I left quite a cliffhanger last chapter, so let's get right to it!
Tatsumi sat on Akame's bed, cradling her as she leaned back into him. He sat and appreciated his beautiful girlfriend's profile in the moonlight and silence. Since Leone had expressed her semi-approval of their relationship after the job, he was riding higher than he had ever felt. Which was why they were cuddling in her room.
"Tatsumi." She spoke up, breaking his concentration on memorizing her silver-lined profile. "Sheele and Mien are going to return soon, right?"
"Yes."
"And they're going to be okay, right?" Her voice was small and wavered slightly. Tatsumi could hear the tears that were trying to escape.
"Don't worry Akame. We'll all be okay." He kissed her neck and pulled her closer. "I promise." Akame snuggled deeper into the embrace, comforted by his warmth.
"I don't want to lose anyone precious to me, not like last time." She whispered. But whether Tatsumi understood her true meaning was something only she could fathom.
Mien looked at Seryu, unfazed but wary of the orange-haired girl.
"Since you've seen our faces and are willing to fight…." Mien snapped Pumpkin into firing position and pulled the trigger. "Victory goes to the ones who strike first!" The spirit energy bullet raced forward as a small dog leapt in front of Seryu. The two disappeared in smoke, and Mien wondered if it really was going to be that easy.
"Did I get her?" She asked Sheele, uncertain. Sheele looked at Mien, confidant in the sniper's skills.
The smoke dissipated, revealing a much larger dog blocking their view of Seryu, several holes in it already closing.
"Mien, it's a Teigu." Sheele exclaimed, drawing Ecstasy from its sheath.
"And a Biological type too." The sniper recognized the regeneration.
Seryu clucked her tongue, slightly annoyed they hadn't accepted her justice. "Tonfa guns." She pulled out her weapons, opening fire on the assassins while her Teigu stood guard. When the two dodged the attacks with ease, Seryu decided to change tactics "Koro, prey!" The dog-shaped Teigu opened its toothy maw and attacked Sheele.
The scissor-wielder sliced the beast down, letting it drop behind her. She had barely recovered from the attack before she sensed the killing intent behind her. She had only begun to turn when Mien fired, knocking Koro back to its master.
"Don't forget, biological Teigu regenerate until their cores are destroyed." Mien reminded her partner.
"What a troublesome adversary." Sheele remarked, forming her own silent plan.
Seryu was clearly aggravated that her trick hadn't killed at least one of them. "Koro, arms." The Teigu grew muscular arms that were disproportionately long compared to the dog's body. The two assassins made disgusted noises at the sight. "Crush!"
The dog Teigu charged, its fists seeming to multiply as it cut off any escape for Mien.
"What the hell?" The sniper did her best to evade before Sheele appeared in front of her, using Ecstasy's durable blades to block the attacks. Seeing that Koro had them sufficiently distracted, Seryu reached for a signal whistle and blew it. The shrill sound echoed across the park, signaling all the nearby patrols that they were needed.
"Shit." Mien cursed, letting herself feel the pressure. "First a whirlwind attack, and now she's calling in reinforcements? We're really in a PINCH!" She jumped high and fired Pumpkin, her spirit energy channeling into a greater attack that blasted down Koro. Much to her annoyance, the Teigu was already regenerating.
"That's some vitality." Mien groused.
"Don't underestimate the durability of my Teigu!" Seryu proclaimed, unsuspecting of Sheele's silent and rapid approach from the nearby smoke.
"Tiegu are tools. Kill the user and it will stop." Sheele stated, her scissor point directed at Seryu. The Imperial guardswoman brought up her tonfas, trying to defend herself from the expected attack. But a blinding light from the scissors assaulted her senses, forcing her to haphazardly guess at her blocks.
Koro tried to turn around and defend its master, only to be shot by Mien. I have an idea where its core might be, thanks to its earlier injuries.
Meanwhile, Seryu backed away from Sheele's ferocious barrage of attacks, only to trip. Sheele seized the opportunity and opened Ecstasy, intent on cutting the guardswoman in half. Seryu dodged, sacrificing her arms to the attack.
Sheele closed the gap between them, only to be shocked by the guns that had burst from Seryu's arm stumps. Bionic upgrades?!
Seryu's face contorted into a feral grin. "Justice… will always prevail!" She fired at Sheele, who blocked with her Teigu. A swing of Ecstasy and the guns were severed.
Seeing she wasn't going to be able to attack Sheele, Seryu shouted. "Koro, Berserker Mode!" The Teigu grew explosively, its fur changing to a dark brown. It let loose a massive roar, stunning the two assassins.
If that's its hidden ability, what do we do?
A group of court guards hurried to the Will of the Empire's room, following the trail of the assassins that had infiltrated the palace. They saw a spreading pool of something dark coming from underneath his door and threw it open, fearing the worst.
But what they found was far more terrifying. The Will of the Empire sat at his moonlit desk, working as though he wasn't sitting inside a room literally painted with blood that pooled and stained every possible surface around him and the clean desk. Somehow, his white robe was immaculately clean as always. But his normally white hair was a wet shade of black, dripping crimson onto the armrests of his wooden chair.
He turned to them with an impassive face and smiling eyes. "I assure you, the assassins have been dealt with. Please extend my apologies to the cleaning staff."
A faint but shrill whistle sounded from beyond the palace, making them all turn to look out the window.
That's the whistle for Imperial police in distress. What the hell is going on out there?
Mien didn't have time to react as she felt a muscular hand close around her. She closed her eyes to concentrate on fighting back against the monstrous Teigu. Sheele refocused her attention to the situation of her partner.
"Crush her!" Seryu's rage-tinged command was met by a pressure that threatened to snap Mien in half. She felt her right arm break and her left shoulder was nearly dislocated before the pressure was gone. She opened her eyes in the moment before she hit the ground with the now-severed limb. Sheele was standing nearby, having used Ecstasy to cut the biological Teigu. Then the sniper landed, relatively safe.
"Made it." The purple-themed assassin said, relieved that she had saved her friend. A single gunshot pierced the calm. Sheele looked down at the bloody hole in her chest. "My body… won't move…"
Mien pulled herself from the lifeless limb, trying to reach her friend. "Sheeeeeeele!"
Seryu laughed around the gun barrel in her mouth as Koro charged the scissor-wielding assassin, tearing her body in half. Koro held Sheele's torso in his mouth, growling despite the obstruction.
Mien shifted Pumpkin into her unbroken arm, raising it at the one who had harmed Sheele. "How dare you? How dare you do that to her? I'LL DESTROY YOU!"
She had barely finished the proclamation when she heard other voices shouting. "Over there! They're battling in the clearing!" Mien turned and saw a squad of Imperial Police were making their way towards them. "Call for more back-up!" More whistles started to sound, drawing more attention to the fight.
Mien started to panic, realizing that this might be the place where she dies. Where she fails to change the world and see the new order. All because I wanted to take a damned shortcut despite Akame's warning.
A blinding golden light erupted from the spot where Koro stood, blinding everyone in the area.
"What?" Seryu questioned, unable to block out the light without her arms.
"The hell is this light?" One of the newly arrived patrolmen questioned. "Be careful! Something's happening!" Another warned.
Mien knew what the light was coming from, and couldn't stop her tears. Sheele, don't do this.
"You have to get out of here Mien." Sheele's calm voice reached the sniper, bringing more tears to her pink eyes.
Mien wavered for a moment, desperately wondering if she could save her friend. But she knew she couldn't. She turned and fled, cradling her broken arm and Pumpkin as she ran and sobbed.
"Koro, put an end to this now!" Seryu ordered, trying to prevent Mien's escape.
But even as Sheele felt the mouth open around her, she had time to think and reflect. On her time with Night Raid, the place where I belong. Memories of her friends, of great times spent with them flashed by. It was really fun. As the jaws closed over her, she had enough time for one last thought. I'm sorry Mien, I don't want you to blame yourself.
One of the patrolmen stood near where Seryu sat back to back with Koro, who was docilely chewing on what was left of Sheele. "Seryu, are you okay?"
His question was met by laughter. "I did it. Even when she could have abandoned her companion to win, she didn't. I fought well. Because she was a half-hearted person." She raised her stumps to the sky, a look of adoration on her face. "Papa, I defeated a villain on my own. The light of Justice shines today!"
The patrolmen and the other members took a step back as Seryu descended into another deranged fit of giggles.
The whole team heard when Lubbock's guard alarms were set off, alerting them to the return of Mien and Sheele. Tatsumi helped Akame make it outside to greet their returning members. But they weren't greeted by Sheele's soft smile and Mien's haughty look, but by a battered Mien using one of her former hair-ties as a sling, teary eyes downturned to the point where they could barely see her face. Akame felt a wave of guilt roll over her, and swayed, reaching out to hold onto Tatsumi like he was her anchor. She had failed to change fate, even if she could claim him.
"Hey, where's Sheele, Mien?" Tatsumi asked as Akame trembled against his shoulder. "Mien, answer me. Where is she?" He wanted to deny the look on her face. He wanted to deny this reality after he had promised Akame that it would be okay.
He looked around, and could see the undeniable truth in everyone else's grieving faces. "Tell me where whoever did this is." His tone was low, but demanded their attention. He could feel Akame's grip on him tighten, trying to restrain him.
"What do you think you're going to do?" Najenda questioned him, knowing exactly what was happening. The one time we need Tsu around to be a father to Tatsumi and he's trapped in enemy territory indefinitely.
"What do you think? Sheele wouldn't go down without a fight. Which means whoever did this is weakened, and we have to use that opportunity!" He argued, shrugging off Akame to turn and face everyone. His eyes were watering, tears held back by his rage.
"Stop. You can't go out there without a plan. You'll only get yourself killed." Najenda commanded him, and found herself surprised that Tatsumi slumped his shoulders. But everyone else was shocked when he dropped to his hands and knees, openly weeping.
"Why? Goddamnit, why? Do you want me to just stay silent about this?" He questioned, unable to look at anyone else. "It's not fair-"
Bulat stepped forward and pulled Tatsumi to his feet and Leone moved in to slap him. "Get it together!" She scolded him as he dangled in the soldier's arms.
Bulat shook Tatsumi for emphasis. "I told you that anyone of us could die at any moment. And you joined us knowing that." He threw Tatsumi towards Akame, who he looked up at. He gritted his teeth and stood up. Akame looked at him, shocked to see his face was completely composed.
"Don't let Sheele's death be in vain." Najenda struck her declaration pose. "But now the Empire knows that Teigu are needed to fight Teigu. Which means more battles will be coming to us. There will be more chances to collect them this way."
"In the end, this is the beginning of our life-and-death situation."
But all that Mien could keep thinking was two words. My fault.
A few days later…
Lubbock and Kurome were surprised to see that Tsu wasn't waiting for them at the designated café. Sitting down at their usual table, their eyes were drawn to a man with shoulder length gray hair sticking out of a black hooded waistcoat, his hands in the pockets of his gray pants that blended in perfectly with his gray boots. He wove through the crowd like a snake through tall grass before meandering into the café across from them. The stranger plopped down across from them before tossing back his hood, revealing a very exhausted and grayed Tsu.
"What's up with the new outfit?" Kurome wondered, idly munching on some tea cakes a waiter had left for them as a courtesy when the store owner had noticed them. "I thought you were too old to care about looking fashionable. Or capable of dressing yourself."
Tsu's weary eyes flickered with annoyance before settling down into a luminescent muddle of emotion. "I'm sorry for your loss, but that doesn't mean mouthing off to a superior won't go unnoticed." His sincere tone caught them as unaware as his words. "But thanks to her sacrifice, I've found out all I could about Seryu Ubiquitous and her Teigu." He pulled a thick file out and set it in front of Lubbock.
"Thanks." The green-haired boy replied, startled by Tsu's composed and compassionate response.
"Why is your hair grey? Not bathing?" Kurome questioned, doing her best to ignore the feelings of grief being brought to the forefront of her mind by the conversation. She pulled some of her secret candy stash out and began munching on it, trying to avoid lashing out again.
"I had to use a lot of power recently. Being attacked by Honest's assassins wasn't easy on me." He ran a hand through his hair unconsciously. "But being told that you're going to be sharing power over security in the Capital with Esdeath is more than enough to make any man go gray."
Lubbock's back straightened at the mention of the icy general. "She's here? In the Capital?"
"Yes, and that means she's already finished conquering the North. With her Three Beasts back too. In fact, she should be in a meeting with the Prime Minister right now." The covert traitor looked over his shoulder at the Imperial Palace in the distance. "But that's not the problem."
"Then tell us."
"Kurome. You, your tracker, and a group of soldiers are being sent to eliminate a village with ties to the Revolutionary Army and the rebel tribes. From there, you are to pursue any survivors or clues to any nearby rebel-aligned strongholds. View that as you will. But I'm going to need Aria to join me in the palace since Honest has barred my access to a lot of things through his political clout. And it's better that I have a messenger I can have spy for me once I begin my relief tour of the villages nearby." Tsu stood up, and left without a single glance back. They stared at his retreating form before he vanished as quickly as he had arrived.
"Kurome." Lubbock's voice made the girl snap out of the reverie she had been put in by Tsu's exposition. "We need to go make our report and then get going. Our covers are only intact as long as we play along."
She nodded and looked at a nearby sweet shop before giving her green-haired compatriot a pleading look.
He held firm for a moment before sighing. "I swear, you're a greater threat to my finances than to actual people." He took the kick to the shin with as stoic a face as he could manage. Considering she had probably broken it.
Akame walked by the dining room, and wasn't entirely surprised to see Tatsumi in there with Mien. He sat next to her, holding a spoon up to the pinkette. But the sniper's eyes were empty and unseeing, lost inside her own guilt.
"C'mon Mien, it's getting cold." He moved the spoon to her mouth, which barely opened to accept the nutrition. "If you keep it up, you'll stay a shrimp forever."
A half-hearted mumble met his comment. Even Tatsumi couldn't hear it.
"What happened to my superior that taught me about not being gun-shy? Is she too busy swimming with her shelled cousins to talk to me?" He tried.
"Shut up, newbie. You're still too pathetic to even use a pistol without flinching." Tatsumi reigned in his flaring temper at the remark and gave a smile at the reaction. He offered her more soup, which she eagerly ate while muttering backhanded compliments that kept him smiling.
He's so much stronger than I am. Akame thought before leaving to meet up with Leone. She had finally been cleared for a mission by Aria and they were killing the Kobore brothers as part of the Revolution's plan. At least she could kill them without thinking about her own powerlessness.
"General Esdeath, thank you for coming so quickly after your conquest of the North." The child-Emperor told the older woman, looking at her kneeling before him.
"Of course, sir." She replied, having given up caring about such things long ago. That monster's orders and methods had drained away most of her will that hadn't been sharpened by her need for vengeance.
"As a reward, I've prepared 10,000 gold as a reward for your work." He explained.
"Thank you. I will send it to my troops guarding the North." Her mechanical reply was accompanied by a passive smile. Since they were the ones that actually fought and bled for this victory.
"I know you have only just returned but we have need of you now. Groups like Night Raid and other dangerous rogues infect the area around the Capital. We would like you to use your forces to eliminate them."
"Understood." Esdeath felt a burst of pride at the belief that she could handle this. She was still a warrior and soldier at heart, no matter the demons' influence. "But I have one request."
"Apparently some of these insurgents are Teigu wielders, and the only way to fight Teigu…" She drew her head up to look at the Emperor and his fat Minister. "…is with Teigu. If you would gather six Teigu wielders for me to create a security squad, it would be all I would need."
"But you already your team of the Three Beasts?" The child questioned, showing some competence at the request for more power. This boy might become a real leader someday.
"Your Highness, don't worry about granting General Esdeath's request. We have nothing to fear from her." The Minister explained. Oh, but you do, you disgusting slime, she thought. She hated that corrupt man, but the white-haired demon had made it explicitly clear that she obey like a loyal subject. Assholes, both of them.
"Then I have nothing to fear." The child heaved a sigh of relief. "Can you ready that for her, Minister Honest?" The rotund man nodded. "That's good. I am relieved to have that off my mind."
"Yes, Esdeath is quite the loyal subject." Choke on a bone and die already, glutton.
The child returned his attention to Esdeath, "I don't think gold is enough compensation for everything you've done. Is there anything else I could give you? A title… land…. Anything you want?"
Esdeath felt her humiliation flare up as she remembered the letter that had arrived for her the moment she stepped through the gates of the palace. Surely the demon was mocking her by predicting this and ordering her to make her demand that. And she had sincerely considered defying him. But a memory of the consequences from the only time she had defied him crossed her mind. The bodies had been horribly mutilated, yet the faces had been left intact to ease identification. A true monster that wanted her to understand he wasn't going to stand for her impunity.
"If there was anything," She skillfully buried her true reaction to the request. "I would like to find love."
The Emperor and Minister seemed taken back by the request. "Then I'll play matchmaker. How about the Minister?"
I would rather stab myself in the eye than let him near me. Or preferably have him jump into a spike-filled pit first. "Unfortunately, the Prime Minister's future isn't assured due to his high blood pressure." She reached into her coat and pulled out the paper that had come attached to the letter. "I've already made a document outlining my preferences. If you find a suitable candidate, please let me know." An attendant took the list, immediately setting off to deal with the bureaucracy of her request.
"Of course." The child nodded, "You're dismissed."
Taking the chance to leave, Esdeath wasn't surprised to find the Prime Minister hastening to follow her.
"Asking for six Teigu wielders is quite fiendish, considering your recently bloomed desires." He stated, keeping pace with her. I really hate the white-haired monstrosity and this sanctimonious asshole.
"But it should be just about the number you can field. And is it so strange to desire such companionship? All creatures want a partner of the opposite sex at some point." She replied, barely keeping herself in check, facing away from the pompous piece of corruption walking next to her.
"Just so you know, it's going to take a while to gather them. In the meantime, if you could take care of some things for me…" The Minister began to rattle off names of people that he needed killed and blamed on Night Raid.
Esdeath did her best not to whip out her hidden knife and stab him.
Akame sat in total silence, focused on the diligent cleaning of Murasame. She heard the door open behind her, and carefully stepped back and turned to her guest. Leone stood there, looking at her.
"Leone, what is it?" The red-eyed assassin wondered. The blonde had been slightly distant since her last mission with Tatsumi. Something that had protected her and her boyfriend from scrutiny by the relationship-experienced blonde.
"Just wondering when you and Tatsumi are going to finally let everyone in on your relationship?" The blonde watched as the girl jumped in total surprise.
"H-h-how do you know that?" She blushed and did her to control her stutter. She couldn't begin to imagine what everyone's responses would be to the news.
Leone smiled at the clearly embarrassed girl. "Almost as funny as his reaction."
Tsu continued on his way through the palace, letting his black waistcoat open to reveal an all-white silk shirt with the silver Imperial Crest that he was so famous for. He spotted a familiar head of ice-blue hair followed by three strange men, all walking towards him.
Guess it's one of those days. He thought. General Esdeath's eyes caught his and she stopped and fixed him with a hate-filled glare.
"You…" Her voice was low and the temperature of the hallway dropped. Her three attendants sunk into combat stances, sensing her rage. But before they could even begin to think of how to attack, they became paralyzed by an overwhelming amount of killing intent. Even Esdeath found herself immobilized by the immensity of the emotional barrage. It felt as though the very air was trying to kill her and her Beasts.
"Oh, I recognize you!" Tsu said with a smile, completely unaffected by the overload. "I see that you have risen to the rank of General in our glorious Empire." He nodded to the three gathered behind Esdeath. "This is our first time meeting so I will introduce myself." Tsu's fingers swept his hair behind his ears. "I am Will of the Empire, current spiritual advisor of the Emperor and overseer of the judicial system. Best known for my Teigu 'The Emperor's Purpose: Lo-Shira' and the unwavering strength I grant to Emperors who call on me."
"You…" Esdeath managed to say before Tsu stepped closer and fixed her with a neutral expression that masked the horrific oblivion his eyes promised her if she continued. She felt the coil of something she hadn't felt since they had first met: fear.
"I was just on my way to the torture chambers. The ones in charge tend to forget the point of their job, so maybe you would like to come along and make sure they are doing it right?" The question sounded innocent, but the commanding glare that Tsu gave Esdeath told her there wasn't going to be any argument. She nodded her agreement and felt the paralytic killing intent evaporate faster than fog on a sunny day.
One day, I will kill you. The monster that stole my clan and family from me.
Tatsumi longed for Akame's warmth as he sat awake in bed. Not that they were at that stage in their relationship, but what Kurome had told him before she left with Lubbock had left him with a desire to hold her.
"Onee-chan is trying to hold back, just like you Tatsu-nii." Her black eyes were swimming with a sadness that he hated to see in anyone's eyes. "Please get her to talk to you. Please."
He groaned, still failing to come up with a way to broach the subject gently. He decided to go get a drink and try to calm down enough to sleep.
But when he made it to the kitchen, he saw Akame standing there with a plate of food. He recognized it as one of Sheele's favorite meals. "Offering to the dead?" He guessed, mostly since he was the only one in Night Raid who knew anything beyond the basics of funeral rites.
"Yes," She replied, her eyes down, "We work in the shadows so no one besides us will know what happened. It's likely that she isn't even the Revolutionary Army's records. And I won't forget her. Not now, not ever."
Tatsumi stepped up to her, and put his hands on her shoulders. "You don't have to hold it in. I'm hurting just as much as you are."
The plate slipped out of Akame's hands and broke between their feet. But neither noticed as her empty hands formed fists in his shirt and tears began to rain down her cheeks.
"How can you hurt as much as I do? I've lost her again! Nothing I've done seems to have changed it! Nothing!" She sobbed, her eyes burning into his with guilt and regret. Tatsumi didn't think before hugging her close, whispering soothing nothings to her. He felt a few tears of his own slip out, but he managed to stay in control of his grief. It wasn't Akame who needed to be strong for everyone, it was him who needed to be strong for her.
It took him a few minutes before her words fully processed. "Akame, what did you mean 'lost her again?'"
Her sobs came to an abrupt end as she realized what she had done. "If I tell you something impossible, would you believe me?" Her fists knotted in his shirt, locking him in place.
"Akame…" Another twist cut him off.
"Just answer the question…. please…" Her voice petered out. She had been careless by letting it slip, but now she was gambling everything on him trusting her.
Tatsumi didn't have to think about his answer. He used a hand to tilt her tear-stained face up to his before gently kissing her. He let himself go for a moment, sending every bit of passion he could muster into it. When he pulled back, her watery eyes were full of hope and fear. "I will always believe you, even if everything else I know tells me it's impossible. Because I love you and trust you with everything I am."
She barely managed to hold back a fresh bout of tears, this time caused by his open heart. She took a breath before letting her story tumble out. How she had lived through a similar past. One where only she survived. How she was from the future and her meeting with Tsu. How she had returned to a different past. And how she had been determined to change it, only to clearly fail with Sheele's death occurring again. Everything she could think of spilled out of her.
By the time she finished her tale, the moon had begun to sink below the horizon as the gray of dawn encroached on its domain. Tatsumi had stayed silent the entire time, absorbing her words and thinking.
"That's one impossible story." Akame's head dropped in preparation for the disbelief. "But if what you're saying is true, then the old man owes us an explanation after we kick him around." She looked up at his bright smile. When he realized she was looking up at him with hopeful eyes, he stopped smiling. "Don't get me wrong, some parts of your story don't make sense to me. Like Kurome ever following the Empire willingly. She cares too much for you to do something like that." Tatsumi rubbed at his temples, still trying to make a plan. "So we need to start training to prevent this."
"Thank you for listening." Akame kissed his cheek before walking away, leaving him stunned and alone in the kitchen with a broken plate at his feet.
Tsu and Aria sat next to each other in the carriage, forced to bump shoulders since the third occupant was asleep on the opposite bench. Aria couldn't stop staring at the 4 year-old child napping across from them, her long purple hair obscuring her face, her clothes hidden under the heavy blanket covering her. She fiddled with her loosened Shingu, now expanded far enough for the spikes to no longer touch her neck. A mark of her progress since joining Tsu in the palace.
"I know what you're thinking." Tsu stated, making Aria jump slightly. "But she's not Sheele."
"Then explain, O master of this world." Aria snapped, hating his observant nature and blunt destruction of her hopes. Something she had tried to get used to during their travels, but it was still painful.
"In my days as the prophet of Luna the Ultra-class Danger Beast and god of Wisdom, I became privy to the secret workings of our world." His tone was as neutral as always, but Aria was convinced he was being nostalgic. "The souls of this world's strongest are not meant to depart. So they linger as the dreams, myths, and legends until even those are forgotten. But some people are so impactful on those strong people that they cling to life and return, becoming reborn so as to support the strongest souls, ensuring their strength for another generation. This isn't the first time I've seen this phenomenon, but it is still a shock every time I see it."
Aria looked at the girl, realizing she couldn't be more similar to Sheele. Which meant that this was Sheele's reincarnation, so she might have her memories. Sheele is still here, right in front of me!
"You expect her to remember her old life, don't you?" Tsu closed his eyes, reaching up to cross his arms behind his neck. "Too bad that death is a permanent end. Same soul, different life. Different memories." The last two words were tinged by a melancholy that made Aria look at her master with concern.
She contemplated what he said before considering her own resurrection at his hands. "I've known you for over a year, but to the others it has only been a few weeks. How is that possible?"
"Because as you mistakenly said, I'm not master of the world." His eyes opened and looked out the carriage's window at the passing village. "I'm a master of history and temporal past. Using my Teigu, I reversed time for us while we journeyed. A year passed in the course of a night because I sent us back a year from the night you almost died."
She found herself stunned by the admission. "But I thought Teigu can't undo things like death. Much less confer your immortality. How? How are you able to do what the First Emperor himself couldn't?"
"I can't undo death. Once you've died, I can't reverse time to save something that's already ended. Since you were still alive I could. And I'm not really immortal, I am just looping the same day in my life every day and keeping the memories. An unending bubble that rolls above the tides of time." His eyes caught sight of three figures standing in the road, and he tapped the wall to signal the driver to come to a stop.
"Wait! You need to explain this!" Aria ordered him to finish his partial answer as the carriage jerked to a stop. But rather than answer her, Tsu opened the door and nimbly climbed out to meet the three waiting outside. The three stopped walking towards the carriage at the sight of Tsu.
"My, my. What are you three doing here?" He questioned the Three Beasts who were frozen in silent shock. "I told the Minister and the General that I don't need an armed escort."
"Advisor, we apologize. We merely thought that-" Liver began to state before Tsu raised his hand. For the three of them, it was a nightmare. Even their Mistress Esdeath openly feared and obeyed him, a worrisome thought to the servants of 'The Empire's Strongest.' This man stood higher than the one they worshipped as a goddess.
"That since you found some Night Raid propaganda you should be concerned for me? How sweet." His neutral tone made the statement even more threatening as the Three Beasts noticed that some of the flyers they were carrying had fallen out. "But please don't worry. The actual Night Raid doesn't advertise so it's merely some copycats."
Not certain if they were being played, Liver cleared his throat as the spokesman of the group. "As you say, Advisor. Since you seem to be fine, we will leave. Though one question…." Tsu's head cocked in confusion. "Is that not Former Minister's Chouri's carriage?"
"It was. But I imagine he has no need of it now." Chills ran down the spine of Aria, who hadn't even questioned where their ride had come from. Maybe all that time alone turned him into the monster everyone sees him as, but even he is still human underneath that. And someday I'll repay his gift and help him atone too.
Akame looked at Bulat, who had just arrived at the training grounds. Tatsumi tried to use her distraction to make a move past her defenses, but the way that their wooden training swords clashed told him it was hopeless. She pushed him back and watched as he skidded to a halt after a few seconds.
"That was totally ridiculous! How could you have blocked so well when you were distracted?" Tatsumi questioned. Akame tilted her head at the words while the soldier-turned-assassin's fist crashed into Tatsumi's face. The green-eyed boy landed upside down, his feet resting in the air above his head.
"That's how." She replied while Bulat helped her green-eyed boyfried to his feet. He rubbed his tender nose, questioning why everyone seemed to teach him lessons through violence and physical discipline. I'd rather not become a masochist.
"You aren't aware of your surroundings." The older male admonished his younger counterpart. "In a real fight you would die from that. Enemies could be hiding anywhere and in any number. Two things your prey sense fails to pick up on." Bulat realized that he robbed Tatsumi of all his pride. "But you're a lot more into this than usual. Any reason?"
Tatsumi shook his head. "Not really. If I want to make it to the future I dream of, I need to level up as fast as I can." He turned to Akame, a determined look in his eye. "And I'm going to survive no matter what in that future!" She barely managed to hide her blush at his confession and secret promise to aid her in changing the future.
Bulat slapped him on the back, making both of the younger assassins jump. "Now that's handsome! I had been waiting for you to get serious before I took you there, but now seems like the right time! Follow me!" Without a look back, Bulat hurtled off with a spear in hand. Tatsumi gave Akame an apologetic smile before giving chase to his other teacher.
"Good luck." She whispered into the wind behind them, hoping that this would really be the beginning of her new future.
Kurome looked over her shoulder at a heavily burdened Lubbock, trailed by several nondescript soldiers in black armor.
"Remind me. Why am I carrying all of your stuff?" The green-haired boy's annoyed voice reached his sailor-suited partner. She stopped and turned to face him fully, pulling a small piece of candy from her pouch before eating it.
"Because it was that, or I tell the advisor that you were ogling his disciple." Kurome replied, watching Lubbock's shoulders while the others froze in terror at the mention of the man that had defeated his assassins and left them in such a nightmare-inducing state.
"I hate your mind-reading." He complained, stretching before continuing up the path to stand next to the black-eyed assassin. He looked back at the others. "C'mon, we've got far enough to go as is. Now let's hurry." His orders were met with vigor, a respect he had earned as Kurome's companion and for his supposed lack of a Teigu.
Sometimes it's good to be in charge.
"Move it slowpoke!" Yatsufusa's sheath jabbed his stomach, shattering his whimsical delusion.
The two male assassins made their way up the mountain. Tatsumi was fidgeting, unsure of the reason they were going to the summit of this place.
"You said it's called Fake Mountain?" Tatsumi casually wondered. "Why would people name it that?"
The sound of snapping branches made Tatsumi turn, shocked to find a tree had seemingly uprooted itself and was currently bringing one of its thick branches down on him. Before he could grab his sword, Bulat had moved and struck the tree with his spear, snapping it in half and sending a spray of blood into the air.
"This is why. Tree Beasts and other species of mimicry-based Danger Beasts inhabit this area, making it the most dangerous area near the Capital." Bulat explained to a stunned Tatsumi. "You'll develop that prey sense into battlefield awareness and survive thanks to your keen eyes." The sound of gravel shifting and wood breaking alerted them to the presence of more copies. "We'll give any edible meat we get to nearby villages."
Tatsumi grinned and pulled out his sword. "That's my Big Bro!" He charged a rock-mimic, already aiming for its eye.
Kid learns fast. The ex-soldier watched Tatsumi kill the mimic and felt a blush warming his cheeks. "And if you get hurt, I can take care of your every need back at base camp."
Tatsumi was too shocked by the comment to worry about three nearby Tree Beasts. Luckily, it seemed even the Danger Beasts were startled by the declaration to take advantage of the opening.
"Why's that making you blush!?" Tatsumi's shrill words echoed around the mountain.
"Four-part bad news today." Najenda told her assembled assassins, numbering half their full strength. "Kurome and Lubbock were dispatched with a large group of Imperial assassins to lead an attack on a sympathetic village, meaning we're going to be receiving fewer supplies from the Army for a time." A growl could be heard from Akame's stomach. While she contemplated the implications of fewer foodstuffs arriving, everyone else came to the silent and unanimous conclusion that they would start hunting more.
"Second, Esdeath had been confirmed as returned to the Capital by Tsu and Aria. The old man is determined to keep an eye on her at least, which has primarily meant keeping her limited to the torture chambers. If you can call that damage control." Tatsumi did his best to not clench his fists at the mention of the white-haired enigma.
"Third, we've lost contact with our Regional Team." Everyone tensed, knowing what that meant of their fellow assassins. Mien shifted her sling, very aware of its restrictions.
"Finally, several civil servants and their guards have been disappearing across the land after meeting with the new advisor. There have been four of these disappearances, and officially it's being blamed on us." Najenda looked at all of them, expecting some questions.
"Why would we do that? Kidnapping isn't something we specialize in." Tatsumi inquired, confused by the train of logic.
The one-eyed ex-general stared at him. "Each disappearance is marked by an unnatural amount of blood, with no trace of an attacker or a body. More than sixty guards have disappeared, on top of the four officials."
Leone perked up at the mention of the four. "Former Minister Chouri was supposed to meet with Tsu about increasing public safety outside the Capital. But they never met since he, his daughter, and thirty of their guards vanished from their rooms inside an Imperial Army garrison. The only people that have the power to make something like that happen are us, as far as the people are concerned."
Najenda nodded at the blonde. "Which means it could only be some group of Teigu users. And the only one in the public eye are us." She shook her head. "But the problem is the victims themselves. They were reasonable people that didn't belong to the Minister's faction, which makes them prime targets for removal by his orders." She looked up at her four remaining assassins. "We've been blamed for the Minister's cleanup."
"Which means he's trying to lure us out." Bulat threw out, noting the obvious step in logic.
"Exactly. These men and women were capable, defiant of the Minister, didn't interfere with Rebel scouts. They cared for the people and now they're gone. They were the sort of people that our new nation needs. We cannot allow this to continue. Opinions, everyone." She opened the floor to them.
"There's no way we can let this keep happening." Tatsumi's hands clenched at his proclamation. "And since their getting away with it at our expense… It really pisses me off!"
Bulat couldn't stop a grin from crossing his face. "Now that is some handsome determination! Well said!"
The others nodded, sharing his opinion. Najenda felt a sinister grin cross her face before she issued her orders. Bulat and Tatsumi would be going to the outskirts of the Capital to observe onboard the massive Dragon Ship while Leone and Akame would be investigating an outerlying village. Though both Akame and Tatsumi protested, those in the know merely mistook it for the secret lovers not wanting to be separated.
How wrong they were.
"This has got to be one of the largest ships I've seen." Tatsumi gasped, remembering all the times he'd been near the floating vessels with Tsu. He looked at the spot where an invisible Bulat stood, amazed that he couldn't actually sense where the armor-wearer was standing had he not spoken up. Looking down at his own suit, he started to wonder if he could pull off the charade.
A loud murmur rumbled through the gathered crowd, making the green-eyed boy turn in the direction of the disturbance. Walking next to the target was Tsu in his immaculate white robe, his eyes sweeping the crowd with a hint of a smile on his normally neutral face. But when those luminescent eyes found him, Tatsumi watched as shock crossed the old man's face before he grew a genuine smile. He broke off his conversation and pushed through the guards, breaking into an inelegant run. Tsu's arms wrapped around Tatsumi in a fatherly embrace that left them looking over each other's shoulders.
"I know why you're here. Play along." Tsu whispered before pulling back to fix his face into a look of fatherly pride. "My son has finally returned to the Capital! This calls for an even grander celebration!" His shout was met by wary cheers. Tatsumi was still trying to recover from the shock when he felt Bulat's hand on his shoulder.
"Go with it." Bulat encouraged, figuring it would be easier on Tatsumi that way. Tatsumi almost let a scowl cross his face, until he remembered that if he broke the charade now they were all done for.
"Whatever you say, Pops." The green-eyed boy gave his best interested look before Tsu dragged him back towards the civil servant and his ring of guards.
Liver couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not only was the advisor here on the Dragon Ship, but apparently the man had a son who had shown up too.
"Nyau, looks like your tune is going to be quite necessary." The former general requested of the slight boy next to him. The boy gave a nod and spun the flute in his hand. The two made their way down into the ship to wait for the perfect moment to strike.
It appears we may have a chance to not only catch our target, but gain valuable intel for Mistress Esdeath on the advisor from his 'son'.
Tatsumi stood off to the side as Tsu bragged of "his son's" accomplishments as a young spice trader and merchant. People that had been afraid of the advisor before the ride found themselves enjoying his company as he wove the story in his masterful spinning of lies and truths.
At least the target is safe.
"You're doing pretty well with all this." Bulat commented, reminding Tatsumi of his Big Bro's secret presence.
"Well it's more like I'm in culture shock and just know how to hide it." He replied, swirling his glass of martini some waitress had handed to him. "Besides, if Tsu is here there's no way anyone is going to get away with something. We probably missed the mark on this one." An invisible fist bounced off his head, an unseen reprimand. "Ow!"
"Don't go letting your guard down just because he's here." Tatsumi could hear Bulat's eyes narrowing. "For all we know, this was part of some trap to lure him out instead of us. It's why we don't make assumptions."
"True…" Tatsumi winced slightly under the scold.
"I snuck on here with invisibility. Who's to say our enemies can't do something similar?"
"You're right." Tatsumi rubbed his head where he'd been struck, dispersing the pain. "How many times have you hit me today?"
"Don't worry about it. They're lashings of love." A slight pause made Tatsumi suspicious. "Of love." Tatsumi felt a need to step back. "Love." Bulat was swooning, making Tatsumi flinch.
"Repeating it three times just makes it creepy." Tatsumi looked around to make sure he really was alone other than Bulat. Which he was. "How much longer is Incursio's invisibility going to hold up?"
"Not much longer." Bulat caught sight of Tsu disengaging from the crowd he had been with and walking over. "I'll go below deck to make sure no sees my face." He turned and walked to the nearest door, knowing that Tsu was about to straighten out Tatsumi.
"Sure, I'll take the top deck to myself." Tatsumi hadn't noticed the way Tsu was stalking closer to him.
When a hand clamped down on his shoulder, Tatsumi managed to not jump. "You and I need to talk." Tsu's tone was authoritative and dark, promising his adopted son a lecture.
"Yeah, we need to." The green-eyed boy turned to face his dark aura-clad caregiver, ready to question him about Akame, alternate pasts, and his involvement.
"Aria told me about what happened while I was away." Tsu's grip tightened on the green-eyed boy's shoulder. "When I told you to stop wavering, I didn't mean you should go fuck your childhood friend."
Every thought and question in Tatusmi's head ground to a halt. Had he been drinking something, he would have choked and sprayed it everywhere. Instead, he coughed as air became caught in his throat. "K-Wh-what? I never did anything like-"
A firm shaking cut him off. "Don't give me that. You're way too immature for a relationship of any depth." He pushed Tatsumi away. "You need to have clear direction and a desire to understand your partner to build a relationship. Not your damn hormones. We don't need bastards running around because you didn't keep it in your pants."
"All we've done is kiss and occasionally cuddle." Tatsumi defended himself, dimly aware of some music drifting in the background. Tsu's look of annoyance seemed to soften for a moment before returning. "Besides, I do have a clear direction. I want to give her a future without all this killing. I want to someday marry her and give her the happy life she should have had."
Tsu snorted in derision. "Tell me how you'll manage to pull that off, would you? But you can't, because you know that the future is unwritten. No one here can promise anyone a happy future."
A loud number of thuds made the two arguers turn away. They watched as people across the ship fell and slumped to the ground in total defeat. The music that had been in the background of their argument faded as the last partygoer dropped.
"Damnit, it's Scream." Tsu cursed, recognizing the effects. "How did they get onboard?"
"Wait, what's Scream? And who's they?" Tatsumi questioned before jumping at the sound of a door slamming open. He turned to see a beast of a man walk out of the boat's interior, a large ax over the shoulder of his black coat.
"Scream is a flute Teigu that manipulates emotion. And they refers to Esdeath's Three Beasts." Tsu warily noted that Liver and Nyau had come out as well, standing further back. "Looks like it's time for you to do what you came here for."
Tatsumi nodded, letting one of his throwing knives drop into his hand. He faced the man-beast stalking towards him. "Are you the ones behind the disappearances, posing as Night Raid?"
"No. But if you're asking, it means you're the actual Night Raid." Diadara smirked. "Wouldn't have guessed a child of his would turn against the Empire. And also," He reached behind his back and threw a sheathed sword to Tatsumi, "I want to fight strong enemies and gain more experience. And the advisor's kid has to be strong no matter what side he's on, right?"
Tatsumi put up his hands to catch the sword, using the opportunity to throw his hidden knife. He clicked his tongue as Diadara blocked it with his ax, but enjoyed the slight surprise on his face. "Should have known it wouldn't be that easy to beat someone that works for a General." He drew the sword, ready to face off against the ax-wielder.
"You're on your own brat." Tsu commented before stepping away to the dining area and grabbing a glass of wine. "Try to not to die too quickly." He sipped from the glass, seemingly apathetic to the impending battle in front of him.
The assembled fighters took a moment to collectively stare at the advisor before commenting.
"What the hell old man?"
"That's pretty harsh. Definitely not worth the experience."
"No wonder Mistress Esdeath despises and fears such a heartless creature."
"To say something so soul-crushing with such ease…. I might have met someone more sadistic than our Lady."
Tsu shrugged off the comment and returned to his usual neutral expression. "I wanted to rile him up a little more. No such thing as too much passion."
Diadara grinned and charged at Tatsumi, realizing what Tsu meant. "You're worthy of my time before you die." He swung the ax, and Tatsumi made the decision to dodge instead of blocking. A good choice as he watched the deck splintered and nearby tables were thrown by the impact. While the assassin recovered, a new melody started to drift from the flute-wielding boy in the back.
Realizing he was facing terrible odds and Tsu was less than useless like usual, Tatsumi formed a plan that would blow his only trump card away. A flick of his left wrist and the pouch of spices he carried was in his hand. He threw it up in a lob, waiting for his opponents to not fall for the feint. When he was certain their eyes were still on him, he moved.
Pulling the sword close, he rushed in and made a move to attack. Diadara confidently prepared to block, only to be confused as a throwing knife flew past him and struck the descending bag. A red cloud bloomed and coated the area around Nyau, who fell to the ground coughing and gagging from the burning haze. By the time that Diodara had realized that Tatsumi had used himself as a distraction, the boy had retreated too far away.
I have to beat them so Bulat doesn't die! The green-eyed assassin thought, trying to figure out what else he could now that he had incapacitated one of them.
"Fast and sneaky. Just like your father." Diadara noted, pulling his ax apart into separate throwing axes. "Try this!" He let them fly with a full-force throw. Tatsumi dodged them with ease, confidant that his opponent had thrown his weapon away carelessly. He started to charge in, only to sense the axes homing in on his back. He turned and dodged again, failing to completely escape as one cut his left cheek and the other tore away his tie and shirt.
"Should have mentioned that those throwing axes won't stop until they run out of momentum or finally hit you." Tsu piped up, watching Tatsumi's dance between the thrown Teigu.
"Say something sooner!" Tatsumi ducked under one of the axes aiming at his head. "In that case…" He turned and sprinted towards his opponents, feeling the axes give chase. He could see Diadara standing still, as if waiting for Tatsumi.
But before he could get close, an uppercut launched him skyward. "That was their plan, you numbskull!" Bulat shouted, reprimanding his trainee for not seeing the trap. "He was celebrating his victory already!" Diadara caught his axes, observing the newest addition to the fight.
Tsu shrugged at remark. "Thanks for saving me the effort of explaining that to him."
The handsome man turned towards the advisor, his eyes flashing with vigor. "And you, why are you sitting out this fight? Surely you have some personal stake in this."
"That's where you're wrong, Muscles. My goals, plans, and other intentions are far different from yours so I would suggest not making the mistake that we are working towards the same thing." Something about Tsu's reply sent a chill down everyone's spines despite his monotone reply.
"Harsher than before." The ax-wielder commented, before noticing a bloody bandage wrapped around Bulat's leg. "Had to stab yourself to stay awake? That's pretty interesting."
"With my hot blood, nothing like that was going to slow me." Bulat's eyes met Diadara's. "I am Bulat of Night Raid, but you can call me Handsome."
"I'm Mistress Esdeath's servant, Diadara." The ax-wielder charged, knowing that Nyau had rolled clear of the cloud that had choked him while Liver had circled around. The two Beasts still standing closed in, intent on finishing the two assassins.
"Never forget what you're about to see." Bulat ordered Tatsumi, dropping into a low stance. "INCURSIOOOOOO!" The armor-Teigu spawned around him, wrapping the ex-soldier in its impenetrable defenses. He leapt up and met the two attackers. Liver was kicked into a pile of crates not far from Nyau, his impact dispersing the lingering spice to nothingness. Diadara looked up in time for Bulat to bring his spear Neunote down, bisecting the man and his Teigu. All of it happened in a second, leaving Tatsumi without a chance to process what he was seeing.
Bulat landed, looking at the two remaining Beasts. Tatsumi noticed the flute-player had finally recovered from his Fireball Sand attack.
"That's what I meant by being aware of your surroundings, Tatsumi. But you did good to incapacitate one of them." Bulat explained while Tatsumi stared at the remnants of Diadara.
"That was awesome! I never knew you were so strong! Unlike some people!" Tatsumi exclaimed, throwing the verbal barb at their apathetic observer.
"I wasn't called the 'Hundred-Man Slayer' for nothing, back in my army days." Bulat boasted. Liver pulled himself free of the wrecked crates, staggering for a moment.
"You killed 128 men. But you were adept at hunting down spies. It could only be you, the real Incursio wielder: Bulat." The ex-general said, straightening up.
"General Liver, you work for Esdeath?" Bulat seemed stunned, while Tatsumi did his best to recall what Akame had told him about this battle.
"I'm no longer a general. But I wish this could be a happy reunion." The older man took up a combat stance, extending his ring. "But I will complete my mission, even if it is you I must fight."
"Same." Bulat moved, watching as water roared up in columns around the boat. "Water-wielder, eh?"
Nyau finally felt his lungs clear enough to breathe properly, eyes widening at the sight of Liver and Bulat. "I need to support him." He started to raise his flute to his mouth before he caught sight of a blur streaking through the air at him. He rolled away, Tatsumi and his sword occupying the spot he had just left.
"I'm not letting you get away easily." The green-eyed assassin claimed, readying himself to attack again.
All the while, a pair of luminescent eyes studied every action in front of them, trying to predict exactly what outcome was going to materialize.
Village on the outskirts of Capital….
Akame and Leone in her Lionelle form were watching their protection target as he and his guards handed out rice that had been set aside to aid the villagers.
"Sense anyone unusual nearby?" The red-eyed assassin asked her bestial friend. The enhanced senses given by her Teigu made her ideal for scouting and tracking.
"Nothing. Yet." The blonde added, knowing Akame had been unusually tense about Tatsumi going with Bulat. Especially when they found out that the guys' target was going on a canal cruise via the Dragon Ship.
Akame's stomach rumbled, something that Leone was long used to at this point. She pulled a piece of smoked beef from her pack and offered it to Akame. "From Tatsumi's secret stash of goodies." She didn't receive a reply. Instead, she felt teeth clamp around her wrist as Akame ate the entire piece in a single bite. Leone pulled her hand free with a slight pop as Akame began to chew the offered ration.
"Now that you're fed, mind if I talk about something serious?" The blonde sat down, taking Akame's slight nod as a sign to continue. "I'm not too sure about you and Tatsumi." At the mention of the not-so secret relationship, the red-eyed girl's shoulders stiffened. "Don't get me wrong, you two seem happy. But aren't you two moving rather quickly? You only reunited a few weeks ago and now you're doing who knows what." Akame's cheeks turned a shade of red the blonde hadn't seen before.
Once she settled down a bit, the black-haired assassin replied to the charges. "I fell in love with him a long time ago. Not seeing him might have made it worse because now I want to spend every moment I can with him. Would you believe that he rejected my feelings at first?" Leone's eyes widened, not believing that Tatsumi could be someone that cold. "But he took the time to consider them and came to his own conclusion that he did indeed return my feelings. I know it seems strange but I've lost him once without telling him how I feel, and I don't want to lose him again now that I have. Please just trust that I know what I'm doing."
"A lesson from experience. Use protection." The panicked fluster that the comment sent Akame into made her friend laugh with such fervor that she started to roll around.
Tsu put a hand over his right eye, fighting back undesired memories at the sight of Teigu wielders battling to the death. Just like the civil war 500 years ago…
He cut off the train of thought, forcing his attention back to the subtle time reversal he was using. No one else had noticed, much less acknowledged the visible effects of his machinations. His white hair had already faded to gray, and was now starting to darken even further.
I'm using too much energy on this. He concluded, struggling to squeeze the maximum distortion for his energy. He fisted the hand over his eye, reigning in a desperate impulse. I can't use it! I have only one more chance, and if I don't use it right we're all gone.
Snapping back into the moment, he could see Tatsumi and Nyau had brought each other to an exhausted standstill. Meanwhile, Bulat and Liver were discussing the possibility of Bulat's defection. Or rather, his refusal to do so.
Don't mess up my plans, anyone. It will be as my Emperor willed it if you just play your parts for me.
Tatsumi struggled to his feet, watching as Bulat rebuffed his former commander's offer. He watched as Liver injected himself with a syringe he had pulled out, remembering what Akame had said.
"Liver poisoned his blood and used it to inject the poison into Bulat."
"Big Bro, that's a poison!" he yelled at the older assassin. "He must have some way to get it into us!"
Liver looked shocked that the boy had figured out his trump card. "Clever boy." He pulled his sword across his chest, drawing a shallow line in the flesh. When the blood started to run, he gave a victorious grin. "Now die with that smart mouth. Blade of Blood!" His blood flew through at Tatsumi, shaping itself into deadly skewers. The green-eyed assassin knew he couldn't escape the barrage.
Until Bulat dashed in front of Tatsumi, slashing at the sharpened blood to disperse it. But even with his interference, both of the assassins felt themselves be pierced by the projectiles. When the barrage stopped, Liver sunk to his knees, his entire chest coated in blood from overusing his Teigu.
"It's a draw this time Bulat." He told them before collapsing lifelessly onto the deck. The assassins could feel the poison taking effect, Bulat suffering more from his increased exposure and previous injuries.
"Tatsumi, you still alive?" The handsome man questioned, flecks of blood escaping his mouth. He couldn't turn to face the young boy, his knees giving way.
"For the moment." Tatsumi replied, holding his numbing right arm. He could tell the poison was starting to affect him, the horizon tilting in different directions with each step towards Bulat.
Tsu raised his voice for the first time in a while. "You two have a different problem." The two assassins focused, realizing that they were hearing flute music. They looked at Nyau, amazed as the diminutive boy changed into a massive and muscular man.
Tatsumi slid to his knees next to Bulat, unable to feel his legs. "Tatsumi, take this." Bulat's hand pushed Incusio's key into his arms, making his green eyes widen in surprise. Bulat gave him a push up, forcing his weakened knees to support his weight again.
"Big Bro…" Tatsumi looked at the blade, recalling Akame's words about him using Incursio as his own Teigu after Bulat died.
"Are you insane?" Nyau interrupted the two. "If a commoner puts it on, it will kill him for being too weak."
Tatsumi felt the words try to grip his heart in fear, but he gritted his teeth and cried out. "If Big Bro believes I can do it, then so do I!" Nyau clucked his tongue before charging at the standing assassin, not expecting any serious resistance thanks to Liver's poison.
"Now yell it out Tatsumi! With all your BURNING SOUL!" Bulat shouted to the heavens, echoing across the canal.
Tatsumi stabbed the key into the boards in front of him before screaming out, "INCURSIOOOO!" The monstrous armor began to appear, reshaping itself to its new master. Nyau found his feet rooted to the ground in fear at the sight. Tsu's reaction was to raise an eyebrow while unbidden tears appeared in the corners of his eyes. Bulat smiled, happy to see he had been right about Tatsumi.
"Your feelings are making it evolve… I knew you were the right one..." Bulat whispered as his eyesight faded, the blackness consuming his consciousness and life.
Tatsumi straightened inside his new armor, facing Nyau with a zealous fire igniting his body. "You beast of Esdeath that dared to use Night Raid's name, prepare to pay the price."
"You're getting too cocky boy." Nyau verbally attacked, still feeling the remnants of Incursio's transformation affecting him.
"This armor is forcing me to be stronger." Tatsumi clenched a fist, feeling the armor resonate with his desires. "So I'm going to kill you now."
"Try it!" Nyau charged, raising a fist of his own. Tatsumi met his fist with his own, the impacts simultaneously crashing into each other's faces. But it was Nyau that was thrown into the wall of the Dragon Ship's cabins, his bones audibly smashing under the force of the punch.
Tatsumi felt Incusio dispel itself, his limbs no longer responding to his commands. He felt his eyes closing, giving him a fading glimpse of Tsu running to his side and Bulat, already dead on the deck.
Tsu reached into his robes and pulled out a syringe, angrily cursing the only survivor of the fight. "Damn it Tatsumi, if you and her hadn't tried to interfere I could have saved you both." He slammed the needle's point into Tatsumi's heart before depressing the plunger. He looked over his shoulder at Bulat's body, a distinct sadness in his eyes. He had only managed to scrap together a single dose of antidote for Liver's poison, the only one that would have been needed in the previous timeline. Feeling a burst of anger, Tsu struck Tatsumi's already unconscious body. Settling down, Tsu began to think about the situation.
"At least the dragon will continue to live. By your will." The dark-haired advisor said into the empty air. He turned when the shouts of canal officials from the dock reached him. He saw that his plan had worked. A variation of his Teigu's ability, Paradox, allowed him to move non-living objects along their timeline in a manner much like Retrace. The only weakness was how the temporal change would damage whatever it moved.
He could feel the boat shudder as a gangplank was raised. After confirming that Tatsumi was stable, Tsu ran to the bodies of the fallen and gathered all the Teigu and hid them in his robes.
Tsu grabbed Tatsumi and Bulat's body, dragging them towards the gangplank as the dock workers rushed on. The shuddering of the boat increased, filling the advisor with fear. "Hurry up! This boat is coming apart!" The workers scrambled behind him while he made his way down, before vanishing into the growing crowd.
Kurome and Lubbock stood atop a mound of bodies, looking at the torched ruins of the village they had been sent to destroy.
"Wouldn't have expected them to respond with this." Lubbock muttered, identifying a dozen different bandit groups amongst the corpses.
Kurome nodded, humming a small tune to focus her mind past the annihilation they were standing in. "Pulling out all the villagers and tricking bandits to occupy the buildings was brilliant."
Lubbock nodded as one of the soldiers that was accompanying them ran up, holding a letter.
"New orders for you two." He explained, waiting for the two of them to come down. He flinched as Lubbock snapped up the piece of paper.
After reading it, he passed it to Kurome. "You guys keep doing your jobs now, y'hear?" He ordered, receiving a nod. Kurome grabbed his sleeve, dragging him towards the campsite they and the Empire's forces had made before the attack.
"If I'm going to keep getting stuck in the lion's mouth, you're coming too." She explained. Lubbock snorted but complied, setting his feet down and quickly outpacing his much shorter partner.
"So now we're part of Esdeath's enforcers? Wonderful." The green-haired assassin commented, scooping up both his and Kurome's packs. She smiled and took a piece of candy from her pack, enjoying the sweet along with her partner's obedience.
A few days later…
Tatsumi screamed and sat up, the last vestiges of his nightmare fleeing after his cry. He didn't notice that he wasn't the only one in the room, instead bringing his hands to wrap around his aching torso in a protective wince. He let out a groan from his parched throat, the pain of his scream already settling in.
"You're awake!" a female voice registered in his ears, making him look at the speaker. He was surprised to see an exhausted Leone, her normally well-kept hair in disarray and dark circles under her eyes. "What do you remember from the mission?"
Tatsumi put a hand to his head, trying to keep everything in his head from spilling out from a bout of nausea. "We met Tsu there. And I got attacked by Esdeath's Three Beasts. Bulat killed one, one committed suicide trying to poison both of us, and I killed the last one." He turned to look around the room he was in, realizing it was unfamiliar. "Where are we? And where's Big Bro?"
Leone's exhausted expression fell. "Tatsumi, between the fight and the poison…." She drifted off as Tatsumi stared off into space.
"And what about him?" Leone recognized the hard edge in the boy's voice, the inarticulate rage that was seething within him.
"He managed to get both of you off the boat to an underground doctor along with all the Teigu. Good thing considering it was half-sunk by the time anyone got close to it. But you've got bigger problems."
"Bigger problems?" Tatsumi questioned, totally confused. Behind them the door to the room opened. He turned to see Akame, her tired eyes red from crying with matching dark circles under her eyes. She froze at the sight of Tatsumi, bandaged but sitting up in the bed and awake.
"Yep." The blonde whispered before moving out of the way. Tatsumi didn't realize what was happening until he felt the impact of Akame throwing herself at him, pulling him close.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" She angrily whispered into his ear, threatening to strangle what little life he had recovered.
"I won't. But I failed to fix anything." He answered, watching as Leone left the room. Akame let go of him to face him properly.
"But you did. The Dragon Ship sunk and the Three Beasts are being held responsible for it. If they weren't already dead thanks to some secret guards assigned by the advisor. Esdeath has had to disavow them at the cost of some face with the public. Even though Bulat died again, you proved it can change. We can change the future. We can save everyone!" Her words struck Tatsumi's heart with a pang of guilt, realizing that he still couldn't understand his own feelings on their plans to change destiny.
"And that means we can still see that bright future someday…"
"Together." She entwined her fingers with his, a genuine smile on her lips.
*#*#*#**#*#*#**#**#*#**#*#*#
Aria walked into Tsu's chambers, flanked by the reincarnated girl he called Schere. She found him lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling while playing with his dark gray hair.
"Still not enough moonlight?" She questioned, watching the young girl go up and poke the advisor like he wasn't one of the most powerful people in the world.
"No. And considering I'm not even using any to reset my day, I've actually grown older for the first time in a millennium. Something those two should be proud of." He gave a playful smile at odds with his usual neutral. "Who knows, I might grow some stubble if it takes too long."
Aria crossed her arms. "Please stop wasting my time. You said you had a reason to call me in?" She watched as he got up into a sitting position, pulling Schere into his lap.
"I need you to run an errand for me now that my plan has run into some interference." His luminescent eyes flashed with unspoken mischief. "But first, I'm going to tell you the story that you've been waiting for."
And that's a wrap! Once again, the question of what and who Tsu is continues to deepen.
On another note, Lubbock's entry for Tsu's Teigu:
Name: Lo-Shira, The Emperor's Purpose
Type: Unknown
Description: Despite its unknown type, the Teigu seems to cause the user's hair to change colors in reflection of the amount of power it has stored. This power is derived from moonlight physically striking the user.
As always, please review so I can get your feedback. It spurs me on and sharpens each chapter.
