Took me forever to write this one.
Y'all know when Tatsumi's birthday is? The wiki says Feb 29th but the agreed upon consensus between people seem to be Jan 6th. That's what I'm going with in this story anyhow.
Also, how tf does chap 4 have more views than chap 3?
Of Power and Influence
Tatsumi perused the streets of the Capital marketplace. There were sales of all kinds of things here. Clothing, foods, weapons, just about everything of all kinds. He slowly made his way further to the edges of the marketing area where there were less people and the sales were of lower quality. Tatsumi stopped as he finally found the shop he was looking for.
'Nightbooks.' The sign read.
A green haired man was standing in front of the store. He eyed Tatsumi with a suspicious glare.
Tatsumi offered a smile in response. "Yo, Lubbock."
"That's Mr. Lubbock to you… greenbean."
"Oh~ That was a pretty good comeback for something you made up on the spot. But from the lack of confidence when you delivered it, added to the fact that green is obviously more of your color, I'll have to deduct some points. 6 out of 10."
"Bah! Shut up! Get in here!"
Lubbock led Tatsumi into his bookstore. Lifting up a panel, it opened a secret hideout with a set of stairs leading down. Tatsumi remembered this place fondly.
It was Najenda's display of trust to let this place be their agreed-upon meeting spot. To continue contact, Tatsumi was going to give information through Lubbock at this store. Descending the stairs, they entered a "secret-base' area filled with snacks and a few couches.
"Sweet place." Tatsumi whistled.
"Damn right." Lubbock smirked, rubbing his nose. "I'm pretty damn proud of it."
Tatsumi smiled in memory of his first interaction with Lubbock at this place. That was just how he acted at the time, even though he didn't make the area himself.
In the basement, two others were waiting: Mine and Leone, the only other two in Night Raid without wanted posters aside from Lubbock.
"Yo! Tatsumi!" Leone cheered. Her cheeks were red as empty bottles of liquor were littered around the table before her. "Have a toast!"
Tatsumi sighed as he declined her invitation to drink. She was drunk as usual.
"Quit treating him so well, Leone! He's still suspicious!" Mine grumbled. "I don't trust him at all!"
Leone swigged down another bottle. "Shorty buzzkill."
"HUH?"
Lubbock stepped in between the two girls. "You two settle down…! Alright, let's get to business. Tatsumi, take a seat."
Tatsumi took a seat as Lubbock cleared the table, setting a map on it. He took out a pen and marked a spot in the outskirts of the Capital towards the north.
"So our intelligence network informed us that former prime minister Chouri is going to pass through here before resting." He marked off a spot on the map. "He'll be there for about 3 or so days to rest his horses before entering the Capital. This will likely be just tomorrow."
Tatsumi nodded. "I expect the Three Beasts would try to launch their attack when he's leaving. First, there will be two big political deaths. We will have to wait for that."
"How will we know if it will be the Three Beasts that did it?" Lubbock raised.
"The prime minister isn't dumb. He'll know he'll be in a suspicious position if his political enemies start dying. He'll set up their deaths in a way that'll make it look like it was Night Raid who assassinated them. Basically, he'll be framing you guys. Two birds. One stone."
Mine slammed her fists down. "What!? That fat butt is going to use our group for his schemes!?"
"Well, Mine, didn't you say you didn't trust our friend, Tatsumi, here?" Leone hicced.
"Oh… shut it!"
Lubbock sighed, but he had to say, it all made sense what Tatsumi was predicting. He was extremely convincing and so damn confident that what he was saying would come to pass. It was hard to think that anything but what Tatsumi predicted would come to happen. Lubbock's heart pounded in excitement. If what Tatsumi was saying was true… this really was a golden opportunity…! Three whole teigus in one operation…
He almost didn't believe it. He wanted to call Tatsumi a liar, a scammer, a honeypot for assassins. What he was telling them was just too good to be true.
But Lubbock couldn't help but feel it - a desire to trust him. It was a strange feeling. He just wanted to believe in the boy. It was just something about him, the way he treated them - it was like Tatsumi fully regarded them as a friend. Unconsciously, he started to regard Tatsumi as a friend too. Lubbock smiled defeatedly.
"Alright then, greenbean. Tell us your plan."
"Greenbe- haaaah… you can't project your insecurities onto me, Lubo." Tatsumi sighed. "I'll tell you the teigu's of the Three Beasts and their Trump cards."
Leone was snickering at the 'greenbean' comment, but at the last statement Tatsumi said, her laughter stopped instantly. Mine was the first to speak up.
"Hold on…! You know the teigus capabilities AND their trump card abilities!?" Mine squeaked as her voice unconsciously went high in shock. "How the hell would you know that?"
Tatsumi shrugged.
"Alright, you actually have to be some psychic or some shit." Leone leaned in, her drunken stupor passing off. "Or spouting bull. That too."
"Belvaac. It's user is Daidara. It's a dual sided axe that's insanely heavy. It's trump card ability is being able to be split into two and thrown and hone in on a target. It loses momentum slowly all the same and it's hard to dodge."
The group simply listened in dumbfoundedness.
"Scream. It's user is Nyau, a friggin psycho. It's made from the blood of a danger beast that controls emotions. Scream can induce weird sensations in the people that listen to its melodies, like causing sleepiness or pain. It's trump card is the ability to enhance the muscles of listeners, forcing them to strengthen explosively."
Lubbock pointed at Mine. "Write that down, write that down!"
"Then there's Black Marlin. General Liver wields that." Tatsumi leaned down. "Bulat's former general."
The members paused to lean in. Leone took the chance to get a swig of wine.
"It's a ring that can be worn around the finger. It's ability is to control water within an area. It can shoot spouts and geysers at a target. Honestly, it's a terrifying ability. It's trump card is to blast a huge amount of water that's comparable to a tsunami." Tatsumi took a breath. "And then there's his last resort attack. If Liver injects himself with a strengthening serum, that means he's prepared to die. He'll call it a strengthening serum but it's also a fast-acting poison without a cure. If cut, he'll use Black Marlin to shoot his blood into his enemy, poisoning them as well."
The tenseness that followed was audible. Tatsumi leaned back into the sofa.
"And that's about it."
"Yo… are you a psychic?" Leone whispered.
"That's way too detailed to be made up bullshit." Lubbock joined in. "Seriously, I'm gonna go insane first if I don't hear an answer; who the hell are you?"
Tatsumi smirked. "You can call me, 'greenbean'."
"Fuck you."
"Welcome back, General Esdeath!" The palace guards said as they saluted the approaching woman.
"Mm." Was all the acknowledgement she gave them as she walked by. She had just returned from the torture chambers and she felt bored. There wasn't anything fun to perform on down there. Plus, because of the torture master's ineptitude and decision to boil the victims, the whole place smelled terrible. For someone with a strong nose like Esdeath, it was annoying. She was grumpy that she probably smelled bad too.
The blue-haired woman entered her palace quarters and began to undress. In her long venture up against the Northerners, she had dirtied her uniform with blood and hadn't gotten to change or bathe in a while. Cold-hearted as she was, she still cared enough to care for appearances and cleanliness. She really hated smelling awful.
The final garments dropped to the floor as she stood in her nude figure. Her body was still in her youth. Really, she may have as well been in the prime of her beauty. She was even entering the age where most women married.
She turned on her personal shower, opting for a quick shower instead of a bath. Even though she really wanted to soak and relax, she had a meeting set up with the Emperor… or the man behind the Emperor soon. She sighed but took the opportunity to wipe the grime from her body and hair. It was soothingly enjoyable.
In five minutes, she stepped out reluctantly, deciding that was about as much time as she should use. As she did, she stepped in front of the big mirror in front of the sink. She took the chance to admire herself.
"Oh dear… how sinful I am." Esdeath mused to herself. She was definitely not an ordinary woman, rather than having interests in the usual feminine hobbies, she had a lot more interest in power and fighting. That didn't mean she didn't like looking feminine, however. She liked to be pretty and beautiful as much as the next female.
She was struck with the all-too-human desire to pose for the mirror. She smiled. She really was beautiful. Her slim figure, her considerable chest size, her sharp and gorgeous features… she even wondered if she could compete for the position as the fairest in the Capital.
"Too bad no man can have me." Esdeath mused.
She now had to get dressed and have an audience with the Empe-
Too bad no man can have her? Esdeath paused. Her hand went to grip her chin as she thought about that statement. Something about that didn't feel right.
So many women eventually grew up to enjoy the seasons of love and romance. In the back of her mind, Esdeath had assumed that, eventually, she would do so too. Yet, when she thought about it, it seemed that no man would (A) approach her, (B) be capable of satisfying her. A slight irritation formed in her. Was she doomed to be a lonely woman?
No. She thought she would really like to try having a lover. But with who? She thought she would like a man who was stronger than her, but she could not imagine there was anyone like that. She was the undoubted strongest, she was sure of it. If there were someone stronger, she'd probably want to beat him and make him submit to her too.
She sighed as she considered her options. Perhaps great general Budo? She had to admit she felt nothing but competitiveness for that man. She also didn't like how serious and demanding he was. It made her want to punch him a bit. Plus he was also in his 40's. Too old.
Yet, aside from him, there was no one who could match her in power. She thought back with disappointment to the "renowned" Hero of the North, Numa Seika. She was excited for a great battle against someone whom she believed to be capable of endangering her. He even looked cool in his armor. But he fell all too easily and was crushed. His spear-play was dull and he didn't even have a teigu. She sighed as a bitter taste entered her mouth when she thought about that disappointment. She wished she hadn't killed him so she could torture him a bit more.
So that was it. She was doomed to be alone forever…
Unless… there was a man capable of growing into her perfect match. Esdeath paused as she considered her choices. So no one was strong enough to challenge her… but maybe someone could grow into being her challenger.
Esdeath caught herself feeling rather excited at that idea. A bashful grin couldn't help but spread on her face even though she tried to stop it. She felt her heart beat rather strongly just from thinking about it.
"Oh my… what is wrong with me…" She whispered, embarrassed at her own actions. "Flustered at my own imagination…"
Getting dressed, she put on her uniform as she walked over to her personal table. Taking out a piece of paper, she set it down as she began to consider for the first time in her life, what her ideal man must be like. Having potential, being brave. She also thought she would like it if he didn't have the smell of the Capital's politics. Someone untouched by the air of greed and corruption. Someone who could smile warmly. She began to write with a blush.
"Above all, he must possess a deep well of untapped ability…"
…
Tatsumi sneezed as he stepped out of the bookstore.
"Fuck y- I mean, bless you." Lubbock said as he led him out.
"Look, man, you started the whole greenbean thing."
"Yeah, sorry about that. Given time and the chance to think more about the issue, I'm realizing I could have been much harsher with your nickname. In recognition of your hair, I'll propose 'brownie' instead."
"Too late. It's greenbean now."
Lubbock smirked. He had to admit, the kid had wit. He liked the guy.
"So, we'll see you there?"
"Yeah." Tatsumi answered. "Keep your ears peeled for assassinations of political figures blaming Night Raid."
"Yeah. See ya, then."
The two boys left with a smile on their faces.
"Well well well… wouldn't you know it." Najenda announced. "Two days since he told us. It really happened."
"What did?" Akame asked.
Najenda tossed a paper on the table where all Night Raid members were gathered around. Its headline was in big text: 'Governor Colchez assassinated by Night Raid!'
"At the scene, there were reports of a lot of fliers with our Night Raid symbol littered around. The people don't think it's us as we're not that flashy. We also never went after good leaders." Najenda spoke.
"Colchez, huh? He was a fair guy." Bulat spoke grimly. "I think I remember him speaking something about supporting Chouri a while back."
"Alright. I ordered an Air Manta. We'll be riding our way to Chouri's current location. Everybody pack your stuff. We're all going to go. If his words turn out to be true, I want our entire force to be there. Lubo, Tatsumi said he'll meet us there, right?"
"Yeah. BROWNIE said he'll go on ahead."
"Dude, your attempts to stick his nickname is really not working." Leone chortled.
"Damn it, a man's gotta try."
"We could get three new teigus if everything works out. And it will be a blow to Esdeath's reputation. This could be a game-changer." Bulat laughed. "This pumps my blood!"
"We'll be leaving in 30 minutes. Get ready. Pack warm clothes. It's cold up north."
"Roger!"
"Huff… huff… huff…"
Sweat dripped down Tatsumi's brow as he jogged outside. Having ran far enough, he laid down on the ground and started doing some sit ups.
His body had replenished a good amount of blood by now. In a few more days, he'd be close to being as good as new. But as of now… his heart began to throb and his vision started to blur. Light-headedness spread over his head. He sighed.
Even if his lack of blood was an obstacle, Tatsumi had to keep up his training. Right now, in terms of skill, he was about as good as a general. He had retained all the skill he built up before being sent back in time after all.
The problem was his body. It was sorely behind and lacking to be able to take on the likes of Budo, the Shikoutazer, and Esdeath. He wanted to get as strong as possible as fast as possible. It was bad enough that he let himself get injured as soon as he got back. He could not let that stall his progress.
Tatsumi winced as his left arm spiked with pain. Right now, this was his biggest problem. In the week, he had given it to heal, it had virtually stayed the same. Tatsumi was getting anxious. The less he used it, the weaker it would get. He needed to get it healed as soon as possible. And furthermore, he needed to train with it as much as possible. He didn't have months to spare to let it heal.
Grunting in frustration, he cursed his lack of strength. He was in this predicament because he was weak. He hated it. He needed strength as much as possible.
"Um… excuse me?" A voice interrupted his thoughts.
Tatsumi looked up to see a young girl with blonde hair looking down on him from above. She was wearing a winter coat and a large furry hat. In her hands she carried a long spear.
"...Hello there." Tatsumi said, standing up to greet her.
"Hello!" The girl spoke cheerfully. "I'm Spear! I didn't think I saw you around here before."
Tatsumi considered her words. So this was Spear? He grimaced as he remembered the details of what happened to her body when he read the papers. Someone as cheerful and bright as this girl didn't deserve the dark future that awaited her.
"By Spear… are you…?"
"Oh yeah… I'm former prime minister Chouri's daughter! You heard of me!"
Tatsumi nodded. "It's an honor to see you, Miss Spear. As you noticed, I am new to this village. I am a passerby. My name is Tatsumi."
Tatsumi had made the passage to the village on foot and arrived just a day ago. He had paid a resident for a rather cheap price to stay at a lodge. The quality of their inn was terrible, with only the bare minimum required to be called a shelter being provided: a roof and walls. It may have been awful, but Tatsumi was grateful for the place. He offered more than what they asked of him to stay in the area, giving a generous pay of the portion of money that he took from Ogre and Gamal. He had little to accomplish back in the central area of the Capital currently, so he left early to get a watch over where Chouri was.
The girl smiled, she pointed at his hip. "That sword you have… and the fact that you're training… Are you training to be a soldier?"
Tatsumi looked down at his trusted blade that he received from his village. "Something of the sort."
"Ooh! How old are you? Can I ask?"
"I'm almost 17." Tatsumi said. It was January 2nd currently. Four more days and he'd be 17.
Spear took a step back in surprise. "Woah! You're younger than I thought! You look a lot more mature than 16… I'm 19."
Spear looked a bit disappointed. "If you were older, I'd have liked to challenge you to a duel. You look kinda strong…"
Tatsumi smiled. "Oh, I don't mind. I'll take up that offer."
Spear perked up in giddiness at that. "Great!"
"I must apologize. I am quite a bit wounded from a previous fight, so I will ask you to take it easy for me."
"Oh!" Spear said, noticing how bandaged Tatsumi's left arm was. "Damn… maybe we shouldn't…"
"No, no, I don't mind." Tatsumi said, drawing his sword. A playful smile rode on his lips. "Just don't underestimate me too much."
"Oh, it seems like you're doing just that to me, though?" Spear quipped, lifting her spear. "I'm a disciple of the Imperial Fist, you know!"
Tatsumi deliberated how he should approach this. He wanted to establish good terms with Chouri, he couldn't believe how lucky he was to come into contact with his daughter so quickly. After thinking about it, the best course of action, he decided, was probably to make this a close fight and lose at the end.
Twirling his sword in his hand and catching the hilt expertly, Tatsumi got into his position. "Whenever you're ready."
Spear leaned down low and put one foot forward. She took up a very solid stance with her spear pointed ahead, ready to respond to any attack.
Tatsumi judged her stance. With his experience, he could gauge her strength pretty well.
'A very defense-oriented stance.' Tatsumi thought to himself. 'In a battle against the sword and the spear, the sword is at a disadvantage. Guess that means I'm the challenger here.'
Tatsumi took the initiative to press forward. He parried the tip pointing at him and leaned forwards, making himself a smaller target for a thrust. But Spear answered that attack with a backstep, getting her spear back into position pointed at Tatsumi, forcing him to step back.
Tatsumi felt a bit disappointed. 'A very textbook way of fighting. It's a rigid and orthodox method of spear-play. That won't work against skilled opponents that are fast or strong enough to press during her backstep. She's better than Gauri, that bodyguard… but for the opponents she'll come across, she may as well already be dead.'
Tatsumi changed his plans. He was going to show her the flaws of her fighting style.
"Spear… how would you respond if the fight got into close range?"
"Hm?" Spear responded. "I usually won't let anyone get close. That's what the spear is for, to keep opponents at bay."
'So she'll be a fish out of water when there's an opponent strong enough to push through her defense. She doesn't have the maneuverability or experience to take a fight at close range.'
Tatsumi smiled knowingly. He knew that fighting style could never work against the strong. He could tell in his many fights with Incursio's Neuntote. As a fellow spear user, he may as well show her the ropes.
Crouching low, he leaned forwards before dashing with all his strength. From Spear's perspective, Tatsumi's body had crouched so low that he was a ball from her view. He had massively reduced his targetable areas. Surprised, she thrust her spear in response, trying to push him backwards.
'... but with how I limited your area of attacks, your response is only so predictable.' Tatsumi slammed his foot down and leapt over the thrust, spinning around the spear, finally invading her close-quarter zone.
"Ah!" Spear yelped in surprise. Drawing back her spear as quickly as she could, she raised the staff to block Tatsumi's slash. Tatsumi himself didn't put much strength into his slash, just to be safe. Tatsumi took the opportunity to jump back, giving her back the distance he took.
"Wow… that was good!" Spear breathed out shakily. Her nerves were alight from the fight-or-flight sensation she felt when Tatsumi invaded her zone.
"I had some experience with spear fighting in the past… I know quite a bit about how to take advantage of the spear's characteristics myself." Tatsumi answered.
"Oh man… this is a little embarrassing… I even bragged about being a disciple of the Imperial Fist…" Spear said bashfully. Her cheeks were reddening in embarrassment. "Would you like to try figh-"
"Spear, what are you doing out here?" An elderly voice called out.
Tatsumi and Spear turned towards a figure approaching them. It was a balding man with grey hair. Tatsumi could feel an aura of strength from the man. Not physical strength, however. A strength from the heart, the kind of strength you feel from leaders who have strong and honorable convictions. 'So this man must be…'
"Father!" Spear greeted the man cheerfully. "I found a sparring partner to help me train!" Spear went up to the man happily.
"Oh dear. You certainly are high-spirited." Chouri laughed. "But do you have to be such a brute that you fight strangers on the street?"
Spear blushed. "We were training, father!"
Chouri laughed. "I know, Spear. I was kidding." He turned towards Tatsumi. "Boy, you have some skill. I saw a bit of your fight with Spear. You managed to pierce through her guard."
Tatsumi bowed respectfully. "It's an honor to receive your praise, former prime minister Chouri."
Spear pouted. "Father, his name's Tatsumi!"
Chouri nodded. "Tatsumi, I see… you don't have to be so formal with me. I'm a retired old man, right now."
"You are leaving retirement, I have heard." Tatsumi smiled. "I would like to support you, Chouri. The people need a prime minister like you."
"Those words mean a lot." Chouri smiled back. "Especially in these dangerous times. I have heard that Night Raid assassinated mayor Rikang as he visited just today."
Tatsumi frowned. The second assassination. That would mean Chouri was now next on the list. "I would advise you to be careful, sir."
Chouri laughed. "Don't worry, I don't think I've done anything to get Night Raid's ire. I'll take your advice all the same. Come, Spear. You have to pack. We'll be leaving tomorrow for the Capital."
Spear started walking away behind her father. Looking over her shoulder, she gave Tatsumi a wave. "Bye, Tatsumi!"
Tatsumi waved back with a smile, hiding the dull sinking feeling in his heart. These good-natured people would be dead tomorrow if he didn't step in. He was getting a little anxious. When was Night Raid going to contact him? Did he do something wrong? Did he fail to convince them to come? It was weighing on his mind.
"Really, man. Fuck you." Came the aggravated familiar voice of a man. Tatsumi turned his head to see the annoyed expression of a very pissed off Lubbock who was wearing a hood. He had been watching him from a distance. "You told us to meet here for a very important mission and the first thing I see you doing when I find you is hooking up a chick… you damn womanizer…!"
Tatsumi let out a long sigh. "I was getting impatient waiting for you guys so I had to spend the time having some fun." Tatsumi quipped back with a tired smirk. "Alright, then. How many of you guys came?"
Lubbock made a 'tsk' sound and began walking, gesturing at Tatsumi to follow. "All of us did. We're all pretty much trusting you and if what you say is right - which it seems to be proving itself to be - then this is a high stakes mission."
Tatsumi followed the green-haired boy as he led him through the streets for a good 15 minutes before coming towards a rickety house. Pointing at it, Lubbock said, "That's our makeshift hideout."
Following Lubbock into the house, Tatsumi could see that from within, much of the interior had been patched and remodeled. Lubbock led him down a set of stairs into the cellar. It was lit with candles and there were chairs spread around. At a table on the far side was Najenda. Next to her stood Sheele.
Sheele.
She was safe.
Tatsumi closed his eyes tightly to stop himself from tearing up in joy. This was an important mission. He can set his emotions aside for later.
Opening his eyes, he gave a friendly look to Najenda. "Well, Boss. Glad to see you're here."
Najenda returned the look. "What? Thought I wouldn't come?" She pulled out two documents; news about the deaths of governor Colchez and mayor Rikang. "I have verified that what you told us has indeed happened."
"Now you understand. Chouri's next."
"And the Three Beasts will come to assassinate him, yes?"
"Precisely. Tomorrow. Right after he leaves this village, when he's far enough away so that there won't be any witnesses."
Najenda leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. She pulled out a cigarette from a packet and lit it as she held the cigarette from her mouth. She took a drag of the cigarette, breathing in the smoke before blowing it out.
"Alright, alright, you look cool while you smoke uncaringly." Tatsumi quipped. "Classy."
"I… I didn't smoke to look cool!" Najenda interjected, her cheeks reddening a bit. "I'm smoking because I like it!"
Lubbock laughed a bit nervously. 'Ms. Najenda is cute when she gets flustered', he thought.
Coughing to clear her throat, Najenda leaned back into her chair, hiding her embarrassment. "So what's your plan? How do you want to eliminate them?"
"As quickly and efficiently as possible. Snipe Nyau first since he's their fastest and most agile. His teigu is also the most annoying, capable of buffing his allies and debuffing his opponents."
Najenda nodded. "And the rest?"
"Bulat for Liver. Akame for Daidara. If possible, I'd like to be there to fight alongside the members to leave an impression on Chouri."
"To take a bit of our credit?"
"Don't tease me, Boss." Tatsumi answered back with a smirk.
"Hey, Boss! We couldn't find hi- Oh, guess he's already here." Leone said as she entered. Akame was following right behind.
"So you guys were my search party, huh?" Tatsumi jokes.
"It was your idea to connect with us here." Akame said.
Just after that, Mine entered. "Well, what do you know, greenbean's already here."
"It's BROWNIE, how many times do I have to say this." Lubbock shot.
"How many times did you guys argue about giving me a nickname?" Tatsumi sighed. He felt glad to see everyone in high spirits. He was smiling until the last person entered. Bulat. He felt his eye spike with pain suddenly.
"Urk!" Tatsumi winced. His hand rose to grip the side of his head. The right side.
"Tatsumi?" Najenda said, concerned, rising from her chair.
Akame, the closest, tried to support him as he keeled over. For a second, she could have sworn that Tatsumi's right eye flickered into a bloody shade of red. But in a blink, his eye looked like it's normal emerald color.
"What's happening?"
"He just bent over."
"Is he poisoned?"
Tatsumi felt like his right eye was being torn through with a blade, fire spreading through his nerves like an inferno. He grunted as he felt the presence of a hostile predator staring at his soul. He felt the four red eyes of a beast land on him. It was the soul of Tyrant that had fused with him. It was angered. It was demanding Tatsumi to pick up Incursio once more.
'Boy.' The coarse voice of the dragon whispered into his mind. 'I grow tired of your politics. Return to me. Take up my armor.'
"NOT FUCKING YET!" Tatsumi yelled. "WAIT, GOD DAMMIT!"
The pain assailed Tatsumi's head before slowly withdrawing. Tatsumi felt the eyes of the beast that bore into his soul close.
'Very well.' The whisper resounded like an echo in his head. 'Play your games. But if you desire power in the end, you will eventually return to me…'
Tatsumi gasped as the feeling left. Sweat was dripping down his body as though he ran for miles. Huffing, he raised his head to look at the bewildered group of Night Raid's members.
"Oh… yeah, sorry about that."
"... okay… What the fuck was that all about?" Lubbock questioned.
Tatsumi rose to his feet. He gave a glance at Bulat. Just being in the proximity of Incursio caused Tyrant to lash out in his soul. He had to do something about that soon.
"That's confidential."
"Hold up. This isn't something you can pass off as nothing, Tatsumi." Najenda spoke. Najenda remembered Bulat's concern when he and they first met. "Explain why you reacted like that upon Bulat's entry."
Tatsumi put on a tired smile. "Well I guess I look pretty suspicious acting like that. But believe me… it's nothing of your concern."
The room was silent as all the members held their breath. They watched as Najenda and Tatsumi just stared at each other, the meeting of their gazes seemingly causing the loudest silence in the room. "... all right… As long as this doesn't affect the mission." Najenda finally relented.
The horses neighed early in the morning as they began to pull the carriage along the road. Within its confines were the former prime minister and his daughter. Surrounding it were well-trained and armed guards.
"Goodness, look at those people." Chouri muttered as the carriage passed by the destitute area of the village. Obviously malnourished people were lying on the streets, a mother and child were begging for alms. "How could the Capital have fallen so far to not take care of its people."
Spear looked on at them with a sympathetic gaze. Seeing them made her feel guilty in a strange way, for being born into a privileged and loving household. She held onto her spear tightly. She was bad and uninterested with politics. Even if she wanted to help these people, she couldn't influence the powers at be to change its systems for them. The only thing she could do was fight. And she'd use her abilities to fight for her father, the man she looked up to the most. Even if the Capital were filled with nasty violent people that wanted to hurt them. "These poor people… father, you are walking into a den of vipers at the Capital."
Chouri nodded solemnly. "I will do just that if it means something will change for these people. I can't stand by in retirement as the country dooms itself. I will fight that bastard of a minister to the bitter end."
Spear nodded with a smile. "And I'll be there to protect you, father."
Chouri's heart swelled with pride and love for his dear daughter. He was always glad that she grew up well, healthy in both body and spirit. Though he was a little concerned for her future. He didn't want her to spend her entire life cooped up by his side to protect him. Eventually, she would have to spread her wings and find her own happiness. "My, so gallant of you my daughter. Is it because of that gallantry that you have yet to marry anyone yet?"
Spear shriveled at the statement. "I… I've just not found anyone yet… besides… I'm not that gallant… I'm just pretty good with the spear… if someone nice appeared, even I'd like to marry… I'm still waiting, you know…" She muttered in a depressed tone.
"Ah… sorry…" Chouri soothed. "What about that boy you sparred with yesterday? Was it Tatsumi? He seemed to match your gallantry pretty well."
"F-father…! We had only just met!" Spear stammered. "Besides, he's still a boy. Not even 17 yet."
Chouri laughed. "Well, in case he becomes a good man, you better save him."
"Fathe-!" Spear paused as she felt the carriage stop. An ominous feeling went down her spine. Looking forward on the road, she could spot three people blocking the path forward. "Bandits? Again?"
"Public order has fallen so far…" Chouri breathed.
Holding onto her spear, she stepped out of the carriage. "I'll take care of them, father."
She eyed the 'bandits'. For thieves, there were only 3. Spear shivered. That could only mean they were confident in their individual strength. There was one tall and huge man, one lean and skinny old man, and a little male that looked to be a boy. These were bandits?
"Stand back!" She called out. "Do not block our way forward!"
The men seemed to ignore her command, approaching the carriage with malicious intent. Spear tsked. She looked back to see that she couldn't even see the village they had left a while ago. No witnesses. She began to feel these men were definitely more than bandits.
Raising her spear, she got into her usual defensive stance. "Prepare yourselves! We will attack!"
"Daidara." The old man spoke.
The buff man began to approach Spear. "Yeah yeah."
…
Mine's scope focused on the yellow boy's head. "'Nyau', was it? What a creepy look."
She squeezed her trigger.
A blast of energy shot from the end of her gun, slicing through the air towards the small man.
…
In his countless battles of life and death, he had always felt it within the depths of his guts. He was more experienced at feeling it than Nyau or Daidara. His instincts were not as sharp as Esdeath's but of the three, he was considered the de-facto leader outside of Esdeath because he was the best at reading the situation and responding to it.
And right now, he felt it. A prickle of murderous intent. Just the tiniest amount, enough to wonder if he just imagined it. But he trusted his gut instincts. Daidara was too far away but Nyau was right next to him. He would prioritize.
"NYAU!"
Liver shouted as he kicked the small man while dodging backwards himself. A rail of plasmic energy just missed the head of the small man as he was sent forwards.
"Tch…! He reacted…!?" Mine hissed from afar in the trees.
"It's a trap!" Liver shouted. "We've been set up, Daidara! Nyau!"
Daidara looked back at Liver in surprise, temporarily taking his gaze off of Spear and her guards. Spear felt a prickle of adrenaline. This was her chance, something screamed within her. As everyone was stunned by the gunshot, Spear aimed her trusted namesake weapon and charged towards the hulking figure who turned his back towards her.
"Ah?"
In a swift move, the man grabbed the hilt that stuck out from behind his back and swung the axe down with incredible might. The impact met Spear's spear and snapped it apart instantaneously. "Wha-?"
She had no time to be confused or in awe. The man was already raising his axe above his head. His eyes seemed to gleam with unholy mercilessness as Spear's heart gripped. She was going to die. Her spear was broken and even if it wasn't, the man was strong enough to tear through her paltry defense.
The great axe swung down and Spear closed her eyes.
Thunk!
"A spear has good range but since it's long, taking brunt attacks from the side at full force is a dangerous game of chance."
Spear recognized that voice. Opening her eyes, she saw that a brown-haired boy had stepped ahead of her. The great axe had smashed the ground just to the left of them. It had been deflected.
"To properly utilize a spear, you need to learn to fend off a strike at an angle, giving you a chance to counter." The brown-haired individual raised his sword, making a quick slash for Daidara's neck. But Tatsumi's stance was compromised since Daidara was a much stronger opponent and Tatsumi couldn't fully utilize his left arm. It took a miracle of effort to even deflect that great slash in the first place. Daidara sidestepped Tatsumi's slash and backed off, his instincts warning him not to delve in haphazardly. Tatsumi did not fret that he didn't get a cut in. He obtained his objective just by forcing him back.
"Your style is too rigid. Strong opponents won't react the way you learned in a dojo or a school. Things won't be fair or even. You have to be flexible and responsive to the situation." The boy spoke, steadying himself into a stance.
"You have courage, Spear, but that alone won't take down these demons." The brown haired boy turned around. His green irises met the blue eyes of the trembling girl. "Leave the rest to me."
"T-Tatsu-?"
"Brat. Who the hell are you?" Daidara questioned. He looked annoyed.
Tatsumi turned to assess the situation.
'So Mine failed, huh? That damn 'genius sniper'... she'll have to change her title to 'student-level sniper'... Shit, it really was too much to ask for taking down one of the Three Beasts quickly…'
"Be careful, Daidara. There might be more!" Liver ordered.
"Tch. A reasonable one." Tatsumi clicked. He had hoped that by appearing immediately on the situation, the Three Beasts would focus their attention on him.
Nyau's senses told him that the situation was dangerous. An unconfirmed number of enemies. A sniper from afar. This was not the time to be passive. He readied Scream's Melody-Induced Enhancement, playing the tune to strengthen his and his allies' bodies.
All three of them started to release a potent feeling of a dangerous aura as their bodies strengthened from the melody. Tatsumi internally groaned as he saw the situation unfold… It was going to be a hard fight now. This was why he wanted Nyau rid of first. But of course, that nasty sadistic bugger survived.
Tatsumi stuck his sword into the ground, placing his hands on the hilt while giving the three a very serious glare.
"I give you one opportunity." He growled. "Surrender and give up your teigus. Your lives will be spared."
The Three Beasts silently processed his words before the silence was broken by Nyau's irritating laugh.
"Who do you think you are, peasant? We're Esdeath-sama's loyal servants!"
Daidara grinned. "Don't make me laugh, kid. You think holding the threat of our lives will make us tremble?"
"I appreciate the generosity of reaching out with the offer of our lives." Liver spoke calmly. "But if that's all you have to entice us for our loyalty to our master, we will have to decline."
Tatsumi's aura darkened. He knew their answers from the start but the childish part of him wanted to try. "You will follow Esdeath into hell? Former general Liver… you were once a man of dignity and honor…! Haven't you the conscience that tells you your ways are wrong!?"
Liver merely smiled. "I do indeed know that what I do is wrong."
Tatsumi's eyes sparked of hope. "Then-!"
"Nevertheless." Liver raised his hands, the ring on his right middle finger glinting ominously. "My dedication to my master's orders silences that noise."
Tatsumi's heart sank as his face fell grimly before rising with a determined glare. These men were gone and words would no longer reach their hearts. Only steel and iron could. So be it.
"Now, Bulat bro…!" Tatsumi whispered.
An invisible swing slashed down from above Liver's head as he swung around, sensing the intent. He dodged off to the side instinctively. Incursio materialized from the ether, giving chase to the old former general. Though having failed the sneak attack, Liver had successfully been separated from the other Beasts.
"Liver!" Nyau yelled, attempting to dive after his comrade. However, at that instant, a flurry of steel snapped at him, forcing him to backpedal. A large scissor had just barely failed to snip at his midsection.
"I will apologize but I must not let you regroup with him." A purple-haired woman spoke softly. "You will have to deal with me, little boy."
Daidara stared in glee at the madness unfolding around him. He began to laugh aloud as excitement bubbled out. "Ha ha ha! So Night Raid came to us!? I must admit, this is way sooner than we expected!"
He snapped his great double-bladed axe I have into two smaller one-sided axes. He raised one of them, pointing it at Tatsumi.
"So, boy! Are you my opponent!? You look like you're worth a bit of points."
"Firstly, I'm not in Night Raid." Tatsumi's stance lowered as he glared challengingly at Daidara. "Secondly, don't misunderstand; this isn't a fair fight."
Daidara's hair prickled as he felt a presence behind him. He barely managed to turn and block a slash coming from behind. It was from a katana held in the hands of a petite black-haired girl. Her red eyes sharply gave a piercing look into Daidara's.
"We're assassins. This is a two on one." She uttered indifferently.
Tatsumi ran in to flank Daidara's blind spot. He and Akame were going to pincer him.
Things were going all as he had planned. Bulat was the only one fighting Liver, as he was the only one with a defense strong enough to withstand Liver's poisoned blood attack. Liver, as he was on land with snow terrain, had little access to water or other forms of liquid.
Nyau was occupied by Sheele, whose flexibility would not lose to his. Additionally, her capability to cause harm was greater. Nyau had trump cards but that required time to set up which Sheele would not let him have.
Daidara was the most prone, having to deal with a two-on-one situation alone. With Akame at that. From experience, Tatsumi knew that Daidara's offense was great but his dexterity and defense were lacking.
Mine would provide cover fire from afar.
Lubbock, Leone and Najenda would watch from a distance as Najenda didn't have a teigu and Lubbock and Leone had no need to show their faces in public to expose their identities. In the case of an emergency, they could join in to support, however.
Tatsumo grinned. Checkmate.
Tatsumi had a lot of experience fighting with and against Akame in the past. Therefore, he complemented his attacks with Akame's, moving in surprising efficiency and unison.
Going low for the legs as Akame slashed high, Tatsumi coordinated effectively. Daidara grunted as he jumped back. He had to get out of the pincer and try to force the two to do a frontal assault.
Not that Tatsumi and Akame would let him do that easily.
Daidara had to focus 90% of his attention on Akame's deadly slashes and only 10% on Tatsumi's attacks. Tatsumi didn't doubt that he was the weaker of the duo but with his experience and skills, he was basically free to damage Daidara as much as he wanted. Landing slash after slash on Daidara's frame while he was forced to focus all of his attention on Akame's attacks. Slowly, he was being chipped away at.
Akame was surprised by how well coordinated Tatsumi was with her. Things were going well-
Daidara swung both arms forcing Akame and Tatsumi back. Tatsumi thought that Daidara was getting desperate until he saw that Daidara was getting into a stance…
Forcing back the two gave him enough space to unleash it. Spinning his arms quickly around to generate a flash of torque, he released both axes at once. The axes spun around his figure in a maelstrom of destruction. Sharp winds followed the axes cutting up things close by even if the axes themselves missed. "Trump Card: Dual Cleaving Cyclone!"
Tatsumi realized his mistake. He thought Belvaac didn't have a trump card. He was wrong. In his first life, Bulat had simply killed Daidara before he could use his trump card.
Akame jumped back, ever quick as she was. She avoided the attack with a few scrapes. Tatsumi wasn't as lucky.
Tatsumi activated tachypsychia and responded as quickly as he could but his body wasn't as athletic as it needed to be. The spinning axes caught his left arm as he jumped back, digging into the flesh of the dorsal side of his left forearm. Tatsumi felt bone break.
"Urgghhh…!" Tatsumi choked, avoiding the rest of the slashes. He looked down at the wound and scowled. At least an inch deep. Some white peeked out. He tested his grip. His left hand wouldn't respond as he wished. Some of his tendons were cut.
'Fuck!' Tatsumi screams internally. 'Now my left is even MORE lame! I'm so fucking pathetic…!'
Gripping his faithful right hand, he resolved to at least kill Daidara. The spinning axes couldn't go on forever. They obeyed the laws of physics and would lose momentum eventually. When that happened, Daidara would be a sitting duck.
…
Nyau was getting frustrated. His rushes were getting blocked easily. The female Night Raid members were just as flexible and fast as him. But he was obviously losing…
Their frames were making all the difference. Sheele was taller and her arms were longer, letting her attack from above and further away. Her teigu Extase was also much more of a deadly weapon than his at close range AND it had more range.
He cursed himself for wanting support. He never knew he would be this outside of his element when one-on-one.
Sheele's eyes were cold and indifferent as she spun Extase around, snapping the blade at Nyau efficiently. Slowly, her attacks were reaching him, managing to scrape and nick at his sides.
Nyau leapt back. If this was going to be how it was, then he would use his secret technique. Grabbing Scream, he took a deep breath… and blew into it with all his might.
'Paralysis Roar!' The name he had given this technique. It was the only technique he had that didn't require a long melody. Sheele was stunned by the loud noise, her nerves freezing momentarily by Scream's powers.
Nyau grinned, now he had basically won. He just had to-
Splat!
"Aw… tricky rat. I missed his head." Mine groaned. "Oh well, I got his leg."
Mine had taken the opportunity to shoot Nyau when he got a bit far away from Sheele.
"Thank you, Mine." Sheele whispered. "Now I'll handle the rest."
Nyau's left leg was blown apart at his thigh, a hole where his vastus intermedius muscle used to be. He screamed as he clutched at his leg. Losing his leg meant losing his mobility. He glanced up as Sheele began to charge.
"W-wait…! That's not fair…!" He cried out as he tried to leap back. His wounded left wouldn't generate the momentum he needed. "I-I surrend-!"
Sheele slashed at his torso, cutting the crying man in half.
…
"So it is you… general Liver." Bulat spoke grimly.
"That teigu… that strength… Bulat. It is good to see you." Liver replied.
Bulat raised Neuntote, letting it rest on his shoulder. "If we weren't enemies, I'd have liked to celebrate this reunion with a drink… but…" Bulat's finger pointed at Liver. "We are enemies. The mission comes first."
Liver reached under his uniform and pulled out a canteen. "This is an uncomfortable fighting ground for me… nevertheless, I shall do my duty for my master."
The water from within the canteen burst out, flying as a sharp needle towards Bulat. Bulat swung his spear to counter the arrow of water.
"Of course that wouldn't work." Liver said as he opened his coat to take out two more canteens.
Throwing them at Bulat, they exploded mid air as both of them shot incredibly dense jets of water at Bulat. But he blocked them both while spinning his spear to create a whirling shield.
Liver took the opportunity to pull out a serum. Injecting it into his left arm, he squeezed the contents into himself.
'The poison dope that Tatsumi mentioned.' Bulat thought to himself.
"Forgive me for doping. You are my opponent after all." Liver spoke.
'It's all useless if I'm wearing Incursio though, to try and inject me with blood… why'd he-' Bulat thought before Liver did something strange. He turned around and started running.
"Wha… hey!" Bulat cried as he gave chase.
…
Daidara wheezed. He was barely hanging on in this two versus one. Since this was a set up, likely, his other teammates would fall and this could become a three versus one. Or four or five. He panicked. He needed to turn this situation around. Akame wasn't wounded but the green-eyed boy was. He began to dash at Tatsumi. The weakest opponent dies first.
Tatsumi expected a bum rush. It's what people usually did when they played all the cards in their hands. Neither he nor Akame could get close as long as those spinning axes continued to orbit around him so destructively.
The best course of action was to keep his distance and wait for that move to lose its effectiveness for an opening. Tatsumi leapt backwards but found he had made a critical error in judgement. His face felt slick with sweat. His heart was pounding.
He began to feel light-headed.
'Shit…! Not now…!' His mind roared. The lack of blood was catching up to him. He had overextended himself to attack Daidara.
If he didn't have enough energy to run away… then he would use what little energy he had to do something incredibly stupid. He charged forward to meet Daidara's cyclone of destruction.
"Tatsumi…!?" Akame shouted as she witnessed his brash charge.
'All or nothing…!' Tatsumi grit his teeth as he exploded his fighting spirit. He burned all of his senses into an erupting inferno. His brain responded to his will, outputting a flood of adrenaline, dopamine, and norepinephrine into his system. Tatsumi's nose burst into a nosebleed as he entered hyperfocus.
His eyes bore into the tornado around Daidara. The flurry of sharp winds and steel flung all around, but Tatsumi's gaze focused on a certain point. A point that seemed to have the least amount of destructive winds. An opening. A really small one.
Not that it mattered. It was his only chance.
Diving forward leg-first, he spun his body, twirling with every fiber of his body to slide into that barely existent opening. The winds sliced his right thigh and the sides of his torso. A cut formed on his cheek.
But he managed to make that tight squeeze. He pierced the tornado of destruction.
Landing in the eye of the storm, Daidara looked with shock at the boy who glared at him with killing intent. Tatsumi was running on fumes. He had no time. Raising his blade, he made a slash for Daidara's head.
Daidara blocked it with his arms, getting a deep slash into his dorsal forearms.
It wasn't lethal. Not enough at least.
With the last burst of his strength, Tatsumi swung his sword directly for Daidara's other side… and immediately pivoted into a stab to his unguarded stomach as Daidara raised his arms.
The blade sank fatally into the organs of the tall man.
Daidara coughed as he felt his ties to life get torn within him. Tatsumi huffed as he gasped for air… he had finally finished-
"For… Esdeath-sama…!"
Daidara raised his fist with the remnants of his strength. He was going to pound at the wounded boy's head with everything he had left.
Tatsumi could see it coming but he had no strength left to avoid it. He gasped for air in futility.
But as Daidara was about to bring his fist down, a long blade suddenly pierced out of his chest. Akame's Murasame had dug into him from behind.
The cyclone had died out while Tatsumi engaged with Daidara. Akame took the chance to stab from behind. Daidara gasped as the markings spread around his body… he tried to will his fist down… but all that hit Tatsumi was the lifeless weight of a corpse's arm. Daidara died.
"Tatsumi… are you okay?" Akame asked, pulling out her sword from the body of another victim. "That was far too reckless…!"
Tatsumi huffed as he clutched his chest. His heart was beating loudly. Aside from the wound to his left arm, all he got were superficial wounds. He lost some blood but not a worriable amount. He needed to rest a bit for the light-headedness to go away. Overall, he was fine…
"I'm… fine…" He gasped. "The… others…"
He turned to view the rest of the members and their fights. Nyau was defeated. Liver was… running from Bulat? Well that could only mean Bulat was winning…
Things were going well… he could rest… his eyes felt heavy as they began to close…
The image of Bulat's bloody and gallant figure smiling at him as he fought to the end flashed in Tatsumi's mind. No. Bulat had died in his past life… he couldn't be sure if things were okay just yet.
Tatsumi's head whipped towards Bulat and Liver. There was no way that someone as loyal as Liver was running away from his duty. Something was wrong.
Tatsumi's legs kicked into action as he dashed after Liver and Bulat. His body felt faint but he had to push himself.
"Tatsumi…!?" Akame shouted as she began to follow.
…
Liver felt his blood pump with energy as he ran towards where his mind recalled what he saw. It wasn't too far away.
Bulat was gaining from behind but he would reach his destination first. And when he did, the closer Bulat was, the better.
Soon enough, it came into view: his target. It was his habit to memorize the geography of the places he went to, an impulse he attained in his career as a general. That's why he knew it would be there.
Coming into view was a lake. Black Marlin activated, picking up a huge load of water. The water formed into multiple dragon's.
"Water Dragon's Divine Conquest!" Liver cried as he launched 10 powerful streams of water at Bulat. Bulat roared as he took the brunt of the attack with Incursio's armor. The great attack launched him upward, into the air.
"That… should even have killed you…"
Bulat's roar resounded in the sky as he came crashing down to the earth, further away.
"... or not."
Despite having survived the brunt of the attack, Incursio was damaged, the armor showing cracks and tears. Bulat had been reckless to charge after Liver so haphazardly.
But Liver was feeling the desperation sink in. He could see that he was the last one left and that the other Night Raid members were closing in. He dodged to the right as a blast flew over his head.
"Tch." Mine clicked from within the trees.
Raising many heavy snakes from the lake, Liver shot them towards Akame and the rest of the approaching members, forcing them to dodge. He kept firing off his attacks until he flinched. Blood began to pour out of his ears.
"Overdoing it, huh?" Bulat spat as he stood up. Smoke blew off around him as Incursio disengaged. "You have to watch your age, Liver. You're no spring chicken anymore."
"I do believe I'm still in my peak, Bulat." Liver responded. "And you don't have to pretend to be tough. You're in a tough spot on your own. You can't use Incursio anymore, can you?"
Bulat grinned. Reaching up to pull at a latch on his left shoulder, the mechanism on his back opened spouting out a sword. Incursio's sealed key. Grabbing it, he pointed it towards his former superior.
Liver similarly reached for his hip, grabbing the hilt of his custom sword.
"Let's settle this with our swords."
"Why? So you can inject me with your blood?"
Liver paused, his eyes widening. "How do you-?"
Bulat's face held firm. 'So he was telling the truth.'
Liver's face returned to a serious gaze. He realized immediately that neither shock nor panic would help him in this situation. All that mattered to him now was that getting rid of Bulat would service his master. And if that meant he needed to give his life, so he would gladly.
Summoning water from the lake, he fired off some more water cannons at Bulat. Bulat raised his sword in defense, surprised by how much power Liver could draw from his teigu. 'So he's willing to give up his life for this…!'
Bulat blocked the blasts of water but without Incursio to strengthen him and with the injuries he already sustained, he was losing ground.
Coughing up blood, Liver raised his hands with a determined expression, firing off a barrage of multiple cannons of water. "Murky… Lance…!"
The jets of water collided with Bulat's sword blasting him off balance. Several of the jets tore at Bulat's sides. Incursio flew out of his grasp, spinning through the air.
Liver took the chance to try and summon more water but found that he was truly at his limit. He instead raised up his blade and dashed at Bulat as he was toppled. This was his kamikaze attack.
Incursio flipped in the air before landing with a clang at the feet of one individual. Tatsumi gazed afar at the scene of Liver running towards Bulat. He wouldn't make it; he was too far. A premonition passed through his mind. Liver raised his sword and cut into his own body, spilling his blood.
'No…!' Tatsumi's mind flared. He was too far…
His eyes glanced down at the short-sword that fell to his feet. One chance.
Diving for the blade, he grabbed the hilt. His mind stung upon contact. He could feel Tyrant's will to activate, to connect once more. 'Not… FUCKING… YET!'
He lifted the sword and threw it at Bulat with all his meager might. "BRO!" He roared.
Bulat looked back to see Incursio being flung back at him. He judged that Tatsumi had thrown it. Internally, he smiled at the gesture. He knew that he wouldn't be able to activate the armor. He smiled back at Tatsumi.
"Blades of Blood…!" Liver cried as his blood turned into spikes, flying at Bulat's defenseless body.
Incursio flew right above Bulat.
Tatsumi's right eye burned as he glared at the sword. Bulat witnessed Tatsumi's right eye turn red.
'Cover him,' Tatsumi ordered the dragon within him. 'Incursio.'
The sword burst into light as hardened steel wrapped around Bulat instantly. The spikes of blood rained down onto the smoky armor that covered Bulat. None of them pierced the covering.
Liver collapsed as his soul finally gave way to the poison's effects.
"Forgive me… Esdeath-sama…" He wheezed.
The armor dissipated just as quick as it had appeared. Incursio's key tumbled onto the floor.
Bulat looked down with surprise at the sword.
'To activate Incursio… I had to hold the blade and yell its name…' he thought. 'It activated on its own… or…'
Bulat glanced at Tatsumi who had walked over to the scene.
Tatsumi huffed as he looked over at Liver's body. His eyes shone with pity at the man who was bleeding out.
"You failed, Liver." He rasped. "Now you die."
Liver's eyes flicked towards the boy that stood above him. Tatsumi glared down at the man with contempt.
"You will die… with nothing but blood on your hands… Of your life… is there anything you can be proud of…!?"
Liver merely listened to the boy's rant, unable to return an answer. His body wasn't capable of large animation anymore.
"Cherish your life, goddammit…! Nothing but… this… was ever left for you in the end…!"
Liver gazed up at the boy. Using what little remained of his motor controls, he contorted his face into a smile. The meaning behind it unclear.
Bulat stood up to join Tatsumi. "General Liver. Let's have a long talk with a drink when we see each other again. You go on ahead..."
Liver's eyes turned to gaze up at the sky above him. He closed them to enter eternal slumber.
"... I'll catch up soon." Bulat finished.
It was over. The Three Beasts were killed.
Tatsumi fell to his knees as he clutched his heart, the exhaustion catching up with him. He huffed as his body screamed for air. The blood he had slowly been replenishing in his system had been greatly reduced.
"Tatsumi!" Bulat shouted, leaning down next to him. Akame and the rest surrounded him.
Tatsumi glanced down at his left arm. He grimaced at the sight. Tatsumi was no doctor but he could tell when things were bad. And this was bad. 'Damn... I might never use my left hand ever again.'
"Tatsumi… why did you push so far for this…! You could have relied on us…!" Akame spoke up.
Tatsumi smiled. If this was the price for Bulat's life, then he would gladly take it. "I told you."
Tatsumi rose shakily to his feet. His breathing calmed down a bit. "No one. Not a single person… has to die."
The Night Raid members simply watched in awe at the boy that seemed so much larger than life.
"The teigus of the three all belong to you. This is where we part, Night Raid." He announced.
Tatsumi turned around, trudging heavily, his feet dragging as he made his way over to Chouri's carriage. The members of Night Raid followed behind. The guards and men simply stood by as they watched. Spear was still on the ground, though not trembling in fright anymore.
He marched right in front of Chouri, who was standing outside, watching the unbelievable scene unfold. Tatsumi knelt before him respectfully.
"Former prime minister Chouri. My name is Tatsumi. I am not a member of Night Raid. I have but hired their help in order to save you from those who would try to kill you." He spoke. "I ask you to hire me and let me escort you to the Capital."
Chouri stared dumbfounded at the boy who looked like he was badly in need of medical attention. After several seconds he finally formulated words together to say. "T-Tatsumi… those who you killed today… are they not soldiers and officers of the Empire…?"
"They are, sir." Tatsumi spoke. "That means a person from above has commanded your assassination. They have been ordered by Honest to take your life."
The shock settled through Chouri's group. "Then… this…! This will cause a great controversy…! I must have tell the people of-"
"You will do no such thing, sir." Tatsumi answered. "These that we fought today are but mere dogs. If we flaunt their death, we may call upon the wrath of their master."
Chouri shuddered. There was no confusion on who the Three Beasts were subordinates of. "... you mean Esdeath."
Tatsumi nodded. "Precisely. Politically, she'd be committing suicide if she outright kills you. There's no guarantee that she would personally come to end you herself but considering the actions taken by the Beasts, we can only assume she gave the order herself to have you killed. There's no need for us to make more enemies by taking advantage of this."
Chouri was listening intently to the boy. The weight of the situation finally began to sink into his psyche. "What do you want to say…?"
"It is better instead to claim this: by the time you arrived on scene, Night Raid members and the Three Beasts were already engaged in battle. Your testimony should be that the Three Beasts were valiantly fighting to protect you while Night Raid had been the ones you assumed to be after your life. After the battle, the Three Beasts had lost their courageous lives and their teigus but had severely wounded the members of Night Raid, enough for them to be forced to withdraw when you and your guards attacked. This would be your way of extending the olive branch to Honest and avoiding the ire of Esdeath's company."
Chouri took the words of the boy greedily. He was greatly impressed by the wisdom of the boy's words. A part of him flared in bravery… but his heart found itself gripped by fear. He had gotten a look at the true danger of the Capital. His soul wavered in anxiety. Then he looked down into the boy's eyes.
Tatsumi met Chouri's gaze. The determined look behind those green orbs calmed Chouri's heart, the hope from within transmitting infectiously through a mere look. "Sir Chouri, everyone knows you to be a courageous and virtuous man. No one would blame you for backing away now. The Capital is filled with dangers like you saw today. You may withdraw from your plan to fight the current minister. However…"
Tatsumi stood up. "... if you have the heart to continue, please take me with you. I will support and protect you."
Chouri felt his nervousness disappear as the vow resounded through the group. Chouri was reminded of why he fought. Why he wanted to return from retirement.
The future of the Empire was at stake. He wanted to protect the future for the people. He glanced at Spear on the ground. He wanted to protect the future for Spear. Staring at this boy who confidently stated he would fight the world with a bravado that could only make someone believe it, Chouri felt the glimmer of hope spark in his soul.
If the future was left to someone like him, then it was worth fighting for. Chouri extended his right hand. "Come with me, Tatsumi. I want you to build the future with me."
Tatsumi took his right hand, grateful it wasn't his left. He smiled before whispering. "This is embarrassing… but I'm going to pass out now…"
He collapsed as he finally gave in to the exhaustion. He fell silently into Spear's arms, who had gotten up from the ground. Her cheeks were slightly warm.