When he finally made it into the capital, he noticed that the air felt…off. He couldn't quite place the feeling, but he was aware that it wasn't just his mind playing tricks on him. Slowing his pace down to a walk, Haru began paying more attention to his surroundings as he continued into the city. Something's wrong he thought as he walked, why does this feel so familiar? As he continued through the streets, he noticed that people were still staying inside at night for the most part. Even with Zank dead, there were still plenty of people that were scared. He couldn't really blame them. They were probably finally figuring out that the capitol was turning into a battleground.
He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard shots in the distance. First, a machine gun, but then he heard the unmistakable sound of Pumpkin firing. Mine would only open fire with that much force if it was a serious fight, and not just some guards. As if struck with lightening, Haru dashed down the streets, almost a blur as he followed the sounds of shooting. The second explosion he heard was far larger than the first, and it just made him run faster. Damnit, what the hell did that shrimp get into this time he wondered as he rounded a corner.
When he heard the sound of a whistle, he felt the pit of his stomach drop out. That was a signal for the guards he realized, trying to put on more speed. As if sensing the change in the mood, thunder began to crack in the distance, and Haru realized that rain wasn't too far behind. This would only hinder his attempts to help, and as such he put everything he had into moving faster, almost becoming a blur. When he made it to the park, he saw several things at once. Mine was in the hand of an enormous dog and was screaming as it slowly squeezed her to death. He also saw that Sheele was quickly running to her aid, and in the distance was a familiar girl with orange hair and missing her arms. When Sheele cut the arm off the monster, he smiled in relief as he slowed his pace, figuring that they had won.
And that was a mistake, a very big mistake.
He saw the gun barrel appear in the girl's mouth and heard the shot before he could do anything. It passed clean through Sheele's body, and he watched her fall in slow motion as he put on an additional burst of speed, all the while a voice in his head was screaming no, no, no, no no no! When he saw the dog leaping towards her, mouth gaping and prepared to rip her apart, he reacted on instinct. Reaching down, he pulled one of his knives free and said, "zündung," as he threw it, praying to any deity watching that his aim held true.
Thankfully, they appeared to listen as it flew down the creature's throat. The explosion threw the animal backwards while throwing Sheele clear of it altogether. In the next instant, he said, "thýella," and cast out a wave of fire that quickly cut the two girls off from the dog and the guard. He could hear her scream in outrage and fire blindly through the flames, although based on what he saw of the gun he figured it had fairly poor aim. Quickly scooping Sheele up, he turned to Mine and said, "Grab her weapon, we're moving!" This seemed to shake her from her shock, and she quickly grabbed Sheele's Extase before hurrying after Haru as he fled the area. He made a bee-line for the trees and quickly found one suitable for hiding in. Moving quickly, he leaped up into the branches as he heard the guards approaching. Even with her injuries, Mine managed to follow him up as the guards swept through the area, trying to find them.
After they had passed by, Haru turned his attention to the woman in his arms and noticed that she had passed out. The bullet appeared to have passed through her lower shoulder and missed anything of obvious importance. His knowledge of physiology was limited, however, so he couldn't tell if it had struck anything internal or not. When the area appeared to be clear, he dropped down before laying her out to examine the wound closer. Mine dropped to her knees next to Sheele and tried to shake her awake, only to have Haru stop her. "You're not going to do her any good like that," he said, gripping her shoulders, "You want to help her? Then do what I ask. Now hold her down."
Nodding as she held the tears in, Mine placed her hands on Sheele's shoulders as Haru brought his hand over the wound. Focusing on it, he raised his hand's temperature to the point where he could barely stand it before bringing it down onto the wound. Never mind the fact that it was very near her breast, or that it was weeping blood, he was trying to save her life, damnit. The smell of cooking flesh quickly surrounded them, and Sheele convulsed out of reflex as he began to sear the wound closed. Mine almost tried to stop him when she realized it was hurting her, but when she saw what he was trying to do she grit her teeth and held her friend down. After a few moments, he rolled Sheele over before repeating the process on her back.
Satisfied that the wound was relatively closed for now, he picked her back up and started back into the city. When Mine moved to follow him, he briefly considered sending her back to the hideout. Then, he actually payed attention to her wounds and realized she wouldn't make it out of the city alive on her own. "We need to move fast," he told her, "I know a doctor nearby. He can help us." Mine just nodded as they rushed off. Thankfully, the guards seemed to have been convinced that the Night Raid members had long since gotten away. Although, Haru was trying to figure out why that particular girl had been fighting Mine and Sheele so aggressively. She seemed so nice when we met he thought as they continued on, to think she would be capable of this.
Haru kept them to the backroads as much as possible, trying to avoid both the guards and any people that might get suspicious. He was carrying a bleeding, unconscious woman with another injured girl in tow, after all. While they succeeded in avoiding detection, this also meant that what was usually a quick trip to his friend took almost twice as long. By the time they had finally arrived, Sheele was starting to bleed again, and she was covered in a layer of sweat with her breathing becoming labored. It had also started to rain, and this just gave him another thing to worry about. Please, please don't get sick he begged as they reached the building. After kicking the door several times as a way of knocking, they waited impatiently for an answer.
When the door opened, it was to the sight of an older man with grey hair and a half-smoked cigarette stuck in the corner of his mouth. Seeing the wounded woman in Haru's arms, he motioned them inside while saying, "Damnit, boy, you can never just come for a normal visit, can you?" "What can I say? I like danger," he replied as he laid Sheele down on one of the two examination tables, "Can you help her?" Ignoring the question, the old man leaned down and examined the wound. "Grab my bag from the counter," he said, stubbing his cigarette out on a nearby tray, "And grab some disinfectant, too, as well as two pairs of gloves." "Wait, I'm helping you?" Haru asked. "Only to hand me instruments. Don't get too excited," he replied as he walked over to a sink and washed his hands, "And you, little miss pink, will need to wait in the other room."
"I'm staying right here," Mine said, looking determined. Rather than argue, the old man just sighed as he turned around and took the gloves from Haru. He moved with practiced ease as he set out the tools he would need. He then proceeded to cut Sheele's dress off of her, causing Haru to blush as she was left in her underwear. This embarrassment was quickly dispelled when the doctor began his work. It was…disturbing, to watch him working to repair the damage from the bullet. Although, they were extremely lucky that it had passed clean through, as well as where it had hit her in the first place. "A few centimeters lower and it would have ruptured a lung," the doctor told them as he worked.
After almost two hours of work, he bandaged the wound while waving Haru off, telling him to go set the other girl's arm. Mine seemed to bristle at being waved off like that, but Haru just led her aside as he took her right arm in his. "This might hurt a bit," he told her, "On three, okay?" When she nodded, he began counting, "One, two…" He then suddenly jerked her arm, moving the bone back into place and getting a small yelp out of her. "What happened to three?" she asked through gritted teeth. Haru just smiled as he wrapped her arm before grabbing a sling for it. She didn't look too happy about being sidelined like this, but Haru wasn't in the mood to try to sugar-coat their situation.
When the old man walked over to them, he was wiping his hands clean and grabbing a fresh cigarette. "Before you ask," he said, lighting it, "Yes, she's going to be fine. It's just a flesh wound. Although she won't be able to do…what you people do, for a while until she heals." Before Mine could say something or bombard him with questions, Haru said, "Thank you, Doctor Garrick. Really, it means a lot." "I hope you realize I'm charging you for this, Haru," he replied, the ghost of a smile on his lips, "Oh, and that special order of yours is in." Gesturing to a box on his desk, Garrick walked over to a well-used leather chair and sat down as he enjoyed his smoke. Mine went over to check on Sheele, still concerned for her friend. Haru, meanwhile, walked over to the desk and opened the box.
Inside were ten cylinders that looked like epipens, although the drug inside wasn't for allergies. "It's the correct mixture?" Haru asked as he turned to Garrick. "Just as you requested," he replied as he blew a puff of smoke, "Took almost a month to find the right plants, not to mention mix the damned things. I expect you know what this will cost you?" Haru just nodded as he picked one of the pens up. If this worked properly, it would greatly extend his endurance in a fight. Considering how often Imperial Arms users were getting into fights lately, it was an advantage he sorely needed. "What are the side effects?" he asked.
"Well, since it was made specifically for you, I can't say for sure," Garrick replied, sounding irritated, "I can guess that it will knock you on your ass once it wears off. And God knows what would happen if you took them in rapid succession." "Hopefully it won't come to that, Dock," Haru replied as he gathered the other pens into a small bag, "Is it all right if we stay here? Just until she can be moved, that is." "I don't have a guest room, but you're free to sleep here," Garrick replied as he got up, "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to sleep." He left through the backdoor and took the stairs up to the second floor.
Alone now, Mine walked over to Haru. There was something she needed to make sure of. "How much does he know?" she asked, looking serious. "He knows I kill people," Haru began as he put the bag into one of his cloak's pockets, "He knows I work with people that do the same, and he knows we're not in the best standing with the Empire." "Isn't that a little risky?" "Honestly? Yes, it is. But that man saved my life, and I trust him," Haru told her, "Besides, most of his patients are people that have been wronged by the Empire, so I wouldn't worry on him turning on us."
Before Mine could argue the point, Haru took her good arm and led her to the other cot. "You sleep here tonight," he told her, "We'll leave in the morning if we're able." Deciding to change topics, Mine climbed onto the bed before turning to him with a smile. "I'm sure Akame is going to have a few words for you when we get back," she said, her smile growing broader as Haru flinched. "I don't know what you mean," he replied, turning away. "Oh, come on, Haru. How long are you going to dance around this?" she asked, finally fed up with him. "And what exactly am I dancing around?" he asked as he sat down in the chair. While not the best place to sleep, he wasn't about to lie on the floor.
"Have you really not noticed how different she acts around you?" Mine continued. Haru thought about that for a moment before shaking his head. This just caused Mine to release an explosive sigh before collapsing onto the bed. "You're hopeless," she concluded as she rolled over. Haru just smiled at this before settling into the chair. In truth, he had noticed that Akame seemed to act different around him. But that could just be due to the fact that they were becoming friends, something that Haru had had painfully few of earlier in life. It was nice to have people he could count on. He finally fell asleep after some time, although it was a fairly troubled rest.
When he woke up the next morning, it was to Garrick bursting into the room. "You three need to get out of here, now!" he said as he moved to close the window blinds. "What's happening?" Mine asked as she shot upright. This just caused her to wince as she strained her injured arm. "The guards in this area regularly shake down businesses for protection money," Garrick told them, "I completely forgot that that was today. If they find you, they'll turn you all in." Understanding the situation, Haru took his cloak off and covered Sheele in it before picking her up. "Thank you again, Doctor," he said as they made their way out the back door.
They managed to make it well away from the building before the guards arrived, and Haru prayed that Garrick would be able to deal with them. "Do they really do that, or was that old geezer just trying to get rid of us?" Mine asked as they made their way through the streets. "No, he wasn't lying," Haru told her, "It's part of the reason he values my business. Unlike most of the others he treats, I can afford to pay for what I ask. He can then use that money to help others, as well as pay off the guards." "Why don't you just kill them, then?" "Because more would be sent, and it would just continue," he replied, "As much as I hate to admit it, the only option is to leave it be."
After almost an hour, he led them to their hideout in the city. While it still wasn't safe to remain in the city after last night, Haru knew that Sheele was still not well enough to travel back to the headquarters. That, and she could definitely use some fresh clothes, since she was still in her underwear. After Mine had dressed her, Haru laid her down on one of the couches before sitting in the one across from her. After a few minutes, Sheele finally woke up and looked around the room in confusion. "My-my glasses…" she said as she started to move around, "Where are my…?" Before she could strain herself too much, Haru was next to her and pushing her back down. "Easy now," he said, "You're fine. They're right here."
When she finally had them on, she recognized the room and smiled. "What happened?" she asked, growing concerned when she saw Mine's bandages. "You were in a rough fight, remember?" Haru told her as he sat back down, "You got shot. But you're okay now. So is the half-pint, so just rest." He payed for that comment when Mine smacked the back of his head, but it was worth it to see Sheele laugh a little at them.
They spent the next few days in the hideout, which clearly frustrated Mine to almost no end. She wanted to get back out there, to find the girl that had done this and make her pay. However, this forced down-time gave them the time they needed to recover, and Sheele was able to sit upright by the second day. She also seemed a little uncomfortable in the shirt and pants she had been dressed in. Unfortunately, her other dresses were at the headquarters. While Haru could have left to get them, as well as tell the others they were safe, he wasn't about to leave two injured teammates alone.
On the third day, they got a pleasant surprise when Leone came down the stairs, humming to herself. When she saw the three of them, she stopped and gaped at them, completely surprised. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" Haru asked, smiling at her. She responded by crashing into him with a powerful bear hug. "You're safe!" she said, sounding relieved as she moved to crush Mine next, "When no one came back, we thought…" "Really, you thought I'd kick the can so easily?" Haru asked, smiling. Instead of crushing Sheele in a hug, Leone settled for simply patting her head. She seemed so happy, and for some reason it felt…off to him.
"Okay, what happened?" he asked, "You're never this doting." Leone just got a depressed look when he asked, and this just caused them all to switch from happy to fearful in a second. "Leone, what happened?" Mine asked, "What is it?" Sitting down and taking a deep breath, she explained what had happened while they were gone. They learned that General Esdeath was now in the capitol, and had been framing Night Raid while she killed off officials opposed to the Minister. Apparently, Tatsumi and Bulat had fought against the Three Beasts of Esdeath's army while trying to keep one of these officials alive. They had beaten them, but Bulat had died during the battle.
Lost for words, Haru just put his head in his hands as he struggled to get his emotions under control. While he may not have shared Bulat's romantic tastes, he had been a good friend and teammate. Hell, he had been the one to get Haru into shape so he could use his Imperial Arms as well as he could. And now he was dead. I can only imagine how Tatsumi is taking this he thought. As if on que, the door opened again and Tatsumi and Lubbock came into the room. It was an almost exact repeat of Leone's reaction, minus the bear hugs. After a lot of relieved laughter, Haru decided to speak up.
"We heard about Bulat," he said, wincing slightly at how their mood turned gloomy, "So, what now?" "The Boss has gone off to the Revolution's HQ to turn in the Imperial Arms we've gathered," Lubbock replied, forcing a smile, "She also went to see if she could recruit new members. She left Akame in charge." "And boy, is she mad at you, Haru," Leone said, smiling and wrapping an arm around him, "Don't you know it's rude to make a lady a promise and then break it?" "What promise?" he asked before remembering. Smacking himself, Haru sank into one of the chairs while the others just grinned at him.
"So, what kind of person is Esdeath?" Tatsumi asked, changing the subject. While Lubbock and Leone answered him, Haru tried to get control of his raging mind. Damnit, I did promise her I'd come back quickly, didn't I? Yeah, Akame's going to be pretty pissed. "Well, if you really want to see her, she's hosting a martial arts tournament today," Lubbock said, pulling a flyer out of his pocket and handing it to Tatsumi, "There's even a cash prize for the winner, so I'm sure you can help your village, too."
"I'll go," Haru said suddenly, standing up. "Wait, what?" Leone asked, "Are you crazy?" "Probably; I've been stuck here with the half-pint for three days, after all," he replied, smiling at the glare she shot him, "Besides, I've sat still for too damned long. I need something to do." When Tatsumi seemed about to protest, Haru said, "You can have the prize money. I'm not really interested in it, anyway. I just need to go and do something." They seemed to understand his frustration and agreed, although Leone still didn't seem too pleased with the idea.
They were forced to leave Mine and Sheele behind, since both of their faces were now on the wanted posters. It was a simple walk to the stadium where the fights were being held, although it was another matter to convince them that Haru could actually compete. Several ridiculous tests later, he was sitting in one of the waiting rooms with several other fighters as he watched the battles. Up on the opposite side of the stadium, he saw an elaborate, covered seat that he assumed was occupied by Esdeath herself. Haru had never seen any pictures of the woman, and couldn't really see her all that clearly from this distance either. Hopefully she's not like some of the other women I've met with this job he thought as he sat down on one of the benches.
It took a real effort to ignore the looks he was getting from the others. They all seemed very skeptical that a blind man would take part in a fight like this, and he had to resist the urge to smile as he saw several looks of pity. Thankfully, he didn't have to endure them long as they were all being called out at a rather quick pace. It became clear after watching three of the fights that this wasn't a conventional tournament. A pair would fight until one was left standing, leave, and then the next would start. There wasn't any kind of bracket system in place, and the winners never appeared again. So it's not just a series of fights he thought as he watched them more closely, they're looking for someone. Oh, crap, did I just walk into a trap?
Haru shook his head to try and clear it, but once that thought crossed his mind it began to eat away at him. When his turn finally came around, he was rather nervous that he had just screwed up on a major scale. As he got up and left, he noticed that he was the only one left. So I'm in the last fight he realized as he walked out to the arena. His opponent was a very large, very muscular man. Well, if you could call him a man; personally, Haru thought of him more as a Minotaur. He had a bull's head and everything, so it only made sense. The referee introduced him as Kalbi the Butcher, and Haru had to stifle a laugh at the irony in that. His own cover wasn't much better, since he was introduced as Haru the Mercenary.
He quickly glanced around the stands, trying to locate the others, knowing they would be watching him. His focus was brought back to the matter at hand when Kalbi spoke. "They honestly expect me to fight someone who's blind?" he asked, sounding offended, "Well, that just means that the prize is as good as mine." "I wouldn't be too sure, big guy," Haru said as he took his stance, "I've fought and killed things bigger, and stronger, than you." Judging from what he saw, this guy wouldn't take too much to beat. Hell, he probably wouldn't even need his Imperial Arms to finish him. "We'll see about that," he replied, getting ready, "I may have been excommunicated, but I'm still a ninth-level master of Koukenji." Haru just smirked in response, which seemed to tick the guy off.
When the match started, he charged Haru and started sending as many punches his way as he could. While Kalbi's speed was impressive for his size, Haru was able to dodge and deflect all of the blows with almost no effort. This seemed to piss him off further, and he reacted by trying to crush Haru. Side-stepping the blow, Haru briefly admired the crater the guy had caused before he was forced to dodge another punch. "What's the matter, little man?" Kalbi asked, "Too scared to fight back?" "Naw, I just wanted to warm up a bit first," Haru replied, smiling, "But, if you insist I take this seriously, then…" Leaping up, Haru used one of his punches as a spring-board to bring himself level with Kalbi's head.
He continued to smile at him as he delivered a round-house kick to his temple, sending the bigger man stumbling back. Before he could regain his balance, Haru was in front of him again. He delivered three rapid punches to his stomach, knocking the wind from him. This didn't have the effect he had intended as Kalbi tried to grab Haru. Ducking under the swipe, he braced himself with his hands and sent a double-kick up, connecting with Kalbi's jaw and knocking him down. As he got back up, he breathed a sigh of relief. While the guy wasn't as dangerous as some of his previous opponents, he still would have been screwed if Kalbi had gotten his hands on him. Unfortunately, Kalbi didn't seem satisfied to just stay down.
As he picked himself back up, Haru took a step forward and said, "You really should stay down." "You think you can beat me that easily?" he asked as he moved to get back up. Deciding to prove his point, Haru whispered, "thýella," and summoned a small circle of fire around him. "Really, you don't want to push it," he said again. Kalbi seemed to take the hint and raised his hands. Snuffing the flames out quickly, Haru turned to a cheering crowd as the referee declared him the victor, although he seemed genuinely surprised with Haru's little display. Waving at the crown, he smiled as he took in their applause. It was nice to be appreciated for his talents by the general people for once.
When he noticed people quieting down, he looked around and saw that Esdeath was walking down towards the arena. So that's what she looks like he thought, trying not to blush. She was a very beautiful woman, to say the least. Her most striking feature would have to be her light-blue hair, although Haru could also sense an aura of power around the woman. "Your name is Haru, correct?" she asked, "It's a nice name." "Thank you," he replied, unsure of what to do. "As promised, I have your reward," she said, reaching into her shirt for something. Well, this was an easy job Haru thought, smiling again.
The collar was around his neck and locked before he knew what was going on. "Wh-what is this?" he asked, looking down. "From now on, you belong to me," she said, a slight blush dusting her cheeks, "It's too distracting out here. Let's return to the palace." Before he could argue, she pulled him along with the chain attached to the collar. While he would have liked to resist, it was clear she wasn't about to slow down. Deciding that complying was better than choking, Haru followed her as she left while two thoughts raged in his mind. What the hell did I just get myself into followed closely by, if Akame wasn't pissed before, she sure as hell will be now.