A.N - Hey everyone hope, you all had a great Christmas and hopefully will have a good new year.
I am sorry for the delay in between chapters, life has been...hectic to put in short. Now anyway thank you to Tripletronicle for helping and checking with this story. I hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 21
Najenda stood angrily in her office, her metallic finger tapping angrily into her arm, the letter had given them so insightful information but it also confirmed a worrying fact that the empire was slowly closing around their HQ. "We are lucky for the next few missions we are on the move, right Su?" Najenda looked to her Teigue as she tilted her head to the horned warrior.
"Yes, boss we are." He responded with a cautioned smile, as the hurried rattling of the small silver dragon came bursting into her office.
"Boss, please come quick!" Deagora said in a panicked state, his words a flurry of emotions. Najenda putting the letter down, nodded only once in response to the dragon following Deagora as he led her through HQ heading towards the infirmary. The rest of Night Raid had been given a few assignments to carry out. Akame and Kurome were to meet up with some resistance informants to recover information about the impending religious revolt apparently building in Kyoroch, with the path of peace becoming so powerful it could benefit the revolution, if timed wisely. Lubb was off gathering resources and supplies in the capital alongside Leone, while Mine and Sheele were checking the outer perimeter. Chelsie was fulfilling a hit on a lowlife of an Imperial Lord. Najenda stood in disbelief, Deagora was standing beside her in the infirmary, the pale yellow tiles reflected the light around the room. Najenda looked to the bed expecting to see Tatsumi resting in it. "D...that you?" She heard the voice of at Tatsumi echoed from, behind the bed. "We here kid." In soothing tones, Deagora responded as he led Najenda to the side of the bed where Tatsumi rested against the wall. His eyes were wide and were staring at his legs, they held the emotion of disbelief and horror. "Tatsumi what's wrong.?" Najenda asked, as she knelt next Tatsumi.
"B..Boss...I can't move my legs…" Tatsumi responded, his voice a mixture of horror and fear as he looked at her. His eyes meeting hers, the fear and pain as plain as day could be seen in his emerald eyes.
The sun begun to rise as Esdeath gathered her subordinates the meeting chamber of the imperial palace. Esdeath waited for the good news, as Mordin entered the meeting chamber. The Elite Seven responded quickly weapons drawn and aimed at Mordin as he entered unannounced into the chamber. "Relax." Esdeath said calmly gesturing with a flick of her hand to the Elite Seven. "So Mordin, what can I do for you today?" She asked knowing full well what Mordin was going to say.
"I am so sorry to inform you about this most horrendous news, but it appears that the assassination team group of terror have not reported back from their investigation though our spies have located the body of one of their number. It appears to be the leader of group of terror. Where ever the other members could be is a mystery to us but it is assumed they are dead or captured.
"What!?" Gozuki asked as he stood up, his face was a mix of rage and disbelief, Esdeath figured his reaction would be as much. Afterall he and the leader of Group of Terror worked together for a time, of course they could of been friends Esdeath thought as she clicked her fingers, "You are unaware of what happened to the rest of the team?" She asked to Mordin, anger building in her chest. 'What games are you playing, blind fool" She asked herself eyeing Mordin, though she knew he couldn't stare at her, her instincts told her he was watching her.
"I apologise to inform you of such painful news but my agents were unable to find any bodies for the rest of the members." Mordin responded, he could feel the enraged glare coming from Esdeath, he smiled at the thought of it, knowing full well it would anger her more.
"Elite Seven, Jaegers, the time has come, we will not stand for this atrocity, we will avenge the death of our fallen comrades! We bring the fight to Night Raid!" She roared to inspire her subordinates. She glared angrily at Mordin 'I will deal with you later.'
Mine and Akame were back and forth in front of the infirmary, after hearing that Tatsumi had awoken while they were out but is unable to stand gave them each unbelievable amounts of disbelief. "I want to go in there.." Akame whispered as she placed her hand on the door while Mine stared at Akame, her thought's mirrored her's, she too was desperate to see Tatsumi, but Najenda had left explicit orders for none of them to disturb them except for Lubb and Su. Chelsie walked into hallway from the great hall, a lollipop in her mouth and a smile on her lips. "Jobs complete!" She said smiling till she picked up on the atmosphere between Akame and Mine. "Hey what's wrong?" She asked as she tilted her head.
"It's Tatsumi, he's worse than we thought!" Akame said without thinking as she turned to face Chelsie.
"What?!" Chelsie replied in kind, dropping the lollipop from her mouth as she began to panic, she knew Tatsumi pushed himself so far in his fight with Esdeath was too keep her safe.
"He can't walk or even stand." Mine said with pain and regret in her voice.
"No way…" Chelsie responded her voice a mere whisper. "I need to see him!" She said as she stormed to the door, only for Mine to put her hand in the way. "I'm sorry Chelsie but the boss has asked that no one disturb them for now. I am sorry." Mine said sorrowfully as she and Akame turned away from the door heading to the kitchen. Chelsie went to grab the door handle again, but her hand rested just above it when she shook her head, a single tear slid her cheek as she turned away from the infirmary heading to the Kitchen after Akame and Mine. Kurome was waiting for them along with Leone, each one's face mirrored those walking in. The collective mood of Night Raid was concern and rage. They wanted to help but were powerless to do a thing about it.
The dim light of the rising sun peered through the window like a dying ember from a now dormant flame. Tatsumi took weakened steps as he tried to move around the infirmary, the smell of dried blood still filled the air, Tatsumi's body still ached when he tried to move his legs, he stood with two wooden supports beside him, bearing the weight of his body. Najenda shook her head, before the fight with Esdeath, Tatsumi was becoming an invaluable asset but now he was could barely stand.
"Will he recover?" She asked aloud to the metallic dragon sat beside her.
"Can't say…" Deagora responded as he tilted his head towards her. Najenda didn't need to see the look the dragon was giving to know the emotion, it was pain.
"You think this is permanent?" She asked, if this injury had broken Tatsumi, she only had one option, she needed to send him somewhere safe, his life as an assassin would be over.
"He tapped into too much power when we fought Esdeath. I also used too much bringing him back here…If only I was….." Deagora went to move towards Tatsumi when a blinding azure light was violently born into existence.
"I'm not done yet…" The anger and determination in his voice broke the gloom shared between Najenda and the Dragon, Najenda couldn't believe it, she had to raise her arm over her eye as Tatsumi's two hands were burning brightly as he held onto the wooden supports burning them to cinders in seconds, without the supports holding him Tatsumi fell to his knees, he rested his hand on the grey tiles of the infirmary. The room was beginning to turn into a smeltery.
"I'm not done…." The sounds of bones, straining echoed loudly in the room, yet Tatsumi pressed on, as the flames in his hands begun to burn a bright azure blaze.
The ground blackened as he tried to stand again, this time he managed to stand upright without anything helping him.
"...He's making his body regenerate faster?...That shouldn't be possible…" Deagora watched Tatsumi clench his fists, the flames died down, the room temperature gradually cooled down. Najenda let loose a sigh of relief, Deagora was standing in front of Tatsumi when he lost his balance had fallen onto the dragon who raised his wings and bared Tatsumi's weight.
"Kid, how did you do that? You used my power without any drawbacks despite your body being at it's very limit." Deagora asked with intrigue in his voice.
"No idea D….I just wanted to stand." Tatsumi responded with a weakened smile.
"Just wanted to stand?...heh you are a strange one kid." Deagora responded as he helped Tatsumi back onto his feat. 'That shouldn't even be possible for him to use my power like that, it's like the restraints don't exist within him…..that is worrying..' Deagora pondered as he helped Tatsumi to his bed. "I think we should let him rest boss.
"I think you're quite right Deagora, though sun rise tomorrow, we will have to move to our new base in Kyoroch. We have new orders from the Revolutionary Army to kindle the flames of revolution in the path of peace religion.
Esdeath had ordered the assassin of the Elite Seven to move ahead of her and the Jaegers. She wanted them positioned in Kyoroch, just in case Night Raid had beaten the Jaegers to the holy city first, or if that troublesome religion got out of hand, then the Elite Seven would aid the four Rakshasa demons in the mission to silence the head of the religion. "Hmm according to Mordin's informants Night Raid's Akame and Kurome were spotted leaving in the early morning heading to a outskirt town on the route to Kyoroch. My Jaegers if we move with haste we will catch up to Night Raid and put an end to this loathsome resistance once and for all!" Esdeath stated in front of gathered might of the Jaegers. The mere mentioning of the Akame and Kurome made Shanta tighten her grip on her Teigue, the leather straps strained under the pressure.
"Moving towards the holy city of Kyoroch? While we have witnesses putting Najenda and a splinter group leaving heading East, that will place them in a city sympathetic to the Revolution. Either way is highly suspicious." Bols stated as the Jaegers were gathered in a empty town square in front of a small water fountain.
"Agreed, seems like a trap." Sebastian stated as he looked to Esdeath for confirmation of his theory.
"Yes it is indeed a trap, Night Raid has been acting through the shadows trying to conceal themselves. Now they reveal themselves! We will not let this chance go. I don't care if it is a trap. We will destroy it and anything else in our way." Esdeath ordered the look in her eye going wild similar to a lioness on the hunt. "Wave, Shanta and Bols and Seryu, I want you three to head to Kyoroch while Sebastian and Run are with me. And one final thing, I want to make this painfully clear, if anyone encounters the wielder of Deagora, we have orders to capture alive. Do I make myself clear!" She asked, her tone hid the underlying hints of a threat.