Chapter 9: Nine of Spades
~~~~~~~~~~
I must kill her.
She has to die.
My senses quickly returned to me as I sat up.
I realized I was in a field hospital room with handcuffs on both arms. The dirt ground with a white roof and walls give it away. I looked around the room to see Atlesians knights and military huntsmen on one side and Mistranese purple-clad huntsmen on the other side.
Further away is the cutout windows to the outside. It was nighttime.
The Atlesians seem unhappy but their rigid stances barely give it away. Meanwhile, the Mistranese huntsmen are playing poker and various others keeping to themselves on their scroll.
"She's awake," An Atlesian Specialist spoke up.
"We know," All of the Mistranese answer half-annoyed.
"Are you going to remove the cuffs off her? She's going to help us," A Mistranese militia looks at the Atlas side of the tent.
The Atlesian huntsmen stood as rigid as their machines. Both sides have a clear difference in discipline and the Mistranese seem to hate the Atlesian or came off a heated argument.
"Pompous ass," An Huntsmen grumbled.
The room descends into awkward silence before Ms. Malachite and a doctor enter the room. The doctor has a scroll he was writing on with a stylus.
"Clear our everyone," She ordered.
The Mistranese were the first to leave with speed rivaling frightened rabbits.
The Atlesians were more sluggish but matched out a single file.
"When were the Atlesians under your command?" I ask her.
"They're the one that forced their way in," She explained," Now ignoring the little intrusion, We need to talk about your semblance."
I didn't relax one bit as I glanced at my arms. They both have markings on them.
"To put it quite bluntly, You could easily break out of those cuffs but you wouldn't notice your wrist being broken," She pulled a chair next to me and unlocked them with a key the doctor handed her.
"I can't feel pain," I look at the reddened rings around my wrists," I couldn't even feel anything."
"But your body still can," the doctor joined in. He was a tall middle-aged man with a mustache holding a clipboard," Testing has shown that your aura level is at a state of equilibrium. It regenerates at an astonishing rate but is also consumed just as quickly. Do your hands feel numb?"
"I don't feel anything," I answered and tried flexing my fingers only to get very little response.
I kept trying but nothing happened. This is the worst thing that could happen. If I can't move my fingers, how will I fight?
"Now try focusing on healing it," the doctor ordered and I followed through.
I watched as the marking squirmed on my skin and suddenly my fingers started to move.
"What?" I was surprised.
"It seems you are capable of healing from injuries but require an active response," Ms. Malachite nodded," Now he could fill in the rest."
"Anthony Walter," the doctor with slightly tanned skin introduced," It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Branwen."
He extended a hand.
"Dr. Walter," I acknowledged.
"It is customary to shake hands," he said.
He felt uneasy. Dr. Walter didn't do anything out of the ordinary but my years of identifying shady individuals set off all the alerts.
He awkwardly reeled his hand back.
I looked further down to see I was wearing a hospital gown.
"How long was I out?"
"12 hours under anesthetics," Malachite revealed," Your body is slowly breaking apart the longer you keep your semblance active."
"But I feel fine," I reasoned," I used my semblance before Ms. Malachite."
"For a short time," she reasoned," Let me explain it in a way you understand. Imagine if someone set a microwave to the max setting and have it run like an oven. The microwave isn't going to whine down. It's going to melt its internal component and break while bringing half a house's electricity with it."
She's still mad about the time I destroyed one of her microwaves. This was back when I requested the use of one of the kitchens to cook my own food. I was unfamiliar with the technology at the time and using prior knowledge didn't help the situation. But it was a learning experience if I needed to disable electronics.
"That person made an honest mistake."
" Yes, it was," She narrowed her eyes," Your semblance is a double-edged sword that could kill you without you realizing it. Remember your medical checkup on the Atlesian base?"
"They wonder why I'm not dead."
"And you refuse to be put under anesthetics," Walter predicted correctly," You showed signs of severe internal bleeding and mended bones
when they examine your body. Poorly done if I'm being honest. It is more likely your semblance is holding your body together and keeping you from feeling the effects of battle."
"I see," I reply absorbing the details," That what I was feeling on the bullhead? The collective pain and exhaustion from the last 3 days."
"Yes," He answers bluntly," It's like illicit drugs, Ms. Branwen. A small dose is fine but continuous usage will ruin your life and even kill you. It has been active for a total of four days. The fourth day is your 10-hour hibernation where the previous medical team tries to keep you alive. Even in your sleep, You were quite violent."
"I don't remember any of it. What would happen if I turned it off?" I ask him. I can't turn it off right now.
I need it to go into Grimm infested territory to find them.
"One of two things, You ride out the aftermath or it kills you," he didn't sugarcoat it," Do you know how to turn it off?"
I recollect all the time it was activated. It for the sake of others and to avenge them.
It turned on when Martha died. It turned off when I killed her killer.
I watched Umber get hurt and I wanted nothing more but to go after that man.
But it stays active after the deed has been done. My only thought at the time was getting help for Umber and searching for Vernal. Why would it still be active?
I wasn't going to kill a specific person. After Raven grabs Umber, I carry out my mission to find Vernal. It could be due to my friend's perceived death that it stays active.
Maybe there's more to my semblance beside a one-minded desire to kill my target. If I could figure it out, I may be able to trigger my semblance on and off. Semblances are known to get stronger and even evolve with constant usage and a better understanding.
Gathering what I know, Vernal is alive and well, thus it turned off.
Umber may be dead, so it turned back on.
Is it powered by my connection to the people I care about?
"What is the progress on the Grimm horde?" I asked.
"That's something we don't talk about in the presence of a civilian," She looked over to Dr. Walter," We need some privacy."
"Not a problem but I'll leave this here," He dropped his scroll on the table covered in poker chips and cards. I watched as a nine of spades slid off the table and drifted toward me.
The man walked out of the tent.
"They aren't attacking and Ironwood only finishes half of the smaller ones," She explains," It is as if they are waiting for a signal."
"That signal must be-," I was quickly interrupted.
"Alpha Grimm! All the more reason to wipe out the leadership of these creatures," She revealed," Your semblance and skill set is instrumental in tipping the balance. If the Grimm attacks us now, they will break through our encirclement."
I look at her trying to understand her sudden outburst. She scratched her ear and discreetly wiped her eyes.
Someone is spying on us.
"Understood," I nodded, mentally preparing myself for a tough mission while choosing my word carefully," But I will need weapons. I want a sword that is durable or at the very least replaceable."
I don't know who is spying on us this time. Salem, Ozpin, Raven, Ironwood, Vale, or a subsector of Mistral. It seems interchangeable at this point. It could even be all of them at the same time.
"I have already arranged a specific sword as well as a combat outfit that will aid you," She confirmed," All you need to do is come up with a landing strategy."
"A landing strategy?" I blinked. It doesn't sound too hard to pull off. I could use a Nevermore or two to soften my fall.
"High altitude drops into the heart of the enemy territory," She looked at me with confidence," I have been observing you through dossiers and fortages. I can safely say you're as strong as a full-fledged Huntress."
She has been seeing me train her daughter and spar with experienced huntsmans.
"You have that much faith in me?" I stared into her eyes and all I could see was her conviction.
"I do."
I look into her eyes to find a hint of betrayal. Only to find none.
"It's politics 101, Akame," She lectures," Never let a good crisis go to waste but this crisis has been plaguing humanity since the dawn of time. Either of us can't walk away and we stand to gain far more if we face it head-on."
"If we successfully stop the Grimm horde. It will open a path for you to gain more power," I called her out," You and your power base."
I wanted to say criminal syndicate but she would deny it for the hidden cameras. I would be on her bad side afterward.
"Of course, I'm looking out for the common folks and the underprivileged. It is already public knowledge that you're involved," She revealed," You will be heralded as the savior of Mistral. The world has been paying attention to you since your little action four years back. I'm offering a win-win situation for everyone but the Grimm. All I'm asking you is to follow my instruction to the letter. Exactly what we talked about half a day ago."
Kill Chimera and Alpha Grimm.
Kill Salem lieutenant.
Find any survivors.
Rescue my uncle.
And don't kill my mother.
It is a huge dent on my lifelong goal but how would she know I killed her? The creatures of Grimm are vicious animals. I can't possibly kill Raven if the Grimm reaches her first. Several parts of her body would be in several different Grimm by the time I'm done with her.
"I should let you know," She spoke knowingly," You will have small body cameras and trackers on your outfit to ensure your safety and accountability."
Damn it!
"When do I start?" I kept my best poker face after hearing the regulations.
"They also can't be turned off," She continues," If the body cam somehow turns off or the trackers get destroyed. We will assume you ran away and brand you as a fugitive."
I'll kill you.
I'm going to murder you in your sleep for getting in the way.
DAMN YOU MALACHITE!
I'll eliminate you too if you weren't the twin's mother!
She took a step back in fear before a smug expression adored her face. It must be my killing intent she senses.
I can't do anything to her and she knows it. I risk gaining nothing out of it. Maybe I could find a loophole.
"How cute," She taunted.
"When do I start?" I spoke more slowly. I try keeping my emotion under control.
Besides, She said I can't kill her.
"In an hour. For now, I arranged for your meal to be brought in."
~~~~~~
The meal was bought in a cart by a maid with an alligator tail. It was made with all my favorite food items in mind.
A perfect mound of fried rice with peas, carrot, cilantro, grilled shrimp, pork, and Kobe beef. All with a nice sprinkle of soy sauce as appetizers.
The main course was a wide assortment of 5 different types of meat with 10 different dipping sauces.
Which will be washed down by a type of drink that doesn't exist in my old world, Schnee-cola.
Finally, The dessert is a simple slice of cheesecake with strawberry sauce.
Once I was done eating, I set everything back on the cart. Then I got to meditating and planning my next move. I'm fortunate that the cuffs are left unlocked as they dangle at the railing.
I could hear huntsmen and huntresses going about their night outside. I could hear the occasional hush whisper and slow pace as they got closer to the tent with none daring to enter. I know I have an unfavorable reputation my mother and Ms. Malachite created but how bad is it?
Why are experienced Huntsmen and Huntresses afraid of me?
Finally, A woman with the alligator tail walks in with nicely folded clothes. She wordlessly bowed and set it next to me.
"Do you have trouble moving Ms. Branwen? Are you able to change by yourself?"
"No," I answered," I'll handle everything from here. Thank you for your request."
The rules of etiquette or lady-like behaviors that have been drilled into my head harder than the twin's early morning exercise. I have similar etiquette training under the Empire. It was less in-depth and only for short-term operations.
"Understood Ms. Branwen. Your escort is waiting outside," She straightened herself and exited with the cart.
It was in the white button-up long-sleeves and black skirt with a pair of slippers I had earlier. Once I got dressed, I walked out to see Malachite personal security.
The vast majority of Militias, Huntsmen, and soldiers were still awake and prepping their weapons, gear, and defenses. I can't blame them. I wouldn't sleep either knowing that at any moment, A nearly unstoppable horde of creatures could attack.
The walk to the armory was met with cold stares and hushed voices.
My semblance enhances my hearing that I was able to pick up their conversation.
"Why the hell is she here? Helping?"
"Because it takes a Grimm to kill a Grimm."
"She is more likely to get us all killed."
"We are all going to die anyway."
"Vacuo would be happy to have her."
"Amen comrade, My boys back at Mantle would be throwing a parade."
"Are the rumors even true?"
"Rumors?"
"Stuff like how she could take down an entire Huntsman guild by herself. It's a crazy man. Prodigies like her only come once in a lifetime."
"Ridiculous."
"Ya, It's true. Headmaster Ozpin was a beast in his prime."
"Prodigy? I would like to see if that's the case against my daughter!" A large, bulky man with red hair and bread chuckled loudly. He seems like the most boisterous person on base.
"Quiet it down Niko!" A blond woman with a long sword/crossbow hybrid berated," I do not want to hear another word about your daughter!"
I couldn't help but smile at the interaction.
The walk through the hastily constructed base finally reaches rows of large armored semi-trucks acting as mobile armories.
"ARM-9, This is where your stuff is Lady Branwen," The man with the spiked paddle motioned to the trailer on the back of the truck.
Branwen.
I'm starting to hate that last name and what it represents. If anyone in my old world has a last name, they're part of the upper-class. I remember Lubbock has his family name but forsaken it once he rebelled.
"From now on, I want you to call me by my first name," I said," The Branwen name is dead to me."
The guards look at each other and then me.
"Lady Akame?" They responded in unison.
I nodded and walked inside the trailer to see rows of regular guns and melee weapons. At the very end of the trailer was a combat outfit that has far too much armor for my taste. Beside it is an older man polishing the armor. He bowed to me and stepped out of the trailer.
A black breastplate over a short white sleeveless-yukata with red spider lily printed underneath.
Around the waist is a cloth belt holding the Yukata and two black waist guards together.
I have armored greaves and gauntlets painted black with a white accent.
The footwear is Mistranese black sandals with padded soles and black leggings.
Finally, I looked upward toward a bony red and white mask with intricate design matching the marking on my body. The face mask itself is shaped in a way that resembles a bird. I'm glad it doesn't look like Raven's since this one has 2 large slits instead of 4 smaller ones. It also has a more streamlined design unlike the rigid and overlaps of her mask.
"Some of it is Ms. Malachite's own input," the Huntsman guard added," She wanted you to appear presentable while having some practicality to it."
I sense heavy footsteps on leaves behind me. It reached the metal steps of the trailer and I knew who it was.
"Malachite," I spoke without taking my eyes off the outfit.
"How did you know it was me?" She questions as she was practically breathing down my neck at this point.
"Your heavy footsteps give it away."
I could hear the guards fall silent. The Councilwoman gives a deep laugh seconds later.
"Only you and your mother could get away with that kind of humor," She chuckled.
"It wasn't a joke. It was an honest observation," I explained.
A corner of her eyebrow twitched as a low groan escaped her lips.
"How do you like your outfit?"
"Does it come without any armor? I could make do without the breastplates," I explained," And wouldn't it be better for me to wear something that can make me blend into the surrounding terrain or hide among the Grimm?"
"Here," She snapped a finger and the old man from earlier walked in with a silver briefcase.
He opens it and it reveals a nicely folded black cloak.
Milly Malachite took it out of the briefcase and showed it to me.
"Adaptive Camouflage from the brilliant minds in Atlas. It normally comes in white but I think you appreciate the darker colors," She smiled," I pay good money for everything. The material used for your Yukata and the legging is the finest Mistranese silk. The armor pieces are crafted from the best Vacuo smiths. The material itself could withstand high caliber rounds from a sniper rifle but without aura, it would still hurt. The armor comes equipped with monitors for your heart rate and body heat. It's a way for us to check your health and warn you if you're overdoing it."
"All this for one mission."
"Of course! You're our best hope and deserve the best. It also serves the purpose of showing the very best from all four corners of the world equipped by one person," She spoke with outstretched arms," Even your sword is made from the best of Vale weaponsmith with a bit of Atlas tech in a Mistranese inspired design all assembled in Vacuo were it is blessed in the rumored cradle of humanity."
"PR?" I deadpanned.
"PR!" She shouted," Feel free to speak your mind here. This truck was swept for bugs an hour ago."
"Fine, I'll play your game," I sighed," If you backstab me, I'm coming after you."
"Deal a deal," She tosses a sword into my hand," I'll even let you continue your friendship with my daughters as long as you keep it on the down-low."
The scabbard of the sword is black with a silver accent. The grip of the sword is wrapped in black and white paracord. While the pommel is silver with my name etched into it. The guard is blood red and when I drew out the sword, so was the blade.
Its curvature is perfect and its entire length lacks any impurity. It has faint black lines on the back portion of the sword. A testament to the craftsmanship of whoever created this sword. It could be considered a teigu in my old world.
The overall length is 105 centimeters and the blade is around 75 centimeters. It's very close to the original length of Murasame but lighter.
I spotted a button near the guard.
"What does this button do?" I analyze it.
"It makes the sword vibrate," her bluntness stops my finger in its tracks.
"Excuse me?"
"It makes your sword vibrate so when you are lonely at night and want to know your body better-"
"MS. MALACHITE!" I screamed in embarrassment. This isn't the sort of thing you say to a 10 year-old girl.
"You made such a face, Akame-chan," She teased," Joke aside, It's based on the same principle as a chainsaw or serrated knife only faster. It's a sword meant to target weak spots. It can bite into flesh like it is cutting air and with enough force, could even ignore the bone plates of Grimm. Although it could still break without aura enhancement and isn't something I would recommend doing. Even so, its durability is the best on Remnant. You would need to be bashing it against a car size boulder until it turns to dust for the sword to even chip. I recommend naming it."
"Naming it?" I considered,"I'll think about it."
"Sure," She accepted," Any questions?"
"What is the total cost of it all and how do you have this on such short notice?"
"It doesn't cost much," She held her hand up," 30 million liens of taxpayer money. This was meant to be your birthday gift in a few months."
I actively resist showing emotion at the figures. Those numbers are larger than my bounty. It probably more than the bounty in my old world.
"30 million liens," I repeated," Why?"
"As a thank you for training my little girls to an outstanding degree," She praises," I always worry about the next kidnapping or worse, Akame. What you did alleviate those fears on top of being indirectly responsible for my allies to gain more influence."
"I need to ask you," I sheathed the sword," What are you going to do to this kingdom when I'm gone?"
"It's none of your business," She answered bluntly," But I will offer you one tidbit. I will keep your mother on a short lease."
She's not going to be happy about it. How could Malachite keep tabs on someone that could teleport away?
I look over to the combat outfit.
"Is there anything I should know more about my combat outfit?"
"I'll offer free replacement when you outgrow it," Malachite offered," Or a completely new outfit if the current doesn't fit your taste. Believe it or not, Your sword could be upgraded even further."
She walked beside me and grabbed the mask.
"It has night vision, infrared red, built-in rebreather, internal comms, and zooming optics," She listed out," It is much better than your mother's mundane mask. It also helps us to keep track of your activity. What you see is also what we see. Where you go is also what we know. When your mission is done, We remove all traces of our surveillance."
"Bullshit."
"Go ahead and take it to a 3rd party for removal if you don't trust us."
I exhaled heavily. I traded one enemy for another.
"You remind me of your mother," She compared," Always angry with the world."
"I want to be nothing like her. Grimm mask included," I growled. I never needed to wear this much tech in my world. I doubt normal Huntresses and Huntsman wear this much either. A map, extra rations, and my weapon are all that I needed.
I remember her earlier words.
"When you said you're going to put my mother on a lease, Are you going to implant trackers or hold something precious against her?"
"Again, None of your business," She smiled," besides, Raven is far too valuable to waste and you're far too rebellious to work with."
"So that's your plan," I realized.
Another damned if I don't and damned if I do situation.
Let the Grimm ravage Mistral or let the underworld do it.
"Get ready, Akame," She motioned for everyone to leave," Once you're done, Let my guards know."
I waited for the heavy doors of the trailer to close before I could relax. There has to be a 3rd option I overlooked.
I shouldn't get involved in dealing with the criminal underworld. If I do, it could be many years of my new life tied up in crushing them. If I don't die along the way or make the situation worse. But I can't let Mistral descend into darkness.
Even if the other three kingdoms intervene, It will result in a renewed war, an official one between kingdoms. The Mistral underworld is too deeply ingrained in the Kingdom society that a complete teardown would be needed. Countless innocent people will be caught in the crossfire and Salem would take advantage of it.
The world of Remnant would be tossed into chaos because I exist.
All because I killed one person.
The Empire rose to infamy in my world because good people were ignorant of its decay until it was too late.
Raven would become the unwilling enforcer of Malachite's regime and I'll be placed in checkmate if I do anything against them. Even if she got voted out of office, She could pay off another candidate to run for her.
Mistral is at the onset of becoming a second Empire. I could only hope it isn't as depraved and evil as Honest administration.
I don't even know who I could trust in this world.
Why can't anything be straight forward?
I sighed and started getting into my combat outfit.
~~~~~~~~~
The moon and stars shine brightly in the night skies. It illuminated the landscape but couldn't pierce the cluster of Grimm that took the form of a sprawling abyss.
I stood over an open cargo hold of an Atlesian cargo aircraft with the heavens between me and the abyss. At the edge of this abyss is a ring of forestry dimmed underneath a moonlit night. Further, beyond are humanity's defenses with its array of lights, barricades, dust created earth walls, and airships.
"Good luck, Shinigami," Malachite's voice came through the speaker in my mask," Wipeout as many Alpha Grimm and Chimera as you can before we launch our attack."
How many are down there?
The density of the Grimm horde could number in the ten of millions.
This is a suicide mission. I'm starting to doubt I could make a difference. Either way, This kingdom is doomed in the aftermath.
I can't back down now when my peace is within my grasp. Yet, I can't tell if my own peace is worth abandoning others.
I stared into the abyss and dive headfirst.
—————-
A/N: It not my normal formatting but my computer is useless. I'm posting from the FanFiction app. Which, by the way, Is crap for writing even this summer author note on. One word every 2-3 seconds. It's bad.
My greatest fear is this Arc ending up like the ending of TLOU 2. Except Raven hasn't taken a golf club to Umber/Martha head. My complaint alone is worth several paragraphs of how vengeance is handled.
This Arc is Akame dealing with her own Vol 7,8 and maybe 9 if it's still in Atlas. The end of the Arc will have a bittersweet ending and have a bit more hope.
While having about as much suffering as Kiana in Honkai Impact.
About Akame's outfit. It's temporary and her sword is going to be the one thing that's a constant. It's a High-Frequency blade/Maser Vibration Sword, Metal Gear or Code Geass; pick one. It will be upgraded, scabbard included, down the line.
The mask is also going to be a constant but that's going to someone else.
Compared to other RWBY weapons, it just has more cutting power and is extremely durable. It doesn't fold for easier storage or have any range capability. It is currently unable to use dust and the Scabbard does nothing. By RWBY standards, it's a plain weapon.
Next chapter, I have to stray away from Akame PoV. Because Akame is going to enter berserk mode in order to achieve her objective of going home and it's best to get other people's reactions to it. On top of finally setting up the conflict for the rest of the fanfic.
If I'm being blunt, Akame is justified in killing Raven. There is no excusing Raven's actions and how many innocent lives she took as a bandit. Akame ga Kill's very first episode is Tatsumi killing Aria with zero hesitation.
The problem is that Akame's goal appears psychotic to most people. Normal people would view killing as a last resort, especially if they're the one doing it. They would hesitate if dealing with a family member who committed unforgivable crimes yet showed nothing but love and kindness.
End of that A/N.
RR