Disclaimer: All characters from Akame ga Kill that appear in this fanfic rightfully belong to Takahiro. I do not own anything; I have Takahiro to thank for that.
Currently, I do not have the helpful aid of a beta reader. Everything is proofread and edited by me alone. So please bear with me if I make any mistake or error.
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Chapter 18— Kill the Second Sacrifice
"Beneath a sky coated and hardened with lies,
this life was cast down upon birth.
Even if you struggle until you lose your mind,
the gentle world, is out of reach."
-Liar Mask (Akame ga Kill OP 2)
Location: Capital Outskirts. Time: Noon. Year: 1024 (Day 91).
"ARHHHHHHH!"
Akame's eyes snapped open at the sound of a terrible scream. Regaining consciousness, her mind slowly explored her body. There weren't any additional visible injuries but her entire body was sore, intended to disregard any command her brain gave. Despite her willingness, her muscles protested and her bones ached, making the simple action of lifting her head from the soil more difficult than expected.
There was a familiar croak followed by intense screaming that steered straight into Akame's eardrums. With no time to recuperate from the damage she took, she painfully turned her head towards the sound. What she saw made her next respiration unsuccessful, her breath jammed in her throat.
Lubbock.
The strategist was down on the floor, his body in the shape of a curled up armadillo. Reduced to a whimpering mess, he was rolling on the ground, a vain endeavor to extinguish the blue flames that was devouring his entire body.
Desperation gave Akame a newfound surge of power and she quickly pulled herself upright, her senses reeling from the forced motion. She propelled herself towards her teammate, her coat removed in an attempt to smother the fire.
"Hang on!" Panic seeped out of Akame's voice, breaking apart the composure she was renowned for. She dumped her coat over the strategist, though that proved to be ineffective when the inferno burst into life, discharging more heat that scorched her jacket and burned her gloved hands. Instinctively, she let go and recoiled.
A pure shrill of agony resonated into the air. Lubbock's cries penetrated Akame's skull as the hellish fire engulfed the strategist whole.
Blood drained from Akame's face as she watched helplessly. Through the blazing red, Lubbock's skin began to peel away, leaving his muscles exposed and raw. Oozes of liquid seeped out from under the split skin, and a sickening stench drifted into her nostrils. She heard one final pathetic cry, with what appeared to be a hand reaching for her before it completely disintegrated.
Her pupils shrunk to the center and her crimson irises quivered like frightened twins, capturing the ashy remains of her friend.
It happened too quickly for her brain to process so she stood rooted to the spot, aghast.
"I'll give you this, but I'm counting on you when the enemy comes."
A strangled guttural sound emitted from her throat, tightened by the urge to whimper. Only a few hours ago she was conversing with Lubbock about the mission, with him being wary as usual. Out of fear, Lubbock had asked for her protection, in exchange for a snack bar that she readily accepted.
'I failed him.' A single miscalculation exposed Lubbock to danger. And just like that, he was swallowed up by death.
"How pathetic. He caught me off guard, but then dies off so easily when I turn the table on him." The spiteful laughter dragged Akame's gaze towards the general standing a few feet away. Hidou wore a smug grin as he played with some threads from Lubbock's Cross Tail, entwining the strings with his fingers. His movement was slow and deliberate, filled with the intention to pull Akame's attention towards his hands.
"You're the one responsible. I will eliminate you." Despite being in a state of shock, Akame was not one to let her emotions drive her actions. Now was not the time to be caught up in grief. Relying on her rationale, she forced down her boiling rage and instead made her way towards Murasame, lying dormant on the ground. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and she made certain that Hidou was never out of her sight as she reclaimed her blade.
"You make it sound like I instigated the whole thing. Don't make accusations. You have no idea what that bastard tried to do. He nearly took my head off!" Hidou scoffed and chucked the threads at Akame like they were rubbish, which the assassin managed to catch. "But I must say, the Realm-Cutting Thread definitely lives up to its name. It's unbreakable and completely immune to my trump card. Heh, it's just too bad that its owner isn't though. Hahahaha!"
"Trump card? Is it the move that scorched this plane?" Akame asked sternly, almost as though she was interrogating the man. As vivid as she was, she was still not reckless as a logical side of her reminded her of the risks. Vengeance alone won't get her far. Charging ahead without understanding her opponent was imprudent, so she decided that probing for more information was predominant.
She knew far too little about the Wildfire's Teigu. Since Yukio wasn't available to o identify the weapon, Akame conducted a search of her own. Her crimson orbs roamed around the general's strapping frame, searching for anything that could resemble an Imperial Arms.
She found no weapon on his person, though one thing struck her as odd. Imprinted on Hidou's right arm was a tattoo of blood red. The mark spread over his entire limb, exuding heat energy that pulsated and swelled around him. She frowned. The tattoo was so noticeable that she wondered why she had never bothered paying it much heed until now. 'I see. It's a Teigu similar to that of Esdeath's, a relic that is ingested and then becomes a part of the user.'
Finishing her scrutiny, her gaze then landed on Ieyasu. The boy was unmoving on the ground, his upper torso stained with blood. Although his face was hidden from her from this angle, Akame was certain that the boy's face would look unsightly, swollen and red from Hidou's ruthless blows. But at the very least, Akame was certain that he was alive.
"Of course it's the same move. In fact, it's actually the only offensive move I know of that commands the hellish flames. But heh, you're being careful ain't you? Any other person in your shoes would be so enraged that they'll charge at me without a second thought. I see, so you still prioritize your safety over others. Well, can't say that wasn't expected from a cold-blooded assassin like you." Hidou's tone dripped with derision, his every syllable intended to provoke Akame. He was obviously trying to taunt the red-eyed assassin, anticipating any possible cracks on her mask of indifference.
Akame's grip on Murasame tightened until her knuckles were completely white. In spite of her weakened state, she gave Hidou a murderous stare. It held none of the customary intensity. Nevertheless, it would still have made many people, excluding Hidou, shudder had they witnessed it.
But Hidou welcomed her feral glare. "Well, I thought you want to eliminate me. Why, are you scared? Don't worry. I'll let you know that the effects of Kyoyutotsu last for fifteen minutes. Your senses are no longer linked to the brat's, so worry less about him. Besides, the link is one-way traffic. The first one I mark is always the recipient. So no matter what, the brat can't share any damage you t—"
"I'll consign you!" Akame suddenly lunged forward, bringing her blade in a manner that would separate Hidou's body in half. If she couldn't scratch him, then she would just have to apply enough force to sever him.
The general cut her assault off midway, seizing her steel with his hand. In one glance, he took in the tensing muscles in her abs and predicted her next move. His presumption proved to be accurate when Akame let go of Murasame's hilt and delivered a spin kick at his side. Instantly, he raised his other arm up and blocked.
"You'll have to do better than that. I've done my research on you and Murasame." Watching the assassin fall back, Hidou sneered and tossed Murasame forward. He was too perceptive to fall for the assassin's tricks, for he quickly relieved himself of the cursed blade. Fully aware of the consequences should the katana reject him, he didn't want to risk holding it a second longer.
Of all irony, Akame thought as she reclaimed her flying weapon with extra care. Even supposing that Murasame was her Teigu, her sub-consciousness was still wary when handling the katana. Unlike her though, Hidou was unfazed by the sharpened steel, the thought of death by poison never entering his head. 'He's merely toying with me. But if that is the case, I can try to exploit for an opening.'
She rushed forward with a burst of speed, dipping low and pitting a deadly undercut at her foe's leg. To her surprise, her attack was wide off the mark as Hidou responded timely and leaped back.
"What's the matter? Is this the best that the former member of the Elite Seven has to offer, even when she is angered by her dear comrade's death?" Hidou taunted with a mocking yawn. "It's too bad really, you were amongst the very few trained without doping. And yet… you turn out to be weak and rebellious. Ah, maybe it would've been better if we invested our resources on your sister instead."
The effect was almost instantaneous. Akame stared in disbelief and took a sharp intake of air. Her eyes narrowed at the mention of her sibling. Kurome had always been a soft spot in her heart, a taboo that always pricked her mind. Again and again, it pained her to think that she would have to kill her sister again, if only to save her from physiological and physical torment. Had she been stronger back then, then perhaps she could've taken Kurome with her by force.
The more she scowled at her incompetence, the deeper she reflected upon the hypothetical alternative. Nonetheless, she quickly retired from her delusional thoughts. She wasn't so naïve to allow her inner qualms distract her, especially now of all times.
"What do you know about Kurome and me?" she asked, utilizing the opportunity to catch her breath. The damage she sustained earlier was taking a toll on her. Her breathing was becoming laborious and her vision was blurry. Sweat trailed down her pale flesh, a sign of her weariness. 'I won't last much longer. I need a plan.'
"Well, what a downer. You don't know much about me, huh? I'm surprised that Gozuki never said anything," Hidou snickered, a pompous sneer overtaking his features. "Saikyuu. He's the guy who I worked with years ago when we were trying to come up with something that'll deal with the pesky Revolutionary Army. It wasn't easy, you know, meeting the demands. But Saikyuu finally came up with the idea of having someone pierce the darkness within the darkness itself. And that's how the Government's Secret Service Agency, the assassination squad, was established. Of course, I was the one who submitted the idea of using orphans. Who's gonna care if a bunch of unwanted kids disappear? It was promising, but far too problematic for us alone. The resources needed were nothing we could afford."
Akame's eyes inevitably narrowed, dreading his next words.
"Luckily, Saikyuu has his way of persuading the Minister. Then the lightning old geezer, Budo, offered us Gifnora Forest, one of the Empire's sacred grounds, as the playground. And while Saikyuu and Mamoru administered the training of you orphans, I started to work on enhancement drugs. You should be familiar with my work, since your sister is so dependent on it. In a nutshell, you exist because of us. We're the ones who raised you to be perfect weapons… though you turned out to be a double-edged sword. That's why I need to chip your edges a little before remolding you into something better."
"You are wrong! I am no one's weapon; I refuse to be enslaved by anybody. My heart follows my own will. This is the path I have chosen." Her tone was flat, but the underlying detestation within her eyes betrayed her. After all these years, she stumbled upon the person liable for her miserable childhood. Sold to the Empire at a young age, she and Kurome were stripped of their child's innocence, implanted with the Empire's corrupted ideals, and forced into becoming cold-hearted killing machines. Even supposing that the siblings would've died if left unattended on the streets, Akame still faintly believed that death back then would have been a kinder fate for them. Instead, the two were snatched from their normal lives, and were eventually torn apart.
"And you'll be following that stupid will of yours to your grave," sneered the general.
Akame disregarded Hidou's words and rushed at him again, searching for any opening as she brandished her blade in a series of unpredictable movements. She thrust, lunged, and delivered side cuts faster than a blink of an eye, channeling every ounce of her remaining strength into her cutting edge.
The assassin's aggressive motions forced Hidou to go on the defensive. His arm counteracted to the best of his capabilities, swatting away what incoming attacks he managed to foresee. With each blow, he became more dependent on the protection of his Inferno Layer, which was getting close to being pried open.
'Hmph, she has completely given up on subtlety. She's putting more power into these strikes, but they can't last long.' The general grunted as one brisk but noteworthy sweep bypassed his defense and nearly decapitated him. He was then hit by a solid object out of the blue. Doubling over with agony, his eyes travelled down and he realized that Akame's boot had kicked a charred stone into his ribs.
Caught off guard and in pain, Hidou didn't have time to defend himself. Akame pushed forward. Murasame danced with her raven hair, and there was a single rotation with her body before she ran the cursed blade horizontally across Hidou's jugular with all the strength she could muster.
A flawless strike!
Akame half expected blood to pour out from ripped skin. However, all she received was a sizzling noise from Murasame. She immediately tried pulling back, but involuntarily flinched when pain shot through her entire body. Open-mouthed horror washed through when the general grinned and plunged his fist into her gut. Her stomach caved inwards. She coughed, a mixture of blood and saliva splattering across the floor as she was sent sprawling head first into the charred ground.
A small groan slipped out from her tongue. She lay there, unable to summon the energy to climb back onto her feet.
Even though she was regarded as a pillar of fortitude by many, Akame felt close to giving up. It was as if fate was deliberately opposing her, allegedly eager to force her into a state of despair and have her beg on her knees.
In less than half a day, she was caught in several life-and-death situations. At the foremost, she just managed to evade a deadly inferno blast by taking shelter in Ieyasu's earth barrier, a new technique that the boy came up with on a whim. Unfortunately, due to the lack of practice on his behalf, the team nearly ended up having a premature burial. Having to crack open their protection to get out, Akame arrived untimely and failed to save Chouri. And worst of all, she failed to save Lubbock after being subjected to the pain of a terrible beating due to a one-sided link between her and Ieyasu. In short, it was a day that ominously foreshadowed her doom.
By now, any other would probably have given up and succumbed to fate, but a part of Akame clung onto her steadfastness. She would rather be debilitated for the rest of her life than to admit defeat, especially in the hands of a foe as ruthless as Hidou.
'Not yet… I did not time travel just to learn how to give up. I will not let the hands of fate or time turn as they please!'
Breathing deeply and feeling her stomach bore down on the ground, she gave her body some time to gather the fragments of strength. Fortunately, Hidou didn't come to deal the final blow, most likely because he preferred toying with her than outright killing her.
With hazy vision and shaken legs, she gritted her teeth and pulled herself back up. Excruciating pain jolted her entire body like currents of electricity. She stumbled and her knees nearly buckled from the strain. But since she had somehow miraculously maintained possession of Murasame, she rammed the steel into the earth, using it to support her unsteady body. She wheezed and panted, feeling completely drained from just that action.
"Oh-ho? Not bad. I didn't think you'll actually get back up. With that amount of damage, I expected that you'll be bedridden for days. Your resilience truly fascinates me. That look on your face, I can't wait to rewrite it into despair," Hidou commented as he strolled towards Akame. There was not a trace of caution in his steps, as he knew that the red-eyed assassin couldn't retaliate in her current state.
A malicious smile played on his lips as he smashed a foot into her back. She fell back onto the ground, all the effort she exerted to stand was reduced to nothingness in a matter of second. Keeping a foot on her, Hidou roughly grabbed her arms and twisted them behind her back, eliciting a grunt of pain.
Hidou gave his neck a few slow twists, easing the tensed muscles. "Not too shabby. That was too close. I nearly lost my head for the second time today. You Night Raid assassins must fancy beheading people."
"…"
The lack of response from Akame goaded Hidou. The general's eyebrows narrowed and he grounded the ball of his foot into Akame's back. The assassin gave a weakened cry, her body shuddering from the abuse. The sight brought Hidou ecstasy, his eyes gleaming like a hungry wolf as he continued to study the subtle reactions her body displayed when in pain. It was then he noticed the bandages draped around Akame's arm, which were slightly dampened due to sweat. Narrowing his sapphire orbs into slits, Hidou noticed the asymmetrical lines that ran underneath the wrappings, swirling and morphing into what he thought was a peculiar pattern. A pensive look overtook his features and he processed the information rapidly.
"Hmmm… Oh, this is interesting! I did wonder why you became left-handed, but I honestly didn't expect this to be the reason. Hahahaha! The discrepancy between your actual skill and that stated on your report… It all makes sense now! You actually allowed Murasame to possess you? To think you would want some capricious power in exchange for your humanity; are you that ignorant of the Plague?"
"…Plague?" muttered Akame, her voice barely audible.
"Hmmm? You didn't study the origin of your own weapon?" Hidou raised a mocking eyebrow, his eyes drifting towards Murasame, which remained lodged into the ground beside them. "There is a reason why it's the rumored cursed blade. I'll let you on a little secret; the Ichizan Hissatsu: Murasame, the form it takes now is completely different to how it was centuries ago. Back then, it was known as the Yami no ha: Muramasa, an ominous blade that wreaked havoc in its wake. The Minister wanted to restore it to its full glory, but failed and instead unleashed something unthinkable. The Plague, as I like to call it. And to think that you actually managed to activate Murasame's trump card, Ennoodzuno... Ah, I guess it won't be long now. Until cataclysm, that is..."
"What are you going on about?" The red-eyed assassin asked darkly, her eyes narrowing into slits. Even now, the girl remained so stubbornly willful that the sight nearly popped a vein in Hidou.
"But I can see that the transformation is incomplete." In retaliation, the Wildfire ignored her question and instead continued on with something else. "You know, there are two primary conditions that determine the compatibility between a Teigu and a person."
Hidou held up two fingers. "They are first impression and personality. For Murasame, it needs the perfect killer, someone who is remorseless and absolutely stone-hearted. I'm sure Gozuki already told you. Indifference is your best armor, and emotion is your worst nemesis."
Since his foot was pressed against Akame's back, Hidou could feel her body tremble. She was noticeably bothered by his words. It shouldn't be long now, he thought knowingly, eager to breach Akame's breaking point. It was one thing dealing physical pain, but the general's true penchant was the look of despair after he'd broken someone mentally.
"Yet, to be human is to have emotions, even if they are repressed. So, I want you to discard the remaining attachment that makes you human. Forsake your humanity! Show me your true color! I want to see the ruthless demon sleeping inside of you!"
Something Hidou said piqued Akame. Her teeth grounded together from a sensation that she couldn't comprehend. Her crimson orbs burned with the intent to kill, replacing her sclera with a sheet of black. There was a transitory instant that her eyes replicated the form enhanced by her trump card, and a glimmer of black markings circled her pupils. However, they all vanished when she sensed something approaching.
In that instant, hundreds of sharp stone fragments entered Hidou's line of vision. Taken aback, he released Akame as he quickly regained his stance, taking rapid steps to evade the barraging stones. He cursed himself for his inattention. So engrossed in his monologue, he didn't notice that Ieyasu had come around. Having reclaimed his weapons, the teen had thrown down the sink and directed everything he had in his assault.
Ieyasu tested his luck. With an eye swollen to the size of an egg, his vision was rather obscured. In his endeavor to injure Hidou, he prayed that Akame would remain on the ground. She didn't disappoint, and only proceeded to roll away to grab her sword once he stopped his stone barrage.
"Y-You… Go to hell! I should h-have fucking killed you first." Hidou's voice came out as a raspy croak. In contrast to Akame, who was unharmed, Hidou had his stomach pieced by a huge jagged piece of rock. For the first time in years, Hidou saw his own blood gushing out from his wound.
But more than angry, the general was bewildered. Someone like him was seldom taken aback because not many things could surpass the repertoire of his calculations. However, Ieyasu was definitely a wildcard on the field. Hidou could see how Akame's assassin training had enhanced her pain tolerance, though he couldn't even began to comprehend how an obvious country bumpkin like Ieyasu managed to stand after everything.
"Ha, sucks to be you. But underestimate me and you're gonna pay." Despite his split lip and blood-mattered face, Ieyasu was still full of confidence as he taunted the general.
'Heh, I guess all that dangerous stuns Lubbo and I pulled while trying to peep on Leone-nee-san are really giving me an edge in this. Plus, Sayo's punches are no laughing matter, especially when she got super mad at me.' With a smirk to accompany that reflection, Ieyasu rammed both axes down onto the ground and motioned Akame to get closer towards him. To his luck, Akame caught on and dragged her worn out body towards him. It was painstakingly slow and Ieyasu's eyebrows knitted together. Seeing that the assassin was struggling with the simple motion, he decided to approach her instead, leaving the still unconscious Spear at the side. With Hidou's attention fixed on him, he doubted the general would use Spear as bait again. And even if he did, Ieyasu wouldn't fall for the same trick twice.
"Akame, stay behind me. I'll handle this."
"Careful." While Akame knew that she wouldn't be able to lend Ieyasu a hand, she still tried to pull herself back onto her feet using Murasame as a crane. It was strenuous, but she would prefer standing up. She felt too vulnerable to be lying flat on her stomach.
"Yeah, I will. I'll just hold him off until Lubbo gets here. Then we'll kick his ass together!"
"He did… come," Akame answered despondently, looking down on the ground that was dyed red from the droplets of her blood. "He sacrificed himself to save us."
"W-wait? What? Sacrifice… you mean, Lubbo… he's gone?" Unable to believe Akame, Ieyasu was tempted to shake the girl's shoulders if not for her current condition. Akame didn't respond verbally, though the sadness presented in her eyes was too crushing to be a travesty. The truth sank in and Ieyasu felt his strength leave rapidly. He crashed down onto his knees, grabbing a handful of dirt in despair. His mentor, and close friend, was killed.
His nose picked up the smell of burnt flesh and he could feel a powdery substance mixed in with the cold dirt. His heart sank like stone. "Don't tell me… he… he…"
"What else? I burnt… him alive," wheezed Hidou, wearing a devious smirk that threatened to split his face in half.
The general wanted Lubbock's fate to be the trigger to Ieyasu's breakdown. However, in spite of his expectation, the Night Raider didn't lose his spirit. In fact, Hidou could've sworn that the boy's form was blazing vibrantly as he stood back up, his dark eyes flashing with gritty resolve. The Wildfire's smile faltered when Ieyasu picked up Senpu and pointed the weapon at him.
"Bastard! I'LL CRASH YOU!" Hurled into an uncontainable frenzy, Ieyasu spat with rancor pouring out from his voice. Crisscrossing Senpu in front of him, he slid the two axes against each other, like striking a flint against a matchbox.
"This is for Lubbo! Katai Doro!" His shout was answered by a small tremor, which was then followed by a mound of earth rising from the ground. The walls stretched towards the sky before molding into a dome, encasing Hidou inside a solid structure.
Drained, Ieyasu swayed on his feet and panted profusely. It was his second time executing the move and coming up with a name beforehand had certainly helped with the visual aspects of summoning the barrier. Nonetheless, it was still energy depleting. As much as he wanted to finish the job by shrinking his dome and crashing his captive, he was at his limits. He didn't have the strength to manipulate the earth again.
"I'll bury him." Akame's voice was low, though the odium within was detectable. Her eyes were narrowed and glistened with unreadable intent.
"Huh?" Ieyasu raised an eyebrow, uncertain as to whether or not Akame was speaking to him.
"Ieyasu, we'll finish this now. But we should hurry; we won't stand a chance once he breaks out of his cage." Leaving behind two statements that had Ieyasu blinking in perplexity, Akame stumbled towards the forest in the opposite direction of their hideout, using Murasame as a crutch. She didn't even bothered scavenging for the broken parts of Cross Tail, knowing that it was too damaged for even professionals to fix.
Confirming once that Ieyasu was following with Spear slung on his back, Akame wadded through the snow-filled grounds, her head up as she sought for what she needed. A cold white mist-like puff came out of her lips when she found it—a silver string that was wrapped around the tree trunk. It extended upwards, towards the top of the tree. Looking around, Akame's face was graced with a humorless smile. It was just like Lubbock to be cautious, selecting the tallest tree in the entire forest.
"Goddamn it Akame, you can't be serious! There's no way we can make it up there!" Ieyasu, out of breath and wheezing from his broken ribs, was not short on complaints once he saw that the girl had stopped in front of a ridiculously tall tree. Since a child, Ieyasu had climbed numerous trees, but even he couldn't be sure that he could reach the top given his present condition.
Unceremoniously, Akame slumped back and leaned against the tree. "We must, or we'll die… You climb up. Cut the string up there and it should trigger Lubbock's trap."
Her instructions sounded simple enough but Ieyasu couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow at what she was implying. It was as though she was telling him to ditch the two girls while he secured a safe spot on top of the tree. "Wait! You want me to save myself and abandon you two? There's no way I'm doing that!"
Of all the times Ieyasu decided to use his brain, Akame wondered bitterly why it had to be now. She sighed, and then groaned when she felt another jab of pain from her stomach. She carefully took steady breaths, offering her aching body a chance to recuperate. "There's no other… alternative. I cannot get up there and you have no strength left to carry either of us. You need to hurry, before Hidou breaks free."
"Nope, and that's where you're totally wrong. Look over there." To Akame's surprise, Ieyasu pointed at something that dangled from the highest branch. The distance made it challenging to identify the object, but Akame's acute eyes could faintly make out the long shape of a rope.
"Lubbock must have left it there," she speculated.
"There's our ticket for getaway! I'll just grab that and pull you two up." With that said, Ieyasu reached out and grabbed the closest branch, dragging himself up with considerable effort.
'My wounds hurt like hell. That cursed general can sure land a punch. It sure is lucky that my damaged ribs didn't punctuate a lung.' As that reflection ended, Ieyasu reached his destination and began to work. Tying one end of the rope to the tree trunk, he then lowered the other end towards the ground. Relief washed over him when he discovered that the rope's length was just ideal; Lubbock must have predicted that they would struggle with the climb. Ieyasu bit the inside of his cheek. It was going to be hard without the astute Lubbock around as support. Although he was ultimately a pervert, the strategist was also one of their most reliable members on the team.
It took more effort than expected, but they eventually arrived at the peak of the trunk. Sweeping away some snow-covered leaves that obstructed his view, Ieyasu peeked down and saw that the dome was still intact. Thin cracks ran along the rough shell and he noticed smoke emitting from the tiny crevices. Hidou was trying to break out. With that in mind, he wasted no time. Fondling the closest branch with his hands, his fingers brushed against a thread—the key instrument to Lubbock's preparation. Without hesitation, he whipped out Senpu and cut the string.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion shook the forest grounds as the mountain behind the plantation rumbled. There was a mighty roar and a crunching sound that had Ieyasu looking behind his shoulder. His mouth dropped. In one frozen heartbeat, he took in the overflow of snow barreling down towards them.
"What the hell? You never told me that this would happen!"
"Grab on!" That was all he managed to hear from Akame before his ears were filled with the sound of roaring clamor.
An avalanche!
Being a boy who grew up in the mountainsides, Ieyasu understood the devastating power of an avalanche. Hastily, he reattached the rope around him and Spear, before throwing his body against the tree, hugging onto the trunk for his dear life. All around him, trees were torn from their roots as they were swept along. By some miracle or phenomenal calculations, Ieyasu couldn't tell, only their tree remained upright as the layers of snow pushed through. It creaked and inclined to the side, but otherwise stood unmoving despite the rushing torrents of white below them.
The thick raging sea of white continued to destroy whatever thing it came across, before hitting the village at full force, covering the entire district with a wave of snow. Nothing could escape, and in matters of seconds, it had devoured the burnt village, burying everything underneath its frozen mass.
Safely perched on the now slanted tree with the stunned Ieyasu, Akame surveyed the results with a heartrending expression, assessing the new terrain that Lubbock had created. It was his final work in this world, the ultimate last resort he had come up with. Hidou was now at least ten foot under the pile of snow, sealed off completely, imprisoned for life.
"Lubbock, can you see it? You've cleansed this place…" Akame's red eyes glistened, as if wet with dew. Unable to keep herself up mentally and physically, her consciousness ebbed away and her body crashed against the tree trunk.
The battle was won, but things would never be the same for her or Night Raid again.
Mission: Team 1- Protect the Official on Ryuusen, Team 2- Protect Former Prime Minister Chouri
Participating Members: Team 1- Bulat and Yukio, Team 2- Akame, Ieyasu and Lubbock
Result: Team 1- Success, Team 2- Failed
Rewards: Double Bladed Axe: Belvaac, Water Dragon Possession: Black Marlin, and Military Music Dream: Scream
Author's Notes: While I don't think I butchered the fight scene, I'm not 100% confident with the flow and pacing, which are the reasons why this chapter took more editing time than I would've liked. Regardless, it's all done now and I hope that you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
But more importantly, I know that Lubbock's demise seem anti-climactic. I did have the intention of adding the fight scene between Lubbock and Hidou but ultimately decided against it. I didn't want to drag it out and I believe that the outcome is self-explanatory enough (Poor Lubbock and his chance in the spotlight though…). That aside, fight scenes tend to be more time-consuming for me and this chapter would have been delayed had I decided to implement the extra fight.
Please remember that reviews, questions, feedback, opinions, and even criticisms are appreciated. Also, much thanks to the readers who reviewed and provided great feedback.
RevansStories: Thanks for the support. It's certainly encouraging and pleasing to know that you loved the fight scene.
SeihoThe Neko: So glad to hear that I managed to pull out the unexpected since I know that there are times when this story can closely resemble the canon, with the same or similar outcomes. As for Yukio's bloodlust (very insightful you are, might I add), it's something that'll be explored later on. So until then, please have fun theorizing.
Commonwealth1991: Thank you for your advice; I'll keep that in mind for future chapters. I'm also quite pleased that you saw through the hidden message that has been sprinkled on top of several chapters, that fate is indeed the biggest foe for Akame and Yukio in the story. From this chapter, one can even say that its retribution has already taken effect. In regards to Yukio's bloodlust, this will definitely be addressed, though perhaps not in the way that you would speculate.
Preview-Kill the Onus: as Najenda deals with the aftermath of the recent battles, Leone and Akame have a heartfelt conversation as the cat is out of the bag.