Hey guys, I know I'm kind of mirroring the manga for now, but don't worry, things will change soon. Enjoy Ch. 3!
"We got a job to assassinate someone in the city." Leone explained. Akame, Tatsumi, and Najenda sat around the table, listening. "Ogre of the capital guard, and an oil merchant named Gamal."
Najenda nodded slowly. "Go on."
"Apparently the two are working together." Leone's expression turned dark. "Gamal commits crimes, and Ogre frames someone to take the blame for him. In return, Gamal pays Ogre money to cover for him.
"The client's fiance was sentenced to death in one of these framings, and found out about this from a conversation he heard while in jail. He told her about it through a letter written before his execution."
At this point, Leone pulled out a sack of coins and plopped it on the table. "This is the payment."
Najenda leaned back in her chair, lighting a cigarette. "Did you confirm her story, Leone?"
"Yes." Leone said. "They are guilty. I watched an exchange from the attic of the merchant's shop."
"Very well." A dark look crossed Najenda's features as she leaned forward. "Night Raid will take on this request. We'll send them both to hell."
"Gamal will be easy." Leone mused. "Ogre will be difficult to deal with, though."
"Who's Ogre?" Tatsumi asked, a little confused.
"Ogre the demon." Najenda explained. "Known for his skill with the blade, hence his nickname. He usually spends his days on patrols, but he has a day off every week, which coincidentally is tomorrow. He usually spends this day drinking on Main Street."
"So we should strike tomorrow, on his day off?" Tatsumi suggested.
"Security will be tight, so it would be dangerous for someone like Akame, who has many wanted posters." Najenda said, deep in thought.
"Should we wait for the others to return from their mission then?" Akame asked.
"But we don't know when they're returning, do we?" Tatsumi interjected, slamming his hand on the table. "Just send us!"
"Oooh~" Leone smiled. "Are you saying you can take him?"
"As you are now, you stand no chance." Akame cut in, eyes narrowed.
"If we wait, more people could be losing loved ones to these two. I don't want people to experience the feeling of losing someone they love!" Tatsumi gritted his teeth in anger. "I'll take him down myself!"
There was a few seconds of pause as everyone processed Tatsumi's words. "Very well." Najenda smirked darkly. "Go kill the demon, Tatsumi."
"Well said, Tatsumi!" Leone grinned, throwing an arm around him. "You're so dedicated!"
"Gah!" Tatsumi didn't think he'd ever get used to Leone's surprise embraces.
Glancing over at Akame, he saw that she didn't look impressed at all. "Where did all this confidence come from?" She asked, turning away and crossing her arms. "You'll just end up dead this way."
"Wha-" Tatsumi recoiled at her words. Damn it. I'll definitely make you acknowledge me!
The next day, Leone and Tatsumi stood at the end of Main Street, right before the mission. "Well, he shouldn't be hard to find." Leone explained, raising a hand to her left eye. "His left eye's been taken out. It's an ugly scar. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it."
"Alright." Tatsumi nodded to show he understood.
Leone gave him a thumbs-up and a grin. "Yep! I'm off to deal with the oil merchant. Good hunting!"
"Yea!" Tatsumi waved a goodbye before heading down the street. To say he was excited was a bit of an understatement. It was his first mission, and adrenaline coursed through his veins. Tatsumi couldn't wait to show Akame and everyone else that he was capable.
It took a bit of searching, but Tatsumi did eventually find Ogre in one of the bars. Leone was right; his left eye had been slashed out by something, leaving only an ugly star-shaped scar. Flipping his hood on and making sure his blade was hidden beneath his cloak, Tatsumi approached the man, trying to look as unintimidating as possible.
"Um… Ogre-sama?" He glanced up at the taller man, who had turned to see who was addressing him. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"
"What is it, then? Spit it out." Ogre demanded, sounding annoyed.
Tatsumi pretended to look around furtively, before saying, "It's embarrassing to say it here. Could we go to a more private place?"
Ogre snorted in annoyance but led Tatsumi out through the back of the bar to a deserted alleyway. "Can you say it here?" Ogre asked, sounding impatient. "This place is fine, right?"
Tatsumi breathed in deeply in preparation. Sayo… Ieyasu… lend me your strength! He kneeled on the ground, forehead touching the stone blocks. "Please! Let me into the capital defense force! I need to make some money to send to my village!"
Ogre sighed deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Turning, he waved a hand. "Then apply through the normal process. I will not make any exceptions for those too weak to pass the entrance test."
"But in these times, it's rather hard to get in, don't you agree?" Tatsumi said to keep Ogre distracted as he silently drew his sword.
Ogre stopped, turning his head slightly. "Did you fail the entrance test?"
Without responding, Tatsumi dashed forward, delivering a cut to Ogre's midriff. Blood gushed from the wound, and he fell.
Glancing backwards, Tatsumi felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. "I… did it." He smiled to himself, turning and beginning to walk away. "See, Akame?"
The first sign Tatsumi received that something was off was the sound of boots crunching over stone. Quickly drawing his sword, Tatsumi whirled and raised it, just in time to block a ferocious blow from Ogre that would've definitely cut him in two.
The impact from the collision sent Tatsumi skidding backwards several feet, where he gasped, trying to recover.
"Did you really think you could defeat me?" Ogre's face was twisted in anger. "Me, the demon, defeated by some pathetic little shit like you? The weak don't matter in this city. Only the strong can survive. Someone like you cannot match up with me."
"We shall see." Tatsumi clenched his teeth, rushing at Ogre and striking horizontally. The guard captain blocked with a vertical slash, knocking Tatsumi down.
As their blades grinded against each other, Ogre grinned down at him. "I see now. You're a part of that Night Raid, aren't you? Who hired you to kill me, hm?"
Fuck. Tatsumi pushed against Ogre's blade with all his strength, knowing he would die if he faltered.
"Was it the fiance of that guy we executed the other day?" Ogre continued to talk, laughing maniacally. "I knew I should've killed her too. It's not too late, though. I'll find her and arrest her entire family as criminals. Then I'll execute them all!"
He's distracted by his words! Tatsumi saw an opportunity, and took it. Angling his blade, he slid it down Ogre's until he reached the hilt, upon which he flicked his sword upwards, taking off both of Ogre's hands.
"Wha-" Ogre's train of thought was broken, and he stood dumbfounded as he watched his hands and his sword fall to the ground.
Tatsumi rose, anger coursing through his veins. "You're just like the others. Drunk on power, doing whatever you want. I live to eliminate trash like you."
Dashing forward, he slashed through Ogre's chest, and the man fell to the ground, blood pooling around him.
Tatsumi swung his sword towards the ground, splattering the blood coating his blade onto the stone tiles, before sheathing it and heading off to find Leone and Akame.
When they returned to base, the sky was getting dark, and Najenda greeted them in the meeting room. "As you're all here in one piece, I'd assume it went well."
"Yep!" Leone gave her a thumbs up.
Tatsumi turned to Akame with a triumphant grin, quite proud of his work. "See, Akame? I did my job and finished the report. Now you have to acknowle-"
He was cut off when Akame rushed across the room and pulled his shirt off over his head. Huh? When it registered in his brain what had happened, his cheeks flushed crimson. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
"Leone, get his pants!" Akame commanded as she held his arms still.
"Ooh, this seems fun." Leone giggled as she complied with Akame's request.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Tatsumi ripped his arms away from Akame and covered himself as best as possible, feeling violated.
Akame studied him for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief. "I've seen people die because of wounds they were too prideful to report. But you seem to be undamaged. Thank goodness."
"Huh?" Tatsumi froze, glancing up at the girl.
"You did well for your first mission." Akame said, smiling warmly.
"You know," Leone cut in, "Akame was really hoping you'd live. She'd have been lonely."
"Oh… uh… really?" Tatsumi laughed nervously, blushing and turning back to Akame. "Sorry, Akame… I misunderstood."
"It's okay." Akame brushed it off, offering her hand. "Just continue coming back alive, Tatsumi."
Tatsumi clasped her hand in a handshake, grinning. "Yea. Please guide me, Akame."
Their bonding moment was broken when Leone snickered. "I wonder what his intentions are saying that while almost naked."
Tatsumi whirled, pointing at her accusingly. "HEY! YOU GUYS STRIPPED ME IN THE FIRST PLACE!"
Leone laughed as Tatsumi dressed himself, grumbling in annoyance.
"Okay…" Najenda said when they were finished. "You'll be working with Mine next, Tatsumi. I hope you're ready."
Tatsumi's jaw dropped, horror filling him. He could already imagine Mine yelling at him for the smallest things, which made him already begin to dread the coming days. "I... have to work with HER?!"
*somewhere halfway across the continent*
"I just felt a chill run down my spine." Mine frowned in confusion, looking around, but finding nothing out of the ordinary.