Here is the seventeenth chapter in this story released when I wanted it to be released based of my release process for this series. The mission is over and there is some down time after it for the Black Bulls so what better time then to do a little training, especially in an art form that Asta now knows two of his Squad mates are knowledgeable in and which will help him greatly. Yup, it's time for some swordplay. That is all I have for the administrative stuff I have for y'all and there are no guest reviews that need a response or questions to answer so I will end this here. Do keep them coming as your support is the best motivation for me to keep producing chapters at this kind of rate. That is it for this pre-chapter note so it is time to sit back and enjoy the seventeenth chapter in Akame ga Clover.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these two great animes.
Chapter 17: Swordsmanship
"Alright Asta, you've already got the strength to effectively wield your sword so we can focus on actual swordplay." Tatsumi said as he looked at Asta in the clearing area in front of the hideout. "First I need to assess how good you are while also understanding the kind of sword you use as I've never used a sword the size you use, the closest is the broadsword that comes with my Chivalrous Knight armor, so we'll start with a training duel to ascertain what your baseline is."
It was a few days after the mission to arrest the Highballs and things had returned to relative normalcy for them, well as close to normal as possible after a mission was like that seeing as Asta and Noelle had watched Tatsumi execute Venalia in front of them. They'd taken it as well as possible and after that he and Akame had asked the new recruits if they accepted this part of the Squad which after what they'd seen both on their first mission and the special one they did.
They now understood the depths that some in the kingdom went to, the evil and depravity that existed under the surface, and the role that Akame and Tatsumi played in ending that evil and corruption. This had been their final test as new Black Bulls and they'd passed, albeit minus Noelle's dinner after she saw what Venalia had done to three women but that wasn't out of the realms of possibility, which meant that they could be told the final thing about the Squad, the secret behind Akame and Tatsumi's skills.
What they learned had been almost to improbably to believe but with how much there was to the couple and what they could do it was clearly more than a person could live in one lifetime that lasted less than 20 years as both of them had died before reaching that age in their former life. It helped that the rest of the Squad backed it up and Yami even pointed out that Mushroom Head, whoever that was, had confirmed it with his magic and he was one of the most trusted advisors to the Wizard King, so they accepted the tale.
To say that Akame and Tatsumi's story was crazy would be an understatement. The world of their previous life was one of evil and corruption on an unimaginable level, one that it seemed that they fought but in doing so they learned about how sometimes killing was unavoidable and got used to it.
It explained how they could do it the other day without any hesitation, well that and Akame's own history being raised as an assassin in two lifetimes. Neither Asta nor Noelle were expected to join them again, but the mission had been so that they understood that side of the Black Bulls and boy did they understand.
That was because, as Akame had found out, the evil they'd seen at the Highball mansion wasn't limited to that guest house. Once they were done there, just leaving Venalia's body on the ground as proof of her execution, they returned to the house to finish the mission.
Tatsumi didn't enter with them, however, he went to the back where Akame had exited and used his binding spell to bind the still unconscious servants while Akame led the other two through the front entrance as there was no need for them to see the bodies of the guards she'd killed as that was not a pretty sight. Tatsumi then proceeded up to top level to do the same with the head maid that Akame had wounded, as well as to see to the woman's back wound to ensure she didn't bleed out, before joining them in the lord's study.
Along the way Tatsumi picked up the wife's journal that she had on her when Akame had bisected her, and it was as expected a detailed description of how all her various poisonous plants worked on human bodies and various comparisons based on age, gender, and magic levels. The wife even had queries as to what it would be like to poison a noble or royal and see how it worked on them but clear displeasure on how she couldn't experiment on them because they'd ruin her fun by actually being missed.
It was as disturbing as expected and the number on the inside cover, 11, implied there were a lot more to be found. Tatsumi noted that as he returned to the others, and this would be reported to the Magic Investigation Department to follow up on.
For now, they just had to confirm what was in the study and gather it up so that the preliminary evidence, mainly the ledgers in the study, and prisoners could be delivered to Magic Knight Headquarters. To do that they contacted Finral to let him know they were successful, and he headed over to facilitate the transfer right as Tatsumi entered the study to find Asta arguing with his suit of armor he'd left there, and apparently losing said argument, while Noelle tried to tell him how stupid he was being and Akame looked at the whole scene in confusion.
To end the strange scene Tatsumi dismissed his spell and Akame opened the secret room. Again Asta and Noelle were shown the horrors that had been committed there with the torture gear and the books in the room were even worse as they detailed the crimes of the family and their servants going back decades to at least the time of the current lord's grandfather in extremely graphic detail.
It was disgusting and disturbing on many levels but all crucial evidence as some even named others not present, along with reference to other crimes that implied that some victims didn't die at the mansion, so they were bound and handed to Finral when he arrived to send straight to Mushroom Head's desk. This was turning into a deeper rabbit hole for the Magic Investigation Department to go down but sometimes that was just how it went for them, and they trusted the Wizard King to make the right calls when it came down to what they learned.
After that it was just a matter of Finral and Tatsumi taking the bound prisoners to the special prison reserved for them where the Wizard King and Mushroom head were already waiting to interrogate them while Akame, Noelle, and Asta went back to the hideout. It was there that all the Squad was still up and welcomed them back with food and comfort after what they'd been through and backed up Akame and Tatsumi's backstory. With that they had a quite night as they processed the successful mission before heading to bed though neither Asta nor Noelle slept well that night.
That was a few days ago and for the first time since then Asta had felt up to some training and had asked Tatsumi to assist him with his swordsmanship. He'd asked back during the mission and at last it was time for Asta's first session.
The rest of the Squad were doing their usual things during a lull in missions with most in the common room. As always Vanessa was passed out drunk, Gordon and Grey sat on the sofa doing nothing, Gauche was making another statue of Marie, and Yami was taking a dump. The only ones actively doing something productive other than them were Charmy who was busy getting food, Luck and Magna who were training together, and Finral who was at Magic Knights' Headquarters dealing with the follow up.
Noelle hadn't come out yet, though Akame was sitting on bench the hideout had made with Murasame out cleaning it. She actually didn't need to do so, or to do so with the same level of precaution she'd used in her old life as Murasame was now made with her magic and not a one hit killer, but she did so anyway as there was a quiet comfort to it as she watched and helped out with the training.
"Alright, let's do this!" Asta yelled as he ripped his shirt off and pulled out his sword from his grimoire. "So, what do you want me to do?"
"Asta!" Noelle said shocked as she'd walked out of hideout right as he took his shirt off and blushing at the sight of him shirtless, and refusing to admit to herself that she didn't actually mind it. "What are you doing?"
"What, it's easier to work out this way." Asta said looking at her as if it was nothing as Noelle blushed more and looked away from Asta's muscular chest.
"He's not wrong." Tatsumi said as he did the same much to Noelle's horror while Akame simple smiled at the sight of her boyfriend's shirtless chest. "Not ideal for swordsmanship training as you don't usually fight shirtless, unless it gets destroyed in battle of course, but seeing the bruises Asta is about to get will help him learn."
"Bruises?" Asta asked.
"Pain is a great teacher, bro taught me that." Tatsumi said with a grin as he looked at Asta's sword. "Now what to do about this? It's large and heavy, the only sword I have that can really counter it is Chivalrous Knight's broadsword but that's created with magic so won't work and my non magic sword isn't ideal even if Akame blunts it for a few reasons. Guess the best question to start with is what training do you have Asta?"
"Not much really." Asta admitted as he hefted the sword onto his shoulder. "Mostly strength training with this though I was taught some things by a strange homeless man who frequently lost his clothes that I saved from a boar called Zell. He has Wind Magic that he forms into swords of sorts that he uses so he knows a bit. I only learned a little from him as there was some assassin girl after him who I had to save him from and then he left as he couldn't stay in one place for too long but I got the basics from him. I hope he's ok though."
"Ok there's definitely more to that story but I can ask that later." Tatsumi said. "Seems like you have a good baseline to work off though. How'd you train with him though if he uses magic as part of his swordplay?"
"I made a replica out of wood for him to use." Asta said. "It was good for basic training, but it was lighter than my sword."
"I see, that would work for the basics but if I'm to understand your sword more I should probably understand its weight as well." Tatsumi said as he looked over to Akame who was clearly enjoying the view of him shirtless as Noelle for some reason tried not to look at them, but Tatsumi just chalked it up to royal pride and etiquette. "Akame, got any spells that can help out? If I recall you have one, right?"
"Huh, oh yeah I do." Akame said as she stood up, spun Murasame in her hand to drive it point first into the ground while she dealt with this, and walked over her grimoire floating up and flipping open as she did. "Asta, hold out your sword parallel to the ground. That style is unique enough that I'm going to have to first inspect it so that I can create a mental image of it."
"Er, ok, sure." Asta said as he held out the sword as Akame approached.
She didn't say anything as she reached it and just looked at the large, dirty, blunt, weapon closely. Then Akame placed her hand on the flat of the blade and ran it along the whole length studying it closely with both her eyes and her hands. As Akame did so, she made sure to touch all parts of it including the edges and hilt she noted that while it didn't seem to drain her magic, she knew that she couldn't affect it with her magic so for the first time she was touching a sword she couldn't sharpen or dull. It was rather intriguing to say the least but for the moment she needed to understand it and there was one last thing to do.
"Alright, I understand the size and style of it so now hand me it." Akame said to Asta as she let go of it and held out her hand. "The last thing I need to fell is its weight."
"Oh sure." Asta said as he held it up high so that she could take the hilt which she did before he let go.
Noelle was impressed by Akame's overall strength as she held the sword briefly in one hand with only a slight wobble in her arm and then brought her other hand to it and assessed it for a moment. She only held it a few seconds before she passed it back to Asta.
"Thanks." Akame said as she flexed her hands, it had been strange to hold it as she felt it didn't like her magic in a sense though it didn't drain it at least. "Alright I got a good feel for it, you can put it away."
"I can?" Asta asked and Akame nodded so he did so.
"Right let's see if this works." Akame said as she held out her hand and her grimoire glowed again having already flipped to the right page. "Blade Creation Magic: Specific Blade – Asta's Sword."
There was a flash of magic in the air in front of Akame and then a replica of Asta's sword appeared there before it fell to the ground with a thud. Asta and Noelle stared at it in amazement, it was the exact same style and design as Asta's great sword only it wasn't dirty but a simple the simple gray you'd associate with a sword. Regardless, Asta bent down to pick it up.
"Woah." Asta said as he hefted it and turned away from them to give it a few swings. "It's got pretty much the same weight. That's amazing."
"What spell is that?" Noelle asked looking at Akame as her grimoire glowed again. "You recreated his sword?"
"As best I could, I can't recreate properties and the dirty appearance it has appears to be unique so it just created a normal colored sword but yes I can." Akame said as she made another one for Tatsumi. "It's a spell I learned shortly before my mission to kill the Captain that filled a needed issue I had at the time."
"A need?" Noelle asked. "Like how I needed that defensive spell in Saussy Village?"
"Well, it was an offensive need as my magic is, at the moment, purely offensive but in a sense yes." Akame said with a nod as she closed her grimoire and put it away. "Blade Magic allows the user to created bladed weapons but other than Murasame they aren't exactly specific kinds of blades that I can make as their either generic blades without proper handles, if they even have them, or a collection of bladed weapons that I send at people."
"Yeah that's pure offensive magic." Noelle said. "And a little scary but fitting for you."
"Once my block broke my attribute made a lot of sense, especially my first and strongest spell." Akame said. "However, there are situations where Murasame isn't useful. I'll admit I'm not as good with other kinds of swords and daggers as I am with a katana as that is the style of blade I've used the longest, but I was faced with a situation in which I couldn't use Murasame, and it was rather dire hence learning that spell. It's really useful for assassinations where a dagger or a knife is best, my personal preference there is a hunting knife."
"Yeah but that's not exactly what an assassin would use, right?" Noelle asked ignoring Akame's personal preference as Tatsumi hefted up the blade and backed up, his raw strength able to lift it but it wasn't as easy as he'd have liked, and it showed him just how strong Asta was. "Asta's sword is rather noticeable."
"Correct but Specialty Blade doesn't just mean small, it means any kind of bladed weapon." Akame said as she led Noelle to where they could watch the boys train from the bench she'd been sitting on earlier though she left Murasame in the ground as they watched. "I just need to know what it looks like to recreate it but understanding its weight can make it more authentic hence why I needed to exam Asta's sword. Something generic is easier as I know most of those swords, but that blade is unique. Also, as I can control the sharpness of a blade, those swords are blunt for training purposes, but it will still hurt to be hit by it though."
"That's the plan." Tatsumi said as he took a ready stance with the sword in two hands in front of him facing Asta who mimicked his stance though it was the easiest opening stance for using a sword like that. "Alright Asta, come at me."
"Ok." Asta said and he charged.
Tatsumi just stood there as he let Asta come to him, reading his ki as Asta ran and sensing for his opening move. That came a just as Asta neared and he shifted to raise his sword above his head and bring it down with a strong two-handed strike down on Tatsumi. It was a good move, one that would work well on magic shields as they wouldn't expect what Asta's sword could do when they first faced it but when they realized things would change so Asta needed to learn that this move wouldn't work on someone who knew it was coming and could defend and Tatsumi intended on showing that.
He did so by backing up a few paces to give him room and raising his sword up, flat to the edge on Asta's and intercepted the blow with a clang, his left hand on the back of the blade for added stability while blocking as Asta tried to push through the block. However, between Tatsumi's stance and the way he was holding the sword he couldn't break through it despite his raw strength.
"Stance, hold, and stability, that is how you block a foe with greater physical strength." Tatsumi said as he pushed back on the block and forced Asta to take a step back. "You've got those on me but I know how to block with a sword. My first kill for Night Raid was against a larger, stronger, foe and he didn't so much as scratch me."
Asta just grinned as Tatsumi followed it up with a step forward and a slash at Asta's waist, but Asta got his sword down to block it and they clanged again but Tatsumi kept pushing forward using the rebound from the block to spin and slash at Asta's other site. It was a lot harder than with his sword, which he interchanged one and two handed fighting, as this sword was bigger, heavier, and an unfamiliar style but Tatsumi kept pushing Asta back using his experience with swords to adapt to the new blade as Asta blocked the blows with impressive speed.
Even with limited training Asta had a good sense for swordplay so standard fighting wouldn't be enough for Tatsumi to beat him as the stamina holding such a sword required was draining on Tatsumi so he needed to switch things up if he was to prove to Asta that he was a good swordsman. Time to show Asta one of his tricks.
As Asta blocked another strike to the side Tatsumi shifted and brough his sword down in an overhand blow that Asta got up a block to with his raw strength stopping Tatsumi from breaking through the block. Tatsumi remained neutral in his expression however as he pushed down and used that to leap off the ground and get above Asta his body twisting similar to how he'd done it in the fighting pit the other day.
Asta looked up in confusion as Tatsumi seemed to hang in the air before he twisted and spun his body as he fell down to Asta and brought the sword to bear with a spinning increase in power. Asta only just got up his own sword and used the same block style that Tatsumi had done to intercept the blow with a deafening clang that rang in the boys' ears and cracked the ground around his feet as Tatsumi pushed down on it.
"Impressive, you saw my block once and was able to replicate it after just one visual, you're a quick learner, that's good." Tatsumi said as he pushed down on Asta and shift the sword forward, kicking his legs out behind him as he pushed off the block. "But there's more to swordplay than just using the sword, Akame taught me that when I first met her."
Before Asta could respond Tatsumi had pushed off Asta's sword to flip over Asta's head with the grace he'd shown he had back during the mission when he killed the head steward. As he did, Tatsumi kicked out and slammed both of his booted feet into Asta's back to stagger him forward before twisting to land in a crouch behind Asta, sword in both hands and out to the side.
Right now, Asta couldn't read ki, though Tatsumi expected Yami to teach him for a price when Asta had shown Yami that he had the potential to learn it, and it was something Tatsumi wasn't sure he could teach, so Asta was wide open in this moment. Naturally, Tatsumi took that opening as he pushed forward.
Asta had barely managed more than a few paces before Tatsumi was on him with a horizontal slash from behind that slammed into Asta's side just above his waist and tossed him to the side with the force of the blow. The swords were blunt or else the blow would have bisected Asta if it had been as sharp as Akame could make a blade and he knew it, hitting the ground hard and rolling over a few times before landing on his back. Impressively Asta was still holding his sword and hadn't caused himself any damage in the process.
"Not bad but once I got behind you I had you right where I wanted you and in a duel you should always take an opening when it presents itself." Tatsumi said as Asta slowly got up holding his side where a purple bruise was already blooming. "Don't let your opponent get behind you, at least not until you have more experience and understanding in a few things."
"Yeah I get that." Asta said as he panted a bit, Tatsumi certainly knew his swordsmanship and Asta was going to learn as much as he could from this as he set himself. "I'm ready, again."
"Good, treat this as real." Tatsumi said as this time he brought the fight to Asta and closed in on him. "It may save your life one day."
-break-
"That looked like it hurt." Noelle said worry in her voice even though she didn't want to show it as Asta took his first hit of the day. "Are you sure that this is safe?"
"There may be internal damage from the blunt attacks but for the most part it will just be bruises, maybe a broken bone or two." Akame said calmly. "Wood would be better but with that sword being so heavy it's easier to replicate it with a metal one so that Tatsumi can best assist Asta. Don't worry, Tatsumi is very skilled, so he won't hurt Asta, too much at least."
"That's good, I guess." Noelle said as she watched though she didn't like the 'too much' part though she did have a question for Akame as it was clear the girl was also skilled in the ways of the sword. "Aren't you going to spar with Asta as well? It's obvious that you know how to handle your katana."
"In time I will but he's not ready for my skills." Akame said as Asta began blocking attacks again. "And he needs to understand that sword first as it is the only one that he has at the moment. It's actually too heavy for me to use in prolonged duels so Tatsumi is better at teaching with it. I can give feedback and teach him various things that are applicable no matter the sword you wield. Now, should Asta ever get a katana, or even a lighter sword for that matter, I can help out once he gets better. My main sword skills are in the katana so for me it's more specialty training while Tatsumi is better at general swordsmanship. Course, in a duel with our preferred weapons, I'll almost always beat my love."
"I see, I guess." Noelle said as Asta went for a dodge rather than intercept an airborne Tatsumi showing how much he'd learned from the first time Tatsumi had done that. "So, you're the better swordsman, well swordswoman then."
"Between us two yes but the Captain is a different level entirely and he uses a katana too." Akame said. "But he's also got age, skills, and a hell of a lot of raw strength on me. In my old life, by the end of it, I could have matched him with my agility and speed as ways to overcome his strength but not yet, I still need to get my body back to that level."
"Even with that block removed?" Noelle asked.
"Even with it I'm not there yet though my skills did increase when it went as I recalled all my old training with Murasame." Akame said. "Part of that gap between then and now, despite being about the same age now as I was when I died, is that this world is one of magic. My last life wasn't, or at least not in the same kind of way as it is in this one as there were things that were kinda like magic I guess, so it's different and I'm adapting to it as I no longer need to be at such a high level of skill with magic to aid me. Of course, I want to get back to that level now that I remember but thanks to magic I am a more rounded warrior now though which I like."
"Yes your magic, it's certainly something else." Noelle said. "Blade Magic, it's an attribute I never would have thought existed until you revealed that you had it, and Tatsumi has Armor Magic so both of you have rare attributes."
"It's how our Imperial Arms were." Akame said. "So, it makes sense and I like my magic, as you said, it fits me."
"That it does." Noelle said. "And your mana levels, they're really high."
"I don't know why that is the case, not that I am complaining about it mind you." Akame admitted. "And it's not at your level though but the royals are different."
"True, we are." Noelle said as Asta was down again and winced as the blow he took. "That looked like it hurt."
"It did." Akame said as Tatsumi helped him up and they went at it again. "But he's resilient, I'll give him that."
"That he is." Noelle said with a small smile that Akame didn't miss and even with her limited understanding of these things, now that she was in a relationship she was starting to pick up on certain things she hadn't in the past. "He showed that in Saussy Village, without him we wouldn't have beaten those guys."
"You like him, don't you." Akame said which instantly got Noelle.
"I, well, he's a commoner and I'm a royal." Noelle said flustered as she tried to calm down though why she was getting like this was beyond her. "I mean yes he's pretty impressive and sure I recognize him which I've never done before with a commoner but that's it. We're teammates who are working together, nothing more."
"I see." Akame said as she understood it. "You really are like Mine in a lot of ways."
"I'm not like her." Noelle said defensively recalling the girl who she'd met in the Black Market and how now that she knew the truth of Akame and Tatsumi's past life it made a whole lot more sense as she and that Chelsea girl were also reborn souls who'd had their blocks broken. "I met her the other day sure, and I could tell she's way to…"
"Arrogant, harsh, brash, abrasive, bratty even." Akame said bluntly. "But deep down she really cares for her friends and teammates even if she struggles to outwardly show it. You're a lot like her even down to your ki though everyone's ki is unique so there are differences but the general feelings there are pretty similar. It's fine to have defenses, we all do for our own reasons so take your time and it will come."
Noelle thought on that for a moment and couldn't really fault Akame there though she still had no idea what this ki was that Akame occasionally mentioned. Akame had herself been a bit standoffish at the start but after the mission Noelle and Asta had gone on with her and Tatsumi she'd become a lot friendlier because Noelle had the experience now. That and Noelle had accepted Akame's past and what she did which had helped Akame really accept Noelle as a Black Bull in return.
She wouldn't deny that she had a whole plethora of issues to work through, but Noelle could at least understand what Akame was trying to say and how she'd already acknowledged Asta was a sign of that. At least she could ask for Akame's advice on something but first she needed to ask another question to ease into it as she didn't want to ask something like that without a buildup.
"Were you like that?" Noelle asked after a moment. "Defensive I mean, when you first met Tatsumi in your past life."
"I can't say that Tatsumi and I met under normal circumstances, but my past life was far from normal and even now, my time with the Black Bulls has been the closest to normal I've ever truly known." Akame said which Noelle didn't doubt and really showed how messed up Akame's lives had been. "Back then though, we met the night that Night Raid went after Aria and her family, a bunch of sadists not unlike Venalia, a mirror of sorts I guess which shows that evil is the same no matter where it is, but back then Tatsumi was staying with them having been swindled by Leone and they were preparing to kill him."
"Er…" Noelle began, she'd heard this the other day though not the fine details as there'd been a lot to cover especially from Akame's past life.
"I can explain that later." Akame said. "That night fate allowed us to meet, a meeting that would be a driving force in changing that Empire in the end, and fate played a key role in saving Tatsumi's life when I tried to kill him."
"Come again?" Noelle asked looking at Akame who wasn't looking at her but watching the boys spar as Asta got up after a third knockdown and Tatsumi gave him some pointers as they caught their breaths before the next go around as she'd not heard that Akame had tried to kill Tatsumi when they first met. "You almost killed him? And I thought my first meeting with Asta was bad."
"I didn't at first, he wasn't on the kill list and I'm no sociopath, I may have no hesitation in killing when need be but only if it is for the cause I believe in or if the person truly deserves it." Akame said. "I was trained to only kill those who I had to kill and Tatsumi wasn't on the kill list. The family and their guards were but he was so noble, still is, and naïve back then as he didn't know the truth about Aria and her family, so he tried to stop me because he thought I was just some assassin there to kill an innocent rich girl. Fought well enough to impress Leone and a statue in his breast pocket stopped my Imperial Arms so it saved him."
"The one that kills if it cuts you." Noelle said. "Murasame, your katana spell which is the same as your Imperial Arms."
"Yes, the one hit killer Murasame, a katana Imperial Arms." Akame said with a nod. "Tatsumi was saved and then saved again by Leone who showed him the truth of what a messed-up girl Aria was. It helped that his missing friends who he'd been separated from on the way to the capital had already fallen victim to Aria and her family with one whipped to death by Aria and the other poisoned by her mother and on the brink of death. He held out long enough to watch Tatsumi get revenge and kill Aria."
"I recall that from your backstory." Noelle said. "It is a shame that that happened. I can't imagine."
"To those who haven't lived the lives we lived you can't." Akame said. "That was what opened Tatsumi's eyes, and we took him with us as a recruit. Took some convincing, and paying him, for him to join but he'd seen the horrors of the Empire and he wanted to end them for his own noble reasons, as well as helping his village. It took him a bit to fully move on from the loss of his friends, but he managed it in the end and that was when he could truly grow."
"So, he wasn't like the rest of you, he didn't have the hardships you had to make him into a killer." Noelle said as she tried to understand it. "Right?"
"He had his own with that sight but yes, unlike the rest of us with the possible exception of Lubbock, he was more noble in his reasons and because of that he made us all better I feel." Akame said "From there I trained him in killing and survival, as well as ensuring we got some tasty fish, but I was cold to him until his first mission ended. He came back without a scratch, we stripped him to make sure he wasn't lying about that, and that was when I accepted him."
"Wait stripped him?" Noelle asked a little scandalized by that. "As in naked?"
"A wound in my old life could be fatal if it got infected as we didn't have Healing Magic." Akame explained trying not to imagine Tatsumi naked as she'd blush at that. "Back then I'd seen people die because they were too proud to report a wound and Tatsumi's first mission had been to kill a powerful foe which he did without issue. Stripping him to his underwear was necessary so Leone and I stripped him as the boss explained the training he'd had and what it had been for."
"Leone, she's the blonde you spoke of who you think survived." Noelle said. "Same with your boss. Well female and surviving at least."
"Correct both likely survived so aren't here, I hope they saw the new dawn together." Akame said with a smile at the thought unaware of what happened when Leone faced the Minister or what happened after the formation of the new nation. "I miss them, but I knew that death was always an option in our line of work even if it was hard whenever our friends died. Thankfully Tatsumi survived his first mission, a rarity, so he had potential and from there he got stronger to survive for me. He said as much as we shook on it, and I smiled at him because he showed me he could survive so I could be open with him."
"Wasn't he basically naked?" Noelle asked.
"He was and we may have been shaking hands longer than was normal." Akame said with a flush at the memory. "But I liked it and then Leone ruined it not that I realized at the time that I was already falling for him. By the time I did it was too late, and I was in love, as was he."
"It was like that?" Noelle asked really curious now.
"It was but fate was cruel in our old life, what it gave us it also took it before we could tell each other how we felt." Akame said the sadness in her voice despite overcoming that in this life. "Tatsumi dying how he did doing what he did best was hard to take. I knew I had to kill Esdeath for the sake of the new world we wanted but when we fatally wounded each other I didn't mind because I could die with my love despite never telling him how I felt before he died. The twist is that we, along with all others in Night Raid who died, were reborn here with magic and finally we can be together in a kingdom that is better than the Empire and which we will make even better."
"That must have been hard to take." Noelle said as she noticed Asta fall again though he was doing better and still getting up, it was really impressive to see and it gave Noelle the courage to ask the question her mind was going into overdrive to lock down because it couldn't be true, it shouldn't be true, but she needed to ask, and things had helpfully built up to it. "Akame, how, how did you know you liked Tatsumi? As in, you know…"
"Huh, oh well it was after Lubbock died and he was captured by Esdeath only unlike the other two times she took him from us, be it deliberately or accidentally, with her this one was after she learned of his true affiliation." Akame said as she thought back on it a warm feeling in her chest but tinged with the bitterness of their losses at the time. "I'd been getting closer and closer to Tatsumi over the time before and I knew it I was falling for him."
"You mentioned but were there any signs?" Noelle asked. "Like, were there things that made you realize how you felt?"
"Yeah there were, and it was as they added up that I realized them." Akame said. "It started with the pain of his first abduction, totally a coincidence that one as he just entered that tournament for the money and accidentally made Esdeath fall for him. That was hard but I trusted he'd escape, which he did and I got to save him as well, and his intel was vital, but as I never had a proper childhood I didn't understand romance. It wasn't until he came back from the second abduction, that one was forced by a third party, that I began to realize my feelings for him weren't just platonic. By the time he was captured and almost executed I had fallen hard. He felt the same way but, well…"
"You've said." Noelle said as Asta fell over again and panted. "So, it took you a while to realize."
"Yeah because I didn't understand it." Akame said. "Mine was similar, she fell for Tatsumi as well and if I'm being honest I'm sure Leone like him as well, but Mine was more on the denial side I think. It happens, just let things run their course but if you ever realize say something. I was lucky in the reborn but not everyone is."
"Ok." Noelle said not sure what to make of that because she was sure it didn't apply to her, but it was good to know just in case. "I'll…"
"In time but I think their training is over." Akame said getting up and reaching to her side where Noelle saw for the first time Tatsumi's sheathed sword was and she picked it up before she pulled her katana from the ground where it was still stuck. "Hey, you two, I think that's enough for Asta for the day."
"Yeah I was going to say." Tatsumi agreed as Akame ensured it by dismissing her spell to remove the blades as she moved Tatsumi's sword far enough out of the scabbard with one hand to touch the blade and blunt it. "Asta, go relax with Noelle and watch, time you saw me lose. This will remind you that there's almost always someone better and also show you why you should understand your stamina limits."
"You're doing better against me my love and besides we need to get your stamina up as it should help you learn Incursio's trump card." Akame said with a smile as she handed Tatsumi his sword while a bruised, battered, but still smiling Asta walked back to sit next to Noelle and take a needed rest. "Even landing a few blows at times."
"What can I say, I did learn from one of the best." Tatsumi said with a smile as he drew his sword, tossing the scabbard to the side in the process, and backed up. "Asta, watch closely. You may not have a standard single hand sword, though you can wield yours with one hand which is impressive, or something lighter at the moment, but you may one day end up with one so good to watch."
"I will." Asta said as he sat down next to Noelle who was trying not to look at him being half naked next to her, or worry over the bruises that were on his body, while her heart raced for some reason which she decided was hearing Akame's tale of falling for Tatsumi and nothing else. "Show me more of what I can learn."
"Watching can be as useful as experiencing it and I do have some advice for you but first it's time to see if my boyfriend has learned anything." Akame said as she made sure that Murasame was blunt and took her side on, horizontal blade, starting position. "Now Tatsumi, come at me with killer intent because I will as well."
"I always do Akame." Tatsumi said as he set himself. "I love you but in training I've got to ignore that."
Akame just smiled before she pushed off the ground with enough force to crack it and charged Tatsumi without hesitation which he met before their swords crashed together with a clang and they began to spar. Asta watched in amazement at the skills of the couple as they engaged in a flurry of blows that were almost impossible to follow while moving over the grass and not landing a hit on each other in a display of true swordsmanship that he was nowhere close to at the moment.
It really showed him how much he had to learn, as well as how good Akame was, so he paid attention to it and absorbed all he could. Asta was going to be the Wizard King one day, so he had to be as strong as possible, and this was just one way in which he was going to get stronger.
He was so enthralled that he didn't notice the anti-bird from Saussy Village, and other places but that was where he'd first properly noticed it, fly down and land on his head to watch as well, neither did Noelle but that was because of her own internal struggles. Asta was focused on getting better and he couldn't wait until his next mission where he could put what he learned into practice.
Little did he know that the next mission was almost about to be thrust upon him and what would happen when he and Noelle were sent on it. All that would come as Asta watched his Squad mates furiously duel over the grass for the rest of the day.
A nice little training chapter to show Asta starting to learn from first Tatsumi and then Akame at the end by watching her, I am sure that the lessons and styles he learns from them will come in handy in the months and years to come. This is a standard training chapter with the added bonus of Noelle learning more about how Akame fell for Tatsumi, not that that will do much to break past her tsundere nature, so there really isn't much more to say about it. Next up is a special chapter to cover the dungeon mission as that is a mission that will be unaffected by Akame and Tatsumi so will remain as it is in canon, with maybe Asta doing some things he learned from Tatsumi in it but that will happen off page. Instead, the next chapter will do something a little different but it will be worth it and serve as a good filler for the dungeon arc. Anyway, that is all that I have for this chapter so I will leave it off here. If you like my story then please follow, favorite, review, PM, etc. it is all appreciated and helps me get better and stay motivated to keep producing more content and any questions asked I will do my best to answer both privately and at the start of the next chapter. Until next time.
Stringdog