Author's Notes: Once again, I would like to thank the readers who have taken their time to submit a review. I cannot emphasize how grateful I am for your feedbacks. They have definitely given me a lot of motivation and inspiration, especially for this chapter. Unlike the previous two, this chapter is one that I had the most difficulties with. Hence, your reviews are very much valued.
As a few readers have inquired, the last chapter (as well as this one) are set prior to Tatsumi's arrival to the Capital. Despite technically not being the leading male in this fanfiction, I will let you know that Tatsumi will be having a significant role in this story; and to which I will add, one that is quite different to the actual series. Thus far, I have plans for him but haven't quite decided on whom to ship him with. Whether or not it'll be Mine, Esdeath, Chelsea, etc. is something that I still contemplate on. Therefore I am still free to any suggestions. But please no harem.
Anyway, please bear with me if I make any mistakes or errors, especially in terms of the language (spelling, grammar, etc.).
All characters from Akame ga Kill that appear in this fanfic rightfully belong to Takahiro. I do not own anything in regards to their creation; I have Takahiro to thank for that. Nevertheless, the story plot and the OCs that do appear are of my ownership.
13/05/15 –This chapter is currently being revised. A few readers have stated that the OC's Teigu is too OP. Personally, I agree to a certain extent and is grateful for your feedbacks (ImmortalRedWolf, I thank you for pointing this out). Hence, quite a few changes are being made to improve this chapter.
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Chapter 3-Kill the New Recruit
"You seek eternal breath.
Why do you need to live?
We don't know when this world came into being.
We are the Timeleaper[s]!"
- Dead End (OP from Mirai Nikki)
Location: Night Raid's Hideout (Dining Hall). Time: Night. Year: 1024 (Day 1).
Yukio sat in a less than ostentatious room with an elongated table surrounded by chairs. Having been kidnapped and blindfolded by assassins from an organization called Night Raid, the last thing the young man expected was to be ushered into the dining room for supper. And surprisingly, this was all because the stomach of a certain raven-haired assassin gave protests upon their arrival.
'What is this!?'
Yukio stared at the preposterous amount of animal proteins placed on the wooden table. His eyebrows twitched at the scene unfolding before him. Completely surrounded by a group of deadly killers, he felt like a bare specimen being observed under a fine lens. He tried to make his restlessness noticeable by stealing several glances in Akame's direction. However, the girl was either too ignorant or too preoccupied, for she took little notice of his discreet signals. Rather than lending him a hand, she sat on the opposite end of the table and was feasting ravenously on the provision with speed that could only be described as phenomenal.
'Ugh, can't believe this. What did I get myself into?'
In reality, he should have been famished after being sealed away for centuries. But the time held in suspended animation did little to arouse his appetite and his desire for food was declining by the minute as empty dishes piled up beside him, all the work of a single person. Much to his astonishment, Akame's stomach lacked expansion despite her excessive consumption. Had the term black hole been available at that time, Yukio was convinced that it would be the ideal metaphor for her appetite.
'Are all assassins this weird? This is like a gathering of weirdoes. I feel like I'm the only normal one here!' With that reflection, Yukio's gaze gradually moved from Akame to the people around the table. Summarizing his first impressions, he made a mental note to escape whenever possible. 'No matter what safety precaution this is, bringing me here against my consent is simply discourteous. I need to get away from them. Who knows if they'll resort to silencing me for good… and I can't be sure that Akame will help—'
"Jeez Akame, I thought you've already ate your fill during dinner."
Pulled back into reality, Yukio realized that the remark was from Leone, the woman who he met earlier in the night. Now given better luminosity due to the overhead globes in the room, he was able to discern her curvaceous form that could effortlessly allure many men. With her transformation reversed, her wavy hair had shortened and she had lost her beast-like features, though the predatory gleam within her golden eyes was still distinctively noticeable.
"All the fighting earlier made me hungry." In less than thirty seconds, Akame had conjured an excuse and finished off another plate.
"That's Akame for you. You eat your fill as well, Yukio-kun." Bulat clapped his large hands on the younger man's shoulders supportively. Armor removed, Bulat was actually a tall muscular man with eyes as blue as the ocean. Donned in white pants, black boots and a black leather jacket, he was indeed good-looking. In fact, had it not been for his ridiculous hairstyle, Yukio would have heeded to his request and addressed him as handsome. With a peculiar taste for fashion, Bulat wore his rich black hair in a combed up, heart-shaped pompadour that sprung impractically with his every movement.
Yukio acknowledged Bulat's words with a nod of his head before continuing with his scrutiny. Standing beside Leone and quietly reading a book was a slender woman with purple eyes and lavender hair reaching just past her shoulders. She was introduced to the young man as Sheele, a talent killer with a visible scar on her right cheek, just below the lower rim of her glasses. Dressed in a sleeveless lilac cheongsam and white boots, her clothing style was clearly influenced by the eastern regions of the Capital. At first glance, Yukio thought that this particular woman seemed reasonably normal. However, he discarded the notion as soon as he saw the title of the hardback that she was so fascinated with. It said: One Hundred Ways to Cure an Airhead.
"Hey, you. We ain't running a restaurant here. Once you're done, we're going to get straight into business. So hurry up and eat." The annoyed voice belonged to a young girl around Akame's age with eyes and hair of vivid pink. With clothing consisting of a knee-length cherry dress and a matching shawl draped around her small shoulders, it was not difficult to deduce what her favorite color was. Her pair of pink shoes harmonized with her black stockings and further highlighted her fondness of the color. Her straight long tresses were tied in twin-tails that dangled on either side. Overall, she was quite endearing, if not for the scorn that she wore. Her anything-but-friendly attitude distanced Yukio from her, although he did originally deem that they could be friends owing to the fact that they were both shorter than most people of their ages.
"Come on Mine-chan, give the poor guy a break. He's been through a lot tonight," a fruity voice belonging to a young man called Lubbock commented sympathetically. He wore red goggles as an adornment on his green-colored hair. Hands inside the pockets of his blue jeans, his attire of choice were brown shoes and a green-hooded jacket over a white and red ringer shirt. His appearance presented normality. Nonetheless, Yukio managed to take note of the perverted look Lubbock wore when his eyes roamed the bodies of his female comrades.
Lastly, Yukio's gaze landed on a woman who sat on the chair furthest away from the table. Najenda, or Boss—as the Night Raiders called her—had short silver hair and purple eyes. At first sight, Yukio mistook her for a man due to her charisma that could rival that of Bulat's. It was only her cleavage that contracted such deceptive appearance. Possibly around her mid twenties, the woman showed dominance and the black suit she wore only reinforced the mysterious aura that surrounded her. The eye patch around her right eye and the mechanic right arm attached onto her shoulder blade revealed experience and strength. But apparently, being a seasonal fighter, her table manners were quite under-graded. With a cigarette lit, she was smoking in the dining room.
'So that's the person who is in charge. What does she want from me? If I can persuade her to let me go…'
Najenda offhandedly blew out a pall of greasy smoke, finally deciding to begin the conversation. Though she was mildly entertained by the young man's edginess, she knew better than to delay this unexpected gathering.
"You're Yukio, right? From the individual reports Akame, Leone and Bulat supplied, I must say that I'm quite surprised to hear that you're a Teigu user. I heard from Akame that you're very competent with your relic."
"Ah, um… I'm not really that great." Unused to being praised, Yukio rubbed the back of his head. "B-but… flattery will get you nowhere unless you tell me what you want from me."
"A modest one, huh?" Najenda raised an eyebrow, a growing smirk playing on her lips. "Judging from your nervousness, I gather that you've realized that we are Night Raid, a small group of Teigu-wielding assassins. Every one of us here is capable of dispatching a squadron singlehandedly. But the truth is… we are still short-handed. Therefore, after hearing my subordinates' statements about you, I want you to join our cause."
Najenda extended her mechanic arm towards the young man. Her violet eyes seared into his emeralds unwaveringly as she waited for a reply. After careful evaluations, she decided to win him over to the rebel's side even though she knew close-to-nothing of his background. Yukio was obviously untrained, but having him as a supplementary Teigu user loyal to Night Raid was undeniably advantageous. As a bare minimum, it prevented the Empire from exploiting him and turning him against them. 'Besides, this way, I can keep him close and under constant supervision.'
"But I-I'm afraid I'll be of little use to you. I've done nothing more than hunt low-level of Danger Beasts in my entire life. Killing another human being is something I've never imagined myself doing. And after seeing the way Akame fought before, I'm sure that I'll only become a burden…" As much as Yukio wanted to avert his gaze, he understood the importance of eye contact in this situation. "And, I don't even know the details of what your group does. How can I trust the words coming out of an assassin's mouth?"
"Ha, this skepticism of yours is perfect for an assassin-in-making. Good, first lesson learnt. Don't always trust what you can see," Najenda laughed. "But I would prefer it if you hear me out. Have you heard of the Revolutionary Army?"
"No." Yukio shook his head.
"Far to the south of the Capital is a camp of the Revolutionary Army, an anti-Imperial force. The Revolutionary Army started small, but has grown into a large organization. They desire change in this corrupted country and so they needed to create a group to carry out covert operations, such as assassination and gathering information… That is us, Night Raid. Right now, we're merely exterminating the Capital's ticks. Once we mobilize, we'll use the ensuing confusion to reach the corruption's source, the prime minister, Honest, and kill him with these hands." Najenda's false arm clutched into a tight fist and emphasized her point. "I don't know the specific of when that will occur. However, when that moment comes, this country will change, for the better!"
"Is the country truly this bad?" Though the question was considered foolish by the Night Raiders, Yukio had to ask.
"Has this guy been living inside a cave all this time?"Mine cut in curtly with an irked huff. The girl couldn't believe what she was hearing. Even foreigners would notice the suffering faces on the streets upon their arrival to the Capital. So then, how was this young man so clueless? Was he too dense or too naïve?
"It wasn't always this corrupted. A few years ago, our current emperor won a battle of succession thanks to the prime minister's deceptive tactics. As he is still a young child, he is being manipulated by the prime minister. Since then, the country is on the verge of destruction from corruption. Most people of noble birth are abusing their social status and are running amok." For once, Akame was the one who had given such detailed enlightenment. Understanding the reason behind Yukio's lack of knowledge, she decided to inform him of the problem. After all, for someone who was sealed before becoming a travel traveler, it was only natural that Yukio would be uneducated in controversial matters such as this.
"We consider the prime minister as the root of this evil and have marked him as guilty. By our standards, we wouldn't let him get away unpunished," Leone commented and smashed her fist into her opened palm. 'That bastard is mine! He won't escape from me.'
"That's right, as a man we should deal with the heart of the problem!" remarked Bulat.
'These people… they're crazy. They all want to change this country so badly. Yet, what can I do? I don't want to kill anyone! I have no reasons to participate in this rebellion! If anything, I should side with the Empire.' Yukio was prepared with another protest when a sudden but familiar voice invaded his mind, holding him prison with his sophisticated teachings. "Remember this Yukio-dono, a true emperor is the bonfire of hope for his people. If he can't even offer simple happiness to his subordinates, then perhaps his death in a dark alley is more favorable for the people." That alone was enough to make Yukio reconsider his options. Being involved in the assassin trade was trending on dangerous grounds, but the personal benefits were too enticing to ignore.
"Will there be rewards for joining?" Slightly motivated by that thought, Yukio questioned Najenda experimentally.
"Of course. We work for the Revolutionary Army, but we are also free assassins for hire. We receive gold for every successful mission and the amount is shared amongst the members." The response was unhesitant though Yukio's meaning was misunderstood.
"This isn't just about money, I've got something else that I want." The young man pushed it one step forward.
"State it." A little curious, Najenda gestured for him to continue. 'A person's desire will reflect his character. Now, let me see what kind of man you truly are.' Even if his demands proved to be absurd, she could always compromise with him. She was, in any case, quite confident with her ability to negotiate.
"It's about the emperor. Once the prime minister is assassinated, I want the emperor to go down as well. Even if he is a child, he can't be blameless. Manipulated or not, every command he makes has a weight," Yukio paused, mulling over the best phrasing for his next demand. "And into the bargain, I want to test my compatibility with the Teigu known as Successor's Pride: Royal Scepter."
The boss of Night Raid was completely taken aback. As a former general working for the Empire, she knew about the said relic. Shaped like a golden scepter, this particular Teigu was designed for traditional crowning ceremonies. Unlike the other Imperial Arms, it belonged exclusively to the royal bloodline and was only compatible with the elected emperor. Not only could it nullify the abilities of all other 47 Teigu, it also served as the ruler's symbol of proof. In other words, whoever possessed this scepter would be hailed as the emperor. Nevertheless, it should be taken into account that its existence was confidential information, restricted to only a few reliable generals. This aroused the critical question: how did Yukio know of it? Based on his words, the young man seemed to be more knowledgeable in the scepter's properties than even her. 'So, he wants to be the next emperor? An ambitious heart hidden by an exterior of innocence, he is an interesting one indeed.'
"…Fine, I agree to your terms. Your goal doesn't interfere with ours. Still, I should warn you beforehand, Royal Scepter is no toy for the commoners."
"I know that." An unusual seriousness emerged from his tone but was short-lived as he grinned and combed through his hair with his fingers. "So Na—I mean, Boss… now that I'm officially part of the crew, I know I'll need training. Who will provide this?"
In response, Najenda gestured towards each member of Night Raid. "I'll let you decide. Normally, I'm the one who organizes the roster but I'll make it an exception for you. You can pick your own teacher."
Najenda's hand paused in Akame's direction. "Akame, a professional assassin with excellent swords skills. She is in charge of the group's daily meals and hunting. As her apprentice, these duties will be passed onto you."
"Hm." The said girl gave Yukio a brisk nod before returning to her meal.
Bulat was the next to be referred to by Najenda. "Bulat is a specialist in terms of spear-handling and warfare. I can guarantee that you'll grow into a fine warrior with him as your trainer. By the way, he's normally responsible for cleaning the base."
"It's all part of daily training! You'll learn to enjoy it, Yukio-kun." The man in black flashed Yukio an enchanting smile. "We'll work well together, won't we?"
'Don't flirt with me!' Yukio instinctively cringed in return.
The boss then turned towards Mine who pitted a disdained look towards the young man. "As a genius sniper, Mine is an expert at long-range attacks and ambush. If you deem her as a suitable mentor, then you'll also have to do the laundry as well."
Not wanting to be the subject of the girl's constant scorns, Yukio directed his attention to Sheele as Najenda moved on. "Similar to Akame, Sheele is also a talented assassin but is more apt to providing support. She doesn't have a set task in the base so she should be able to spare more time for training."
Curious as to why Sheele didn't have a job like the others, Yukio unfortunately lost his chance to ask when Najenda continued. "Lubbock, an astute and innovative strategist. His duties include setting traps around the perimeter of our base and keeping a watchful eye for any possible threats."
"And lastly is Leone…" Najenda sounded a little reluctant. "She's one of the most skilled fighters in hand-to-hand combats. Oh, and her job is quite different to the others. About once a week, she heads into the Capital for shopping and reconnoitering."
"Don't worry Yukio-kun, nee-san here will take good care of you." Leone wrapped her arms around the young man's shoulders and alluringly whispered into his ear. She snickered as his cheeks changed their hue to resemble a red tomato. Keen to get more reactions from the naïve new recruit, she was back to her usual tricks when Najenda voiced her next comment.
"Needless to say, I would not recommend Leone as she has a bad tendency of getting into trouble. Not to mention, she is often unpunctual and enjoys sparring too much. It's a habit she needs to fix."
To state that was insulting was an understatement. Had Leone been transformed into her other form, Yukio felt certain that he would have seen her lion ears slouch forward despondently. However, being the energetic woman she was, Leone was quick with a comeback.
"Ouch Boss, that's harsh, even by your standards. I'm not the only one who's been late before. Remember that other time when Akame was late? That sure had you sitting on the edges of restlessness. You nearly sent the whole team out to find her."
"That mission involved eliminating twenty individuals aboard a ship. There happened to be a feast at that time and the food smelled too good to resist. It would have been a waste if I leave without finishing it off," Akame protested nonchalantly as she finished the last of her meal. She wiped her mouth with a white napkin, closing her eyes in what the others presumed was a silent reminiscence.
Yukio's eyebrow twitched upon hearing her words and he found himself imagining the assassin enjoying a banquet with corpses scattered across the floor. The scenery unraveled him so much that he quickly dismissed it. To prevent it from resurfacing, he instead pondered on the choices he was given. 'Let's see now… I've got a glutton, a troublemaker, a homosexual, an airhead, a typical tsundere and a womanizer. Why do I have an irking feeling that none of these picks are suitable…' Frankly, the young man didn't know who the best elective was. In spite of Najenda's elaborative explanation, Yukio had only just met most of them. With Leone as an exception, the other members were highly recommended but he had yet to determine their skills. How could he be convinced that they were all great teachers? In any other cases, he would've casually chosen, but this was like a life-or-death situation. The mentor he chose would have a great impact on his future, especially on whether or not he would be killed on missions.
'Argh, so who do I pick?' A person's brain could be so mystifying at times. Due to all the contradicting contemplations running wild in his head, Yukio automatically pointed in what he initially thought was a random spot. Everyone, including himself, was surprised when his index finger was directed towards Akame.
'Huh? Wait? What?!' Yukio's brain insensitively condemned the quirk of fate. Out of all the choices present, his sub-consciousness selected the least talkative person. 'I know she's a skilled fighter and all, but is she even capable of teaching? What if she gives me silent treatments during my lessons? Man, I may as well be digging my own grave.'
"Um, I chan—"
"It's decided then. Yukio, welcome to the world of carnage! Akame, you'll be in charge of training him. I'll be expecting results. Nonetheless, if he becomes a problem, you're free to kill him." Najenda, recovering from her astonishment, interjected. With what Yukio believed was the most malicious smirk, she issued an order that offered no alternatives.
"Okay, got it," Akame nodded.
'You got that!' Yukio studied the girl up and down, trying to decipher whether or not she was being serious. Much to his disappointment, her blank expression held no answers whatsoever. 'I'm so dead!'
"This meeting is adjourned for tonight. Starting tomorrow I'll be away in a conference with some spies from the Revolutionary Army. I'll be gone for about two weeks. Until then Akame, I'll leave you in charge and I want all of you to train hard!" That concluded, Najenda stood up and moved towards the door. On her way, she picked up the black jacket she had left hanging behind her chair.
Now swathed around the boss, the organization's symbolic representation was visible on the coat. The scarlet eyes of the owl within the center of the yellow moon insignia captivated Yukio's attention, as though it was beckoning him to reach out for it. The reason behind his fascination was one he would deduce in due time. But at present, the sensation left him baffled.
What Yukio had yet to realize was that his destiny was closely entwined with the members of Night Raid who were assembled under the wings of this particular predator of the night. Though with different ideologies, the member of Night Raid strived for one common goal.
Location: Night Raid's Hideout (Corridor). Time: Night. Year: 1024 (Day 1).
The moonlight filtered through the window's curtains and casted shadows on the two people ambling on the carpet floor. The gentle light emanated warmth, generating a sense of harmony for the duo as they headed towards the room that Yukio would now dwell in.
"Akame… why did you tell them that I'm good with my Teigu? You know that I've got no battle experience, and yet you would still vouch for my usefulness?" The quiet of the night unnerving him, Yukio stifled a yawn and timorously asked. After analyzing his current situation, he came to the conclusion that he was only accepted into Night Raid due to Akame's influence.
"You said that you belong nowhere else. In essence, I'm returning the favor by offering you a shelter and guaranteeing your safety," Akame answered without even bothering to turn her head around.
That said, silence descended on them once again. For a minute or so, they walked on, each engaged with their own musings. At last, it was Yukio who shattered the quietness with an inquiry that troubled him greatly since their time travel.
"I don't mean to pry Akame, but how's your arm?" What incited that question was her pained look when she first reacquired Murasame. Her expression contradicted what he knew of her. Back in the cave, she could wield her katana with ease, as seen when she tried to deter him. But at the moment, Akame seemed to be wary of her own weapon, favoring it to be strapped onto her belt in oppose to her usual habit of carrying it around.
"I don't know. But after coming to this era, my entire arm appears to be marked by Murasame's curse and yet it's not killing me… It doesn't seem to be contagious, so I'll show you. Here." Comprehending that the young man would be satisfied until she supplied an answer, Akame heeded his curiosity. She peeled off her jacket, exposing the black imprints for him to see. "I think these markings are the reason as to why I cannot wield Murasame. Every time I touch the blade with my right hand, I feel this unusual pain coursing through me, like something is trying to tear me apart from the inside."
"Hmm." Yukio's eyes were unblinking as he took in the scripture-like tattoos pensively. In reality, Akame should've been dead. No one was supposed to survive Murasame's curse. It was how the Teigu was premeditated. '…But Akame is the owner of Murasame. Maybe this is one of the consequences from time travelling?'
Now that Yukio's concentration was on this topic, he realized that the red tattoos that blemished the girl's skin were no more, revealing the fair facial features that needed no artificial adornment. '…I didn't notice this before, but she's beautiful.' Resisting the urge to blush, he waited for Akame to put her jacket back on before prolonging the conversation with another inquiry. "Won't this become a problem for you when training me then?"
"No, I can still fight with my other hand."
"Oh, okay then." Yukio scratched the back of his head as he thought of something to say. He didn't want to return to the silence they had earlier. Since Akame was obviously not the talkative type, he took the initiative to pilot their exchange. "Now that we're here, what do you plan to do next?"
"…"
There was a twenty-second interval before Akame spoke. "Yukio tell me, are you affected by reoccurring headaches?"
"Huh?" That was unexpected. Disregarding his question as if it was never verbalized, Akame instead voiced an inquiry of her own. With his lips pursed, Yukio blinked and gave it some serious thoughts. "No, not that I know of. Why do you ask?"
"When I saw the others again, I was reminded of their deaths. They all came in flashes of stills and lasted only a few seconds before my head began to hurt. Then they fade away… And now they feel so vague, it's like I'm losing them!" Akame clenched her palms into fists. To have the knowledge of the future but unable to freely access them was making her feel helpless.
Yukio could understand her endless frustration. Her memories were fundamental in amending the rotted future. They were the prevention to the many tragedies yet to come. Back in the dining room, Akame concealed her agitation well. But now that Yukio was the only one present, he could sense her accumulating emotions. Given that he was also outside of this timeframe, he was the only person she could consult to. In other words, Akame was hoping that he would provide the solutions to her problems. 'She's asking the wrong person here. I'll never figure out anything on my own… but I guess I could use Baransu.'
Speed was the primary feature of Baransu in Yukio's case. Born with an unnaturally slow reflex, he developed a dependency on his Teigu. Though a certain price was required for its activation, the Teigu could be used to enhance Yukio's intellect.
'Here goes nothing.' Yukio took a deep breath and mentally recited. 'The spherical heavens and the contaminated soil, everything shall be balanced. Let all asymmetrical properties become mirrored. Let all disproportions be erased. As on demand, Scale Tipper: Baransu, I shall barter with my sight… Intellectual Schnelligkeit!' The young man's palm slid into his pocket and enclosed around his relic. A familiar surge of energy entered through the tip of his fingers and his body tingled. His mentality accelerated to quadruple its original speed as he relapsed on all the recent events.
Despite having lost some Teigu along the way, the time travel was somewhat successful. He didn't suffer from any noticeable effects. On the contrary, Akame was dealing with numerous problems, including an uncontrollable appendage and amnesia. For her to be the only one affected, he presumed that the origin of these conditions weren't from his trump card. 'So then what went wrong? Think Yukio, you're missing something critical… why only her though?'
"Even stranger still is that I feel different. I know that I'm still myself, but it feels like I have another presence residing inside of this body." Unaware of the thoughts progressing in Yukio's head, Akame mumbled as much to herself as the silent young man. "This other existence, it feels like it's my own, but also not my own at the same time…"
There it was! This was the vital aspect that differentiated Yukio from Akame. Whereas he was an outsider, Akame actually belonged in this era. Strictly speaking, there should have been a counterpart. 'That's it! There must be another Akame before all this, the one that comes from this timeframe. But we haven't run into her yet. What Akame is saying… can it be?'
"Found you at last Akame. So this is where you went, huh? You caught me off guard when you just suddenly vanished into thin air."
With brainpower currently exceeding the boundaries of a normal human's, Yukio recalled Bulat's exact words. Like a bolt of lightning, the deliberation hit him abruptly and he finally generated a valid reason.
"I know that I am still myself, but it feels like I have another presence residing inside of this body."
The manipulation of time and space was indeed dangerous. From what Akame was saying, it seemed that by some means, the future Akame had replaced her past-self. Taking into consideration of the nature's law and the possibility of a time paradox, it was only natural that the duplicate was merged with the original.
'So in a way, this Akame is two Akames combined together but somehow, traces of her former self have yet to disappear completely… Is this why her memories are disorientated? Argh, why is everything so complicated? Oww, my brain is short-circuiting just thinking about it. But I guess all those hours of reading philosophical books paid off.'
Yukio gave a silent show of appreciation but frowned upon realizing how side-tracked he had gotten. As sophisticated and substantial his assumption was, it failed to offer the solution to Akame's problems. Still, deeming this as a reasonable start, he decided to test his luck, though also hoping that the girl wouldn't judge his sanity. After all, it was a lot for a person to take in at once.
"Hey Akame, I've got something I want to tell you…"
The female assassin listened carefully, her expressions altering between impassiveness, surprise and bewilderment. Deep in thought, she nodded to accept the possibilities of Yukio's idea, no matter how absurd it sounded at first. But now, she was bombarded with more questions that had no answers. As expected, her upmost query would definitely have to be, "how did you come up with this?" But since the young man was noticeably fatigued, she decided to keep it unannounced for the time being.
As per usual, Yukio felt his consciousness fading after using his Teigu. Therefore, he was mostly relieved to arrive at his new room after passing the third corridor. Presented with a chamber with a single bed occupying a corner, he found himself liking the simplicity of the layout. Discarding the backpack onto the stilted floor, he plummeted unceremoniously onto the cot. His sinking eyelids left enough opening for him to briefly assess his new surroundings. Next to him, a drawer was placed below a window screened by two sheets of pure white curtains. A little off to the side was a writing desk with a stool, arranged in a neat manner. In contrast to all the peculiar people he met today, this place was a run of the mill.
"Bulat has already cleaned the room and the bed sheets have been replaced recently," commented Akame. Arms crossed and frame leaning against the doorway, she left instructions behind before making herself scarce. "So, I'll see you first thing tomorrow at dawn. Meet me in the dining room and your training will start after breakfast. Don't be late… and good night."
"Good night." Not expecting the red-eyed girl to hear him, Yukio flung off his boots. Now out of harm's way, the youth could no longer ignore the fog of sleep. Eyes fleetingly travelling towards the blurring outline of the bag, he realized that he had forgotten to return it to Akame.
'Too tired to move. I'll return the bag to her later… Got a big day ahead of me. I'll train to become stronger… and then, I'll reclaim what is rightfully mine.'
Mission: None
Night Raid Members Remaining: 8
Next time: Kill the Mentor—Yukio begins his first day training and finds himself forming a bond with Akame.
Author's Notes: I know that for some readers, this was a relatively long and confusing chapter. To sum the second half up, Yukio is basically using his Teigu's abilities to enhance his intellect so that he can fathom the phenomenon of their time travel. Of course, this is simply my way of revealing the magical aspect within the Akame ga kill universe. So basically, the world is alive and has a fixed route that it must travel on. Since Yukio and Akame altered its path with their unexpected presence, the world (or a higher divinity, for those who are religious) seeks to interfere with their plans to change the future. In essence, Akame has waged a war against fate. Hence, this is where the title of the story is derived from.
Please tell me your opinions on this chapter. Reviews, feedbacks, questions and even criticisms are welcomed as they will hopefully serve to improve this story.
Lastly, the poll mentioned in the last chapter is still open. Regrettably, not many people have submitted a vote. At this stage, the poll will remain on my profile for a few more chapters before the death flags become permanent.