.

Yoshiro was not the type of person to make the same mistake twice. He wasn't allowed to.

This time, he took painstaking efforts into making sure that Azeriel wasn't able to detect him. For the past week, Yoshiro slipped a certain drug into Azeriel's meals. It was without taste or smell, nor was its effect very strong. All it did was slightly slow down the users mind, not enough for the victim to notice unless he was in a combat situation where it becomes obvious as day.

But Azeriel, who was the leader of the shadow guards, rarely entered battle. This would not inconvenience him in any way. Except now.

Yoshiro calmly stood outside the door that Azeriel had entered, peeking through the keyhole in order to observe what he was doing. His limited vision caught Azeriel opening a window and pulling out a small creature he had hidden in his coat. Yoshiro's eyes widened and he quickly rushed out of the tavern.

Kurome noticed him and appeared beside him.

"What happened?" She asked in a low voice. Yoshiro didn't respond, instead turned his head to look at the dark night sky, above the tavern. His eyes narrowed and his senses sharpened. There was a slight shift in the sky and a small shadow flew at high speeds in front of the moon. Yoshiro's hand flicked in that direction and a light squawk was heard.

"Bullseye." Yoshiro vanished from his position and Kurome followed quickly. They searched the area until they eventually found the corpse of the bird, laying at the top of a random roof, Pandora pierced in its midsection.

Yoshiro pulled his knife out of the creatures body and examined it. He found a small note hidden inside a capsule that was tied to its leg. He unrolled the note and frowned, quietly passing it to Kurome. She raised an eyebrow but read the note and her eyes widened.

An ominous aura erupted around her body and her eyes lost their light.

"I'm going to go kill him." Yoshiro held out his hand and stopped her. She glared at him and he blankly stared back.

"He doesn't know we've intercepted his message. He's not going anywhere. Let's report this to the Emperor tomorrow morning. This was in his handwriting, so it is definitive proof. Explaining to the higher-ups after we catch him will be much more troublesome." Kurome was reluctant, but agreed nonetheless.

Morning arrived at a crawling pace and the duo knelt before the Emperor and his advisors.

"What business do you have with the Emperor at such an early hour?" One of the advisors asked. Yoshiro spoked with his head down. His fists were clenched and his eyes closed in mourning.

"The leader of the Shadow Guards, Azeriel, has betrayed us."

---

The Empire, holding the title of the largest nation in the world, has its fair share of criminals and villains. Any and every human who dares to stand up against the oppression and corruption that plagues the government was labeled and taken down. And so, there are countless prisons and jails littered throughout the country and Capital. Yet the greatest criminals, those who committed crimes not against the people, but against the country and the emperor, were confined in the highest security dungeon located 1 mile north of the palace.

It was a dungeon dug out of the hill that the royal palace sat upon, having 9 floors, each more secure than the next with the most heinous and dangerous criminals located on the ninth floor, nearly 50 meters underground.

Deep underground, kneeling in a prison cell 50 meters underground, Azeriel slumped with his head hung down, his body held up by the chains that bound around his wrist, connecting his arms with the wall behind him. The dim light from the torches that lit the corridor seeped in from the gaps between the bars of his cell, illuminating his pitiful figure. Wounds littered all around his bare chest, ranging from bruises to cuts, left overs from the fierce battles that occured when he attempted to resist his capture.

Footsteps resounded outside his cell and his eyes opened. He lifted his head and watched as two figures stopped outside of his cell. One was the jailor, the other was the most brutal torturer in the empire, infamous for his grotesque methods. The keys rattled inside the lock and with a click, the lock fell onto the floor.

The jailor opened the prison and stepped aside, allowing the torturer to walk in before timidly following behind. The torturer stopped a step in front of Azeriel, who looked back with defiant eyes. He crouched down until they were at eye level, roughly grabbing Azeriel's hair and lifting his face up so their eyes met.

"Let's get started. By the end of this, I'll have you tell us everything you know." He whispered before pushing Azeriel's head down. Azeriel scoffed and looked back up. His eyes widened, but then narrowed dangerously as he looked in the direction of the torturer who had taken a few steps back. A deep, furious growl erupted from his throat.

"What are you doing here you bastard?" He snarled at one of the three that entered the room.

Yes. One of the three.

Yoshiro blankly stared at Azeriel, who was directing all his killing intent and fury towards him. The torturer spoke in the background. "Why, to give you a small taste of pain of course." But neither minded him.

Azeriel smirked condescendingly after a few moments, the anger still very much present in his expression.

"Ah, I see. You knew I wouldn't hesitate to reveal everything, so you came to shut me up huh?" The torturer who had just pulled out a bunch of dangerous looking tools had a face full of confusion. 'If you are willing to reveal what you know, then we wouldn't need these. I will guarantee you a swift and painless death.'

Yoshiro who retained his expressionless composure finally spoke.

"It is your thoughtless actions that landed you here in this cell." He said in monotone. Azeriel grinded his teeth.

"I will make you pay. I will definitely make you pay." The torturer, who mistook that sentence as directed towards him, sighed. 'If you are going to be stubborn, then you leave me no choice.'

Yoshiro instantly appeared next to Azeriel, his dagger pointed at Azeriel's side.

"You won't get the chance." Yoshiro whispered.

"Like hell I'll let you!" Azeriel shouted as his shifted his body back, avoiding the blow. But that was a fatal mistake. Taking the opportunity, Yoshiro's thumb flicked up and something entered Azeriel's mouth. Azeriel quickly spat out whatever entered his mouth. His eyes widened when he realized what it was. A small cap. One that was used to hide a poison pill in one's mouth. Yoshiro leaned forward until his mouth was right by Azeriel's ear.

"Rest." Azeriel felt a small prick at the back of his neck. His eyes lost all color and he slumped forward. With the alarmed shouts of the torturer and jailor in the background, Yoshiro vanished from the dungeon.

March 14, Year 10XX: Azeriel, the leader of the Shadow Guards, betrayed the Empire. He was captured after fierce resistance, and later that night, in his cell deep in the ninth floor of the Imperial dungeon, committed suicide to avoid torture by consuming a poison pill. In his place, as reward for exposing and capturing Azeriel, Yoshiro was promoted to the leader of the Shadow Guards, with Kurome as his sub-leader.

Stepping over the body of his friend who shared his burden, Yoshiro finally stood at the top of the Empire's underground world.

The only place to go from there… is down.

---

Nearly a year scrolled by and the state of the world shifted drastically.

A cloaked figure strolled inconspicuously through the streets of the Capital. On his back slung a large bag filled to the brim with stuff and peaking out from underneath the cloak, wrapped in bandages, was a long object that stuck out from behind his right shoulder. The sound of food stands and owners shouting out advertisement reached his ears and a mouth watering aroma wafted into the air. He turned towards one of the stands and ordered an item to go.

"Sorry sir, but could I please ask you to take off your hood?" The owner asked. It was for safety reasons so it couldn't be helped. The figure shrugged his shoulders and took off his hood, revealing spiky brown that reached the back of his neck, spiking outwards at the tip and above his ears. His appearance was young, but his deep green eyes held great maturity. He was not buff, but even the owner could tell that he was not push over. "Perfect, thank you for your patronage!"

The young adult continued walking down the street, but now with a steaming meat bun held firmly in his right hand, wrapped in a napkin.

"I wonder where they are? Sayo and Ieyasu…" He mumbled to himself. He brought the meat bun up to his mouth and took a large bite, tactfully manipulating the bun so that not a single drop of juice spilled onto the ground. He closed his eyes and savored the strong, flavorful taste. He looked at the meat but with a surprised but smiling expression.

"If there's one redeeming factor for the Empire, it's would be the food." He mumbled with a look of satisfaction. He raised his head from the meat bun and looked at the distant palace.

"I'm back again, Empire."

---

Finally, after half a year of writing, 13 chapters and over 130 000 words later, the self-dubbed "Prequel Arc" has finally come to an end. From here on out, it's good ol Akame Ga Kill timeline with a few twists and turns of course.

Once again, thank you all very, very much. I hope you all enjoyed a peek into Yoshiro's mission. He was an OC character that I created by pasting a weird personality onto a random background character from the Akame ga Kill anime. In Blade of Tempest, he was this mysterious ally character that I failed to develop properly, and somehow, he became the best friend character in Scars and Love and that carried over to this rewrite.

Chapter Preview! - Chapter 14 - The First Encounter