Hello again, Everyone! Welcome to Chapter 4 of Tatsumi Ga Kill. In this chapter, we're going to be covering quite a bit. Tatsumi will meet Night Raid (again), rescue Air, Fal and Luna, and vanquish Ogre.
Air, Fal and Luna are characters from Chapter 23.5 of the manga. What happens to them is heartbreaking. Just… Dear God.
I wanted to once again thank everyone who is choosing to read this story, even after the long wait. It means a lot. I also wish to once again thank those who are also following, favoriting and bookmarking it, as well as those who leave comments/reviews. All of that means a lot, too.
Italics = thoughts
Bold text = Messiah dialogue
One more thing. Reviews!
God of War: Thank you. Glad you liked it. I mean that.
Guest: I do apologize for my story being unavailable. They are also available on Archive of our own.
Wolfx88: That's a good comparison. Aria and Raynare have quite a bit in common, I think. And yes, Spear will be saved as well. No need to worry about that.
Alright, then. Let's get to it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Akame Ga Kill or its characters.
Note: All characters depicted in intimate relations are 18 or over.
(Main Story, Night Raid's Base, Morning)
Ten Kilometers south of the Capital was Night Raid's Base. It was situated in the mountains, which is likely how they avoided detection. It had been a long time since Tatsumi had been here. It all felt so surreal.
There were, of course, a few differences from the original timeline. Namely the fact that Sayo would be waiting for him… and that Aria was with him, as well. He imagined that Sayo had already met Najenda. As for Aria, she would still need to be accepted by Najenda, as well as Tatsumi himself.
On the way to the base, Leone quickly confirmed who each member of Night Raid was for Tatsumi, but she promised to officially introduce him to the group once they reached the hideout. Tatsumi already knew who they all were, but, for now, they didn't need to know that.
Sure enough, the group reached the hideout and entered the Main Hall. Sayo anticipated Tatsumi's arrival and rushed to hug him.
"Tatsumi! You're okay! I was so worried!" Sayo exclaimed as she embraced her childhood friend.
"I already told you, I'd always come back to you, Sayo…" Tatsumi remarked.
"Geez… you can't just go around saying that to girls, dummy." Sayo playfully jabbed Tatsumi's shoulder with a blush on her face. She then turned her gaze to the woman beside Tatsumi… Aria. Sayo narrowed her eyes.
"Oh… Hello." Sayo addressed Aria calmly, but there was a hint of hostility in her voice.
"Hello, Sayo. I… I like your hair. It's very smooth." Aria complimented, trying to break the ice.
"Thanks… Maybe, when we get to know each other better, I'll… give you advice on how to fix up your hair." Sayo offered hesitantly.
Aria's eyes lit up at Sayo's suggestion. "Would you? Thank you so much! I'd love to know how you keep your hair like that… oh, and I would love for us to be friends as well, Sayo!"
"It might be a while before we become friends, assuming that ever happens. But… we'll see how this goes, alright?" Sayo explained politely.
Aria nodded in understanding. She was just grateful that Sayo hadn't attacked her as soon as their eyes met.
Tatsumi felt it was only fair that he explained himself to his beloved Sayo. "I completely understand how you're feeling right now, Sayo. But Aria really regrets everything that she did. I know that you likely hate me right now, but I promise I'll-" Sayo stopped Tatsumi before he could go any further.
"Tatsumi… don't worry. I'm not angry at you. I'm still not completely sure how to feel about all of this, but I trust you. I always have, and I always will. And you're an idiot if you think I could ever hate you." Sayo explained, smirking as she said the last part.
Tatsumi sighed in relief. He really was lucky to have Sayo in his life. More than she would ever know.
Now, it was time for proper introductions. Tatsumi would start.
"So… Hello, everyone. Name's Tatsumi. It's good to meet you all."
"Good to meet you, Tatsumi. I'm Bulat. But you can call me Big Bro or Handsome!" Bulat declared. His smile was as clear as day, since he wasn't wearing Incursio.
"Just so you know, Bulat's gay." Leone clarified.
"Hey… Tatsumi may get the wrong idea, Leone." Bulat remarked with a blush.
"Don't worry about it, Bro." Tatsumi reassured Bulat. Tatsumi was glad to meet his mentor again. This time, he would make sure Bulat wouldn't die.
Sheele was next. "Hello, Tatsumi. My name is Sheele. I hear you wish to join Night Raid, right?"
"That's right." Tatsumi confirmed.
"I'm glad to hear that. Otherwise, we would've had to kill you. But don't worry about that now." Sheele said, but there was no actual malice behind her words. Clearly, she was joking.
"Of course. Anyway, I hope we can work together at some point, Sheele. I'd love to know more about you." Tatsumi said.
Sheele's face turned a deep crimson at Tatsumi's words. She smiled. "Yes… I would like that, too, Tatsumi."
Lubbock chose this moment to make his introduction. "Hey, Tatsumi. Name's Lubbock. We should hang out later. You seem like a cool guy, I guess."
Leone spoke up. "Just so you know, Lubbock is a pervert, so don't let him influence you."
"Someday, I will see that glorious rack, Leone!" Lubbock declared.
"Oh? You want me to break your arms, Lubbock? Is that what I'm hearing?" Lubbock was silenced by Leone's threat. "Thought so. Now, we just need to introduce you to Mine and the Boss, Tatsumi." Leone continued.
Mine and Najenda entered the Main hall. The pink-haired sniper looked particularly annoyed. Najenda maintained a neutral expression.
"So, are we just letting any random nobody into our secret base now?! Mine said, pointing at Tatsumi and Aria.
"Look, I know these are pretty strange circumstances, but Aria and I will prove ourselves. Just give us a chance." Tatsumi countered.
"Fail." Mine responded.
"Huh?" Tatsumi was quite confused.
"I examined you… and you fail. I can tell you're not gonna last long here… especially with your face." Mine insulted Tatsumi with a smirk.
Tatsumi sighed. Mine was testing his patience, but he wasn't going to lose his temper. He was better than that. "I think you should give us more leeway than that." He commented.
"Give it a rest, Mine. Leone and Sayo have vouched for Tatsumi, so we should give him an actual chance." Najenda spoke up.
Najenda approached Tatsumi. Though she was shorter than him, she was still quite imposing. She eyed him up and down, sizing him up.
"So we meet at last, Tatsumi. I'm Najenda, the leader of Night Raid. Though chances are you knew that already. I'm told you want to join our group." Najenda stated, her voice calm and measured. Her remaining eye was practically peering into Tatsumi's soul.
"Yes. Forgive me for saying so, but you're so… well, awe-inspiring." Tatsumi blurted out without thinking.
"I… well… What makes you say that?" Najenda was quite puzzled.
"Your cape makes you look intimidating, but heroic at the same time. You command such respect through your stance alone. You're so cool and composed, like you're invincible! You look like an experienced warrior who lets nothing stop her. You clearly possess an indomitable will! A fiery determination that can't be extinguished! You're a beacon of light that shines bright against the Empire's darkness, Najenda!" Tatsumi gushed over how awesome Najenda was. In truth, Messiah suggested to Tatsumi that he should do everything he could to earn the trust of Night Raid.
Judging from Najenda's reaction, Tatsumi's strategy seemed to be working. A crimson blush covered her cheeks. She was clearly taken aback by Tatsumi's words.
"I… I see." Najenda stumbled with her words, which never happened before. Tatsumi's words were genuine, and there was an earnest look in his eyes as he complimented her. Najenda… had never felt like this before. Lubbock made numerous attempts to woo her, but she brushed them off. But Tatsumi…. Well, no one ever said those things to her before.
Bulat chuckled. Leone, Aria and Sayo couldn't help but want to capture Tatsumi's attention the way Najenda did. Sheele and Akame couldn't help but find Tatsumi's comments… cute. Mine simply rolled her eyes, dismissing Tatsumi's words as the ravings of a lovestruck idiot. Lubbock grumbled. Tatsumi got Najenda to blush! After they only met a minute ago! In the time Lubbock knew Najenda, he had never got a reaction like that from her. Ever! Lubbock was, for lack of a better term, jealous as hell.
Najenda regained her composure and cleared her throat. "Anyway, if you wish to join Night Raid, then we'll welcome you with open arms, Tatsumi. But… There's still the matter of what's to be done with Aria…"
"Please, let her join. If she can't leave and you've let me bring her this far, then surely you can give her a chance to prove herself. I'm sure she can be very helpful to Night Raid" Tatsumi pleaded his case.
Najenda pondered for a moment. It stood to reason that if Aria was here (and that Tatsumi was going to protect her), then they may as well make use of her.
"Do you have any skills, Aria? Any way you can pull your weight around here?" Najenda questioned Aria.
"Well… I used to have servants do a lot of the work… but I do know things about the Empire. My father was a friend of the Prime Minister. Maybe I can provide information that you don't know."
Tatsumi stepped in once again to defend her. "I can fight and do chores. I can hunt and fish. If I need to, I'll teach Aria everything she needs to know. I'll take full responsibility for her. You have my word."
Najenda was deep in thought. The room was silent. Then, she reached a decision. She turned to Tatsumi.
"You'll train her yourself. You'll care for her yourself. You'll teach her yourself. If she steps out of line, you'll deal with her yourself. And if she dies, you'll bury her yourself. Do you understand, Tatsumi?" Najenda spoke sternly.
"I understand." Tatsumi spoke simply, his eyes unwavering.
Najenda seemed satisfied. Her gaze softened.
"Well then. Aria. Tatsumi… welcome to Night Raid." Najenda said.
Everyone seemed to accept this (though Mine still glared at the new recruits, but said nothing).
"Now, Aria. You said you can provide us with info on the Empire." Najenda spoke again, lighting another cigar.
"Yes, Commander. I actually know something you should be aware of…" Aria started.
Aria revealed information on a slave broker named Bach. He had apparently bought a trio of girls from a heavily taxed village. He was going to sell them to a group known as the Enthusiasts. They lived in a large mansion in the Capital. The Enthusiasts were a group of sadistic, deplorable men who enjoyed torturing small girls. It was clear that those young girls would be subjected to a living hell unless something was done.
Tatsumi knew Aria was telling the truth. His memories that Messiah shared with him of the original timeline (one version of it anyway) included a girl named Air. She had contacted Leone and revealed the suffering she had endured, as well as the deaths of her friends, Fal and Luna. Although Night Raid did destroy the Enthusiasts afterwards, Air took her own life. Clearly, the damage was already done in that timeline.
But this time, things would be different. Tatsumi would make sure of it.
And while Night Raid were killers, they still cared about the innocent. And they truly believed that the world they were fighting for would be better than the current one.
Tatsumi volunteered to go alone for this. He wanted an actual chance to prove himself. His rationale was that, since this wasn't an official job (there was no contract drawn up or reward agreed on by a client), he would rather not put anyone else at risk. He would also attract less attention if he went by himself.
Sayo vouched for Tatsumi's skill and that he had a Teigu that he knew how to use (though Tatsumi asked her not to reveal any more than that… at least, for now). Leone sided with Sayo. There was no actual opposition (aside from Mine's grumbling), but Najenda felt the need to warn Aria.
"Aria, since Tatsumi is acting on your information… you better not be putting him in any unnecessary danger." Najenda warned. Aria nodded, her face neutral.
"I will come back alive, with those poor girls as well. You have my word." Tatsumi promised.
And with that, Tatsumi went to enact Divine Judgment.
(The Enthusiasts' Mansion, The Imperial Capital, Night)
Air, Fal and Luna always wanted a kind master. That was clearly not what they were going to get.
After a long day of enjoying themselves (eating at fancy restaurants, shopping at clothes stores), their new master, Bach, brought them to another coffee shop. There, they ate more luxurious meals, and Luna was lecturing Fal on table manners.
"So, are you girls enjoying yourselves?" Bach asked with a soft smile.
"Yes we are. Thank you so much, Master!" Air replied.
"Of course. Now, then… let's move on to the main dish…" Bach spoke, retaining his smile. He snapped his fingers.
All of a sudden, Mysterious men appeared and restrained the three girls. Fal tried to fight back, but was beaten for it.
"Don't damage the merchandise too much. We don't want them too broken before the main event." Bach chirped, as if there was nothing wrong with any of this.
Afterwards, Air, Fal and Luna were brought to the Enthusiasts' Mansion. Fal was tossed callously onto the ground before an elderly man named Suka.
"So, Suka, you said you wanted a tomboy like this right?" Bach asked.
"Yes. It's fun to watch them break and scream their lungs out." Suka spoke, relishing the thought of what was about to happen.
Bach turned to Air, Fal and Luna. "You see, these are the Enthusiasts of the Capital. Ordinary girls just don't do it for them. Really, they just love to break down girls with the happiest faces. They're sick freaks, aren't they?" Bach explained with a cruel smirk.
A rather obese man chimed in. "But it's thanks to us freaks that you get paid, right?"
Bach replied dismissively. "Yes, yes. Now then, your orders, gentleman?"
Suka spoke first. "It would be wonderful to hear the tomboy scream after her legs break."
The obese man spoke next. "I want the blue-haired girl in the hoodie to lose her eye. I live for licking girls like that."
Finally, a man dressed as a clown spoke, whilst stroking his pet Doberman (that he called Little Doggy). "I want the pink girl to be stripped. I want my child here to have some fun with her while everyone watches. Heh."
Bach nodded and addressed his guards. "You heard them, men. Get to it."
Air spoke, currently in tears. "Bach… why are you doing this?"
"Well, because it gets me money. And there's always substitutes for Country Dwellers. Hehe." Bach replied cruelly.
Air, Fal and Luna started struggling desperately.
"GET OFF OF ME! NO!" Fal screamed as the man restraining her was about to break her legs.
"PLEASE, STOP! DON'T DO THIS!" Luna cried as a man approached with a tool to cut out her eye.
"SOMEONE! ANYONE! HELP US!" Air screamed as she saw the clown unlock the dog's collar to unleash it on her. It ran at her in a frenzy.
Thankfully, in that moment, Air, Fal and Luna's prayers had been answered.
The door to the room was kicked open, and a cloaked figure moved at lightning speed, sword in hand. He moved too quickly for anyone to see.
Bach and the Enthusiasts barely had time to register that they were already dead.
The hooded figure materialized in the center of the room and sheathed his weapon. As the sword hilt reached his scabbard, there was an explosion of gore.
Bach, The Enthusiasts, everyone except Air, Fal and Luna, collapsed into lifeless corpses. Their limbs and heads had been severed.
Air, Fal and Luna, now free, retreated into a corner of the room and huddled together. They quivered in fear… but they were also relieved, somehow. They didn't know this person, but they knew in their heart that he was here to save them.
The man gently approached the terrified trio and lifted his hood. Tatsumi knelt down in front of them and spoke softly, his gaze soothing.
"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe now. No one will ever hurt you again." Tatsumi said. He reached out his hand to them.
They took it. They had no idea who Tatsumi was, but they took his hand regardless. He drew them into a gentle embrace whilst they wept quietly into his shirt.
"Okay. I'm going to take you back to my group. We're a part of the Revolutionary Army. You'll be safe with us. I promise. Do you trust me?" Tatsumi spoke, barely above a whisper.
Air, Fal and Luna nodded. It may have seemed foolhardy to trust a stranger with kind eyes since Bach seemed kind, too. But something about Tatsumi… seemed almost heavenly. It was as if an actual Angel came to offer salvation.
"My name is Tatsumi, by the way." Tatsumi gave a soothing smile as he lifted the girls into his arms. They left the Mansion, leaving the corpses of Bach and the Enthusiasts behind them.
(Night Raid's Base, Early Morning)
As Tatsumi had promised, he returned alive and safe, with Air, Fal and Luna in his arms.
Messiah spoke within him. "Excellent work, Tatsumi. You did very well, as I knew you would."
"Thank you, but I can't take all the credit. Aria's info saved these girls as well. It looks like bringing her aboard was a good idea after all. I… can't say I've truly forgiven her for everything, though." Tatsumi replied internally.
"That's more than fair enough. I'm not asking you to forgive her. I merely wish to see your friends safe, Tatsumi. That is my only goal. Sparing Aria simply helped toward that."
As Tatsumi stepped into the base (careful not to spring any of Lubbock's traps), he was immediately greeted by Sayo and Aria.
"Tatsumi! You're back! Are you okay? You're not hurt, right?" Aria asked with concern.
"Geez… I was so worried. I thought that… well… I'm glad you're safe." Sayo said with an earnest smile.
"There's no need to worry. I'm fine. And so are the girls. I rescued them." Tatsumi reassured them, setting Air, Fal and Luna onto the ground.
The rest of Night Raid approached. Even Mine seemed glad to see him… somewhat, though she would never admit that.
"So, you succeeded. Well done, Tatsumi." Najenda commended him.
"Thanks… but honestly, I'm just glad I was able to save them." Tatsumi said.
"Nice going, Tatsumi. You're a real hero, now. Want me to…. Reward you later?~" Leone flirted in a husky voice.
Tatsumi blushed while Mine scoffed. The pink-haired sniper spoke up next, albeit reluctantly. "Alright… so I guess you did okay…. I suppose."
Najenda interrupted. "I'm glad you managed to rescue those three, but we still need to figure out how to proceed from here. I don't know if they should stay here. Would they really be safe with us?"
Air chose to speak on behalf of her friends. "But, where else would we go? You can't send us away!
Lubbock joined in. "We could just send you to the Revolutionary Army HQ. Surely,you'll be safe there, right?"
Air, Fal and Luna suddenly ran to Tatsumi and clinged to him. Luna spoke. "No! We don't want to go! We want to stay here, with Big Bro Tatsumi! Please!"
Najenda sighed. "Well…. What do you want to do, Tatsumi? These girls will be more mouths to feed, but I guess they've taken a shine to you…"
Tatsumi made up his mind after some thought… He wanted them to be safe, more than anything… but Air, Fal and Luna started to give him puppy dog eyes. .. and maybe they would be safer here with him.
Tatsumi knelt before them. "It won't be easy… but if you really want to stay… I'll protect you three with my life."
Air, Fal and Luna embraced Tatsumi and never wanted to let go. This was easily the best day of their lives.
It was agreed that whilst Tatsumi would be the trio's protector, All of Night Raid would care for them. Leone and Sayo even said that Air, Fal and Luna would liven up the atmosphere around the base.
Tatsumi just hoped he knew what he was doing, but he promised the girls he would keep them safe. Tatsumi was nothing if not a man of his word.
Afterwards, Tatsumi was brought to a side room with Akame, Najenda and Leone.
Akame spoke up, suddenly. "We need to check you for injuries or wounds. Strip, Tatsumi."
…
Oh, right. This happened in the original timeline after his first mission, as well. Akame had wanted to examine Tatsumi's body… for medical purposes, of course.
Tatsumi did as he was told and had stripped down to his shorts. This time, the women were far more astonished by what they saw.
Tatsumi wasn't one to boast, but he could only assume that his eleven years of training with Messiah had something to do with the reactions he received. Najenda turned away, a blush on her face. Leone was actually drooling. Akame was more focused on checking for wounds, especially poisoned ones. With that being said, she also blushed quite a bit herself.
To everyone's relief, Tatsumi was alright. No wounds were found. To be fair, this was mainly due to Messiah's healing factor, but the Divine Teigu had warned Tatsumi against revealing too many of his abilities. At least right now.
Akame smiled warmly, her blush still remaining on her face. "Nice work, Tatsumi. You did well on your first mission."
She offered her hand to Tatsumi. With his own smile, He took it.
(One week later)
A week had passed since Air, Fal and Luna had been rescued from Bach and the villainous Enthusiasts. They had settled into Night Raid quite well, as it turns out. They trained under Tatsumi alongside Aria. Leone and Sheele became big sisters for them. Even Najenda had a soft spot for the girls.
It was decided that Air, Fal and Luna would only fight if they absolutely had to (if the base itself was under attack, for example). Tatsumi didn't feel right having them do regular assassin work.
Tatsumi was often assigned kitchen duty, and made meals alongside Akame and Aria (who still had to earn her keep). Akame took cooking extremely seriously. Any mishaps and Tatsumi would earn quite a glare from the raven-haired assassin.
Mine, Sheele, Lubbock and Bulat went off on an emergency mission. Mine took the opportunity to tease him before she left.
"I'll be bringing in the money while you get to stay here and chop the carrots and cucumbers, newbie. Heh, you're kinda like some sort of house husband." Mine teased.
As it turned out, Tatsumi had a way to turn the tables.
"Oh? Are you saying I'm YOUR husband now, Mine? Because I'd be honoured to call you my wife." Tatsumi replied with an earnest smile.
…
…
Mine's brain malfunctioned. "Huh? I-I didn't actually mean…"
Tatsumi continued. "What's wrong, my blushing bride-to-be? I'm just saying that staying with you forever would be bliss for me."
Mine blushed, her face red as a tomato. "You…You…. BAKA!"
With that, she stormed off, her three teammates following her. Bulat chuckled, Lubbock was flabbergasted, and Sheele… was deep in thought.
"Tatsumi as a husband, huh? Hmm…"
Meanwhile, Leone burst out laughing, and even Najenda seemed amused, judging by the smirk on her face. Aria and Sayo also chuckled, though they couldn't help daydream briefly… the thought of Tatsumi being their husband… The thought of Tatsumi cooking for them… kissing them goodnight, waking up with them every morning… though they kept all of that to themselves.
Since they needed more fish, Akame and Tatsumi went to the nearby lake to catch prey.
It was there that Tatsumi re-experienced something that, like in the previous timeline, he was not prepared for. Tatsumi's jaw practically fell onto the ground.
Akame had stripped down to a white two-piece swimsuit.
Tatsumi's brain stopped functioning… but his eyes still were. And they lingered on certain areas of Akame longer than Tatsumi had meant them to.
Tatsumi was snapped out of his reverie when Akame softly spoke. "Are you alright?"
"Wha- Ah, yes, I'm fine. Sorry! I just… I mean…. I didn't mean to…" Tatsumi stuttered.
Messiah would smirk if he could. Tatsumi had faced down hordes of Danger Beasts, and had even confronted depraved sadists… yet this caused him to struggle. Well, Tatsumi is still a man after all, Messiah concluded.
Akame raised her hand in assurance. She wasn't actually offended. In fact… Tatsumi's gaze was quite flattering. Though Akame kept that private. "It's alright. Don;t worry about it. Now, watch what I do."
Akame dived into the lake. A moment later, a horde of fish emerged, flying into the sky and landed perfectly in the basket.
Akame's head emerged. "Dive into the depths of the lake, and mask your presence, The second your prey comes by, attack. Commitment is the key. Can you do it?"
Tatsumi prepared himself. Originally, he had only caught two fish. But this time, he was going to do better.
Tatsumi threw his clothes off and yelled, "Bring it on!"
(Later that Day)
"You actually managed to catch as many fish as Akame. Impressive work, Tatsumi," Najenda spoke as she ate her meal.
"Thanks…" Tatsumi spoke sheepishly. He had hoped no one had found out about-
"Hey, Tatsumi! You tore your clothes off and yelled, "Bring it on!", right? Hah! I'd love to see you do that sometime~" Leone flirted in a sultry tone.
Yeah, they found out. Well, anyway… Tatsumi would have caught more fish… but he was distracted.
"By what, exactly?"
"Well, the fish… there were so many to keep track off…" Said Tatsumi, trying to make an excuse. It definitely wasn't the fish he was distracted by…
"Your eyes were wandering at points. It seemed that you were paying special attention to Akame… in more ways than one."
"Please stop talking". Tatsumi replied.
The other members of Night Raid were oblivious to Tatsumi's argument with his Teigu. Though Akame sensed that Tatsumi had something on his mind. She didn't push him, though. He could talk to her in his own time.
Air, Fal and Luna were enjoying the cooked fish that Tatsumi had prepared for them.
"Wow, this is amazing, Big Bro Tatsumi!" Fal chirped.
"Hmm, this is delicious! Thank you, Big Bro!" Luna added.
"Big Brother's cooking… I'll treasure it forever…" Air spoke sweetly.
Tatsumi thought he was going to die from cuteness overload…
"Anyway, Leone… We have another job, correct?" Najenda spoke.
Leone nodded and placed two illustrations on the table. One of Gamal, an obese oil merchant with a bald head. The other was a man by the name of Ogre (he had a scar where his left eye would have been), of the Imperial Police. Leone explained who they were.
According to the client, Gamal had been paying Ogre a substantial amount of bribes. Whenever Gamal commits a crime, Ogre frames an innocent for it. The client's fiancé was framed for a crime that he didn't commit and was sentenced to death.
"This is the payment. I sensed… pain. She likely sold her body many times to earn this amount." Leone spoke as she placed a large bag of gold on the table. Tatsumi could tell that Leone was furious.
"Have you verified the case?" Najenda asked.
"Yes. I verified it with my own eyes and ears. They're both guilty." Leone stated.
"Understood. Then Night Raid will accept the contract. We don't need scum like that in the new country. We shall bestow Divine Punishment upon them." Najenda spoke as she lit another cigar.
"Gamal should be easy… but Ogre will be a tough opponent…" Leone added.
Ogre was known as the Demon. He was usually surrounded by lackeys. When accepting hush money, he invited Gamal to his room. When off-duty, Ogre liked to drink on Main Street. That was arguably the only opportunity Night Raid had to strike at him. The problem, however, was that Main Street was in the vicinity of the Imperial Palace. Policing was immensely strict in that area, so anyone on the wanted posters (such as Akame) couldn't take the risk.
"Shouldn't we wait for the others to return?" Akame asked.
On instinct, Tatsumi responded. "No. The longer we wait, the more people those sick bastards send to their deaths. We should act as soon as possible."
"In that case, I'll take out Ogre. I'm not on any wanted posters. Besides… The stronger the opponent, the better!" Leone decided.
"No, Leone. I'll do it. Ogre sounds like he's very dangerous. I don't want you putting yourself at risk." Tatsumi interjected.
"Aww… are you worried about me, Tatsumi?~" Leone teased.
"Yes. You're… very important to me, Leone. I need to keep you safe." Said Tatsumi earnestly.
"You… really mean that, don't you…" Leone murmured quietly, a blush forming on her face.
Najenda cleared her throat. "Well then, perhaps Akame and Leone should deal with Gamal, while you take on Ogre. Are you alright with that, Tatsumi?"
"Yes, I am." Tatsumi stated.
As they prepared to set out, Akame briefly took Tatsumi aside,
"Tatsumi… Just don't get careless or overconfident.. It will lead to your death." Akame spoke.
""Understood. I won't let you down, Akame." Tatsumi responded.
Akame walked away, and Leone appeared from behind Tatsumi.
"She's got it bad for you. I know she does." Leone teased with a smirk.
Tatsumi shook his head. "We've only known each other for a week. I just think she doesn't want to see a comrade die."
"I guess… but surely you saw how hard she was staring at your abs during your training the other day, right? I mean, I sure was~" Leone added.
"Maybe she was evaluating my stance, and looking for any weaknesses." Tatsumi countered.
"Heh. Sure… anyway, make sure you memorize that map of Main Street, okay?" Leone reminded Tatsumi.
"I will." Tatsumi responded as he walked away.
As Leone caught up with Akame, she decided to ask her something. "Hey, Akame? Can I ask you a question?"
"You just did." Akame replied coolly.
Leone ignored that and continued. "Tatsumi…. Do you think we've met him before from somewhere? Like, before he joined Night Raid, I mean"
Akame paused for a moment before responding. "I doubt it. Why do you ask?"
Leone spoke again. "It's just… he feels familiar. That's all."
(Imperial Capital, Nighttime)
Gamal stepped out of the restroom, having relieved himself.
"Ah, now… I think I'll ask for another go-"
He never finished that thought.
In an instant, Leone appeared from behind Gamal and restrained him. Then Akame slashed his chest with her sword. He was dead in seconds. Leone made a comment that he was lucky to be killed by two girls at once.
(Meanwhile, on Main Street)
Ogre was walking through the street, after having a few rounds of alcohol. It always hit the spot for him after an intense interrogation.
He had heard some rumors about a massacre at a mansion, but the Police chalked it up as a business deal gone wrong. It wasn't out of the ordinary. It was quite the bloody mess, though. Ogre supposed they had one hell of a falling out.
"Excuse me, Ogre, Sir?" A cloaked man asked who was behind him.
"Yeah? Was it it?" Ogre casually asked.
"I have some news that you may be interested in… though I shouldn't tell you this in public." The man spoke.
Ogre was intrigued. One would normally be suspicious, but Ogre decided that this was likely a client for him. Shady business wasn't alien to Ogre. He had dealt with Gamal, after all.
Ogre led the cloaked figure to a secluded alleyway. This place seemed safe enough to discuss… business.
"Alright, kid. This place seems good. So, what did you want to tell me-"
Those were the last words Ogre ever spoke.
In the blink of an eye, Tatsumi had just sliced Ogre's head off.
Tatsumi needed to make sure Ogre didn't have a chance to fight back. Ogre's body slumped onto the ground. He was dead.
Before leaving, Messiah suggested something to Tatsumi. "Check his pockets. He may have something useful."
Tatsumi did as Messiah advised and quickly examined Ogre's pockets. He found what appeared to be a journal. Ogre's journal.
"Excellent. Now, let us be off before any passersby get curious." Messiah spoke within Tatsumi's soul.
Tatsumi vanished into the shadows, leaving no trace that he was ever there.
(Later that Night)
The mission was a success. Ogre and Gamal were dead. Two fewer parasites that plagued the world.
After reporting to Najenda, alongside Akame and Leone, Tatsumi tucked Air, Fal and Luna into their beds before retiring to his room. There, he started reading the journal he recovered from Ogre.
Tatsumi was disgusted by what he read. Ogre clearly had a long history of getting innocent people killed and dealing with scum like Gamal.
Then, something caught Tatsumi's attention.
There was a passage that spoke of an Imperial soldier who he had killed for trying to expose Ogre's crimes. Official records stated that he simply died fighting the rebels… but that wasn't the whole truth… Ogre deliberately sent him to die…
But what shocked Tatsumi the most was that Ogre (before his own death) had been raising and mentoring the man's daughter… Tatsumi read on, and he spotted her name… a name that he knew all too well. After all, in another life, she had killed Sheele, and fed Chelsea's corpse to her Teigu.
Seryu Ubiquitous.
(Present Day, Eastern Country, Tatsumi's Home)
"Hey, Tatsumi. Some visitors want to see you." Mine said to her husband.
"Really? Did they say who they were?" Tatsumi asked, whilst giving Iris her breakfast.
"Tch. I don't know, but they seem pretty excited to see you, I guess. Better not keep them waiting." Mine replied with a smirk.
"Thanks, Mine. I'll be right there." Tatsumi spoke softly.
After tending to Iris, Tatsumi entered the Main Hall of his home. There, four familiar faces stood in front of him.
One was Mimi, the girl who Dr. Stylish had experimented on.
The other three, Air, Fal and Luna.
"Hey…" Tatsumi spoke above a whisper, a radiant smile on his face.
Air stepped forward and spoke on behalf of the group. "Tatsumi… we've all decided that there's only one place that we want to stay… and that's by your side. Always. If you'll have us,"
Tatsumi simply approached the four girls and wrapped them in a warm hug, which they returned.
They were back with their Big Bro Tatsumi. They were home.
Tatsumi spoke on the verge of joyful tears. "Welcome home."
And there we are. That was Chapter 4 of Tatsumi Ga Kill.
I just want to say thanks to everyone again for reading this. It means so much.
In all honesty, I wanted to develop a few things a bit more, but I was quite excited to get another chapter done. So, admittedly, this chapter is likely rushed and could be much better, and I'm sorry for that. Truly.
I might be able to go back and add a few details to chapters. We'll see how things go.
Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the reviews. Also, if you wish to PM me about the story, you can do that, too! Please feel free to do so!
Thanks again, everyone. Take care and stay safe out there!
