Chapter 15 The Night of Fate
Under the dimming road lights, a ray of heartwarming sunshine lays on top of Tatsumi's shoulder. When he finally holds his sleepy head up to the incoming warmth, he notices the face of an angel looking right at him. The diamond-like blue eyes are just as beautiful as the stars in the night sky.
And how is that possible?
"Hei… tell me… I'm not dead, am I?"
The vibrating tone slowly searches its way outside of Tatsumi's throat.
…
Turning his head to his side, Tatsumi notices his overcoat is folded and placed next to his baggage neatly. Hei is nowhere to be seen.
Is this a joke or something?
Rubbing his eyes, Tatsumi eventually convinces himself that this beautiful girl in front of him is not just his illusion… but what should he do right now? Noting his previous stupidity from the blond lady, Tatsumi starts to panic internally.
"Be careful, Tatsumi, she can be as evil as the lady this afternoon."
Trying to calm down, Tatsumi slowly observes this young maiden in front of him.
"Why are you sleeping on the streets? Even though it is early spring, the stone ground is still quite cold. If you are going to sleep here, you will eventually get sick." The angel-like smile gradually carries an expression of concern toward the innocent boy next to the statue, "How about coming with us? We can provide you warm shelter for tonight."
"I… don't have any money…" Tatsumi is completely flustered at the event happening to him, his logical part of the brain has stopped working since the sweet voice of the girl took over his eardrums.
"Of course. If you do, then you wouldn't be sleeping on the streets." The kindness of this girl is progressively approaching that of an angel. The innocent boy is slowly being captivated by her irritable nature.
…
"Our lady Aria is always kind toward homeless wanderers on the streets. Taking care of them has been a hobby of hers since a long time ago." The rider of the large carriage intervenes in this frozen situation.
"Do you want to sleep on the cold ground for the entire night? Warm beds will be at least ten times more comfortable than the stone streets." Another guard follows suit.
"I… guess…" It seems like Tatsumi has made his decision in this situation.
"Then come on. Let me help you with your baggage."
"Yes, she is definitely an angel." Tatsumi is back to the same old innocent boy again.
…
The night is peaceful.
At least on the surface.
Under the blurry moonlight, a figure in dark is soaring across rooftops after rooftops. When the moonlight finally shines on top of its face, the only visible item is a white mask. The design of the mask resembles that of the Black Reaper, as the eyes and the mouth all contribute to a sense of terror and cold-bloodedness. In fact, the lightning sign on the right eye only increases the intensity of grim on this figure.
"Information gathered regarding the Most Wanted."
Jumping from rooftops to rooftops, Hei continues to free-fun across the capital.
"Empire information incomplete. No official facial record. Data described as Gun-Slinger. No one recognizes my appearance. Military unaware of my presence in the capital. Misunderstanding toward my origins can be utilized as strategical advantage. Prevailing actions should be taken with the mask and without the usage of fire arms at all times."
The Black Reaper stops his investigation of the city, and jumps down into a narrow ally.
"Further precaution needed for further actions."
Suddenly, a significant thought comes across Hei, which immediately hinders his current movement.
"The boy. He has memories of my facial record. He will potentially be a member of the military."
…
"All potential threat must be eliminated."
The dark figure speedily disappears into the shadow of the night.
…
Eat, sleep, and train. These are the basics of the daily lives of the Night Raid assassins.
It seems quite boring; however, for unknown reasons, the young men and women of this organization are quite content with their lives. From their lively conversations, it is hard to say that these are the cold-blooded assassins that are causing fear inside this corrupted capital.
"Tell me. These are just some ordinary rich people, why do we need Bulat and Akame for this operation again? What a waste of energy for us…" A pinkette maiden is currently observing the environment in front of her from the high ground. A large gun-like machine is resting next to the young girl.
"Well, it is probably all for the speed of this operation. We want to clear away the targets quickly without any notice from the empire guards. So, stop your whining, Mine, get ready for the action coming up next." A pair of long arms from a blond woman hugs around the pinkette's petite head, her hands moving up and down, shaking the latter with a playful attitude.
"Such… a… nice… view…" A green-haired boy half-heartedly shoots out some strings from his right hand, while his eyes twitches constantly from the views of the two girls next to him.
"If you continue to look at where you are not supposed to look at, your eyes will disappear very soon, Lubbock." Even though Mine is having a full smile on her face right now, the tone just doesn't quite sound right…
"Haha, Lubbock, getting sneaky, no?"
The silence giant warrior behind the group finally opens his mouth; however, that tone of his… Is it mockery? Or is it Pampering?
Why is the atmosphere so strange all of a sudden?
"…"
"We are here."
An emotionless voice comes out of the black-haired girl leading the group, stopping the approaching party in the middle of the way.
The moonlight breaks down the night clouds, shooting its silk-like grace onto the girl in the front of the crowd. The alluring glow proceeds to reveal the mysterious appearance of the girl.
Crimson eyes. Long straight hair. Killer instinct.
The empire's most feared assassin.
Akame.