Chapter 2: A Late Night Chat
The fireplace crackled and lit up the room in a warm orange hue as silence fell upon the two.
Is it wrong to help others?
Arthur's words echoed in her thoughts, her mind barely grasping the unbelievable amount of goodwill and kindness behind it. There were no such good men in this terrible world. This was a world where parents turned against their children and sold them to slavery. A world where two sisters were transformed into assassins and forced to kill to survive. She knew that experience bitterly well.
Is it wrong to help others?
But there was no mistaking in the warmth in his green eyes. Akame felt mesmerized just looking at it. There was no malice or ill intent behind it. Years of dealing with the worst scum of the Empire told her that much. But what was he trying to convey with that look on his face?
Was that understanding? Sympathy? Empathy? Behind those soft eyes, was that genuine concern behind it?
Is it wrong to help others?
Did he not see her as a threat? An assassin? A person who could take their lives away in the blink of an eye? Did he honestly see her as someone who needed help and nothing more?
Did he… did he really want to help her?
"I don't understand…" She rasped out, her voice strained, while holding up the edges of her blanket as if to cover her vulnerable form. "What do you mean?"
Arthur's eyes softened further. "It means that I just wanted to help you."
'This man can't be this kind. No man can't be this kind.'
"But why? I don't understand." She almost pleadingly. "Why would you help me?"
'And why are you kind to me?'
Arthur paused for a moment, then grabbed a chair tucked under the desk next to Akame's bed.
"Well, we're probably going to have a long late night chat," He plopped down, maintaining a small distance between them. "so I might as well make myself comfortable."
Akame watched Arthur as he composed himself. He seemed young. Very young. He was maybe a little older than her by perhaps one or two years. Yet he carried himself with a regal air and authority as if he was a noble.
"Again, my name is Arthur. Arthur Pendragon."
He gestured to himself.
"And as for why I helped you." He raised one finger. "One, it really isn't wrong to help others. I mean, I found you near death and I would feel like a scum if I didn't do anything to save you. And two,"
He raised another finger.
"Because we really need more compassion and kindness in this world."
'Compassion and kindness?'
"You know… I'm an Assassin," Akame emphasized, her eyes watching every move he made. "I'm a threat to you and those around you. Killing me is the logical choice. Not compassion and kindness."
"You are absolutely correct. I should have killed you-"
Akame winced at the bluntness of his tone.
"-but I will not make the logical choice."
Akame paused at the firmness of his tone. He sounded determined, unwilling to move away from his decision.
"What do you mean?"
Arthur's face softened as he continued, "It's precisely these cold-hearted and selfish logical choices to attain what benefits us the most that have led us to this world. A world where logic is more important than the dignity of human persons is a cruel one, don't you think?"
Her eyes flashed with surprise, her mouth agape, before she stuttered a response.
"Y-y-yeah... it is. A world like that is very cruel…"
Akame stilled, his words stabbing deep into her heart like a knife. Was he… was he putting her dignity as a human first, her dignity as an assassin, despite how dangerous she was? Was he throwing logic and caution to the wind just for her sake? An assassin's sake?
'That level of kindness and selflessness...'
"But your act of compassion and kindness to me… means nothing." Her voice grew smaller and smaller. "I'm a threat and a danger to your life. You're wasting it on me."
'Why are you so kind to me? Why are you sparing me mercy?'
"You are not a danger." He shook his head and frowned. "You are just a broken girl, aren't you?"
The knife in her heart twisted deeper.
"I thought deeply about your circumstances as an assassin. I find it very odd that a girl who is only a few years younger than me, around seventeen or eighteen, is an elite assassin feared by nobles across the Empire."
His shoulders slackened and was that… tears?
"It didn't help that you possessed one of those Teigu conveniently suited for assassinating." He quickly wiped them away. "Teigu are like superweapons right? One of the forty-eight magical weapons the Empire has that can turn the tide of a battle. When I learned you possessed one of them, I realized something."
Akame watched in silence, as Arthur took a deep breath.
"You're a child soldier, aren't you? You'd have to start training at an incredibly young age to become an elite assassin capable of withstanding the drawbacks of a Teigu as a late teen. And a child will never willingly become an assassin. You were forced into becoming an assassin, weren't you?"
Akame casted her gaze down. Her eyes shadowed.
"And that's why I can't kill you." Arthur slouched on his chair, his face grim. "I can't find the heart to kill a girl who has been forced to be an assassin and knows nothing else beyond it."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. And Akame's eyes followed a tear trailing down his cheek. A heavy silence fell on the room. Only the crackling embers of the fireplace and the muffled wind of the outside world filled the void.
Akame remained blank. Her emotions whirling.
'I only met him and he understands me more deeply than anyone else. Maybe even more than me.'
"Sorry." He took another deep breath and composed himself. "I know you just woke up and aren't ready for a heavy loaded conversation like this."
Akame remained silent.
'He is kind.'
'He is selfless.'
'He is compassionate.'
'And all of this… because he saw her not as an assassin but as a broken girl?'
"... is that why you're kind to me? Is that why you are looking after me yourself?"
"Yes. You're not an Assassin in my eyes." Arthur nodded. "You're just a broken and scared girl who needed to be saved."
Akame's heart fractured a little.
"I… I…"
'Oh my fucking god this man is so… so...'
Her breath hitched. There was no malice. There was no ill intent. Only goodness.
When was the last time showed her the level of compassion as he did? When was the last time anyone saw and treated her as a girl? Even Night Raid didn't care about her to this extent. But this man… this man…
It was impossible! He couldn't be good, no one was this good…
She shivered as a cloth was pressed under her eye.
"Here," Arthur wiped a tear. "You're not used to being treated like this, aren't you? Did no one even try to help you work through your trauma-"
"What do you want from me?"
Arthur instinctively backed off and stood up from his seat. "I'm sorry what-"
"What do you want from me?!"
Akame lashed out. Her eyes brimming with frustration and tears.
"There has to… there has to be some ulterior motive to this! No one is this kind! No one is this good!"
She bore holes into Arthur, who took a few steps back.
"You're just pretending to be kind to me right?!" She lashed out, her blankets and pillows thrown to the sides. "I can see it now! You're going to fool me into lowering your guard before doing something cruel! What is it?! Are you going to force yourself on me?! Kill me?! Sell me off to a bunch of slave traders?!"
Arthur remained silent. His eyes soft and his lips pursed in a straight line.
"Stop being a liar!" Her bandages slowly dyed red, and blood began leaking through. "Just do what you want and be done with it!"
Arthur said nothing but stared into her miserable and tear ridden eyes.
"Then there is one way left for me to convince you that I care for you."
He stretched out his hand, and a blade of compressed wind manifested itself in the palm of his hand.
Akame froze. Her thoughts racing back to how easily it cut down her would be killers before. Her eyes widening with panic.
'No, no, no, no, no!'
"Invisible Air, release."
Immediately, the compressed air howled and blared as it dispersed. It peeled away layer by layer, producing strong gales of wind that radiated from the sword outwards to the room. The curtains by the window flapped strongly against the onset of wind. The whole room began to shake as if there was an earthquake. The fireplace roaring with life died in a whimper and plunged the room in darkness.
Akame shut her eyes closed and threw her hands up, protecting her face against the sudden onset of wind. It was so suffocating. It was so strong. She wouldn't survive, she wouldn't survive.
'Please… don't kill me. Please.'
The wind grew stronger and stronger. Akame felt herself slowly being pushed off her bed by the sheer strength of the wind. Her skin chilled, dread built up in her, then everything stopped.
The shaking of the room stilled. The strong gale disappeared instantly. She heard no sound. Even the muffled wind of the outside world went silent.
She tentatively lowered her arms, her body shaking and trembling with fear. Welling up courage, she slowly opened her eyes.
Then her breath hitched.
Her eyes fell on a sword of unimaginable beauty that it could not have been forged by human hands. The metal of the blade glowed with a beautiful, vibrant, ethereal golden light that filled her with warmth overwhelming that no words could properly describe.
The light was all encompassing and stunningly bright, and the whole world was bathed in its golden dawn. Yet, it was not blinding or painful in the eyes. Instead, Akame marveled and beheld the light, enchanted in its radiant glow. It spoke of glories, of hopes, of dreams and desires that have yet to be. It was a light that spoke of great holiness and righteousness; one that judged and banished the darkness.
"Excalibur, The Sword of Promised Victory." Arthur's voice brimmed with power and authority. "The Crystallization of the Hopes and Dreams of Mankind."
The sword tinged crisply through the air as if in response. Its holy power oozing and radiating and filling the room.
"You have been drenched in darkness for too long. You can no longer see kindness other than a mask for lies and deceit. No matter. I will save you. I will save you no matter what."
There was a pregnant pause in the air as she held her breath.
"Excalibur, help me convey my kindness."
Excalibur's light shifted into blinding white light. The world seemingly shaking as it enveloped the room.
Akame's eyes widened, and she threw her hands up and closed her eyes as the light enveloped her.
.
.
.
Warm. She felt warm. A warmth that comforts and cares.
Hope. She felt hope. A hope for a better tomorrow. A hope beyond the life of an assassin.
Acceptance. She felt acceptance. An acknowledgement of her evils, yet followed by a loving embrace.
Peace. She felt peace. A peace that drained away all her worries and anxieties. A peace undaunted by the perils of the world.
Life. She felt life. A breath of life was breathed into her dry bones, and she felt that she could finally live again.
.
.
.
Love… she felt… loved.
.
.
.
Akame snapped her eyes open.
She glanced to her left, and to her right. Then down to her hands. Her hands trembled and shook.
"Now, do you believe me?"
She looked up at Arthur, and stilled.
"Hey," He smiled slyly. "Was seeing Excalibur's light too much?"
Akame sat motionless on her bed. She blinked, then her jaw slowly dropped.
It was so brief and imperceptible, but Akame swore she saw it. For a moment, she did not see a teenager or a commoner boy.
Her body trembled, not out of fear but out of awe. She felt an urging sensation in the back of her mind to fall on her knees and kneel in submission.
Arthur stood there with a regal air of a king, with eyes full of warmth yet hardened with steel. Righteousness, goodness, kindness, holiness radiated from him like rays of the sun's light. And upon his broad shoulders were the weight of dreams and hopes of an oppressed world.
A man who was trustworthy. A man who could be relied upon.
He promised to bring forth an age of hope of prosperity. He was the shield and sword to lead the way. He was a hero made manifest. A man who would smite all darkness with a swing of the Holiest of Holy Swords.
In front of her was no mere man or human. He was… he was…
Akame stared at Arthur in almost worshipful awe.
"... a Holy Emperor."
A/N.
After three rewrites the second chapter is finally complete! celebrates.
Now, unto a few notes about the story:
Akame's characterization so far: Currently, I have depicted Akame as some helpless girl instead of the strong person she is from canon. The injury I gave her was only for the sake of starting the plot. We'll see in a later chapter Akame being a terrifyingly competent assassin. And as one reviewer pointed out, the prologue Akame was injured in might have a more ominous background that what we've seen so far...
Arthur's characterization so far: Currently, one of you raised a good point about Arthur out of character. Hopefully, this chapter explains his reasoning as to why he hasn't killed Akame yet.
Please continue to favorite, follow, and review! Your feedback motivates me to continue writing!