Little note: This chapter is somehow a mix of both anime and the manga.

(Night Raid's Hidden Base)

"Man, this sucks…" Tatsumi groaned as he slowly ate his food with his fork. The young assassin was eating at the table with Leone and Najenda, while Akame was just finishing up her own meal. His current appearance was way different compared to his normal look, just by looking at the color of his eyes, and it was most likely caused by Incursio's constant ability evolve. "By the time I woke up, the mission was already over… I would have went along to make sure nothing bad happens but… I guess I can breathe more freely now that none of you got hurt bad…"

The climax of this whole war was nearing and now, the number of the assassins working under Night Raid had been cut down to a trembling four. Susanoo, Lubbock, and Mine were the most recent members whom they had to say goodbye to; the latter's death being the one that had deeply affected one of the most important members as of now, Tatsumi.

It wasn't as if he didn't care about Lubbock or Susanoo, as he still treated them both as his dear friends, and it greatly saddened him that they had to die. However, Mine was a different case because of the relationship she had with him.

It was a complex one, because during his early days as an assassin for Night Raid, Mine would always find ways to tease, act smug, or simply make fun of Tatsumi for the reason that she saw him as a newbie. But that would change over time and eventually, when the time came that they were up against the renowned General Budo, Mine would use up all of her spirit energy in one final shot to kill the lightning user. Tatsumi then felt the whole world crash down around him when Mine kissed him not too long after that, confessing what she felt for the young man before passing away.

Can he somehow find the strength to get back up from this loss?

"Aww, you're worried about us Tatsumi?" Leone teased slightly as she munched on her food. "Sorry, but even if you were awake, we would have still left you behind."

"You're not to engage in any combat until the actual war. We have no idea what might happen to you of you use Incursio too soon." Najenda added, peacefully eating through her meal.

"I'm sorry, it just feels like… everyone else is busting their asses out there and working hard, while I'm sitting here just relaxing… I feel like I'm not good enough as an assassin…" he said in a depressed tons, before he felt someone's hand on top of his head.

Looking up, he saw the Boss smiling at him. "Don't worry." she told him as she ruffled his hair a bit. "When the war comes, you'll be able to work good and proper again."

"And besides, you played a huge role in our efforts at the execution grounds." Akame said as she stood up, grabbing her tray with both hands. "It's only natural that you'd still be recovering after that." She then turned on her heels and headed towards the kitchen.

Tatsumi smiled slightly, rubbing the back of his head. "Uhm, thanks, Akame uhh… thank you for the meal too!" he finished with a toothy grin, as he looked at the his raven-haired comrade.

Akame only smiled in response as she placed the tray by the sink before leaving the room, leaving Tatsumi confused. Time then passed on as the three remaining people at the table also finished eating their food, before Leone arranged all the dishes together in one tray as they stood up altogether.

"What's going on with Akame? She seems quieter than her usual self…" Tatsumi asked, taking note of that particular detail when the red-eyed assassin disappeared.

"Of course… tonight, she's meeting her little sister." Leone told him as she carried all the dishes they had used out of there and towards the kitchen. "I'm just gonna put these all in the sink, I'll be right back…"

"Meeting her sister… they're gonna fight, aren't they?" he thought after hearing Leone's words. "She's doing this with the Boss' approval, right?" he asked, looking at Najenda who was dozing for a bit but straightened up at the sound of the question.

"Kurome was our original target…" she said calmly, crossing her arms below her chest. "If we can remove her from the Empire, then their overall strength and ability to assassinate our forces fall greatly. Although, I don't really think that Kurome's presence in the actual battle will be a defining point in victory or defeat. We simply cannot allow our supreme commander to be assassinated, so we've got to force this situation to eliminate her… at least, that's the reality that we find ourselves in.".

"Then why —?"

"The conditiona that Akame gave when she joined the Revolutionary Army are as follows…" Najenda closed her eyes and breathed deeply, remembering the first time she met Akame on the battlefield; back then, the red-eyed assassin worked for the Empire, and her target at the time was the Boss herself.

"I want to be allowed to act according to my own discretion regarding anything that involves my little sister."

"So that's what happened between Boss and Akame…" the young man thought to himself, looking down on the floor. "I think this is the first time that I've heard something about their past… things have changed ever since then…"

"And it appears as though that time has finally come. So, I gave her my blessing." Najenda concluded, tapping her fingers on the table in a way to pass the time.

"Hm, what about you?" Tatsumi turned towards Leone, who had gotten back from the kitchen, getting her attention. "What's your take on this? What are you gonna do, Leone?"

"Just let Akame do what she wants." Leone replied, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. "Whether she wants to kill her… or even save her… I'm all for it and I'll do everything I can to help her."

"In the case that the Empire is finally defeated, and Kurome is spared after all this… the Revolutionary Army will not pursue her for her crimes… and Akame will be responsible for watching over her." Najenda said, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. "That was officially approved just last night. This is also in accordance to her wishes for her sister. Akame has been diligently working for us all this time just to have these requests met."

"Then… that means that Akame…"

"Isn't going to a battle tonight, but a one-on-one meeting with her sister." Najenda breathed out a puff of smoke, taking a long drag of her cigarette. "This way, she'll be able to remove sides from the equation and make it an issue to be solved just between the two of them… and, ultimately, give herself a chance to search for a way to finish this without killing her."

"But… like I said… even if she tries to save her, we're okay with that." Leone chimed in, putting her arms behind her head.

"If that happens and it turns out well, then Kurome will no longer be a part of the Imperial army, and that works greatly in our favor." Najenda finished, leaning back and staring at the ceiling.

"But Tatsumi… you should take this assuming that her sister will refuse any type of aid and that they'll be left with no other option but to fight and kill each other." the blonde Lionelle user warned, furrowing her eyebrows. "If Akame really could have persuaded her that easily, she wouldn't have needed to go off and meet with Kurome on her own."

"Yeah. And all we can do now is support her no matter what the outcome would be. That's exactly what we're prepared to do." Tatsumi remained silent ever since he said those words to Leone, yet he remained looking calm and calculating just from the look on his face.

"You want revenge for Chelsea on Kurome?" Leone asked, noticing the strange look Tatsumi's face. "You look like you got a lot of things on your mind right now, Tatsumi."

It was true, Tatsumi was thinking about a lot of things right now, but it wasn't anything about getting revenge or killing Kurome. He couldn't take his mind off of his red-eyed comrade, wondering what he should do right now. He was conflicted between persuading Akame to call this off and prevent any more bloodshed, or sinply let her do what she wants and support her alonge the way. If it was the same Tatsumi right now, he'd react a whole lot differently.

Yes, times do change…

"That's not it…" he told her, looking down at his right hand before clenching it tightly. "I share the same feelings as you. Whatever Akame has decided on… no matter what the outcome would be, I'm going to help her in any way I can. This is the path that she chose, and I won't oppose it."

"The Tatsumi of old…" Najenda thought, as she looked at the boy in front of her. "If he had been faced with the prospect of these sisters killing one another, he would have started barking about how we should stop her and talk her out of it. But now… he's come to the conclusion that this course of action is inevitable. I guess… this is mature of him… he has truly become a different man compared to when he joined us."

"I see…" Leone replied with a hidden smirk, not really surprised with his answer before she frowned. "But we should still follow them, just in case. I'm a bit worried that someone other than Kurome may try to interfere with their fight."

"You're talking about Wave, aren't you?" Tatsumi asked, quirking an eyebrow as he looked at Leone.

Leone nodded. "Like you Tatsumi, Wave probably harbors strong feelings for Akame's sister. I wouldn't put it past him to try and prevent her from fighting Akame, so he'd probably break the sisters up before somebody could get hurt badly."

"If that's the case, then perhaps it is something that we should consider." Najenda said, breathing out another puff of smoke from her cigarette.

"Oh and Boss…" Leone then leaned over to whisper something in the silver-haired woman's ear, while Tatsumi looked at them in confusion, waiting for them to finish with whatever they were talking about.

"Hmm… I think I have one left from one of my travels…" Najenda replied, as Leone pulled away from her. "But what do you need it for?"

While the two women were busy conversing with each other, Tatsumi had already turned around to leave. "I'm gonna go and check on Akame… I'm worried that she might not be getting enough rest." he announced as he walked out of the room, with Leone smirking at him as he left.

"Leone, what do you need it for?" Najenda asked again, snapping her fingers to get the busty blonde's attention back.

Leone turned back to Najenda with a mischievous smirk on her face before she leaned over to the Boss' ear. "Sorry, I just need it for something really important that's gonna happen today… here, let me whisper it to you…"

After only a few seconds of listening, Najenda's eyes slowly widened out of interest and surprise as she began to speak once more. "Interesting… although, what makes you think he will do it today?" she asked.

"Well he just lost Mine, so I doubt he'll let the same happen to Akame too…" Leone said, grinning widely as she rubbed the back of her head. "Besides, I don't think there's really a reason for him to continue hiding it any further… and he knows that Akame is a person who would rather keep her feelings to herself than share it with others."

Najenda took out the cigarette in her mouth and stood up so she could throw it in the trash bin in the room. "You seem awfully informed, Leone… I've always thought he liked Mine…" she said, turning back to the blonde girl before smirking. "Have you been watching them closely from a distance all this time?"

"Come on, it was obvious ever since then, Boss…" Leone shrugged, before smiling at the memories she had remembered ever since Tatsumi joined Night Raid. "Akame is the one who worries the most about him when he's out on missions, Tatsumi always wants to accompany her whenever she goes out, what else? They are just either too dense or too quiet to even make a move…"

"Very well… I'm intrigued to know what happens at the end… you can go now… but make to sure to head back here for a quick briefing of tonight." Najenda said, turning her back on Leone as she left the room.

(Outside of Night Raid's Hidden Base)

Akame sat with her back against a tree while Murasame was beside her, leaning against the trunk as well. Before her was a mid-sized precipice and way beyond it were the distant mountains with dense forests that filled the landscape. The breeze was gentle and a bit warm, something that she appreciated every now and then whenever she was outside the hideout.

It wasn't everyday that an assassin could slow down and appreciate the mysteries that life would offer.

And that included what was going to happen next.

"Shouldn't you be trying to get some rest right about now?" A voice spoke softly, probably done in that way to declare himself as a friend and not a threat but to be honest, she could sense him approaching either way.

"Tatsumi." she said as the boy slowly approached her with a smile on his face. "Thinking about tonight makes me too restless."

"Funny… I actually want to talk to you about that." Tatsumi told her, taking a deep breath. "I'm tagging along. Together with you."

"No." she said, frowning almost immediately at him. "This is a problem between us sisters."

"I know. This is your problem." Tatsumi nodded, smiling slightly. "And since you have a problem and I'm your friend, I'm going to help you."

"I told Kurome that we would come alone." Akame watched helplessly as the young man sat down next to her without hesitation.

"Right. Then, we won't interfere with your sisterly business at all, no matter what happens." He then turned towards her with a serious look. "But what if the possibility happens that she doesn't come alone? Leone is worried about you two meeting alone and I feel the same way to an extent… although Kurome may have every intention of going alone, someone else could follow her."

"Are they thinking about Wave?" Akame thought.

"If that happens, then I'll eliminate that party. I'll fulfill your wish of letting you and Kurome resolve this matter by yourselves."

"Tatsumi…" Akame almost teared up at the boy's resolve to follow her willingly. Even if she would try and push him away, he would still refuse and go with her until the end. "B-But I could have sworn the Boss insisted that you not fight anymore until the war happens."

"That's only because she was worried after she saw my condition when I last equipped Incursio." Tatsumi replied, releasing a small sigh as well. "It was concluded that I could only use it 4 more times, so that's why I've been restricted to hold off fighting until the war."

An image of Mine dying in his arms appeared in his mind. "I won't let that happen again! I'll do everything in my power to keep her safe!" he thought to himself, unconsciously clenching his fist.

"But… if tonight goes on, and I have to use one of those times up… I won't give it a second thought!" he continued, punching his fist into his palm.

"Oh, Tatsumi…" Akame said to herself, as she listened to the boy pour his heart out. If she could, she'd drop the act and latch herself to him, telling him everything that she wanted to tell him and simply cry her heart out. The red-eyed girl had feelings for him for as long as she could remember, starting from when they were simple friends and comrades up until now.

"I should just keep it a secret for now… he still must be coping with Mine's death…"

Oh, how she wanted to tell him those three words before she would go off and deal with family business.

But she couldn't.

She was aware of Mine's feelings for Tatsumi, and being the caring and understanding friend that she was, she never made any kind of move on the young man that they both had feelings for. However, even now that Mine was gone, she still couldn't make any move simply because Tatsumi might still be deeply affected with the pink-haired sniper's passing, and she felt like it would be disrespecting her friend's memory for her to chase after the boy she loved.

"Or maybe… I'll just let it go…"

"When you guys left me behind last night, I was really shocked, you know? So this time, I'm coming along!" he admitted, chuckling slightly but then he noticed that Akame still had a very sad look on her face. "Well, it's not that I have some kind of death wish… and I don't intend to exceed the limit because there's someone important to me that is still alive and living in this world."

Akame looked down and thought about what Tatsumi just said. "Perhaps he's referring to Leone… or some girl he met… anyone can be a suitable mate for him…"

"But if I'm relaxing here, simply looking after myself while I still have the strength to fight… and meanwhile, should something happen to my friends… then I…" He clenched his fist tightly and gritted his teeth slightly. "I just —!"

"Thank you, Tatsumi." Akame smiled. "You're so kind. Even if it means putting yourself at the risk of having to equip your teigu… you're still determined to come along…"

"There's no ifs, ands, or buts in my book. Nothing else matters." he replied, happy to see that the girl was smiling again. Standing up, Akame held her teigu confidently in her hands and unsheathed the blade, the metal glistening against the sunlight.

"This Murasame has a secret, ultimate technique." she announced. "But the way I am right now, I can't use it."

"Yeah, that's right…" Tatsumi nodded, keeping his look on the red-eyed girl. "You told me that once before while we were travelling."

"To use the secret technique of a cursed blade like this, I need to discard my humanity…" Akame continued. "That is what I was taught."

"Throw away your humanity?!" Tatsumi exclaimed in shock, his eyes widening in response to her explanation.

"Slaying, carnage, and bloodshed… only when your heart embraces the demon inside, can this technique be wielded… at least, that's I had always interpreted it." she said, keeping her look on her sword. "I think the time for that may be near."

"EHH?!" Tatsumi gulped as Akame re-sheathed Murasame, feeling chills running down his spine.

"Wave of the Jaegers told me this…" Akame then proceeded to telling him everything that happened while he was on the sidelines resting, from when she infiltrated the Empire to the end of the fight with Wave himself. "He's probably right… it's probably why I'm able to wield Murasame at all."

"Wait, hang on…" Tatsumi said as he stood up, looking at Akame's back. "You're going to persuade her tonight, aren't you? At least… you're going to try, right?"

"Of course," she nodded. "But if I am unable to do so, then I will not hesitate to kill her. That possibility to exists." Akame then took a deep breath, before turning towards Tatsumi. "I have a favor to ask. If my resolve should ever come to embrace the demon within… and should I become possessed by this cursed blade… then I would become Night Raid's target. At that moment, I want you to kill me. Dying at the hands of Night Raid would be an honor."

"-!" Tatsumi then realized that Akame was basically putting her entire life into his hands. Although he'd most likely scold her for thinking like this, he couldn't help but feel honored by such a request. That was a lot of trust that she had in him, and he smiled in response. "All right, then… I've got a favor to ask as well."

"What is it?" Akame blinked once, but she waited patiently for him to speak again.

"If I should ever get taken over by Tyrant… if I ever transform into a dragon… then I want you to kill me, Akame. To die at the hands of my comrades would be an honor." he said and silence took over for a few seconds, before he laughed and began to sway his arms over and over to the side. "Sounds dumb as hell, isn't it?! The old me felt the same way as you… and yet you still made me promise you that I wasn't going to die… isn't that a bit unfair now?"

"I'm sorry." she apologized, looking away.

"At that time, just like right now, I felt like I was truly and utterly helpless…" Tatsumi put his arms behind his head and stared out beyond the mountains. "All we can do now is open up our hearts, give it our all… and put everything we've got into it."

"Agreed…"

"Ahem, although that was semi lovey-dovey…" The two of them turned around and looked up to see Leone perched on a tree branch with a mischievous grin on her face. "Aren't you two forgetting something?" she asked, before having a few giggles to herself. "They're like a married couple telling their vows to each other!"

"What are you talking about, Sis?" Tatsumi asked before noticing a particular green leaf tied around the branch that was over both his and Akame's heads, a leaf that didn't belong to the rest of the tree. "What the hell is that?

"Why Tatsumi, it's missile toe!" Leone exclaimed enthusiastically.

"You mean mistletoe, don't you?" Akame said, quirking an eyebrow. "I can't believe Boss still kept it."

"Mistletoe?" Tatsumi scratched his head in confusion. "What are those?"

"Oho~ well, long story short, any two people standing underneath these little thingies have to share a kiss." Leone then pointed at them with a lazy hand, before she secretly winked at Tatsumi, causing him to blush and look away, realizing what she was trying to do. "And the lucky people today are you two!"

"Leone, I'm gonna kill you… slowly and painfully." Akame growled, although she her face was bright red like a tomato.

"H-Hey! Woah, wait up!" Leone almost fell off her perch nervously when Akame unsheathed Murasame slightly. "The Boss was in on the plan too, you know!"

"Really? You and the Boss? Why did you come up with this?" Tatsumi asked, getting over his embarrassment as Akame re-sheathed her teigu with a huff. "Did they do this on purpose? If they did, then how did they know?" he thought to himself.

"Well, I just thought of helping a certain somebody who's hid the truth for so long reveal his secret since the end is near and we all could die anytime!" Leone said after she thought about it for a while. "God, I was so afraid that will mess up… but it seems to be working perfectly!"

Finally, Tatsumi appeared to have made up his mind. "Well I don't mind… mistletoe or no mistletoe." he replied as he closed the distance between himself and Akame, the girl glancing up at him in surprise. "Remember when I told you that I wouldn't exceed the limit?"

"You said it was because there was someone important to you that was still alive in this world." Akame said.

"And I bet you thought that it was either Leone or some other girl… I was right, wasn't I?" Tatsumi chuckled when Akame looked to the side with a small pout. "But Akame, the person I was referring to this whole time…" he slowly cupped her face with his left hand, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

"...was you."

She couldn't believe it.

Tatsumi just said it out loud.

Her eyes widened, as she slowly reached up to touch his hand with her own. "M-Me?"

"It's always been you, Akame… ever since." he continued, smiling as he thought about the memories they shared together throughout the past months. "You were the only girl I had in my mind this whole time… you may have been a bit weird at first, but it's one of the things I love about you now. You've grown on me, you know?"

"R-Really?" she muttered, unable to believe what she was hearing. She had never thought of the possibility of Tatsumi returning what she felt, simply because she didn't want to think of a happy ending being given to a murderer like her, and because Tatsumi might have had feelings for Mine instead.

"If you don't believe me… maybe this will change your mind." With that, Tatsumi pressed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss, a kiss that sparked the fire inside both assassins' bodies as they held onto each other out of desire and longing. At first, Akame was a bit hesitant due to her way of thinking, but then she closed her eyes and eventually enjoyed the feeling of the kiss.

"...Tatsumi…" she breathed out once they had separated, still winded from the kiss. From above them, Leone was trying really hard to suppress a squeal but she was grinning like an idiot. "Tatsumi…" she said once more, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"Akame? W-What is —" he was cut off when the girl suddenly latched herself onto him, burying her face into his chest. Although he was shocked, Tatsumi could only pat her back and rub her shoulders over and over, afraid that she might tear up and cry her eyes out.

After a few more moments of hugging the boy in front of her, Akame looked up at him cutely with puppy-dog eyes. "Don't let me go, Tatsumi… don't leave me… I… I need you by my side. I don't… I don't know what I'll do if… if you're gone. Especially because… of what'll be the outcome tonight…" she them hesitated for a bit, before steeling herself to say her next words. "I… I…"

He smiled and gave her another sweet kiss, lasting for a few seconds before he pulled away. "I love you too." he finished for her, pulling her in for another embrace. "And I won't let you go, nor will I leave you. I'll stay by your side forever. I promised you, remember? We'll make it through this, and we'll all be happy after everything."

Akame genuinely smiled in response, feeling herself melting in his touch as they relished this particular moment together. Soon though, she would pull away and hold Tatsumi's hand afterwards.

"Let's head back. We have a long night ahead of us." he said and Akame nodded.

"Oi, that was sweet, you know?" Leone commented, noticing their linked hands. "Sadly, tonight isn't the right time for —"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Leone." Akame threatened, but kept her hands intertwined with Tatsumi's all the way back to base, and into their future together.

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-Lance