Hello again dearest readers!
Yes that means you Imperial warlord, really, you have no idea how much it means to me to have you reviewing each of my chapters for me. You are a big help and an even bigger motivator. Big hug for Imperial warlord!
Right, now that I have that out of the way, I was recently sent a review asking if I could have Harry save Sheele and hold her hostage. Believe me, I spent a long time while I was writing Time Flies… agonizing over whether or not I could twist the time-space continuum to save her and, after almost an hour of deliberation, have decided that it would be far too difficult.
In canon she was killed while Esdeath, and thus Harry, were conquering the North. Secondly Harry would have to use her as a hostage against a highly trained group of assassins, all of which, other than Tatsumi, could easily kill him even with his powers. I mean anything Incursio couldn't tank would leave him drain, and physically he has trouble against more than three or four trained soldiers.
Finally he would have do it without Esdeath's knowledge that he had a member of Night Raid captive. Do you really want to know what Esdeath would do with Sheele if given half a chance? I don't.
So while it is a good suggestion, and one I was sorely tempted to follow through with, it is just not possible for me to write into this story. Sorry.
I may be able to do something about some of the other characters though.
On a final note, in answer to Abrams 1559 review, I will be basing most of the story off of the manga plot since that is the one I've read the most and largely prefer. You may even find that some conversations have been pulled directly from the manga and scrambled around a bit.
Right, now that that's all done, onwards to the story!
I do not own, in any way, shape, or form Akame Ga Kill or Harry Potter.
-T.G.O-
Chapter 5: Calm before the Rising Blizzard
A dissonance of screams, terrible wails of pain and hopeless misery and the sadistic laughter of the torturers filled the dungeon as Esdeath entered, eyes sweeping over the immense room of pain and suffering, the Three Beasts filing in behind her.
She sighed softly.
Why was it that every time she left for more than a month they all got over enthusiastic and started bumbling things up?
Walking over to a group of torturers pushing people around in a massive cauldron of boiling water, a frown of annoyance gracing her marring her features as she spoke, her disgust slipping into her voice.
"You mutts really are pathetic aren't you?"
The nearby torturers spun around, ugly scowls scrunching up their faces as they opened their mouths to retaliate, to threaten the fool who dared to insult them and their work.
Then they realised who they were about to threaten and dropped down onto their knees, pushing their faces into the ground.
"Esdeath-sama! We did not know you had returned to the Capital yet! We are most terrible sorry!"
Not long ago she would have rather enjoyed having them grovelling before her like dogs.
Now it was simple annoying.
She only had one person she would really enjoy on their knees before her and she wasn't entirely sure way that was.
Esdeath turned her attention to the torture happening around her, screams and wails of pain washing over her..
"Truly pathetic. Why it the cauldrons temperature so high? If it's too hot they will just die too quickly."
Clicking her fingers and materializing a boulder of ice above the boiling cauldron before dropping it in on those unfortunate enough to be within, she looked at the men grovelling below her like worms.
"By lowering the temperature you can prolong their suffering for much longer."
The torturers below her looked as though they had reached enlightenment, bowing rapidly up and down, almost slamming their faces into the ground as they thanked her with a disgusting enthusiasm.
"Of course ma'am! Thank you for this valuable lesson ma'am!"
She turned away from the grovelling men and began to walk back towards the entrance, signalling for the Three Beasts to follow her.
"Let's go."
She was sure she would have stayed longer and enjoyed it more if Harry had come down with her, but he refused to go within ten metres of the room.
It annoyed Esdeath at times, but she let it slid with the knowledge he had never, and never would, actually disagreed with her little hobby, so she instead let him to wait for her outside.
She was well aware that he would have come if she had ordered it.
She dismissed her thoughts as she strolled out of the dungeons, hair billowing out behind her.
She had a meeting with the Prime Minister and his puppet Emperor.
-T.G.O-
"General Esdeath."
"Yes, your Majesty."
It grated slightly on Esdeath's nerves that she had to kneel before the puppet Emperor and the pig that was the Prime Minister.
Still, she played along with the man because he brought a lot of conflict for her sate her bloodlust on, but he was still a disgusting pig of a man.
Not that she actually cared that much about his personality.
"We thank you for your superb conquest of the North. We have prepared a reward of ten thousand gold pieces for your accomplishment."
"I thank you for your generosity, your Majesty."
It was left unsaid that it was more the Prime Ministers generosity than his.
The child Emperor nodded, acknowledging her false thanks, before speaking again.
"I am aware that you have just returned from the North, and I apologize for this, however I still have a task for you to do. A fiendish group known as Night Raid has been running lose within the Capital. I wish for them to be purged from my city."
Esdeath smirked inwardly. She had already predicted that he would send her out on this task.
"As you wish, your Majesty. I would like to ask one thing of you."
That was a lie. She was actually asking the Prime Minister.
"Soldiers? You may have as many as you like."
She shook her head.
"No. I have been informed that the enemy use several Teigu. Only a Teigu can face another Teigu, your Majesty. I would like for a six man group of Teigu users to be gathered. That will be sufficient for me to protect the security of the city."
The child Emperor looked slightly alarmed at the request. It was no real surprise, a naïve and isolated fool of a boy might be he was well aware of the importance and power, as well as the rarity, of Teigu.
"Do you not already have a group of teigu users? The ones called the Three Beasts? And you want more?"
The Prime Minister, leaned forward slightly, catching Esdeath's eye for a single millisecond before turning to the child Emperor.
"Your Majesty, I believe that by entrusting this task to general Esdeath we may rest easy."
The Emperor looked at him for a moment before turning his gaze back to Esdeath.
"If you agree then I will allow it. I trust that you will handle the preparations Prime Minister Honest?"
Honest looked down on the boy he was puppeteering.
"Of course, your Majesty."
"Then I will rest assured that the Capital will soon be at peace once more."
"Of course Makoto, Esdeath can be trusted with this job. She is a very loyal subject of the Empire."
The Empire I rule, not you, was once again left unsaid.
Makoto looked thoughtful for a moment before peering at Esdeath.
"I feel that this task is not suitable for a reward of mere gold. Is there something that you desire that I could give to you as a special reward? Lands, or titles perhaps?"
Esdeath looked thoughtful for a second. She had the niggling sensation that in another life this would have been a turning point, that whatever she requested would change the face of the Empire. She dismissed the feeling.
"Not as of now, your Majesty. I'm sure I will think of something eventually."
"As you wish then general Esdeath. You may leave."
-T.G.O-
Silence reigned as Esdeath and the Prime Minister walked side by side though the palace, the very embodiments of almost everything wrong in the Empire.
Esdeath was the first to end silences tyrannical reign.
"You truly do what you want don't you Honest."
The Prime Minister let out a belly laugh, before dismissing the comment and turning his attention to her.
"How is your little… compatriot… faring? Is he still keeping to your expectations?"
Esdeath smirked. Harry was a topic she found strangely easy you talk about.
"For the most part. I must remember to find him a better trainer to teach him how to use his dual blades though. Liver is hardly an expert and seems to have run out of things to teach him."
"I'm sure I can assist you in that. There are more than a few skilled dual wielders in the army. How are his abilities progressing?"
"Well enough, though he still exhausts himself far too regularly"
Esdeath sighed. It was a point of annoyance to her that his abilities seemed to take up so much energy.
"On the subject of abilities…"
The Prime Minister leered down at her.
"I believe it is a little too much to request six Teigu's and their users."
Esdeath smirked back at him.
"But you'll deal with it in the end, will you not?"
Honest stopped walking.
"I will have the preparations done soon enough, though… you may have to do something for me. I have some people I wish to… vanish. Preferable off the mortal coil."
Esdeath's smirk grew as she turned to look back at him.
"How very intriguing."
-T.G.O-
Stepping out of the palace into the sunlight Esdeath gazed down at the bottom of the stairs before her to where the Three Beasts each knelt on one knee, a fist against the ground, brightening slightly when she saw Harry in the same position beside them.
"I have some new orders for you three. Though they are a bit different than normal…"
The Three Beasts looked up at her before responding in an eerie synchronization.
"Please, give us any kind of order you wish, Esdeath-sama."
"We three are eternally your faithful servants"
"We will take any orders anytime you give them, ma'am."
She smirked down at them before starting down the stairs.
"Excellent. The Prime Minister Honest has some tasks for you. Harry, you will remain here with me."
Harry simple nodded. It was rare that he was anywhere else but with Esdeath these days. The four stood from their places as Esdeath swept past them, Harry taking his place a step behind her at her right and the Three Beasts lining up to her left as they walked towards the palace entrance.
-T.G.O-
The sound of steel striking steel filled the training area, sparks flying in every direction as three blades crashed into each other again and again.
In the centre of the open area stood Esdeath, sword flashing at a speed that, while not her top speed, was blindingly obviously too fast for her opponent. The rapier was a flash of steel as it flicked back and forth, Harry desperately trying to keep up as he deflected attack after attack with his dual blades, just barely managing to throw some of his own attacks in.
Not that it mattered as all his attacks were easily blocked, deflected or simple dodged by his opponent, her blade flashing out again and again, poking holes in his defence and slashing at his body.
Despite his best efforts at defending he already had several slashes across his arms and chest, as well as another along his right cheek.
Jerking his head to the left to evade Esdeath's rapier, Harry retaliated with a left handed slash at her unprotected stomach, only for her to slide back smoothly and bring her blade in for another attack.
She lunged forward and his right blade came up to intercept her, deflecting the attack off too his right as he readied his left blade for a piercing attack towards her right side only to abort the attack and use the left blade to deflect another lightning fast, arm jarring attack.
His blades danced to the music of clashing steel, struggling to get attacks in as he fought to retain his balance, even as he was pushed back slowly across the training field.
He took comfort in the fact that most people would be dead by this point.
He pointedly ignored the fact that the only reason he wasn't was because Esdeath didn't want him dead and instead was taking sadistic glee in slicing up his body in as many ways as possible.
A flicker caught his eye to his left and the corresponding blade flashing upwards to block a jarring slash, his right blade whipping forth to deflect the following stab at his right side, pushing Esdeath's rapier off to the side as he thrust his left blade forward.
Esdeath laughed and turned slightly, letting the blade slid smoothly past her before flicking her blade to the left, opening up a thin gash across his chest and distracting him long enough for her foot flashed forward, slamming into his stomach and lifting his smaller, far lighter frame up off the ground and sending him flying backwards with frightening force.
He slammed into the ground in a crumbled heap, gasping in pain as he tried to fill his lungs once more, hands still tightly clutching the hilts of his two blades.
Flicking his blood off her blade Esdeath slide the long rapier back into its sheath as she walked over to his crumpled form.
"Good work, you held out for a couple more minutes this time and you didn't let go of you blades like out last match."
Harry straightened out his body, groaning in pain as he aggravated several thin cuts and blackening bruises caused by Esdeath's merciless training as he lay against the ground. Esdeath reached a hand down towards him and he reached up to take it, allowing her to pull him to his feet.
"I am required for a meeting with the Prime Minister soon so we will have to finish up here. You can wander the city as much as you like but make sure you are back by dusk. If you're not I will go looking for you."
Her tone left no doubts that her form of looking for him would involve a lot of destruction and civilian deaths, as well as plenty of pain when she found him.
"Of course."
He nodded as he began to check his body over, reaching inside and tugging at his core as he used his power to heal the more movement restricting bruises and cuts.
He wasn't particularly good at healing though so he left most of the injuries alone.
He didn't want to accidentally make it worse.
Esdeath observed him healing himself before turning to leave.
"Just remember to be back by dusk."
Harry nodded once more before realizing that she was gone and sighing, then stretching painfully and picking up his blades from their position on the ground. He would have to clean them later but for now he wanted to explore the city a little. Esdeath had never given him much freedom before.
Walking back to the large room he shared with said woman Harry stripped himself of his torn and bloodied clothes, throwing them into a disposal bin before climbing into the cold shower in the bathroom leading off from the bedroom, washing as much of the blood and sweat off his body as he could and soothing his remaining injuries.
Towelling himself down carefully, as not to aggravate his wounds, he stepped back into the bedroom and threw on his normal clothes, which wasn't very normal to most people since it was almost identical to his uniform.
Making sure he was properly ready and checking how much time he had Harry left the room, walking briskly down the long hallways of Esdeath's mansion towards the front door.
Leaving the mansion and surrounding property behind him, Harry began to wander through the city, carefully hiding his wonder at all the new things that seemed to pop up everywhere, least someone decide he was easier prey than he already looked.
He disliked having to kill people without proper reason.
Living with Esdeath had left him more than a little isolated from the rest of the world outside of her army and his life at the Dursley household was something he preferred to forget, so everything he saw seemed to be new.
And so Harry Potter wandered on, without any real direction, through the city of lies and broken dreams.
-T.G.O-
Tatsumi was, to be blunt, feeling like shit. Losing someone close to you did that to a person, and the confrontation the night before had not helped at all. He had hoped that a walk around the Capital in his spare time would help him recover his mood.
It didn't.
He had only remembered that the Capital was, in fact, a hive of misery and despair more often than not, and, while the people of Leone's home were cheerful enough, the constant reminder of the Empires corruption wasn't helping his mood in any way.
Letting out a sigh and slumping his shoulders slightly, Tatsumi tried to relax. Sheele wouldn't have wanted him to become depressed because of her death.
With that thought he reached up both hands and slapped himself on both cheeks before standing up straighter, ignoring the odd looks he was getting as he cast his gaze around the slums.
Stretching and preparing to leave and return to base he was about to start forth when something caught his eye. Turning around to look at it he noticed a small boy, looking about twelve or thirteen.
What caught his eye though was that he was wearing exclusively black and white. He had a white shirt showing through an equally white, form fitting trench coat with a black collar that was open at the front, showing that he was wearing white leggings tucked neatly black boots that came up to the tops of his shins.
His hair was the probable the oddest thing about him though, with one half being a deep, oily black and the other a clear, snow white, standing out in stark contrast above vibrant, yet somehow blank at the same time, emerald eyes.
His clothes gave him the look of a rich aristocrat or the son of a powerful merchant with odd clothes tastes, and Tatsumi would left him alone if he hadn't noticed the cuts.
The most obvious one was on his right check, obviously less than a few hours old. Most people would just dismiss it and continue their day.
Tatsumi however, was a surprisingly observant person at time and, sweeping his eyes over the boy's diminutive frame, noticed other, well-hidden injuries.
The most obvious two was an ugly bruise around his collar bone, just barely hidden by the collar of his trench coat and a slash across his chest that could be seen though the form fitting white shirt he was wearing.
Somehow, Tatsumi knew that there were more.
More than a little worried now, Tatsumi moved over to where the boy was looking around with an odd look of blank confusion. Stopping just over a metre away as to not startle him too much, he waited until he turned his gaze to him before crouching so he was looking up at him and speaking.
"Are you okay? You look lost."
The boy cocked his head to the side in confusion before giving an strange smile.
"Not at all, I was simple trying to find out the time. I have to be back home by dusk."
Standing up Tatsumi took a closer look at his injuries, dismissing the idea that he was simple attacked on the streets. The fact they were had been at least partially hidden and that there was no blood or dirt on his clothes proved that they had been there before he put the clothes one.
"If you don't mind me asking, where did you get that cut?"
He pointed at the cut on his cheek to signify what he was talking about. The boy looked at him for a moment.
"Hmm… I was being trained not long ago."
Something froze inside Tatsumi. He said "being trained"… Tatsumi was aware that here was some messed up people in the city, but to do something like that to a child?! Opening his mouth to speak he was instead interrupted by the boy standing before him.
"I hate to cut this… conversation… short, but I really must be heading back. Bad things will happen if I'm late home."
Jerking back to attention Tatsumi reached out a hand, about to tell him to wait when he realised that the boy had already vanished into the crowds.
Sighing sadly Tatsumi instead began the trek back to the home base, vowing that he would one day find the boy and free him from whatever hell he was living in.
-T.G.O-
And we are done chapter 5!
I'm afraid that this chapter was mostly just filler as I try to enter the canon timeline as smoothly as possible, as well as showing us a little more of the relationship between Harry and Esdeath.
Secondly, I'm so, so sorry but I just couldn't resist the idea of Tatsumi meeting harry and thinking he was some kind of abused slave or something and going on a crusade for him.
Could make for some interesting confrontations in the future.
Also I was rereading chapter ten and eleven of the manga and wondered if I should have the character Spear survive the attack on the retired Prime Minister. She hasn't got any real character development so I can pretty much design her from scratch and I was thinking that if I have Harry save her and then have her join Night Raid it would be an interesting way to have them learn about him. I'm not sure if I can or should really be bothered though so I'll leave that to you people to decide for now.
Also my release speed is probable going to drop soon, as I warned a few chapters ago, though hopefully the quality will improve.
Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even of it was mainly filler, and please tell me anything you liked, disliked or think could be improved. Once again, as always, any advice and constructive criticism is accepted and welcome.
So please review people!
Once again I hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!