(If we continue to eat meat at breakfast, lunch and dinner, I'll get sick someday…) thought Tatsumi.
He had finished his meal an hour ago, but he still felt the food's weight in his stomach.
He was happy, though. It has been a very good day, for all of them. Akame and Esdeath get along with the children at school, and they enjoyed the time they spent together without much fighting.
(But Akame still can't consider Esdeath as a friend…)
A thought came up to his mind.
(…And what about me? What is she to me? An old foe? A new friend? Or…more?)
Disturbed, he decided to take some fresh air and exited the house alone.
The night was cool, the wind was sweet and the world was silent. For some reason, Tatsumi felt he was more sensitive to his surroundings since he had recovered.
He could almost see like it was the middle of the day, probably because of the full moon.
(Still, that's strange. I am almost sure my senses are better than before, but…why?)
"Geez…If that is strange, what about my situation? I'm a former assassin with amnesia, living in a village with the two most dangerous women in the world and a couple presumed dead…"
Tatsumi laughed alone.
Suddenly, he felt someone moving behind him. From the scent and the sound of the steps, it was…Esdeath.
Obviously, she was doing her best to remain unnoticed and to surprise him. He decided to act as if he didn't spot her.
Tatsumi didn't have to wait for long ; Esdeath embraced him warmly from behind. Even if he expected her surprise attack, her hug gave him chills and made him blush.
"Tatsumiiii! ~"
Her strength was truly the Strongest of the Empire's ; she was literally choking him with a mere hug.
"Esdeath…please…let go…can't breathe…" he managed to say.
Once she released him, Tatsumi sighed.
"Geez…"
"What is it, Tatsumi? You don't like it when I hug you?" Esdeath worried.
"Bearhug would be the correct word…please remember that you're probably the strongest woman in the world. You're gonna break my bones one day."
"I won't", Esdeath replied. "I know you're strong, Tatsumi. You've met worst than that…"
Suddenly, she stopped ; she was talking about a dark past. At this time, they were enemies without even knowing it.
"Probably", he said to dispel the malaise.
(Crap, this is the awkward situation when none of us knows what to say), Tatsumi thought.
Fortunately, Esdeath spoke up.
"Do you love me?"
Tatsumi, taken aback, did not know how to respond. What was that, all of sudden?!
During an instant, he was tempted to deflect the embarrassing question with a joke, but he knew she was dead serious.
(Do I love her?...)
He closed the eyes and tried to visualize everything he felt towards Esdeath. The way he saw her. The things he learned about her that disgusted him or pleased him.
Finally, the answer came.
"I don't know."
Esdeath stiffened. She was about to say something but Tatsumi did not let her the time to do so.
"I'm not saying that to escape your feelings, or mine… It' just, I don't know."
Tatsumi sighed again, trying to put words on his emotions.
"I know what you were. I don't remember it clearly, but I know that…you used to love to fight, kill, torture people just because it was entertaining. I know you just had no respect for life at all. I know your 'rule', about the strong and the weak. I know that without you, many people, and even friends of mine, would still be alive. I know all of that."
Esdeath remained silent, her face becoming more and more tensed. She didn't like how the things were turning out…
"Still… I can't hate you. One should, one would…but for a reason I don't understand, I can't."
Tatsumi hesitated, but the light in Esdeath's eyes made him continue.
"Maybe…maybe because I caught a part of you nobody ever imagined. Your smile, your laugh when you're with me…no, your entire behavior, your entire self… They are so bright, so warm. You claim that you love me, and I have the feeling that your love changed you. Compared to what you were, you have become softer, kinder...and even more beautiful."
Esdeath laughed, confirming what he was saying and thinking.
"That's quite ironic."
"Why?"
"Because…right after I met you, you tried to change me. At this time, I slapped you and said there was no way you could do so. And look at us now…"
"Still…That part of you who only wants to return to battlefields and torture chambers makes me uneasy."
What Tatsumi told moved her.
(Did I change because Tatsumi wanted it, or because I wanted it?)
Esdeath had lived all her existence by the law of the strong. Steal or be stolen. Kill or be killed.
Thanks to that, she overcame the death of her father and kin. She survived. She became a high ranked officer, the Strongest of the Empire. She tamed her Teigu, she won countless battles.
But Esdeath betrayed this law the day she saved Tatsumi from the death. It was only for a moment, she thought at this time. Only for a sole purpose.
But now, she didn't believe it. She believed in love. The power of her love for Tatsumi, with or without his memories.
Esdeath knew she could forge new memories with him…no, forge a new life.
With him by her side, she could…forget everything she lived for until now.
Did she need battles with Tatsumi at her side? Did she need tortures to entertain herself? Did she need her sword?
A vision came to her eyes. Herself and Tatsumi, smiling, side by side, a child between them.
She never thought of founding a family during all those years. But she was still young, and so was Tatsumi.
Was it possible to restart this life from zero?
Was it possible to change for Tatsumi?
But at this very moment, she heard noises and the wind brought her a smell as well as a killing intent she could easily sense.
Tatsumi looked at her.
"Esdeath."
He called her by her name to tell her he had noticed too.
(Were his senses that sharp? Being on the same level as me is rather impressive…)
She nodded.
Without any warning, she materialized an ice spear and threw it in the wild grass and pierced the man who was ready to attack them.
A scream of agony resounded, followed by two grunts. Two men emerged from the bushes, wielding weapons.
(Three, as I expected.)
Tatsumi jumped over the silhouette charging him.
The man was running, but to his eyes, he was so slow...
The guy slashed only air with his sword, and blinked, puzzled.
Tatsumi landed behind him and lost no time.
He disarmed his opponent with a sharp hit to the hand and knocked him out.
Esdeath, however, did not bother to spare the life of her opponent. All he could do was lifting his iron axe ; one second later, his two arms fell on the ground, cut apart from his body, while an ice sword was piercing his head, spreading brains, blood and bones all over.
Since they obviously wanted to kill them, Tatsumi did not feel any regret, but Esdeath's lack of mercy somehow shook him.
"Tell me, Tatsumi, since when are you that perceptive?"
He shrugged.
"Don't remember. Even when I was in the cradle you made me, I was like that. Wasn't I, before?"
"You were, but not that much…that's curious."
Akame, Wave and Kurome suddenly burst out the house, attracted by the noise.
"What happened?" exclaimed Wave when he saw the dead bodies.
"We don't know. These guys were preparing to attack us so we took the lead", answered Tatsumi.
He examined the one he had knocked out.
"Damn, he reeks!"
"You're too sensitive", said Wave. "I smell nothing."
(Maybe he's right…)
The man, in his thirties, needed a good shaving, judging by his long hair and bear. He wore scars and dirty clothes, almost shattered to pieces.
"A bandit", spitted Tatsumi.
"Or a mercenary…a sellsword… it could even be a deserter", supposed Akame. "Too many possibilities."
Esdeath approached the unconscious man.
"There is an easy way to find out."
She casted Tatsumi aside, took the hand of the presumed bandit…
And with an iron grip, she ripped off one of his nails.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGHHH!"
The pain instantly woke him up. He tried to hold his injured finger, but ice binds restrained him.
Esdeath gagged him with ice, transforming his loud cries into muffled moans.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Tatsumi cried.
"Interrogating him. What tells you there are not more like him?"
"You don't have to…to…"
"I have to and I will. Do not mistake, Tatsumi, I'm not doing that because I love it. I'm doing it in order to protect you. To protect us, and the village. What do you think will happen if a horde attacks Joyou? The villagers are farmers, not soldiers!"
Tatsumi had nothing to answer to that. He could have say that they knew nothing, that maybe they were just marauders…but what if indeed there were more?
He looked at the others. Wave. Akame. Kurome. They seemed disgusted, but he read on their faces they were thinking the same thing.
Still, he couldn't stand that scene.
Before he left, he gave Esdeath a sad glare, remembering their exchange five minutes ago.
"I told you I did not know if I loved you. Now, I know."
Esdeath seemed startled.
"I will never love you as long as you carry this darkness of yours."
He left her, soon followed by the others.
Only Esdeath remained behind.
(Did he…reject me? No, that's not... Does he hate me? But…why? I did not lie. I'm doing it…for him. For them), she thought.
Chasing her thoughts, she turned towards the bandit. She had something to do and would speak to Tatsumi later.
"My lover is so kind. But you won't get away, trust me."
The man was scared. She could smell it. His eyes were dazzling and his body shaking.
She crouched at his side.
"Do you know why I gagged you?"
He did not answer. Was he scared or being defiant?
Sighing, Esdeath took another of his nails and waited for him to stop convulsing.
"Next time you ignore me, this'll be worst. So. Do you know why I gagged you?"
This time, the man shook his head.
"Well. I'll be tearing off the nails of your hand, and then, I'll ask you questions. I gagged you because I don't want you to spit everything you know before. See? That's simple."
"MGNNNNNNNNN!" the bandit panicked.
"So…you still have eight nails. Unless you miss a finger, of course. Well, if that's the case, I'll have to aim for your feet… Brace yourself, the worst is to come."
She cracked her fingers.
"Shall we begin?"
At first, they didn't hear anything, because Esdeath had gagged the man. But minutes later, the screams resounded as clear as crystal.
Tatsumi doubted any man could make that kind of sound. He couldn't tell if it lasted long or not.
Esdeath eventually called them out and told them to come outside.
The captive was shattered. His hands were bathed in blood, as well as his face. It was not a human being, but rather a ruin.
"Tatsumi, you presumed he was a bandit. Akame, you evoked the words mercenary, sellsword and deserter. Well, he's all of this", Esdeath declared.
She grabbed him by his hair.
"Now. Tell them what you told me."
The bandit-mercenary-sellsword-deserter did not lose his time.
"W-we w-were s-s-supposed t-to…c-capture villagers…and f-f-force them to t-tell us h-how many guards w-were in the t-town…"
"Were you ready to torture them?"
"Y-yes…"
"If I had been a weak and powerless woman, would you have raped me?"
"…y-yes…"
Satisfied, she glared at Tatsumi.
"You see? I was right to extract intels from him, wasn't I?"
(She's using him as a shield…) Tatsumi thought.
Pushed by some impulse, he drew the sword of the bandit, and put it through him, ending his pain.
The body fell on the grass, watering the ground with blood. Tatsumi then threw the sword away.
Esdeath frowned.
"He wasn't done. I'll tell you the rest. They were scouts from a larger troupe. Two or three hundred men strong. From what I understood, they want to reach the east coast, and they plan to 'supply' themselves in Joyou. By supply, I mean take everything they can and burn the rest, of course."
They decided to go back inside the house to talk about the new threat. Seated at a circular wooden table, they looked like a war council.
"I don't understand why you're all quiet", Esdeath began. "We just have to wipe them out by ourselves. They're a few hours from here to the west, beyond the forest."
"They're heading here. Why don't we warn the city watch and the governor?" suggested Wave. "This way we can trap them here."
Esdeath frowned.
"Bad idea. The city watch is not used to real battles. The guards are used to deal with tavern's fights, not open war. Plus, they don't have the number, if I remember."
"You're right…they have less than fifty men…" Wave sighed.
Tatsumi, who was silent, had a dark look.
"…there is no other solution. Like Esdeath said, wiping them before they reach the town is the better option."
Esdeath smiled, but he did not return the favor.
"I do not like it. Nor did I like your…way to make the bandit talk", he said.
"We often are forced to do things we do not like", she riposted.
"But I am not sure that you did not enjoy it."
"Tatsumi…"
"Enough!" cut Akame. "Time flies. It is certain that when the bandits see their scouts don't return, they will move."
"You're right", Esdeath approved. "I'll take Goliath to go meet them. It will be faster by the aerial way."
"I'll come with you", Akame declared. "But just in case, Tatsumi, Wave and Kurome will warn the governor. Some bandits could escape or part away. It is better for the town to be on full alert."
"Agreed", Wave said. "General, how much time will it take you to reach them?"
"Less than two hours, from what the man told me. We'll have to fly high to remain hidden, and the winds will slow us. Akame, I assume you don't fear cold?"
"No."
"Good. We have a plan, let's move quickly."
As they were about to leave, Akame came to Tatsumi.
"I'll make sure to give them a quick death", she whispered.
Tatsumi smiled sadly. It was a poor consolation.
"I know you will. Thank you."
Nothing troubled the flight, excepted the wind blowing. It was not the first time Akame and Esdeath found themselves alone, but they were still unable to converse.
Especially now, with the "cold" between Esdeath and Tatsumi.
Akame did not know what exactly happened during their talk, but seeing Tatsumi rejecting Esdeath put her in a good mood. Of course, she hid it not to provoke Esdeath…
However, she knew Tatsumi for some reason did not hate her or did not completely reject her. A part of her suspected why, but she couldn't bring herself to believe it.
"This is weird", cried Akame over the ambient din. "We should already have reached them! Did the bandit lie to you?!"
"I'm almost sure he didn't lie", Esdeath shouted back. "But you're right, this is weird…"
At this very moment, they both noticed movement in front of them, below in the plain.
It was a large troupe of men, easily noticeable thanks to the torches they held and to the full moon light.
(As clear as fireflies in the night…)
"I'll make Goliath go higher", Esdeath said. "They won't notice us until we dive into them."
Akame drew Murasame.
Kurome, Tatsumi and Wave were at the governor's house. Despite the late hour, they persuaded the guards to introduce them.
The governor received them in her office. She was half-asleep, wearing a peignoir. Still, she welcomed them with courtesy.
"Good evening…or morning?" she yawned. "What brings you here? My guards told me it was urgent."
"Hem… How should I put it…" Wave hesitated.
(Now that I think about it… I can't tell her "there are bandits incoming but rest assured we have the most skilled assassin and the Strongest of the Empire taking care of them!"…)
"What is it?" the governor smiled.
(She's patient, for someone woken up in the middle of the night.)
Wave decided to tell the truth. Not the entire truth, though.
"We learned somehow that a large group of bandits are coming right now to Joyou to ransack it."
The governor turned white.
"But", Wave added precipitately, "some of our powerful friends are already on their way to cleanse them."
The governor was puzzled.
"So…are we to worry or not?"
"We're not sure. Some may escape, so we wanted to warn ya. But I doubt they'll survive anyway…"
"…who are you, exactly? And who are your friends? I know you are strong, but..."
"Sorry, m'lady, I can't answer that question. I can only assure ya we only want to protect this place and its habitants. That I swear."
(She still looks suspicious…)
"Why would we lie? Do we think we'd set a prank?"
She finally sighed.
"You win. I will trust you. So, what should we do, in your opinion?"
"Assemble the city watch, to begin with."
"All right. Captain!" she called out.
"Good job", Tatsumi whispered, while Kurome nodded.
"Now, Goliath! Onward!" Esdeath shouted.
The dragon, obeying its mistress' orders, dived into the ground.
Esdeath materialized a long ice sword, ready to jump in the melee and slaughter everything.
They were almost on them when Akame suddenly grabbed her shoulder.
"STOP!" she screamed.
It wasn't in Esdeath's habits to obey like that, but something in Akame's voice made her do so. She violently grasped the reins and stopped her dragon just before the impact.
From a simple wrist move, Goliath flied back in the sky, to safety.
"What was that?!" Esdeath flared. "You ought to have a good reason…"
"They are not bandits! They are soldiers from the Revolutionary Army! Look at their coats!"
(What?)
Esdeath observed the men, whom were taking defensive position against what they thought was a wild Danger Beast.
She immediately recognized the symbol on their coats, uniforms and bandanas. And at their head was, on a horse, a handsome man with blond hair.
Confident, she made Goliath land in front of him.
At first, the young man stood aghast when he saw her face. His green eyes were expressing astonishment.
Finally, he pulled himself back and greeted her.
"Hello, General."
"Okay, is everyone here?" asked the captain of the watch.
"I'd like to go back to bed but I'm here", said a guard, making the others laugh.
"Be serious!"
"Yes, we're all here, captain. But seriously, could you send back those who are not on night shift?"
The guards laughed again.
"What a bunch of amateurs", said Kurome.
It had taken almost half an hour to gather all the guards in the city barracks. Most of them were sleeping at home, with their families, and it appeared that they were very few to take their duty seriously.
"I can't help but approve", Tatsumi whispered. "But hey, it's almost certain they never faced a grave danger."
Wave nodded silently.
The three of them were in the corner of the barracks' hall, an empty room made only for gatherings and ceremonies.
Before them, the guards were slowly lining up : half of them were laughing and joking, the other half almost asleep.
The captain gave Wave a pained look.
"Don't blame them. It's the first time something like that happens…"
Eventually, they finished to line up. The captain spoke up.
"Okay, lads. Funny time's over. We have orders, and–"
A villager suddenly burst in the room.
"Captain! All of you! It's urgent! There is fire!"
"What? Explain yourself, calmly!"
But the man couldn't.
"Fire!" he repeated. "The houses on the outskirts of the town are on fire! Come!"
"Follow me!" boomed the captain.
With a perfect disorder, they get out of the building and joined a little crowd at the entrance of the town, just to see, as the villager said, several houses on fire in the campaign, not even a mile from the town.
"What happened?" asked someone.
"Probably a fool who didn't extinguish his fireplace", answered another.
"But why are the other houses on fire? It's not like they're especially close…"
The villagers and the guards began to gather water in recipients, putting them in carts.
Wave, Kurome and Tatsumi, however, did not move.
(This makes no sense. Why would a fire spread only to houses, distant one from another? And what are all these movements I see thanks to the moonlight? Villagers?)Wave thought.
"Everyone, stop!" shouted Tatsumi.
Nobody paid him attention.
"I SAID STOP!"
This time, he roared with the force of a beast. Silent fell like a chill rain on the crowd.
Wave himself felt a shiver run through his body. What was that?
"Tatsumi, buddy, what's going on?!" he worried.
"Why are you telling us to stop? Why should we not help our fellow countrymen?!"
"Because I see a bunch of bandits wielding steel and torches from here. They don't look quite sympathetic, and I'd bet they are the ones who set the houses on fire", Tatsumi answered.
Wave's doubt changed into certitude. The bandits were here.
(Still, how did Tatsumi see them? I managed to catch glimpses, but he…well, it doesn't matter.)
"What are you waiting for?!" prompted the captain of the watch. "All the valid men, to arms! Evacuate the women and the children to the school, now! NOW!"
Panic was ready to take over many of the villagers, but his orders came in time to keep discipline. The men rushed towards the armory, while the women gathered the children.
Wave called out Tatsumi.
"Kurome and I will stay here to organize the villagers and defend the town! Can you handle the evacuation? The children know you, after all!"
"Leave it to me!" Tatsumi cried back. "Everyone, follow me!"
"Hello, General", said the handsome young man.
"Good evening, Ran".
Akame recognized him. It was one of the Jaegers : Ran, wielder of the winged-Teigu, Mastema.
They had fought once and he ran away, but she knew he was a clever and strong one.
"I presume you know each other", Esdeath laughed.
They both nodded.
Ran did not seemed shocked to see the two most dangerous women in the world on a dragon, in the campaign in the middle of the night. That alone showed his composure.
"General, I have a lot of questions to ask you, especially given what happened back at the Capital", he declared. "However, for now, I'll only ask you this : why are you here, and why did it look like you were on the verge of attacking us?"
"Straight to the point, that's Ran for you!" Esdeath pointed out.
Akame hurried to explain.
"By…chance, should I say, we captured some scout of a bandit troupe. He said his comrades were marching on Joyou, and that they were only a few hours from the town. Since we live in the outskirts, we judged better for everyone to wipe them out before they could do any harm", she said. "When we saw your group from above, we thought you were the bandits…sorry about that. But we didn't see them on our way on."
Ran's expression darkened.
"Something tells me you know more about it than we do", said Esdeath.
"Indeed, I do. To summarize it, some lord tried to take advantage of the current situation in the Empire to create his own kingdom. From what Najenda told me, Night Raid should've taken care of him before he could do anything, but there was no Night Raid anymore… Because of that, this lord raised an army, engaged sellswords, mercenaries, even bandits and made secession. The Revolutionary Army beat him on the battlefield, but remnants of his army fled in all the directions, causing heavy damage to the defenseless villages on their way. And now, we're after them."
"I take it you now serve the new government."
"Yes, General. I did serve the Empire before for the sake of the common people ; and so do I now."
Akame was uneasy.
(If I had stayed in Night Raid, I would've buried this warlord and stopped his ambitions on the spot…because of my selfishness, there are new battles…)
She forced herself not to think about it.
"I get it. But where are they? Did they change their route?"
"I don't think so", Ran replied. "They need to get supplies, food and fresh horses. There are several small villages in the region, but Joyou is the most attractive. Unless they are complete fools, they will not avoid it."
"This is weird. On our way, we did not meet anyone…" Akame began. "Oh, shit."
"What?" Esdeath frowned.
"The forest. Even if they had torches, if they walked in the forest, it is possible that we didn't see them…" Akame slowly muttered.
"Fuck. You're right."
Ran pondered aloud.
"Let's see. If they walked during these past hours, at increased pace, it's probable they already reached the town…We have to get there immediately!"
"Goliath can carry us three", Esdeath proposed. "Get on, Ran. Your men will have to run, but it is more important for us to arrive first."
"You're right, General."
Ran gave orders to his sergeants, and joined them on the back of the dragon.
"Goliath, forward!" Esdeath ordered.
As they were flying back to Joyou, Esdeath tried to reassure Ran.
"Don't worry. Even if those dregs have reached the town, it will be a piece of cake for Tatsumi, Wave and Kurome."
"They are here too?...well of course, it makes sense…but I fear for them too. They might face…issues."
Akame immediately figured it out.
"Don't tell me there are Teigu users among the bandits…"
"Fall back! Fall back!" Wave shouted. "Kurome! Tell them to fall back!"
Wave, Kurome and the city watch were fighting in Joyou itself.
When the pack finally arrived at the town's entrance, they welcomed it with a wall of spikes held by a hundred men composed with guards and villagers.
However, on these hundred men, only the half had received some formation in the past, and none of them was trained to fight in formation.
Therefore, they broke up right after the first collision.
Faced with three hundred bloodthirsty bandits and mercenaries, the sad bunch of city guards and farmers armed with spears disbanded in total disarray.
(I didn't have the slightest hope concerning their fighting abilities, but still…) Wave thought, disappointed.
Wearing Grand Chariot, he was fighting on the frontline with Kurome, allowing the injured and the cowards to retreat.
"Don't let them surround us! Step back!" he ordered.
He felt a light shock on his shoulder, and saw a sword ricocheting against his armor. He stole the weapon from its owner.
"Kurome!" he called. "Found a sword for you!"
It was a bad looking straight blade not cleaned or maintained, but better than nothing.
Kurome caught it with a grateful look, and returned to battle.
She and he were the pillars of the town's defense. They were able to withstand the number of enemies on the center, while the townsmen somehow held the flanks.
(We'll have to sacrifice a few more houses, but this should do it.)
As they were slowly falling back, some bandits gave up the fight to loot the abandoned houses before setting them on fire. It was sickening, but trying to defend every inch of terrain would've been a very bad idea.
(As long a nothing else goes wrong, we're good!)
But following the law of Murphy : 'Anything that can go wrong will go wrong'.
And so, as if to crush Wave's hopes, a gigantic aerial blade slashed into the villagers' ranks, instantly killing four men.
Simultaneously, Wave saw some kind of ultrasonic waves literally shattering guard.
(What the f…?!)
He searched the ones responsible of the previous attacks and found them on the spot.
A lean man with black hair, wielding a curved blade. A young woman with bunny ears and costume, who looked like a bitchy nympho, holding a microphone.
Both of them were smiling. They sure looked like bastards, but they were not small fries.
(Are these Teigus?! More important, they will decimate us if they keep going…)
Distracted during a moment, he saw the blade at the last moment, and managed to parry with his arms.
The power of the strike, however, took him aback.
He stepped back, and observed his new opponent : a tall man, clothed like a samurai.
(He even has a ponytail.)
"Thou seem strong", he said, the eyes almost closed. "Thy blood shall delight Kousetsu."
(What is he blabbering?!)
He did not have the time to reflect on the subject. With an incredible speed, the man attacked him, making weird but effective movements with his katana.
It sure was a swordsmanship, but unknown to Wave ; although his armor was protecting him, he felt this guy was dangerous.
"Need some help, Izou? ~" called a feminine voice.
A sonic wave shook Wave to his bones, forcing him to kneel down. The katana of the mad swordsman flew to meet him.
At the last moment, another sword, ugly, used, interposed and broke on the impact. Kurome had rescued him, protecting him by sacrificing her blade.
"Wave! Get up!"
He did so, right in time to avoid a new aerial blade thrown into them.
The trio was surrounding them. But it was not a bad thing, considering that if they were occupied with them, they did not attack the villagers.
However, the growling pack of bandits, even without these three skilled bastards, was overwhelming the leftovers of the city watch.
(We have to take care of them quickly to help the others.)
Wave's plan to quickly get rid of the deadly trio did not work.
In terms of sheer power, it was sure that he would've won ; but the main problem was Kurome had no weapon.
She was of course a formidable bare hands fighter, but disarmed like that, she could only release half of her abilities.
Kurome managed to pick up weapons on dead bodies, but against the curved-sword Teigu, they didn't last long ; plus, their combined splash strikes of aerial blades and ultrasonic waves were pretty annoying.
And the samurai made profit of every occasion to strike Grand Chariot. Wave had confidence in his armor, but knew it wasn't unbreakable.
(If only Akame or the General were here…wait, if Tatsumi comes back, it'll be ok. We just have to earn time.)
But time was running. The villagers could not hold their ground forever.
(We need backup…or a plan…no, both!) Wave thought, dodging a new strike.
"Is everyone here?" questioned Tatsumi aloud.
The group had finally reached the school, and Tatsumi was making sure nobody had been left behind.
The teacher had been surprised to see a cohort of women and children at his door in the middle of the night, but it didn't last.
Along with Tatsumi, he helped the villagers to get inside the building and reassured them with kind words.
"I think so", he answered. "What do we do now?"
"We barricade the windows and the door, just in case. This is just a precaution."
Someone poked his leg. It was Ruca, almost crying.
"What will happen to us?"
Tatsumi crouched, smiled gently and patted her head.
"Nothing. That's a promise. They may look like weirdos, but my friends are really, really strong. They will kick the bad guys' asses!"
"Please watch your language when you're with the children", calmly reprimanded the teacher.
"Ah, sorry."
"For real?" asked Ruca, not convinced. "Nothing will happen? Really?"
"Really."
"Really really?"
"Really really."
He meant it and she somehow looked relieved.
"I have things to do, so be strong and cheer the others, okay?"
"You can count on me!" Ruca exclaimed with a smile.
With the help of the teacher, Tatsumi began to barricade the door with the materials they had.
"If they are that many, our people don't stand a chance", the teacher abruptly said. "And these poor planks will not turn the tables."
"Well, it's certain that if they really want to get in, they will. But it'll buy us some time if it happens. And if during that time, my friends arrive…total victory!"
He smiled.
"You sure have faith in your friends…"
"Well, after all, one of them buried hundreds of thousands of people, so…some bandits are not a big deal."
"What?"
Tatsumi realized what he just said.
"Huh, nevermind", he muttered.
The teacher glared at him suspiciously but eventually sighed.
"It's not like we can do anything. The die is cast."
Knock. Knock.
Someone knocked at the door they were blocking.
"Huh?"
"Has to be someone late", sighed Tatsumi. "Or one of the kids who went outside to piss…"
Knock. Knock.
"Yes, two minutes!"
The teacher frowned.
"Isn't it better to check who it is, before open–"
BWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A violent explosion occurred, blasting away the door, the façade, burning the two men and sending them fly.
The last thing Tatsumi heard was screams of terror and cracklings of fire.
And he didn't hear anything anymore.
Author's note
Damn, I still feel dumb when I write sound effects...
So! Some explanations!
In the previous chapters, I said that Wild Hunt didn't exist ; to clarify, the organization Wild Hunt did not exist, not the characters.
Consider that they exist, but simply did not show during the "main" arc, given the fact that my story follows the "anime plot" (with some variations as said before).
And now...they're here.
It's like the battle of Minas Tirith, in the end. Powerful backups are coming, and during that time, the others try to hold the city.
But they maybe will have bad surprises, like Tatsumi :(
As usual, thanks for your reviews and opinions!