Cracking one eye open, Haru slowly made his way back to the land of the conscious as he looked around the room he was in. Bare, cold stone walls and solid metal bars told him all that he needed to know; he was a prisoner. Rolling onto his side, he slowly pushed himself up while trying to fight off a vicious headache. He was mildly surprised to find that he hadn't been shackled, but then they had to know the nature of his powers by now. Even with metal cuffs, he could burn his way through them with enough time, and the same could be said for the rest of his cell.
But then, he knew they had Tatsumi captive as well. And knowing the Empire like he did, Haru was sure that any misbehavior on his part would likely have bad results for the kid. So, he would have to play along with whatever they had in store for him, at least for now. He could already think of a few ways this could go, and all of them involved the torture chambers. Getting up and walking around his cell, Haru tried to see if there were any weaknesses he could exploit quickly if he needed to. But the walls were smooth, and the bars were all firmly attached to the stone.
They could have at least left me a deck of cards to pass the time he thought as he dropped back onto the cot. As if summoned by these thoughts, Haru heard someone walking down the hall to his cell. It took him all of two seconds to place the sound because of the echo, but he soon recognized the sound of a familiar pair of boots approaching. Well, this is going to be fun he thought as he stood up again.
Sure enough, Esdeath walked into view and stopped before his cell, staring at him coldly. "Been a while, huh?" Haru said after a few moments of silence. There wasn't any point in mincing words now; she held his life in her hands, and they both damned well knew it. "I have to say, I'm surprised she would send you, of all people, onto the palace grounds," she said, "But I'm glad she did. It gave us a chance to talk again." "I'm not sure what there is to talk about," Haru replied, crossing his arms, "I'd like to think that letter summed up my position."
"Oh, it did," she said, reaching into her coat and pulling it out. "'I can't tell you how much it means to me that you would protect me and those dear to me. It's more than most people have ever considered offering me,'" she read, "'But if it will cost me everything I've stood for then what will be the point if I live? I know that you love me, but I can't betray who I am. I won't allow this Empire to continue to abuse its people, even if it costs me my life to change it.' Should I go on?" "You should just do what you came here to do," he replied, "Throwing my words back into my face won't work now. I'm set on this path, regardless of where it leads."
"As you wish," she replied. In one move, she crumpled the letter before forming a simple ice sword and cutting through the bars. She stepped swiftly into the room before holding the point of the blade at Haru's throat. "Now, you will answer my question," she said, making it clear there was no room for debate, "Why would you throw your life away for the weak? I want the truth, not some half-assed excuse."
Haru took a moment to actually think about his response. Why was he willing to die for this? He pulled in everything he had learned from Night Raid, all of his experiences, everything he could think of as he tried to come up with a definite answer. "I can't say my reasons now are the same as when I began," he said finally, "When I first joined the Revolution, it was out of anger. I hated that the Empire had taken away our only defense just to put down a rebellion they had given birth to, that they had allowed my home to be burned down. I was only concerned with striking back, and I didn't care how. But now…"
Taking a deep breath, he tried to organize his thoughts properly before he continued. "But now, I've seen how badly the people suffer, and I've learned it doesn't matter how strong you are," he said, meeting her gaze, "It's how you choose to use your strength that matters. The Empire chooses to use it to oppress its people, you choose to use it as an excuse for your actions, and I have chosen to use it to protect those that can't protect themselves. That's all there is to it."
"So, you've made up your mind, then?" she said, lowering the blade, "Then I guess there's nothing more to be said." Turning and walking back out of the cell, she let the blade shatter and disappear in a cloud of mist. "You should know," she added, "It's been decided that you and your friend will be executed publicly. I've volunteered to carry out the sentence myself." "I can't say I'm surprised," he replied, smiling slightly. Before she walked completely out of view, he added, "I'm sorry, Esdeath, truly." She just hesitated for a moment before nodding, and then she was gone.
After getting transferred into a new cell, Haru dropped onto the cot and stretched out, trying to get what rest he could. Either Night Raid would come for them during the ceremony, at which point he would need as much strength as he could muster to help them fight their way out; or his life would end, in which case there wasn't much point in worrying. Never thought I'd be this okay with dying he thought, smiling at the notion. Of course, he wasn't exactly happy about it, not after the last few days. But if it happened, he could say that he had done his best and gone as far as he could. Closing his eyes, Haru slipped into a deep sleep quickly.
The next day, he was waiting in a room somewhere below the arena's floor. He could barely make out any details about his surroundings thanks to the dim lighting, although he knew that Tatsumi was there with him. "You alright, newbie?" Haru asked, shuffling around in his chains. "I'm still in one piece," Tatsumi replied, "And stop calling me that." Haru could tell from his tone that he was hurt, but it probably wasn't too bad. Tatsumi was nothing if not durable. "Tell you what," he said, "When we get out of this, you tell Mine the truth. Then, I'll drop the nickname. Deal?"
He could practically feel the heat from Tatsumi's blush, and Haru tried not to laugh. "You sound so sure we're going to live," Tatsumi replied, trying to change the subject. "Yes, I am," Haru said simply, "And you're not getting out of this one. Do we have a deal, newbie, or not?" After giving it some more thought, Tatsumi answered hesitantly, "F-fine, we have a deal." Haru just smiled in triumph as the door opened and several guards entered the room.
A few minutes later, they were both bound to large metal crosses. Haru had to admit that it was fairly effective, since he could only move his head. "So, this is it, huh?" Tatsumi asked suddenly. "If it is, then it's been fun, Tatsumi," Haru replied, "I'm just sorry I couldn't get you out of there, too." "Don't sweat it," Tatsumi replied, trying to sound upbeat, "It was my own fault for getting beaten. Besides, we're not dead yet, right?" While Haru had to admit that he was right, that pessimistic voice in his head couldn't help but disagree.
We've been captured by the enemy and sentenced to death it said, making Haru scowl this place is going to be like a fortress during the ceremony. Night Raid won't risk everything just to save two people; there's too much at stake.
Maybe Night Raid won't Haru shot back, trying to strangle the damned thing once and for all, but Akame will. He knew that she would be determined to get him back, and nothing short of an army would stop her from doing so. But while a part of him wanted that to happen, there was another part that hoped she would have the sense to stay away. It was very likely that she would be killed in the attempt, and if his freedom was bought with her life… He didn't know what would happen, but it wouldn't be anything good.
Suddenly the platform they were on began to rise, the ceiling splitting open to reveal an almost cloudless sky as well as the dull roar of the crowd. In spite of everything, there were still people that supported the Empire in the capital. As far as they were concerned, two notorious criminals were about to receive what they deserved. When they were finally brought to ground level, he was mildly surprised at the size of the crowd. "Well, this will be interesting," he said. Of course, he didn't expect Tatsumi to reply; hell, he could barely hear what he had just said over the noise.
After a few moments, the crowd gradually quieted down to a dull murmur. At which point Haru noticed that someone was moving at the covered seat in front of them. At first, he had thought it was Esdeath coming down to finish them, but then he noticed a very recognizable man standing to one side of the chair. If that fat bastard is here, then that means the Emperor himself is attending Haru realized, glancing at Tatsumi. They shared a telepathic moment, both of them realizing the true scale of their situation. If Onest had brought the Emperor down from the palace for this, then he was very confident that the security in place could stop anything, including Night Raid.
"Citizens of the Empire," the Emperor began, his voice carrying surprisingly well considering his age, "Lately, there have been those that would instill fear into your hearts while spreading preposterous rumors about taking down the capital. However, there is no need to lend your ears to such rabble-rousing! Today, we execute members of the rebel group Night Raid, which have been one of the major sources of such terror and lies. They are the rebel army's vanguard, the source of the chaos that we now suffer from. No one has the right to threaten the lives of our citizenry, or threaten the peace we live in. The Empire, this capital, is indestructible! And today, we will prove it!"
Giving the crowd a moment to cheer, he looked down at the condemned. "Do you have any last words, criminals?" he asked. Even though he couldn't see the kid's face, Haru could imagine the look of contempt on his young face. "Yeah, I want a do-over!" Haru replied, projecting confidence, "I'm being sentenced to death by a naïve child that's pretending to be a ruler and a fat coward that couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag. Do you have any idea how insulting that is?"
Tatsumi glanced at Haru in surprise, but then he understood what was happening; he figured this would be their end, so why not spit in the face of their executioners? One last act of defiance, even if it was just verbal. He grinned as Haru continued, "So are we going to get on with this, or are you going to stand up there and babble on about your 'indestructible Empire?' You can't really believe that to be true anymore; even a child isn't that stupid." "Silence!" "I mean, you have to know how far gone it is," he continued, ignoring the 'Emperor's' command, "We're taking your fortresses faster than anyone has before. Your own governors are siding with us over you! I give it a day, two at most, before our army is at your doorstep. So go ahead and kill us! It will just give you two more crimes to answer for."
It was at this point that a bolt of electricity shot out from behind the chair, hitting Haru square in the chest and hurting like hell. Of course he would be here Haru thought as he tried to breathe again. He had had enough time to realize that the man that had taken them was Budou, the capital's highest-ranking general. But he had said what he had needed to, so there wasn't much else to do besides wait. However, they didn't have to wait long.
The door just to the side of the throne opened, and Esdeath walked out into the field with her sword in hand. She moved confidently, never breaking her stride or gaze as she moved closer. Finally, she came to a stop before the two men, and for a brief moment Haru thought he saw indecision in her eyes. But it was gone in an instant as she moved to stand before him first. Bringing her sword up so the point was just over his heart, she looked up at him briefly. "I don't blame you," he said, answering her unspoken question, "If you want to do me a favor, just make it quick."
She nodded in affirmation, bringing the blade back as she prepared to cleave his heart in two. She would have been lying if she claimed that she didn't still harbor feelings for him. In a way, she was still in love with him, even more so after his little speech. But he was forever out of her reach, and she knew that now; she had realized it when they had spoken in his cell. He was determined to see this through to the end, and no amount of promises or threats from her would dissuade him from his path. And so, she would do the only thing she could; she would make his end as quick as she could.
And then her sword was in motion, the strike smooth and precise as she moved to end him. It was flawless, right up to the point when a large energy bolt impacted the platform they were on, throwing Esdeath's aim and causing her to look up in surprise. Large chunks of stone were blown away, and the crowd was sent into a frightened frenzy as they tried to get away. Looking around in confusion, Haru tried to figure out just where the shot had come from.
"Tatsumi, you idiot!" Mine shouted, standing up from her position on the arena's overhang, "I don't remember giving you permission to die. We still haven't had our talk yet!" "About damned time you showed up, pipsqueak!" Haru shouted, grinning madly. "I can shoot you from here, matchstick!" she fired back as she took sight and sent the guards scurrying for cover. At the same time, the manta they had used a while back came soaring over the stadium, with several people jumping from it as it made a close pass of the stands. Haru spotted a familiar green, yellow and purple, and his spirit soared in response. Right up to the point where Budou moved into action.
The Emperor had long since escaped with Onest, leaving him to deal with these rebels. Leaping down to the ground, he pointed both arms at the sniper and let loose a large lightning bolt, destroying her perch and sending her plummeting for the stone seats. "Mine!" Tatsumi called out, struggling against his restraints as he watched her fall. Thankfully, Leone was quick on her feet and able to catch the girl before she would have been smashed into bits. Looking back at Esdeath, Haru tried to read her intentions. She glanced at him and Tatsumi briefly, and he could tell she was weighing her options. The decision was made for her when Susanoo landed in front of her and charged, bringing his pole-arm around in an attempt to knock her down.
She was understandably surprised by this sudden attack and leaped back while dodging the big man's strike with a smile. This left Tatsumi and Haru alone on the platform and still bound to their crosses, looking on helplessly as the other members of Night Raid engaged the guards. Najenda had dropped from the manta to back Susanoo up as they tried to keep Esdeath busy, while Leone and Mine squared off with Budou. That left Lubbock and Sheele to handle the guards that had moved in to help, and to say it was a one-sided fight would have been an understatement.
"Damnit, we have to help them!" Tatsumi said, struggling to free himself, "Can't you do something about these?" "Sure I can," Haru replied as he stayed still, "But I would be useless afterword. Focus on conserving your strength, newbie. They'll get us down when there's an opening." Tatsumi just grit his teeth and growled in frustration as he tried to work his way free. He couldn't just sit there while Mine took on that monster! He had taken Tatsumi down one-on-one, and his armor was a hell of a lot sturdier than Mine's dress. Sure, she had Leone backing her up, but it wasn't much against someone that wielded lightning.
Meanwhile, Esdeath had decided to try to end her fight spectacularly when she summoned her massive ice ball. Susanoo managed to get Najenda and himself out of the way before it hit, but the thing's sheer size made it impossible to outpace its effects. It hit the ground and kept going, causing a third of the arena to collapse into the lower rooms and trapping Najenda and Susanoo with Esdeath down below. Haru glanced down at the platform they were resting on, and he could already feel the shifting weight. They didn't have long before he and Tatsumi would join them in that pit, and the fall would likely be very painful, if not lethal.
"Haru, Tatsumi! Hold on!" they heard from behind, and Haru sighed in relief. It was Akame's voice, and judging from the volume she was close by. Sure enough, he felt the restraints around his feet and hands cut seconds later. Dropping to the ground, he looked up to see Chelsea standing over him with his sword and booster bag in hand. Akame had Incursio in her other hand as she worked to free Tatsumi from his bindings. "Thanks," he said as he took them back, feeling better now.
Turning to Akame and Tatsumi, he said, "Tatsumi, you need to head down and back up Susanoo. Akame and Chelsea, I think Lubbock and Sheele might need some help. I got the big guy." "What?" they both said, rounding on him. "You think I'm letting you go up against him alone?" Akame demanded. "I'm not just standing back and letting him wail on Mine!" Tatsumi exclaimed before turning to help her. Grabbing his shoulder, Haru stopped him from doing something foolish. "Think about it, Tatsumi," he said, "You've already fought him, so he knows what you can do. Besides, he's using a pure element, and we both know the best way to match that is with another element."
"I'm still not letting you go alone," Akame said, looking determined. "I'm not alone," he replied, smiling, "I have Leone and Mine for support. Besides, we're going to need a serious opening to retreat through, and I trust you to handle it." They both glared at him as they tried to find a flaw in his logic, and they really couldn't. Before they could try to protest again, Haru rushed off with his sword in hand. Chelsea had long since decided that Haru was right and had taken on a disguise suitable for her needs. Huffing in annoyance, Akame moved to back her up while Tatsumi summoned his armor.
Haru showed up at his chosen fight right as Budou brought a lightning bolt down on his head, throwing Leone back and leaving her twitching on the ground. Sensing that she was out for the immediate future, Haru moved in just as Budou closed on Mine. She brought Pumpkin up and fired almost at point blank, which threw him off-balance slightly. But it wasn't enough to stop him outright, and his fist impacted her square in the chest, sending her flying back into the wall with a sickening thud. Before he could move in to finish her, Haru sent a wave of fire between the two. "Alright, old man," Haru said, taking his stance as Budou turned to him, "My turn; Zündung!"
Sending out a pair of slashes, Haru forced Budou back and away as he moved to check on Mine. He didn't have much time, however, as Budou sent an electric bolt at him. Haru had all of two seconds to come up with a plan, and he raised his hand as he commanded, "Thýella!" He formed the fire into a rough dome, and it was able to deflect most of the energy. Although, he still felt a tingle along his arm that bordered on painful. Kneeling down next to Mine, he was mildly surprised to find that she was still conscious and was fighting to get back onto her feet. "You alright, shrimp?" he asked as he felt another bolt of electricity hit his shield. He had a few more seconds at most before the strain of keeping this barrier up would become a serious risk.
"I'm f-fine," she managed, panting as she stood back up, "Why are you interfering? This is my fight." "This bastard hurt one of my friends, and damned near killed another one," Haru replied, "That makes it my fight, too. Now shut up and listen." He quickly explained his plan, and Mine had to admit that as crazy as it was, it did have a decent chance of success. Nodding in agreement, she brought Pumpkin up and prepared to fire as Haru charged again. Reforming his shield into a fire blast, Haru used the heat shimmer and light as cover while he dodged to the right.
Budou, expecting Haru to use the attack as cover, blew it to pieces with a lightning bolt before preparing himself for a head-on attack. The kid had been nothing but reckless and predictable so far, and he saw no reason it would change. Except that it had. Instead of coming in behind the fireball, Haru attacked from Budou's left. He still saw Haru in time to bring his gauntlet up and block the blade, but it was a near thing. Refusing to give him a chance to counter, Haru launched a flurry of blows as he tried to push Budou back.
"You're persistent, I'll give you that," Budou said as they fought, scowling at him, "But this isn't anywhere near enough to beat me." To prove it, Budou lashed out with one of his arms, knocking Haru's sword back and leaving him wide open. He knew the blow was coming, but it still hurt like hell when Budou's electrically-charged first smashed into his side and sent him skidding across the ground. Sucking a breath into his bruised lungs, Haru looked up just in time to throw up a fire barrier to protect him from a lightning bolt. I need to hurry this along, and quickly he thought as he got back onto his feet. Grabbing a syringe from his bag, Haru jabbed it into his leg with one hand while the other reached out towards his barrier.
Sending it out in a massive wave, he used it as cover while he advanced again. Halfway through his charge, he noticed someone was running beside him, and he smiled at the familiar presence. "Need a hand, matchstick?" Leone asked, giving him a predatory grin. He just grinned back as they split apart when Budou blew the flames away. They had shared a moment of telepathy, coming up with a plan on the fly as only two comrades could. Moving first, Haru came at Budou head on with his blade at his side.
Staring at him in contempt, he dodged the attack while he shot Haru with yet another lightning bolt, sending him flying again. But this time, Leone was behind him. Grabbing his boot as Haru flew past, she planted her feet and spun around, turning the momentum from the attack to their advantage as Haru came at Budou again. This time, he was moving much faster, giving the bigger man less time to react. In fact, he was in the middle of moving aside when Haru struck the gauntlet on his left arm.
Landing on his feet, Haru slid a little ways as he turned back to face Budou. "And now it's finished," he said, bringing his sword up. "And what makes you so sure?" Budou asked as he charged his gauntlets again. But this time, after two seconds of charging it became clear that something was wrong as the electric arks went out of control. "W-what did you do?" Budou demanded as he tried to regain control. "You're the first person I've seen use a two-part Imperial Arms," Haru replied, smirking, "I assume there's a reason it's like that, so it's also likely that if one part is damaged, the whole thing goes down."
Stepping to the side, Haru said, "Now, Mine!" The bolt passed Haru's chest by inches, hitting Budou square in his breast plate and causing it to shatter. He staggered back a few steps from the impact, but unfortunately it hadn't done much more than singe his shirt underneath. "That's it?" he said, glaring at the two, "That was your plan?" "Well, yes and no," Haru replied, pointing at the burn, "I learned through my fight with Shura that if I keep my trump card's flame small, I can keep it alive much longer."
It only took Budou a moment to realize what he was implying. Haru had loaded Mine's gun with a miniature version of his golden fire, and she had just shot him with it. "That was well played, boy," Budou said, smiling coldly. Haru just sent as much energy as he could into the flame, causing it to leap to life and consume the man. It was a rather unceremonious end for someone of his standing, but Haru wasn't in much of a forgiving mood at the moment. Looking around, he saw that the others had managed to force the surviving guards to retreat for now. Things were looking up, all the way up to the point where Mine doubled over, coughed up some blood and collapsed.