Heya everyone!
Sorry for the delay. Life hit me with official business and final exams so the writing and editing of this chapter was delayed. But here we are, back with another chapter!
Thank you guys for the continued support and let's get on with the story!
Chapter 17 - Calm Before the Storm
The light grey clouds that covered the sky in clusters earlier in the morning had dissipated as noon rolled around. Slivers of sunlight and hints of blue peaked out from behind the clouds, dispelling the gloomy mood that the boring greyness had instilled.
Similarly, Yoshiro was in a good mood. He leisurely strolled down the streets of the Capital, whistling a light tune and swaying his head left and right. Kurome, who was walking alongside him, nibbled at her pocky.
"Yoshiro-nii, did something good happen?" Kurome asked in her usual monotone. Yoshiro grinned and turned his head to her.
"Hmm? Does it look that way?" Kurome nodded once. Yoshiro had always been rather energetic in ways unbefitting of an assassin, but he rarely sang or whistled. It was a habit that popped out only when he was in a good mood.
"Today, a new installment of a certain manga was released! I've been waiting forever for this!" Yoshiro said enthusiastically. Kurome tilted her head and directed a confused gaze to Yoshiro.
"Manga?" Yoshiro's eyes widened. He stopped in his tracks and facepalmed. Underneath his hands was the face of a man who was mentally stunned. The same face that appeared on protagonists when they realized they were fighting for the wrong cause. And like those protagonists, he raised his head and spoke. "Kurome… you've grown strong in these past few years. I thought that I had nothing left to teach you, but there was one more thing. Come."
Yoshiro's right arm blurred and grasped tightly onto Kurome's arm. He bent his knees and the pavement cracked slightly under the pressure. Kurome, still trying to catch up with the sudden development, felt her body lift off the ground and thought 'whatever'. Her deadpan stare, her tight grip on her pocky, and her body that was swaying in the air like a flag were preserved until they reached the bookstore.
Yoshiro swung the door open with a bang and stepped inside. The bookstore was plain and simple. Bookshelves lined the walls and several rows covered half of the room. In the back corner directly in line with the door, there was a small counter and an empty chair behind with a dozen books haphazardly sprawled around. Also behind the counter was a small hallway that led somewhere deeper into the bookstore.
There were 3 small tables between the entrance and the counter. The floor and walls were hardwood and the place was clean and quiet. Since it was so quiet, the loud ruckus Yoshiro made when opening the door attracted the attention of the only other person in the store. Tatsumi, who was sitting at a table with a small stack of books in front of him, looked up from his manga to see who it was.
His gaze met Yoshiro's, they stared at each other blankly for a solid second before his gaze returned to his manga. Yoshiro proceeded to drag Kurome in and led her to the manga section.
"This is a bookstore, so I'll explain quietly. Listen carefully." He pointed at the large bookshelf that held over a dozen manga series and began vehemently preaching. Kurome attentively listened, having missed the joke and actually thought this was a serious lesson.
He began telling Kurome about the wonders of manga, the perfect blend of visuals and storytelling that could be both exhilarating and heart wrenching, a form of entertainment with the limitless potential. Kurome slowly realized this had nothing to do with her training and started losing interest.
"Yoshiro-nii, what are you here to buy today?" She asked with a hint of boredom. Yoshiro smiled widely and placed his hand on her head. He playfully ruffled her smooth, black hair.
"I'm glad you asked. The newest addition to my favourite series 'Fate/***' just came out." He turned around to the shelf and began searching, his finger flying across the rows as he used his honed senses to check through every book title.
His rare childish expectation was betrayed easily. He reached the end of the shelf and his eyes widened.
"It's not here." He returned to the top and tried again, but history was fated to repeat itself and he fell to his knees. "It's not here..."
Kurome tilted her head.
"The book?" Yoshiro slowly nodded. Kurome sighed and held out her pocky box to Yoshiro. Yoshiro slowly pulled out a stick and nibbled at it without forgetting to whisper a 'thank you'.
"Umm, are you looking for volume 9 of Fate/***?" Tatsumi asked. Kurome spun around in surprise. She didn't sense this stranger approach them at all, but somehow he was standing right behind them. Yoshiro raised his head and turned to look at Tatsumi.
"Yes?" He replied hopefully. Tatsumi held out a small book slightly larger than his hand. The cover depicted a woman with pink hair tied in a spiky ponytail in a red and blue dress with two katanas, one in each hand. Large bold letters that read 'Fate/***' were printed at the direct center of the book. Yoshiro shakily took the book and opened it to the first cover.
There was a small slip of paper wedged in between the cover and the first page.
"You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing here?"
Yoshiro held the book tightly to his chest and lowered his head, as if cuddling a precious child. He quickly jotted down a reply onto the same slip of paper and then stood up. He slowly pushed the book back to Tatsumi and looked away with a pained expression.
"I-I can't take this. You already bought this book right? I can't take this from you." Tatsumi frowned and swiftly flipped through the book, the pages flowing from left to right like a stream of water. He caught a glimpse of the message and closed the cover.
"Buying manga. Talk elsewhere."
He held out the book to Yoshiro with a small smile.
"No worries. The owner always makes sure to save me another copy since I'm a regular. Think of it as a gift from a fellow fan." Yoshiro hesitantly took the book. Tatsumi spun around and walked past the counter, disappearing into the back of the store. Kurome watched this exchange perplexed and completely missed the beckoning motion Tatsumi made as he turned around, but Yoshiro caught it.
Yoshiro's left arm swept across the bookshelf and tightly clasped onto a single novel, pulling it out and shoving it into Kurome's chest.
"Kurome, here's the first book in the series. Read it and tell me what you think. I need to go thank him properly." Yoshiro ordered in his teaching voice. Kurome's back straightened instinctively at his tone and she held onto the book. She watched Yoshiro head into the back after the stranger and looked at the manga in her hands.
She walked over to a nearby table and pulled up a chair. Setting a new box of pocky onto the table, she began flipping through the pages of the illustration filled book.
Passing by the counter, Yoshiro continued down the corridor and into the back of the store. He turned the corner and found Tatsumi waiting for him there, leaning against a wall.
"Didn't expect to see you here." Yoshiro said in a low voice. They were quite far from Kurome, but he wouldn't dare underestimate her senses. Tatsumi smirked.
"That's my line. You visit this store often?" Yoshiro shook his head. He came here only when there was a novel he really, really wanted to read. This store always has the products he's looking for and since it's not a well known place, the mangas are always in stock. He would always come here for Fate/*** books without fail!
"Once in a while when something catches my interest. What about you?" Tatsumi didn't respond immediately, opting to slide his hand across an inconspicuous section of the wall. Yoshiro was surprised when a small rectangular portion sank in like a button and a small door slid open. The door led to a staircase that went downward, dimly lit by lights that were present at the bottom of the steps.
Yoshiro followed Tatsumi down and they ended up in a small room with bookshelves in the back, 2 couches surrounding a square table and a large by the left wall. Tatsumi sat down and gestured for Yoshiro to do the same.
"This is actually Night Raid's secret base here in the Capital. Lubbock showed it to me when he invited me to come read manga. Don't leave any traces here, I don't have permission to bring outsiders here so keep it a secret okay?" Tatsumi said. He felt a bit guilty for using Night Raids facility without permission, but he trusted Yoshiro with his life and knew he would be able to keep it a secret. Yoshiro smirked challengingly.
"Who do you think I am? I don't even leave a restaurant without making sure my table and seat are sparkling clean." As such, he was great friends with many employees at restaurants he frequents. His diligence was truly admirable.
"No, that's the waiter's job. They are being paid to do that." Tatsumi retorted with a blank stare. Yoshiro chuckled and Tatsumi shook his head in exasperation. Yoshiro took a good look at his friend from head to toe. Tatsumi doesn't seem to have any injuries despite returning from a war zone. Speaking of which...
"Ah, that's right. Good job on the mission. I got the report that Ogre is dead." Tatsumi frowned and scratched his cheek.
"Yeah… about that. In the end, the rebel's lost, right? Maybe I should've helped out a bit more?" It actually weighed on his mind. Since he technically participated, when he heard the news, he couldn't help but feel like he smirked an obligation. Yoshiro shook his head at Tatsumi's mistaken sense of responsibility.
"No, you did what you needed to do. Winning the battle was the rebels' job. You already did them a huge favor by taking down two of their leaders along with their commander. They lost despite that so it's all on them." Yoshiro said.
Even though they helped the rebels and they share the same goals, at the moment, they still weren't members of the Revolutionary Army. Therefore, the success of the rebel's had nothing to do with them. Yoshiro wanted Ogre dead cause the general had the potential to cause more issue further down the line.
Yoshiro wasn't overly concerned about the rebels' loss, but he was a bit curious about another thing.
"Based on the reports, you faced off against the two teigu users right? For you to be driven off, were they strong?" Yoshiro asked curiously.
He trusted Tatsumi's strength even though he hadn't experienced it first hand in many years. He also had no grasp on the strength of the two teigu users, therefore Tatsumi's loss was a bit of a shock to him. But seeing how Tatsumi doesn't even have a scratch on him, his shock turned to curiosity.
Tatsumi frowned morphed into a conflicted look.
"No… if I had to say, they are only at the level we were at when we were fighting in the Tomb of the First Emperor. Their teamwork was impressive, but they wouldn't last a minute against you." Tatsumi explained. Yoshiro was even more confused now.
"Then why'd you let them live?" If Yoshiro could take them in a minute, the same would apply to Tatsumi.
"I didn't let them live on purpose. The army got in the way and they managed to avoid my detection after I dealt with the soldiers. I wasn't in the mental condition to find and finish them off afterwards either." Tatsumi replied. Yoshiro could tell from the exhaustion in his voice that he was still having a rather fierce internal struggle. Tatsumi clapsed hands together. His posture slouched slightly and he lowered his head.
"Yoshiro, do you remember the small village in the mountain's northwest of here?" Yoshiro nodded. He hadn't been there in years, but it was the location of their first independent mission so he had a deep impression of the place. Tatsumi continued. "Remember the two kids I hit off with?" Yoshiro furrowed his brows in thought.
"Yes? I didn't interact with them much, so I can't remember their names or faces but I do remember you playing with two kids." But why bring them up now? Then it clicked in Yoshiro's mind. "Wait, you mean to say those two village kids are now wielding Teigus in the Empire's army?" He seeked confirmation with disbelief.
Tatsumi nodded sadly and began retelling how he trained the two throughout the years and just when he was about to give them the final lesson on the Empire's corruption, they disappeared. Fate was truly a cruel, cruel thing.
Yoshiro fell silent while listening to his story. He tried imagining if he discovered that Hayami fell to corruption oversees and they had to stand on opposite sides of the battlefield as enemies. His chest constricted painfully and he subconsciously grasped his chest.
Silence fell between the two and it was Tatsumi who broke it a few minutes later.
"Yoshiro. Have you ever thought about what would happen if the former members of the Elite Seven discovered you were a spy?" Tatsumi wasn't talking about his identity being exposed in the past, but the possibility of Yoshiro being discovered in the future.
Tatsumi knew this was a question he shouldn't ask. It was insensitive and a jerk move, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted guidance and Yoshiro was the only one he could turn to. Yoshiro closed his eyes.
"Of course I have. When I realized I began seeing them as family, I began questioning if I could turn my blade against them when the day comes." It wasn't an 'if', but a 'when'. As long as Yoshiro stays true to his mission they would inevitably become enemies.
Bloody scenes haunted him every day. His blades covered in the blood of his friends, their dying eyes filled with misery and their mouths cursing him to eternal damnation. He couldn't risk blowing his cover in order to convince them to defect and the thought of abandoning his mission never crossed his mind. Somedays, he would even silently wish for their death overseas just so he could avoid that future and he would hate himself for thinking like that.
But no matter the pain, he kept walking forward.
"I can't stop that future from becoming reality. I've resolved myself to eternal suffering when I separated from you guys that day 9 years ago. When the day comes when I have to take my friend's lives, I'll do so while crying tears of blood."
Tatsumi gritted his teeth bitterly.
Compared to Yoshiro, he was weak.
He thought he had prepared himself to take Sayo and Ieyasu's lives. But when the time came to do so, he couldn't do it. He couldn't throw away the memories he made with them. He wanted to save them somehow.
"Sorry for asking that kind of question." Tatsumi apologized. Yoshiro shook his head and smiled.
"No, getting it off my chest feels surprisingly refreshing actually." Yoshiro stood up and looked at the stairs behind him. "I should get back to Kurome before she started suspecting things. She's a sharp girl." Tatsumi nodded and stood up as well. He went to the stairs and clicked a button on the right wall and the wall at the top of the staircase slide open.
Yoshiro walked up three steps and Tatsumi's voice caused him to stop.
"Yoshiro, I can't bring myself to abandon them without trying to save them. Forgive me." Tatsumi whispered. Yoshiro turned around and looked at Tatsumi who had his head lowered. His plea for forgiveness was simultaneously a declaration of his determination to act. Yoshiro smirked.
"Don't worry about it. I will clean up after you if you mess up. If you aren't willing to dirty your hands, then I will in your stead. That's what brothers are here for right?" Tatsumi lifted his head with wide eyes and smiled lightly.
"Brothers don't do that normally you know?" Yoshiro laughed and turned around once more. But Tatsumi spoke up one last time.
"In return, I will do my best to save your friends as well." Yoshiro's eyes widened, and then quickly softened.
"Yeah."
The two of them left the dark corridors and stepped back into the bookstore, back to their separate but connected lives.
"K-Kurome?" Yoshiro asked nervously. Kurome's eyes were fervently racing across the pages of the small book she had in her hand. The page flipped quickly and with the fluidity of an experienced manga reader. Her mind wasted no time in comprehending each line of text and each stroke of the illustration before moving on to the next with maximum efficiency.
Seven volumes of "Fate/***" were stacked up on the table and the eighth in her hands. Without looking up from the book, her right hand swiftly plucked out a stick of pocky and flicked it upwards. The stick drew a beautiful parabola while somersaulting fast enough to cause the illusion of a disk before being caught beautifully in Kurome's mouth.
Yoshiro was so stunned by the smoothness of her every move that he stopped moving until a small 'boof' was heard. That was the sound of Kurome closing the back cover of her book. Her eyes slowly turned to Yoshiro, an unsatisfied glint in her eyes. Her gaze moved from Yoshiro's face, down his body, and following his arm to the hand that held the object of her new obsession.
"Yoshiro-nii, hand it over." Yoshiro snapped out of his trance and narrowed his eyes.
"In your dreams."
The battle that ensued was witness by one bystander, who shook his head in amusement at the cute sibling-like quarrel.
Sakustein. A large city located at the southern corner of the Grand Grassland. With a population of 624,428, it was a medium-sized city with an industry based mainly on trading and agriculture. During the day, thousands of men and women streamed through the streets at a pace much slower than the Capital but still at the level where a traveler from the countryside wouldn't be able to handle without some time to adapt.
To an outsider, daily life in the city seemed to be progressing as normal. But to a local resident, the tension in the air was like a thick fog that they couldn't ignore.
A hostile army was treading on their front lawn less than two weeks ago. There was no way the citizens didn't know about the crisis that inched closer by the second and there were many different opinions floating around. Many viewed the rebels as enemies that were coming to destroy their homes. Others supported them secretly, believing the rebels will free them from the Empire's oppression.
But the vast majority of the population feared them. More specifically, they feared the change that the rebels would bring to their peaceful, albeit difficult, daily lives.
Luckily, the rebels were repelled safely by the army from the Capital. Said army was currently stationed in the city to protect it from future attacks, but to retain an element of surprise, their presence wasn't publicly announced. It would take some time for the rebels to renew their assault, so until then, the commander of the army had some free time.
Said commander was currently window shopping with his lieutenant.
Sayo peaked through the clear glass displays that showcased dresses and suits currently in fashion. Fashion in the Empire had two categories, commoner's fashion and the aristocrat's fashion.
Currently trending among the aristocrats were dresses with skirts that reached just below their knees, typically in blue, red, black, silver, or a combination of two colors. These dresses had long sleeves and a collar to cover as much skin as possible, as showing skin is considered degrading for highborn women. Men wore typical dark blue or black suits, first designed over a century ago, with broad shoulders and straight sleeves paired with similar colored dress pants.
On the other hand, commoner's fashion had variety. Attires ranged from t-shirts to hoodies to kimonos. Anything goes really.
Sayo personally preferred to stick with kimonos and kimono skirts. They were comfortable, elegant and the latter was easy to move in. On the other hand, Ieyasu wore whatever Sayo handed to him.
Since they weren't performing military duties, they were dressed in their casual wear at the moment. Sayo wore a pale, plain lavender kimono skirt that reached down to her knees. The sash around her waist was dark blue and the sleeves reached just past her elbows. In order to cover the rest of the skin on her legs, she wore long, white socks that reached up to her knees.
Even though it was the middle of the summer, Sayo didn't have a single drop of sweat on her despite the seemingly stuffy clothes she had on her. Ieyasu had asked her many times before in the past how she does that, but never got an answer. Women have their secrets and some of them are better left unknown.
Ieyasu, on the other hand, wore clothes befitting of someone who sweats normally. Dark brown shoes with ankle socks. White shorts that reached his knees. A short sleeved dress shirt with a collar and three buttons right below his collarbone and a thin vest on top.
The difference in their appearance drew attention to them. Ieyasu, being oblivious, didn't notice the gazes but Sayo did and she didn't enjoy being stared at. She didn't have her Teigu with her since it was difficult to bring two gauntlets around without sticking out like a sore thumb. They shouldn't need it anyway since they were in the middle of the city and it was unlikely they'll be attacked. Additionally, just because she doesn't have her Teigu didn't make Sayo a weakling.
But just in case, Ieyasu did have Noire hidden in his pocket. Having a compatible Teigu was truly convenient.
Back to the window shopping, Sayo sighed at Ieyasu who was stuffing his face with a hotdog.
"Ieyasu, don't you have paperwork to do? You're the commander of this army now so you better take care of your responsibilities properly." Ieyasu quickly swallowed whatever was in his mouth without even making sure it was chewed up properly before speaking. Sayo had beaten basic etiquette into his head after all (though she also told him to make sure to chew his food properly).
"It's fine, it's fine. I made sure someone would do the work." He dismissed with a smile. Sayo sighed again and silently added 'purchasing souvenirs for the poor secretary' to the list of things to do today. It was thanks to her that they could have a day off together after all.
Said secretary was currently suffocating under a mountain of paper and scrolls. She would quit her job in the near future.
Their little shopping trip continued for a few hours. The two of them entered and left several clothes shops, antique and souvenir shops. They weren't looking for anything in particular, except maybe a souvenir for Seryu when they returned to the Capital. They were told they would be staying in Sakustein for the foreseeable future, but they still had to prepare.
It was a relaxing trip and Ieyasu was staying surprisingly obedient, maybe having responsibilities changed him a bit? Sayo wondered. They say people change for the better when they gain responsibilities, like when they become parents.
Or maybe it was because of Ogre's death. Sayo frowned a bit whilst thinking about that.
In the end, the man who killed Ogre and two other captains on the front lines never reappeared. His existence was reported to the Empire who conducted an investigation, but since his head was covered by a hood and his visage by a mask, they only knew his height and that he was strong. The Empire was searching for the man, but to date, they have not found anything.
Sayo did not report her suspicions. Certainly, the man's voice resembled her good friend's voice, and he certainly reacted when she called his name, but she still had her doubts. Why would Tatsumi help the rebels? Why would Tatsumi try to kill her and Ieyasu?
If she could recognize him based on his voice alone, there was no way he didn't recognize them.
Maybe it wasn't him and she was just mistaken.
"Sayo!" Ieyasu who was walking alongside her suddenly tugged on her arm and pulled her towards him. Sayo was confused and quickly pushed herself off of Ieyasu's chest and realized she was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost crashed face first into a light pole.
They were standing near a nice outdoor cafe. The street they were on was a popular one that ran straight through the shopping district. There were restaurants, stores, shops, and food stands packed on both sides of the street. Naturally, the street itself was quite crowded and several men and women shot the duo sharp looks while dodging around them.
"Are you okay? This isn't like you." Ieyasu asked. The focused Sayo would never make a blunder like this under normal circumstances. Sayo smiled lightly, happy he was concerned.
"Nothing, I was just thinking about Tatsumi." She said. Ieyasu's face lit up and he opened his mouth to say something, but someone else beat him to it first.
"Eh?" Sayo and Ieyasu turned to the source and similar sounds leaked out of their mouths.
"Eh?" Standing a few feet away was a familiar man. His body was tilted away from the duo but his head was turned back, a dumbfounded look present on his face. His hair was a light brown and his eyes were deep green, always shining with amusement and stern only when teaching.
He wore a dark blue hoodie with a light blue, collared shirt underneath with a pair of white, short pants that reached just below his kneecap. Within seconds, the dumbfounded look faded into one of disbelief, then of joy.
"Sayo! Ieyasu! Is that you?" He asked while fully turning towards them. Sayo and Ieyasu thawed out of their frozen state and responded in unison.
"Tatsumi?!"
Pushing through the crowd of civilians, Tatsumi rushed over to his two friends. He threw his arms around them and pulled them into a hug with a huge smile on his face. Feeling the embrace, the shock finally wore off and the duo felt a rush of joy. It was true! It was Tatsumi. They returned the hug with the same amount of warmth, glad to see him safe and sound.
After staying in the hug for a comfortable amount of time, Tatsumi separated from them and looked them from head to toe. He took in their healthy appearances and smiled brightly.
"Wow, you guys haven't changed much at all! Even your headwears haven't changed." Ieyasu grinned and pointed at the wrapped up objects behind his back. One was poking out from behind his right shoulder and the other from behind his waist.
"We could say the same to you Tatsumi, even on this crowded street you still have your swords with you. You even still have the one for decoration." Tatsumi patted the wrapped up sword that was strapped onto the back of his waist.
"It looks cool." He said simply before turning his attention to Sayo.
"Sayo, are you eating properly? You look even skinnier than before." Sayo crossed her arms and gave Tatsumi a challenging look with a small smile.
"Try me." Tatsumi raised both hands in a surrendering gesture and looked around, before pointing towards the nearby cafe.
"Why don't we sit down and talk? There's a lot to catch up on and I would like to do it without a dozen glares piercing my skull simultaneously." Sayo and Ieyasu noticed what he was referring to right after he mentioned it.
Since they were standing still in a busy street, several inconvenienced passersby were giving them dirty looks. Ieyasu rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and Sayo quickly apologized with a deep bow. Tatsumi watched them with a small smile.
Anyone would think he was smiling from amusement, but that was wrong.
Finally, I get to speak to them.
The three of them entered the cafe terrace and sat down at an empty table. A young waitress came along and took their order. Tatsumi ordered a simple cup of tea, Sayo did the same while Ieyasu wanted some juice. Immediately, Sayo and Ieyasu began interrogating Tatsumi on what he had been up to for the past few years.
Tatsumi told them about his adventures, traveling across the country helping out villages with danger-beast and bandit issues, forcing his way through mountains and valleys, exploring every inch of the Empire.
Sayo and Ieyasu listened, Ieyasu especially attentive during the story about the time Tatsumi faced off against a serpent-danger beast deep in the Serracs Swamp, one that almost killed him.
Tatsumi did no lie once throughout his storytelling. He omitted everything related to his work as an anti-empirical assassin and told half-truths where it was unavoidable. The story about his near-death experience against the serpent was also true.
It was just under two years ago, Tatsumi ventured into the mysterious Serracs Swamps. It was a large wetland at the southeastern corner of the Empire. The area was incredibly dangerous, with dozens of poisonous species occupying the area and deep marshes that acted as natural death traps. It was deemed unfit for humans to inhabit and went largely ignored for the past century.
At that point, Tatsumi had been to every corner of the Empire except the swamps and thought it may prove to be useful in the future, so he went against the advice of nearby villages and headed into the swamps.
Within the span of an hour, Tatsumi had already fallen into several mud-traps and would undoubtedly be dead if not for Shinatsuhiko's ability that granted him flight. Tatsumi couldn't lower his guard for even a moment or else the deadly venomous spiders, snakes, and frogs might take his life. But he continued nonetheless.
He spent weeks exploring the swamp, mapping it out and marking highly dangerous areas where the conditions made them hotspots for dangerous creatures to nest.
None of these hardships was a surprise since he was warned beforehand by kind villagers who had been living on the outskirts of the swamps for generations now. What he didn't expect was the giant serpent that lurked within the waters.
It was 15 meters long and half a meter in diameter. But despite its titanic size, it was an incredible silent killer. It slithered through the waters swiftly and silently, leaving a huge trail on the surface of the water but made no splashes. Its killing intent was also hidden masterfully. Even Tatsumi with his guard up didn't notice the serpent until it exploded out of the water and pounced on him.
Tatsumi immediately moved to dodge, but the serpent's fangs caught his left hand and deadly poison was immediately injected into his body. Tatsumi pulled out his sword and sliced off the serpent's tooth before quickly retreating into the sky. He tore off a piece of his shirt and bound his left arm that was beginning to feel numb in order to stop the circulation. His hand was swollen and the area around the bite mark was dyed a terrifying black.
He bolted away, ignoring the snake that was hissing at him from below and rushed towards the nearest village he was acquainted to. While flying, he sucked out as much poison as he could from the wound, but there was only so much he could do. Soon, he began feeling light-headed and his left arm was completely numb. He held on as long as he could but eventually lost consciousness and fell out of the sky.
He woke up three days later. The villagers that saved him told him that he had crashed through a straw roof and completely destroyed an unfortunate family's dinner. He was lucky the roof had softened his impact or else he would've died from the fall. Even if he hadn't, the poison that exceeded the limit of his resistance would've killed him eventually.
It took weeks before he could fully recover. After he did, he went back to the swamp for a rematch and slew the serpent, but not before an hour-long battle that ended with him drawing Fenrir and splitting the snake in half from mouth to tail. The last part was omitted from his story telling of course.
"Wow…" Ieyasu whispered and slumped into his chair. Tatsumi grinned and took a sip out of his tea. The tea was a light yellow color with a similarly light but fragrant aroma. Tatsumi personally preferred tea with a stronger taste, but he couldn't complain too much since he was in a good mood.
After separating from Yoshiro, he contacted him through the messenger danger-beast and asked for information on Sayo and Ieyasu. He quickly got a response that detailed their present location and military post.
Tatsumi headed to Sakustein and paid careful attention to the movements of the Imperials there. Finally, after a week and a half of patience, he spotted Sayo and Ieyasu leaving the camp and followed them into the city. He bided his time, waiting for his opportunity to create the coincidental reunion.
Tatsumi glanced at his two friends and confirmed they were too happy to be suspicious about the coincidence that was a little too good to be true.
"So? What about you guys? Why are you here in Sakustein?" Tatsumi asked. Ieyasu grinned and puffed out his chest in pride.
"Be shocked! You are currently speaking to the commander of the Imperial Army here in Sakustein, General Ieyasu!" Tatsumi tried to hold back a laugh but failed miserably. His posture slouched and his shoulders trembled. Ieyasu pouted and Sayo shook her head in amusement.
"He's telling to truth." Sayo confirmed after watching for a while. Hearing Sayo's testimony, Tatsumi stopped laughing and his eyes widened.
"Really? You serious?" He asked in disbelief. Sayo nodded and ieyasu pouted while mumbling 'why do you believe her but not me?' The smile faded from Tatsumi's expression and his gaze became a bit colder.
"Hmmm? So you're a general of the empire now?" Ieyasu nodded proudly, Tatsumi raised an eyebrow at Sayo. "What about you?" Sayo shrugged and took a sip of her tea.
"I'm supporting this brick-head as his second-in-command."
"I see… You guys must've done a lot of work to get this far." At this point, Tatsumi's smile was gone and his gaze was a bit piercing. Sayo felt Tatsumi's atmosphere change and she immediately tried to stop Ieyasu from dropping the bomb he was about to drop. But she was too late.
"Of course! My teacher didn't promote me to his captain until I killed 50 rebels! It was a pain in the ass!" Ieyasu whined. Tatsumi's back teeth were clenched but he forced himself to relax. He took a slow and deep breathe before continuing his interrogation. His voice was noticeably strained though.
"50 huh? How many people did you guys kill in the past few years?" Sayo opened her mouth to change the topic but the oblivious Ieyasu in his fervor to brag about his achievements beat her to it.
"A total of 128! Ah, but I lost count during my last battle so it's actually higher than that…" Tatsumi was feeling his blood boil in anger. He couldn't believe Ieyasu was bragging about the number of lives he's taken like they were trophies. Ieyasu has completely thrown his lessons on the importance of life down the drain. "Ah, but hear me out! Sayo! Even after two whole years of fighting, she still hasn't gotten her first kill you know? Can you believe it?"
"Eh?" This was the first time Tatsumi was truly dumbfounded since their reunion. His gaze bolted to Sayo who was feeling nervous after observing Tatsumi's reactions to Ieyasu's thoughtless words. She noticed his change and hurriedly tried to take advantage of it to drag the conversation away from Ieyasu.
"Never mind that. Tatsumi-"
"Don't try and avoid the topic! Sayo, you need to learn to stop being so merciful to the enemy. Your good nature will definitely be taken advantage of you know?" Sayo grit her teeth and sent Ieyasu, who once again foiled her attempt at changing the topic, a devastating glare. Ieyasu instinctively sat up straight and sweat began rolling down the back of his neck. D-did I say something wrong?
"Sayo?" Tatsumi called out, seeing her glare. Was she trying to change the topic? Sayo misunderstood his intentions and replied with a conflicted look.
"Um… I guess I just never felt the need. My job is to keep this idiot alive and it's his job to attract the attention, so I was never in a situation where I thought it'd be necessary to kill." Sayo tried explaining. Sayo's clumsy explanation was like a gentle breeze that cooled Tatsumi's head. Without him knowing, a gentle smile floated to his face. There's still hope for them. Tatsumi reassured himself.
In the first place, Tatsumi taught Sayo and Ieyasu how to fight as a last resort method of self-defense. Yet Ieyasu proudly used that method to protect as a weapon to fight on the wrong side of the war. But Sayo was different. She stayed true to his teachings.
It didn't matter if she had her own reasons to do so.
Sayo was dumbfounded for a moment, unsure why his mood changed so quickly. But she was glad it did. Sayo changed the topic to the various training experiences the two had in the army, careful to avoid the topic of killing and bloodshed since those seemed to be the trigger for Tatsumi's change in mood.
They talked until sunset when Ieyasu proposed something interesting.
"Tatsumi, why don't we have a training session like in the past?" Tatsumi stopped and tapped his chin. He considered rejecting the invitation, but thought it may be rather suspicious if he did.
He was nervous that the two may be able to recognize him as the one who killed Ogre based on his stance and style, but he reasoned it was unlikely. Back then, he had focused on dodging and his attacks were quick strikes that shouldn't have reveal his style; at least, he didn't think it did.
With that in mind, he accepted.
"Sure, but don't blame me if you end up eating dirt like usual." Tatsumi taunted with a confident smirk. Ieyasu received the taunt and grinned. It was on.
Ieyasu led Tatsumi back to the Imperial army's camp and grabbed a steel spear for himself and a pair of steel knuckle guards for Sayo. Tatsumi was reluctant to enter the Empire's military camp so the trio headed to an area right outside the city.
With 15 meters between Tatsumi and Ieyasu, they prepared to begin. Sayo was standing off to the side, acting as the referee as she awaited her turn. She raised her right hand above her head and the two entered their own respective stances.
Ieyasu was standing with his body facing to the right had his feet spread apart, knees bent, and center of gravity low. His spearhead was pointing towards the ground and towards Tatsumi. Tatsumi held his steel sword with both hands directly in front of his body, his left foot a short distance ahead of his right.
Sayo's hand swung down and their weapons clashed at the same moment. Ieyasu lunged forward the moment Sayo's hand swung down and stabbed towards Tatsumi's left shoulder, but it was parried effortlessly. Ieyasu immediately drew back but a small cut was left on his right cheek.
"Mumu…" Ieyasu growled with a pout. Just from the first exchange, he felt overwhelmed. He wasn't sure why, but he just couldn't see a way to get past Tatsumi's guard. Deciding that standing still and thinking won't get him anywhere, he twirled his spear in his hands in a smooth motion and swiped it at Tatsumi's legs.
Without taking a step, Tatsumi lowered his sword and deflected the sweeping blow and waited patiently for Ieyasu's follow up which came in the form of a stab to his face.
He completely disregarded the speed of the stab that would've killed an average man before he even realized the stab was coming and reached up, catching the spear at the base of its head with a strong grip and led it away from his face, forcing it to fly past his head.
Tatsumi feet flew up and kicked at Ieyasu, who was still in shock from having his spear caught so easily. Ieyasu naturally couldn't react and was blown back several meters, leaving his spear in Tatsumi's hand. Ieyasu landed on his feet slid to a stop.
"Not bad. You've gotten a lot better. But you really shouldn't let go of your weapon over something as avoidable as a kick. It's better to be a bit more obstinate, but don't be reckless." Ieyasu sighed and scratched his head while averting his gaze.
"Somehow I'm feeling a terrible sense of deja vu." Being overwhelmed and lectured. Nothing's changed at all in three years. Sayo giggled from the side, finding Ieyasu's sulking face quite amusing. Tatsumi turned his gaze to Sayo and smirked.
"How about you help him out? Let's see if your teamwork has improved." Without warning, Sayo appeared in front of Tatsumi and her foot swept across the spot his head was a moment ago.
Tatsumi swung his sword at Sayo's supporting leg without mercy. To avoid losing a leg, Sayo bent her leg and jumped, doing a standing backflip and dropping her leg on Tatsumi's head. He blocked her foot with the fist holding Ieyasu's spear and pushed her back.
Her foot rotated and snagged onto Ieyasu's spear. Tatsumi, noticing her intention, smiled and loosened his grip. The spear flew out of his hand and into the air.
In a smooth motion, she flipped acrobatically and caught the spear. She leapt back to Ieyasu's side and handed him his weapon. She smiled helplessly.
"Guess we'll have to." She said to Ieyasu, who nodded in response.
Without a signal, they moved in unison, swerving in and out each other's paths. Ieyasu was the one who engaged first, attack with swipes using his spear's long reach. Sayo looped around and attacked from behind, engaging in close combat and covering any opening Ieyasu left.
"Hmm? Not bad." Tatsumi complimented as he blocked and dodged their attacks that came from both sides of him. The two of them had a simple and effective system of attack. Ieyasu does whatever he wants and Sayo made sure to keep up the pressure and cover openings while staying vigilant to not get in Ieyasu's way.
It was difficult to break out of their encasement when they fall into rhythm, but it wasn't impossible. To demonstrate, Tatsumi simply jumped. His back arc'd and Ieyasu's spear passed harmlessly under him. He lightly pushed the neck of the spear downward, sending it straight at Sayo who aimed her attack at Tatsumi's lower half.
Ieyasu visibly panicked, his eyes wide in worry as his spear's momentum carried it straight at Sayo's face. Luckily, she instinctively blocked the blow but the impact sent her onto the ground. She closed her eyes reflexively as her bottom hit the floor, sending a shock up her spine. When her eyes opened, a sword was pointed at her face.
Tatsumi, standing above her, pointed his sword at her. Sayo's heart rate skyrocketed and fear filled her chest as his image overlapped with her memory from a few weeks ago. Her eyes turned defiant as she glared upwards at Tatsumi.
"Sayo? Are you okay?" Tatsumi lowered his sword and asked with a concerned look. Sayo's eyes widened and she sat frozen for a moment. "Sayo?" He called again.
"Huh? O-oh, yeah. I'm fine." Sayo responded. She pushed herself up and patted the dirt off her back.
Why did she feel her life was in danger? Why was the image so uncannily similar?
"Let's stop here today. I've affirmed you've both become a lot stronger." Ieyasu pouted and crossed his arm.
"You as well, or rather, aren't you a little too strong? How am I supposed to show off if you can nonchalantly take us bo-OUCH!" Ieyasu's childish rant was interrupted with a brutal flick to the forehead.
"Hmph, if you think I'll let my students beat me this easily you'll have to think twice." Ieyasu rubbed his forehead with slightly teary eyes from the stimulus.
"Didn't you say we weren't your students before?" He grumbled.
"Well, our language doesn't have a better word. C'mon, it's getting late. Let's head back."
"Ehhh? Wait!" The sound of their conversation drew further and further away as Sayo sunk back into thought. The similarity in their voice, the response to his name, the uncanny feeling of deja vu. The more she thought about these oddities, the more her doubts swelled in size.
Is Tatsumi the assassin that killed her teacher?
Over the next few days, Tatsumi met with Sayo and Ieyasu multiple times. The time they spent together involved everything from shopping to eating to training. While Tatsumi spent the entire time looking for an opportunity to bring up the subject of the Empires corruptness, Sayo was spending every minute scrutinizing Tatsumi's every action.
After the first night, everything Tatsumi did seemed to parallel with the assassin. From his standing posture, to his movements, to his very presence. At this point, Sayo couldn't tell if he was actually like the assassin or if it's just her mind trying to make him into the assassin.
While they were being gnawed at by the monstrous emotions called anxiety and doubt, Ieyasu was fully enjoying the feeling of nostalgia.
They ended their meet up once again on the third night after sunset and began heading back to the city from their newly designated training spot. At this point, an innocent but dangerous thought crossed through Ieyasu's mind. Why don't they invite Tatsumi to the army?
At the same time, Sayo reached her wit's end.
"Hey, Tatsu-" Ieyasu called.
"Tatsumi, I would like to speak to you." Sayo interrupted him without caring for him whatsoever, or rather, she didn't even hear him. Ieyasu felt that Sayo's tone was off and quieted down.
"Uh, sure?" Tatsumi didn't know what was wrong, but he agreed anyway. Sayo nodded and turned to Ieyasu.
"Head back to the city first." Ieyasu felt suspicious and wanted to ask what was going on, but Sayo's eyes were serious and her tone stated that it was not up to debate. He reluctantly nodded and headed back to the city.
Once he was out of sight, Sayo turned back to Tatsumi with a frown.
"Sayo? What's wrong?"
"Tatsumi, why are you here in Sakustein?" She asked.
"Why? I was passing by the area and stuck around." He responded with confusion. Sayo scrutinized Tatsumi, looking for signs that he was lying. She wasn't an expert, but she could pick up on some obvious signs. To this point, either Tatsumi was telling the truth or he's a better liar than she thought.
"Haven't you heard about how this area is dangerous? Rebels were at our doorsteps a few weeks ago." Tatsumi sheepishly scratched his head.
"Yeah, I heard about it after I arrived. But since the army was here, I thought it'd be safe so-" Sayo narrowed her eyes.
"How? The public doesn't know about the presence of our army in this city." Tatsumi froze. Sayo's legs slid apart slightly and she fell into a preparatory combat stance. Her eyes were no longer friendly. Tatsumi lowered his hand from his head.
"Tatsumi, tell me the truth. Are you the one who killed Ogre two weeks ago?" Tatsumi couldn't help but smile bitterly. I'm really not fit for this acting business. He looked at Sayo with a hint of amusement. To think she actually managed to put two and two together. Sayo frowned at Tatsumi expression and glared, asking for an answer.
"Yeah. That was me." Tatsumi answered. He doubted Sayo would believe him even if he made excuses. Sayo's stance transformed into her combat form and her aura became hostile.
"Why?" Tatsumi frowned at her gestures and tone. A pulse of killing intent struck Sayo. She saw an illusion of tsunami like waves crashing towards her, encasing her in and slowly suffocating her. The illusion ended abruptly and she returned to find herself at the end of Tatsumi blank look.
"Drop your guard Sayo. If I wanted to, I could have you as a corpse before you could take three steps." Sayo's right hand slowly grasped her trembling left arm and she retracted her stance, returning to a normal standing posture. Tatsumi confirmed that she's lost her hostile attitude and slowly began.
"Sayo. Have you ever seen the horrifying sight of a village being razed to the ground?" Sayo grimaced as she remembered her first mission and terrible experience on her first battlefield. The village that was slowly destroyed, the people who were suffering. It left a lasting impression on her. One that she would prefer to forget. She nodded. Tatsumi watched her reaction with sadness.
"When I was 17, I arrived in a small town in the far northeastern edge of the Empire. It was a normal town, albeit poor. People lived their happily and it reminded me greatly of your village." Tatsumi said. With small houses made of wood and light snow covering the rooftops, it was secluded and old, but there was this mysterious appeal about that town. It was a symbol of human tenacity, or at least that's how Tatsumi saw it.
And he watched it burn to the ground.
Unable to pay their taxes to the empire, the town was demolished and the men were captured as slave workers. The women were brought back to the empire where their fate remained unknown, but one could easily guess.
Sayo watched Tatsumi as he spoke and knew that he was telling the truth. The anger in his eyes was not something one could fake.
"Corrupt merchants destroying land and forests that were the villagers' livelihood for profit, government officials taxing towns and pocketing their money until they inevitably went bankrupt, villagers turned slaves being passed around like currency between wealthy men. I've seen it all." Tatsumi trembled at the memories. He did what he could for the towns and in fact, he saved many villages from lesser merchants and low ranking officials, but against those with more political power, he could only stand by and watch.
"Sayo. As someone who's seen much more of this world than you, I am telling you this. The Empire is corrupt. Thousands suffer everyday because of the crimes committed through the law. And you two are part of this." Tatsumi mercilessly accused.
Sayo fell silent. Tatsumi observed her reaction, which was one of conflict. She then asked.
"Are you a rebel?" Tatsumi frowned but shook his head and answered.
"No. I am not part of the Revolutionary Army. I'm only a self-serving vigilante, and your friend. And I'm telling you as a friend. Please stop this." Tatsumi borderline begged her. Seeing Tatsumi like that, Sayo began thinking.
How can she get out of this alive and save Ieyasu at the same time? There really was only one option wasn't there? She took a slow breath and put on an anguished appearance.
"... To be honest, I've noticed oddities in our training regime since the very beginning. On our first mission, we were sent to a warzone where we saw the worst of the worst atrocities occurring. That mission failed miserably when the enemy decided to ignore us and attack the village. Our higher ups keep telling us the rebels are a savage band of thieves and bandits aiming to destroy cities and villages, but the idea that hundreds of thousands of bandits would band together to fight the Empire is absurd." Sayo admitted. Tatsumi's eyes brightened hopefully.
"So you'll listen to me?" Sayo smiled and nodded.
"Of course." But then she frowned. "But Ieyasu might not be so easy to convince." Sayo did her best to ignore Tatsumi's falling expression and hurriedly explained.
"He had always been naive. After being shown scenes as brutal as the ones we've seen, he can't easily change his impression. Also, unlike me, he greatly loved and admired Ogre. After Ogre died, he swore to continue his legacy so telling him to abandon that is something that goes against everything he's learned in the past few years." Sayo explained. Tatsumi gritted his teeth.
"So then…" He would have to kill him. Tatsumi's eyes were closed and he endured the rush of despair that crashed against his innards. But then, he felt a pair of soft hands wrapping around his clenched fist.
"Tatsumi, please leave him to me. I'm the only one he listens to so I'm sure I can convince him if you give me a bit of time." Sayo's hand released Tatsumi's fist and she wrapped her arms around him in a light hug.
"Please. Believe in me." Feeling Sayo's body heat cause the tension to escape from Tatsumi's body. He calmly processed everything he's been told, silently evaluating Sayo's sincerity. Finally, he nodded.
"Alright. I'll leave him to you." Tatsumi said before pushing Sayo off of him. He tightly gripped Sayo's shoulder and looked her dead in the eyes. Sayo didn't avert her gaze. "But hear me well. If the next time we meet is on the battlefield. I will show no mercy." A deathly chill traveled down Sayo's spine.
"Are you leaving?" Tatsumi nodded.
"Yeah, as a vigilante, I've got vigilante things to do. I've camped out in this city to look for the chance to speak to you guys after all. Now that I've accomplished that, I'll take my leave." Tatsumi released his grip on Sayo's shoulders and turned around.
"Lastly, I have a question for you, Sayo." Sayo, who just breathed out a sigh of relief, stiffened again. She sucked in a breath and asked nervously.
"What is it?" Tatsumi sent her a gaze as if looking at an incomprehensible creature.
"Back in the village, you were a healer who hated fighting. Why would you follow Ieyasu to join the army? Why are you so devoted to him?"
Sayo stopped moving.
Since her earliest memory, her life has changed so drastically she could hardly recognize herself as the same person. In her life, there were only two truths that have stayed the same throughout her lifetime. One, she was alive and breathing. Two, she was by Ieyasu's side. As far back as she could remember, Ieyasu was there being the idiot he was.
At first, it was a source of self-satisfaction. Taking care of Ieyasu gave her a sense of purpose and she felt mature even as a child. Then, it became an obligation. As a childhood friend, if she didn't take care of Ieyasu, who will?
But now that Ieyasu has become an adult, why was she still here?
"I guess it's just my way of life." Fate has assigned her the role of Ieyasu's caretaker. That's what she thought and that's how she planned on living her life.
"... I see." Leaving her with those simple words, Tatsumi vanished.
Sayo stared at the spot Tatsumi had been seconds before and slowly sunk down onto the ground. She released the tension in her body and soreness attacked her like rabid dogs. She stayed there for no less than fifteen minutes before pulling herself back together and dragging herself back to the city. She found Ieyasu near the city gates and he rushed up to her.
"Sayo? Are you okay? What happened?" Ieyasu asked. Sayo stared at Ieyasu's face. His refined face looked just as goofy and unreliable as ever. She felt relaxed just looking at him.
Home was where the heart was. In that case, her home is right here.
"No. Nothing happened."
After leaving Sayo, Tatsumi flew over the city walls and headed towards his inn. The suns illumination has already left the city but the moon's glow provided just enough light for Tatsumi to see the outlines of the city buildings. Late resting children and midnight street stalls produced dots and sparkles in the otherwise dark city.
Tatsumi never felt lighter as he glided across the sparkling city. A satisfied smile floated past the hidden anxiety, doubts, and worries he held in his chest. There were many things he didn't know. Will Sayo keep quiet about him from the Empire? Will Sayo try to change Ieyasu? Will Ieyasu accept the change?
Tatsumi had always been afraid of the future because he didn't know what could happen. Yet when he consulted his Shishou while expecting to be encouraged or inspired to change, he got a simple reply.
"Tomorrow is tomorrow. Today is today. Deal with today's problems today, and tomorrow's problems tomorrow. As long as you are capable, isn't that good enough?"
Today, Tatsumi conveyed what he held in his chest for 3 years. That worries of tomorrow were heavy on his heart, but compared to the mountain that was lifted off his chest, it was nothing much.
As he descended slowly, he did barrel rolls and somersaults, fully enjoying his temporary sense of freedom. He eventually did reach his hotel, but spent the better part of an hour sitting on the roof, staring at the moon and enjoying the chilly night breeze.
Sadly, his stupid conscious began gnawing at his mind like an annoying little cockroach. Tatsumi tried to fight it off, but it wouldn't die nor go away so he gave up.
"If I leave tomorrow's problems for tomorrow, Yoshiro will get mad won't he." Tatsumi mumbled to himself disappointedly. He sighed in resignation and pulled out a small slip of paper and a pen from a pocket, then roughly scribbled down a message.
He stood up and hopped into the sky, flying up a few miles before letting a loud screech reverberate through the air. His exclusive messenger danger beast blurred through the moonlit sky in response and landed on Tatsumi's outstretched arm. He stuffed the paper haphazardly into the capsule on the messenger's leg and said Yoshiro's name out loud.
He watched the danger beast disappear into the night and headed back to his hotel.
His message was simple and to the point.
"Told her about the Empire and my stance. Take care of the rest…"
"...By the way, I hate you and your diligence." Yoshiro rolled his eyes for the upteenth time after rereading the message again. Recently, Yoshiro suggested they write messages a bit more cryptically so that even if it did get intercepted, he wouldn't be pinned down easily. But at least say please when asking me to clean up after you…
Yoshiro was currently sitting in his dark, damp, depressing dungeon office a dozen feet underground. He tried to spend as little time as possible here because it was suffocating. As a man who spent most of his childhood wandering the country, accustomed to the beautiful open nature, his office felt like a coffin.
But no matter how much he hated it, as the leader of the shadow guards, he had paperwork to do and missions to assign. There were also times when shadow guards were required to report their progress to Yoshiro so he had to be here when it was the time for that as well.
But he really hated it. He really hated it. Important things have to be said twice.
As he cursed his office over and over again while rapidly filling out important paperwork, there was a knock on his door.
"Come in." The person behind the door opened it and walked in, closing the door behind him. He knelt down in front of Yoshiro's desk with his head down.
"133 reporting in." The man said. Yoshiro didn't bother looking up or stopping his hand for the matter and ordered the man to speak.
"Nostr Ares has begun to move." Yoshiro's hand stopped and a look of amusement appeared on his visage. He leaned forward and rested his chin on the palm of his left hand while twirling his pen in his right.
"Heh. Those battle junkies finally decided to stop twiddling their thumbs and fight as their instincts tell them to?" Yoshiro commented with a smirk. 133 didn't reply, instead handing an envelope to Yoshiro. He took the envelope and inspected it.
The envelope was white like any other envelope, the only thing different about it was the red wax seal that held the envelope close. The seal was unique and signified the sender as a member of the shadow guards, though only select members had one.
Yoshiro took one look at the envelope and his gaze sharpened slightly but quickly returned to normal. He looked up at the shadow guard who was kneeling on one knee in front of his desk.
"133, did anyone open this letter?"
"No." The way he responded was perfectly calm and normal. But the slight twitch in his right thumb didn't escape Yoshiro's trained eyes.
He's lying.
For assassins and spies on the level of the shadow guards, they've been trained to be completely motionless when reporting information. This was because it made hiding a lie nearly impossible. The moment you lie, your body is bound to respond in some way. There was only a handful of people who were capable of telling a lie without anybody response. By the way, Yoshiro was one of them.
Number 133. A new recruit that was enlisted 3 months ago. I assigned him his first job as messenger, but it seems we have a prideful young warrior here itching for a challenge.
The envelope was definitely opened before arriving here. As proof, there was a small black outline on the seal, the sign of someone melting the wax back onto the envelope. It was a high difficulty technique, but a common skill amongst the shadow guards.
133 likely got curious or thought he deserved to know and opened it without orders. Yoshiro smiled. Someone like 133 was the easiest to use and he was just what Yoshiro needed.
"Good work. This is very important intel and will be vital for our country's future. As your reward, I will assign you a special long-term mission." 133 lowered his head a few centimeters further as to indicate his gratitude.
"Currently, our army stationed in Sakustein is headed by commander Ieyasu and his close aid, captain Sayo. They rose to power after the previous commander, General Ogre, died on the battlefield. Reports say it's because a mysterious assassin attacked, but even after weeks of searching, no traces of said assassin was found." Yoshiro explained. 133 was listening intently even though he knew most of this.
"An assassin that doesn't seem to exist, who broke through captain Sayo's defensive Teigu to kill Ogre yet couldn't defeat commander Ieyasu and a greatly weakened captain Sayo. They were then promoted and took command of the army." 133 narrowed his eyes with his head lowered.
"Are you suspecting them of being traitors?" He asked. Yoshiro raised an eyebrow. 133 just clearly spoke out of turn and that was grounds for his existence to be wiped from the Empire, but he let it slide.
"No, that much isn't enough to warrant something like suspicion, yet caution is needed. Even if it's a one in a million chance, as long as the chance exists, we must make sure it's removed. But at the same time, they are valuable military resources for our army. Therefore, I'm assigning you to keep an eye on them. Report their movements regularly and report immediately should they act peculiarly or make contact with government officials." Yoshiro stood up and walked in front of the shadow guard. He knelt down on one knee and looked straight at 133, whose head was lowered.
"I'm leaving them to you. This is incredibly vital. We cannot afford to make mistakes when it comes to two Teigu users. You understand?" 133 nodded once. Yoshiro smirked and stood back up, turning his back to the shadow guard.
"Mission commences immediately. You are dismissed." 133 stood up and left swiftly. He may not have shown it physically, but Yoshiro noticed his excitement and joy. Yoshiro held back a laugh and sat back into his rather comfy leather chair.
He propped his legs up onto his table and opened the letter Inside was a piece of paper with rows of incomprehensible scribbles and symbols. It was obviously an encrypted message, but even without a key, Yoshiro read it normally.
The letter simply detailed the current position, movement, and numbers of the Nostr Ares army. Yoshiro tapped his temple with his pen while staring at the message.
"Now then… what should I do with this." At the moment, he was the only one in the Empire that knew this, so it's a powerful tool he could use to his convenience.
For example, leak the information to the rebels and have them take advantage of the situation however they want.
Although it seems difficult, getting the information to the rebels was actually a simple task.
Yoshiro knew where Night Raid's hidden base was. The rebel assassin group did a good job in hiding their location, but in the end, they were still bound to a few rules. First, they had to be within a manageable distance from the Empire. Two, they had to be away from populated areas to avoid detection. Three, they had to be somewhere easily overlooked even if they were being actively searched for.
From those three points, Yoshiro narrowed his search range down to 4 spots around the Capital and spent weeks carefully searching each spot. Once he happened upon traps laid out by Cross Tail, he was sure where Night Raid's base was even without visual confirmation.
The main issue was how to make the leaked intel seem believable. He could have Tatsumi transmit the message, but it would be troublesome if they asked him where he got the information. Another way is to trigger their intruder system and leave an envelope there containing the information like in the mangas, but there's no way they'd believe something that reeked of suspicion.
The best way would be…
"Kurome." The door opened and the local gluttonous assassin walked in with a blank look. She ignored protocol and awaited her order while standing.
"Call 98, 121, 153." Her head nodded once and she left. A few minutes later, three others came in through the door and took a similar kneeling position.
Of the trio, two were men and one was a woman. Their ages ranged from the late 20s to late teens. 98 was a member that joined soon after the shadow guards conception while the other two were new members that have been members for less than half a year. Both of them showed great potential and were proficient at their job, merely lacking in experience.
"I've just received intel that Nostr Ares is on the move. Head directly North and deliver this message to General Esdeath. I have laid out the fastest route to General Esdeath's current location. Get this to her within 3 days. Understand?" The three shadow guards nodded and 98 stepped up to Yoshiro's desk and picked up the letter Yoshiro wrote after 68 left and the map on which he drew the route. They left immediately afterward.
Yoshiro leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He just sent three people to their deaths and the guilt was like a bucket a sludge that pressed on his shoulders. He shook his head to try and clear off the muddy feeling but it didn't work at all. He stood up, having lost all motivation to finish the paperwork and headed outside to move his body.
The three shadow guards headed north after leaving the capital, passing through the western edge of the Tyrant mountain range. The area had highs and lows, filled with forestry and large rock formations. Because of a large number of obstacles and stamina draining hills, travelers and messengers naturally avoided passing through this area. Even for trained shadow guards, they couldn't get away without burning lungs and dry throats.
But since it was an emergency situation, every second mattered so they followed the route their leader drew for them. 98 found it was a bit odd though, since Yoshiro wouldn't usually do something as generous as this. Maybe he was in a good mood?
They flipped over a small hill and without knowing it, they tripped a thin string trap set up at the base of the hill. A few kilometers away, Lubbock's eyes narrowed. He flipped over the fence and into the lady's side of the bath.
"Nee-san, there are intruders 1.7 kilometers southwest heading northeast." Leone's fist stopped inches from Lubbock's face, the shockwave blowing Lubbock's bangs upwards.
"Inform the others, I'll be right there." She responded seriously and disappeared into the changing room. Lubbock turned around and wiped off the blood dripping from his nose then headed into the base to inform the others.
All night raid members gathered within minutes and headed south to intercept the intruders. Even though Lubbock only sensed 3 intruders, there was a chance that they were baiting while others waited in ambush, so Najenda made the call to send out all of them.
Five minutes later, Mein, who was perched on a high vantage point, spotted the intruders. She pulled pumpkin up and pointed it slightly in front of the enemy and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
98 heard a thundering sound and immediately turned to warn his comrades, but before his voice came out, 121 was blown away. His head splattered onto nearby trees and his body spun through the air like a plushy being thrown haphazardly onto the floor.
"Ambush?! How?!" 153 screamed. 98 narrowed his eyes and immediately shouted at 153 to calm down. He pushed the letter onto her and told her to run away from the gunshot-like her life depended on it. She nodded, realizing 98 planned on sacrificing himself, and left with the letter. 98 turned around and face the trio that had appeared behind him at some point.
An armored man that was three heads taller than him, a skimpily dressed blonde and a girl that heavily resembled his sub-leader Kurome. He instantly knew who he was up against and the strength left his body. Just like that, his head fell off his body.
Bulat swung the blood off Neuntote and offered a silent prayer for the shadow guard that demonstrated honorable self-sacrificial spirit.
"Looks like I won't have a turn today." Leone lamented. Bulat looked around the area and couldn't find their black-haired companion.
"Did Akame go after that last girl?" Leone pointed behind him and he turned around. The leaves on the trees rustled and Akame dropped out, landing lightly on the ground.
"I'm back."
"That was fast. Did you retrieve whatever was handed to her?" Bulat asked. Akame nodded and held out the sealed letter.
"What does it say?" Leone asked curiously. Akame shrugged and went to open it, but Bulat plucked it out of her hands.
"Let's head back first, boss might sulk if we open it first." Bulat joked. Leone laughed at the image that was too accurate and Akame nodded in assent. They arrived back at the base to find the others had already returned and were waiting in the meeting room.
Bulat presented the letter to Najenda, who was very interested in the contents, she opened it and immediately frowned. She passed the letter to Leone who was peeking over her shoulder and a disgusted noise popped out of Leone's mouth.
"It's encrypted. Without specialists spending a few days analyzing it, we won't be able to figure out the content." Najenda explained.
Najenda wasn't an expert on the matter, but even she could tell it was a rather complex encryption. Not only were the symbols unlike anything she's ever seen before, but there were also no spaces in between the letters making it impossible to identify letters based on common grouping.
The letter made its way around the group, eventually reaching Akame. She took one look at it and her eyes widened in a rare gesture. Everyone noticed her odd reaction and Najenda spoke up for them.
"Akame? What's wrong." Akame turned the letter around and showed it to everyone.
"This is written in the Elite Seven's encryption. It was something fath- Gozuki came up with and only the 8 of us as well as a few select General's know how to encrypt and decrypt it." This had several implications.
First, the sender was either Yoshiro or an important General. Of the remaining Elite Seven members, only Yoshiro and Akame were still on the continent. Second, whatever was on the letter was authentic and extremely important, so important that not even the Empire's general's save a select few could read it.
By a miraculous stroke of luck, Night Raid just so happen to have someone who could decrypt this message.
"Akame, can you read it?" Najenda asked. Akame nodded and began reading.
"General Esdeath.
Nostr Ares has mobilized their army and marching towards our Empire's western border in an act of aggression. The first wave of enemies consisting of 15000 men will arrive at the border within 7 days. Withdraw from the north immediately and intercept the invaders.
Head of Shadow Guards - Yoshiro."
Akame's arms were slightly trembling. She hadn't heard news about Yoshiro since the day she defected. She felt a mixture of emotions: relief that he's still alive, surprise that he was the head of the rumored Shadow Guards, sadness that he's still working for the Empire.
Najenda, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes at the message.
"Any chance that this is a trap?" Everyone stopped and analyzed the situation. Bulat was the first to speak.
"I think it's rather unlikely. The messengers were genuinely surprised to find us here. The one I killed also had on him a map with a route drawn from the Empire to the North. From what I could tell at first glance, it was the fastest way through this area."
"If the Empire knew we were here, wouldn't they have attacked with Teigu users or modified assassins? I'm also confident I haven't overlooked anyone who has crossed into this area." Lubbock added. The others had their doubts, but Najenda turned to Akame for her opinion.
"What do you think?" Akame stared at the letter in her hands.
"... I think this intel is genuine. Yoshiro wouldn't use our encryption lightly. At least, that's what I believe." Najenda closed her eyes and thought for a few moments before nodding.
"I will head back to the headquarters and inform them of this matter. We will confirm the intel and if it's true, take advantage of it." She said after she stood up.
"Standby for orders. If things go well, the end of the war may be drawing near."
Her confident smirk drew smiles and grins from each member.