Author's Notes: Once again thank you to all the readers who had kindly submitted a review. The feedbacks strive as encouragement and inspiration. And as for those who had supplied suggestions and thoughtful comments, I am grateful for that also.
More importantly, a special thanks to Shuzuka, who helped tremendously by offering to proofread this chapter. I really appreciate it.
All characters from Akame ga Kill that appear in this fanfic rightfully belong to Takahiro and Tashiro Tetsuya. I do not own anything in regards to their creation; I have Takahiro and Tashiro Tetsuya to thank for that. Nevertheless, the OCs that do appear are of my ownership.
Without further delay, I bring to you chapter 4 of Akame ga Kill: Fate's Second Chance. Enjoy.
(Beta read by Shuzuka)
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Chapter 4-Kill the Mentor
"Painful memories sink deeply in the depths of my heart
The pain of loneliness that no one else knows."
- Hikari (Nabari No Ou Ending 1 )
Location: Night Raid's Hideout (Kitchen), Time: Morning, Year: 1024 (Day 2)
The constant noise of the spoon clashing with the edge of the pot was getting on her nerves. Dressed in a cherry-hue apron and with her flowing hair tied back in a ponytail to allow less mobility, Akame halted her cutting motion and glanced towards Yukio with a mild look of exasperation. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she felt the self-control that she had once deemed unfaltering disperse as she observed his abysmal attempts.
"That's sugar, not salt." Patience waning, it was only her typical cool demeanor that prevented the act of violence upon seeing his inexperience in food preparation. Feeling the regret of bringing him here as an assistant gurgling inside her, she placed her knife down on the edge of the chopping board before approaching the young man standing before the stove.
"Uh, sorry. I've never done this sort of thing before." A little ashamed, Yukio made certain that he had grabbed the salt cellar this time before tipping the substance in. Stirring the beef stew with the spoon in his hand, he discerned Akame's disapproving look from his peripheral vision.
"What's the matter, Akame? Did I do something wrong?" Never having had any practice in the art of cooking, he braced himself for a lecture. Truth to be told, he was actually more surprised that his mentor had yet to unleash her wrath. Already having burnt and ruined two stews, he was no less confident in his ability to cook than when he had first started.
"You haven't started the fire yet." Resisting the urge to face-palm, she stated dully and recalled the time that Sheele had volunteered to assist her. Although she had scorched her favorite dish to crisp, the purple-haired assassin did—as a bare minimum—remember to start a fire.
"Oh, right. My bad." Bending down on his knees, he confirmed that the stove was indeed unlit. Embarrassment creeping into his skin, he experimentally fumbled with the knobs, trying to get a fire started. 'How do these things work?'
His answer was provided when Akame wordlessly handed him a box of matches. Sheepishly taking it and mumbling his gratitude, he slid the flint across the sandpaper. Instantaneously, the match lit into a spark of flare that rekindled whatever lingering pride he had remaining. Pleased with this achievement, he shoved the matchstick into the stove's burner.
Bad move.
Akame, too occupied with trying to mend the spoiled broth, was a second too late to stop the catastrophe as columns of black smoke exploded from the stove. Sight deprived, her eyes narrowed into slits to minimize the exposure to the haze. Reprimanding herself for being so careless, she made a mental note to ban Yukio from the kitchen.
Whilst her calmness remained intact, Yukio, on the other hand, was in a state of panic from the eruption of unforeseeable events. Palms rubbing his eyes in a futile effort to erase the blindness, he was caught off guard when Akame's hand made a grab for his apron. Heart pounding erratically at the sudden contact, he impulsively took a step and tripped over the assassin's boot. Out of reflex his arms flung around in desperation, seeking for a support to steady himself.
"Wha!"
Clung! The right side of his body collided into the pot and before he could stop it, the cooking apparatus was sent flying in the air. With a staggering intake of breath, he disregarded the stinging pain in his eyes and watched helplessly as the contents poured all over his mentor like rain.
Dripping wet and covered in a mixture of ingredients, Akame, still in a state of disbelief, was unable to react promptly to prevent the pot itself from landing a hit on her head. Bang! The pain registering, she allowed a hiss to escape her throat as she glared at Yukio with sufficient aggression that made the latter gulp.
With the smoke finally clearing, the young man could easily distinguish the flames rampaging within the girl's eyes. Even though her feature was that of indifference, the killing intent that encircled her confirmed her objective.
'Oh, heavens save me… she's mad!'
But really, he couldn't complain. What else did he expect from her but anger? Three times her breakfast was delayed and ruined by him, and that obviously exceeded the limitation of what a glutton like Akame could endure.
"My breakfast, and the meat…" Dislodging a knife from the chopping board, she advanced towards him like that of a hungry wolf cornering its prey.
"Akame, wait! Sorry, I didn't mean it!" Frightened by the glistening steel advancing towards him, Yukio hastily took a step back. However, luck was apparently in his opposition; his endeavor to escape fell short as the back of his heels slipped on a piece of uncooked steak. Balance overthrown, he toppled onto the ground on his rear. The momentum sent the red meat airborne… and in a flawless linear arc, it sailed straight into Akame's face…
'Ha… Whoops! Not good!'
Location: Night Raid's Hideout (Dining Hall). Time: Morning. Year: 1024 (Day 2).
"That explains a lot." Seated on a chair within the dining table diagonal from Yukio, Lubbock couldn't hide the grin that threatened to divide his face in half. Hands resting behind his head, he was entertained by the tale of what had taken place. On the whole, it was he who suffered the most from the members of Night Raid's rants and raves and therefore, now that a new victim appeared, he decided that he would relish this exceptional moment.
Nurturing his sore cheek that was now bruised from the impact of meeting his mentor's fist, Yukio shivered at the recollection of Akame's fierce behavior before he was literally kicked out of the kitchen.
"And apparently I'm forbidden to step inside the kitchen again or else I'll meet my end by Murasame." He more or less complained to his senior in hopes of receiving some comfort. Currently having disappointed his mentor, he needed stimulus to restore his self-confidence and pride. Nevertheless, that support was obviously not happening anytime soon as Lubbock maintained the jovial grin on his countenance.
"It's not every day that you see Akame-chan all riled up. You must be one lucky guy." Not the least sympathetic, the strategist of Night Raid teasingly whistled.
"Lub—"Yukio's next rejoin was caught in his throat as Bulat entered the room, sweaty from his morning training. Wiping his face with the towel around his neck, the 100 Man-Slayer greeted his two teammates with his customary enthusiasm. "Morning. Great day for training isn't it? Hmm? Yukio, what happened to your face? You look like you've been out wrestling with a Danger Beast."
"He proposed to Akame-chan and got rejected." Noticing that Baransu's owner had flinched at that comment, Lubbock couldn't help the further mockery.
"Lubbock! No that's not it! I-I-I just made a mess in the kitchen and Akame got mad at me…" Shades of red materializing on his cheeks, he bit his lip and confessed. As humiliating as that had sounded, lying was something he had considered to be beneath him, and his principles compelled him to admit to the embarrassing truth.
"Is that why breakfast hasn't been served yet?" Unlike what Yukio had originally expected, Bulat didn't express any signs of mirth at his expense. Instead, he was more interested in the reason for their meal's delay. Due to his early exercises, Incursio's wielder was in a dire need of replenishment before he could resume his morning routine.
At that point in time Akame made her entrance through the door, carrying a metallic tray of steaming hot beef stew. From appearance alone, there were still faint but noticeable traces of the previous accident on her dampened clothing; nonetheless, she had managed to remove all of the ingredients that had rained down on her. Without a word, she distributed the provisions to each member present before turning her head around to regard Yukio impassively.
"You have exactly ten minutes before your first lesson starts. I'll be waiting at the training field. Don't be late." Similar to how she had departed last night, she left a short notice for Yukio before exiting the room.
'What? Ten minutes! Getting there takes time as well!' Knowing the ineffectiveness in complaining, he concentrated on devouring the meal before him. To his surprise, the flavor was very appetizing and he found himself reassessing Akame. Despite being a meat glutton who utilized her every opportunity to sample ingredients, she was a talented chef. Had this not had been an urgent situation, it was to be guaranteed that he would have savored every taste. However, he knew better than to concede to such temptation. Already having irked the red-eyed assassin, the last thing he wanted was to be penalized for his tardiness. Undeniably, this was a race against the clock and defeat was certain if nothing was done. 'I've got no choice then. Turbo Trot, activate!'
"Done!" In a blink of an eye, Yukio had guzzled down the entire stew with speed that could be on par with Akame's. Empty bowl and chopsticks slamming down onto the table, he briskly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Noticeably lacking in time, he overlooked the stares of incredulity from his two comrades. "Aniki, where is the training field?"
"Past the first corridor, then round the corner… Once you reach the first flight of stairs, go through the door and it's to your left. You can't miss it." Amazed but not dazed, Bulat instructed.
"Thanks Aniki!" With that, he was off in a frenzy. Sprinting for the access as if his life depended on it, he nearly ran into Leone. Feet pivoting at the last second, he skirted around the stunned woman and mumbled an apology. Before Leone could even respond, he had already disappeared behind the next corridor as fast as his legs could carry him.
"So, what's up with him?" Puzzled by Yukio's circus-like performance, Leone raised a question that insisted on an immediate answer.
"He made a mess during breakfast and is now on Akame-chan's bad side," Lubbock replied as he swallowed down his mouthful. Chopsticks' tips jerking towards the kitchen, he added, "Mine-chan's, Sheele-san's and your portions are still in the kitchen. By some miracle, they aren't touched yet."
"I see… So that's what all that fuss was. But then again, Akame's like that to every newcomer. It'll help toughen him up. And if memory serves, Mine was the last one who had to bear with her apathetic attitude."
"Didn't those two end up nearly killing each other?" With his meal finished, Bulat joined the conversation. Grabbing out a comb, he began fixing his pompadour that was a little disheveled from the intense activity. As one of the oldest members of Night Raid—after Lubbock—he was very familiar with the members, including their idiosyncrasies and backgrounds.
During Mine's first few weeks of being a Night Raider after the Revolutionary Army had recommended her as its newest recruit, Akame was put in charge of her assassin schooling. However, since the red-eyed killer had been unresponsive towards the sniper's every statement, by the end of the week, Mine had exceeded the peak of her tolerance level. Deciding to prove her worth, she had downrightly challenged Akame to a brawl. With her newly acquired Teigu- the Roman Artillery: Pumpkin, bestowed by Najenda-and high-strung emotions, she blasted holes after holes in hot pursuit of her nimble opponent.
Ultimately, their clash was just like an old saying: no discord no concords. Subsequent to being disciplined by the Boss for demolishing the Hideout, the two had learned to acknowledge their differences and quickly became friends.
"I remember. Jeez, those two had completely sabotaged my room!"
"And Najenda-san was complaining about the repair fees for some time after as well."
While the trio diverted themselves to a casual exchange, Yukio was dashing at a speed that would have made horses green with envy. Confirming his directions, he rounded the second corridor. The stairs finally approaching his path, he skidded to a stop upon reaching a wooden door. Without a pause, he shoved the sliding access aside to make the training ground known to his eyes.
At the center of the opened hard-ground area was Akame. A practice sword in her left hand, she was brandishing the long strip of wood in a repeated series of movements. Noticing him, she thrust once more before bringing her swings to an end by lowering her arm.
"You've come." Unperturbed by the fact that he had just broken the world's fastest record in terms of getting there, she merely stated it as though she had anticipated his arrival. Gaze travelling down to his pocket, she gestured towards the slight protuberance. "So you've used your Teigu's powers."
"You caught me." Eyebrows rising at the certainty of that statement, Yukio held out his hands with his palms facing outwards. Looped around the middle finger of his right hand was the barely visible string from Baransu. With his Teigu being a support-type, he was able to surreptitiously activate its ability provided that he maintained some form of contact with the relic. However, despite his belief that no one would notice him utilizing its powers, he had failed to hide it from Akame's discernment.
"You sound like you've been expecting me to use it," he pointed out. Now that he thought about it, it was actually beyond any human's capability to accomplish his deed without the use of additional powers. In other words, she had manipulated her instructions in such a way that he was compelled to use his Teigu. 'She wants to know how capable I am with Baransu.'
Akame didn't respond in any way, knowing that he had deciphered the reason behind her brisk order. Truth be told, she was quite astonished that Yukio could comprehend it. 'He's quick to pick things up.' That realization was promptly accompanied with another insight: the young man was indeed gifted in unearthing people's thoughts. Against him, disclosing information seemed ineffective as he had some unknown ways of interpreting it. It seemed that she would have to be extra careful with her thoughts and emotions around him.
She wordlessly motioned him to follow her to a rack situated at the corner of the field. Weapons of different varieties were slanted against it, many of which were unused and relatively new.
"Unlike Murasame, Baransu isn't an offensive-type Teigu. Therefore, you should have another weapon for protection. Select one," she stated expressionlessly.
Yukio was only half-listening as he marveled at the weapons that reflected the light of the morning sun. Lustrous and unstained by blood, they demanded attention from the new recruit. Almost straight away, he found his gaze fixed on a rectangular brick-like hammer that was attached to a metallic handle twice his height. The idea of wielding such a breathtaking weapon brought shimmers of excitement to his jade eyes. Mind settled, he reached for it and lifted it out of its resting position.
"It's heavy and unsuited for—" Sentence left unconcluded, Akame was interrupted by Yukio's yelp. A split second too late to comprehend the leaden weight of his elected weapon, he impulsively released his grip and took a hasty step back as gravity pulled the object down.
Heart pounding from the nerve-racking experience of nearly acquiring a broken foot, Yukio turned his sight to Akame with hopefulness plastered on his features. Since his preference was a letdown, he decided to seek advice from his mentor. Based on what Akame was trying to say before, the assassin seemed to know what suited him.
Akame heaved an inaudible sigh as she scanned through the weapons. Gaze fixed on a brown leather belt with seven daggers tucked in slots, she took it for a closer inspection. After a few rotations and experimentations, she gave a nod of approval before tossing it gently to Yukio.
Not expecting such transition, the young man let out a small gasp and by reflex alone, managed to catch the item before it could make contact with the ground. With the belt now safely secure in his possession, he stared at it with a growing frown. Like most males his age he desired something ostentatious, preferably something that resembled Bulat's Neuntote. Thus, he was sourly disappointed when he was given small pitiful-looking daggers.
"Wait, why? These don't look cool at all. I mean, why not the spear or even the axe?"He regretted his complaint the moment he allowed it to escape his tongue. His mentor hurled him a censured look as she folded her arms across her chest.
"Compared to the hammer, these are actually more suitable for an assassin. We work in the shadows the majority of the time and for that reason, we tend to avoid direct confrontations unless necessary. Besides, a weapon's efficiency has nothing to do with its appearance. In fact, even the most basic ones can be deemed as lethal when used correctly."
Not giving him the opportunity for a rebuttal, she reclaimed the belt from his hands and began to fasten it around his upper torso so that it stretched diagonally from his left shoulder down to his right waist. Disregarding his protest that went along the lines of, "Hey, wait!", "Not there!", "Stop Akame! That tickles!" she persisted until the leather was firmly buckled.
With that done, she then scrutinized him up and down. "Compatible. These six daggers at the front should help you eliminate your targets. The seventh one hidden behind your back can operate as your trump card and be used as deception. What's more, since a dagger normally requires only one hand, you can use your Teigu simultaneously to accelerate your movements."
As much as Yukio wanted to substitute them for a better-looking weapon, he knew that deep inside, Akame's choice was appropriate. Odds were that wielding a sword or a spear would require both limbs, thus severely hindering Baransu's usage due to the lack of contact. On the other hand, with these daggers, he felt certain that he could adapt to a suitable fighting style that incorporated both the blades and the Teigu.
"Alright, I understand. So what's next, Akame?" Instead of a reply, he was nearly swatted down like a fly by the practice sword in her hand. It was reflex alone that rescued him and he crooked his head, narrowly missing the wood. Stunned, he rapidly distanced himself from her. "What are you doing!?"
"Not appalling. Always be on guard."Sword's tip poised at his heart, Akame commented coolly.
"There is nothing more valuable than a practical lesson. Prepare yourself and fight me with all your strength."Her feet grinding into the ground, she built up her impetus into one single lunge. Dust kicking into the air she was off in a flash, signaling the start of their one-sided duel.
Location: Close to Night Raid's Hideout (In the Forest). Time: Afternoon. Year: 1024 (Day 2).
The thick undergrowth sprouting from the path made his uphill passage laborious. Feet connecting with the uneven grounds, he was overcome with fatigue. The large empty basket strapped onto his back did nothing but contribute to his misery as it occasionally slammed into his worn-out legs. In typical cases, such trip into the mountains hardly posed any issues to the man who was more or less accustomed to hiking from former practices. However, with bruises and injuries from the earlier sparring, he was truly unprepared for this.
The fight had definitely been one agonizing experience. Much to his frustration and humiliation, he had yet to land a single blow on Akame after their six-hour spar. At the outset of the match, he was whacked numerous times in the chest due to his deficiency in his defense.
"Be in tune with not only your enemy's movements but also your own. Attacking recklessly will only weaken your defense, creating gaps for critical hits."
Had Akame been using a real sword, Yukio was convinced that he would have been dead over a hundred times. His swipes with his daggers had proven to be ineffective as the red-eyed assassin parried each one with little trouble—using her non-preferred hand and a wooden sword nonetheless!
To give himself some credit though, he wasn't completely hopeless as he had originally believed. After adjusting to the speed of Akame's strikes, he had managed to deflect a few rapid thrusts before he allowed overconfidence to consume him. As expected of Akame, she became aware of such and had promptly altered her approach. Hence, he was once again on the receiving end of the endless assaults on his body.
"Never allow yourself to be overcome with arrogance. Anything can happen in a battle and it's best to avoid being so assured of yourself until the very end."
Quick to learn by retraining her teachings in his head, he had corrected his mistakes at once. As inexperienced as he was, at half-way, creativity allowed him to gain a minute advantage over his mentor as he activated his Teigu's powers and increased the speed in both his arms and legs. Taken aback by the sudden enhancement, Akame was forced to dodge his hits instead of warding them off. Regrettably, the situation didn't last long before he was knocked back onto the floor following the recovery of his mentor's initial surprise.
"Fast progression. Alas, you still need to work on your footing. Now get up and come at me again."
'Argh, no mercy, that's for sure.' The reminiscence brought him shivers and persuaded him to redirect his thoughts. Head turning around to behold the scenery behind his shoulder, he was amazed by how small and obscure Nigh Raid's Hideout looked from the higher altitude. Located deep within the forest on the outskirts of the Capital, their mansion-like base was designed to be embedded in a cliff. From far out, it would look nothing more than natural landscape and for that reason, it remained undiscovered by enemy spies to this very day.
Noticing the delay in his steps Akame whirled around to regard him blankly. "Come. If we dawdle, we won't make it back in time for dinner."
'Man, is food the only thing she cares about?' Feeling a little dejected by her lack of empathy, Yukio continued to trek behind her with a lowered gaze. Unlike him, Akame was unhindered by the earlier activities and was making light and steady steps towards her destination.
"Since you're now the acting boss, are you sure it's fine for us to be leaving the base like this?" he asked, holding himself stable after nearly tripping over a rock.
"Hunting is also a part of my job and the others are all capable of taking care of themselves. Besides, even if something were to happen, we can see and hear the signal coming from the base." Though tempted to assist him after seeing his near-tumble, she restrained herself and maintained her apathetic tone. Independence was something he would have to develop if he is to survive as an assassin. Her assistance would only obstruct his progress and lead to undesirable consequences—death, to be specific.
"Oh." Had Yukio truly understood the connotative meaning behind Akame's words, it was to be certain that his response would have been more dramatic. In truth, the warning indication that the red-eyed assassin had mentioned was Pumpkin. Strictly speaking, if by some unlikely odds that the enemy had managed to bypass Lubbock's sentry and infiltrated their base, the situation, according to Mine, would be referred to as a pinch. As a result, her Teigu's strength would be amplified to generate a destructive exhibition that could be identified miles away.
'Hmm.' Capturing the target with the corner of her eye, she stopped dead in her tracks and waved Yukio over. As the young man waddled towards her whilst avoiding the thorns protruding from some plant, Akame pointed towards the creature a little to their right.
Coiled protectively around a violet star-shaped flower was a small snake-like Danger Beast with blue triangular patterns on its greenish skin that served as camouflage. Its tongue, split at the end like a fork, gingerly jutted from its mouth as it confirmed its surroundings whilst basked under the sun.
"Our targets today are the third-class Danger Beast, Koirusunēku. They have a habit of coiling around those flowers. They are quite delicious and their skin can be sold for money. The flower there can also be used as additional flavorings for cooking." Disinclined to be detected, she whispered into his ear.
"So do I just go and grab them?" Imitating the quietness of her voice, he spoke softly back.
"Approaching them as you are now will only result in a painful encounter. Though their fangs aren't venomous, they can still bite… hard. Mask your presence first and then strike. I'll demonstrate, so watch carefully." That said, she leaped onto the nearest branch in a crouching position and observed for the perfect opportunity to strike.
'I swear only a monkey can pull off those kinds of moves...' From his squatting position behind the bushes, Yukio watched, awestruck as Akame swiftly shot down from the tree and, on a whim, grabbed the Koirusunēku. With a firm squeeze on its trachea, the Danger Beast's thrashing resistance finished as it lost its needed supply of oxygen.
Bending down and pulling the entire flower from the soil, Akame then dropped both items into the basket behind her before turning around to gaze at Yukio. "Do you understand what must be done?"
"Um, uh, how exactly do you mask your presence?"
"… !"
Pure and absolute stillness followed as time seemingly stopped. The birds discontinued their choir and the breeze that had been playing with Akame's night tresses timidly withdrew its attendance. The atmosphere suddenly declined in temperature as one thought ran through the girl's head, 'He doesn't know how!' As someone who could mask her presence as well as killing intent without much effort, it hadn't crossed her mind that there would be someone who didn't know how. After all, even ordinary children were capable of developing such a skill when given the opportunity, such as when playing games of hide-and-seek.
Recomposing her thoughts, she once again supplied him with a lengthy explanation. "To mask your presence is basically trying to make yourself undetectable by the enemy. To put in plainly, you must become one with your surroundings. For example, whilst hiding behind a tree, you must think of yourself as a part of it and that you belong there. Once you become familiar with it, you will be able to hide your presence at anytime and anywhere."
Yukio nodded to show his understanding. Storing the vital information in his head, he felt like his brain had been overloaded. 'So I must become one with the nature… Alright, how hard can that be?'
The rejoinder came sooner than he had expected; his every predictable attempt ended in disaster. Much to Akame's disappointment, he had failed to outsmart every Koirusunēku he had encountered. Whereas she had begun piling up the targets into her basket, Yukio found himself struggling to avoid detection.
By the time that he finally succeeded in capturing one without being bitten, the sun was already setting low over the horizon. Having employed every ounce of energy during his task, he found himself exhausted. Slumped against the rough trunk of a tree, he was panting profusely as Akame studied him with a flicker of worry in her eyes.
'Perhaps I've pushed him too far,' the Night Raider mused. Having a faint recollection that not even Tatsumi's first lessons had been this demanding, she mulled over the prospect of rectifying her harshness towards the young man.
"Hey, Akame… I'm afraid I've kind of overestimated my stamina a bit. But since you still have supper to prepare for the others, you should go back first. I'll follow as soon as I can." A bruise on his ribs accidently aggravated, he winced as he spoke in between each breath.
What he anticipated was that Akame would nod before making her way back to the base. Therefore, he was very dumbfounded when the girl merely transferred everything from her basket to his before stacking the two. With that done, she bent down to his level with her back towards him. "Get on. I'll carry you while you carry the baskets."
The consideration of her transporting him back struck him as ludicrous. Although he was reluctant about being left alone in a forest at night, the last thing he wanted was for a girl to carry him. A certain gut feeling told him that the other members of Night Raid—especially Leone and Mine—would mock him for an eternity if he was to return on Akame's back.
"No, I'm fine. Just go back without me. No matter how strong you are, being a girl you can't possibly carry me, a man, down the mountain."
That last part of his sentence reawakened Akame's sense of worth as a female. Determined to prove him wrong, she insisted. "Just get on. I can do it."
"No, you can't."
"I can."
"No, you can't."
Knowing the futility in having a verbal argument with him, she decided to take action. She paid no heed to his objections as she slid the basket's strap on his shoulders before hoisting him up. With strength unlike that of her slender figure, she managed to get him onto her back as gently as possible before setting off with footsteps heavier than usual due to the excess weight.
"You're stubborn, you know that?" Dignity gone like the wind, Yukio buried his face into Akame's shoulder as a means of alleviating the embarrassment of his current dilemma. This peculiar arrangement of theirs was warranting taunts. Nevertheless, apart from the humiliation, he was beginning to find himself enjoying this predicament. From this position, he could easily observe Akame's features and catch a whiff of her unique fragrance that was regrettably mixed with a bit of sweat.
"I don't want to hear that from you, considering how you are much the same," Akame retorted, allowing a small smile tug the corner of her lips. Unfortunately, it went unnoticed by the young man, who was flustered because of her blunt comment. "Your persistence is most intriguing. However, I must compliment you on your effort. You have done well for your first time."
"Thank you." Yukio's trademark grin rematerialized. Unlike those who gave praises for the sake of it, Akame seldom offered flattering remarks unless they were genuine. 'She means it.' The thought that his mentor approved him brought Yukio so much delight that he would have fallen off her back had she not steadied him in time.
"Hey Akame, you seem to know how to carry people around your back. Have you carried someone like this before?" Curiosity suddenly burning his tongue, he said the first query that had conjured. Now that he had finally gotten past the stage of receiving the assassin's indifference, he decided to probe for a more personal exchange. Perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to become better acquainted with the mentor whom he would be spending a lot of his time with.
'Kurome…'
Apparently, what he deemed to be a harmless question held more significance to Akame than he could ever envision. Eyes narrowing into slits, she took a sharp intake of air. The recollection of the horrifying ordeal in Gifnora Forest was stimulated and the memory of a younger self carrying her wounded sister towards the campground was so vivid that it felt as though she was reliving that moment.
The indistinctness and remoteness on her face were enough to keep Yukio quiet. Mentally berating himself for saying the wrong thing, he was about to apologize when he heard her speak. It was so soft that he would have missed it had he been elsewhere but on her back.
"My younger sister."
Due to the silence that had descended upon them, it took him a while to realize that it was the continuation of their conversation. At last discovering the ideal escape route for this solemn mood, he remarked casually, "You're a good sister. I had an older brother but he absolutely hated me. Not only did he never give me any piggyback rides, he always competed with me for father's attention. Being the eldest, he really was a jerk."
'A good sister, huh? Kurome would probably have some cynical remarks ready if she ever heard this.' At the irony of fate her eyebrows knitted together and she decided not to dwell on their sibling love and hate relationship. Instead, she turned her head slightly so that she could see Yukio from her side view. "Nonetheless, you two are related by blood. The bond between you and him is unbreakable, no matter what low opinions you have of him."
"Yeah, but I still don't like him." Since Akame didn't persist, he left it concluded at that point. In reality there was a substantial reason for his detestation. Regardless of what others thought, forgiveness was not something he could offer his older sibling when it was he who had purposely sealed him inside Shīru centuries ago…
Mission: None
Night Raid Members Remaining: 8
Author's Notes: So here is the last chapter before the canon events.
Reviews are greatly appreciated as they will strive to motivate me further.
The poll which decides the fate of some characters is still open so feel free to vote on the person who you think should live to see the success of the revolution.
Next time: Kill the Sunset-Leone returns to the base with distressing news and a new request. It is finally time for Night Raid's assassination mission. Their targets? Aria and her family!