God, you shanks are leaving some damn nice reviews. Quit making me blush.

Welps, to honor the expectations of my biggest fan, MyyGottMitUns, I'm gonna try to post every 3 days or less.

Forgive me if this chapter doesn't contain much action, we're going into politics now. Just for now, I promise some badass Tatsumi ass-kicking will come in due time. But, man, I had to study up on royal customs of when a man can meet an emperor just to make this.

And you might notice I'm adding an inkling of some heavy LORE this chapter.

Oh yeah, btw, first Esdeath and Tatsumi interaction this chapter. Knock yrslvs out.

The Spark Within

Ominous darkness as far as he could see.

Tatsumi sighed. He was expecting to see something like this pretty soon. He would really have liked instead to have a dream.

'I know I'm not dead this time.' Tatsumi called out into the void. 'Hurry up and show yourself.'

The four red eyes of the demon glared its way into existence, all of its focus trained onto Tatsumi's very soul. Tatsumi wondered for the first time if he could be hurt in this metaphysical realm. He sure hoped not.

"Boy." Rang the harrowing voice of the beast. Tatsumi could taste a bit of anger in the tone. "For what did you return to the past!? Was it not your own weakness that you cursed so deeply within your soul?"

The darkness realm seemed to shake from the cries of the angered dragon's cries. "Why do you deny my armor!? With me, you could have easily decimated those three ANTS! Why do you contradict yourself - power was in your grasp… AND YOU DENIED IT!"

Tatsumi felt his soul tremble as he took the full brunt of the dragon's malice. It was a much more terrifying experience than words could put it in. Tatsumi could feel his literal soul teeter. It felt as though he were a tree rooted to the ground, being threatened with getting uprooted by a strong wind. It was like tasting strong murderous intent. Tatsumi's question was apparently answered - he could be hurt here.

'... you're right… I do desire power… but not for the same purpose as you.' Tatsumi answered, steadying his soul. 'I need power to protect. You want power to destroy.'

"Oh… you sound as though you're a saint… human…" Tyrant said the word 'human' as though he were spitting it out. All the rage had seemingly subsided instantaneously but that was an obvious facade. Tatsumi admittedly felt more nervous by the switch up. "Who was it that destroyed the lives of those who murdered your friends? Was it not destruction you caused upon that guard captain, that killer, and those three slaves? What delusion do you see that lets you pretend you are a protector?"

Tatsumi felt the ugly sensation of a coiling presence, as though Tyrant were circling him, restricting him as a snake catching prey. He felt his soul wobble from within dangerously.

'I'm not delusional. I know that I am severely limited with how much I can accomplish… if I had the choice, I would much rather have taken over them from above and changed the system itself…' Tatsumi's soul flared in determination. '...but that requires POWER. I don't have that…! Not even you can provide me with the power that I want.'

Tatsumi recalled the image of hell he saw at the end of the war. 'I… thought that as long as I had more strength in my arms than my opponent, that would be all I needed. That all that mattered was the amount of force I generate overpowers the force that they generate. That was war… that was to kill… that was the path of carnage.'

Tyrant was strangely silent, regarding the words coming from the boy with an unusual curiosity.

'But I've been to the end of the path of carnage. When I got there, nothing but death awaited me. I won't have that future… not again…! I want power that's beyond fighting and killing…'

Several seconds of silence followed before the dragon spoke once more. This time, his voice was strangely… sad. "A power beyond fighting and killing… you speak of ideals just like Atlas, boy."

'Atlas…?'

A quiet echoed for a several seconds before the dragon answered.

"His name is lost to time by now, I suppose, except for relics like me. But he was a man whom even I acknowledged. He was a leader with ideals that even I couldn't get disgusted by." Tyrant sounded nostalgic in his response. "He is the one you call the First Emperor."

"Man, this axe is heavy." Leone said while inspecting their spoils. "That Daidara guy must've been really strong to wield it. Damn, I really wish I could have fought one of them."

"Really should've." Najenda mused, annoyed that she couldn't smoke while riding the Air Manta. "That Tatsumi fellow… he's a lot crazier than I thought. Jumping into that maelstrom…"

"But he survived." Akame spoke up. "That was really impressive."

"What? Are you saying you couldn't have done something like that Akame?" Mine chimed. "That kid's not as flexible or fast as you."

"I would never do something as crazy as that as long as I have other options. Even then, if I were forced to, it would still be a gamble."

"He's not very strong but he has the skills of an elite assassin…" Sheele spoke softly. "I wonder what sort of a past he had."

"Maybe I should look into this guy?" Lubbock raised. "I mean, he's just too much of an enigma. There's way too many questions I have about him."

"I'll leave that to you, Lubbock." Najenda voiced. "I'm really curious about this guy as well. He has to have really important ties to the Empire to know even half of what he claims but I don't know anyone like him in the army or in politics."

"Maybe he's the son of some noble?" Leone brought up. "He's gotta be well-learned just from the way he speaks. He doesn't sound like a kid."

"Maybe he was a part of some government secret project like me." Akame added. "If so, it'd be harder to find anything out about him."

As the group spoke with liveliness and animation, Bulat had been sitting silently. His face a mask of serious pondering.

"Yo, Bulat. A penny for your thoughts?" Lubbock extended.

"... he's really strange." Bulat gave. "When he threw me Incursio, I didn't activate the armor. It activated on its own to protect me. I didn't even hold the hilt or call for it. Hell, I didn't even have the strength to call upon it. But it activated nonetheless. And…"

The group listened intently at his words, his tone demanding serious attention.

"... for a second, I could have sworn his eye turned red."

Akame blinked. "I thought that too when he started hurting back in our makeshift base."

Bulat nodded. He reached around his back and grabbed the hilt of his teigu. Raising it up to the sun, he gazed upon the blade with contemplation. "Something's up with him and Incursio."

'The First Emperor…?'

Tatsumi processed that title silently. The one who instigated the creation of the teigus 1000 years ago. He had no idea that Tyrant knew of the man although it only made sense that he did. He was from the same era.

"Matters of the dead as such are trivial. I tell you again, boy, if you wish for power, then you simply have to wield me." Tyrant spoke, changing the topic. "At the very least, you are getting stronger. Very recklessly at that. I won't have you break. You humans heal far too slowly. You have almost taken your left arm out of commission. I won't have that. Without both of your arms, we cannot defeat that ice demon. I have injected my flesh into you from when you took hold of my key."

'What…?'

"You shall see when you awake." Tyrant finished.

Tatsumi wanted to ask more about the First Emperor but he decided not to. He stood silent for a few seconds before he raised a question that he had a while back. Something that had been bothering him a little.

'Can you hurt me in here?'

Tyrant's eyes seemed to raise. "Not physically. I can probably damage your psyche. Right now, you are without form. You are simply your soul."

'How come I felt in danger when you displayed anger towards me?'

Tyrant seemed to sigh. "How ignorant humans are of souls. When you feel an opponent's bloodlust, which of your five senses are you using to detect it?"

Tatsumi paused to think about it. He never really understood why he was able to detect or feel bloodlust or sense another person's presence. He simply took it as something he had naturally picked up the skill of as he had survived his fights.

"Your soul, too, is tangible when it comes to the metaphysical. You feel anger, sadness, and hate through the soul. Your ability to sense bloodlust comes from the strength of your soul. Everyone is capable of sensing through the soul, but in the real world, what your soul senses is masked by your other 5 physical senses."

That made a lot of sense to Tatsumi. He recalled how, in his training to detect presences, he had to close his eyes and focus internally, shutting off the rest of his senses. Only after a good while of that, was he able to get a hang of it.

In the real world, souls must interact as much as physical bodies, Tatsumi reasoned. 'How do I strengthen my soul and get it to detect other people's intents better?'

Tyrant scoffed. "How else? Your bodies fight to get stronger. Your soul must fight to get stronger as well."

'Fight souls?'

"The most simple way to put it is this: withstand other auras and sharpen your senses with your own soul. For a soul, a will to attack is the same as attacking. A will to hurt is the same as hurting. Overcoming despair and showing great will also strengthens the soul. Strength of the soul is somewhat connected to strength of the body as well, so physical training is necessary."

Tatsumi thought about it calmly. If that were indeed the case, there was no better location to train his soul than here, where none of his five senses existed. He had no eyes, ears, mouth, nose, or nerves to feel. He was simply soul. And if he needed to fight a soul… well, there was one right here that might help.

'... can you… train my soul then?'

The silence that followed lasted momentarily. "So even here, you plan on getting stronger…"

Tatsumi could sense that Tyrant was grinning. "Try your best to not let your mind break."

…

Tatsumi awoke with a gasp, his mind felt fractured and shaky as though he had woken up from an awfully terrible nightmare. His heart pounded instinctively and adrenaline flushed into his system. Tachypsychia automatically activated in his fight-or-flight response.

Tyrant had displayed an enormous amount of bloodlust on his soul. Just a few of his "attacks" and Tatsumi felt like his soul nearly broke. He raised his hand to his head, trying to contain his wild thoughts. He winced as a sharp pain ran up his arm.

He had used his left hand.

Tatsumi glanced down at his left hand. The deep cut had been bandaged. He gave it a testing grip. Surprisingly, it responded as he wanted, although it was awfully painful. His tendons had been restored. In general, his left arm felt a lot better.

'I have injected my flesh into you from when you took hold of my key.'

Tatsumi smiled. His rattling mind seemed to calm down. So Incursio had administered a bit of flesh and fused with his body. To some degree, it was helping his body heal. Tatsumi had been prepared to entirely give up on ever using his left arm again. He was grateful that it appeared he wouldn't have to.

"Father…! He's awake…!"

Tatsumi finally began to consider his surroundings. He was lying inside of a small wooden enclosure on two seats that were provided within. A carriage it seemed.

Turning his head to the left, he saw an old man and a young girl sitting on the floor of the carriage. Chouri and Spear. He was given the seats to the carriage while they were on the floor.

Tatsumi rose quickly from the makeshift bedding. "I apologize…! This- Nng…!" He gripped his side which had been bandaged. A wound from Daidara's trump card.

"No need to be hasty, Tatsumi." Chouri spoke up, lifting an arm as though to express 'at ease'. "You're wounded. The seat belongs to you. You have our favor after all, for saving our lives."

Tatsumi, nevertheless, sat up. "I don't feel like resting just yet, sir."

Chouri laughed. "Oh, to be young. Nothing can keep down the ambition of the youth."

Tatsumi smiled before bowing respectfully to the sitting individuals. "Thank you for the treatment and hospitality you have given me. I am ashamed to have to accept your help right after becoming your hire."

Chouri waved off that comment with his hand. "None of that. You have rightfully earned this as the least of our gratitude. You may thank Spear here for giving you medical care."

Spear flushed a bit. "I… only learned a bit of first aid in my time at the Imperial Fist… I didn't do much besides disinfect and cover…"

Tatsumi smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Spear."

Chouri coughed as he leaned in, his face taking a serious expression. "Now, I would like you to tell me just who you are, Tatsumi. You are a strange individual. For your age, you are far too intelligent and proficient in combat. You have a connection with the Empire's most wanted group of criminals, Night Raid. I wish to work with you, Tatsumi, but for that, I need to know your identity."

Tatsumi nodded resolutely. "Before I tell you, I will admit this: I will be keeping secrets. I can't tell you everything I know so I must ask that you trust me."

Chouri's eyes stared with a piercing gaze into Tatsumi's. The wise and experienced eyes of the politician bore into Tatsumi's expression, picking at him, studying him, trying to see behind the eyes of the boy. Tatsumi felt his soul tingle..

"... I understand. You do not have to ask for it; you already have my trust."

"Thank you, but I must apologize. I can't tell you much." Tatsumi began. "Up until just a few weeks ago, I was living in the mountains in a remote village. I have traveled here to the Capital in hopes of making money to save my village from debt. I have also come with two friends, both of whom are… dead now. They were unluckily targeted by a sadistic noble family who tortured them to death. I avenged my friends by slaughtering the entire family and many of their guards."

Chouri and Spear had a shocked look. Tatsumi continued.

"Soon after, I had been fortunate enough to receive help from a widow whose fiance was framed for a crime and killed by a corrupt guard captain and merchant. As with the noble family, I hunted them down and killed them too."

The father and daughter listened with silence.

"There were other things but I eventually met a serial killer who used one of the Imperial Arms of the Empire. One that gave clairvoyance. In a tough battle, I managed to kill him as well. That was when Night Raid showed up and we first contacted each other. In a manner I won't disclose, I was able to learn of prime minister Honest's plan to assassinate his political rivals, one of which was you, sir Chouri."

Chouri's eyebrow raised when Tatsumi wouldn't disclose how he came across what must have been incredibly secret information. Something that Honest strung from behind the scenes? Chouri hated Honest's very fat guts but he knew that Honest was incredibly shrewd and very good with hiding secrets. The fact that this boy was able to learn of it quickly AND act upon stopping it meant that there was a very dangerous game being played. Chouri reasoned that perhaps it was better not to ask about the method of information gathering.

"Using my connection with Night Raid, I was able to hire their help in stopping your assassination. That brings us to today, sir Chouri."

Chouri could tell that a MASSIVE amount of history was kept out of Tatsumi's disclosure. But Tatsumi gazed confidently at Chouri. Should there have been a lie detector at their disposal, Tatsumi could have held his head high. He was admitting to being a killer and a criminal that colluded with the Empire's most wanted assassin group. But Chouri's experienced ears could hear the two things that Tatsumi was really saying under his lengthy explanation.

"One, I am a really skilled fighter and a capable bodyguard.

Two, I have a very secret information network that was able to intercept Honest's directives."

Chouri had to admit, he liked what he was hearing. He grinned widely. His heart beat with excitement at the opportunity that the boy before him presented him with. "You may have a mixed past but you sound like a promising young man. I look forward to working with you."

His grin was met with Tatsumi's. "Thank you for hiring me."

Tatsumi looked around outside the windows and saw the walls of the Capital were rather close by. From the look of the sun, it was close to midday. "How long was I out?"

"About a full day." Spear answered. "After you passed out, we went back to the closest village to treat you and spend the night there. We're just about at the Capital now."

"I see." Tatsumi spoke, rising to his feet. He stretched a little before heading for the door. "I'll walk from here."

"Wha-? You're still greatly wounded…! You should res-"

"I heal pretty quick." Tatsumi reassured with a smile as he stepped out. "I could also use a little walk."

…

Tatsumi followed the direction of the carriage. From behind he could see that a few of the guards were carrying something covered in drapes. Asking them about it, he was told that they were the bodies of the Three Beasts.

Chouri had brought them to present to the Imperial Army, it seemed, to show respect for their fallen and maintain an amicable relationship with them. That was why it seemed that the place they were going to directly was the Imperial Palace. Tatsumi had to swallow his anxiety. He was going directly into the heart of the enemy stronghold. And if they were going to carry back the bodies of the Three Beasts, it was even likely that Esdeath herself might show up…

Tatsumi shook his head. So far, he was not suspected of any crime nor was he known by anyone except in Chouri's group. By the eyes of the law, he was innocent and, therefore, untouchable. So he hoped.

…

The carriage moved along the roads of the Capital with people swarming around it. A great number of people were standing along the sides of the road to watch the transport in hopes to see the face of their beloved old prime minister. Chouri had many fans among the public. Cheers were sung loudly as the people waved the carriage by.

Tatsumi tried his best to shrink away from the crowd's eyes. His experience as an assassin made him very averse to getting attention. He also had very little need to be known or seen by many people. He walked along towards the back of the group between some of the guards to hopefully block him from the line of view of the crowd.

"Shy?" One of the guards jibed playfully. "You can take on monsters but not crowds?"

"Oh yeah. Real nervous here. Butterflies in my stomach. Got the heebie-jeebies, y'know." Tatsumi smiled, comforted by the friendly guard's reaching out.

The guards all wore helmets and a mouth covering that mostly obscured their entire faces, but the one that talked to him did the courtesy of removing his mask to properly talk to Tatsumi. He looked to be in his mid 40's with a strong brown beard to prove it. Experience of battles reflected in his eyes which seemed to contain a level of deepness. Yet, what drew Tatsumi in was the simple look of kindness on the man's face. It was a characteristic that few kept as they aged.

"Tatsumi, eh? Can't believe a kid like you is that skilled with the sword. Made me feel terrible; a grunt young enough to be my son is just that strong." The man spoke sarcastically, his meaning negative but his tone expressing he had no ill will. "Heh! I can only imagine the brutal amount of training or experience you went through."

He extended his hand to Tatsumi. "I'm Jarls."

Tatsumi accepted his shake. "Good to meet you, Jarls."

Jarls made a grin. "I know that the new generation is eventually supposed to take over the old generation, but man, you are something else. You ever plan on being a general someday?"

"Not really… but maybe. If I have to. There are things I want to do to change the Empire's corrupt system. I was thinking that maybe I should act as an advisor."

"BAH! A rare talent like you working in politics? Boy, if you're a man, then be a general! With that talent, you'd definitely be the best one day!"

"You mean he'd overtake general Esdeath?" Another guard snorted, joining the conversation.

Tatsumi grimaced at the topic. Esdeath was a subject he'd like not to think about.

"I won't lie, that the kid is talented but man, getting stronger than her is a pipe dream." The guard spoke. "No offense, kid. I'm Nordu, by the way."

"Nonsense!" Jarls chimed, smacking Tatsumi's back. "Look at the kid's eyes! He's got the eyes of a great man right there! This one's gonna be a warrior among warriors!"

Jarls leaned down to talk directly to Tatsumi while gripping his shoulder. "Listen, Tatsumi. It kinda pisses me off that a woman's claimed to be the damn strongest. Now old farts like me are already at our prime and never had the talent to make it to the top but you, my boy, have what it takes to get there. You gotta take back what it means to be a man, you understand?"

Nordu and a couple other guards laughed. "That's sexist, Jarls."

"Oh, shut it! Like you don't agree in the back of your heart! We men have our pride to be protectors of women! It's unnatural to be weaker than one!"

Tatsumi slipped out of the conversation as Jarls began a heated debate with Nordu. He sighed as he eyed the Palace that seemed to grow ever closer.

'Getting stronger than Esdeath… eventually, I will have to do that.' He thought to himself. 'Peace can never be possible if she's around.'

…

It took half a day of walking to finally reach the palace. Tatsumi eyed the tall structure anxiously. Honest would, without doubt, have heard news about Chouri's return by now. At any moment, he may expect an assassination attempt to come.

After reaching the gates to enter the palace, the guards verified the status of the group and allowed Chouri and his men to enter.

"And what is that that your men are carrying back there?" One of them asked.

"These are the bodies of the esteemed Three Beasts that serve in general Esdeath's army." Chouri answered. "We have carried them here to give them a proper burial."

The guards had a look of shock upon hearing news of the Three Beast's death. Tatsumi suspected that the news would circulate fast from hereon.

"... alright, you may pass." The guards decided after looking up the procedure required for such an occasion. "But give their bodies to us. We will pass it off to the Imperial mortuary affairs unit."

"Understood."

The process of "entering" took a while, much longer than what Tatsumi had believed would take. Apparently the life of nobility had a lot of processions to take. All of the thirty or so of Chouri's guards were inspected for hidden weapons and were forced to surrender their swords. Some of them were given replacement ceremonial swords just for appearances. Tatsumi was about to reluctantly let go of his trusted village sword when Chouri stepped in, authorizing Tatsumi to keep it.

Tatsumi gratefully smiled. Both he and Spear and two other guards were allowed to hold onto their weapons. So exceptions seemed to be allowed.

The guards inspected Tatsumi with a strange look, however. "Sir, this boy is one of your bodyguards?"

Chouri nodded in affirmation. "He is one of my men. He may not look the age of a warrior but he is indeed capable. Perhaps my most capable hire."

The guards nodded. "Well, he certainly can't enter the palace in that attire."

Tatsumi looked down a bit ashamed of his clothes. So regular citizen clothing was not customary in the social setting of the palace?

One of the guards brought along light armor and a coat uniform. "Wear this, kid. It's not formal to enter the palace in anything but your best. This will have to do if you don't want to be a laughingstock."

Tatsumi accepted the guard's offer with a grateful look.

After that lengthy inspection, an herald along with several chamberlains offered to guide them into the palace. A few of the palace guards followed from behind as well.

Tatsumi felt out of place in the world of customs. He felt dizzy just from breathing the air of nobility. He was staring often at the rich and luxurious setting, finding all the intricate detailing strange and alluring in a stifling sense. For what reason would a chair require so much detail and shiny gems on the sides? For that matter, does anyone ever sit on that thing? It looked uncomfortable with the golden spokes where the back would meet the chair and the seating was curved in a way that looked nice but must have felt uncomfortable to sit on. Tatsumi concluded that the elite must naturally be born with stronger butts to survive in such a world.

"You look like you're lost at sea."

Tatsumi turned to Spear who had dropped back from the lead of the procession to walk next to him.

"Might as well be." Tatsumi answered. "This world feels so strange and vast. There's so many things I don't get… Do I look strange?"

"You definitely have the vibe of a country boy who stepped into a royal setting and doesn't understand anything he sees." Spear giggled. "Don't faint again."

Tatsumi nodded. He certainly didn't want to stand out here. This was the Imperial Palace, the headquarters of his enemies, Honest, Esdeath, Budo and the Imperial Army. This was where he was going to fight them. He couldn't act weak already just from being out of place here.

He may not know the customary rituals or have the necessary wardrobe to be here, but he will learn and he will conquer.

They were finally led to a large hall filled with paintings of what Tatsumi could only assume to be the Emperors of history or great and respected warriors.

The Chief Herald halted the group. "Sir Chouri and Lady Spear, this is the threshold for regular guards. Take up to 3 of your men to come with you."

Chouri nodded. He turned towards Tatsumi and another guard. "I'll take two. Come Tatsumi, Radus."

Radus looked over at Tatsumi and nodded. Tatsumi had taken the time to associate himself with the rest of the guards during their walk to the palace. Radus appeared to be the oldest and most trusted guard Chouri had. Radus wasn't much of a talker but he accepted Tatsumi as a fellow compatriot.

The group followed the Chief Herald for a while, going up steps and through grand doors guarded by - what do you know - more guards enough to make Tatsumi agitated. Finally, they stopped before a set of grand double doors where a line of better-armored guards were standing. The throne room doors.

Tatsumi had to control his expression carefully as he tried not to display aggressiveness. Behind those great doors was the Emperor, and behind that Emperor was the man who was making life worse for everyone in the Capital - the prime minister, Honest. He thought about barging in and quickly killing that fat bastard but controlled his temper.

The group stopped right there as they waited for the Chief Herald to announce entry for Chouri. Tatsumi sighed as they waited. Time was bleeding dry with this entire practice of meeting. He was bored out of his mind. His eyes threatened to boggle out.

Radus stood opposite the side of the hall of the throne doors next to Chouri. He stood straight and tall with his hand resting coolly on the pommel of his sword. He gave Tatsumi a look that said, "follow me."

Tatsumi copied the pose, trying to look as dignified as possible.

'For the future.' he thought to himself as he held the pose, gritting his teeth to avoid a yawn.

Esdeath was resting peacefully in her study. She had a usual routine to her days. In the morning, she would attend to the boring paperwork that she was required to accomplish as a general. Noon she dedicated at least an hour to study, which she mostly read books regarding the human body. From then on, she would take what she had learned about and use it to inspire her techniques down in the torture chambers. Afterwards, she would delegate the rest of her time to train.

However, today, she was rather engrossed in her book. It wasn't the usual things she read about; she felt as though she had read just about all that the Imperial library could offer on regular human biology. Today, she tried to go down a different route - how the body reacts when displaying affection.

She was deeply intrigued with the notion of falling in love.

"To release dopamine and oxytocin… it almost sounds like being in a fight." Esdeath mused as she read the contents. She found it interesting what that suggested. She was a woman who loved to display power and dominate her opponents in battle. Were she to have a lover, would she treat him the same way as she does her enemies? She smiled. She was ever curious to know.

Her pondering was interrupted by a loud knocking on her door. A frown replaced her expression. She was just having fun. She closed her book with a sigh.

Opening her door, she gave the soldier a haughty look. "What is it?"

The soldier saluted. "General Esdeath! I have come to inform you of unpleasant news…"

He seemed rather nervous. Esdeath rarely acted on emotion but in the rare events that she did, the unlucky messenger that was her convenient outlet to vent on would spend at least a few days recuperating. Nobody liked to be the bearer of bad news to Esdeath.

"... the Three Beasts… are dead. Their bodies have just been delivered to us and their teigus are missing." He reported dutifully.

Esdeath's left eyebrow raised. The most loyal and faithful assets to her army were eliminated? In only 3 days after setting out on a mission? All the pleasant mood she had accumulated from her leisure drained as she glared at the soldier. She was not angry at the man himself but he grimaced nonetheless. Even the slight amount of bloodlust that escaped her from just her feeling a little annoyed was enough to make him hold his breath in anticipation.

"... Explain."

The soldier took a quick breath as he opened his anxious mouth. "... they were brought just now by Chouri's men… Sir Chouri told us that he had come across known members of Night Raid battling with the Three Beasts… Sir Chouri told his guards to aid the Three Beasts but Night Raid had taken them all down before he knew it… Sir Chouri told us that the Three Beasts fought valiantly to protect him and his men from Night Raid's assassination attempt but they lost their lives doing so and were stripped of their teigu. Although none of Night Raid's members had died, Sir Chouri reports that the one that wielded the demon armor Incursio was severely wounded."

Esdeath listened intently with a serious look on her face. She had considered that Night Raid would hinder the mission but to pick up on their trail in just 3 days? No, considering that the target was Chouri who was outside the Capital and that the procession for the news to reach her took some time, it was safer to think that Night Raid managed to track the Beasts in only 2 days.

2 days. She knew Najenda was keen and her senses were quick but this was too fast. Suspiciously fast. She wanted to think that there might have been a leak of information or a spy within their midst but she waved off that idea. Except for her and Honest, there couldn't have been anyone that knew of the order.

So she was outmaneuvered.

Her frown turned into a scowl as she cursed her old companion. Although Najenda was a shrewd one, she had never expected her to be this quick on the response. Out of the nine officials Honest had told her he wanted to be killed, her Three Beasts had only taken out two of them. She clicked her tongue in frustration. Honest wasn't going to like that number. She wanted her six-man teigu team from him as well.

Her frustrated fretting was causing the soldier in front of her to break out in cold sweat. She looked really pissed. Internally, he was making peace with his spirit, holding onto the belief that he was a good man and a faithful afterlife would follow his death. He asked for forgiveness from his mother and father that he should die before them and wished that he could have done more for their troubles and struggles to make him a respectable man. He thought of his little brother and how sorry he was that he fought with him so many times and that he wished he could-

"You said Chouri brought them? I would like to meet him." She finally decided. "Where is he?"

"... he is currently going to get an audience with Emperor Makoto to be reinstated into his position as minister, general."

"Very well. You may leave." She grabbed her trademark cap which displayed the insignia of the Partas clan off the rack near the doorway, placing it on her head coolly. "I shall find him."

She walked past the soldier as he took a deep breath, putting up a delayed salute as he finally realized he was not gonna die. "Understood, general!"

Tatsumi's mind was wandering. Here he was in front of the throne room, where Emperors of history sat in their long years of rule. This must've gone back more than centuries all the way… to the First Emperor.

'Atlas… What sort of man was Atlas like?' Tatsumi wondered.

"SIR CHOURI." Boomed the loud voice of the Chief Herald, breaking Tatsumi's immersion with his mind. "You may enter now with Lady Spear."

The great double doors opened and Chouri stepped forward entering the great room. Spear followed, looking back to give Tatsumi a quick look. Tatsumi nodded encouragingly with a slight smile.

The great doors closed with a clank as Radus and Tatsumi were left behind to wait for their return. Tatsumi hoped for the best. He also hoped for their quick return. He was not fighting off a yawn anymore, he was fighting off the urge to sleep.

'Well, no better time than the present to try training my soul. If I can.'

Tatsumi closed his eyes and tried blocking out all of his other senses. He tried to feel the souls of the other inhabitants of the hall with him. Radus peeked over in wonder if Tatsumi was sleeping, a little crease forming in annoyance on his brow when he thought Tatsumi was.

Tatsumi knew that he didn't have an accompanying soul to fight with currently, so whatever training he could manage here was probably going to be minimal. He was simply trying to understand his own presence better, and if he could get better at that, he might be able to feel other presences. He tried to feel what others were feeling. There was no need to think that bloodlust was the only thing he could feel. If what Tyrant told him was true, then he should be able to detect a wide range of emotions such as curiosity, disgust, interest, and even… annoyance… Tatsumi felt a prickle from within his soul towards his left.

He opened his eye and glanced to the left. His eye met Radus's as he looked a little surprised, realizing that Tatsumi was, in fact, not asleep.

Tatsumi breathed in and out. Was he getting the hang of it? Attaining mastery over this skill would be a tremendous asset. He would, theoretically, be able to tell a person's intentions at a glance or perhaps, in battle, be able sense and read their attacks coming before they even moved. Somewhat like Spectator. Perhaps, Spectator worked on this principle as well?

Tatsumi's nerves fired as he made a connection from his past. Perhaps Esdeath used this principle during her fights as well. She was quick, certainly, but her insanely attuned instincts seemed to make it so that she was able to block attacks with the simplest of ease. Tatsumi realized that though she called it instinct, her ability to outread her opponents in combat was probably based on the same fundamentals as having a strong and perceptive soul.

He felt lightning crash inside his nerves. It was possible to get stronger this way. Up until now, he used his eyes and other senses and maximized its potential with tachypsychia to combat opponents. He could take it to another level if he could utilize his sixth sense as well.

The ends of Tatsumi's lips curled slightly into an excited grin as he picked up on the sound of heels clicking from the far side of the hall. Turning his head slightly to glance in the direction, his eyes widened as the subject of his thoughts came into view. Long blue hair flowing behind a slender figure wearing a white general's uniform. The unmistakable figure of his old enemy and number one fan(?) Esdeath was just coming down the hall.

Panic flooded Tatsumi's system. In his first life, Esdeath had fallen for Tatsumi at first sight… he really did appreciate the gesture but he did not want to deal with that burden now…!

'Calm down, Tatsumi… think… she had fallen for me while she saw me fighting in combat and displaying proficiency… it was because she had seen a potential in me that she was drawn to me to begin with… I simply have to do my best to NOT STAND OUT…!' Tatsumi thought furiously. He tried to suppress his presence and weaken the feeling of his soul. 'Wait… what if she's here to deal with Chouri? She must've given the order for the beasts to execute him… is she here to finish the task?'

Tatsumi's grip on his pommel tightened as he felt agitated. He had no choice currently but stand there dutifully waiting for Chouri to-

A great and sharp pain ran out of his reddening right eye as a wave of bloodlust burst from within him. Not his bloodlust. Tyrant's.

Tatsumi raised his hand from his pommel to cover his right eye which burned with agonizing pain. He felt the dragon roar in madness as the presence of his enemy approached.

'SHUT THE FUCK UP, TYRANT…!' Tatsumi shouted internally. 'YOU'RE GOING TO GET US KILLED! WE CAN'T TAKE HER RIGHT NOW! SETTLE… DOWN…!'

The fury of the dragon's soul resided as Tatsumi took quick breaths, his face breaking out in sweat. He had stumbled a bit from the posture he had been holding for the past hour or so. His mind felt loopy from trying to suppress the bloodlust from that idiot of a dragon-

"Are you alright?"

Tatsumi's blood froze as his focus returned. That feminine voice was directed undoubtedly at him. Tatsumi slowly lowered his hand and raised his gaze to meet the eyes of the tall general that stood in front of him. Her blue eyes peered down curiously at him.

'So fucking much for not standing out.' Tatsumi brooded.

A storm brewed in Tatsumi's circuits. He, from the bottom of his heart, would have loved to be literally anywhere else in the world right now. Esdeath was a problem he wanted to face much MUCH later. Not only was it nerve-wracking to see the strongest enemy standing before him, it was also incredibly awkward when he remembered she had confessed to him as well. But feelings aside, he needed to come up with a response quickly to avoid suspicion or attract unwanted attention.

"... I'm alright."

There, nailed it. The most unassuming answer he could have produced. He prayed to the powers that be that she would be satisfied with that and lose interest.

"I felt a bit of bloodlust coming from you."

'Please for the love of God, leave me alone…!' Tatsumi wailed. He cursed Tyrant inside his mind for releasing so much bloodlust at a critical time like this.

"... you must be mistaken. I simply felt a bit of pain from my injuries." Tatsumi answered. 'Now please leave me alone.'

Esdeath would, in fact, not leave him alone. She stared down with curiosity at the boy.

'He looks around 17 years of age… he's wearing some standard armor and an Imperial uniform but I can see rather common clothing under it. He must have been a regular citizen until very recently… he doesn't have the smell of being a Capital person. That he's so young yet able to come here must mean he was rather talented… Plus, he's kind of cute too.' Esdeath mused.

Tatsumi's eyes shifted with horror as he saw Esdeath smile. 'No God, please no, God, no please, you can't do this to me…'

"What is your business here?" She asked with a tone that sounded much lighter and upbeat than before. Unknowingly, she felt herself cheering up from the bad mood she had when she heard about her subordinates' deaths.

Swallowing the last of the saliva from his drying mouth, Tatsumi answered with a hard expression, "I am a loyal guard belonging of service to Sir Chouri who is currently having an audience with the Emperor."

She gave a sly smile before straightening up. "I see, so he's having an audience with the Emperor… I suppose I'll wait here then."

'Whew… finally, she's leaving me alon-'

Esdeath shifted her feet and stood right next to Tatsumi on his right. Tatsumi felt beads of sweat form on his forehead. He made a quick glance to his right and confirmed with horror that her eyes were still on him. 'Oh God.'

'He looks so nervous.' Esdeath smiled. She was in a bad mood ever since she heard of the death and poor performance of her most loyal subordinates but she was feeling much better now. She felt rather pleased to be near this strange boy. 'I would like to see his smile.' She thought to herself.

Time seemed to stretch ever so slowly from Tatsumi's perspective. Tachypsychia had activated in response to his aggravated stress. He begged his racing heart to calm down, he did not wish to live in this moment any longer than he had to. The seconds ticked by, the minutes dragged on.

"Former prime minister Chouri." Makoto spoke with all the charisma his youthful voice could manage. A smile was displayed on his face as he looked down on the balding man. "It is good to see you are of good health. I am delighted to see you again. I hope I have done well enough in my rule as my father."

"Your majesty, both your father and I would be pleased to see you are both of good health and in sound rule." Chouri answered.

Prime minister Honest's eyebrow raised at that statement. He noticed how Chouri deliberately did not speak on Makoto's rule. He was a little miffed as well, the stress eating away at him. He hardly felt like eating the Kobe beef plate he was holding. Chouri was perhaps on the top of the hit list he had told Esdeath. She had failed.

Even though Honest was careful to avoid stress and feeling anxious, he was feeling rather stressed now. Failure from Esdeath meant a lot to him. She was the strongest card he had to play against the rebels. Her failure meant that he was vulnerable.

"I have heard that you wish to return from retirement and back into ministry. I am glad to hear that you wish to serve the Empire with your skills once more. My empire would be glad to accept your services-"

"Your majesty." Honest spoke up. "Sir Chouri had left from his position due to retirement had he not? And it has already been 6 years since he had gone. We must wonder if his age must affect his performance, no?"

Honest put his foot forward in trying to hinder Chouri's return. However, he knew that he was fighting a losing battle. Chouri was well-liked by the public and even Emperor Makoto himself as he was the esteemed prime minister that led his father.

"I believe that Sir Chouri is still in his mid 50's, is that not right?" Makoto responded happily. "He is but a little past his prime. You are a well and capable subject, sir Chouri. I grant you a position as a minister in our ministry. The prime minister will assist you back into your position."

Chouri bowed his head. "I am grateful, your Majesty, for the opportunity to serve you once more."

By the time Chouri and Spear were dismissed, Tatsumi's clothes under his ceremonial armor were drenched with sweat. His mouth was dried of all moisture and his muscles were tense as he held the faithful pose that Radus had taught him to. His heart pounded in his chest as he stared off into the distance. He could feel the unmistakable feeling of eyes boring into him from his right. That sadist general was still looking at him.

When he heard the sound of the doors opening, he felt tears of joy threatening to spill from his eyes.

Chouri and Spear walked out, a content look on their faces. Tatsumi felt a bit of relief despite his turmoil to see that. He had reasoned that they would at least make it to this stage and receive a position in the ministry.

Unfortunately, that meant that they had to deal with the second trial stage almost immediately. Esdeath moved from her position, walking up to Chouri. "Sir Chouri, it is good to see you. If you don't mind, would you follow me to answer a few questions?" She asked a question but her tone suggested it wasn't optional.

Tatsumi reflexively tightened his grip on his pommel. He looked with a worried gaze at Chouri and Spear. Esdeath couldn't possibly be planning on killing them here, would she? He grimaced as he reasoned that Honest probably gave her the order to eliminate his political rivals to which she passed off onto the Three Beasts. If they failed, it was natural to assume she would take up the mantle of finishing the task. Especially when Tatsumi had managed to stop her after only two kills.

"General Esdeath." Chouri responded with a deep look on his face. "I am ever grateful and remorseful that you sent your subordinates for me. If it hadn't been for them, I believe I would have died to Night Raid's hands. Answering your questions is the least I can do to repay you."

Tatsumi gulped. Chouri answered well. His expression was a great imitation of a look of sorrow and regret. Tatsumi even noticed Esdeath's expression softened.

"There's not much I want to ask. Who were the members of Night Raid that attacked my beasts? Did you see any one that was not known by our authorities?"

"I had not seen a member of theirs that was not known but I have seen that there was a sniper among their ranks. They attacked from out of our range of vision so we have not been able to know who they were. The ones I did see were Akame, Sheele, and the one who wore armor, Bulat. Akame took on Daidara, Sheele took Nyau and Bulat took on River. Both sides took heavy damage but the Night Raid members won eventually. Your subordinate River, he fought valiantly indeed. He greatly damaged the user of that demon armor Incursio."

'So he believes Night Raid was after him… oh well. That works out better for me, I suppose. He'll sing praises of my army even when I had sent them to kill him.' Esdeath thought.

"I have one more question."

"Please ask." Chouri spoke confidently.

Esdeath smiled strangely in the eyes of the old man. She pointed over her shoulder with her thumb to Tatsumi. "Who's your guard boy?"

Chouri coughed a bit. That caught him off guard. He felt his chest tighten as a moment of panic overtook him. Such a question following a series of questions about Night Raid made him wonder, '...does she know about his connection to Night Raid?'

Esdeath's eyes squinted a bit at Chouri's strange reaction. Her senses picked up on Chouri's guilty response. She knew politicians had their secrets and acted strangely upon certain topics. Prying into all of them would be painstaking but she had a strange desire to know more about the boy.

"... why do you ask?" Chouri choked out.

"... I simply thought he looked rather interesting."

Tatsumi held his breath. Chouri was a good actor and hid his panic well but he knew that the slightest of suspicious movements were practically ringing alarm bells when in front of Esdeath. He gave up on the notion of not standing out; Esdeath was definitely going to remember him now.

"He's a talented boy I found and he has proven himself capable of combat with even the best of my men. I will admit he has a bit of a troubling background but under my guidance, I plan to nurture him into a capable and respected man." Chouri answered.

Tatsumi nearly broke out into a grin. He pumped his inner fist. That was a brilliant answer. Chouri was indeed a sharp individual. By dropping a hint that Tatsumi had a bit of a troubling background, Chouri was justifying his earlier strange reaction. Now Esdeath might believe that Chouri's initial guilty reaction was due to a bit of a criminal history the boy had. Perhaps he got into a scuffle or had even murdered someone but Esdeath wasn't the type to care.

It seemed to pay off as Esdeath backed down, apparently satisfied. "I see. He's talented, hm?"

She gave a glance over her shoulder. "What's his name?"

"His name is Tatsumi." Chouri answered with a pleasant smile, recovering his composure.

"I see." She spoke again. "I am interested to see what sort of accomplishments he'll make in the future."

With that, she promptly began to walk off, her heels clicking on the carpeted floor.

Tatsumi watched as she left, only letting out a breath after seeing her turn the corner. He thanked God above that this was all that had happened. Things could have gone much worse. The only way things could have gone better was if Esdeath had not paid any attention to him at all. He cursed Tyrant over and over again for drawing her notice.

Chouri gave Tatsumi a glance before following a herald that began to lead them back with Spear following right behind. Radus pivoted on his feet and marched after Chouri and Tatsumi gratefully copied the gesture.

He was rather tired of all the customs and politics. He seriously wanted to escape from all the noble traditional practices and unnatural social etiquette.

'A quiet room to think by myself...' he dreamed longingly.

Honest made his way down the halls to the royal garden. Sitting on a chair towards the west side of the garden, he saw who he expected to see sitting there. She was sipping tea from a fine china cup.

"General Esdeath. I had expected to see you sitting here." Honest called, his tone pleasant and welcoming although his mood was quite sour. "I have heard the news concerning your Beasts. It is quite a shame."

"Shame that they died or failed to accomplish your order?" Esdeath answered, a slight smile on her face.

Honest felt a little confused to see her smile. Concerning the fact that she had failed and lost her best subordinates, he had expected her to be in an irritable mood. She was, however, strangely upbeat and sported a content expression.

"Something nice happened?" He questioned. Knowing Esdeath was one of the top priorities Honest had. To know was to control. To keep his position firm on the top of the political hierarchy, he made it his mission to know what drove Esdeath.

"Oh, it's hardly anything." She mused. "I simply saw a cute boy who seemed to have quite a bit of potential."

"... I have to admit, that sounds rather unlike you." Honest replied.

"Perhaps. It is strange of me to feel better from an encounter. Maybe this is love I feel?" She chuckled.

Honest felt a twinge of annoyance. He wasn't here to talk about a woman's interest and affections. "... well I'm glad your mood is bright but I wanted to talk to you regarding the people I wanted gone…"

"Oh, yes." Esdeath returned. "I would still like my team of six teigu users."

Honest flinched. "Of the nine names I wanted erased, you only took two of them-!"

"To follow your selfish request, I lost 3 of my best subordinates, no?" Esdeath responded. "I believe I am warranted some form of repayment. You need my army to keep your position, don't you? Night Raid is getting more and more aggressive and has proven to be quite the pain in the ass. Wouldn't you like me to get rid of them quickly? As good as I am, there's only so much I can do alone."

Honest took a deep breath and sighed. Esdeath was the easy way to get rid of his political opponents. If she wasn't going to do it for him, then he'd have to do it himself the hard way. Bribery and poisoning or more of the sort. Oh well, at least two of them were eliminated. "... you shall have your users."

Esdeath smiled pleasantly. She knew Honest would cave to her terms. In the end, she always got what she wanted. "Glad to do business with you."

She looked at the well-attended blooming flowers of the garden. She thought she might pick a few to leave at the tombs of Liver, Nyau, and Daidara. She saw some other people do that for their departed ones before.

Her thoughts returned to that green-eyed boy, Tatsumi. 'Such a promising one.' She thought absentmindedly. 'It's a shame that he's not in my army. Oh well.'

She sipped her tea. 'I wonder what his smile would look like.'