Chapter 3: A Longing for Redemption

There were many things Akame longed for in her short and miserable life.

One thing she longed for was to see her little sister Kurome again. And she didn't want to see the crazed, drug addicted assassin she was now, but the sweet, adorable girl who once upon a time called her 'big sis'. How long had it been since she last saw each other? How much more suffering did Kurome experience now that she was alone surrounded in a den of wolves? Was the vast gulf between them even bridgeable? She spent many nights alone and awake in bed, hoping that somehow she was okay in this mad cruel world.

But reality was cruel. She could be dead now and she wouldn't know.

Another thing she longed for was change. A change for the better, change for the good. This world… it was just so suffocating. It was like drowning in the middle of a stormy sea with no escape. Corruption, greed, indifference, heartlessness and all manner of evil consumed the Empire in an orgy of never ending suffering. This was a world where justice was dead, violence reigned, and the callous nobles of the Empire grew fat and drunk on the blood of the innocent. It could not stand.

But above all, standing above all her wishes and desires, was a longing she had long given up a long time ago.

A longing for redemption.

Akame's soul ached, her shoulders sagged, and her back groaned under the weight of her sins and crimes. Standing upon a hill of bodies, with hands drenched in the blood of both the innocent and the damned, she cried for a way to cast her burdens aside and seek a better life. A life where she would be free from the chains of guilt, sorrow, and hopelessness. A life where she could find peace and leave her weapon gathering dust in a forgotten corner of her home.

But it was an impossible wish. There was no forgiveness or mercy for her crimes. There was no respite for her wickedness and great sins. She would be cursed to live this horrible life to its equally horrible end, and then be condemned to an eternity of suffering in a hell of brimstone and fire.

That was the end of her story. It was a fitting punishment for a monster like her.

'… so why?' Akame's eyes grew wet. 'Why do I feel loved?'

It was like witnessing a god of righteousness descend from the heavens. All things good radiated from Arthur like the rays of the sun, whose light could not be hidden by the storm clouds of darkness. Holiness, hope, purity, kindness, charity, mercy shone from him with brilliance, as if Arthur exemplified and glorified every good and holy ideal. A true saint and a benevolent hero only found in fairy tales, myths and legends.

No words could describe what she felt as Arthur's caring gaze fell on her. His gaze did not judge, or condemn. Instead, it filled her with warmth and affection that she had craved for for so long.

"Akame…" She chilled at the way he tenderly spoke. "I don't want to do anything evil to you… I just want to save you."

His Teigu, Excalibur, hummed and blazed brighter as if in agreement.

"I do not know the full extent of your suffering or your hardships. But I know you are chained to your darkness with no way out, and I wish to save you from it."

Akame's eyes dilated as breath escaped her. There was so much compassion in that voice. So much affection. So much love. So much understanding and sympathy.

Something deep within her stirred. A feeling left forgotten and buried deep under the mud and blood accumulated from years of sorrows slowly bubbled up to the surface.

"... Tell me… no more beating around the bush." Her voice cracked. "Why are you so kind to me? Why do you want to save me?"

'I don't deserved to be saved.'

Her arms trembled. An unfamiliar feeling welling up inside her.

"Because I saw a girl who is broken beyond all repair. A girl who is trapped with no way out. A girl who doesn't recognize kindness when it is shown to her on a silver platter."

Akame shuddered as Arthur cusped her cheek. She stared up at him, his eyes burning with goodness and light.

"I know deep inside you want to escape the darkness that chains you…" Arthur wiped a tear trailing her cheek away. "So here I am. I am here to break those chains and save you. After all…"

He smiled with such brilliant kindness brighter than a hundred suns.

"... you've always wanted a Hero to save you, right?"

Akame remained silent. She gazed directly into his eyes, brimming with tears.

'Ar… thur…'

A feeling finally surfaced from the deep recesses of her soul.

For the first time, she felt hope.

"I want to believe you… but it's hard." She choked. "I want to believe that you are being honest with me. I want to place my trust in you but…"

She shut her eyes and turned away from him.

'I don't want to be hurt again. Don't make me feel hope only to crush it please…'

"Life has not been kind to you." He gently turned her head up and back towards his direction. "It's hard to trust a stranger. And in this world, placing trust in others only means you will be stabbed in the back later on."

Akame opened her eyes and looked him directly in the eye, tears finally free falling.

"So how do I know you're not lying? That you won't stab me in the back?"

Arthur merely grinned.

"Was me taking care of your wounds and not killing you while you were asleep, all the while I know you're an assassin and the risk you represent, proof of my integrity?"

Akame remained silent, her eyes growing weary.

Slowly, her eyes looked down to the Teigu in his free hand. A holy Teigu that represented the hopes and dreams of an oppressed people. A holy Teigu that she knew deep in her heart could only be wielded by a person of pure heart.

"I know that it's hard to trust someone, especially after all that you've been through. But I promise you that all I want… is to save you."

It was so stupid. It was so fucking stupid.

This was definitely a lie. All this kindness bullshit was definitely a lie. Some long con scam meant to lower her guard down so this Arthur guy could stab her in the back.

Yes, it was a lie. Definitely a lie. No one could be this kind. No one could be this good…

…

…

…

'Stop lying to yourself, Akame. He was never lying from the start.'

She searched his eyes. There was no sign of deceit, but only honesty and integrity. Years spent knee deep in the worst humanity had to offer told her that. The compassionate words that left his lips soothed her soul while his voice was like sweet music to her ears.

Was this what she was waiting for this whole time? Someone to save her? Someone to pick up her broken pieces and make her whole again? Someone to breathe fresh life into a desk husk of a corpse?

Was he the hero she had been crying out for this whole time?

His promise to save her was still a stretch and unbelievable. She was an Assassin who had committed crimes worthy of the guillotine, yet here Arthur was offering to do so anyways. Perhaps he was aware she was an assassin, but did not know how far in the deep end she had gone. If he knew the full extent of her crimes, would he still try to save her? Or would he abandon her and try to kill her like so many others did?

But if there was even a slightest chance to escape this nightmare she was trapped in, if there was even a slightest ray of light that could lead her to salvation…

She took a deep breath and prepared to take a leap of faith.

"I believe you, Arthur," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'm willing to trust you."

'But please... save me'

Arthur smiled. A smile that warmed her heart and lifted her soul

"Don't worry, Akame. You will be safe with me."

In one world, a world where Arthur Pendragon did not exist, Akame would be doomed to forever walk the path of an assassin and watch her friends die one by one.

But in this world, maybe… just maybe… this was her chance to finally be free.

xxx

Many years later… in a wonderful future

xxx

Akame opened her eyes.

Her eyes glistened as the flickers of a precious memory faded away to the recesses of her mind. Slowly, she took a deep breath and placed a hand over her chest, feeling her heart beating strongly.

"Was that the moment I started falling for him?"

There was no response. Instead, she heard the cheers and rejoicing of the crowd clamoring below in the courtyards of the Imperial Palace of Camelot. Their voices were loud enough to reach all the way to her personal office on the top floor of the Tower of the Holy Inquisition. In the distance, the metallic chimes of a hundred church bells resounded all across the Holy City of Camelot.

She smiled softly to herself.

"I've been falling for him from the start, haven't I?"

It was unnoticeable at first, but it was there. A sense of attraction and the way she looked up at him as her Hero instead of everyone's hero. It was only when she settled down in Camelot and her feelings grew strong enough and did she finally realize she fell in love with him.

In hindsight, Arthur unknowingly met all her repressed needs, wishes, and desires from the moment they first met at the time. No one had shown such levels of compassion and kindness to her before he did. Even the camaraderie of Night Raid could not compare. No wonder she fell in love with him.

'Oh, Arthur. Thank you for everything you've done for me. And thank goodness I was able to repay it back.'

She blushed, then squealed like a schoolgirl.

'Arthur… hehehehehe.'

If the old Akame was still here, she would stare at this present Akame like an utter idiot. 'What the hell happened to you?' She could almost hear her past self ask.

Who would have thought that her choice to place her trust in Arthur would one day lead her to fall in love with him?

Suddenly, a wooden door squeaked open. Akame looked up and saw an annoyed Sayo's head peek in.

"There you are, Alys! I've been looking for you!"

Sayo stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. She was wearing a white dress made from silk and adorned with precious gems and pearls, while her hair was combed and styled into a braid. She looked really beautiful in that dress.

Ieyasu sure was one lucky bastard.

"That's a nice dress you have." Akame idly pointed out.

"Yes, yes," She said dismissively. "but why are you stuck here in your office?!"

Sayo crossed her arms and huffed.

"It's your wedding day, Alys! You're going to become the Holy Empress of the Holy Empire of Avalon in a few hours and you're sitting here in your office to brood? Really?"

Akame laughed and threw her arms up in mock surrender as she stood up from desk.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm not brooding. Just remembering the past, you know?"

Akame smiled wistfully. "Sometimes… I wonder how I ended up here, getting ready to marry Arthur and eventually raise a family with him. And to think that only seven years ago I was Akame the Assassin for Night Raid…"

Sayo's annoyed gaze suddenly softened.

"... I understand. Nobody expected an assassin would be the Holy Empress one day." Sayo smiled. "You and Arthur sure had a wild adventure, didn't you?"

"Yeah…" Akame lowered her arms back to her sides. "We did."

'An adventure I will never forget.'

Akame sighed fondly. 'Oh, Arthur.'

"Alright enough chit chat though. Let's goooooo."

Akame eeped as Sayo grabbed her arm.

"Your wedding dress is at your dress room," She tugged Akame along. "and your girl friends at Night Raid are dying to see you wear it. Metaphorically, of course. And me included."

Sayo giggled as she dragged Akame out of her office.

"His Holy Emperor's jaw is going to drop, I tell you! Drop! All the way from the spires of the Imperial Palace to the damned pits of the underworld once he sees you!"

"Okay! Okay!" Akame laughed as she pried off Sayo's grip. "I'm coming, I'm coming!"

Sayo laughed back, her voice echoing throughout the marble hallways of the Imperial Palace.

As the two friends walked side by side together, the first promise he made resurfaced from the depths of her mind. It was as vivid as the day he made it to her.

"... you've always wanted a Hero to save you, right?"

She smiled, placing her hand close to her chest.

'Thank you, Arthur, for saving me.'

End of Prologue Arc: Where Our Story Starts
Next Arc: The Girl Named Alys

A/N

After five thousand wasted words I'm finally done! YES!

Okay now unto the A/N.

Thank you everyone with the support all of you showed so far. I'm happy and pleased that you love this story, especially how I'm still starting out. The eighty three favorites, twenty three comments and one hundred plus follows is a great start for this story!

With this chapter, we have officially started Akame's character development/redemption arc. I hope you will stay with me and witness how Akame walks the path that would bring her towards salvation. The little epilogue up there is a sneak peak on Akame once she reaches this salvation. And also a glimpse of the Empire once Arthur accomplishes whatever he's planning to do with it.

See you in the next chapter. Please favorite, follow, and review. Your support motivates me to write for you!