As a person who has taste and only reads the good stuff - Berserk, Les Mis, War and Peace - I can say without a doubt that the best works need tragedy. Their main character has to SUFFER. Hate to do it to ya, Tatsumi, but its going to be for your character development.

Slowly, I'm going to add some tragedies and hardships to the story, so that you can enjoy that sweet sweet catharsis when the hero overcomes the despair. Sorry if you expected this to be your usual OP isekai protag who wins every time.

Well, this took a while to make since I scrapped the entire thing and redid it because I made the mistake of trying to connect Esdeath and Tatsumi too early. The story goes nowhere if I rush it.

I'm also going to change my minimum words per chapter from 8000 to 10000. Just cuz.

Loneliness that is Mine and Mine alone

Tatsumi never felt so happy to see a bed. For the past 3 hours, he had kept up a rigid posture while following the herald that led Chouri in and out of places, explaining to him stuff about this and that using terms that Tatsumi tried to understand but utterly failed to.

Thankfully, he and the rest of the guards were rejoined and the herald led Chouri to where he would be residing. The palace had many well built establishments for all the nobles working within. Chouri, who had received his minister status back, was granted stay in a portion of a rather large structure within the palace walls. Tatsumi and other guards were given residence closeby in built-in barracks and provided with uniforms to be worn. Their place of stay was a large area where beds lined on one side of the room and small closets on the opposite side.

Tatsumi smiled wryly. It wasn't a private area for him but he could make do in this setting just fine. A guard was about to claim the most convenient bed closest to the door when another guard stopped him.

"Hey, no. That spot's for the kid." A familiar voice spoke. "Top dog gets the best bed, don't ya know?"

"Jarls?" Tatsumi asked.

The guardsman took off the mask that he wore, revealing a man in his mid 40's giving Tatsumi a toothy grin. "Yo, Tatsumi. Guess we're both still here."

For escorting a person, having around thirty guards was needed. Now that Chouri was settling in the palace, many of the thirty guards were released from their duties and were dissolved back into the Imperial army into grand general Budo's forces. Only 8 guards were left, the 8 most capable guards that Chouri would keep. It would have been 7 if he didn't meet Tatsumi. Jarls and Tatsumi were chosen. Among the rest, Nordu and Radus was here as well.

Jarls pointed at the closest bed. "Usually, custom is for the strongest guy to get the best bed. Age doesn't matter. From what we've seen, you're clearly the strongest man here. Take the first bed."

Tatsumi rubbed the back of his head. He felt a little awkward being deferred to by his elders. "Come on, what are we? Beasts?" He laughed it off while voicing his inner worldview. "We're all people here. We don't have to rank ourselves in strength. Take the bed you want. The young should respect their elders."

Tatsumi waved off the suggestion before walking down to the furthest bed from the door. This spot was best suited for him. The most inconspicuous and least contested location.

"Hooooh… humble kids like you still exist? I thought they hunted your kind to extinction a looong time ago." Jarls spoke as he took the only bed next to Tatsumi. "Your parents must've been sensible people."

Tatsumi smiled gratefully at the old man. "Never met my parents. My mom died after I was born. Dad died when I was 4 during a danger beast hunt before I even made any memories of him."

Jarls stiffened, his grin respectfully receding away into the straight face of condolence. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine, I consider the entire village to be my parents anyway. Everyone took care of me and I lived in the village elder's house. I don't want to be insensitive but I got over my real parents' deaths. It's not like I ever knew them." Tatsumi reassured with a far-off smile. "I wish I got to know them more."

"Well, what sensible village folk you must've had then." Jarls quipped lightly. "Trust me, even blood ties are weak to relationships that get built over time. That might sound a little hypocritical coming from me… my old man and ma are still kicking."

"Is that so…" Tatsumi sighed, lying down on the bed. The mattress called to him sweetly, pulling down on his eyelids. The stress from the day of acclimating to the Imperial environment was burning away at his vigilance. His clothes were still a bit drenched from the sweat he accumulated from his encounter with Esdeath and it felt dirty to be in them but he wanted to sleep more than anything else right now. When he awoke, he planned to eat something and wash up… train… or think of a plan… well, that was for tomorrow's Tatsumi.

He felt as tired as he had the first day he had joined Night Raid and was confusedly acclimating to the environment. A small smirk formed on his face as he fell asleep.

Jarls watched Tatsumi carefully for a few minutes with a piercing gaze before signaling to the other guards to approach. Slowly, he reached into his bag… and pulled out a pen.

No matter how strong Tatsumi was, he was still a new recruit and new recruits were duty bound in the world of men to go through the rite of passage in joining a group. Carefully, Jarls began to draw a mustache on Tatsumi's philtrum.

Tatsumi made the rookie mistake of falling asleep first among a group of men.

"Foooooo…" Breathing out, she cleared her thoughts.

She imagined it: a maelstrom of destructive winds flying all around her target. That boy could pierce through that absolute cataclysm of force. Could she?

She swung her katana heavily, slashing at the foes she conjured in her mind. To be even quicker, to be even stronger, to be even more precise. She was training with all of her might. Sweat dripped down her temple as she dueled with the air.

Not enough.

Her red eyes sparked open as she huffed in and out. For some reason, there was a fire burning in her, something that made her uncomfortable. She wanted to get stronger. Of course, she usually did, but tonight, that desire was so prominent and explosive, it made her chest feel uncomfortable.

"You should get a drink too, Akame."

Akame opened her eyes and turned around to see Najenda approaching her, a steady smile on her face. She was wearing a long coat while carrying a huge bag. She was holding a cup of water in her robotic hand. She held it out for Akame who gratefully took the cup and swigged it.

"Thank you, Boss." Akame gasped when she downed the cup.
"Don't mention it. It's nice to see all of you fired up like this." Najenda smirked.

"'All of you'...?"

Najenda turned around and started walking back. "I mean all of you guys. Lubbock and Bulat are training in the courtyard. Leone's out hunting in the woods. Sheele and Mine are practicing combat together in the dojo. And you… you're also training."

Najenda looked over her shoulder with a knowing smirk on her face. "You're all restless, right? Ever since seeing that boy fight."

Akame paused. Her eyes cast a gaze afar as she remembered the way he fought against Daidara.

"He lit a fire in you guys. He was clearly weaker than any of us, even injured to a degree. But the way he fought, it was inspiring, no?" Najenda pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Taking a drag out of it. "Maybe you were motivated. Maybe you were threatened by the youngster's talent. But it's making all of you push harder to get strength. For that, I'm grateful to that crazy bastard."

Akame then noticed the bag that Najenda was wearing behind her. It was a travel bag and it seemed filled to a heavy degree. "Boss… that bag…"

"Mm? Ah, yeah. I'll be out for a while. I'm going to deliver the four new teigus we got to the Revolutionary Army HQ. I'll also try to get new hires for our group if I can. Although I'm not really holding my breath." Najenda looked directly at Akame. "For the time being, while I'm absent, Akame, I'll leave you in charge. Standing orders are 'Everyone train!,' although I don't really think I need to tell anyone that."

Akame looked up with a firm gaze. "Understood. Please have a safe trip."

She gripped the hilt of her sword and returned her focus on mastering the blade.

Najenda smiled before walking off, setting on the secret trail towards the Revolutionary Army base.

Just before she entered the thick woods, she stopped to look at the sky. The crescent moon looked like an unholy smile imprinted in the sky. It reminded her of her old enemy's smile… Esdeath's smile.

The monster that thrives in war and kills for pleasure and self-satisfaction. One whose existence signified that people will die.

'Tatsumi… you're still out there, aren't you? You think the world can become a better place without people dying? Where fighting is the last option? In a world where monsters like that exist?'

But the thought of those emerald orbs staring defiantly at her, challenging her ideals, rose back into her mind. Najenda smiled.

'Nutcase that you are… I'll hold a shred of expectation for you. Show me the extent of your ambition, Tatsumi.'

Tatsumi groaned as he checked the mirror again, finding the mustache and monocle of ink still there on his face. He splashed his face with water again and again, trying to scrub it off. He had a restless sleep that night as he returned to the "Soul World," as he decided to call it, and tried to train his soul with Tyrant again. Needless to say, he woke up again with his mind scattered, feeling on the verge of insanity.

As though that weren't enough, when he left to eat breakfast, the other people at the designated cafeteria wouldn't stop giggling when they saw him. He had assumed it was because of how young he looked or how much of a country boy he was acting. The other guards started calling him, "Mr. Tatsumi" and he could not for the life of him understand why. It took an embarrassingly long time for him to get it.

When he left the provided bathrooms, his face was red from all the scrubbing he had done.

Sighing in relief after cleaning up, he decided to use the rest of the day productively. Chouri was going to be busy as he was settling into position as a member of the ministry. He would need a few days to get back into the political game and establish himself as an authority. Tatsumi had imagined that his role as a guard would mean that he would be standing behind Chouri while looking all serious and react whenever a suspicious person got too close to his subject. Turns out that a guard has quite a lot of free time. Tatsumi would only be called to act as a guard when Chouri left the palace or there were other serious dangers present nearby or suspected.

That was alright with Tatsumi. When Chouri was free and done with his acclimation, Tatsumi was sure that Chouri would be the one to come and find him.

Until then, Tatsumi would be honing his strength. There was a nice training area for guards and soldiers provided.

Tatsumi stepped out into the vast training grounds, the sun casting long shadows over the expanse of packed earth and worn grass. Rows of soldiers could be seen sparring or doing physical training. The clang of weapons, the bark of commanding officers, and the distant clash of sparring steel filled the air. He inhaled sharply—dust, sweat, and the sharp scent of oiled leather.

Tatsumi picked a relatively isolated spot and started to work on himself. First he tested his left arm. Thanks to Incursio's flesh fusing with him, the muscles torn were already fusing together. The cut that Daidara had given him was at least closed already, but the torn ligaments and muscles within were still healing. The fractured bone was already mending too. It still hurt like hell so a few more days of healing were needed.

Tatsumi sighed. He could feel his left arm wilting from the lack of usage but he'd have to make do. He wished it would get back to full strength quickly. He didn't like having to be forced to train just his right arm. The imbalance of strength on his opposing sides would be difficult to utilize effectively.

He felt that maybe he shouldn't train his arms yet and instead work on his core or his legs when a familiar girl came up to him.

"Hey, Tatsumi!" Spear spoke up cheerfully. In her hands, she was carrying a training staff, a replacement for an actual spear.

"Hello, Spear." Tatsumi smiled. "Are you here to train as well?"

"Yeah… I was thinking…" Spear mumbled with a shy look. "Can you help me train with the spear? You seemed to have a lot of experience with it…"

Tatsumi thought about it. There wasn't much he could do to train himself when he was injured. It would be a better utilization of time if he could help out a friend.

"I'd be glad to."

Spear smiled brightly. "Great! So what do I do…?"

Tatsumi went back and got his own training staff. He held it testingly, a little disappointed at how light it was. He got into a stance. "Let's spar a little."

Spear got into her stance as well, pointing the tip of her staff at Tatsumi. "Okay!"

Tatsumi waited a while for Spear to move, expecting her to come. Instead, she held her stance. She was gazing intently at Tatsumi, waiting for him to make a move.

'Right, she thinks of the spear as a defensive tool.'

"Spear, the spear has a lot of flaws." Tatsumi spoke up. "It's long so it's difficult to maneuver. It's heavier than the sword so it's not easy to be precise with it either. But you know what's great about the spear?"

"... the range?" Spear replied.

"Close. It's an extension of that. As long as your weapon is longer than your opponent's, it gives you the initiative. You get to attack first since you can reach your opponent first. Your opponent has to respond to your move, letting you set the pace of the fight." Tatsumi informed her. "In other words, it's a tool of which your first move should be for attacking, not defending or countering. Something like…"

Tatsumi leaned forwards and closed the distance between him and Spear. He made a quick note of how Spear pointed her staff towards him with her right foot and right hand forward. Her left was well guarded, but conversely, her right was not. Spinning the staff in his hand, he knocked Spear's weapon from the right, forcing her to further expose her less-guarded side.

Instinctively, Spear shifted her position to respond, bringing back her staff to make up for the break in her defense, opening up the close quarters zone for Tatsumi to invade. Stepping into her attacking range, Spear's awkward defensive pose and her impulse to attack hindered one another. Her stance was thrown off too and the time it took to correct it was enough for someone as experienced as Tatsumi to take advantage of.

A regular opponent would've lost already but Spear was a prided disciple of the Imperial Fist. She leaned in to try and take back some of the control of the zone that Tatsumi had; spinning her staff in her hand, she swung it at him. Tatsumi raised his own staff vertically to deflect it. He had to admit that Spear's strength and speed were better than his, but it was clear that Tatsumi was more skilled. Tatsumi countered, directly after her strike thrusting the end of his staff before stopping it right before Spear's neck. In just under 10 seconds. Without even using tachypsychia.

"...this." Tatsumi finished.

Spear gulped, rubbing her throat as though it were hit. Tatsumi drew back.

"Wow… you responded quickly once you got past my defense…"

Tatsumi smiled like a resigned teacher. "That's not the point. I took the initiative and got control of the match; that's what matters. You're stronger and faster than I am, Spear, but I wouldn't let you use your strength or your speed effectively because I forced you into playing my game. That's how you beat superior opponents. To attack effectively, to defend solidly, to counter quickly, those are all pawns at your disposal. But if you control the match from above, your pieces can be used much more effectively while your opponent's cards act much less efficiently. This principle applies not just to the spear but every weapon."

Spear had the look of a child gazing upon a whole new world. "Oooh…"

She raised her staff with a look of determination. "Again! I'll try attacking this time."

Tatsumi let out a contented breath. So this was what being a teacher was like. Sheele and Bulat… they must've had fun training him when he first joined Night Raid. Tatsumi got back into a ready stance with a smile. "Whenever you're ready."

…

Tatsumi had left Spear after a good few hours of training. Although Spear had been the one training under him, Tatsumi was the one who was more sore and sweaty by the end of the session. He really needed to raise his physical strength badly.

He felt the soreness recede fairly quickly, however. He realized that with Incursio's flesh working to heal his wounds, likely that meant the tears in his muscle fibers he produced during training would also heal quicker. In other words, the process of training was even more effective. That made Tatsumi smile a bit.

After eating what meager slop the cafeteria provided for soldiers, he washed up and laid down on the tough mattress of his provided bed.

This time, he wouldn't make the mistake of sleeping first. He eyed Jarls and the others with a squinted glare.

That was fine with Tatsumi, though, even though his body was tired, he had quite a bit to think about. Mainly about how the world and the people would flow from now on. From the information of his past life, he had to suspect that Esdeath would be forming the Jaegers unit by now. This time, however, he won't get caught by Esdeath and get dragged into their little police group. He remembered the way Esdeath was boring her gaze into him yesterday…

He shivered. He absolutely will NOT get dragged into their little police group.

He closed his eyes as he contemplated. That would also mean that Dr. Stylish wouldn't come across Night Raid's hideout when he escaped. That would mean that the Revolutionary Army wouldn't be able to get their hands on Perfector… and that Night Raid's base of operation wouldn't be moved to the unexplored areas-

Tatsumi opened his eyes and waved his hand to stop Jarls. "Dude, I'm not sleeping."

"Oh, shit, sorry, my bad." Jarls said as he backed away with a pen in his hand.

Sighing, Tatsumi closed his eyes again, getting back on his train of thought. That would mean that Night Raid wouldn't go into the unexplored areas of Margue Plateau where they put a temporary hold on their assassinations. In other words, during the month they had originally spent away from the Capital in his first life, Night Raid would now still be active in the Capital. That would mean that things would go in ways he could never predict. The information from his past life would start becoming less useful now.

'It's also likely that Boss Najenda left the group to deliver the teigus of the Three Beasts… and Spectator.' Tatsumi mused. 'If the local team… Chelsea's old team… is dead, likely Chelsea and Suu would be joining Night Raid soon.'

Tatsumi reminisced of his old friends. A pain struck his heart as he desired to see them again. But he wouldn't. It was enough for him to know they were alive. It was enough… for him to know they were alive. Or so he kept trying to reassure himself.

'This time…' Tatsumi remembered the grief of losing Chelsea and Suu. '... that will not happen.'

So the biggest problem would have to be the Jaegers. Tatsumi thought of the members. Esdeath was simply too much to deal with right now. Wave and Ran were good people… Bols too even if he had done a great sin. Kurome could be saved as Wave proved in his past. Seryu Ubiquitous… he wondered if he could reason with a psycho like her. She spoke of justice but her real desire was for vengeance on those she perceived as evil. At the very least, she cared about justice with a burning passion. She had a childlike understanding of good and evil. Tatsumi felt that she might have been like him before he saw Aria's mansion. What she knows about evil was like a drop of water in the ocean of filth that was the current authority that owned the Capital. If she were to learn of that, perhaps she would join the Revolutionaries. He could only hope.

But the one he could find and think up of no redeeming qualities was Dr. Stylish. Carrying out human experimentation and deforming them into military forces was unforgivable. To be able to do something like that, one would need to sink their soul so deep into the pools of malice that the voice of morality could not reach them. Tatsumi also knew that Dr. Stylish was working on creating manufactured danger beasts in secret. Such inventions could only mean he was trying to subjugate and torment more lives.

Oh, Tatsumi would try to talk him out of it. Tatsumi would try to raise his or Chouri's position in the government the best he could to put an end to his unlawful and immoral research. Tatsumi wanted to first try and end Stylish's endeavours in a bloodless, peaceful way. But Tatsumi knew better that some individuals can not be stopped from their endeavors without being killed. Tatsumi could only hope that Stylish was not one of them.

Anyways, he would try to coordinate with Night Raid in the month he had to prepare. Lubbock would still occasionally be at his bookstore so he could communicate there… could he go to the bookstore? Were guards and soldiers allowed to leave the palace? Tatsumi heard shuffling noises coming from his left again.

"Jarls, I'm still not sleeping."

"Damn."

"Can I ask you guys something? Are we allowed to leave the palace and go out into the city?"

Jarls nodded. "Of course. We're not prisoners here or anything. As long as you wear the uniform displaying the insignia of the unit you belong to, then you should be able to leave and return after being verified."

"Verified? I haven't joined through formal means so would I be cataloged in their records? I'm only here because I've been able to enter with Sir Chouri."

"Ah, well, that's probably right. You should get yourself registered in the palace records tomorrow. You only need to fill out a form in the entry barracks. Once they process you, you should be able to move in and out as you please, at least when Chouri allows you or if you're on break"

Tatsumi sighed. "Alright then. Guess I'll do that tomorrow."

…

After Tatsumi got up the next morning, Tatsumi strolled through the palace grounds. The sky was brightening with the light of the morning. There were some ambitious soldiers still in the training grounds at this hour. Tatsumi smiled. If he had been at full health, he would have loved to join them. He shook his left arm testingly. To his surprise, only a dull pain was felt. Very soon, he may as well be fully healed. Although he had a lot of qualms with Incursio, at the very least he could be grateful about the speed at which it granted him recovery.

Some of the soldiers were out eating together in groups, chatting and joking as friends would when men act like boys. Some of the soldiers had musical instruments and were lounging around while playing a slow and lazy tune. Tatsumi even stopped to admire one particular soldier who was strutting a guitar and singing a song about a girl named Caroline. The soldier sang with a quiet and passionate tone that soothed Tatsumi's spirit.

It was simply the image of day to day normal life, yet it filled Tatsumi's heart with satisfaction to see all these people living happily. He was struck with the memory of the future, of the sight of seeing many people grieving after the loss of their home, family, and friends. The difference made his heart throb. To bring peace and make a better world for people, that was what he fought for. That was something worth going to war for…

That and saving his friends. A tiny prickle could be felt in Tatsumi's heart. He wanted to see his friends again. Sighing, he started moving again.

Asking around the few soldiers that were around, he made his way to the entry barracks with their directions. He got in line to register himself into the records.

"Fill out this form, would ya." The man at the table requested after Tatsumi told him his needs. He was an old man with a slight beard and an accent.

It was a simple form with very little to write about. Just some information about his name, age, birthdate, name of parents, his associations… etc.

Finishing the form in a minute, Tatsumi handed it back to the man at the table.

"Hm… looks alright… Hey, yer birthday's January 6th? That's tomorra." He accentuated.

"Oh… right… today's the 5th…" Tatsumi bemused. He really hadn't thought about his birthdays or the likes in a while. Considering the experiences he went through, the thought had slipped his mind.

"Well ain't that great for ya. Good thing ya registered today. It's gonna take about a day to file yer information. Tomorra, ya can go out into the city and have a lil celebration with yer pals."

"Hm… a celebration with friends…" Tatsumi mulled.

Friends. In his past life, he would celebrate his birthdays in the village with everyone, Sayo, and Ieyasu. In the Capital, he had spent his birthdays with his friends of Night Raid, who would, of course, give the care to throw a little party for him. That was then. Night Raid was not his friend anymore. Not now. Sayo and Ieyasu were dead. It would be… his first birthday alone.

"I might as well…" Tatsumi smiled wryly.

With a slow, deliberate motion, the back cover flipped shut, landing with a soft 'thud' against the rest of the pages - quiet, yet final. A sigh rang out in the air, a moment of stillness as the reader let the contents of the book settle within her. Esdeath had read with great interest on the topic of love and how it processed in the human body. She felt that she must've understood how love worked inside and out by now - yet she knew nothing about it at all. Even though she knew the inner workings of it, she did not know how it felt to be in it.

Or did she?

She thought of that cute boy that she had encountered back when she was trying to meet Chouri… Tatsumi, his name. She smirked as she remembered how nervous he looked when she was around, what a pity. She would much rather have had a friendly relationship with-

"Why am I thinking about him?" Esdeath muttered, surprised by how much interest she had in the boy. It wasn't like her to mull over random topics. She liked to think of herself as a collected and sharp individual. To find herself acting so absent-mindedly was off-putting to her.

She decided it must be because she was bored. All the excitement that she had from the battlefield had nowhere to be drained with. There were no new strong-willed subjects to test her ideas down in the torture chambers. Her newest intrigue in love felt like it had reached a dead-end. Love, after all, was not something that one can produce with effort or will. It simply happens. She couldn't do anything but wait for it to occur.

All her duties amounted to, currently, were to wait until Honest assembled the teigu-users for her army. Nothing felt worth waiting for except for that. She couldn't go out and start hunting Night Raid until that happened.

She reclined in her chair and stared out the window. The sky was darkening.

"Perhaps tomorrow, I'll go out for some fresh air and make some courtesy calls." She mumbled.

The people of the Capital loved her after all.

Tatsumi made a stop in front of 'Nightbooks'. The shutters were down and the sign read 'closed.' Lubbock was nowhere in sight.

He sighed.

Tatsumi hadn't seen Spear since their training session together. She told him she would have errands to do at the Koukenji dojo and wouldn't be able to visit him again for a while. Even if she did have free time, Tatsumi didn't know if he knew her well enough to ask for a hang out. She was his employer's daughter after all.

Then there was Jarls but he felt like he wasn't close enough with him either to ask to hang out. He was also old and out of the usual age range to consider as a 'friend' even though Jarls did have a childish side to him. Jarls also seemed to be busy in his mornings.

Even if Tatsumi had seen Lubbock, he wasn't sure what he would have done. He couldn't have asked members of Night Raid out to have a little party. They didn't know each other like that. Not anymore.

He didn't know anyone else that well to invite out for a time. He was alone.

He began to walk to the Capital main street where the bigger stores were. He might as well enjoy his birthday to the best of his ability by his lonesome.

He flicked his left arm. It felt fine in all the ways that mattered, if at least a little dragged from the lack of use. He hoped the atrophy didn't affect it that much. But at least it was something.

To celebrate the healing of his left arm and his 17th birthday, - or his 19th mental birthday(?) - he might as well have fun and treat himself today. He had, after all, had nothing but iron rich foods for a week to replenish his blood and cheap Imperial cafeteria-provided meals. He wasn't stacked but he had money to spend thanks to the lasting blessings from Ogre and Gamal. He reminisced back in his younger years when he lived in the village.

Tatsumi had sworn that he would become rich one day and started hoarding some savings, holding back urges to purchase candies, toys, or other desirable things that children fancy over. When the village elder heard about that, he laughed and bought a bunch of candies for him. He remembered what the elder had told him.

'Tatsumi, you aren't being frugal, you are being cheap. You'll never be rich with a mindset like that.' The elder told him.

'One day, I'll have a lot of money that I can buy everything I want!' replied the then 9 year old Tatsumi.

'Boy… the purpose of money is to be spent. You are young, you have your life ahead of you. Don't avoid pleasant experiences because you are greedy.' The elder taught him. 'Spend a lot and make a lot. That's how great men lived. Become wealthy and use what you have to make yourself and those around you rich.'

It was a teaching that stuck with Tatsumi. To live while spending the least one can was to live cowardly. Though being of lesser class, Tatsumi would live with the pride of a higher class of standards.

Tatsumi had a nostalgic look on his face as he went down the market. He would try spending a bit of his reserves today. Exploration was always fun.

There were a lot of things he wanted to do. He'd get his good old village blade checked at a smithing store. He used it quite a bit in the last few days so he was worried it might be getting slightly dulled.

He thought he might add to his wardrobe a little as well, since the people in the palace seemed to have customs on the clothes to wear. Tatsumi wasn't keen on fashion but wearing something nice was something everyone enjoyed.

He would enjoy sweets and other confections that he held back from while he was healing. He had taken in a lot of vitamins and nutritional foods but hardly took in much sugar. Speaking of which, there was a traditional confections store just over-

There was fucking Esdeath at that goddamn store.

Instantly, Tatsumi threw his hood over his head and turned around a corner, panic gripping his heart. 'What the hell was she doing out here!? Didn't she spend all of her time in the palace…!?'

Calming down, Tatsumi remembered a long time ago how Leone told him how she tailed Esdeath when she left the palace on her lonesome and decided not to attack her. So the story goes, she made visits out in public every so once in a while.

Tatsumi wondered if Leone was around, spying on her. He tried to detect the presence of anyone who would be in the vicinity that might be trying to. He didn't feel anything. He guessed that Boss Najenda was away for the meanwhile and Leone didn't receive the order from her to tail Esdeath.

Tatsumi peeked around the corner, verifying that Esdeath was sitting nonchalantly, enjoying what seemed to be double topped ice cream.

Haha, 'ice' cream.

A crowd was gathered around her - fans, he supposed, of the Empire's mightiest general. Enthusiasts drawn to her power or beauty. Common people would, of course, be drawn towards that title of 'mightiest', as long as they didn't know of her true, awful nature.

Tatsumi clicked his tongue. 'What a lousy birthday.' He thought to himself.

Nobody to celebrate with and only people to avoid. Nothing about today felt special at all.

His mood was soured. He decided he may as well simply go back to the palace barracks and train the rest of the day to make up for the lost time on using his left arm. He started walking away from the crowd sullenly.

From the corner of her eye, Esdeath saw a hooded individual past the crowd walking away. She licked her ice cream absentmindedly.

…

Tatsumi kicked his feet as he dragged them. He sighed as thought deeply about absolutely nothing at all. He stared at the well-crafted beautiful buildings and their intricate designs. Many hands must've gone in to build this wonderful structure.

Later it would all be reduced to rubble, however. 'This building and… that building… and that building…' Tatsumi mused as he slowly walked past the individual establishments. All of it would be gone. What people worked together to build with hope and hard work in but a few hours would be reduced back into rocks and wood just as nature had intended.

Tatsumi stopped walking as he simply stood, staring off into the distant mountains only he could see.

He would prevent that future, yes, he would do his best to save as many of the lives that he could from what he knew to be the inevitable conflict that would swallow the world. Even if it meant that he would take on a weight that would crush him, he would shoulder what he may if it meant the future could be better for the people…

'... but I'm no saint.' Tatsumi thought. 'I would feel fulfilled to see these people striving together under a non-oppressive rule, free from the corruption that binds them… but I won't be content… I can't ever be content.'

Tatsumi felt a gnawing within him, something that made his heart feel so heavy that he could feel it shake with every step he took. He felt hollow, like every breath he breathed in swirled into stagnation and stillness with the emptiness within him. Tatsumi's tired eyes gazed up at the sky. He knew what the sensation he was feeling was.

He was lonely.

Deeply lonely.

He thought that he could have taken this lifestyle, this pain, to be away from and forgotten by his friends. To be alright just from knowing they were alright. To be fine, fighting for their sakes even as they did not know or care for him. But Tatsumi was wrong. His heart was all too purely human. It called for the presence of those he loved even though it knew it couldn't ever see them. Like a plant that wilts without water, his heart was missing something crucial in life.

He wanted to see his friends and celebrate his birthday with them. They'd joke about how he was growing into a man. Bulat would pat his back. Leone would get drunk. Sheele would be happy. Mine would pretend not to care but get him a gift. Lubbock would crack a joke about adulthood and something about girls. Chelsea would smile off on the side. Suu would have made a cake. Akame would congratulate him and eat the biggest slice of the cake. Najenda would have smoked with a content expression.

And Tatsumi would have smiled.

Tatsumi put on an empty smile as he gazed off into the beautiful scenery of the rising sun. None of its warmth seemed to enter him.

'This… was the path I chose.' Tatsumi told himself. Yes, he had chosen to go down the hard route. He had made the decision to never know his friends in Night Raid ever again. He had swung the sword in his heart and cut the ties that he shared with them. He had said goodbye.

For the future.

The swelling emptiness in his heart threatened to burst. Tatsumi felt a bit of moisture in his eyes, forcing him to blink. He forced a smile on his face as though it could trick his own ego into believing things were all right. His legs began to move, starting the walk once more back to where he now belonged in the Capital in order to provide a task to himself to distract himself from the emptiness.

'This was the path I chose.' Tatsumi accepted in his heart. 'For the sake of the future. So that no one… not a single person has to die. Someone has to take on the burden of what comes so that others can live happier lives… That's what it means to be a hero I guess. Just like that damn book...'

The steps drew out as his body seemed to move almost automatically. His consciousness felt as though it were attached to him almost like in third person, like Tatsumi was watching the life of someone named Tatsumi. 'From the very beginning, I had been fated to come down this path. It was the reason why I returned to the past in the first place. To take on the burden of others unto myself. Yes, I chose to feel this loneliness. All for the greater good.'

Tatsumi felt his lips curl up into a smile that others might have described as sad. But he did feel slightly better when he thought like that.

'There's an even bigger despair that I must avoid. That will be all that I need to continue down this desolate road. I will see to it that I reach the end of this path and bear the fruits…' Tatsumi raised his right hand slowly and placed it over his heart. '... of this loneliness that is mine and mine alone.'

When Tatsumi first fell back into the past, he looked at the world with wonder, the possibilities of what he could do with everything he knew seemed endless. Now, he began to think of what a terrible curse it was. To become a stranger to everyone he knew and loved, to be looked upon indifferently by those he wished to connect with, it was tearing at his soul.

His feet almost stumbled as he noticed how much his body seemed to be walking on autopilot. He focused his eyes back onto the road.

Tatsumi then noticed the sight of a lone little girl in the middle of the road. She was gazing at a candy store with what looked to be suppressed longing. The emptiness in his soul called out to be filled. Tatsumi, by nature, was kind. He couldn't ignore the girl even if he wanted to.

Walking up to the salesman, he ordered a bag of their sweets. After accepting it, he turned to walk over and knelt before the girl, handing it over to her.

"Here ya go, miss." Tatsumi offered.

The girl looked up at Tatsumi with a bit of a skeptic look. She was taught, it seemed, to not be trusting of strangers.

Tatsumi pulled down his hood, trying to show he was not a dangerous person.

"It's alright. I'm a nice guy."

She didn't look very trusting… yet it was looking like her childish desire for sweets was winning. "... I could pay for it myself…" She mumbled, but took the bag anyway.

"Then why didn't you?"

The girl looked a little nervous. "... I want to be rich someday… so I want to save all the money I have now for useful things…"

Tatsumi couldn't help himself. He let out a small laugh. With a sigh to let out his stress, he answered, "You'll never be rich with a mindset like that… The purpose of money, little miss, is to be spent. Don't shy away from the good experiences in life because you're cheap. Live rich and make others rich. Isn't that the standard you should be striving for?"

The little girl looked up at him with intrigue. As children are in their innocence, their hearts reach out dependently to the adults around them. Even the little girl, who was trying her best to be distrustful and impassive, couldn't help but want to accept the young man before her. Her eyes shined as she gratefully hugged the bag Tatsumi gave her.

"... Thank you… Mister."

Tatsumi let out a light chuckle. "It's 'Tatsumi'... and you, miss…?"

"I'm Yuna." Yuna reached into the bag of sweets and pulled out a jellied candy biscuit. "Mister Tatsumi, when's your birthday?" She asked, thinking of giving him an early birthday present.

Tatsumi paused at the sudden question, but smiled warmly. "It's actually today."

Yuna had a look of surprise for a second before returning the warm smile. She handed him one of the pieces of candy that Tatsumi had bought for her. "Happy birthday!"

Tatsumi looked down at her outstretched hand, he blinked as he felt a little wetness threaten to spill forth. He felt a slight chuckle escape his lips.

All the emptiness he had been feeling up until now vanished as a warmth flooded his soul. His heart returned to its firmness as it swelled once more, this time with joy and happiness. Then he made a mistake that he never knew he committed.

He smiled.

A pure and bright smile broke out on his features as he gratefully accepted the little child's tiny gesture of companionship.

"Thanks!"

He stood up as he watched the little girl run off with her bag, waving at him. Tatsumi felt complete. It wasn't far from him, what he was fighting for. Just to protect a single girl's smile was enough to stake his life. To fight for a better and happier future. Energy returned to his pumping heart as his limbs felt the weight return from nothingness.

Tatsumi was content.

It was from afar where most people would not have seen it. But with the sharpness of her eyes, she had. It was entirely by chance. She had by chance thought of returning to the palace. She had by chance thought of going in the same direction as that hooded individual instead of taking her usual route back. It was by chance she had stumbled onto the scene when her eyes laid upon it from only so far away.

His smile.

It was utterly devoid of the greed, the ulterior motives, the corruption that all the men she had seen in the Capital had behind their faux smiles. It was like the sun that lit the sky so high above had suddenly been moved down here… on this very road, just over there. A stone's throw away.

She felt her heart pulse even harder than when she entered the fiercest of battles. Not even when her life was at stake as she fought danger beasts in her childhood did it pound with vitality as right now.

Her blood felt warm as it rushed to her cheeks, her eyes widening, her pupils dilating involuntarily. She took a sharp intake of air in sheer surprise as her body was attacked from the inside with a sensation never felt before. Oh, all the books she read about this could never have captured the full wonder and awe of actually experiencing it herself. She was sure of it.

Esdeath had fallen head over heels in love.

Tatsumi felt a bit of a chill suddenly. He guessed it was because of the winter weather in January, although it was rather warm outside with the sun rising to its peak.

He looked behind him, far down the road, a little suspicious of the chill. He wondered if he detected a presence as it was similar to the sensation of being watched. But nobody stood out to Tatsumi. He gazed behind him for a while before turning around.

'Must've been my imagination.' He thought. 'God, I sound so cliche.'

He pulled his hood back over his head. He closed his eyes and began to hum a tune to himself. A tune that he did not know the name of or where he heard it, but a tune he remembered hearing once as a child that had somehow imprinted its way into his core.

"Hm~ hm~ hm hm…"

Esdeath didn't know why she did it. It was unnatural of her to lose her wit. She hid from him, hiding behind a nearby alley. Her, the mightiest warrior in the Empire, shriveled away from the eyes of a boy.

She clutched her chest, feeling the overactive heartbeat under the flesh. She had thought of using her usual method whenever she wanted something: simply taking it. She had considered going up to Tatsumi and putting a collar on him and dragging him to her chambers.

But the rational part of her knew that Tatsumi was a subordinate of Chouri, and he was a seemingly valued one at that. Chouri was an official that worked under the guidance and protection of Budo. There was a possibility that taking Tatsumi would be considered a breach of military protocol that could be met with a level of resistance or disciplinary action. Although she could usually rely on Honest to take care of that mess, she and Honest were on thin ice recently after she bullied him into giving her the six man team of teigu users she wanted. But besides directly taking someone, she knew no other means of approaching a man.

So she hid.

It was a move she did by complete instinct. She had no reason to hide or feel anxious but she did. She couldn't understand why at all her feelings were acting like this. Love, it seemed, was so very complex. It was making her irrational.

She took deep breaths in order to try and calm her heart, it was uncomfortable and worrisome that it pounded so. But when her mind conjured up the image of that smile - that damn smile - and her heart rate exploded again. She wanted to lash out at something, anything, to provide an outlet for the excitement that boiled over inside of her. She placed her hand against the wall she was leaning on and gripped it, cracking it under her fingers.

It took several minutes of harsh breathing for her to feel her heart return to a moderate beating pace. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, holding it in, before letting it out in a long, drawn exhale.

Then her eyes opened sharply in a serious glint. Her brain automatically flared in order to strategize a plan to overcome this battle. If Tatsumi belonged to Chouri, then she simply had to get rid of Chouri. She felt a prickle of annoyance at her dead subordinates for failing to assassinate Chouri, but no matter.

She would have Tatsumi.

Tatsumi returned to the palace at around 1 in the afternoon. He showed his uniform to the guards who verified his entry after about 15 minutes, finding his information listed in their archived members.

After a trip to the cafeteria to fill his stomach with bland, cheaply provided military lunch, he stepped out into the training grounds.

This, at least, he was looking forward to. His left arm was back in action after only so long. It definitely felt a slight bit atrophied and weaker than his right arm but Tatsumi was unbothered. He'd just train it more.

Dropping to the floor, he started doing push ups right away, setting a goal of 200. No, he had wasted enough time already; 300.

He was going to break his body as much as possible. Muscle development was based on overusing the muscle so that the fibers tore and the body would naturally mend it in a stronger form. However, if Incursio's flesh was going to aid his healing process, Tatsumi could develop his physique that much faster. In other words, he could go beyond his limits more than necessary.

"... 19… 20… 21… 22…"

Currently, he wanted to have enough strength to win against one of the 4 Rakshasa's Demon members bare-handed…

"... 57… 58… 59… 60…"

His thoughts wandered a bit as he kept doing push-ups. The Rakshasa's Demons should be with Bolic currently, if his memory served correctly, Honest would have implanted Bolic as a member of the Path of Peace quite a while ago.

Honest probably saw the potential of a growing religious organization and sent Bolic to infiltrate it… as assurance, he probably also lent the four Rakshasa's Demons to protect him. In about two months from now, the Path of Peace would start an insurrection. Bolic would try to stop that by assassinating the Lord of the Path of Peace and taking over that title. In order to safeguard Bolic, Honest would send the then-existent Jaegers to protect Bolic…

"... 168… 169…! 170…!"

… but there was no reason why Tatsumi had to wait for the seeds of an insurrection to start to kill Bolic. If he could contact Night Raid now, he could direct them after Bolic now, when he only had the Rakshasa's Demons to protect him, not the Jaegers… if the Jaegers were there that would mean Esdeath would confront Night Raid herself and if things go well like last time, they'd only lose Suu and Najenda would lose a considerable amount of her lifespan.

Tatsumi grit his teeth as sweat flowed down his face.

"... 233…! 234…! (huff) … 235…! (huff)..."

But there was no need to even take that trade…! He was here…! He could save them. He could save them all! For the current Night Raid, defeating the Rakshasa's Demons would be simple work! He wished he could go himself to aid them but he was tied here and Kyoroch was far away.

Then again there was the problem with his inconsistent contact with Night Raid too. It wasn't like his current position as a guard was demanding but he didn't want to leave too many times. If he did, that would reflect on his records and undoubtedly raise suspicion.

And although he hadn't been giving it much thought for the time being, he would also really like to connect with Chouri sometime soon. Chouri had, after all, hired Tatsumi on the assumption that he'd be able to provide information. Tatsumi would have really liked to establish the services and work he'd be providing and how best to operate. It was a great success to even get Chouri up to a position of minister. If possible, taking down Honest politically and having Chouri or some other benevolent leader replace him would be the absolute best case scenario, although impossibly unlikely.

"... 271… … … 272… (huff) … … 273…"

Tatsumi's mind was unable to focus on politics currently. Continuing up to 300 would be taking some focus. He flicked his head to throw off the sweat that was building up on his face. He shifted his center of mass a little more towards the right as his left arm was starting to scream.

"... 293… 294… 295…! …"

When Tatsumi was a young kid, he read a story about a hero. The title of the book was 'The Hero to Many.' It was a story of a man who had a deathly illness who took up a sword and fought a dragon that was terrorizing many people. The man ultimately lost and died. However, the people, recognizing the man's bravery, united in courage and fought the dragon off.

Tatsumi really hated that book.

Heroes were supposed to win! He complained to the elder about the story and how it left him with a bad taste in his mouth.

"... 296…!"

He had sworn then and had many dreams to become a renowned hero himself one day. He would never lose. He would never die. A legendary hero unparalleled in strength, without equal in kindness.

Surely, the world was waiting for him.

"... 297…!"

That belief cracked when he first met the world - truly met the world, beginning with Aria. When under the oppressive rule of evil, the world too became evil with it. So evil that no hero could ever stand up to it.

That was when Tatsumi stopped believing in heroes. There were no heroes. Only people.

"... 298…!"

Whoever wrote 'The Hero to Many,' wrote simply about the ugly truth of the world. A lone human could never beat a dragon. Dragons were dragons because humans don't beat them.

Human strength could never beat a dragon's. Humans could never fly or breathe fire. Their iron swords would never pierce a dragon's hardened scales.

The only thing they had was heart.

A heart that resonated with the lives of many never dies.

A hero… a real hero is one whose heart lights the fire of a desire to change within others. No one fights alone.

"... 299…!"

Tatsumi's heart burned with exertion, pumping whatever strength it could to his arms. He begged his arms to pull through with whatever strength he had left to him. The flame in his soul called for strength.

If heart was all it took to change the world, then the world would have been a paradise by now. To become a force for change in the world, Tatsumi had to first change himself.

He would overcome it all. Pain, loneliness, and despair. The ill hero that took up the sword and fought the dragon must surely have gone through them himself and overcome them.

Tatsumi decided he would go back.

Back to days when he still believed in heroes.

"... 300…!"

"We see each other quite often these days." Honest spoke, his professional tone unable to hide the slightest mask of annoyance under it. He was still irritated that his partner in crime had only left her work two-ninth of the way finished and left him to deal with the rest. Adding onto that, she had called him out of his office of leisure to deal with him. Honest, of course, could not object when she did as displeasing her was out of the question but he still felt like it ate away at his pride to be at the beck of her call. He at least could keep his head held high when discussing most political stuff with her and act as her equal. Lately, he felt like he was being bullied into taking the shorter end of the stick.

"Well, business is business. You're a man who at least takes that seriously, no?" Esdeath responded coolly, leaning against the wall. She had a content smile on her face, one that signaled to Honest that she was holding the reins of the talk they were going to have.

"I will let you know that I am putting together your six-man teigu group." Honest responded.

"Ever reliable." Esdeath returned. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."
Honest's focus sharpened. Esdeath's interests and desires were something he prioritized in understanding down to the last detail. For the time being, Honest suspected that Esdeath would only have an interest in her requested six-man teigu team, but that wasn't it? There had to have been a development that he did not know and, whatever it was, Honest would pinpoint it.

"Enlighten me."

Esdeath pushed off of the wall she was on, taking a step forward before looking sharply into Honest's eyes. "You want to get rid of Chouri, don't you? I'll help you with that. You will have my aid."

Honest's brow creased. Esdeath had no interest in politics so why would she be trying to influence it now? Did Chouri or some of his subordinates do something to piss Esdeath off? No, that couldn't be it. If they did, Esdeath would have used a much more… direct method of getting rid of Chouri. In other words, Esdeath believed her hands were tied by military protocol and she couldn't find a way to take down Chouri herself. She wanted something from Chouri.

Honest racked his brain about Chouri's possessions but he couldn't think of something that Esdeath might desire from Chouri as he was ignorant of her developed feelings for Tatsumi and to the existence of Tatsumi in the first place.

"What would you like in return?" Honest asked bluntly, telling her to reveal her cards.

Esdeath kept them down on the table. "That's none of your concern, is it?"

Honest considered his hand. Chouri was a growing pain in the ass. His presence in the ministry was growing rapidly. He was extending his influence in the health and public safety branches of governance and passing policies that didn't agree with him. Getting rid of him would be difficult… but with Esdeath…

A grin broke out on his features, the fat on his face jiggling from the movement. It didn't matter right now what she wanted or desired, she was offering to become a card in his hand. He'd have to investigate what she wanted to gain from this later but a great tactician knows when to think of the long term and when to think of the short term.

"I suppose it isn't. I'll send you the details of the plan soon."

Esdeath pivoted on her heel and began walking away. "I'll be waiting."

She strutted down the corridors of the great palace, then stopped suddenly next to a window. She stared out with a deep gaze at the setting sun and the way it colored the sky with hues of red and orange. She caught herself thinking it was really pretty.

"Goodness… I am acting strange…" She whispered to herself.

She sat on the windowsill while looking at the picturesque view. The brightness of the sky seemed reminiscent of Tatsumi's smile-

She grasped at her chest as her heart pounded again, gasping at the sudden outburst of her desires. She couldn't think of him without getting weak in the knees. She wished that he was next to her right now enjoying the view of the setting sun together. Being away from him was having an effect on her. It was eating at her with every throbbing beat of her heart.

She must have him, she resolved. She'd do whatever it took to take possession of his heart for her own. Else, this pounding would never go away. Her heart had become a half unwittingly and demanded its rightful pair.

She breathed out a deep exhale. Tatsumi must be hers. Otherwise she'd never be able to be deprived of this loneliness that was hers and hers alone