Chapter 3...

Tatsumi just stared back into the the blue orbs of the most dangerous, and strongest general the Empire ever had. He kept trying to figure out a way to get out of this. Lets go over the current situation. She was sitting on him, effectively pinning him to the ground. She had her sword's edge on his throat, meaning any slight movements would separate his head from his shoulders. He had her undivided attention, and no one was around. If he only he had a moment's break, he could probably ditch this crazy, strong woman.

"You are quite skilled. I never had anyone fight me as hard as you." Esdeath praised him more, as she stared into his eyes.

"Praising me will get you no where." He responded as he kept a cold look to her.

"It would seem so. I believe you have quite a bit of potential in you. Which is why I think i'll take you back with me to the capital." She said as she removed her sword from his neck.

"What? Why?" He asked confused.

"I told you didn't I? I will make you mine."

"What..exactly did you mean by that?" He was getting a bad feeling about this.

"Mmhmhm~! I always wanted to try my hand in love. I think you match who I want perfectly." She giggled.

"Love?...I don't quite understand what you mean. Are you going to kill me or not?" He was sounding confused. Esdeath then suddenly grabbed him and hugged him close to her breasts, stroking his hair, ignoring the fact she was practically suffocating the guy.

"Its alright Tatsumi. I don't understand it that well either. But, that is what makes us perfect for each other." She blushed as she smiled.

"WMMvvvaafffMMrrgghh!? (What the fuck are you doing!?)" He tried to protest, but was muffled by her large bosom. He then gasped her air as he looked up at her with annoyance. "I don't know where you get this idea about me being your ideal person. I just tried to kill yo-Mmf!" She then slowly leaned in and kissed him, which surprised him. He then pushed himself away from her face, holding his arm in front of his face. He was blushing, as he held an arm in front of his face. "Are you even listening to a word i'm saying!?" He shouted with a tick mark.

"The fact you are capable of forcing me to use my Teigu, is an astonishing feat itself. I don't want you to hate me Tatsumi, rather.." She then hugged him once more. "..I want to be the one person you feel most comfortable, and safest with." Tatsumi just made an emotionless expression.

"..No one can make me feel safe." He said as she then made a sad look. "It would seem you do not trust me yet." She then smiled again. "But I am not weak like everyone else. I can protect you." She said in an assuring tone.

"It doesn't matter at this point. You might as well kill me now. I lost faith in people long before I trusted them. People are weak." He said in a firm tone.

"I agree. Humans are weak. But the strong are the ones who live on." She said as she made a dark smile. "I am not one of these..meatbags, as you say. I am above that, and beyond."

"..I admit you beat me. But it doesn't change what I've done against the Empire. I go back to that capital, they'll fill me with arrows before I get twenty miles within that place."

"I won't let them kill you. As I said, I will be the person you feel most safe around." She simply smiled gently.

"I tried to kill the Prime Minister. I think that signs my death warrant." He said, thinking she would give up with this whole love crap.

"What of it?" She said with a cold expression, he then felt a cold drop of sweat.. "If Honest so much as laid a finger on you, I would kill him on the spot." She was serious. Her words did not even betray her expression. "He uses me, I use him. A sort of give and take if you will. No, I will see to it, your charges are dropped. Join me Tatsumi." She said as she got off him and stood over him, with a hand extended to help him up. He simply stood up, ignoring her hand. He stared her dead in the eyes.

"There is something you should know about me, lady."

"Call me Esdeath." She smiled.

"Esdeath...Up until now, I have been hunted by the Revolutionary Army, and the Empire. And I am only alive because I trusted no one. If I started trusting people, I could lose my life. I only have one goal, which I will not let anyone get in the way of. That's why.." He then grabbed his sword off the ground and struck it in the ground. "I will kill anything, or anyone who stands with him!" "Tornado!" A giant, greenish cyclone engulfed them both.

"Tch, I'm not so naive i'd fall for a smoke screen." She then put her hand on the ground, and a large pillar of ice shot out of the ground, and the cyclone vanished. Tatsumi then came at her with a slash. But she knew this clone was a distraction as well, and simply ran through it, and got to the edge of the ice pillar. She thought he might be running down the road, but he was gone. She then jumped down and hit the ground, kicking up dirt as she scanned the forest around her.

"He got away?...Damn, you are crafty Tatsumi. I didn't even sense your killing intent." She cursed the fact that he was able to make a getaway so fast. It was weird, because she felt no blood lust anywhere near her, something she prided herself on sensing. It's like he didn't have any to begin with..or he just kept it in check. She was scratched, and the person who did it got away. Never in her life has this happened. A smile then made it to her face.

"I think..I might be falling for you after all, Tatsumi. If I see you again, I won't let you escape." She then sheathed her sword and chuckled. Her sight was now set on making Tatsumi hers, no matter what. She always got what she wanted. Patience was all that she needed. She would run into him once again. She believed that, as she caressed the small slit on her cheek, and had a tinge of pink around it.

"(Gasp), (gasp), son of a bitch that was close." Tatsumi panted. It was dumb luck he was able to get away from her. He had to be quick and time everything perfectly. He thought a simple distraction like that was too obvious, but she saw through his second one as well. He was positive she wouldn't fall for the same thing twice in a row. He had an angel watching over him, or it was just the Devil's luck that he managed to escape Esdeath. If Satan had a wife, she'd be a candidate. He's heard stories about how ruthless, and dominating she was with prisoners..no, more like meat for the excruciatingly, slow, painful grinder, as he would describe it. Although, he had come to respect the strength she showed. Her movements were not that of a human, but a demon. And that ice..how did she do that?

"I'm almost there..I better move it before it gets dark. He then hurried through the brush to his destination.

Later...

It was now night time as Tatsumi was heading through the forest. He had been traveling all day, and was starting to get tired. He then happened upon a small deserted camp. It was what remained after a fire from long ago. Tatsumi then slowly walked through the camp, and looked around all that remained. He then stopped. He came upon a black tent, as he looked and flashed back.

Flashback...

"Aw, c'mon Tatsumi. It's getting cold outside." A girl with long black hair said as she was staring directly at him.

"I'm going back out." Tatsumi said as he brushed her off.

"You barely spend anytime with us. I even went to the extent of cooking tonight." She said with a pout.

"Just let him go Sayo. He only thinks about killing danger beasts. You'll be lucky if you get him to even smell it." A young man said sitting at the table.

"Master wanted me for something. He said it was important." Tatsumi said as he was emotionless.

"At least eat first. You need to warm up, its getting really cold out there." She insisted.

"I'll be back before it gets cold." Tatsumi said as he left. Sayo just sighed sadly. She worried about him when ever he was on his own.

Flashback end...

Tatsumi just blinked and walked on, passing up the tent that had dishes partially buried in the ground. His stomach growled at the memory. He was hungry that day when she wanted him to eat. He just kept walking and then looked over at a knocked over bell. It fell over and was smashed into countless pieces. He had a flashback again at the sight.

Flashback...

"Evacuate! Evacuate! The royal guard is approaching!" A man ringing the bell shouted as many people below him were running and grabbing things while screaming.

"Evacua-!" The man then was hit with an explosive, as the top of the bell tower had fell from an artillery blast. The bell came down with a loud "gong" and shattered. The man yelling for evacuation was crushed, and disfigured beyond recognition.

Flashback end...

Tatsumi just sighed and kept walking. He looked up at a small cottage on the hill and began walking towards it. After a few minutes he was at the entrance. He opened the door as it creaked. It then suddenly broke off from disrepair, and came down with a loud thud that scared off some mice. He then chuckled. "You should have just fixed your own crap instead of having me do it." He flashed back once more.

Flashback...

"Get hammering ya' little bastard! After this, you got sword forging to do!" A gruff man yelled sheepishly.

"You know this wouldn't happen if you didn't keep kicking the door open all the time." Tatsumi said while putting the finishing touches on the new door that he was building.

"Aw shat' awp! (Hic), I gotta make entrances, otherwise the ladies won' pay me mind!" He took another drink of wine.

"Kicking doors in is not exactly a way to say "Look at me i'm a badass". More like "Why the hell did you break my door?" Tatsumi said as he kept hammering away.

"I'll give you a hand if you need it." A young man said outside a window to Tatsumi.

"I got it Ieyasu. Just keep chopping the wood with Sayo." He kindly refused.

"You don't have to keep everything for that nut in prime condition. Get off your ass and give him a hand, you old drunk!" Ieyasu yelled at the drunk man.

"Zip it pipsqueak! (hic). Ya'll would do best to take a lesson from Tatsumi! You don't see him complaining!" He pointed to him.

"If you break this again, you're fixing it on your own...Yosh, just gotta put the-" Tatsumi said as he picked up the new door and propped it on the new hinges. He brushed his hands and no sooner had he put the door on, the man ran up and kicked it open..or rather kicked it off the hinges, and sent the door flying towards the pile of stacked wood that Sayo and Ieyasu spent an hour piling up, only for it all to go rolling downhill.

"Aw, Tatsumi, (hic), this door sucks. Put a new one on there."

"I didn't put the rods in yet." He pinched his nose in frustration.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO THE WOOD!?" Ieyasu yelled in disbelief.

"Tatsumi's fault. Crappy door maintenance, (hic)." The old man said drunkly.

"DOORS ARE MEANT FOR OPENING CASUALLY! NOT KICKED, YOU DUMBASS DRUNK!" Sayo drop kicked him angrily. "That's it! You're fixing your own door from now on! Tatsumi, lets go get some lunch!" She pouted and grabbed Tatsumi by the hand and dragged him along.

"Oi, Tatsumi." Tatsumi then stopped and looked back at the old man, who despite looking beat up, had a serious look on his face. "Meet me tonight. Something I need to talk to you about." Tatsumi blinked and nodded. He was then yanked off by Sayo, as she huffed.

Flashback end...

Tatsumi just smiled a little and turned away and left the cottage. He then walked up to three headstones that laid just outside the little house. He then bent down on one knee and faced the graves.

"I must be kinda weird talking to stones and corpses. But I guess I thought I would give it a try." He began to say. "I know that you all are probably watching me from up there, so you must also know what I have been up too. I think." He smiled sadly and chuckled a little. "So I guess this is me saying...sorry I didn't come back down to eat. The geezer here wanted me to use this damned thing, and I guess you all died wanting to protect it. I won't let your deaths be in vain. You all were weak...But that doesn't mean I didn't like you guys." He then clenched his fist. "I'm sorry I didn't come help you. I can only kill that bastard, and hope that I can find some peace." He said as he stopped clenching his fist.

"Goodbye, Ieyasu. Goodbye old man. Goodbye..Sayo." He then stood up and took a deep breath, and let it out. A sudden breeze came by Tatsumi as he lifted his head and stared up at the moon hanging in the sky.

"..A storm is coming." He said to himself as he felt a tear escape his eye. He then headed back down the mountain, as thunder could be heard in the distance. Now that that was out of the way, no more distractions. He was now feeling more content. He would work his way to the Prime Minister...and kill any meatbags dumb enough to stand in his way. He looked back one more time at the place his fallen comrades were laid to rest, and then nodded. He felt better after saying all that. He thought it was kinda weird, and pointless to talk to gravestones. He never did it for his parents because he thought there was no point in talking to something that wouldn't talk back. But Sayo and Ieyasu told him that even if they didn't talk back, doesn't mean they weren't listening.

He then headed back as he walked through the destroyed village once more.

Morning...

Tatsumi had finally just got back to Night Raid's base, and was contemplating on what he should do afterwards. But right as he was walking, he thought he felt killing intent scattered in several places around him. He stopped and looked around, narrowing his eyes. He then saw someone running towards him.

"Tch, out of my way you little shit!" The man then pounced toward Tatsumi with an ax. Tatsumi quickly jumped towards him and kicked him in the face, knocking him back. The man then hit the ground. Tatsumi landed and stayed composed as he stared at him.

"Damn it! I'm getting out of here! Even Night Raid won't stop me!" He got up and began running away from Tatsumi, but then suddenly..

"Storm Edge." A arc of wind then jetted at the man and then went through the man's body vertically, slicing him in two. Tatsumi then simply sheathed the sword as the man's split corpse made a disgusting plop when it hit the ground. He then wondered if it really was okay to kill the guy. Aw fuck it. If the guy tried to kill him, then too bad.

"Tatsumi." He then turned to Akame who looked like she was chasing the man down.

"Hey." He simply said. "What the hell is going on around here?"

"Intruders. We're all dealing with them." She said. She then looked over and noticed the person she was chasing, split in two. "..Did you kill him?" She asked him.

"No, he tripped and fell." He said sarcastically.

"I see. Good job Tatsumi." She thanked him.

"It's not over yet." The two then looked over to a brush, where several men jumped out and headed towards them with the intent to kill.

"It's just two brats! Lets take em' and get out of here!" The leader shouted.

"I call dibs on the girl!"

"No way, I spotted her first!" They argued as they closed in on the two. Tatsumi and Akame just narrowed their eyes, and suddenly before the men knew it, they were slashed, and decapitated before they even so much as landed a blow to their swords. Tatsumi stood parallel to Akame, as they both whipped the blood off their swords.

"UUUAAAHHHHHHH! I KNOW THEY RAN THIS WAAAYYY!...Oh, looks like i'm a little late, eheheh!" Bulat came roaring, and running out from the bushes in Incursio's body armor. But he noticed that Akame and Tatsumi already dealt with the men.

"Bulat? Is that you?" Tatsumi asked curiously.

"Heheh, didn't recognize me, eh Tatsumi? This is what Incursio's body armor looks like. Aren't I just cool?" He then posed with light shining down on him.

"Y-yeah, sure." Tatsumi sweat dropped.

"Well, I dealt with the other ten that came in from the west, Sheele and Mine should have taken care of the south. And Leone.."

"Here~!" She then came in dropping from the sky, as if on cue.

"What's with the dramatic entrances?" Tatsumi wondered.

"I got the two that ran north!..Oh, Tatsumi~!" She then came over and grabbed Tatsumi snuggling him close to her chest. "We were wondering when you were gonna come back. I was about to go and search for you, but then we had to deal with the intruders." She said as she let Tatsumi go.

"I said I was coming right back." He said in an annoyed tone.

"Hehehe~!" She simply stuck her tongue out and winked.

"..Now that that I think about it, you look different." Tatsumi noted.

"Ah yeah, hold on." She then exhaled a all of a sudden her hair shortened, and her features slowly turned more human then animal. "Lionelle gives me more animal-like characteristics. But don't worry~! Onee-san's still the same as before~!" She said as she smiled happily.

"O-Onee-san?" Tatsumi sweat dropped once more.

"Oh look who's back." Lubbock said as he came over to them. "Came back in the nick of time too. These guys were everywhere." He chuckled.

"Did we get all of them?" Akame asked.

"Yeah. Nothing else has disturbed my threads around the camp. We should be in the clear."

"Mission complete then. Lets return and report to the boss." Akame told everyone.

"Good work everyone. With this, no one will know where our hideout is." Najenda said with a smile, while she smoked.

"It was no problem. Those guys weren't much." Mine scoffed.

"You all can take the day off. So enjoy yourselves until then." She got up and was about to leave."Oh Tatsumi, were you able to take care of your business?"

"...Yeah." He said with a slight smile.

"That's great. I'll see you all tomorrow." She then left the room.

"..Well, I guess i'll get started on cooking something to eat." Sheele said. Everyone except Tatsumi was suddenly shocked, as their mouths hung wide open.

"H-hey Sheele, why don't you have Tatsumi help you out?" Bulat suggested as he sweated nervously.

"But, he just got ba-" She began to say, but was interrupted.

"He-he can deal with it! Besides, it would go a lot faster if he helped, plus he knows how to cook and all." Mine tried to reason. They all looked at Tatsumi, expecting to save them from the horrors known as Sheele's Cooking.

"Sigh..." Tatsumi sighed and went towards the kitchen. "Give me an hour."

20 minutes later...

"I swear, I always get the shittier end of the stick." Tatsumi thought. Although it didn't bother him that much. He just thought of it as a way to get used to cooking. He was then wondering if maybe he should have told them about the encounter with Esdeath...Naw, what were the odds of running into that crazy-strong woman? He looked at his hand for a moment. "...I need to get stronger. If that sort of woman is the strongest in the Empire, then if I can surpass her, I should be able to kill Hon-Hm?" He then looked back and saw Sheele peeking from the door.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"Oh..I was just wondering if you needed any help." She chuckled.

"Thanks, but don't worry. I work a lot faster on my own." He said as she the frowned a little.

"I..I see."

"..Although..I do need someone to chop vegetables if you're not busy." He offered as he turned back to what he was cooking. She then made a sound of surprise.

"Oh, alright then." She said as she happily came in. After a few minutes, she was chopping away. Tatsumi then went to go check to see how she did, then made sound of disbelief.

"What the..?"

"I forgot to mention..I'm a bit of an airhead..and I tend to mess things up." She rubbed her head as she sadly smiled.

"Uh, no...you cut the cutting board..and somehow missed the carrots all together."

"Sorry. There's a lot of things i'm not good with. I tend to mess up no matter what I try to do." She said as Tatsumi listened.

"I see. Is this why everyone didn't want you to cook?"

"I'm sorry. You get stuck doing all these things that trouble you. I wish you didn't have to be stuck doing this for me." She said in an apologetic tone. Tatsumi just blinked. He then pulled out another cutting board and knocked the other one off the table and into a barrel. He then grabbed the carrots and put them on and then grabbed the knife, and looked at Sheele.

"The trick is to keep this end of the knife pointed at the board. Then just bring it down like this." He then cut a piece off, and handed her the knife. She then tried copying what he did. Tatsumi then put his hand on hers and then slowly helped her motion her hand. "Remember to hold it firmly like this."

"R..right." She blushed a little while looking at his hand. It was warm. He may have been short, but his hand was almost as big as hers.

"Sheele?" He asked.

"Huh?" She then made a sound of surprise as she snapped out of her thoughts.

"I said try it on your own now." He said as he let go and she nodded and tried to slice the vegetables. She then finally was able to cut the carrots nice and neat.

"See? All there is to it." Tatsumi said as he put his hand on his hip."Next is potatoes."

"Um.."

"What?" He asked.

"C-could you show me how to cut them as well?" She asked with a fidget. Tatsumi realized the face she was making was a bit..innocent? That was the word right?

"Uh, sure? Why's she in a good mood?" He wondered. She smiled and thanked him warmly, as the two prepared the food. Tatsumi glanced over to her, and thought she looked a bit more happy as she smiled. He wondered if..Naw. That would be weird to ask anyway.

"How does one smile like that?" He wondered.

Read/Review/Vote! I've decided I want to focus on one story at a time. So I probably will update the Dragon and the Mermaids fic more often just to get it finished and to not leave it hanging forever. I want to actually finish a story, and hear all about how it made the audience feel. So there you have it!

Laters!