–Earlier–

Tatsumi was doing his best to stay awake but little by little, he was giving in. The aftermaths of him using the Water Dragon Sword twice in a row had highly weakened him.

In top of that, his whole body was aching.

(I… wish I could have talked with Big Bro and Mine one last time…)

Tatsumi's thoughts were clear in contrast with his physical sensations.

(… I guess they were still in 'combat mode'… But I would have liked to hear their voices once more.)

Bulat's flashing grin. Mine's pout.

It was over. His dear comrades were lying, not far from him, covered with blood. Dead for good this time.

(Moreover, I killed them with my own hands.)

This thought alone sufficed to give him nausea.

However, it was done. He would live with that. He would bear that weight until the end of his days.

Footsteps attracted his attention and Tatsumi raised his head as much as he could.

"Papa!"

Two voices called him.

Immediately after, Nea and Ryuu arrived by his side. They looked worried but not harmed in any way.

(Thank god… ) Tatsumi thought.

"Why did yo–"

Tatsumi coughed mid-sentence.

Something blocked his throat, making him cough even more violently. A warm liquid fell on his torso.

"PAPA!" Nea yelled.

(What…)

Tatsumi realized he was covered with blood. His blood.

(Why… it's not because of the Water Dragon Sword, right? Akame never mentioned that…)

He then noticed two red holes in his chest, leaking blood. Without any doubt, they were Mine's doing. He had been shot.

However, since pain was irradiating his whole body, he did not feel them particularly.

Tatsumi was so dizzy he didn't even panic.

(When?...) he tried to remember.

He searched his memories from the fight.

Then he finally found. There was only one moment when Mine could've shot him.

When he activated the Water Dragon Sword for the second time. When pain took over his entire being. It was highly probable that Mine shot him at this moment.

She probably shot through the snow screen he had raised. Tatsumi even recalled that some kind of shock brought him back to present at this time.

Soon after that, his eyelids became heavy.

(Shit… my senses…)

He was cold. So cold. Tatsumi knew the meaning behind his chill.

(I'll die… here? No… I don't want to!… I can't die here!)

Tatsumi wanted to live. He wanted to be with his family, now that everything was over.

(I promised them several times I'd be there. I… It cannot end like this!)

Tatsumi was on the verge of crying. It was unfair. It was so unfair.

(I fought before in Night Raid for this country's future. I fought earlier again, for everyone's sake. I did what I had to do. I did not run away.)

Against his will, tears of anger and powerlessness ran on his cheeks.

(So… why? Why is my only reward… death? Is that how things work? I will be separated from my family… Akame… Esdeath… Nea… Ryuu… is that what I'll get for everything I've done?!)

Tatsumi suddenly remembered the words his comrades told him when he joined Night Raid.

"Tatsumi. No matter how you dress it up, what we're doing is murder" Leone declared.

"There's no way there's any justice in that" Sheele added.

"Every person here could receive their retribution and die at any moment" Bulat concluded.

Tatsumi's anger vanished.

(Yes… that's right. My reasons do not matter. I took lives, after all, so… it's my punishment. But even if I know I deserve it… it's still frightening…)

Tatsumi accepted his fate but even so, fear of death and of being separated from his family was hard to bear. What bothered him the most was the sadness his loved ones would feel.

As he was having such thoughts, Nea and Ryuu were holding him by his arms now, trying to bring him on his feet, their eyes full of tears.

With their strength, they managed to do it, but the moment they let go of him, he fell back against the rock, breathing hard.

Ryuu and Nea leaned forward to grab him again but Tatsumi used what was left of his forces to shook his head.

"Papa…We have to go… we have to find Mama and Mama…" Nea implored.

Ryuu was about to say something but Tatsumi extended his arm to grab her tiny hand. He hardly did the same with Nea.

Tatsumi opened his mouth, moist with blood. He hesitated, not knowing what to say.

He wanted to apologize. He wanted to tell them to find Esdeath and Akame, to run, not to worry…

A rasp finally came out of his throat. Five words.

"I will always love you."

Tatsumi barely pronounced these words without coughing and even managed to smile.

His consciousness faded.

–Present Time–

Akame's heartbeat stopped for a moment.

(No. No. No, no no.)

She had seen Tatsumi in that state several time in the past. About to die, dying… even dead. But each time, he made it back. Each time, he managed to come back and smile to her, apologizing.

Even if his present injuries –two holes in the chest, probably caused by Mine's gun– were serious, Tatsumi's top-notch vitality was one of his strong points.

(Yes. That's it. He's injured but he'll be okay. I just have to get him back to the camp... and Nea and Ryuu, too…)

Akame kneeled down and gently took Tatsumi's wrist, looking for a pulse.

Nothing.

She gently leaned him on the floor.

Akame mustered her courage and looked at his face, where sweat and blood mixed up.

Two green, empty eyes were looking down, frozen but a smile had blossomed on his face.

Akame's heart shattered.

It couldn't be. It couldn't.

(Tatsumi saved me. Tatsumi brought me things I would've never dreamt of. Tatsumi broke my shell. So… he can't die here, right?)

Resisting the overflowing tears, Akame stared at Tatsumi.

"… I wanted to be close to you forever and always…" she muttered. "The pricelessness of repeatedly grasping your hand… I hoped it would continue forever, repeating every day…"

However, Akame's voice was no longer reaching Tatsumi.

She noticed that Tatsumi's eyes, not possessing the light of life, were wet with tears.

(Do your eyes sparkle because you know those things are finite?...)

Akame closed her eyes and denied it all, melting the scene before her eyes into an untruth.

But before long, she let out a scream of agony and powerlessness.

Esdeath was being bandaged by a doctor in one of the medical tents of the Kingdom's camp.

Being considered as an officer, she had priority over the common soldiers.

Night had fallen upon the world and the battlefield covered with corpses that now belonged to crows.

Earlier, under Esdeath's and Najenda's directions, the Kingdom's army crushed the remnants of the Northerners.

During Esdeath's duel with Budou, the Kingdom's soldiers leaded by Najenda took the upper hand. Their Teigu users, experienced officers and superior gears were too much for the Northerners.

They were despaired and had nothing to lose. They fought fiercely, bravely, but lost as the difference in both manpower and firepower was too great.

The imbalance aggravated when Esdeath finally came back. With her large-scale attacks, she alone brought the Northerners on the knees.

True to her promise to Tatsumi whom asked her not to be merciful, she did her best to destroy her opponents' moral. When the Northerners understood there was no chance for them to win, they surrendered en masse.

With thousands of prisoners, the Kingdom's army simply decided to send them back to their original camp, but this time surrounded it with a security cordon in order to prevent any attack.

There was lot of decisions to take concerning the Kingdom's future relations with the Northern Tribes though.

For the time being, Najenda decided to count the dead, heal the wounded and resolve the supply matters, as she also had to feed the surviving Northerners.

Once done with her treatment, Esdeath exited the medical tent and walked through the camp.

The camp was filled with moans and cries of pain but also with cheers celebrating the end of the war. Esdeath enjoyed the cold air as she was marching toward Najenda's pavilion.

She was certain Tatsumi and Akame would meet her there.

(Should I go and bring Nea and Ryuu first? she asked herself. Mh. I came back late, so I guess Akame and Tatsumi already picked them…)

Esdeath was craving for a bath and a new outfit as she was sweaty and her clothes stained with blood.

(But first, Tatsumiii! ~) she joyfully thought. -Since I managed to spare that many Northerners, I'm sure he'll be happy. Oh, I could ask him to bathe with me? Hehe…)

Esdeath was still grinning when she reached the pavilion. She found weird that no one was guarding the entrance but did not pay it attention and entered.

"I'm back!" she proudly announced. "Did you miss me?"

Esdeath's cheerful attitude changed the instant she walked inside the tent.

There was only Najenda there, sat on a chair, still in her combat uniform, a painful expression on the face.

No trace of Akame, Tatsumi, Nea and Ryuu.

Najenda raised her head and blinked when she saw Esdeath.

"What happened?" Esdeath immediately asked. "Where are the others?"

Najenda closed her eye.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered.

It was the worst thing she could possibly say to Esdeath in these circumstances.

Esdeath walked and giving vent to her impulse, grabbed Najenda's throat.

"Urgh!..."

Without any apparent effort but emanating a frightening killing intent, Esdeath lifted Najenda with one hand.

"What happened? You have exactly three seconds to tell me!" Esdeath threatened.

"T-Tatsumi is…"

"Tatsumi? Tatsumi is what?"

"…"

When she heard the name of her beloved, Esdeath tightened her grip, causing Najenda to almost pass out.

Esdeath somehow managed to refrain herself and violently threw Najenda on ground.

Najenda, on her four, was pressing her throat and violently coughing.

"Where is Tatsumi? Where are my daughters?" Esdeath questioned.

"… your tent…" Najenda muttered.

Esdeath turned back and exited the tent in a hurry.

It took Esdeath less than ten seconds at top speed to come back to their tent.

When she entered, she felt a cold dagger piercing her heart.

The tent was lit only with a small lantern on the ground.

On one of the cots was resting Tatsumi. Nea and Ryuu were crying on his chest, shaking and sobbing.

Akame was sitting right next to Tatsumi, her hands on her knees, looking lost and broken. An improvised bag was left on the ground.

(… it… can't… be…)

Esdeath's gaze was fixated on Tatsumi.

Strands of brown hair, wet with sweat and blood, were falling on his delicate face. His eyes were closed.

Tatsumi was still wearing his combat outfit, bloody and torn. It seemed he was sleeping…

… excepted he was not breathing at all.

Wordless, Esdeath approached Tatsumi's body and gently took his hand, hoping for a reaction, a pulse.

Nothing.

Tatsumi's hand was so cold. A hand once warm that held Esdeath's and melted her heart.

(…no…)

"Tatsumi?..." Esdeath unconsciously called.

At this moment, Nea, Ryuu and Akame noticed Esdeath's presence.

Ryuu and Nea clumsily left Tatsumi's chest and embraced Esdeath, still crying.

"Mama!... Mama!... It's… Papa is… our fault…"

"Papa protected us… and he… he…"

Ryuu and Nea tried to explain what happened but their explanation was drown in their tears.

Esdeath, shaken, instinctively caressed her daughters' hairs.

Akame spoke. It was as if she was talking to herself. Her tone was empty, her voice low, her eyes dead.

"…when I arrived… he was already…"

Akame began to tremble. Her red eyes filled with tears while her features tensed.

"…dead…"

When Esdeath heard that harsh, cold truth, something inside her broke.

"Aaaah…Aaaah…"

Esdeath's felt something growing inside her chest.

From the outside, she looked almost mad, wide-eyed, breathing hard.

She had seen Tatsumi dying twice.

The first time, she had felt empty.

The second time, she had snapped out.

But at these times, Tatsumi hadn't confessed to her and Tatsumi was not her daughters' father.

The peaceful years they had lived as a family had strengthened their bonds and relation.

If possible, it had brought Esdeath's love toward Tatsumi to tenfold.

And the more you love someone, the more you suffer when this person dies.

Thus, Esdeath's pain at this very moment was unbearable.

"Aaah…Aaaah…AaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Esdeath's shriek shook the entire Kingdom's encampment. Ryuu and Nea blocked their ears, afraid, and a surreal silence covered the night.

Fortunately, the sight of her scared and crying daughters brought back Esdeath to reason, though she was hurting as never before.

For a second, Esdeath almost grabbed Akame by the neck, the same she had done with Najenda but Ryuu, as if sensing the danger, grabbed her firmly.

She began to explain, her voice faltering because of her weeping, what happened back at the Northerners' camp.

How Nea and her decided to go check on their parents as they were worried. How they put themselves in danger and how Tatsumi saved them.

How Tatsumi got shot, how they tried to bring him back. And his last words.

Akame took over at this point. She first told Esdeath about their confrontation with Mine and Bulat, fact that Ryuu overlooked.

She explained her their plan to split up, how her fight went, and her panic when she found Tatsumi unconscious with Nea and Ryuu at his side.

Tatsumi's body, overworked by the usage of the Water Dragon Sword, did not sustain the blood loss he suffered from Mine's shots.

He was gone.

Once her story achieved, Akame sank back into silence, staring at Tatsumi's body lying down on the cot.

Esdeath was terribly conflicted.

Bluntly put, it was her daughters' fault that Tatsumi was dead. But…

Could she blame them for being worried about their parents? Could she punish them for that? No, could she punish them in the first place?

The obvious answer was no.

Then, could Esdeath blame Akame? No. Akame was innocent. Their choice to split up was the best one, and Tatsumi was already dead when she came back.

Esdeath couldn't put the blame on anyone and that fact was hurting her even more: it simply meant Tatsumi's death could not have been avoided.

(… it could've. If Tatsumi had decided not to protect our daughters but himself instead… but Tatsumi would never do that…) Esdeath thought. (Neither would I…)

She let herself fall down on the ground.

(This was not supposed to happen. This was not supposed to be like that. Tatsumi should still be alive. Tatsumi should be hurt, but alive. We would've scolded him. He would've smiled, we would've laughed together, and once in the bed, we…)

"… I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I have to talk to you, Akame, Esdeath…"

Najenda was standing at the entrance of the tent, followed by two guards. She was still massaging her throat but didn't look resentful.

"Get the hell out of here" Esdeath blurted.

"… It's important" Najenda insisted.

Esdeath's glare became scary.

"Important? My husband… My daughters' father took part in a war that did not concern him. He fought and gave his life for you, General Najenda. Don't you dare tell me what is important or I swear, I'll kill you."

"There's hope" Akame suddenly muttered.

Not paying attention to Esdeath's, Najenda's and her daughters' reactions, she crawled and searched the bag she had brought back from the Northerners camp.

A few moments later, she exhibited a black dagger with red lines running on the blade. It looked like the weapon itself was pulsing.

Esdeath frowned.

"This is…"

Najenda was skeptical.

Akame nodded.

"Yes. This is the resurrecting Teigu."

"Akame… you mean, you want to… resurrect Tatsumi?" Esdeath asked. "Wait, how does this thing even work?"

Akame took a deep breath and briefly explained them how the Teigu worked and its terrible price.

"So… eventually, we could… bring him back…"

Esdeath closed her eyes. Immediately, she pictured Tatsumi.

How it would be to see his smile again, to hug him, to sleep with him… even for a short time… Yes. It would be wonderful.

Esdeath approached Akame.

"?!"

She slapped her.

Nea, Ryuu, Najenda and Akame were aghast at that sudden action.

Esdeath stared at Akame.

"… I almost agreed with you… I almost let you do this… madness…"

"I don't understand…" Akame murmured. "You, more than anyone… should want Tatsumi to be back. Don't you?"

"Don't insult me. Of course, I want him back. How could I not? But you have forgotten one thing…"

Esdeath's tone was sad but firm.

"Tatsumi would never accept to be brought back at the cost of your life or mine. He would never agree to that. Doing this… would be an insult to him."

Akame gritted her teeth but did not deny it. Of course, Tatsumi would think this.

Resurrecting him at the price of her lifespan would be ruining all his efforts to create a safe future for them. It would be meaningless and hurt him more than anything.

Akame eventually dropped the dagger and wept in silence.

"… Again… I need to talk to you…" Najenda pleaded. "Esdeath, think about it… as you said, if we don't settle the Northerners' matter now, Tatsum'is doing will be in vain…"

Esdeath sent her a cold glare.

"… I guess you're right. Fine. Let's get done with that…"

Akame wiped off her tears and get up.

Esdeath and her prepared to follow Najenda outside but before leaving, Esdeath patted Nea and Ryuu's heads.

"…Watch over Papa, alright?"

"…yes, Mama…"

"We'll be right back. Wait for us" Akame added.

Instead of leading them in her personal pavilion, Najenda took Akame and Esdeath to a near abandoned campfire.

She lit a cigarette with a firebrand and stared at the dying flames.

"I know I already told you this but… I'm really sorry about Tatsumi. I can't imagine your pain, so I won't say crap like 'I understand'."

"So shut up" Esdeath spat. "Focus on the current matter."

Najenda nodded. Esdeath was obviously trying to suppress her grief.

"Very well. So, concerning the Northerners… Akame, I'd like to hear your report about what you found and who you killed."

Akame told her what happened inside the camp, Dorothea's madness, her fight against the alchemist scientist, Numa Seika and Leone.

She also mentioned all the materials she had found and brought back.

"I see. In the end, it's over, right? We don't have to fear another living dead…"

"No, we don't" Akame confirmed.

"Concerning the Northerners, I feel bad about them. They have been manipulated, paid a hard price… We captured thousands of them, but even so, there are many who don't believe their hero is dead."

"What a bunch of fools" Esdeath commented with disdain.

"They are despaired, that's all. This situation is a tough one. We can't just mass murder them but they will always be resentful toward us…" Najenda sighed.

"Killing them would solve the problem though" Esdeath remarked. "But again, that's not the Kingdom's way of doing things, right? Tatsumi too wouldn't want that."

"They are disarmed. The best we can do is send them back in the North… but with their number thinned like this and their country not ready for the winter, they will starve to death" Najenda said with a bitter tone.

Akame tilted her head.

"Why don't we provide them food and resources?"

Najenda laughed.

"Akame, that's politically impossible. You would ask the citizens of the Kingdom to hand their resources to the ones who attacked them. Something like 'hey, we tried to ravage your country but we lost so can you at least feed us? Thanks!'…"

"So, the best thing we can do is to let them die…"

"… there is no other way. And the higher ups will be relieved that the Northern threat is definitely gone. No one will blame us for that choice, but like you, I can't find myself to approve it."

Najenda crushed her cigarette on the ground.

"There is another matter we have to talk about. The Teigu you found, Akame. I personally think its power is too great for human hands. But, given its restrictions and its cost, I think no one can use it now. Under these conditions, I think it's safe to keep it and study it…"

Esdeath snorted.

"Heh. Looks like you too are losing your mind. Your way of thinking about this Teigu is a logical, practical one. But you forget one thing. Nothing in this mess is logical or practical. If we followed logic, would we think that a vampire alchemist scientist would resurrect people and invade us? No. And I'm certain, one day or another, someone will give to his desires and use that damned Teigu. You. Akame. Or me…"

Neither Akame nor Najenda could deny that the idea of using the Teigu for their personal interest crossed their mind. Even Akame had this idea moments earlier.

"That's why, we have to destroy it now. We will let the dead rest in peace. We will let Tatsumi rest in peace. But for that, we need to destroy that forbidden relic. Do you agree?"

"… For me to be reasoned by you, the world has truly gone mad…" Najenda whispered.

"Agreed. But… she's right" Akame pointed out.

"… I suppose even if I refuse, you will do it nonetheless?" Najenda sighed.

"Indeed."

"As expected. Right, let's do it. Where is the Teigu?"

"Inside our tent. In the bag I brought back with all the alchemic stuff inside" Akame replied.

"Let's go. The sooner the better."

Steeling their resolve, the three girls came back inside the tent, Esdeath first.

However, the moment she entered, she suddenly stopped, causing Najenda and Akame to bump into each other.

"Hey, why do you–"

"Tatsumi?"

Najenda's complain was interrupted by Esdeath's muttering.

At this moment, she and Akame understood what had caused Esdeath to stop like this.

In front of them.

Tatsumi, sitting on the same cot he was lying before, was hugged by Nea and Ryuu.

His green eyes were wide open, revealing his confusion, as he looked aghast.

"Why am I… alive?"

When Esdeath and Akame heard his voice, they shuddered.

"Mama! Look! We brought back Papa!" Nea said with a joyful voice.

It was at this moment Esdeath realized Nea was holding a black dagger in her hand.

(Both Nea and Ryuu were present when Akame explained how the Teigu worked…) Esdeath thought, horrified.

Nea had used the forbidden Teigu to resurrect her father, despite the terrible cost.