14Kill the Newcomer:
(The Next Morning: Skies to the Southeast of the Capital)
"Hey..." Chelsea said, sitting down next to Akame, "Is he alright?" The red eyed assassin turned her head to see that Chelsea was gesturing towards me. I was sitting on the other side of the Air Manta, away from everyone else, simply staring out at the empty sky ahead of me, occasionally stealing glances back at Chelsea. "He's been sulking like that ever since we took off. From what Najenda told me he's usually pretty cheery and innocent, with a seriously badass side as well. This...isn't exactly what I expected."
"He's normally not like this..." Akame said, as she gazed at me with a hint of worry in her blood-red eyes, "Plus, he hasn't said a word in quite a while...not even to me or Leone. Something must really be bothering him."
"I don't get it." Chelsea said with a light huff, crossing her arms over her chest, "Tatsumi has actually been acting weird ever since he first saw me. It's like he saw a ghost or something when I showed him my face. His whole face turned pale and his eyes got real wide. I was actually a little offended at first. Does he think I'm ugly or something?"
"I really doubt that's the issue..." Akame said, before her eyes widened, a sudden realization striking her, "Wait, you said Tatsumi started acting strange after he saw your face for the first time?"
"Yeah..." Chelsea replied, quirking an eyebrow in interest, "What's up? Did you figure out why Tatsumi's acting strange?"
"Maybe..." Akame said, as she stood up and began to walk over to me, "I'll be back in a minute..." Being careful to keep her balance, Akame slowly made her way over to me. When Akame reached my side, I didn't seem to notice her, continuing to stare straight ahead. Akame took a moment to compose herself, before she sat down next to me. This time I did notice Akame's presence, turning my head to glance at her. Akame was shocked to see the dread in my eyes. The red-eyed assassin wanted to try and comfort me, so she reached out and gently squeezed my hand, "Hey...are you okay?"
"It's her..." I replied cryptically, tightly gripping Akame's hand, as gruesome images flashed through my mind, "The red-haired girl from my visions...it's Chelsea..." Akame hung her head when she heard this, already guessing that my current state was caused by my visions of the future, "They're gonna cut her head off Akame...and put it on a spike...like it was on Goddamn display..." A few tears escaped my eyes, as I grabbed a fistful of my hair, "I don't know what to do Akame...I keep seeing those horrific visions over and over again in my head."
"You 'do' know what to do Tatsumi." Akame said with a small smile, as she scooted a little closer to me, "You have to make sure what you saw in your visions doesn't happen. You have to do your best to save Chelsea's life. If the frequency of your visions are any indication, I'm guessing you'll have to do it pretty soon."
"I...What if I miss my chance? I promised that we wouldn't have to bury anymore comrades." I said quietly, hanging my head and tightly balling my fist, "I've already lost Bro...I don't want to lose anyone else close to me."
"You won't miss your chance, Tatsumi." Akame said, as she gently stroked my cheek, "You've already saved Sayo and Ieysayu. I'm sure that when the time comes you'll know when to jump into action. You just have to believe in yourself."
"Thanks Akame..." I said with a weak smile, giving Akame's hand a quick squeeze, "I feel a little better now."
"I'm glad to hear that." Akame said, as she stood back onto her feet. "So am I..." Elysium spoke from within Soul Calibur, "Try not to worry about it too much Tatsumi, because it will eventually start to distract you. Then you really will miss your chance to save Chelsea."
"You're right." I thought with a wide grin, shooting up onto my feet and letting out a loud cheer, "WHOA! I've been moping around so much that I barely noticed we were flying on a giant danger beast! This is so cool! The wind against my face feels so awesome!"
"Now that looks more like the Tatsumi that Najenda told me about." Chelsea said with a smirk, as Akame sat back down next to her, "Looks like whatever you did worked. He's acting like an innocent little kid, what a funny guy."
"It's better when Tatsumi's smiling like that." Akame said, leaning back to stare at me, "He has the power to lift everyone's spirits and motivate us, so it's not good to have him acting all depressed."
"Yeah!" Leone cheered, as she wrapped on arm around my neck, which squished my head against her breasts, much to my annoyance, "Looks like you're back to normal Tatsumi! And you're right! This way more fun then I had imagined!"
"Not it's not, damn it!" Mine exclaimed, her face pale as she clung to Lubbock. Both assassins were trembling slightly, as they held onto each other for dear life, "I really hate heights!"
(One Hour Later: 800km Southeast of the Capital, Marg Highlands)
"Alright everyone we're getting off here!" Najenda called out, hopping off the Air Manta as it landed in a large clearing. The rest of the Night Raid assassins and I quickly gathered our belongings and followed her. "This place is packed with dozens of sheer plateaus and has a very unique ecosystem. All the danger beasts in this area are a fairly high level, which makes them extremely dangerous. This whole territory is virtually unexplored...not fit for human habitation." A small smirk suddenly spread across Najenda's face, "But because it's unexplored territory...it's the perfect place to build a temporary hideout. A more fitting place for us to stay near the capital is currently being scouted by the Revolutionary Army's reconnaissance team. Until they're finished we'll train here." Everyone but me was slightly surprised when the Air Manta suddenly lifted off the ground and started to fly off.
"Huh? Is it really okay for that thing to fly off boss?" Mine asked, as she watched the danger beast disappear in the distance, "He's carrying all the Imperial Arms we confiscated too."
"He's way too precious a transport vehicle for us to hoard all to ourselves." Najenda explained, resting her hands on her hips.
"I'm gonna miss that big guy." Ieysayu said, as he pretended to wipe a tear from his eye.
"He probably went back to HQ where his nest is." Chelsea said, briefly taking her lollipop out of her mouth, "It's actually a very efficient way to get things delivered." A hidden smirk spread across Chelsea's face, as she began to chuckle, "Heh, I can't believe you didn't know that Mine."
"God!" Mine thought, as she tightly clenched her fist, "I hate you already!"
"Come on Chelsea, don't tease Mine like that." I said, setting my bags onto the ground, "We don't need to build any unnecessary tension."
"Aw don't be like." Chelsea said with a grin, as she playfully flicked my nose, "I was just messing with Mine. Trying to lighten the mood, ya know?"
"I understand that, but Mine obviously didn't like it." I said, resting my hands on my hips, "So please just go easy on her."
"No promises." Chelsea said, as she shrugged her shoulders and walked away.
"Damn, I hope I didn't upset her..." I thought, releasing a light sigh, as I began to rummage through my bag, "I just don't want her and Mine at each other's throats...I want to make sure they both survive this war." I was pulled from his thoughts when I felt something tug on the back of my sweater. Turning around, I was surprised to see Mine standing behind me. The pink-haired sniper appeared to be flustered, with a light blush dusting across her cheeks.
"You didn't have to do that." Mine muttered, as she turned her head to avoid my gaze, "But...thank you. She really was starting to upset me. If you hadn't stepped in I might have said something bad."
"Wow...Mine's really cute when she's embarrassed." I thought, my cheeks faintly tinting red.
"Well that's all I wanted to say." Mine said, as she turned her back to me, "Don't expect a reward or anything."
"Of course. You don't have to give me anything, Mine." I said with a smile, chuckling lightly, "I was just helping out a friend."
"Dammit!" Mine thought, as her blush returned in full force; her heart pounding in her chest, "Stop saying cool things like that!"
"Well I think it's about time that I formally introduce the newest members to our team. The first is..." Najenda said, gesturing towards where Chelsea was just standing, but she was surprised when the auburn-haired girl suddenly wasn't there, "What the?"
"Whoa Akame, your hair is so pretty." Chelsea said, as she ran her fingers through Akame's long jet-black hair, "You're actually really cute up close."
"This...came out of nowhere..." Akame said, feeling slightly uncomfortable, "Could you please-"
"We've already met, but for everyone else I'm Chelsea. I hope that we can all get along as teammates." Chelsea said with a bright smile, as she briefly riffled through her pockets. Akame's eyes immidiately lit up when Chelsea pulled out two lollipops, "Here, one's for you."
"I welcome you with open arms." Akame muttered, rushing over and snatching the piece of candy from Chelsea's hand.
"Aah!" Ieysayu yelled in shock, "Akame just got fed something artificial...A lollipop?!"
Lubbock too(Those guys are two peas in a pod), "She must've been REALLY hungry from the long trip!"
"Ah, she figured out that quickest way to Akame's heart is through her stomach." I thought, as I chuckled lightly, watching Akame practically drool as she unwrapped the piece of candy, "I can't blame Akame for being hungry, that was a really long flight."
"Who's the other lollipop for?" Sayo asked, noticing that Chelsea was already eating one.
"Here you go." Chelsea said, as she tossed the other piece of candy to Mine. The pink-haired sniper's eyes widened slightly, as she caught the sucker, "Consider that an apology for earlier."
"Oh...thanks..." Mine said, staring down at the lollipop in her hand, "Maybe she's not so bad after all." A small smile spread across Mine's face, as she unwrapped the candy and popped it into her mouth. However, Mine's smile quickly disappeared when her lips began to pucker, "GAH! That's really sour!"
"Well it is super sour apple." Chelsea said with a smirk, as she slowly shook her head, "I apologized for earlier, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop messing with you."
"Tch, you're lucky that I like sour apple." Mine said, biting down into the sucker and breaking it to pieces, "I'm gonna keep my eye on you. So don't think you'll be able to pull a fast one on me like that again."
"We'll see about that." Chelsea said, as her smirk widened, "I like a good challenge."
"Hey boss, about Chelsea..." Ieysayu said quietly, walking up next to Najenda, "She doesn't really look like she's a better assassin than Mine or the other girls...is she really cut out for this?"
"Don't let her looks deceive you." Najenda said, as she crossed her arms over her chest, "She has the same number of successful assassinations under her belt as Akame."
"Are you serious?!" Ieysayu asked in a shocked tone, staring at Chelsea in awe. My longtime friend had a hard time picturing Chelsea as a trained killer, let alone one with as many confirmed kills as Akame, as he watched her continue to tease Mine, "That's crazy."
"And this is right here is the new Imperial Arms I was give by the revolutionary army's HQ." Najenda explained, as she walked up next to Susanoo, "Lightning Fast: Susanoo." With a grin Najenda patted Susanoo on the shoulder, "He's a biological type who can move around on his own, so he won't be a heavy burden."
"Well, we may have already met, but..." Ieysayu said with a not-so-impressed smile, extending his hand towards Susanoo, "I look forward to working with you!" He surprised when Susanoo's eyes suddenly widened. Then in a split second, Susanoo shot towards him "Whoa! What the-" However, Ieysayu stopped in his tracks when he felt Susanoo tuck in a portion of his shirt that had been sticking out.
"Fixed!" Susanoo exclaimed, as a look of relief wash over him.
"Oh, that's right..." Ieysayu muttered, sweatdropping as he looked down at his now neatly tucked in shirt, "He's a total neat freak."
"So..." Leone said, as she plopped down onto a large tree root. "What's this guy's main skill? Combat efficiency or something?"
"Heh heh, I'll just have to show you all." Najenda laughed, clenching her mechanical fist, "I suggest you all prepare yourselves."
"What the hell is he gonna do?" I thought, as I audibly gulped, "I saw Susanoo fighting earlier, so I know he's really strong. What other special powers does he have?"
"Do your thing..." Najenda exclaimed, pointing towards the nearby clearing, "Susanoo!"
"Understood." Susanoo said, as he dashed off in a blue blur. The rest of Night Raid's members watched in a mixture of awe and utter confusion, as Susanoo raced around performing a series of chores, from washing clothes and cooking to beginning construction of a large cottage. The Imperial Arms' movements were incredibly fast and precise, as he continued to do his work.
"Uh...this all really cool and all..." Lubbock said in a confused tone, rubbing the back of his head. "But what exactly is this?"
"Yeah boss, it just looks like he's doing housework." Ieysayu said, as he pointed at Susanoo, who was already putting the finishing touches on lunch.
"Exactly!" Najenda exclaimed, startling the other Night Raid assassins. "Susanoo was originally created to be the bodyguard of a V.I.P.! While he may be constantly on guard to battle any possible threats, he's also equipped with the household skills to take care of his master's every possible need!"
"The boss is way too excited." Z.W.E.I. thought with a sweatdrop.
"Cleaning, cooking, laundry...he does it all!" Najenda explained with a grin, "And he has over 1,000 recipes among his repertoire!"
"I'm sold!" Akame cheered, as her eyes instantly lit up, already drooling at the thought of tasting Susanoo's cooking, "Welcome to the team Susanoo!"
"None of the things you listed have anything to do with fighting." Mine said in an annoyed tone, releasing a light huff.
"On the contrary, these are very useful skills." Najenda said with a smirk, as she crossed her arms over her chest, "And of course Susanoo has a trump card when it comes to battles. Right?"
"Right." Susanoo replied, nodding his head.
"So these two are our newest members?" I thought, as I stared at Chelsea and Susanoo, "I'll have to keep my on eye Chelsea for the time being...and I've seen how strong Susanoo is firsthand..." A small smile spread across my face, as I made my way over to my comrades, "I really do think that we can rely on both of them." However, I soon sighed when he saw Chelsea once again teasing Mine, enraging the pink-haired sniper—Chelsea was teasing Mine, "Oh my goodness, you're as flat as a board!"
"SHUT UP!"
And Lubbock taunting Susanoo–"Y'know, you may be all big, and handsome, and strong, and everything, but you're still just a glorified man-made!"
"Looks like our teamwork is gonna need a little work though."
Elysium agreed, "If we're all gonna pull this off, we need to put our differences aside."
(Same Time: Jaeger's Meeting Room)
"That idiot..." Esdeath muttered underneath her breath, tapping her finger on the table. The capital's most feared general was currently waiting for Run and Bols to finish searching through Dr. Stylish's room. The doctor had been missing for almost and entire day, and had seemingly vanished without a trace. Although the others were hoping to find some type of clue in Stylish's room, Esdeath already had a pretty good idea of what had happened to him.
"We've completed our search of Stylish's quarters." Run said, as he walked into the meeting room, with Bols tailing behind him, "But..." The blond-haired man released a heavy sigh, "We found no solid clues indicating his location, or what he was planning. Though all of his precious study materials and tools were still in his lab. So...he obviously didn't try to flee...the most likely conclusion is that he was killed."
"Judging by the absence of his enhanced soldiers..." Bols explained, slowly shaking his head, "They must have all been killed in battle."
"I had a feeling..." Esdeath said with a light sigh, as she stood up from the table, "That means Seryu has yet another person to avenge...Where is she now?"
"I believe that she's out in the courtyard." Run replied, pointing to a nearby door, "She didn't look too shaken up when I last saw her."
"She must be bottling up her emotions." Esdeath said, as she made her way towards the courtyard, "I'll go and speak with her. It's not healthy to keep things locked inside like that, and I need all of you in top shape."
(Two Minutes Later: Palace's Inner Courtyard)
"I guess he really is gone..." Seryu thought, her eyes downcast as she polished Number 7: Taizan's Cannon of Justice. "Why do I keep losing people that are precious to me?"
"With Stylish gone, will you be able to keep up the maintenance for your parts?" A new voice said, snapping Seryu from her thoughts. Turning around, she was surprised to see Esdeath against a column behind her. Seryu didn't want to worry Esdeath, so she forced a smile onto her face.
"I'll be just fine! He left behind plenty of materials in his lab." Seryu replied in a faux cheery tone, as she patted the large weapon in her lap, "I won't be able to make any additions or upgrades, but I should be able to maintain somehow..."
"I see..." Esdeath said quietly, watching as Seryu's lip began to tremble, as she fought back her tears. Moments later, not able to endure the pain anymore, tears began to fall from Seryu's eyes, "Just as I thought...she's been holding back up until now."
"First my parents...then my master...now the man I owe so much to!" Seryu cried out, tears streaming down her face as she hugged herself, "Everyone that is important to me...keeps dying at the hands of evil..." Clenching her teeth, Seryu tightened her grip on her shoulders. "Commander...I...I can't stand it anymore! I...I want to destroy those fiends! I want to erase Night Raid, and all their members, from the face of the Earth!" As Seryu continued to weep, she was surprised when a pair of comforting arms wrapped around her. Looking back, Seryu was surprised to see that Esdeath was holding her.
"As long you're with me..." Esdeath said, as her normally fierce eyes softened, "I will do my best to to make that dream come true."
"General..." Seryu whimpered, before she buried her head into Esdeath's chest.
"From here on out...and even after that, I'll look after you as one of my vassals." Esdeath said, letting Seryu cry into her chest, "It's the very least you deserve..."
"Thank you general." Seryu said, as a small smile spread across her face. "I devote my entire strength and my very life...to justice, and you my commander." As Seryu continued to find comfort in Esdeath's embrace, her mind began to wander to what I had said to her. "Tatsumi may be right...I've done terrible, awful things...I may have become a monster...all in the name of justice...but Night Raid is true evil...maybe once they're defeated I can work on atoning for the horrible things I've done...but until then I will not rest until every single member of Night Raid is dead and I've gotten my revenge...I'll make the people who killed my master and Dr. Stylish pay!"
"I don't want to get the girl's hopes too high." Esdeath thought, staring down at Seryu, as she remembered the offer I had made her. "What Tatsumi said wasn't wrong. The minister is a coward who controls the empire by using the emperor as his puppet. The only reason most people serve him is because they're desperate, or they're terrified of what'll happen to them if they disobey. Without that fear the military would largely collapse, and only the most loyal would remain. A strong leader instills courage and confidence in their men, not terror. Without a strong leader an army becomes weak and disorganized. If what Tatsumi said is true, and the revolutionary army is stronger then we anticipated, then the regular troops won't stand a chance. It'll just be a matter of time before they're overrun, and it'll be up to the Imperial Arms users to defeat them." A twisted smile suddenly spread across Esdeath's face, "I'm only fighting for these fools because they allow me to do as I please, I swear no allegiance to this country. So if the revolutionary army gave me similar liberties, I may be tempted to switch sides. In this world only the strong can survive, so if the empire has become weak it must be left behind to die. I look forward to when Tatsumi and I meet again, because I'm curious of what he'll have to say..." Esdeath then looked back down at Seryu and her maniacal smile changed to a warm one, "But as long as I'm sided with the empire I'll do my duty and protect my men, that I swear."
On the other side of the courtyard Wave made his way to where he had last seen Seryu, with Kurome following closely behind him.
"Alright, let's do this!" Wave exclaimed, as he punched his fists together, "I'm gonna talk some sense into Seryu!"
"I doubt you'll be able to that Wave." Kurome said, slowly shaking her head, "You're not very good with words."
"I don't care." Wave said, as he turned to grin at Kurome, "My mom always told me. When a girl's in the dumps...it's a man's duty to lend them a hand." Kurome was surprised when Wave said this, and her eyes widened slightly, "I think she's up ahead!"
"Huh, maybe he's not such a country bum after all..." Kurome thought, a small smile spreading across her face.
"Now's the time!" Wave exclaimed, as he burst into the center of the courtyard, "Seryu! I'm here to comfort..," Wave stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the display right in front of him. Esdeath was currently holding Seryu in her arms; the capital's most feared general comforting Seryu as if she were her own daughter. Seeing that he was already too late, Wave hung his head in defeat, "I...She...I didn't even...come on man..."
"It's the thought that counts." Kurome said, patting Wave on the back.
(That Night: At Night Raid's Temporary Base)
"I wonder if thing's are going alright in the capital..." I pondered, as I stared down into my drink, "We won't be able to leave for a little while..." Releasing a light sigh, I took a sip of my drink, "I hope Mary is okay...if she follows my directions and heads straight for that revolutionary army camp she should be fine...I can't help but worry though." I barely noticed at the time, but Viola's usual stern look was replaced with one of worry and concern, though she remained silent.
"The reports we've received say that the Jaegers have really been doing a great job curbing criminal activity." Akame said, sitting down in the seat across from me, "Those villains probably won't be making many moves until they get more accustomed to it."
"With how powerful they are, there's no way some petty criminals could stand against them." I thought, as I remembered all the destruction Jaegers had caused when they had raided that bandit camp.
"Exactly, so we'll use this extra time to train." Najenda said, clasping her hands on top of the table, "We're unable to ask for anymore reinforcements. This of Chelsea and Susanoo as Night Raid's final backup. Let's all accomplish our mission and survive to greet the day of revolution!" Najenda's declaration earned a resounding cheer from the rest of Night Raid's members, except for Susanoo who merely nodded his head in agreement. Suddenly standing up from her seat, Najenda walked over to me and rested her hand on my shoulder, "It's time we discussed what you mentioned about Esdeath. Follow me."
"Yes boss." I said, as I stood up and followed Najenda towards the back of the cottage.
"Huh?" Ieysayu quirked an eyebrow in confusion.
"Where are they going?" Lubbock asked, watching Najenda leave the room with me following closely behind her. The two assassins spotted Akame and Leone out of the corner of their eyes, and a sudden thought jumped into both of their minds, "He's not gonna make a move on Najenda is he?! I'll kill him!"
"Cool your jets, Lubbock. You too, Ieysayu." Chelsea said, as she took a momentary break from teasing Mine. "Tatsumi and the boss are just going to discuss how he plans to deal with Esdeath."
"And how do you know that?" Z.W.E.I. asked in an unconvinced tone, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Well if you must know, I overheard Tatsumi talking to the boss about it before we came here. Something about getting Esdeath to join the revolutionary army's side." Chelsea replied, as she shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know how the hell he plans to do that though."
"I want to believe Tatsumi, but..." Lubbock muttered, staring down at his lap, "I just can't see that woman switching sides."
"Tatsumi will do it." Sayo said, as she rested her hands on the table and abruptly stood up from her seat, "If there's anyone who can pull this off it's HIM."
Akame closed her eyes and tightly clenched her fists, "He's carrying more of a burden then any of us realize, so we have to believe in him. I don't know how he'll do it, but he will convince Esdeath to join our side. And when he does we have to be ready to support him." Grabbing Murasame, Akame began to exit the room, "Now if you'll excuse me I have some training to do before I go to bed."
"They're right, I may not like the idea of working together with that icy bitch, but if Tatsumi says she's got some good in her then I'm willing to try." Leone said, slipping out of her seat and following after Akame, "I better go with Akame, make sure she doesn't go too overboard."
"What do you think Sayo? You've known Tatsumi the longest." Mine asked, as she turned to face the black-haired archer, who had been mostly silent throughout the entire conversation, "Do you think Tatsumi can do it?"
"Before Tatsumi came to the capital and joined Night Raid...I would have said no." Sayo replied, tightly clutching her bow in her lap, "But Tatsumi is so much stronger then he used to be. Without him Ieysayu and I would be dead right now, killed by some rich assholes in the capital, or worse–by that Nightmare. Ever since I joined Night Raid, I've been watching Tatsumi growing every day, and it's almost like he's a completely different person." Raising her head, Sayo had a small smile on her face, "I trust Tatsumi more than anybody else, and I know he'll do anything he sets his heart to. So if he wants to convince Esdeath to join our side, then I know he's going to do it."
"Well that answers my question." Mine said with a hidden smirk, as she nodded her head, "Then I guess there's no other choice, I'll trust Tatsumi to get the job done."
Chelsea had listened to the entire exchange with piqued interest. The auburn-haired assassin rested her head on her palm, as she stared at the door Najenda and I had exited through, "I don't get it...that Tatsumi didn't look all that special...so why do they all have such faith in him?" Rolling her tongue around the sucker in her mouth, a grin spread across Chelsea's face, "Well whatever it is, I guess I'll just have to keep my eyes on him so that I can see it first hand."
(Same Time: With Najenda and I)
"Alright..." Najenda said with a light sigh, slumping down into a chair. Taking out and lighting a cigarette, Najenda took a quick puff, "Start talking Tatsumi. You said you might have a way to convince Esdeath to join the revolutionary army's side. I'll admit that I have my doubts, but I'm still very interested to hear what you have to say. Because it would really be a huge advantage to have Esdeath on our side, and would almost guarantee our victory."
"Well when I was captured by Esdeath, she told me why she stays aligned with the empire." I explained, which caused Najenda to quirk an eyebrow in intrigue.
"Well she's dead set on the idea of survival of the fittest. It was pounded into her head when she was a child." Najenda said, taking another puff of her cigarette. "She works with the empire, because she believes they're stronger than the revolutionary army."
"That's not entirely true." I said, as I locked eyes with Najenda, "While I was held captive, I believe I was able to make Esdeath doubt the empire's strength, if only for a moment. But in that moment I made her question the empire's power and realize that the minister is crippling this country. With every passing day I believe her view of the empire grows worse."
"Okay, if she's not working for the empire because she believes they're stronger then the revolutionary army, then why does she continue to work with them?" Najenda asked, leaning forward in her seat, "Esdeath is a woman who admires power and she won't work with anyone who she views as weak."
"Esdeath continues to work for the empire, because they allow her certain...liberties..." I replied, as I nervously rubbed the back of my head.
"What type of liberties?" Najenda asked, her one good eye narrowing slightly.
"Well...they basically give Esdeath free reign as long as she follows orders. She's allowed to kill and torture as much as she pleases." I said, as I began to fidget slightly.
"I hope you don't expect us to allow Esdeath to do that." Najenda said, leaning back in her seat, "We can't have the revolutionary army looking like a bunch of bloodthirsty murders."
"I know, and I'm not suggesting that we give Esdeath complete freedom." I said, before I took a short breath to calm myself, "Esdeath has an extremely powerful bloodlust that will need to be satiated if we want to keep her satisfied. So I believe we should allow her to interrogate any prisoners we capture. That way we can curb her desire to torture."
"I see...that's not a terrible idea." Najenda muttered, rubbing her chin, "But what's stopping her from killing our prisoners."
"We'll have to monitor her of course." I said, as I released a light sigh, "And if she starts to get out of control I'll volunteer to step in and stop her."
"Okay, I suppose that will deal with her need to torture and maim, but you must know that, that won't be enough." Najenda said, taking another puff of her cigarette. "Eventually Esdeath is going to want to kill something. Simply torturing some prisoners won't be enough for her."
"I know that..." I said quietly, as I avoided Najenda's piercing gaze. "But I think I figured out a way to satisfy Esdeath's desire to kill. She'll be the revolutionary army's secret weapon when we finally assault the capital."
"Secret weapon?" Najenda repeated, raising a silver eyebrow, "What do you mean by that?"
"We'll keep Esdeath from killing anyone until we're ready to attack the capital, letting her desire to kill grow. Then once we attack we'll keep the main army back, and allow Esdeath to fight a majority of the capital's forces by herself." I replied, which caused Najenda's remaining eye to widen, "The rest of the army can jump in and assist when needed, and they can handle any stragglers that manage to get passed Esdeath. Taking on the capital's forces by herself will surely satisfy Esdeath's need to kill, and will give her the rush that she craves."
"That's...That's an amazing idea." Najenda said, standing up from her seat and beginning to pace back and forth, "Esdeath is strong enough to handle normal troops by herself, even if there are hundreds, even thousands, of them. With her leading the attack that will drastically cut down our casualties. This would almost guarantee our victory without a shadow of a doubt." Najenda suddenly stopped pacing, and turned to face me, "But...there's one thing about your plan that's bothering me."
"What's that boss?" I asked, as a confused look spread across my face, "Did I overlook something?"
"It's just..." Najenda said, briefly pausing to take another drag of her cigarett, "What's going to happen once the fighting is over? Esdeath is going to have to pay for her crimes in some way, even if she helps us defeat the empire. I doubt she'll give up without a fight."
"I told you boss...I'll take full responsibility of Esdeath." I said, as I locked eyes with Najenda once again, "Instead of killing or imprisoning Esdeath, banish her from this country. I'll go with her and do my best to keep her in line."
"Tatsumi...do you understand what you're suggesting?" Najenda asked, a hint of sadness in her tone, "You won't be able to witness the growth of the new empire. You'll never be able to return to your village."
"*Sigh* I know all that boss...and I'm ready to accept whatever lies ahead. I can visit my village before we leave, and give them the money that I've been saving up and explain what happened." I said, as a small smile spread across my face, "I understand boss, I'll do everything I can to ensure that everyone survives this war." I said in a determined tone, as a passionate fire burned in my eyes.
"That's good..." Najenda said with a smile, dropping her cigarette and stomping it out, "Well you're plan seems pretty solid Tatsumi, and it looks you have most of the details worked out. It seems that the only thing left to do is to convince Esdeath to abandon the empire and have her join our side."
"I can't shake the feeling that I'll be meeting with Esdeath again very soon." I said, as I looked down at the floor, "When that time comes I will do whatever I can to convince her to join the revolutionary army."
"I understand that you want to boost the revolutionary army's power...but I don't get it..." Elysium said, manifesting herself and crossing her arms over her chest, "Why are you willing to go so far for Esdeath? She's a cold-blooded killer, who tortures and murders people for fun. Most people would rather see her head on a platter, then let her help them. But here you are coming up with this elaborate to make her switch sides."
"It's true that Esdeath has done some truly horrible and unforgivable things, but I've seen a part of her that I doubt many others have seen." I said, as I tightly balled his fists, "She's not all blood and despair. I've seen that Esdeath can be quite caring and affectionate, even emotional. When I was captured Esdeath told me that she loves me, she even offered to let me stay in the palace. Esdeath may be the empire's most feared general, but she's still a woman, and it seems like she wants to experience love..." Najenda's eyes slightly widened when Tatsumi said this, "Boss, Elysium, there's a light inside Esdeath, but it's completely engulfed by darkness. I know that if I try hard enough I can drag that light out and bring out the good that's inside Esdeath. I know it won't be easy, but I have to try."
"Well it looks like you'll have a tough job ahead of you." Najenda said, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder, "But you're special Tatsumi and I have a feeling that you'll be able to pull this off."
"Thank you boss." I said, as a smile spread across my face.
"Heh, you're quite the odd kid Tatsumi." Najenda said with a smirk, popping another cigarette into her mouth and lighting it, "But I can't shake the feeling that you're hiding something."
"Soon boss..." I said quietly, as I glanced down at Incursio, "I'll tell you all soon."
"Alright." Najenda said, nodding her head and turning to look out a nearby window. "You're free to go Tatsumi. I'll pass your plan on to HQ when I have the chance."
"Goodnight boss." I said, as I exited the room. Releasing a heavy sigh, I closed the door behind me, "Okay, there's no backing out now. I have to pull this off, the other's are all placing their faith in me."
"Are you sure that you're ready to let them know about me?"
"Akame and Leone already know about my visions...I can't keep this a secret from them forever." I thought, making my way toward my room, "They all deserve to know. Besides, they already know about Elysium."
"If you believe that you're ready, then I'll trust your judgement partner."
"Thanks Incursio..." I thought, turning a corner in the hallway, "Now let's get some rest. We have a lot of training to do while we're here. Especially for when we go up against Nightmare. I doubt he'll stay out of the battle."
Elsewhere:
Blood...Guts...Severed body parts: this scene was too gruesome for words. A trail of corpses led to the killer responsible for it all, Nightmare. However, it would soon turn out to be MUCH worse than just slaughtering innocent people; these men were miners, and they dug up the next shard of Soul Edge, which drew in the horrific demon like moths to a flame. "In time...boy..." he said to himself quietly, "you and your comrades will meet your doom."