The next morning, Haru was down in the dining room finishing his breakfast when he heard a loud explosion from several floors up. While Sheele seemed concerned about it, he and Najenda continued to eat. They both knew that Mine was a late sleeper, and Najenda had told Tatsumi that, "fetching their teacher was another job of the student." "You're evil, you know that?" Haru told Najenda. She just smiled as she finished her coffee. Rather than try and press the issue, Haru finished his food and put his bowl up before heading outside to wait for the children to stop fighting. While he was doing so, he heard several more explosions, and briefly wondered how long it would take to repair the damage this time.
It was almost half an hour when Tatsumi and Mine came out the front, although Mine still looked rather pissed about something. Looking at Tatsumi, he saw that he was part pissed and part embarrassed about something. It didn't take a genius to work out what happened between them to cause this sort of reaction. Instead, he turned around and said, "Let's get this over with already." With a 'huff,' Mine followed Haru with Tatsumi bringing up the rear. Thankfully the walk was rather calming in and of itself, and before too long they had seemed to have calmed down. "So how was your first assignment, Tatsumi?" Haru asked, finally unable to stand the silence. "It was… I honestly didn't think he would be that strong," Tatsumi replied, "I actually thought he was going to kill me there for a second."
"That's what you get for taking him head-on," Mine said, crossing her arms, "If you had any real brains, you'd have laid a trap for him." "And yet, you're still alive," Haru said, shooting Mine a look, "Not a simple thing considering Ogre wasn't a push-over. You should be proud of that." Tatsumi nodded in reply, smiling slightly. "Also, I heard that Akame stripped you to search for wounds," Haru continued, smiling as Tatsumi flinched, "Try not to take it too personally. She's just concerned." "Did she do the same thing to you?" "Well, no. But then again, my wounds from the last fight were actually visible," Haru said, scratching the back of his head. "Wait, you actually got hurt?" Tatsumi asked, shocked, "I thought that never happened with you guys."
Ignoring the smug look Mine had on, Haru explained, "It happens to the best of us. I underestimated what the guy was capable of, and payed for it. Hell, even the pipsqueak over here has been hurt on a few jobs." "I have not!" she said indignantly. "Then I guess it was some other pink-haired girl that we had to haul a dog off of that one time?" Glaring at him for a second, Mine just 'huffed' before picking up her pace so she could put some distance between them. "Is she always like that?" Tatsumi asked. "You get used to it," Haru said, patting his back, "Although, I'm still not sure if that's a good thing or not." Tatsumi just nodded in agreement as they continued on.
The walk to the capitol was, thankfully, uneventful after that. The two boys then proceeded to follow as Mine went around to several shops, clearly enjoying herself. While Tatsumi kept a respectful silence, Haru couldn't help but poke fun at her several times. "I doubt that would fit you," he said one time while they were in a clothing shop. It just so happens that she was checking out bras, and the one she appeared to like was, well, just a little too big for her. She just shot him a glare before continuing on, although Haru had to stop himself from laughing. The plus side to their little trip was that Haru got to get some things he had needed for a while now. Namely a new kit for maintaining his sword and several new throwing knives, since he had already spent two of the five he owned over the course of a day. Walking out of the store, he joined the others as Mine tapped her foot in impatience. She clearly wanted the day to center around her shopping and not his.
Finally, they stopped at an outdoor café to enjoy a rather nice lunch. By that point, it was clear to Haru that Tatsumi was almost out of patience with them. Clearly, he had thought that they were actually going to teach him something rather than spend the day relaxing. "Alright," Mine said, putting her cup down and smiling, "That concludes our training for the day." "You call that training?!" Tatsumi demanded, "We just spent the whole day shopping!" "It's important to relax when you can, kid," Haru said, finishing his own drink, "You can't work all the time. Take the down-time when you can." "How can you be so laid back?" he asked, turning to Haru, "No wonder you nearly died if you act like this."
"Please, that pathetic excuse for a human being couldn't have killed me," Haru said, letting a bit of steel creep into his voice, "And what makes you such an expert? You've never seen me fight, so don't criticize what you don't know." Before Tatsumi could press the issue, they heard a slight commotion coming from the plaza. "What's that?" Tatsumi asked, getting up and walking over to see. "Probably a public execution," Mine said, finally looking serious, "They happen all the time here." Sure enough, two men and a woman were pinned to wooden crosses with arrows sticking out of them. Tatsumi just stood there, too shocked to say anything. "I won't end up like that," Mine said, looking determined, "I'm going to live through this." Haru just turned away and whispered a quick prayer for their souls. Far too often, the people that were strung up like this were done so for simply questioning the systems in place.
Their trip back was much more sober after that, with Tatsumi in deep thought. Haru decided to let the kid stew over what he had just seen, figuring it would serve as a valuable lesson. After half an hour into their walk, Tatsumi finally spoke up. "How can you stand seeing that every day?" he asked. While Mine just ignored the question, Haru took some time to come up with a proper response. "I honestly don't know," he said finally, "It's probably a result of the other shit we've seen." "So, you've just grown numb to it all?" Tatsumi asked, appalled. "If that's what you think, then you have a long way to go," Haru replied. After that, he just ignored the rest of the kid's questions. If he couldn't come to grips with the reality of his new job, then he would pay the price for that obliviousness soon enough. Which would be a shame since Haru was growing to like him.
However, when they got to the hideout it seemed that his patience had finally come to an end. "So, you're going to tell me that you can just turn a blind eye to all that carnage?" he asked, grabbing Haru's shoulder, "Cause if that's so, than you guys are no damned different from the Empire." Everything else Haru had been willing to let go. That last part, however, pushed one of his few buttons. Rounding on Tatsumi, he brought his hand up and punched him square in the stomach, sending him stumbling back a few steps. "Don't you dare compare me to those things!" Haru said, taking a step forward, "You have no idea what I've had to endure. You think you're a special case because two of your friends died? I've seen things that would scar your soul, so don't pretend you know what you're talking about!"
"Oh, is that right?!" Tatsumi shot back, straightening up and taking a step forward himself. Mine just looked between the two boys in mild shock. She hadn't really known Haru to lose his temper, and she didn't think Tatsumi had this much guts to stand up to someone that could literally cause him to combust. "Alright, since I'm supposed to be training you, how about this," Haru said, trying really hard to calm himself down, "You and me, out by the lake. If you can knock me down, you win. Deal?" "Why out there?" Tatsumi asked, skeptical. "Because I don't plan on pulling too many of my punches," Haru replied, turning away, "So it's the only place that can take that kind of punishment."
While Mine was nervous about where this could lead, she saw that neither of them would back down. Somehow, Tatsumi had hit a nerve with Haru, and he wasn't about to let the new kid get away with it. Catching up with him in the hideout, she put an arm out to slow him down. "Hey, you alright?" she asked, concerned. "Kid just crossed a line is all," Haru replied, refusing to look at her, "Besides, this will be a good way to test him. And no, I won't kill him. Probably." Without saying another word, Haru returned to his room to put up his cloak. While he was surprised at himself for the outburst, Tatsumi had crossed a line that even Haru hadn't been aware of. But Haru had issued a challenge to Tatsumi, and he wasn't about to back down now that he had cooled off and was thinking clearly.
When he turned to leave, he saw Akame standing in the doorway and looking slightly concerned. "Please, don't ask," Haru said, moving to get passed her. "You've never lost your control like that," she said, stepping in front of him, "What changed?" "Me, probably. I can't say what it is exactly, but he definitely crossed a line," he replied, sighing, "If you're so concerned, come and watch. I promise not to kill him on purpose." While she didn't look satisfied with that answer, Akame chose to let it go rather than push the subject and walked away. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Haru made his way back outside. However, when he walked out the main entrance, he saw Bulat and Lubbock waiting for him. "I'm guessing Mine's told everyone?" Haru said, walking past them. "Of course she did," Bulat said as they walked with him, "She's concerned, even if she doesn't show it. We all are." "You've never exploded like that before," Lubbock commented, "I'm not sure if it's nice to know you actually have a temper or not."
Rather than respond, Haru just continued on in silence. When they reached the lake, he saw that everyone had gathered to watch this little scuffle. Tatsumi was clearly a little nervous with the audience they had drawn, but it wasn't bad enough to make him back out now. Taking his sword from its sheath, Haru unclipped his belt and throwing knife pouch, setting them both aside as he walked to one end of the rocky beach. Tatsumi took his position on the other end, taking his own coat and sheath off. "In the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you that I'm Night Raid's destruction expert," Haru said, taking his stance, "This will be nothing like sparing with Bulat." "Of course it won't be," Tatsumi replied, smiling coldly, "Bro is probably stronger than you are."
Taking that as a cue to start, Haru brought his sword down, saying, "Zündung!" Thankfully, Tatsumi had good reflexes and managed to dodge the wave of fire as it cut a swath across the ground. However, he was clearly not expecting that kind of attack and stood there for a moment, too stunned to move. Using that momentary lapse in concentration, Haru charged him and brought his sword around, aiming at his chest. Tatsumi recovered just in time and brought his own sword up, blocking the slash before throwing his blade back. They then proceeded to trade several blows, each of them taking and losing ground in turn. "Well, you have good reaction time," Haru said between blows, "Let's see how good your foot work is. Thýella!"
With that, Haru summoned flames in his hand before casting them around himself in a wide circle, setting the ground ablaze. At first, Tatsumi retreated to get clear of the flames before turning and gaping slightly at the field of flames. Standing in the center of them, Haru looked at him expectantly as he held his sword to one side. Meanwhile, the other members of Night Raid watched the battle with a mix of concern and awe. The few times they had seen Haru displaying this kind of power, he usually was incredibly weak afterword. At the same time, he was the only one of them that wielded a pure element, and even though he had only had his Imperial Arms for a few months he had a surprising amount of control over it.
"So, you're just going to stand there all day?" Haru taunted, smiling. Gritting his teeth, Tatsumi tried to charge through the flames, but he only made it a meter in before the heat forced him back. "Consider this your first lesson, newbie," Haru said, crossing his arms, "There will be people that can't be taken head-on. So, try using that stuffing in your own head for something." While Tatsumi was slightly pissed at the condescension in Haru's tone, he had to admit that the guy had put up a rather effective defense. Looking around him, he smacked himself for not considering this plan sooner. Running to the lake, Tatsumi jumped into the water before dunking himself completely under. When he got out of the water, he was dripping wet and grinning in triumph. Shaking his head, Haru just stood there as Tatsumi made another attempt to get to him through the flames.
To his credit, soaking himself did serve to protect him from the heat for a while. Tatsumi managed to make it to Haru and brought his sword down, only to get blocked with almost no effort by Haru. However, instead of actually fighting him, Haru just blocked Tatsumi's strikes without moving an inch. After about a minute, the water had evaporated and Tatsumi was forced to break away and get clear of the flames again. Bent over and panting, Tatsumi tried to come up with another way to get past those fires. Soaking myself didn't work he thought, and I don't have the ability to actually put those flames out. So, now what? Looking around again, he tried to come up with another way to take Haru down. It was at this point that he remembered what Haru had said. He said that I had to knock him down, he never said how.
For a brief moment, he considered throwing rocks, but he discarded that when he realized that Haru would be able to dodge or block them rather easily. He wasn't strong enough to throw something big enough to actually do the job. Glancing back at Haru, he noticed that he looked a little unsteady on his feet. How much effort must it take to do that? Tatsumi wondered before he got an idea. Taking another dip in the lake, Tatsumi then proceeded to wait on the shore for a few minutes, watching Haru like a hawk. At first, Haru couldn't figure out what the kid was planning, but when he felt himself start to sway slightly he smiled as he finally saw his idea. Clearly, Tatsumi had noticed this slight waver as well, because he immediately leaped from the water and charged him again with his sword held ready.
Taking a firm stance, Haru tried to anchor himself as best as he could as Tatsumi crashed into him. His efforts paid off as he stopped the kid cold, but that only lasted for a few seconds. Then his knees buckled and Tatsumi forced his sword aside before tackling him to the ground. Reversing the grip on his sword, he held the point just over Haru's throat while looking deadly serious. Haru didn't have a doubt that had they been serious about this, Tatsumi would have taken his head. Instead, he smiled as he snuffed out his flames before saying, "Congratulations, you pass." Smiling, Tatsumi lowered his sword before getting back to his feet. Helping Haru get back onto his, he said, "I'm sorry if I said something out of line before, Haru." "To be honest, that was probably building up for a while now," Haru replied, "Frankly, I'm glad it was now instead of later, especially on a job."
"Speaking of which, we have an important one," Najenda said, getting up and heading back, "If you two are done trying to kill each other, meet back at the conference room." "If I had wanted him dead, he'd be dead," Haru replied. "Like it would be that easy," Tatsumi shot back, smiling. Haru returned the smile as he gathered his things before following the others. The kid showed real talent in thinking that problem through. Haru had fully expected him to try bull rushing him a few more times than he did. If he gets the right Imperial Arms, who knows what he'll be capable of he thought. Catching up to Haru, Lubbock smiled when he noticed that his friend was visibly calmer. "So, did that help you cool off?" he asked, slapping him on the back. "Yeah, a little," Haru replied, "And I finally have a measure of what he can do, and what he could become." "And that is?" "To be perfectly honest, it's the scary kind of potential," he said, shuddering a little for effect, "I'd hate to think what he could have become in the Imperial army."
"Our target is Iokal. He's a distant relation to the Minister," Najenda said when they had all gathered, "He uses that relation to kidnap and beat women to death. His guards are also getting a share, so they're guilty as well. This is a very important mission, so I'm sending you all in." While Tatsumi may have inadvertently found one of Haru's buttons, this guy using his bloodline like that pushed another and Haru was just itching to take him down. As it turns out, Haru got paired with Tatsumi to help escort Mine while she would snipe the man from a distance. The rest of them would move to intercept the guards. While Haru was a little annoyed to being moved to support, it wasn't like he was missing out on any big fights, although he would have loved to set the man ablaze himself. They moved out that evening and quickly made their way to the man's mansion.
It was a large estate, more like a castle, built into the hills and lighting the area for a long ways in every direction. Mine chose a small hilltop with a clear line of sight on the entrance. Opening her rifle case, she began putting her Imperial Arms together while Tatsumi and Haru kept an eye on their surroundings. "So, is that another Imperial Arms?" Tatsumi asked, looking over. "This is the Roman Artillery; Pumpkin," Mine responded with just a little smugness in her voice, "The more of a pinch I'm in, the stronger it becomes." "That sounds useful." "It is," Haru replied, looking around, "But she's never in any real danger, so it's not as useful as you'd think it would be." This just got a glare from Mine, which he ignored. Tatsumi just sighed as he brought his spotting scope out and sighted on the entrance.
"He's coming out," he reported, getting their attention, "And he's not alone." "How many others are with him?" Haru asked. "It doesn't matter," Mine replied, sighting up. Before Tatsumi could ask her if she was intending to shoot innocents, he saw her intense concentration. Even without the eyepiece, she was clearly focused on her target, with the entire outside world becoming a blur to her. Taking a breath, she let part of it out before holding the rest. Mine pulled the trigger with no effort, sending a bolt of energy downrange and right between the man's eyes. He was dead before he hit the ground, and they were on the move before the sound of the shot reached the building.
"That was…really impressive," Tatsumi said as they made their way to the meeting point. "That's a master sniper," Haru replied, smiling. "Well, since I guess you're wondering, I'll tell you what happened in my past," Mine said from out of the blue, "I'm from a town in the west, and my mother was a foreigner. In the capital, I was discriminated against, with everyone taking advantage of me. It was a very tragic childhood. But, the Revolutionary army and the Western countries are allies. Once a new government is established, borders will be opened and geography won't matter, so discrimination like that won't happen again." Knowing full well where this story was heading, Haru decided to cut her off. "I didn't know it was story time," he said, ignoring the look she gave him, "But, since we're sharing, I will, too."
"I'm originally from a small town up in the north," Haru told them, "We were mostly known for the local mine and a few people that could do some wonderful things with the metals and gems pulled out of it. We weren't wealthy, but we also weren't suffering. My family had a history as metal workers, and I remember my father and his father often working on weapons for the Imperial soldiers; both those that were stationed there and those that passed through. The rest of my family; my mother, older sister and younger brother, helped out around the forge. I even made a few friends among the soldiers."
Haru hesitated there, dreading the next part. "Then the revolts in the north began, and the soldiers stationed at our town were called away," he said, his voice dropping a bit, "At first we managed just fine. Our town had a well-stocked armory, and nearly all of the adults knew how to handle a weapon, but… We had always had problems with rather large Danger Beasts in the hills nearby, and one night something whipped them into a frenzy." Tatsumi and Mine just listened intently as they walked. Mine had never heard about Haru's past, although she could guess where this was going. "All I remember of that night is fire, smoke, screams, and death," Haru said, "I remember watching my home burn, with my mother, brother and sister still inside. My father had…fallen trying to defend the town."
Neither of them knew what to say to Haru. Sure, they had both lost and suffered. Mine had lost any chance at a normal childhood, and Tatsumi had lost two of his oldest friends not even a week ago. But that… having to watch your family die in front of you could truly leave a person scarred for life. "I managed to escape," Haru continued, trying to force a smile, "And I got to spend the next two years alone before I was picked up by the Revolutionary army. When they did, I vowed to never allow something like that to happen again." "So, you're going to make sure all of the towns are protected?" Tatsumi asked with a touch of admiration. "Yes, I will," he replied, "Even if it costs my life, I will see this country changed."
By the time they had finished talking, they had arrived at the meeting point. It was at the base of a rather beautiful cherry tree, and it seemed that they were the first to arrive. Halfway through the clearing, Haru felt his senses kick in and the hair on his neck stand on end. Something's wrong he realized too late. "Look out!" Tatsumi called out, pushing Mine out of the way before getting thrown across the clearing. Jumping clear and spinning, Haru drew his sword as he realized that one of the guards had gotten through. Vaguely remembering that they had training in martial arts, he kept his distance as Mine brought her rifle around. "Not bad reflexes, for a kid," the man said, standing up.
"So, you're one of the Koukenji martial artists, aren't you?" she asked, smiling coldly. "That's right. I was even a master once, although that was ten years ago," he replied, returning the smile. "And now you guard garbage," Haru commented, "How fitting." "You'll pay for that, brat!" Faster than Haru could even think, the man was within a meter of him, his foot coming around towards his middle. Moving at the last second, Haru stepped with the blow and just managed to avoid enough of it to avoid serious damage. However, it was still enough to send him into a nearby tree and knock the wind from him. Rather than follow-up with it, the man turned and charged Mine as she opened fire. While she released an impressive hailstorm of shots, he managed to side-step them all before getting way too close.
Unknown to him, Tatsumi had gotten back onto his feet and had charged himself. Sensing the danger, the martial artist rounded on him and caught the blade between his hands, stopping it cold. Instead of trying to break free, Tatsumi let go of the handle before wrapping his arms around his waist, holding the man firmly in place. "Mine, now! Shoot him!" he cried. He's insane Haru thought as he got back up. "What, are you crazy?" she replied. "I have faith in you," he said as the guy started trying to free himself, "You're a master sniper, after all." Smirking, she brought Pumpkin up and sighted on the guy's heart. "That's right, I am," she said as Pumpkin charged.
"What? No! Let go of me, you brat!" he cried, trying to pry Tatsumi loose. It didn't work, and within a few seconds, Pumpkin had charged fully and Mine had pulled the trigger. The bolt passed right through his chest, vaporizing his heart and stopping him cold. Releasing the body, Tatsumi stumbled back as it collapsed to the ground. "You have some real guts," Mine said after a moment, "So, I guess that I'll acknowledge you a litt-" She was cut off as Tatsumi flicked her forehead rather hard. "That shot was way too close," he said, pointing at his head, "Look what you did to my hair!" "And just as I was about to acknowledge you, too!" she replied.
Sensing the ensuing argument, Haru just left them to it as he sheathed his sword. By this point, the others had shown up. Pointing at the corpse, Haru said simply, "You missed one." "Really? We just thought the guy had called in sick today," Lubbock replied, trying to act cross. Haru saw right through it, though, and smiled at the looks of relief on their faces. Thankfully the trip back to the hideout was uneventful, although Mine and Tatsumi refused to talk to, or walk near, each other. On their way back, Akame caught up with Haru, who had been in the lead. "I'm sorry we let one get past us," she said. You could almost say that she looked like she always did, but Haru was learning to spot the subtle shifts that indicated her emotions. Right now, the slight narrowing of her eyes and the clenching of her fists told him that she felt guilty.
"Relax," he said, patting her shoulder, "Even though he got the jump on us, there wasn't a chance in hell he could take two Imperial Arms users." "I still screwed up," she insisted, "That's not acceptable." "You do realize we're not the people that trained you, right?" he asked, growing concerned, "We're not going to hold it against you. Well, I won't, at least." That seemed to be what she wanted to hear, since Haru spotted the ghost of a smile on her lips. For some reason that alone comforted him, and Haru felt his own spirits rise in response. Unknown to either of them, Leone and Bulat were watching the whole thing from a discreet distance. And they both were smiling, knowing full well what was going on.