Yo fellas? You mind if y'all stop messaging me about commissioning y'all for art on this? I'm a poor college student, I haven't the funds to extend on my hobbies. Sorry to disappoint. Otherwise, enjoy this chapter. I put a lot of deliberation towards the end. I'm trying to set up for future events. It's getting tough to plan out the story. Wello, I already swore I'd see this through to the end.
I'm gonna try my best to make each chapter at least 8000 words+ as a goal.
Also, I've heard that the entire story takes 6-7 months but some other sources claim it was around 1.5-2 years in span. As I'm not sure, I'll use my bias to lean towards the 2 years mark because more time equals more development.
Divergence
The woman was reviewing documents that their secret communication services had brought. She was reading over the news that her connections from the Revolutionary Army brought her. She quickly skimmed over the main issues. Right now, what she wanted to know most about concerned the state of the Northern Tribes. Alas, there was no news about that.
The woman pushed the white hair out of her… eye. She only had one left now. Her left. Her right was covered with an eyepatch. Her missing right eye was complemented with the absence of her right arm as well, a prosthetic in its place. It was a strange look for a woman of her age and beauty. Yet, despite the disfigurements from the natural state, she was still clearly beautiful.
So the green-haired young man that was walking up next to her desk to deliver her some tea would say.
The woman offered the man a smile, gratefully accepting the cup.
"It's almost time for you to go out, Lubbock." The woman spoke. "Do you really have the time to make tea for me when you should be preparing for your job?"
"I've got just about everything prepared, Miss Najenda. There's not much for me to do to prepare. It's not like we're going to face teigu-users, you know."
"I insist that every mission you undertake should be done to the most of your care. The Evans family is rather wealthy and I've heard they hired a lot of guards. I don't imagine everyone would lose but I don't want you to get hurt at all, if possible."
"Is that a plea for me to return safely, Miss Najenda?"
The white-haired woman smiled slightly. "Save it, Lubbock. Inform everyone to go out and rendezvous with Leone at the meeting p-"
"Not necessary."
The door to the room swung open. A blonde woman with a considerable bust and questionable choice of clothing stepped in. On her head, one could see ears in the shape akin to a wolf's and fur seemed to go along her arms and legs. On her waist was a belt that was rather large.
"Leone…? What are you doing here?"
Leone, the blonde woman, released her teigu, losing the fur and ears.
"The Evans family is dead, Boss."
Silence followed that statement. Najenda leaned in as she switched into her serious persona.
"Explain."
"I'd like to. I just don't know. I was at a bar last night, drinking when I heard a commotion coming outside. A bunch of soldiers were running by saying something about the Evans family. I followed them to their house, and whaddayaknow. They were pretty much all dead. Some guards had escaped though. Pretty sure they were killed just that night."
Najenda leaned back, confused. That had virtually answered nothing. She asked the most pressing question. "Who?"
"Dunno. All I heard was, 'it was Night Raid' that did it."
"So that means the killer wasn't caught."
Leone shrugged.
Najenda closed her eyes. She listed out the possible suspects. There weren't many people who were capable of slaying an entire household of guards. All her members of Night Raid could do it but she ruled them out. Perhaps the Three Beasts? It didn't fit their history. Esdeath was out of the picture.
Najenda grunted as she was just about running out of teigu users to consider. Maybe a non-teigu user? It was harder to think of any names. She tried to simplify the question. Someone from the Imperial Army? Definitely not. They were made to protect scum like the Evans.
Maybe someone from the Revolutionary Army? Not likely either…
"So… it must be a third party we don't know yet…" She mused. Her eyes flicked open. "Whoever this killer is, they must have considerable skill to go after the Evans. I can only hope that they must share our ambitions if they were trying to wipe out someone as corrupt as them."
Leone leaned back with a smile, falling with a thud onto the soft couch seat.
"A new ally!? How exciting!"
"What's this about a new ally? Are they male?" A deep voice questioned. A tall buff man with an unbelievable pompadour accompanied by a purple-haired woman entered the room.
"You're a damn riot, Bulat." Leone snorted.
"We don't even know if it is a new ally." Najenda sighed. "But if it is a man and he is an ally, I would like it if he wasn't so open about his tastes in a partner."
"Like me, right, Miss Najenda?" Lubbock chirped.
The room went silent before being interrupted by Leone's snort again.
The purple-haired woman clasped her hands together in excitement. Her face displayed a bright smile.
"It would be wonderful if we got a new ally! I'm overjoyed that we just got Mine to join us."
"Well that makes me glad, Sheele, but why the hell is everyone here! Don't we have a miss- Leone! What the heck are you doing here!" A pink haired short girl shouted upon entering the room.
"Pipe down, Mine. It's because you shout so damn much you're a midget. Your body probably thinks it's a chihuahua."
The pink-haired girl raised a huge, oversized gun, aiming it in Leone's direction. Lubbock jumped on the little girl, holding her back as she seethed. Bulat laughed loudly as Sheele let out a chuckle. Leone growled competitively. Najenda sighed.
"Mine. The mission's canceled. The Evans have all been slaughtered already by a party we don't know. Where's Akame?"
Mine paused. "Ah." She looked at Najenda with a blank expression. "She said she'll leave early to the meeting spot."
…
From afar, a raven haired girl sneezed as she waited by a corner of a block, wondering why her friends weren't showing up. Her red eyes stared blankly ahead as her stomach growled.
"I'm hungry."
Tatsumi awakened… or at least he thought he did. He only comprehended the blackness of the void. It was the same welcoming, calming void he saw whenever he closed his eyes. But his eyes were open.
It was the expanse of darkness again. Tatsumi sighed internally. So this was how it all ended. He felt pathetic. He had traveled back to the past in order to attain a better future. But he lost his head at the sight of his dead friends and died much earlier without changing a single thing. If only he kept his head and just waited for Night Raid to arrive the day after he recklessly attacked Aria's family. Nothing he could do about it now. He was dead. At least he learned that there was an afterlife. It was much darker than he imagined it would be-
"Boy." Tyrant's voice resounded.
'WHAT THE HE-' Tatsumi cried out. Or thought out. 'How the hell are you here!'
The dragon's eyes formed in the dark, looking down upon Tatsumi's point of view. It squinted as though studying in confusion.
"... what I am hearing is, you thought you were dead."
Tatsumi's shock slowly drew back as he reconsidered his environment. The fact that Tyrant was talking to him and that he had been in such a world before pointed to the likeliness that he was, in fact, still alive.
'I… am alive…?'
"In the real world, yes. Barely. It seems someone has extended their care to you."
'Who? And how are we even talking like this again? Are we going back in time again? Wait, real world?'
The dragon's eyes glared down at him, expressing clear annoyance at the torrent of questions that Tatsumi flung at him.
"Firstly, I don't know who saved you. This world is simply the interior of our shared mental landscapes. We are NOT going back in time, we have simply had the chance to reconnect because you are currently in a deep state of unconsciousness in the real world. And that brings us to what I wanted to talk about in the first place." The dragon's voice boomed. "And that is your growth."
'My… growth…?'
Tatsumi recalled his fight with the guards of the estate. He had used his body to the absolute limits in his last fight with them, managing to slay everyone that had stood in his way. He had fought with skills and experience he had accumulated in the future, even going beyond in many ways.
"You have finally dipped a little into the bottomless well of potential within you. I could never have dreamed of such an explosive development so soon." Tatsumi could not see it but he could feel it from the tone of Tyrant's voice. He was smiling. Somehow that was unsettling. "Even if it was reckless, I want you to continue evolving. Grow exponentially. Brutally. Ruthlessly. Tear apart everything that stands in your way, until we can tear that woman down from her throne."
Tatsumi was taken aback by the sheer anger within Tyrant's voice. It spoke to his true nature as a conqueror.
'You mean Esdeath.'
"...the Ice Demon. I want to overcome her. To return the shame of this feeling of loss she instilled within me. This burning regret will not die until I tear her to shreds."
A shiver ran along Tatsumi's senses as he felt the sheer murderous aura from Tyrant. It was a bitter angry wave of lethality that promised a fight between him and Esdeath one day.
'I see… so you are supporting my growth because you want to settle your debt with Esdeath.'
"That is correct."
'Alright.' Tatsumi laughed. 'I'm glad I've got such a powerful ally helping me out then.'
"Ally?"
The dragon's eyes squinted down upon Tatsumi's soul. They were not kind.
"Make no mistake, boy. We are NOT allies. We simply have the shared goal of becoming stronger for our own sakes. I am using your growth and you will use my evolution." A growl of contempt resounded within Tatsumi's spirit. "The instant I judge you to be weak, unfit, or having reached the peak of your potential, I will take over your body and take the reins for myself!"
With that declaration, fear shot up Tatsumi's spine. He had made a mistake to think that he was in the presence of a friend. Tyrant was a danger beast. He was before an enemy.
"Gah…!" Tatsumi gasped as his eyes opened, sweat pouring out of his pores as his hair stood on end.
Slowly, ever slowly, his racing heart calmed down. He finally considered his surroundings and realized that he was back in the real world. He was in a bed in a small room. His body was bandaged and being treated. Looking to his right, he saw a face that he recognized.
"Doc…!?"
It was the face of the doctor from the Revolutionary Army. Tatsumi's mind whirled for a second. 'Am I back in the future? Or was everything a dream until this point?'
The man looked down on Tatsumi's figure with a look of surprise.
"Goodness, you're already awake? I would have figured you'd be out for a few days. The amount of blood you lost was no joke."
Tatsumi squinted carefully at the doctor. He was beginning to see the differences between the doctor he knew and this man. He looked just a bit younger and less stressed to describe it. Tatsumi pieced together that this man was the doctor before he joined the Revolutionary Army.
"You called me 'Doc'. Strange, you already guessed my nickname." The doctor mused. "My name is Doctor Marlow. It's nice to meet you, boy."
Tatsumi tried to rise up from the bed, finding it awfully difficult. A sharp spike of pain ran along his left arm when he put pressure on it. He immediately snapped the weight off of it, gripping his left wrist to dull the pain. "Gah…!"
Tatsumi could see a lot of bandages covering his left arm. Memories of the deep slash he received from the bodyguard, Gauri, flowed back into him.
"Be grateful, kid. It's a wound that will eventually heal. Your Brachialis and Extensor muscles were cut but it shouldn't leave permanent damage as long as you don't do anything reckless with it." The doctor walked over to a nearby drawer. He picked up something from the top of it. It was a gun. He pointed it at Tatsumi. "Anything reckless like murdering a whole household of armed men."
Tatsumi froze immediately. He realized he couldn't see his village sword anywhere. His position was awkward to make any quick movements to dodge a bullet if he wanted to. Besides, he was just plain tired as well. He slowly raised his arms.
"Boy, it was you that slaughtered the Evans household wasn't it?"
"The Evans household?"
The doctor tilted his head in confusion. "Wait… you're telling me you didn't even know who you murdered?"
Tatsumi could see the man's fingers tense on the trigger. He focused carefully as he chose his next words carefully.
"I didn't need to know who they were. They killed my friends and tortured people from the countryside. They were monsters." Tatsumi answered.
The doctor studied Tatsumi's gaze carefully. A few seconds of silence passed as the tense atmosphere resounded the heartbeat in the respective hearts of the two men. Slowly, it lifted as the doctor drew down his gun.
"I have heard rumors of the Evans practicing sadistic torture. The soldiers that investigated the area wouldn't share news of the gruesome detail, though." The doctor sighed. "But I believe you, kid, because I want to believe you. You look like an honest kid."
"...Thanks." Tatsumi lowered his arms, wincing as his left arm unfolded a bit too fast. "For not shooting me and taking care of me, I guess."
"What the hell are you though? I have heard that more than 30 bodies were found on the site. And these are hired guards, not regular people we're talking about."
This line of questioning was hard to answer. Tatsumi would look strange if he talked about having a lot of assassin experience from the future… even excluding the future part, letting out any information that tied him to being an assassin would be damning. Tatsumi carefully made a partial truth.
"I… hunted a lot danger beasts. I fought and killed a lot of them to train myself to become strong." He answered. "When I was surrounded by the guards… I just willed myself to think of them as monsters. Then it became easy."
The doctor blinked at the crazy answer the boy gave. If that were the entire case, that could only mean that the boy he had been treating was a natural-born killer. That didn't settle well with him. Even if they were to point their blades at the most evil and vile of the population, those that killed others were always met with a level of distrust.
"I see… I honestly thought you were going to tell me you were a part of Night Raid."
"Heh… Night Raid?" Tatsumi smiled. His eyes gazed off a little far into the distance. "It's just me." That sentence contained a lot more meaning than the doctor could realize.
"What's your name, boy?"
Tatsumi considered briefly whether or not he should give a fake name. He decided against it, though.
"Tatsumi. Thanks again for saving my life, Doc."
"You should thank Maria for that, not me. She was the one who found you and carried you to her home. She also paid me for your care."
"Maria?"
The doctor sighed as he put the gun into a holster in his jacket. "She doesn't know you and she's pretty sure you don't know her as well. So just wait until you meet her. I'll bring her over."
The doctor left the room. Tatsumi took the time to try and test out his body. He tried moving his arms and legs, finding that they all worked rather fine, if at least with a dull pain and a terrible tiring sensation. He was quite low on blood it seemed.
A few moments later, doctor Marlow returned to the room with a woman. She was a blonde maiden with a frail figure. Tatsumi could judge from her countenance that she was tired. Or stressed. But her expression just looked sad. It was an expression that tugged at Tatsumi's brain, seemingly a face he had seen before. She met the boy's gaze with a smile.
"Oh… you're awake, child."
Tatsumi returned her smile with his own. "You must be Maria… Thank you for saving me."
"It's fine… it's what… David would have done." Maria said with a kind smile. But her eyes spoke of a wistful sorrow.
"David…?"
"He… was my fiance…" Maria stared off into the distance. "He's dead now."
"Ah… I'm so sorry…"
Maria focused her gaze back onto Tatsumi. "Oh… no. I'm sorry for troubling you with my grief. I'm just… terribly all over the place these days." Maria smiled emptily down at Tatsumi. "And I must apologize… I took your money and used it to pay for doctor Marlow's treatment on you. I hope you don't mind. I also… took some of the money you had for myself… I am truly sorry but I am in terrible need of money…"
Doctor Marlow looked at Maria with a suspicious glance. He seemed to notice something on her wrist. "Maria… that bruise…"
He reached for her arm but Maria pulled back anxiously. Her gaze fell into a guilty expression.
"Maria…! Are you still…! I told you not to do that…! There are other ways to make money…!"
"Doctor… thank you for your words but please don't lecture me about this." Maria quickly rushed out of the room.
"Maria!"
Tatsumi could only watch the sequence of events unfold without a clue for what was happening. The context was lost on him. There was a history here and Tatsumi was clearly not a part of all of its drama.
"Doctor… what was that about…?" Tatsumi inquired quietly.
"Kid, you really shouldn't know." Came the dreary response. The doctor gazed darkly at the door. He sighed again. "The Empire's so damn corrupt. I'm doing my best to help the people but for every one I treat, there's ten more who need my care."
A moment of silence followed before he made his declaration. "Something has to change. I'm planning on joining the Revolutionary Army."
Tatsumi couldn't help but smile involuntarily at his words. It simply felt nostalgic in a strange way to be seeing the future happen before him. He knew that the doctor's decision today would lead to their meeting in the old future. "That's great, Doc."
The doctor grinned. It was an unusual look for him as Tatsumi had never seen him crack a smile before.
"I'm gonna say you need about 3 weeks to fully recover from the blood loss. Maybe a few months for the arm though. You can walk but I forbid you from heavy exercise until 3 weeks are up. Otherwise, you'd probably feel faint. Got it?"
"Got it."
"Good. You're young so you heal quick. Keep out of trouble. Eat fish and poultry and other iron-rich foods if you can to replace your blood faster."
The doctor walked over to pick up his materials, placing them in a bag. Tatsumi stared down at him with a curious look.
"Hey, Doc… can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
"Umm… is there a case where… a guy just… seems to perceive time in slow motion?"
The doctor looked over his shoulder at Tatsumi, giving him a look that prompted further explanation.
"When I was surrounded by a lot of the guards… I just had a moment of clarity and everything around me seemed to look crystal clear. Time seemed to slow down and I managed to fight people off using that opportunity."
The doctor thought about Tatsumi's words. "That sounds like tachypsychia."
"Tachy… psychia…?"
"Yeah. Ever heard the expression 'his life flashed before his eyes' or something like that?"
"Yeah?"
"It's like that. Your brain, see, has what we theorize as pre-set limits. It doesn't let you make super quick reflexes to save most of the energy into maintaining itself. But when the brain recognizes that its about to die, those limits disappear and everything runs on full capacity. Lots of soldiers that have faced danger beasts or have gone to war report experiences like that. The so-called 'life flashing before his eyes' phenomenon is just an extension of tachypsychia, where the brain goes above its limits but people use that moment of clarity to think about their loved ones."
Tatsumi processed the doctor's words carefully. "Any way to activate it on intent?"
The doctor gave Tatsumi a quizzical look before rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Probably not. You would probably have to enter a life-and-death scenario first. Even then, if you're thinking of using it as a means to kill, which I'm assuming, you would likely burn yourself out quickly, collapsing from exhaustion shortly after experiencing it."
'So I have to enter a life-or-death scenario first...' Tatsumi blinked as he realized he forgot to ask a serious question. "How long was I out?"
"Three days."
…
Tatsumi was lying down, resting the rest of the day in bed as the doctor ordered. This was a good time to think about what to do for the future. He was seriously considering just dropping into Night Raid's base and telling them everything but he needed to heal up first. He thought about those he had killed on Night Raid's missions. Zank the Beheader… Iwokaru and his bodyguards… and Captain Ogre… those were the three most pressing hits he had to think about. If it was three days since he took down the Evans family, then it should roughly be the time Night Raid would receive requests for those hits. Maybe he could use that to meet up with them.
Tatsumi stretched lazily and groaned. No matter how dull and painful everything felt, his heart was still pumping with life and spirit. He was getting more tired of lying in bed than being tired itself. He wanted to stretch his legs. Getting up, he quietly dressed up in his shirt which seemed washed thankfully and also stitched together. He smiled. Maria must've been a kind woman. Or the Doctor. Oh well.
Picking up his gloves, he entered the main room of Maria's house, realizing how quiet it was. Was Maria not here? He walked over to the front of the house and saw his trusty village sword in its sheath, leaning against the wall. Smiling, he picked it up and wore it on his belt.
He opened the front door to meet the cool air of the outside world. How refreshing it was. It was a therapeutic time. Simply walking about while enjoying the stars would do his body a lot of good.
His eyes quickly fell down from the sky to the ground as he noticed someone stumbling along the ground. As they focused, he could see who it was.
"Maria..!"
Tatsumi ran towards her battered figure as she walked. She stumbled a bit but Tatsumi grabbed her to stabilize her. Tatsumi could see bruises and contusions on her body, specifically along her neck and wrist.
"Maria… you…!" Tatsumi could smell scents of perfume and drugs coming off of her.
"Oh… I'm sorry, Tatsumi… I'm alright now…" She huffed.
"Maria… have you been… doing prostitution?"
Maria looked down, averting her gaze from Tatsumi's eyes. Her unwillingness to speak up answered for her.
"Why are you… that's not good or safe for you… you shouldn't-"
"It's fine, Tatsumi. I'm okay now. I've finally got enough money."
Tatsumi heard the pitter of the sound of dropping water. Looking down, he could see wetness on the ground from where Maria's tears were falling.
"I've finally got enough money… to hire Night Raid to kill them…!"
"Night Raid…?"
Maria lifted her gaze to meet Tatsumi's face. Her face showed a determined sadness as tears flowed from her eyes.
"David… he was framed for a crime he didn't commit…! Because of that oil merchant Gamal… and that Captain of the Capital Guards… Ogre…!"
Tatsumi's memories flowed back as he finally remembered this woman. It was her, the one who had placed a hit on Gamal and Ogre from his first time in Night Raid. After killing them, Tatsumi and Leone went to inform her of their accomplishment of her request. It was then that Tatsumi had first seen her. It was then that Tatsumi had first seen that melancholic countenance for the first time. It was that he felt a twinge of nostalgia towards.
"Maria…"
"I don't care if I defile myself…! David was such… a wonderful man… As long as they live… this regret won't ever be cleared from my heart!" Maria cried out, gripping the sleeves of Tatsumi's shirt.
Tatsumi looked down with a deep look on the woman. He felt all sorts of emotions for her. Pity. Sympathy. Maybe even relatability. He wanted to give comfort to the grieving woman but found that he knew of no way how. The heaviness in his heart pushed outwards as it went to this woman. He placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"I understand."
Maria's tears came to a stop as she focused on the boy's face. A smile that reached out kindly towards her soul met her gaze.
"I too have lost those I loved. I know of the anger you feel."
The woman was a little taken aback as the boy who could not even be eighteen in years spoke with such profound deepness. He seemed to be much older from his words and gestures alone.
"I don't know David. But not even he would have wanted you to waste and harm yourself for his sake."
Tatsumi rose to his feet. His hand rested on his sword handle as he gazed far off into the night. His heart beat with spirit, overcoming his body's need to rest.
"Send the money to Night Raid. You don't have to worry about Ogre and Gamal anymore."
He began to walk off towards the night. Maria looked on after him, worry on her face. "W-wait… Where are you going? You're in no condition to fight!"
Tatsumi paused to give a reassuring smile over his shoulder to the woman.
"Don't worry. I've hunted someone exactly like them before."
The tall man strolled through the streets of the city, his face a picture of drunken satisfaction. He had money to blow since he took Gamal's "kind offer." Parading through these streets that he owned was the greatest satisfaction to his ego.
"Ogre-sama," the rich elites would say. "We thank you for your service and are grateful for the favor you have shown us."
How fun it was to be in power. He thought of the dreary days when he used to be a nobody.
He had ambitions too, once, to be a benevolent and strong leader. Those days when he trained and trained, making returns on his efforts to attain strength little by little each day. But as time passed, his growth started to dwindle and he was slowly getting drowned out in the competitive world of climbing the social ladder.
Soon enough, he noticed it. The emptiness. The lacking. No one was looking at him. He had become strong. But no one cared.
Resent sprouted from within the misguided soul for the world. Was it because he didn't strive high enough? Was it because he wasn't strong enough? What gave the world the right to look down on him, he had great ambitions too!
And the reward for all that sweat and effort? A steady salary.
Bullshit. On the streets, in a scuffle, no one could match him! He was the provider of peace to the people that lived in the city! He was their guard! He should've lived like a king!
So was his mind when the tempting words of the first merchant whispered into his ear to take the small pouch of money, the foundation of his good nature shook. All he had to do was turn a blind eye to a simple incident. The merchant extended a hand with an inviting smile.
Ogre left a pouch of gold coins heavier and his hand stained with the scent of dishonor.
The drunk man hiccuped as he stared up at the lights of the district. It shone brightly even this late into the night. A wild smile of satisfaction stretched across his face.
'Who cares a damn thing about honor!?' Ogre laughed as he took a swig from his sake bottle. 'I worked hard, I deserve to play hard! If anyone feels bad about that, I welcome him to fight me for that!'
"Um… Ogre-sama…"
A young male's voice spoke up from behind the captain's shoulder. Ogre turned to see the owner of the voice. It had come from a young man with a bit of pale complexion and a frail look. His hair was brown with a cowlick and his eyes were green.
"I have something I would like to talk to you about… privately if possible." Tatsumi issued to the guard captain. "If you wouldn't mind, would you please discuss with me in a nearby alleyway? Talking about it in public would be… problematic, you see…"
The guard captain's eyes studied the young man carefully, trying to discern any threat behind his issuance. Satisfied after detecting nothing, and more importantly, seeing nothing dangerous about him, he decided to entertain the boy.
"Well, lead the way, brat." Ogre brashly spoke. He was in a good mood after all. "I've got duties to do and places to be so this better be something important."
…
Tatsumi had led the man into the nearest alleyway. The lights from the district couldn't be seen from here. The sounds of people talking and laughing were but a whisper from this location. Only the moonlight and the two men occupied the empty alley as Tatsumi turned to face Ogre.
The Ogre gave a grunt as Tatsumi stopped. "Well?" He bellowed. "This place seems just fine for a private talk, boy. Out with it."
"Let's skip the pleasantries. Draw your blade."
The guard captain was caught off guard at the boy's bold call out. He had even considered something like this happening but from the wounds and frailty the young man displayed, Ogre could not imagine the boy to have been so brash to challenge him into a duel.
"What the fuck is this joke, huh? You want to die, brat?"
Ogre's good mood was passing off and the drunken stupor of the liquor faded away as the man entered a serious state. His arm crept up to his waist, one large hand gripping the handle of his prized falchion.
"I'm just saving us both the trouble. I've got places to be, you see. Don't make me waste my breath. Draw your sword."
The guard captain's face contorted into a strange mix of anger and delight. He loved nothing more than brutal violence on the weak and making them scream out in mercy. But… the arrogance of the child in front of him to call HIM out was boiling his blood. He was going to love tormenting him, even if he was already clearly injured. The falchion slid out of the sheath with an audible metallic "shing".
"Bring out your sword, brat. I can tell you have one. It's not fun unless you fight back."
Tatsumi raised his eyes at the man issuing him the challenge. And in return for his words, Tatsumi offered a simple condescending smile.
"Won't need it."
Ogre came hurtling towards the boy with all his strength. He was determined to crush that smile that looked down on him so.
Dodging the obvious downward slash with a shift towards his right, Tatsumi rolled backwards with a backflip to avoid the punch that followed. He kept his breathing steady, his heart beating carefully in his chest. He was missing quite a bit of blood. He wanted to keep this fight while not using above 50% of his strength. Thankfully, Ogre's swordplay was simple and much more power reliant, meaning Tatsumi could read his attacks and dodge accordingly. But Tatsumi wanted to test something out.
Ogre charged again. He realized that the boy had quite a bit of skill and that simple attacks would be read easily. He ran forwards with a thrust, pushing the boy back towards the end of the alleyway, where a wall was. There wasn't infinite space to dodge. He'd corner the child first and then take his time brutalizing his body.
Tatsumi could see the thrust coming. He could dodge… but he waited a bit. A little bit more… and then he dodged towards the right.
'Not close enough.' Tatsumi decided as he dodged with enough space.
The Ogre could tell that Tatsumi was trying to get out of a press. He wouldn't allow that. Sending a flurry of strikes at the boy, he grit his teeth as he made multiple quick slashes in succession.
Tatsumi could see the strikes… but he waited until they got closer to dodge. He needed to let it get closer. He tried to gauge the distance properly to let a centimeter be the distance dividing him and the sword before making his evasion.
Tatsumi wanted to enter that world again. The world on the verge of life and death. He was trying to activate tachypsychia in battle.
To do that, he was willing to get as close to Ogre's blade as possible before dodging, to make his mind enter the life or death scenario.
Ogre was beginning to understand. Although he was no master swordsman, he was still experienced enough with the blade to tell when his opponents were serious or not. And he could understand that the boy in front of him was not focusing on the fight at all. He wasn't even concerned about his blade. It was obvious that his focus was on something else entirely.
'This brat… is he… using me to train…!?'
A flood of shame and anger poured out of the guard captain's soul. He, Ogre the Demon, the mightiest authority within the streets of the city… was but a practice sparring partner for the boy in front of him!?
"BRAT! DIE!"
The burly man lifted his sword high, crashing it down with all his strength at the aid of gravity, cutting ruthlessly through the air as the killer slash fell down towards Tatsumi.
'Dodge' spoke Tatsumi's mind, but his soul wouldn't allow him. 'If I were to get stronger, if I were to protect the ones I love… I need strength… If I can't face death head on, I'll never get stronger. Stand firm, my legs. Respond to my will, my brain!'
Tatsumi watched as the slash came down further and further. It would soon be too late to dodge… he had to move… but the memories of the devastation in the future rooted him down. The faces of Sayo and Ieyasu's corpses burned away the hesitation within his mind.
'No… if I can't get stronger right here, right now… I'm fine with dying.'
The slash slammed down on the ground with a devastating crash as dust was blown up. Ogre smiled. He had felt his sword something solid. Finally, a slash had connected.
Yet, looking up from the dust as it settled, his smile vanished.
Tatsumi had his sword drawn up over his head, having deflected and pushed away Ogre's mighty slash. The vibe from the boy was clearly different, his eyes staring far off into the beyond. The boy slowly lowered his arms, going into a relaxed state. Ogre met the boy's deep green eyes as it shone with a crystal clarity.
"I give you my thanks, Ogre the Demon. You have helped me grow stronger."
Tatsumi had willed his body into entering tachypsychia on his own. He had achieved the impossible. By willing his mind into accepting death, he had been able to enter the state of immersion voluntarily.
Ogre raised his falchion steadily. He wanted to sneer at the brat, to shout at him, or slash at him… but his instincts told him that there was danger coming from the boy. His body entered a defensive posture, one he hadn't ever had to use in his time as a guard captain. A bead of sweat traveled down his kneaded forehead.
Tatsumi, on the other hand, leisurely began to walk towards the restless man, a slow smile resting on his face as he took one step after another, closing the distance. The guard captain could see so many openings… but his instincts screamed that if he took it, he would lose…
'Lose…? Me…?' Ogre backpedaled. He was thinking that he would lose to this snot nosed shit that called him out of the streets? This brat that hardly looked around 16 or 17, even as his body was obviously wounded in many areas? He would lose to this kid…!?
Ogre gnashed his teeth in humiliation. He swallowed the uncertainty within his heart, giving himself up to the bestial anger within. He raised his guarded stance to an attacking stance and once more, charged towards the boy.
Ogre saw it all unfold. It wasn't even hard to; the boy didn't even move that fast. Maybe even at half his own speed. With the most minimal movements, the boy slipped to the side, avoiding the sword by an actual millimeter, stepping forwards into the range of the guard captain. Instinctively, Ogre threw his fist at the boy which he languidly went under. Rising up, the boy slowly and quietly pointed the tip of his sword towards the neck of the guard captain.
The blade and the neck made the inevitable contact. It was over in a second.
Ogre dropped his sword as he fell to his knees, clutching his neck. He choked as the blood oozed down his windpipe.
The moonlight gleamed off of Tatsumi's sword as he swung it cleanly to splash off the blood. His cold gaze fell down upon Ogre's crumbling body.
"This was always the end that awaited trash like you. Those that got drunk on the taste of power and used it to oppress the weak."
Ogre fell over as he tried to cough up air, his body entering a state of shock as his eyes gazed up at Tatsumi's scornful stare.
'No… I don't want to die…! Not like this…! NOT LIKE THIS! I CAN'T DIE! I HAD SO MANY THINGS I WANTED TO DO…!'
The desperation within Ogre's eyes told of his state of mind to Tatsumi. He felt little pleasure in the distress of his enemy. His eyes closed to the dreary sight.
"Know that this was how your victims felt as they went."
Ogre's vision went dark as he fought for a last breath that never came.
The female attendant sighed as she waited for her patron to arrive from the bathroom. Not like she wanted him to hurry, she didn't want to please that frog-looking toad of a man. She had expected him to return in a few minutes. He only drank a bunch of liquor and ate little after all.
That was how the common wealthy aristocratic male acted in the pleasure district. The attendant sighed again. She didn't mind their gluttonous demeanor. But it would be nice if some of them were at least a bit handsome or had some charm. It was a drawl to please them when they were always fat and/or ugly.
That being thought, her patron was taking quite the while in the bathroom. She was alright with that but time spent off reflected negatively on her performance and pay. There was also the chance that he had slipped or was hurt from drinking too much and getting tipsy. She sighed as she got up from her chair and began walking towards the provided bathrooms. As she entered the hall, she saw in the distance, a man lying sprawled on the floor. Of course. He drank too much.
She sauntered over to the fallen man and patted him lightly, hoping he would wake up from his stupor.
"Gamal-sama? Are you okay?"
That was when she noticed the strange coloring under his kimono. A wetness of red was spreading over the clothing where the heart should be. The woman froze before a shrill scream resounded through the pleasure halls.
Tatsumi turned around as a woman's scream could be heard from the streets of the pleasure district. He waited calmly a bit before walking off and away from the area.
Maria was waiting silently at her house. She had not slept the night as the gnawing anxiety wore away at her bones. Had she done something wrong?
'Of course I had.' Maria screamed at herself internally. She had let a wounded boy wander off on his own. She was quite sure that he had gone after Gamal and Ogre. If he had, she had basically sent him off to die. It was bad enough that he had lost a lot of blood and was on the verge of death for the last few days. If he entered a fight, he would no doubt become anemic and die in the midst of battle.
She knew all this from the very beginning… but she had still let him go. Simply because of that assuring smile that he gave to her. It was a smile that provided calmness to her heart. It stood alone and shone without any hesitation. It reminded her of David's smile.
She wiped the wetness from her eye as she stood up from her chair. Walking over to a window, she gazed up at the night sky. Her right hand slid up to meet the moonlight as the ring sparkled on her ring finger. She smiled wistfully in memory of the day she had met the man she would declare her husband.
Oh it was so long ago, when they were both children. David was among the weakest of the boys of his neighborhood but he was the loudest. He would rile up his friends about dreams of becoming a great hero one day. He would do heroic deeds for the Empire and its citizens. Her childhood self thought he was quite silly. A hero? A weakling like him?
But his weakness served little as a deterrent. He would always stand up for his dream to be a great man. Little by little, she had been attracted to his charm.
Then one day, a stray dog had entered their streets, chancing upon the children as they played. It was a ferocious and hungry animal, wild to its core. It leapt upon the children as they ran. Little Maria being the slowest was falling behind. She screamed as the dog would leap on her.
But David intersected the dog. Where the stronger boys would dash off, he alone returned to help his friend. He wrestled the dog away from Maria, getting cuts and fending it off as the dog bit deeply into his left forearm. The neighborhood adults rushed out and immediately beat the wild dog, killing it to save the boy. David, gravely injured and bleeding, could still muster a grin as he declared it to the adults reprimanding his recklessness.
"It's what a hero would have done."
Maria smiled in her heart for the memories of that fateful day when he stole her heart. He was her hero. His heart was golden. She was sure of it. If he had lived, he would have surely grown to a great man - a hero - who helped many people as he had helped her.
The crushing sad reality flooded back into her heart as she remembered. It was futile to dream of a fantasy. David… was dead. His dream would die with him. All that was left now, was the vengeance that brewed in Maria's heart for the destruction of those that killed her lover.
As she felt the pangs of a sorrowful sob brew within her eyes, a knock came from the door. Her heart stopped for a few seconds. She turned her head towards the door. She carefully walked over and twisted the knob.
"I'm back, Miss Maria." Tatsumi said with a gentle smile. "You don't have to worry ab- have you been crying?"
Maria felt relief enter her heart at the sight of Tatsumi's face. Unknowingly, she had been worrying deeply over the safety of the young boy. She mustered up the courage to meet his smile with her own.
"Oh, no… please don't mind it." She whispered, wiping her eyes. "Welcome back."
Tatsumi entered the house. He was carrying a pouch in one hand. He set the pouch down on the nearest table.
"This is yours, Miss Maria." Tatsumi spoke. Untying the pouch, Maria gasped as she saw that it contained a considerable number of gold coins.
"Where did y-"
"It's a generous gift from Ogre and Gamal. Please use it to start a new life."
Maria stumbled back a bit. Had the boy had just admitted to assassination? Him? The severely injured child that had just woken up and was still wounded in many areas… he had taken out Gamal and Ogre? A captain rank guard with that hurting frame? She would have laughed at the boy's face but she felt the sincerity in his words. No, not his words, his smile.
"You… killed Ogre and Gamal…? Why? Night Raid would have taken care of them!"
Tatsumi kindly offered a look of comfort. "I… couldn't stand to hear what they had done to you. It made me angry. I just had to act."
"It's what a hero would have done."
The words of her lover seemed to echo in her mind. She found that she could no longer hold back her tears. Bursting from her eyes, she fell to her knees clutching the boy's hands. Tatsumi recoiled a bit in shock at the reaction.
"Y-You… are just like him…! Kind to a fault…!" Maria saw a very similar spirit of David within Tatsumi. The dream she believed to be dead, rose back in her heart. Hope in her lover's ambition flared alive.
"Please… be a great hero…! Become the hero that David wanted to be…! People… people need someone like you to look up to…!"
Tatsumi gave an anxious look down on the woman begging him to take up the mantle of a hero. A part of him despised the idea. In his heart, he was an assassin, a member of Night Raid. He fought in the dark, beyond the eyes of people. How could he be a hero? The people needed someone to look up to, but him?
But Tatsumi reconsidered his position. He wasn't a simple skilled fighter, he had knowledge of the future. And if the future was allowed to play out, if it happened as he remembered, what awaited the people was great suffering and many, many deaths. To overcome a future like that… Tatsumi felt that it wasn't enough to be a Revolutionary or a part of the Imperial Army. Something larger and grander than both.
"I can't promise the future, Maria." Tatsumi said, grasping the hands of the woman, kneeling down to her level. "But I will try with all the grit in my soul to be a hero."
…
Tatsumi laid in bed that night, staring up at the ceiling. He called to sleep many times to no success. His mind was on the matters of the future.
He alone knew of the coming events.
'If I were to think of myself as a pawn in a massive game of chess, how would I best utilize my knowledge and abilities?' Tatsumi thought to himself. 'In order to gain power as fast as possible… to prevent the end of those I cherish… those I cherish…'
Tatsumi wondered about his friends in Night Raid. Were they still his friends anymore? Was their old relationship moot now that he had returned to the point when they never even met? All of their shared memories and sacrifices - they only existed within the strange workings of his brain now. By all rights, he had no ties to them anymore. No debts to pay.
He was free.
He could go back. He could return to them and remake those memories… but a part of Tatsumi was scared. To force a future of connection upon practical strangers. Would it be the same? Wouldn't it be a one-sided relationship?
He already broke the 'normal' timeline by not meeting them on the designated time. He may have doomed what should have been. Was it too late?
Yet, even with all the doubt and worry in his heart, Tatsumi felt sure. He was one hundred percent certain. He would gladly fight with all of his body and soul for them. It didn't matter if they knew him or not. He'd thrust his body before theirs to take their pain. It was why he came back.
'All of them died. I was the only one that lived thanks to their sacrifices.'
Tatsumi recalled his first day being recruited into Night Raid. That time, they had told him they were little more than murderers without justice. But having lived through his journey, Tatsumi disagreed. They were heroes. All of them. Their dreams and goals to build a new world of hope and freedom were something he admired. Each and every one of them deserved to live in that future they would fight for - they HAD fought for.
If Tatsumi could be the catalyst that saved them from certain doom, even if it cost them their happy memories together, he would gladly take the shortest end of the stick.
"No one, not a single person has to die." He whispered a promise to himself.
If he thought of it like that, Tatsumi felt content. He closed his eyes and went to sleep.
