Haru had fucked up. He had seriously fucked up.
He was tied up in a chair in one of the main halls inside the palace grounds. On top of that, he was sitting before the Jaegers, a group created for the purpose of putting down the criminals in and around the capital. All six members of this group also possessed Imperial Arms, making them all the more dangerous. On top of that, Haru had Esdeath herself standing next to him. Even if he was able to overpower them all, there was still a small army of elite guards between him and the rest of the city. So Haru found himself circling back to his original thought; he had really fucked up.
He had already been introduced to the members of the team before him; Bols, Seryu, Run, Wave, Kurome and Dr. Stylish. A few of those names he recognized, and one of them in particular he hoped wouldn't recognize him from a few nights ago. He had never known her name, but he knew Seryu was the one that had shot Sheele, except she had metal arms now in the place of her old ones. Although, judging from what he had seen that night, if she had recognized him then she would have tried to kill him on the spot.
"This is Haru," Esdeath told them after introducing them, "Not only will he be a reserve member of the Jaegers, but he is also my lover." Wait, what?! Haru thought, looking up at her. "I expect you all to treat him with respect," she continued, oblivious to his reaction. "Not to speak out of turn," Run said, "But why is a blind man going to be our reserve fighter?" "Probably because I can see just fine," Haru replied, unable to keep quiet, "Now, could someone please untie me?" "Actually, I'd like to know how you summoned fire the way you did today," Wave said, crossing his arms. He looked highly skeptical about him, and so did the weird doctor.
"What can I say? Fire just likes me," Haru replied, smiling. "Well, if you can see, then why not take the blindfold off?" Seryu suggested, walking up to him. "That's not a bad idea," Esdeath said, "I would like to see my lover's eyes." Before Seryu could reach out and remove the blindfold, Haru placed his hand on the chair he was sitting in and whispered, "zündung."
It burst into flame in less than a second, sending everyone except Esdeath scrambling back. In fact, Kurome and Seryu looked ready to fight, assuming this was his attempt to force an escape. Instead, Haru stood up as the chair disintegrated and let the chains fall free before stepping from the embers and stretching. "That's better," he said, popping his neck, "I spent the last few nights on a sofa, so I hope you don't mind me stretching a little. Oh, and next time don't tie fire-wielders up to wooden chairs." This last part was targeted at Esdeath, and rather than look annoyed that he had broken free she looked pleased that he had taken the initiative.
"As for my blindfold," he continued, turning to the others, "It's because the scars I carry from my Imperial Arms can be…disturbing to people. I prefer not to be judged by them." "No one here is about to judge you over something so trivial," Esdeath replied, moving up next to him, "Now, then…" Before he could stop her, she had reached up and pulled on the knot on the back. Grabbing the fabric over his face with her other hand, Esdeath removed the blindfold in one smooth motion, leaving Haru too stunned to react.
While no one gasped, he could practically taste the unease in the room. Looking down, he tried to let his hair fall in front of his face as he took a step back and looked away. "Now you know why I don't like walking around normally," he said, trying not to sound depressed. Before he could do anything else, Esdeath cupped his chin in one hand and brought his eyes up to hers. She looked like she was studying him rather than judging, but he was sure that wasn't too far off. However, she took him by surprise yet again. Smiling and blushing slightly, she leaned in and kissed him. "I don't see a problem with your eyes, Haru," she said as she pulled back, "In fact, I quite like them."
He…didn't know how to respond to that. Hearing movement to the side, he turned and saw that the others had recovered and were looking at him closer now. "Well, that's not what I expected," Wave said, smiling sheepishly, "Sorry, man. If I had known I probably would have tried to stop her." "I think they look very striking, actually," Run commented, smiling, "I haven't known you very long, but I think they suit you." "You sure this doesn't mean he's been touched by evil?" Seryu asked, walking up to him and scrutinizing every detail. Her dog, Coro, was sniffing around him intently. Please, don't try to eat me Haru thought as he watched Coro move around him. "Well, Coro seems to like you," she said, smiling, "So I think I'll give you a chance, too."
"Don't worry, Haru. It's nothing to be ashamed of," Bols told him as he walked up, looking a bit nervous. Clearly, normal interactions weren't his strong suit. Kurome, meanwhile, was munching on one of her cookies as she looked at him curiously. The fact that none of them were in any way rejecting him was…new. Taking a step back, he said, "Sorry, I need a moment." Taking a deep breath, he began massaging his temples as he reeled. This is not right on so many levels he thought, I'm being accepted, and by people that should be my enemies.
He was caught off-guard when Seryu walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you alright, Haru?" she asked, sounding concerned. When he looked at her, she did look genuinely worried about him. In fact, all of them did. Esdeath looked like she wanted to say or do something, but didn't know what. "Y-yeah, I think," he said, returning the smile, "It's just…weird. The last time a large group of people saw me for what I am, I ended up having to outrun a mob." "Where was this?" Esdeath asked, her voice cold.
"Nowhere I remember," he replied, "To them, I was just a Danger Beast in a human's skin. But they had been ravaged by them for a long time I can't really say I blame them for being jumpy." "So, is that your Imperial Arms?" Seryu asked, trying to change the subject. "Yeah. It's full name is Demon God Manifestation; Demon's Sight," Haru told them, "It's one of the Demon series; eyes harvested from the last hatchling of a very rare type of dragon." "Then it's not much different from mine," Esdeath said, sounding pleased and touching the tattoo on her chest, "Mine is the Demon's Extract."
"Wait, you said the Demon series?" Wave asked, "How many are there?" "Three, last I heard," Haru replied, "Sight gives the user the ability to summon and manipulate fire. Extract does the same with ice. And the Demon's Core allows for control over another element, but I'm not sure which one." "Then I guess it's a good thing you're on our side," Wave said, scratching the back of his head, "Sound's like these three are made to equal each other." "In theory, yes. But, I doubt I'm anywhere near the same level as Esdeath," Haru said. "Don't worry, Haru. I plan to change that," she replied, smiling, "For now, I want you all to rest. We have our first job as a team tonight. We will be clearing out a bandit stronghold nearby."
She then pulled Bols over to one side, hoping he could give her some tips on how to make Haru fall for her as she had for him. This left Haru to try and get to know his new team. Not my new team he corrected himself, just people that I'm around for now. Dr. Stylish still seemed suspicious of Haru, and he excused himself before leaving. Kurome appeared to be enjoying her cookies at the table, while Seryu played with Coro for a bit.
"When I heard that the General was putting together a team of Imperial Arms users," Haru said, walking up to Run and Wave, "This isn't what I pictured." "I know what you mean," Wave replied, "I still can't get over why Bols wears a mask all the time." "Or the way Stylish talks to you," Run added, smiling as Wave flinched. "I don't need to be reminded of that, Run!" he said, trying to look angry. Wow, this feels…familiar Haru thought as he looked between them. Suddenly feeling tired, he walked over to the table and took a seat across from Kurome before crossing his arms in front of him and laying his head down.
"You're going to get a knot if you sleep there," Kurome said as she bit into another cookie. Looking up at her, he was struck with a strange sense of déjà vu. "You look familiar," Haru mumbled. "What was that?" she asked, looking at him. "Nothing, I'm just tired," he replied. Before he could try and find someplace to nap, Esdeath announced that they would be moving out. Taking his hand, she ensured that he was next to her the entire time. Although, Haru insisted that he put his blindfold back on. It was all well and good that the Jaegers accepted him for what he was, but he wasn't about to take the chance that others would as well.
As it turned out, Haru was not on the team heading into the hideout, which meant that Haru's plan to use the attack as a means of escape was shot to hell. Instead, he got stuck on a hilltop with Esdeath as they watched her team tear the base apart. Despite never working together previously, they displayed impressive coordination as they wiped the place out. Seryu especially seemed excited about being able to kill so many 'evil' people at once, and she used a series of weapons that were stored inside Coro to rip through anyone in her way. Bols, meanwhile, used his own Imperial Arms to set the entire place on fire, incinerating anyone that got caught in the flames. Run's was probably the most interesting out of the group. His gave him angel wings, and he was able to use the feathers like guided bullets. Wave and Kurome seemed to make a natural team, with him watching her back as she cut through bandits with the same skill Akame showed.
Yeah, they're definitely sisters he thought, remembering the one time he had heard her name. Akame may have been in a trance at the time, and she only said it at a whisper, but now that Haru saw her in action there was no doubt in his mind. His thoughts, however, were brought back to his current position when Esdeath's hand found his own. Her touch was surprisingly cool, which was most likely an after effect of her Imperial Arms. Haru had learned from past interactions that his own weapon had given him a higher body temperature than others, a small price to pay for mastery of fire.
"Well, your team seems to be doing incredibly well for their first battle," Haru commented, feeling that something had to be said. "Of course they are," she replied, "If they weren't skilled, then I wouldn't have chosen them." "And is that why you chose me?" he asked. Haru had been spending the better part of the day trying to figure the woman out. "I don't think I really had a choice," she said, looking at him and blushing, "When I saw you fight, I just felt it. And when you summoned the fire around you, I knew; you were the one for me."
Not knowing how to respond to that, Haru returned his attention back to the battle. If he was to get any use out of this…situation, then he needed to bring back as much information about their Imperial Arms as he could. It was at that point that something occurred to him. I could make a life with these people he realized as he glanced at Esdeath's hand.
He didn't have any particular reason to hate any of these people, except maybe Seryu. Even then, the memory of their first meeting lingered with him. He had a really hard time believing that such a sweet girl could become a monster at the drop of a hat, at least not without good reason. The rest of them may have their quirks, but it wasn't anything he couldn't deal with. On top of that, there was Esdeath; a beautiful woman that clearly had strong feelings for him.
I could really make this my home now. With what I know about the Revolution, I could stop this civil war before it started and save a lot of lives. Not only that, I could finally have a place that accepted me without hesitation. As these thoughts raged through his mind Haru felt himself beginning to be swayed by their logic. For a long time he had only ever been viewed as a Danger Beast, a monster to be scorned and destroyed. Even among the Revolutionary Army, most of the people that truly knew him didn't want anything to do with him. And as for Night Raid? Well, he hadn't been completely truthful with them, except for Akame. Even if she accepted him, he was fairly sure the others wouldn't be so welcoming if they discovered the truth.
And how can you be so sure, when you've never been willing to take that chance a voice in the back of his mind asked. And it wasn't wrong, even if he had wanted it to be. Clenching his other hand to the point where his nails dug into his palm, Haru tried to keep this internal struggle from showing. The last thing he needed was Esdeath trying to make this pain go away. And it was painful; it felt like he was being torn in two. Which side do I choose?
When the attack was finally over, and the bandits were all dead, they returned to the capital to rest for the night. And Haru, being the lucky guy that he is, got to share a room with Esdeath. As she showered in the next room, Haru was trying to find anything to occupy his mind except the obvious; that there was an incredibly beautiful woman in the next room, dripping wet, and probably willing to do anything to please him. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he briefly considered putting his blindfold back on, since he had been forced to remove it once again. Not worth the effort he concluded as he stuffed it back into his pocket. She would only remove it again.
He was pulled from these thoughts when he heard the water shut off, and he tried not to get too nervous. This wasn't exactly his first time; he still remembered that girl in the Revolutionary army he had had a fling with before joining Night Raid. It was one of the few partings that had been on good terms; they had both agreed that it was best to separate. She was the honorable one while Haru was more than willing to do the dirty work. They still remained on friendly terms, trading letters every now and then when their work permitted it.
When he heard the door to the bathroom open, Haru tried to keep his heartbeat under control. When Esdeath walked into his view, however, his attempts met failure. She was wearing nothing but a button-up shirt, with about half the buttons undone. This served to reveal more of her cleavage than her uniform ever did. This combined with the fact that the shirt ended just after her hips was very tempting. He could feel his inner male screaming at him to take her, and for a brief second he considered it.
"Ah, that was very refreshing!" she said, sitting down next to him, "Are you alright? You look a little flustered." "I'm f-fine," Haru managed, looking away and blushing. The way she was leaning was not only brushing her cleavage against his arm, it was also dangerously close to causing her shirt to open more. "I can understand if you're nervous," she said, smiling, "To be honest, I am, too. This is my first time doing anything like this. But I'm sure we can figure it out so long as we know what we want." "And what would that be?" Haru asked, feeling that he already knew the answer.
And sure enough, she smiled before leaning in and kissing him again. This time, she put most of her weight into it and caused Haru to land on his back on the bed. Having Esdeath lying on top of him, still damp from her shower, was starting to wear away the last of his self-control. When she came up for air and sat back, she looked a little redder than earlier. She was also starting to breathe harder, and Haru could tell that she was starting to get caught-up in the moment. He was silently thankful that she was straddling his knees, however, and not a place further up. While he could tell by touch that she was wearing panties, if she sat on that, his self-control would probably vanish in an instant.
"Before we continue, can I ask you something?" he said, hoping to change the subject as he sat up. When she nodded, he prepared himself for where this conversation was going to lead. "What would you say if I told you that I didn't want to fight for the Empire?" he asked, bracing himself for her reply. "That's easy; you're not fighting for the Empire, you're fighting for me," she said, smiling, "If this is because you're afraid of losing something, then don't worry. All you have to do is stay with me, and I won't ever let anything hurt you."
"That's not what I mean," he said, "I know I'm a mercenary. I fight for whoever pays the most. But, I do have one wish that I desperately want granted." "What is it?" Esdeath asked, inching closer, "Whatever it is, I promise that I will grant it." Taking a deep breath, he said, "I want to protect the people of this country. I want to make sure that they never have to fear the Danger Beasts again. Is that something you can do?"
"Why?" she asked, taking him by surprise, "Why would you fight to defend people that can't defend themselves?" "Are you kidding? That's what people do; we help each other," Haru replied, "You understand that, right?" "I don't," she said simply, growing stern, "I cannot understand how the weak feel. The universal law is survival of the fittest. Those who die are weak and deserve to die."
He didn't know what to say to that. This was clearly a closely held belief for her, judging from the look on her face. In fact, it would explain a lot about her ruthlessness in battle. However, Haru felt like he could detect something else beneath this conviction. There was something about her eyes that told him there was some small lingering doubt in her mind. He couldn't tell what it was she doubted, but it was there. This only served to make Haru's decision more difficult. He could tell that Esdeath wasn't an evil person, and there was a part of him that desperately wanted to help her.
"But enough about such bothersome things," she said, smiling as she leaned in to kiss him again, "Where were we?" And this was the moment where he realized he had to choose; right here, right now. If he accepted her, then he was accepting a place on her team. He would be a Jaeger and would have to fight against his former friends in Night Raid. But, he would receive absolute protection from Esdeath for the rest of his life. He could live without fearing that someone would slit his throat at night. More importantly, he could have a home again.
And what of the home you made with Night Raid, Haru that voice asked again, what of Akame?
Taking another deep breath, Haru reached up and placed his hands on her shoulders, stopping her a few inches away from his face. "I appreciate you feeling so strongly for me," he said, smiling sadly, "But maybe we shouldn't take things too quickly?" "Of course, I can be patient," she replied, smiling. "Then I guess it's time to get some sleep," he said, moving to get up, "I'll take the co-" Grabbing his arm, Esdeath stopped him. "You can sleep in the bed," she said, her look pleading him not to go, "I won't try anything while you sleep, I promise." "I'll hold you to that, General," Haru said, smiling as he lay back down.
As it turned out, Esdeath's promise only extended to her doing something consciously. When Haru woke up the next morning, it was to the feeling of being hugged from behind. After a few more moments, his senses were clear enough to recognize it as Esdeath using him as a body pillow. There was a part of him that found it comforting; it reminded him of the times he had shared a bed with his sister when they were younger. She would always sleep like this when her little brothers were with her, and it was probably a result of her always being the one to defend them against older kids.
Shaking his head to clear the memories away, he slowly got up while avoiding waking Esdeath up. She was still in the same clothes, and Haru felt that primal urge rising up again. He resisted it as he grabbed his cloak and made his way out of the room. As soon as he was in the main hall, he let out a loud yawn as he scratched his head. "Wow, you look like you slept well," Wave commented, handing him a cup of coffee. "For both our sakes, I'm not going to comment on that," Haru replied, accepting the cup and taking a big drink from it. Looking around, he noticed that Kurome was at her spot at the table and was once again munching on her cookies.
"I don't mean to be rude, but you look familiar," Haru said, walking over, "Are you related to that one girl on the wanted posters, by chance?" "You know, I was thinking the same thing," Wave said as he joined them. "You mean Akame?" Kurome asked, smiling, "She is my older sister and was an honored member of society. But then she betrayed the capital and joined a band of criminals and murderers. I really want to see her again, so that I can kill her with my own hands."
That last bit took Haru by surprise, and it took him a moment to fully process that. "You want to kill your own sister?" he asked, hoping he had heard her wrong. She just nodded while looking like it was the most natural thing to say. Setting his cup down so he wouldn't waste the coffee, since he figured he would need it for latter, he struggled to keep his own emotions in check. "Do you even understand what you're saying?" he asked, "She's your sister, and you want to kill her? What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I don't see why this bothers you so much," she said, turning away, "And it's none of your business, anyway." "The hell it isn't!" he said, walking around the table, "I've lost family members, and I can tell you right now that killing them yourself isn't going to make you feel any better about their lose." "Like I said, it's none of your business," she said, her look turning stern, "She's a criminal and a traitor. This is what I must do."
He was about to push the issue further when Wave put a hand on his shoulder. Looking at him, he saw the sadness in his eyes as he shook his head. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Haru downed the rest of his coffee before walking over to one of the windows. Wave joined him not too long after that and looked out at the city with him. "You okay, Haru?" he asked after a time. "I'm fine," Haru replied with a sigh, "It's just… Killing their own family member? That's not something anyone should be okay with."
"You said you lost family before?" Wave asked, feeling guilty for prying, but needing to know all the same. Nodding, Haru told him what had happened to his home. Strange, it's like I'm talking with Tatsumi Haru realized as they continued to talk. They were interrupted when Esdeath walked into the room. "You three, get ready," she said as she put her hat on, "We're going hunting around Mt. Fake today in pairs. Haru, you'll be with Wave while Kurome will come with me. After dusk, we'll switch and Haru will be with me."
While he was smiling and agreeing outwardly, Haru was already trying to figure out a way he could use this to escape. This is likely to be my best and only chance he thought as they left, if I don't take it now, I may never want to again. As much as he liked these people, he had to remember that he had made a commitment to the Revolution. More than that, he missed his old friends, his old family, back at the hideout. And he might also be missing Akame, if he was being honest with himself. Damnit, the pipsqueak may have had a point.