Chapter 65: Curtain Call

How unfortunate.

The real battle began, and I was the first to fall—the girl with multiple titles related to power and authority. The living legend failed on the same day of her success.

It felt like floating in nothingness. I didn't feel any pain or exhaustion. It was a cold, empty death.

Until I touched down on a vast, endless world, the ground was made of a black liquid, barely higher than my ankle. There is nothing but blackness around me—an all-encompassing emptiness.

Am I dead? Is this hell or purgatory?

I see a mirror and a shadow in the distance. I trudged through the black water as the oval shape of the mirror came into view. Each step left a vibrant red imprint on the sea of black. Even the endless horizon started to brighten up. It adopted a faint violet and red hue.

The shadow silently stared at me. It has extra features contrary to this plane of existence. A singular wing and a red halo.

The arms are a darker shade of red while piercing blood and red/black eyes stare back. It was the only feature I could see in the shadow.

I reach out, yet stop short of it.

Why do I keep pushing despite the path ahead not getting any easier?

My life flashed before my eyes. I saw who I was becoming. I'm becoming the people I fight against.

I should be dead.

I stared at the silhouette of myself. It is still incomplete. There is an inner feeling inside my soul telling me this isn't it.

My doubts, paranoia, and pain always eat at me. It also drives me forward.

"Akame! Get up!" A voice piece through the void.

I don't know how. Shūsen isn't beside me, so I can't force myself awake.

Maybe I need to interact with the mirror.

I reached for the mirror, and my shadow responded. Our palms touched each other.

The void made a loud noise like glass scattering and reversing. Yet the mirror reverberated with a gentle melody.

The world is still a broken mess. I can't end my journey now, no matter how much it hurts.

Our fingers interlocked.

I won't wither and scatter here.

Even through the dark clouds of a despondent sky.

My fury will cut it down to reveal the dawn.

I pulled my shadow forward. It phrased through me. I looked at my red arms and flicked out my wing. I looked at my left hand and unconsciously imagined claws.

My forearm and hand got coated in red substance and molded into a gauntlet with razor-sharp fingertips.

Incomplete.

The words echoed in my head. This still isn't all of it.

"Akame!" Green tendrils permeated the void and wrapped around me.

I'm trying to wake up. Yet, I can't.

It felt like a state of hibernation.

The vines tightened around my neck and body. I let it happen. Maybe shock will wake me up.

The tendrils wrapped harder around my neck, making it difficult for me to breathe.

No matter what horrors I witness.

I'll see it through to the end!

Snapped

Like a butterfly forced out of its cocoon, I awakened.

The sound of violence assaulted my ears, and the smell of blood and burning flesh followed. The strong taste of my blood in my mouth doesn't compare to what I see.

My heart skipped a beat.

Vernal!

She weakly held my hand in hers. We were both lying on the ground.

Our wounds are severe.

What happened to her eyes?

Vernal has a deep slash across her eyes. A soft breath on the sand was the only clue she was still alive. I got up, light-headed. I checked my hands and noticed my aura flicked green before returning to red.

"Vernal—" I muttered. Her neck was burned, but otherwise, she was still alive.

Salem wouldn't kill her or me, but the rest of them?

Damn it!

How and why am I still alive? I know the moment my blood starts running, it's the limit of my healing factor. I should have died.

My joints are filled with thorns.

Veins lit aflame.

The beating of my heart and pulse were barely detectable. Yet, I need to keep moving because I want this story to end my way.

My eyesight is still blurry, and I see more bodies around me, but I don't know who they are.

One-step…Two-step…Three.

My sword beheaded Salem as she came down to finish an unknown person. Unknown?

Summer Grimm blasted lightning at my back, but a large wing parried it. Salem's headless body came at me with a bladed arm. I lifted my arm to block it. It sinks into my skin but never pierces my flesh. I didn't see my aura flare.

Wing?

When did I grow a wing?

This wing reminds me of a raven…

My arms are red?

When did that happen, and why isn't there any marking?

I see…

I wasn't imagining it. I came back to life looking like a one-wing angel. How?

Could this be the leftover that the God of Darkness talked about?

"You truly are an Apostle of the Dark God." Salem's head slid back into the stump of her neck." Careful next time, I almost killed you."

I wasn't able to utter a single word. It was as if my mouth was sealed shut. Salem's next words didn't fully reach me either. It was like instinct taking over my body, numbing my mind, and now the pain. It was as if I were a pilot in my body, fighting off the witch and her creation.

I attacked, countered, and evaded. Salem continued to speak to me, but I paid no heed. I kept fighting and fighting.

Wing.

Sword.

Claws.

I work the new addition seamlessly into my fighting style. I fought both of them, no matter how much magic or raw strength was thrown at me.

I kept fighting and fighting in this trance-like state.

Unaware that I was the only one fighting them. The abomination that was once Ruby's mom and the witch.

Where is everyone else?

I willed red spikes out of the ground, impaling the two of them. It's an attack I didn't know I was capable of. I rushed Salem, another death for her.

The speed and impact of just my fist scattered Salem's upper body. She reformed again, and I repeated the process. The Grimm came behind me with both hands ready to hammer me down.

An upward slash damaged its body, briefly exposing the woman underneath.

I knew it.

The gnarled wounds on her pale body. The glassy silvered eyes and thin black hair. I saw her for only a moment before the thick, black substance claimed her once again. I stared for too long, taking it all in. The bodily horror inflicted on a huntress, who is far more heroic than I am.

It was enough for my trance-like state to be distracted.

This is an abomination.

An intense pain envelops my core, just below my heart. A pale white hand with a black vein punched through my stomach from behind. More muffled noises. I grabbed Salem's wrist and pulled her forward. She grabbed my throat and threatened to rip it out. She panicked as I watched my hands glow, and her arm turned…normal.

The paleness gave way to a healthy skin tone, and black veins disappeared alongside it. She chopped her arm off, leaving it inside me, and drifted back. I slashed, barely missing her neck.

That abomination scurried away.

A moment of pause, and I was on my knees. I couldn't feel my lower body.

The words finally reach my ears. Salem kept her distance even if there was no chance for me to get back up this time. The location of the strike should have severed my spine and major arteries. I should die once again.

"Apostle of Darkness, but the bastardization of an angel. How typical of the Dark God. He never creates, only makes caricatures," Salem uttered," Those girls are your family, perhaps?"

I lifted my head to look at the witch. She reformed and checked her new arm. I try to shout and scream. Salem will suffer if she touches them. I couldn't even utter a single sound. Salem got lucky. I can't kill her, but I'll make a symphony out of her screams.

"You won the battle, Akame Branwen, but at a great cost," She explained," Your reinforcements are on the way."

"I will kill you," I finally uttered. Salem looked at me with an impassive expression.

"You're at my mercy, again, Shinigami. I could have left you to die back then. Even now, I could go for your head," The witch threatened.

She raised an arm and gathered magical energy.

"Then, you will lose your chance to die," I revealed.

"You don't have the authority to get rid of the other half of the curse," She exhaled and lowered her arm."A fake death is what is going to happen. The Gods played us."

This time, she seemed disappointed and bitter.

"I came to end this war," I coughed. This is what I was sent to this world to do.

"And only one life to do so. Focus on healing yourself and slowly pull my arm out of your body," She instructed," And when the world falls into ruins, you'll realize I'm right. There is nothing that can kill me unless this world is destroyed. Nothing we can do."

She floated away, followed by the Grimm flapping its wings.

"SALEM!" I ripped the arm out of my body and collapsed, watching helplessly as she disappeared into the horizon. My eyesight blurred.

The huge hole in my body repaired itself before I bled out.

I lay on my stomach, reaching out toward Salem. My arm returned to normal. The exhaustion and pain came back all at once but not enough to cripple me.

I lifted myself, falling twice before I could stand.

I took in the sights, all of it. A heavy pain hit my heart, far exceeding the rest of my damaged body.

I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry for leading you to your deaths.

There is a crater and bits of human matter, bone fragments, and blood. I couldn't recognize whose that belonged to.

Vernal is badly hurt. She'll be fine. The worst injuries she has are on the neck and eyes.

Melanie is…lying against a rock, a slash across her chest. She's dead. I didn't have to check her pulse because I could see the damaged heart in the cavity.

She looked calm as if she regretted nothing.

What a weird expression for someone as proud as her? Why is she so content? That face should be warped in anger or pettiness at an early death.

I'm sorry, Militia, I failed.

I couldn't care less about how Ms. Malachite fell. Melanie is one less headache to worry about. She wasn't even supposed to be here. Why did she go this far to help us?

Good riddance…

What the hell am I thinking?

I have never forgotten the happiness we once had together. Because Militia is right. I wouldn't mind if all five of us went back to simpler times. Just five girls playing tag and gossiping in the courtyard.

It felt nostalgic being alongside each other.

Why? Damnit! Why did you join us?

Why did you die?

I blinked away tears and kept scanning the battlefield.

A headless body is near me. It belongs to Brawnz Ni. I could see the trail of blood leading to his head.

Why is he smiling? Right, he is one of my most loyal. I heard the whisper or premonition of death. I never understood why they revered me so much until I realized the constant of this world. The concept of death doesn't discriminate on who it takes and exists at all times. Living another day is just a small victory in a difficult life.

I heard Copper cough. He was the one I saved from certain death, twice so far. He spared no time, hurrying to another body. I hurried over to see who he was kneeling next to. The doctor-in-training took out a roll of gauze and syringes from a small bag on his left side.

No…no…NO!

Umber has part of her left torso ripped out. She was somehow still clinging to life despite the wound.

"Sorry, Akame," She coughed blood even as Copper went to work on her," I'm too weak."

Don't say that! I balled my fist. The words never left my mouth, but I did feel something slide down my cheek, followed by another.

No.

She's going to die!

She's going to die!

She's going to die!

I kneeled beside her, holding her hand in mine.

My attention got diverted for a split second. There was a small fleet of different aircraft heading my way.

Why? Why did they take so long?

I look closely. Some of them are damaged and smoking as if they just left another major battle.

Salem still has enough forces to stall the collective might of Remnant. The bullheads came close enough for me to notice some had a green glow on the hulls.

Acidic Grimm?

No, Something else attacked them. The acid would have faded out by now after eating enough flesh or metallic protection. I had heard reports of glowing Grimms attacking the compound.

"Akame, I-" Copper wasn't able to get a word out before being shoved aside.

A woman with white hair, pale skin, and red eyes bent down. She motioned for a pair of paramedics to hurry it up.

Atlesian!

I stood up, ready to strike them down.

Akame stop!

I restrained myself from doing something foolish. I just don't feel like fighting anymore. I don't trust Atlas, but they're here to help. Atlas wouldn't hurt civilians. Ironwood and Malachite know my family is off-limits.

"We're taking her to the airship, which is quickly approaching as we speak," The pale woman said," Her odds of survival are better onboard."

I slowly nodded.

"AKAME!" Yang tackled me," I'm happy you're alive, where is Um-"

She froze.

The Atlesian paramedics are hurrying her to their bullhead. That lady shouted orders for all of them to hurry up and pick everyone up, including the dead. She was flying them back to the airship.

"Hey! She's my sister! Where are you taking her!?" Yang hurried over.

"You're safe, Icey," I felt Uncle Qrow pat me on the shoulder. He walked toward Yang before she caused a bigger commotion. She was going to fight the soldiers.

My dad was the next to arrive.

"I'm sorry for not making it." He embraced me," I need to see Umber."

Ruby's arms wrapped around my waist. Ruby is alive. Her eyes are reddened, and snot is running down her nose. I return the hug.

"Thank you, I-I need to go see her, too," Ruby choked up," Come with me."

I wanted to join them but…

"Ruby, go on without me," I said, using every bit of willpower to keep myself together.

"But-"

"Enough! You know why I can't," I reminded her," Please."

Ruby balled her fist and punched me. It took me off guard why she would do that. It barely felt it bit yet, but it hurt both of us. She ran away. My little sister's sobbing echoed as she left me alone. I couldn't understand it. I'm doing this for her protection, even if it means living a lie.

"You owe us an explanation," Copper couldn't look me in the eyes.

May came next. She was in better condition compared to all of us. If she were injured or worse, that would mean Ruby is in peril. Both my biological sisters are okay.

"Welcome back, May," I strained my smile. I need to ask them what happened while I was unconscious," I'll tell you everything, but not now."

"You're okay-" May paused," You were crying?"

"...About to."

"It's fine. You feel more human that way," May nodded," We won, and I'll be on standby for further orders."

"I will, too," Copper bowed," It was thanks to Cali and Brawnz I'm still alive."

-Long enough for me to save him, again.

Cali? Didn't she die when her bullhead went down?

A pair of medical personnel zipped up a body bag. Brawnz's head and body were being carried away. I know it wasn't the pilot that got turned into paste. The Atlesians are still trying to shovel him into bags. Melanie was taken away on a stretcher. Through the process of elimination, Cali somehow got up and fought.

She somehow blew herself up, even if it meant delaying Salem only for a few seconds.

I nodded, and they left to attend to other matters. May walked over to Ruby and my Dad, who was thanking her for keeping my little sister safe. She boarded the bullhead with them. The order to protect my sister is still in effect.

Copper went to assist with the bodies alongside the huntress. She hopped out of a bullhead with Sun sporting a few wear and tear in her outfit. This confirms it. Everyone was under attack.

"Akame!" Sun embraced me.

"Sun…," I glanced at his concerned face and looked away.

He has a few cuts and bruises on him. Sun is the lucky one.

I have to remember that none of us is even the right age to join the Academy. Sun has potential, but he's fourteen. Most of us aren't Academy age. Those who are graduates and licensed are either dead or in over their heads. I'm the exception that shouldn't be the standard.

To put it bluntly, we are child soldiers, and I'm also their warlord.

"Who…still alive?" He trembled.

"Take me to a bullhead willing to—"

"GET OFF ME!" Vernal stood up, voice cracked," I'll heal myself."

She stumbled, using her glaive as a walking stick. She couldn't see yet limped toward me.

Good, I don't need Atlas's help.

"We're heading back to Vacuo for my graduation and the status report," I ordered," I-I have to still act capable. Like I'm fine…Like I'm okay."

"Akame, stop, you're hurting inside." He looked at Vernal," Neither of you is in good mental or physical shape to go."

"…"

"We don't care," Vernal exhaled.

I put my arm over Vernal's shoulder and guided her away.

I don't want to head back. I want to board that bullhead with my family. I want to hold Umber's hand, going as far as praying to both Gods for a miracle.

"You don't care about Umber?" Sun shook his head, arms folded.

"Both objectives achieved, A second Great War is prevented," For now….," And the hostages have been rescued."

I've won.

"She is your fam-mission objective," Sun argued. He avoided leaking my familiar ties:" My cousin sees the job to completion, and so should you."

Vacuo is in shambles. They expect me to be there to comfort them. Those injuries…

I could see part of her ribs and intestines. A lot of her blood sank into the sand. There is no guarantee she will live.

I listed out the results.

Casualties:

5 Huntsman

2 Members of Night Raid

1 Former Friend

1 Sister

The objective was to save the world. I succeeded. The objective was to save my sisters. I succeeded. I have one more objective to get to, and that's handling the fallout. I can't be with her, or else people will still ask questions I don't want answered.

We put some distance between us and the Atlesian. The soldiers didn't dare to stop me. Now we can say what we mean. Sun was confused as to why we were walking the rest of the way back. I told him we aren't. It eases his mind a bit.

"I'm a huntress. My infamy will put pressure on that family. I said it many times already, Sun," I said," I must keep a distance for their protection."

"They're your family," He balled his fist.

"Get ready to fly," I whispered in her ear," And activate that semblance so we can slip away."

"And many more families are grieving from the attack. As Guardians against Darkness, our duty isn't just to find and fight Grimm," I lectured," It's to handle the rebuilding and aftermath as well. As well as maintain the peace and be a symbol for people to look up to. The situation here is resolved, but Vacuo—"

"I get it, but what about your family?" He agreed," It's just so wrong. What if Umber dies? How bad are the injuries?"

Whatever attack Salem did punched right through her. I shouldn't show favoritism. Umber is someone who fought alongside me like Night Raid.

"Then I'll attend the funeral," I uttered," And keep a promise until my death."

I've been on a vegetarian diet for a month and a half as my punishment. Umber punishment was making sure I didn't eat anything beyond fish, a few eggs, and milk. She became my dietitian while Vernal is my chef.

"Akame, Sun, I'm bleeding out," Vernal winced.

"How uncharacteristic of you. I thought you're the optimistic type," I argued," She…is fine. She will be fine."

"Because someone needs to be the realist," He begged," Babe, please."

We stopped moving. On the horizon, Ironwood's airship is heading toward the battlefield at high speed. The majority of the mantises and bullheads are beginning to lift off toward it.

I'm sure Akari has something to do with it.

"I should break up with you."

"Akame!" Vernal squirmed," Too far!"

Sun put his hands up defensively.

"I don't care," He said a little too quickly.

What-WHAT?! Excuse me?

He could say it at a snail's pace and I'd still be pissed off. My face heated up, and my heart pounded in my chest. I gently push Vernal away to give Sun a piece of my mind.

"Hell, you mean? You don't care?" I stomped forward.

"You heard me," He put his hands on his waist," If you're taking extreme measures, so am I!"

"Seriously? Couple's drama now?" Vernal sighed.

You reap what you sow, Vernal. She's the main instigator of a dating life I didn't want. Ms. Matchmaker is going to stand here and listen.

"Well, I never wanted to date you in the first place. Y-you shouldn't have taken the hint when I never talked to you for a whole season."

"Now you're offended?" He asked.

"I'm offended you're not resisting!" This idiot!

"Hey! I know you just thought I was an idiot," he somehow read my mind.

"And? If you were any smarter, you should have taken the hint that I wasn't into romance."

"Babe, this conversation is about you running from your family, not our relationship status," He directed,"Your old man hugged you!"

"A huntress saved his kids. Any parent would react the same! That proves nothing!"

"Family sticks together, Babe."

"Don't 'babe' me, I just broke up with you!"

"Good," he fired back.

"Denied!"

"So we're back together again?" He quipped.

"No!" I stomped.

"Have it make sense, Akame!"

"Hurry it up, I'm crying my life out," Vernal motioned. Sun didn't comment on the blindfold she fashioned out of the helm of her dress.

"Would it hurt you to be with them? You could have all the doctors leave the room and have a moment with your family. You just became a huntress, now you're making excuses." He called out," The rally or whatever power play you're gonna pull can wait."

I struggled to look him in the eyes.

"It isn't just Umber," I admitted," There's one more person I can't be on the same airship with."

"Who?" He questioned.

Ms. Malachite.

I didn't admit it openly. She lost one of her daughters, and she'll surely blame me for it. Malachite would shoot me in front of my family for my failure to protect her most prominent heir. What's worse is I would let her do it. Ms. Malachite isn't my enemy tonight. She's a grieving mother. Melanie was in over her head, fighting alongside us despite her powerful semblance. The fact is as clear as the stars in the sky tonight. I live and she dies. It's the downside of my regenerative healing. I look relatively pristine beside my ripped clothes and a few dirty smudges.

I don't have confidence in Umber's survival either. At best, she'll end up comatose. The mere thought of it makes me want to break down, yet I couldn't afford to. I couldn't stand to see Militia's face right now, even if she is far from this madness. It would reinforce the uncomfortable truth that she's a damsel compared to he rest of us. Her heart wouldn't take it.

I finally gained the courage to look him in the eyes. Sun's expression softened.

I stepped forward and tossed Shūsen to Vernal. It bounced off of her glaive.

"Ahem," She deadpanned. I forgot she's now blind.

"Um…Aka-" I shut him up by grabbing him by the collar and dragging him down for a kiss. He resisted at first before leaning deeper into me.

We kissed once at a fair, but it was a sudden peck on the lips. It came quickly, and neither of us had time to ponder or go for seconds. The rollercoaster ride dropped, and when we left, we got swarmed by our friends.

Afterward, it was a chaotic game of following the leader on which stall or attraction we head to next. Even the best moment of romance during a fireworks show was interrupted by an emergency.

This is better. Sun Wukong is someone important to me, too. He isn't a childhood friend like Militia or a lifelong goal like Mercury. He works his way into my life. The first friendly local, genuinely looking out for my well-being.

He deserved this kiss underneath the starry sky.

I gently pushed away and took several steps back. The warmth and memory of his lips persist in the cold, night air. I left him stunned by the boldness. If we had gone in for seconds, it would be even more intimate. I wouldn't mind, but Vernal is pouting, and the airship is coming closer.

"You're right," I agreed to disagree," Vernal, now."

I picked up Shūsen and held onto the Spring Maiden's wrist.

From Sun's perspective, we faded away into the desert when a stray sandstorm blew over us.

In reality, Vernal used a bit of her maiden power and semblance to affect Sun's perception. We flew back to Vacuo with me acting as the guide. She trusts my sense of direction.

The two of us eventually reach Vacuo, but at a slower pace than normal. We landed a bit further from the city and needed to call someone to pick us up. The security is tight, and I don't have confidence we could slip in without someone spotting some flying girls. Neither of us wants to walk the rest of the way. We're both too tired. I pointed to a dune and led her to it. The dune overlooks the city and all the patrols in the area. Vernal conjured a grassy turf for us to sit on.

We sat down, back to back. I looked at the sky, and she did the same, even if there was blackness on her end. It's been a wild day and afternoon for us. I didn't want to yell at her for abandoning her post.

She is such a troublesome girl, yet the most loyal and trusted. Neither of us would get where we are without each other's support. I can't blame everything on her. I'm the one who jump-started this mess and locked in on this path.

"Vernal, while we wait to get picked up," I asked," How did you survive the ambush?"

The spring maiden hugged the glaive tightly.

Before it began, I knew it was going to contain a lot of heartache and pain. She learned her lesson. That change in hair color isn't just cosmetic.

Vernal told her side of the story to pass the time.

A/N: I'm still saving Akame 3rd form for the next fanfic. I plan to have one or two more chapters after this one before moving onto Huntress of Hope and a bit of my HSR fanfic. There are still accessories and abilities left out because it's too early to reveal them.

If it wasn't for the support of Xeno pushing me to write this story, I would have quit around chapter 30. The story evolved a lot over the years.

Not so fun fact, I pulled back on the angst and edge in the final arc. Melanie and Militia were supposed to fight together against Hazel, who fatally injured both of them. One of the twins was going to die regardless, but the other one needed an organ transplant and a blood transfusion. Malachite wasn't going to allow both twins to die, so she went a bit more overboard. I was about to make a revenge subplot out of it.

I dropped it because I want Team AKME/MVRK to focus their hatred on Salem only. The minions just happen to be in the way. What I plan for Umber is already enough suffering.

A few other things I changed were that all but one member of Night Raid died in the final battle. Vernal went mad with power, Akame assassinating Malachite, and Ruby losing an eye.

Anyway, it's been quite a ride just writing the prequel fanfiction. I'm not even sure how much of the pre-COVID audience is still around to read this. Thank you.

The 1st teaser chapter of Huntress of Hope is out, and it's an early spoiler.