6Hey Hey Hey everyone, the doctor is in, and today (or night) I bring you, chapter number 2 (Part 1). Now, I'm going to be changing and adding a 'few' things story/plot wise. So if I wind up making a mess or you have a suggestion, just… Go right ahead. My PM is open and you are free to review. Speaking of which...
{Drew Luczynski}
Thank you. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.
{jackie-boy72}
Sorry, but as for the pairing I already have something planned. Don't worry though, I have something special in mind for Akame.
{RevansStories}
Sorry, I'm not planning that for pairing either. I do have something in mind though.
{NinjaFang1331}
Thanks (gives them a thumbs up)
So thank you all again so much and I hope you all have a wonderful time.
As always, if you are going to criticize, please make sure you are polite. I will also gladly take any and all suggestions into account.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Akame ga kill. Also, check out [ The Jade Fang Wolf ] and his story: Tatsumi The White Knight
{ Gale }
The dream started out like it always did. The slow footsteps crunching on the freshly fallen snow greeting the emptiness of what I assumed was the night. Then came the same cold I had grown accustomed to over the years, a cold that the bloody rags so desperately tried to hold back.
The soft cry from a child reached my ears and in response, the darkness was pulled away. "Shhhhhh," came a soothing voice. "It's alright it's alright, you have nothing to fear," the calm, deep blue glow of the speaker's eyes came into view and the crying stopped. "There. That's better isn't it?" He used his index finger to pull away some of the cloth and smiled as the child laughed with him chuckling in kind.
Pulling his finger away, he continued his trek through the snow. It was always like this. The mystery person would continue his trek through the snow in silence, the constant rhythm of his footfalls greeting the night until I started seeing the warm lights of fire passing by. The man's pace becoming slower and quieter as we kept going.
And just as I remembered, he set me down in front of a wooden door and the cry of a child reached my ears once more. "Shhhhhh," he hushed. "It's alright young Tatsumi," the crying became a small whimper. "These people will take care of you, as I cannot. They will give you a home and a family to love. You will grow and flourish here. And when the time is right," the darkness was pulled back over me. "You will know what to do."
I heard a him knock on the door before he left, his quick footsteps disappearing soon after. But it had only been a few seconds when what I assumed to be the door creaked open.
"Hello?" A deep masculine voice rang through the night. "Hello?" The man repeated.
I heard the child's cry again and the darkness was pulled away. Standing above me was none other than Sayo's father. His messy black hair and unshaven face framed his green eyes. Eyes that, in each dream no matter how many I had, seemed to always bring a feeling of new hope.
"What?" He asked softly.
"Honey?" The voice of Sayo's mother came from inside.
Sayo's father looked back inside for a moment before turning back to me and reaching to pick me up.
"Honey?"
The dream faded away with that final word echoing through my consciousness as light began to seep in. Blinking a few times, I allowed my eyes to adjust to the morning light. My gaze met the wooden ceiling and I became confused. I had forgotten where I was, until the memories of last night caught up to me.
The capital, Aria, her family, the attack, the shed, Sayo and Ieyasu, and…
"Night Raid."
Akame ga kill: A Time of Change
Chapter 2
Welcome to Night Raid [Part 1]
Silence greeted the open air with a firm handshake. As if nature itself had closed its mouth and ceased the cry of the wild. But the voices of Sayo and Ieyasu continued to ring throughout Tatsumi's head like a bell.
"Come on guys! The sooner we get the capital, the sooner we can earn some money!"
"Just promise us."
"Yeah! Let's save our village!"
"You won't die."
"Let's make a pact!"
"Okay?"
"When we die, we die together!"
The sun had risen a few hours ago and it's golden light painted the ground and trees in a soft glow. But that did little to elevate Tatsumi's spirits. How he missed their voices, the very same that echoed through his thoughts the past three days since their death. He knelt in the soft earth in front of two new graves, head bowed in silent mourning.
Here Lies Ieyasu
Energetic, Courageous, Encouraging, A Brother held in the highest regard.
May Your Soul be at Rest
"Ieyasu."
Here Lies Sayo
Kind, Strong, Helpful, A Sister held in the highest regard
May Your Soul be at Rest
"Sayo."
"I'm sorry I couldn't have been there faster. Maybe I could have saved you. Both of you," his voice shaking as his hand reached to touch each headstone.
It had been three days since he had arrived at Night Raid's base after the incident at the mansion. It was a really nice place from what he had seen. It was surrounded by lush forests and a crystal clear river. He had situated the graves to make sure his brother and sister had a clear view of all of it.
"Hey Tatsumi," a voice came from behind him.
Turning his head slightly to face the speaker, Tatsumi saw Leone standing a few feet away with her arms crossed in front of her. Her cat like characteristics no longer present.
"Oh. Hey Leone," he replied in a low voice and turned back to the graves.
Leone smiled softly and went and sat down beside him. "They must have been good friends."
Tatsumi gave a hollow chuckle before answering, "I've known them as far back as I can remember. Maybe even further."
"That long huh?" Leone asked.
"Yeah," Tatsumi replied. "They've been the only family I've ever known."
"Only family? Surely you guys must have had someone," Leone spoke.
"No," Tatsumi replied while shaking his head. "No mother, father, sister, or brother. No family whatsoever. Ieyasu's parents died from a plague a few months after he was born, and Sayo's mother died from blood loss after she gave birth to her. We lived for a couple of years after that with Sayo's father but, when we were five, he died in a hunting accident. Came back to us as nothing but torn flesh," his eyes dulled.
Tatsumi's voice began to waver as a few tears trickled down his cheeks like rain. Staring down at his knees he noticed his hands were shaking. "I remember his strong hands." he said lifting them into view. He turned them slowly. "I remember how they cooked for us, fed us, protected us, taught us right from wrong," Leone looked at him in sympathy and just listened. "But most of all, the hands that held ours when we needed him, or shielded us when we were hurt," he sniffled a little. "At one point, he said that because I was older, I would need to look out for the two of them after he was gone. I never thought he would leave and I only realized the weight of his words after he, he…"
"Died?" Leone asked.
"Y-yeah," he replied as more drops ran down his face. "So I did as he told me. I made sure the two of them were alright. Whenever, we were short on food and, had little to eat, I would always give my share to them. Or if their ax or arrow was broken, I'd take it and repair it myself. We'd, hunt together, cook together, sleep together, eat together, and, just live together. As a family. But…now I, I... I can't," Tatsumi hung his head causing a few more drops to fall.
Seeing Tatsumi in despair, Leone reached over and pulled Tatsumi into a tight side hug. Her warmth was alien to the cold pain that ate away at him. It made him hurt even more, and yet at the same time, he felt strength and comfort in her embrace. "Sheele's, probably better at this than me, but sometimes when people are sad or depressed, a good hug can go a long way to cheer them up."
Tatsumi raised his head a little and looked at the two slabs of stone. He still felt the agonizing heartache that was trapped inside his chest, but what Leone had said seemed to be true. As he sat there in her embrace, feeling slowly made its return to his dead limbs and the hot flow of tears was quelled allowing Tatsumi to blink his eyes in rapid succession to clear his vision. The despair in his heart though, was still present, but it was much less agonizing than it had been a few moments before.
"Better?" Leone asked.
"A little bit," Tatsumi replied and sniffled.
"That's a good start."
"I guess," Tatsumi said as Leone let go. "I just, don't know what to do. The three of us have been dreaming about coming here for so long, and when our village needed money, we were so excited to join the military and find our fame and fortune together. But, now…"
"Now you've seen the empire for what it truly is," Leone stated.
"Yeah. I mean, I had a pretty good idea before I got here from people who would pass through our village. But I never expected anything like that," he lowered his head. "I just don't know what to do now."
"You already have an offer to join us. So why not?"
"Well..." Tatsumi trailed off.
"Tell you what," Leone started as she got up. "How about I introduce you to everyone and then we'll see. Okay?" She asked.
"Um, Okay. Why not?" Tatsumi replied and stood up.
"Great! Now come on," she told him and walked away from the edge while grinning from ear to ear.
Tatsumi hesitated for a few seconds before following her into a fort seemingly chiseled into the cliff face.
(] Agk [)
"Here we are," Leone said as they walked into the room.
The room looked as if fit for a king awaiting his subjects. Against the back wall was a red banner with a symbol that resembled a black bird over a yellow backdrop. In front of it was a large chair that actually looked like a throne, adding to the feel of things. In the middle of the room was a large table made of polished wood with chairs all around. Lining the side walls were smaller tables and chairs, indicating that the group was much larger at one point. It was magnificent.
"Wow," Tatsumi remarked.
"Yeah, pretty amazing isn't it? This it Night Raid's meeting room," Leone told him before pointing at someone sitting at one of the smaller tables with their nose in a book. "And that over there is Sheele. You may have already heard about her though."
"Yeah. She's one of the ones who has a wanted poster right?" Tatsumi asked.
"Yup," Leone answered before calling out to the fellow assassin. "Hey Sheele!" The purple headed assassin took her nose out of the book and looked at them. "I'm bringing the new recruit around and introducing him to everyone. "
"I see," she turned to Tatsumi and gave him a warm smile. "Welcome to Night Raid."
"Oh, he isn't part of us just yet," Leone told her.
"He isn't?" Sheele asked.
"Nope," Leone replied. "He's having a little trouble deciding."
"Ahhh," Sheele said and put her index finger on her chin in thought.
"I was hoping you could give him some encouragement," Leone said.
"Well," Sheele put her hand down and gazed at Tatsumi with a sudden cold expression. " If you don't join us, then we're going to have to kill you. You've seen too much already."
"W-wh-what?!" Tatsumi asked in shock.
"Soooo anyway, Sheele this is Tatsumi, Tatsumi this is our resident klutz and airhead, Sheele," Leone introduced while slinging an arm around Sheele.
"It's not that bad Leone," Sheele complained.
"Sheele, you went out and bought sugar when we sent you out to get salt," Leone countered.
"At least I'm not all gun ho like somebody I know," she countered.
"Touche," Leone admitted.
"LEONE!" Someone shouted from the door.
Tatsumi flinched a little and looked towards the speaker. In the open doorway was none other than Night Raid's sniper with an angry scowl on her face.
"What is HE doing here?" She asked pointing a finger at Tatsumi.
"I'm bringing him around and introducing him to everyone," she replied.
"That so?" She asked crossing her arms over her chest.
"Yup. Mine, this is Tatsumi. Tatsumi, this is Night Raid's best shot Mine," Leone introduced the two.
Mine walked right up to Tatsumi with a glare and gave him a once over. "Hmm, you don't look like you're cut from the same professional cloth as us. But you did manage to get Akame," she admitted. "Of course it was probably just a fluke," she shrugged her shoulders.
"So?" Tatsumi asked, a little irritation seeping into his voice.
"Hey, all I'm saying is that you don't look like much," she told him as she walked towards the door a few steps before stopping. "Probably don't have too much either."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Tatsumi asked while he gritted his teeth.
"Relax Tatsumi, that's just Mine's way of saying hello," Leone told him as Mine huffed.
"I'll be down at the shooting range if you need me," Mine said casually and walked out.
"O-kay," Tatsumi said with a raised eyebrow.
"Come on, I still need to introduce you to everyone else," Leone told him.
"Alright then," Tatsumi replied and slowly followed her down one of the hallways to the side.
(] Agk [)
After what seemed like an hour of walking they rounded a corner and stopped at the edge of a large field. "And here is the next member I'm going to introduce you to," Leone said.
Tatsumi looked out to the center of the field. Standing there was an incredibly tall and muscular man. He was spinning a staff faster than Tatsumi could keep eyes on and his sweatpants were drenched from exertion in the heat of the day.
"Looks like he's working up quite the sweat," Leone remarked as a slight blush crept onto her face.
The man did one final slash in the air with his staff aimed toward a large stack of cement blocks. The motions created a gust breaking through the wall sending the bricks tumbling into a pile. Tatsumi had never seen anything like it. Standing up straight, the man looked at his work with a pleased expression.
"I'll go get him," Leone said with a smile.
She picked up a towel and water bottle that were on the railing and walked out onto the field. As she approached the man she could hear the cracking of his joints as he reached his hands behind his back to stretch his muscles.
"Hey hot stuff!" Leone called out as she threw the towel at him.
The towel opened and landed across his head, covering his well styled, jet black hair. Grabbing at the cloth he turned around. His blue eyes meet her yellow ones as he raised an eyebrow in surprise and smiled.
"Ah Leone, what brings you out here?" He asked.
"Oh you know, a little bit of this, a little bit of that." They started walking back toward the edge of the the training field. "I was actually just showing the new recruit around and introducing him to everyone," Leone said gesturing toward Tatsumi.
"Ah yes," He said to Tatsumi as he draped the towel over the rail. "You're the guy we picked up the other night. It's Tatsumi right?"
"Yeah, that would be me" Tatsumi replied as the guy walked forward. This man was even bigger than he thought.
"Name's Bulat," he said pointing to himself and stuck out his hand. "Pleasures mine."
"Uh, nice to meet you," Tatsumi said and shook it.
"Likewise," Bulat said. "So, I trust Leone's been a good girl, showing you around the place?"
"Yeah," Tatsumi replied and looked around. "It's very big. I've never seen anything quite like it."
"Don't get too many superstructures back in your village do you?" Leone butted in.
"None at all," he responded. "The closest thing we have to one are in the pages of legends and fairy tales."
"Really?" Bulat asked. "What kind of Legends and fairy tales are we talking about?"
"Just what you would expect really," Tatsumi stated. "Castles, crypts, the capital of course. But my favorite would have to be the story of Jade Mountain."
"Jade Mountain?" Leone asked. "Can't say I've heard that one before."
"It's a common story among the traders and merchants that went through our village," Tatsumi told her. "Particularly those that tend to do their business with towns and villages. That's probably why you haven't heard it."
"Probably," Leone said with a shrug. "By the way, where is your village?"
"Oh, it's up north, a few weeks journey from here," he answered. "One of the hunting settlements around the base of Mount Abarath."
"Oh yeah, I've been around there before," Bulat spoke. "Pretty nice place despite the cold."
"Yeah," Tatsumi spoke with a fond tone. "You get used to it though."
"I don't think I could ever get used to the cold," Leone said and shivered at the thought. She turned to Bulat. "Anyway, we need to get going. I need to introduce Tatsumi to everyone else before the Boss comes back this evening."
"Huh?" Bulat asked. "Isn't the boss-. Oh yeah that's right," he said with the snap of his fingers. "Forgot it was today," Bulat with a slight laugh. "Well, you better get going then."
"Alright then," she said in a flirtatious voice. Standing on her tiptoes, she reached up to kiss him on the cheek. "I'll see you around."
She walked away, swinging her hips as she went leaving a flustered Bulat to clear his throat and stair after her as she left.
"Hey Tatsumi!" Leone shouted as she turned back. "You coming or what?"
"Huh?" Tatsumi asked before realizing what she asked. "Oh! Sorry, I'm coming."
Tatsumi ran after her as Bulat chuckled with a smile.
(] Agk [)
The two of them had been walking for about twenty minutes when Tatsumi began to feel a rise in the surrounding humidity. It wasn't to noticeable at first so he just dismissed the feeling. But with each step he took the air seemed to grow heavier. Tatsumi pulled at the collar of his shirt and spoke.
"Hey Leone. Is it just me or is it getting humid?"
"Hmm? Oh, no it's not just you. We're heading to the hot spring," she replied.
"You guys have a hot spring?" Tatsumi asked.
"Yup. It's one of the reasons we picked this place for our hideout," Leone told him. "It's also where two other people I need to introduce you to are."
"Okay," Tatsumi said with a shrug of his shoulders.
Leone smiled to herself. Sure, Tatsumi was a little rough around the edges, but he seemed like a good guy. Kind of reminded her of a recruit they had a while back actually. Rougher than sandpaper, but his determination shone through and he quickly rose up to be a great fighter. But Tatsumi, there was something special about him. And hell if she'd let him suffer the same fate as her late friend.
They walked out of the treeline and Leone spoke. "We're here."
Tatsumi's gaze fell on the steaming, crystal clear water that was bordered by a smooth stone surface with a few lawn chairs and tables by the water. One of which was being occupied by a familiar figure who was reading a book, his face being hidden in the shade of his wide brimmed fedora with the coat and glasses missing.
"I thought you said there were two?" Tatsumi asked Leone.
"There are," Leone pointed to the middle of the water where Tatsumi saw the guy with green hair from the other night, in nothing but a pair of green shorts, hanging over the water in a hammock fast asleep.
"Oh," Tatsumi said with a little surprise.
"Come on," Leone told him and started walking over to the lawn chairs. "Hey Maxie, what's up?" she called to the man in the lawn chair.
A loud clap of thunder reached Tatsumi's ears and he jumped into the air. A bullet sped past Leone who didn't even flinch. The explosion that followed splintered a tree behind them sending the tree crashing to the ground.
"Leone," an angry voice came from the young man as he held one of his pistols beside his book. "How many times, have we told you not to call us Maxie."
"Hey, take a chill pill will ya Maxwell," Leone said in defense. "I'm just messin' with ya."
Maxwell stared her down before closing his eyes. He took a deep breath and let it out. "Sorry about that Leone. But please, stop calling me Maxie."
"Sure thing Max," Leone said with a smile that said otherwise.
Maxwell sighed and laid his gun on the table beside him where Tatsumi noticed the barrel was engraved. 'Christened' in neat gold script. "So, he's the guy from the other night?" Maxwell asked as he took off his hat. His eyes were pink like the shades he wore the other night with short hair of the same color.
"Yup," Leone answered and introduced the two of them. "Maxwell, this is Tatsumi. Tatsumi, this is Maxwell."
"Nice to meet you Tatsumi," Maxwell said and stuck out his hand.
"It's nice to meet you two Maxwell," Tatsumi said carefully as he slowly walked over to him and shook it.
"No need to be defensive, I won't bite," Maxwell assured Tatsumi as he gave him an honest smile.
"Hey Lub!" Tatsumi and Maxwell turned their heads to see Leone yelling at the guy in the hammock. "Lub!" No response. "Lubba!" Still no response. "Lubbock!" The man named Lubbock stirred a little then rolled onto his side, back now facing her.
Leone huffed in annoyance.
"Come on Leone," Maxwell taunted with a grin and picked up his gun. "You of all people should know how to wake someone up."
Holding out his gun, he aimed at one of the branches the makeshift hammock was tied to. The trigger was pulled and a loud clap of thunder marked the firing of the bullet as it shot out and hit the branch spot on with a small explosion. Lubbock felt the loss in support and his eyes snapped open only to find himself falling.
"WAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" He shouted in surprise and fell into the water with a splash.
Tatsumi didn't quite know how to take this new group of people. But he was starting to feel comfortable and was enjoying the familial way they interacted with each other. He was trying to hold back his look of shock when he noticed Leone holding back a look of mirth. Lubbock came up sputtering a few seconds latter.
"What was that for!?" He shouted in between coughs.
Maxwell gestured to Leone and Tatsumi and explained himself. "We just thought you'd like to meet Tatsumi here. But you were asleep so we, meaning I, had to wake you up."
"And you thought dunking me was a good idea?" Lubbock deadpanned.
"Yup," was Maxwell's simple reply.
An angry crease formed on his forehead. "Why couldn't you have woken me up normally!?"
"Because then I wouldn't have something to smile about today," and true to his word, Maxwell had a genuine grin on his face that went from ear to ear.
Lubbock sighed and glared at Leone who dared to laugh at his predicament. She didn't care though and even Tatsumi laughed a little. "Wait a moment," Lubbock thought to himself and paled as he looked at the position of the sun. "Uh hey Maxwell."
"Yeah?" He replied.
"You wouldn't happen to have the time would you?"
Maxwell held out his arm and pulled up his sleeve to check his watch. "Let's see. It's about, four thirty."
"Four thirty!?" Lubbock yelled and ran out of the water to get his stuff together. "Oh man I need to get going."
Lubbock ran over to a rack of towels beside the lawn chairs and quickly dried himself off before slipping on a gray shirt with the top half being green. "Sorry our meeting was so short Tatsumi," he said frantically as he ran past him to put on his sandals. "Maybe another time we could get better acquainted."
And with that, he took off in a rush back to base to do who knows what leaving the three in stunned silence.
"What just happened?" Tatsumi asked.
"Eh, he was probably going to get a few thing ready for the boss before she got back and lost track of time," Leone answered.
"That would explain a few things," Maxwell spoke.
"Yeah I'm sure it would," Leone said. "Anyway, we should get going. The boss is going to be here soon and I still have to introduce Tatsumi to one last person."
"Well, if that's the case you better get going," Maxwell replied and turned to Tatsumi. "Sorry for the scare earlier Tatsumi. I was nice meeting you."
"Yeah I, suppose it was," Tatsumi replied with a slight smile.
"By the way" Maxwell started and turned to Leone. "This 'last person' wouldn't happen to be Akame would it?"
"Yup," she responded.
"Good," Maxwell said and pulled out bleach white envelope with an orange seal resembling a wolf's head from one of his pockets. "A letter arrived for her and I was wondering if you could get it to her?"
"Oh, Sure," Leone reached out and took the letter from his hand.
"Thanks," Maxwell responded.
"No prob," she responded.
Leone and Tatsumi left Maxwell to read his book in peace. He sat back down in the lawn chair with a small grunt, put his hat back on his head, and continued to study the written information.
(] Agk [)
"Isn't Akame the one who almost killed me the other night?" Tatsumi asked in worry as the two of them walked along the gravel shoreline of one of the surrounding rivers.
"Yup, but don't worry," Leone spoke as she continued to look at the letter in her hand. "That was under different circumstances."
"Yeah," Tatsumi replied, though he was still weary.
"Don't be like that," Leone scolded him. "I'm sure once you meet her you'll hit it off nicely."
"Sure," Tatsumi said and leaned his head back a little to get a better look at the envelope. "You know what's in it?"
"Nope," was her short reply. "But if I had to guess, I'd say it's the recipe for that new glaze Uziel was working on."
"What?"
"Akame likes to cook and eat meat," Leone replied and held up the letter. "Same with Uziel."
"Okay. And who's Uziel?" Tatsumi asked.
"You'll know soon enough," Leone replied with a grin.
"O-kay then," Tatsumi said and noticed a faint column of smoke rising into the air a little ways away.
Leone noticed this as well. "Looks like she's already cooking something."
The two continued their walk along the river until they reached the source of the smoke. The column of gray was coming from a large fire which crackled underneath a large bird like danger beast set on a spit. In a wooden chair beside the fire was none other than Akame who was currently munching on a half eaten drumstick.
"Hey Akame!" Leone greeted making her turn her head.
"Hmm," she hummed and returned to her food.
"Wait, did she kill that giant bird herself?" Tatsumi asked in astonishment.
"Yup," Leone answered. "Akame's kind of our resident wild child."
"Leone," Akame said in her usual monotone voice and tossed her a drumstick. "Have some."
"Thanks," Leone said as she caught it. "I also have something for you."
"What is it?" She asked and Leone walked over to her and handed the letter over.
"A certain someone sent this to you," Leone said with a knowing smirk and Akame quickly took it from her hands.
"Thanks," Akame thanked her and put the letter away for latter.
"No prob, just make sure you save some for the rest of us this time," Leone said in a joking manner.
Akame stared at Leone with her blank expression for a few second before mumbling. "No promises."
Tatsumi just looked on in confusion before Akame turned to him. "Have you decided to join?"
"I'm, still unsure," he admitted and rubbed the back of his head.
Tatsumi startled at the sound of a growl that came from the other side of the fire. A familiar panther made its way over to them. Tatsumi backed up a little, thinking that it might attack him.
"There you are Leia," Leone said playfully and reached down to scratch behind her ears. "Have you been down here stuffing your face with Akame this whole time?"
"Actually Leone," a voice spoke from the other side of the fire. "She's been keeping me company."
Looking to the other side towards the voice, Tatsumi saw Najenda who was currently sitting in another wooden chair. True to the posters description given from the wanted posters, she had Silver hair that was cut short and a single purple eye with an eye patch covering the area where her other one once was. She was currently wearing a plain black suit and…
"Is that a, metal arm in place of her right one?" Tatsumi thought to himself "Or maybe it's just some kind of green armor plating?
"Ah, Boss! Welcome back!" Leone greeted as she went around to see her.
"It's good to be back," she replied.
"Did you bring me anything good?"
"Now why would I do that?" Najenda asked and brought up her metal arm, moving the fingers in a way that they made an ominous creek.
"Huh?" Leone asked.
"About one of your most recent assignments?" She started. "I was told you completed it.."
Leone gave a nervous laugh and started to back up
"Three days, overdue," she finished.
"Aww crap," Leone said and made a break for it.
Najenda was ready however and extended her "arm". The lower section of her metallic limb shot out with a burst of speed that took Tatsumi by surprise and grabbed Leone who fell on her back. A series of repeated clicking sounds came from Najenda's arm as the cable slowly retracted to bring the arm back together, dragging Leone through the gravel along with it.
"When fighting a powerful opponent it's unwise to get caught up in the fun," Najenda told Leone. "Shouldn't you know better than that by now?"
"Alright I've learned my lesson now please let go of me," Leone whined and Najenda released her.
"Good," she responded and faced Tatsumi. "So, you're the boy Akame's been telling me about. Tatsumi was it?"
"Yes," Tatsumi replied shortly as Leone started muttering and sat up.
She nodded her head. "From what I've been told, you're skills are very impressive. After all, it's not everyday someone lands a hit on Akame."
"Well, I wouldn't say I'm that good," Tatsumi spoke in a somewhat quiet voice.
"Hmm," Najenda hummed and turned to Leone who was now rubbing Leia's soft head. "What are your thoughts Leone?"
Leone stopped rubbing orange fur and looked her dead in the eye. "Oh I can assure you, he is very promising."
Najenda moved her eyes and fixed Tatsumi with a cold, calculating stare. Tatsumi's body became stiff as a board and he resisted the urge to flinch under a gaze so strong.
"We'll see," she said with hardened face and stood up. "Akame. Inform everyone of my return and tell them to gather in the meeting room. We'll discuss this matter then."
"Understood," Akame said and dashed off to do her job.
"Now," Najenda pointed to Leone and Tatsumi. "You two will come with me to the meeting room."
"Sure thing boss," Leone happily replied and motioned Leia to follow her as they left for the base.
(] Agk [)
Tatsumi stood before the leader of Night Raid, surrounded by its members and within the walls of their home. He felt as though he was on trial for some crime as everyone's eyes were glued to his form. If only it were so. It was here that it would be decided whether or not he could join Night Raid, weather or not he could become an assassin. There was no doubt in his mind that he would like to join. They seemed to be nice people, despite a few oddities among them, but…
"Lubbock, you may give your report," Najenda announced.
Lubbock stepped forward. "Of course," he said and cleared his throat. "Three nights ago, we began our mission to take out a family of nobles who repeatedly took country men, women, and children into their home with the promise of food, drink, and a warm bed to sleep in. This of course, was a complete lie to which the family would put a sleeping agent in their dinner and take them to a shed out back where they would become victim to many different varieties of torture. Tatsumi here was to be their next victim. That is, until we showed up."
They were only eight people, nine if he joined. They could assassinate as many rotten people as they wanted. But what difference would that make in an empire full of corruption. Millions of people lived in the city alone.
"I see," Najenda said with her chin in hand "And the boy, Tatsumi. How did he wind up here?"
"Tatsumi had the impression that the family was innocent and kind like all the others. Maxwell encountered him some time after the death of the mother before leaving the building and once that happened, Tatsumi went after the daughter to protect her from us. He arrived in front of the shed just as the guard with her was about to hide her in it when Akame came onto the scene and a fight between the two followed. During the fight, Tatsumi managed to land a hit on her however, it wasn't fatal by any means."
"Still, it is quite impressive," Najenda remarked.
"Yes. Anyway, Akame was about to kill him when Leone stopped her and suggested we show him the horrors the family had committed. His reaction was what one would expect, but there was more to it than that."
"Oh?"
Lubbock nodded his head. "His two friends were victims and the girl, Sayo, was barely alive. In short, Tatsumi killed the daughter but Sayo still wound up dieing. Akame and Leone saw potential in him and decided to bring him with us. So Maxwell drugged him and we brought him here."
"Thank you Lubbock. Now, I want to hear all your thoughts on this matter starting with you Leone," Najenda said.
Leone nodded back. "Well, he's not stupid that's for sure. Saw right through me when I tried to swindle him."
Najenda sighed and shook her head. Leone needed to stop the habit of her's before she got herself killed. She gestured for Bulat to go next.
"There is great sorrow within him. If he is to become one of us, he needs to overcome this obstacle. But, I have no doubt he has a heart that burns with passion."
Najenda raised an eyebrow. Only Bulat could see something like that in a person. Next was Sheele.
"Um, well, I think he's nice."
"Yes, but what about him joining Night Raid?" Najenda asked.
"Oh! Uh, I, kind of agree with Bulat. He is sad, but I'm sure he can overcome it," Sheele gave Tatsumi a warm smile.
Najenda hummed in thought and looked towards Mine who sighed.
"He managed to land a hit on Akame so I guess that's something. But I have my doubts."
Maxwell rolled his eyes and Najenda motioned to him.
"Nothing to add there. Bulat pretty much just said it for me."
And finally, Akame. She waited for a few seconds before speaking her mind. "He is definitely skilled. But if he were to join the army like he originally planned, odds are he would have died early on."
Tatsumi looked at Akame, eyes widened slightly. Was what she said true? Could he have really died?
"I see," Najenda said as she closed her eye in thought. "I think I understand the situation now."
She opened her eye and stared straight at Tatsumi along with everyone else. "Tatsumi. I have decided. You show too much promise to be done away with. And so I extended my offer for you join us. But before we do, I would like to hear what you have to say."
"Uh, well…"
"Go on, I want to hear what you have to say," Night Raid's leader insisted.
Tatsumi took a deep breath to calm himself before choosing his words. "Well, I think you guys are doing this for the right reason, but surely you can't make much of a difference? It's eight people versus an empire. What can you do?"
Najenda smiled at his question. "Who said it was just us?"
"Huh?" Tatsumi asked in confusion.
"I will illuminate," Najenda said. "There's an anti empire group near the south border of the empire, The Revolutionary Army. They started out small and weak like all other revolts before them, but unlike the others, the Revolutionary Army grew into a formidable organization."
"An, army?" Tatsumi asked in disbelief.
"Yes. However, they needed special operation units in and around the capitol to do what they could not. Recon, assassinations, infiltration, you name it. And so they created two groups. The first one, Night Raid, would handle things inside the city. The second one would handle things in the surrounding area."
Najenda paused and took the time to gaze at the empty chairs along the wall and table while everyone else lowered their heads. "However, as time went on, our group got smaller and smaller. We started out with thirty five members, and we were down to twelve when we came up with an idea. We would chose four individuals who were strong, capable leaders and have them form splinter groups through recruitment, that would hide in Night Raid's shadow."
She reached out her arm and gestured to the main table where a map of the imperial capital sat open for all to see. "The Slums became home to the Seven Man Army led by Ichiro, the harbor and canal became home to the Crimson River led by River, the housing district became home to the Silver Wings led by Kishi, and finally, the market district became home to The Wolves led by Uziel."
Tatsumi walked over to the table and gazed down at the map where four emblems contrasted against the bland color of the paper. Each emblem had a name underneath, making it easier to identify each group. The first one was obviously the Seven Man Army which was a black number seven styled to look like a scythe, the second one was the Crimson River which was red with a pair of cross swords akin to a pirate's flag, the third one was the Silver Wings which was silver with a bird's wing in the center, and the final one was The Wolves. Their emblem, Tatsumi realized, was the very same one on the letter Akame got.
"We may be putting only a few fires out at a time right now," Najenda continued with Tatsumi giving her his attention once more. "But once the Revolutionary army makes its move, amidst the chaos we'll head straight for the cause of this mess," she clenched her metallic hand. "The minister."
Tatsumi looked back to the map and had a sudden realization. "But, what will happen once this is all done?" He turned back to her. "Won't the surrounding nations or powers take advantage of the empire's state of weakness?"
"True, the empire will be weakened. But the leaders of the Revolutionary Army, myself included, will step in to bring order and do what we can to bring our strength back up to what it once was. Possibly further with the absence of corruption."
"I see," Tatsumi said crossing his arms.
"What do you think?" Najenda asked.
"Well, you may have a righteous end goal in mind for everyone. But that doesn't excuse the fact that you kill to do so…"
"Tatsumi," Bulat interrupted as he immediately saw where this was going. "We know this fact, and we're prepared to face the consequences. Believe me, if we could go about this another way we would. But this war Tatsumi. And in war the only true equalizer, is death."
"Bulat is a former high ranking officer of the imperial army," Najenda explained, gaining Tatsumi's attention. "If anyone knows the extent of the corruption, it's him."
"Really?" Tatsumi asked and turned to Bulat for an answer.
"Yup. They used to call me 100 Man Slayer Bulat back in those days," his gaze hardened and his voice carried power and meaning. "And as a soldier, I saw Hell itself take form on the battlefield. A great majority of the soldiers are just as bad, if not worse than those that command them. So when putting down the seemingly endless rebellions, I saw time and time again their actions of murder, torture, rape, and destruction."
"Whoa," Tatsumi responded in horrified aww.
"Whoa is right Tatsumi," Najenda interjected. "This revolution was built on the hopes and dreams that one day we could be free from the tyranny that kills life as we know it. Would you let innocent people suffer?"
Tatsumi was taken aback by the sudden question but quickly replied. "Of course not."
"Will you idly stand by and watch other people's misfortunes?" She continued.
"No."
"Would you let people die because of another man's greed?"
"No."
"Will you let this empire continue to squeeze the life out of its people "
"No."
"Will you let this evil that eats away at the spirit of our nation, continue to feast!?"
Tatsumi steeled his gaze. "Never."
Najenda smiled in satisfaction and extended her metal arm with a clenched fist. "Then I, Najenda of the revolutionary army, leader of Night Raid, offer you a place among us, as the harbingers of a new age. Will you join us?"
This was it. The offer was on the table and with a firm resolve, Tatsumi spoke the one word, the only word, he could.
"Yes."
Everyone around him held a similar reaction to this one word. Leone's face split into a bubbling smile, Bulat had something between a smirk and a smile, Steele smiled warmly, Mine had crossed her arms and held a poker face, Lubbock had a full smirk, and Maxwell held a small smile.
"Then I welcome you Tatsumi, to a life unlike any other," Najenda announced. "May your resolve hold true and your will never to break. I, Najenda, welcome you to Night Raid."
(] Agk [)
It had been hours since she had said those words. But even though the welcoming of a new member was a good thing, she always felt a sense of guilt creep it's way up from the deep depths of the past. As if an undead corpse was climbing its way out of the grave to snatch her.
"Najenda?" Lubbock's voice brought her back to reality.
"Hmm?" She raised her head to see concern written across his face.
"You've barely touched your food. Is, something wrong?"
Najenda looked down at her plate with her one good eye and saw what he said was true. She had her fork in hand, but all she was doing was simply nudging the food Lubbock had worked hard to cook. Provided he wasn't the best cook, but it did smell good.
"It's nothing," she replied sternly and stabbed a carrot slice.
"Are you sure?" Lubbock asked as she brought the cooked vegetable up to her mouth and ate it.
She chewed for a few seconds and swallowed, but didn't answer. Her face became downcast and she took her glass and sipped at its contents. Lubbock sighed in defeat and returned to his own plate in silence. Najenda lowered her glass as she placed it back on the table and looked at the hearth that was alight with a warm flame. But it was hardly comforting. The tongues of fire reached up like hands calling for help. The flicker of light like a soul, desperately clinging on to life.
"-would have liked," Lubbock's voice brought her back to reality again.
"Hmm?" She asked and turned back to him, interrupting his train of thought.
Lubbock was in the middle of pulling something out from the bag by his chair. "I, said that I'm sorry that I couldn't find as much information as I would have liked. But not too many people know much aside from the basic information. However," he pulled whatever it was out of the bag and held it out in front of her. "This seal was on a letter we intercepted that was sent to none other than Numa Seika of the North himself."
The seal was blue in color with a serpent like dragon eating its own tail. In the middle though was a simple circle resembling a ring. On the outer edge was a multitude of unknown symbols.
"I, don't think I've seen this seal before," Najenda admitted.
"You haven't," he stated. "Nobody has. Almost as if a ghost sent it. But one thing's for sure, who ever sent was the one behind their rising military might."
"How so?" She asked.
In response, Lubbock reached into his bag and pulled out the letter that was in the envelope. "Listen to this. Dear Numa Seika, The Empire's Strongest is closing in on your capital city and I must apologize once more for your imminent demise. You've been a good friend and I have no doubt that your parents would be proud. You have done your part with honor and my deepest gratitude, and now it's my turn to do mine. May you rest in piece Numa, I will not forget this."
"So this mystery person, single-handedly orchestrated the building of the Northern Tribe's military might to gain the Empire's attention? Enough so that they would send their strongest general and her army to wipe them out? But, for what purpose? If he or she knew they would fail?" Najenda wondered out loud.
"Nobody knows," Lubbock admitted as he took back the seal and placed it back in the bag. "But enough of that. I've taken the time out of my day just to cook us something tonight and we haven't finished. Gotta eat it before it gets cold. And stop being so blue, you look better with a smile then a frown."
Najenda laughed a little before picking up her fork and smiled. "Yes, I suppose it would be a good idea to eat before it gets cold."
Lubbock nodded and mimicked her expression as the two of them dug in.
(] Agk [)
Tatsumi sighed as he continued to swipe his knife against the potato's skin. It was a new day and Akame was already 'training' him. How cooking was supposed to help train him to be an assassin was a complete puzzle to him though. He turned the potato over in his hand and sliced more of it's brown skin away.
"Tatsumi," Akame said from the other side of the kitchen. "Pass me the knife on the third row down, second one from the left."
Tatsumi looked to his left at the knife rack and found the knife she was requesting was in his hand. "Oh, I'm using it right now for the potatoes."
"Then hand me the one in the bottom left."
"Sure," Tatsumi put the knife he was using down and pulled out the other knife only to find it was dirty. "I'll just, wash it off first."
He put down the potato and went over to the sink where he turned on the faucet. The water poured out and he grabbed a rag from the side to scrub the mess off the blade. As he did so, he could hear the voices of the other members from the table as they talked. He couldn't make out the conversation but it was upbeat.
He put the blade up to eye level and inspected it. He set the rag down and turned off the faucet before drying it off. "Here you go," he said and handed the knife to Akame handle first.
Akame nodded as she took the knife and began to cut up the beef on the counter in front of her into squares. Tatsumi sighed as he returned to the potato and continued to swipe away at the skin.
"Hey, you think you could hurry up? I'm starving," Mine shouted from the table.
"Come on Tatsumi, hurry up. We're starving," Ieyasu's eager voice echoed in his head and he stopped all motion.
He remembered that day. They had just returned from probably the best hunting trip in history and there was so much to go around. Enough to last the whole village months. That night, he decided to make something special for the three of them. The hot smell of spices floated through the air and Ieyasu couldn't help but plead with him to hurry up. And although she didn't say it, Sayo was also silently pleading with him to be done.
"Yeah, come on Tatsumi. My taste buds have been taunted long enough," Bulat said dragging him from his thoughts.
Tatsumi sighed and looked over to the pot on the stove. Akame had just added the celery, all that was left was to add the potatoes and…
"Akame," Tatsumi called out, stopping the girl from "testing" to see if the flavor was satisfactory. "I said wait till it's finished."
She turned around and a small splash was heard from the pot. "I am waiting."
"Sure you are," Tatsumi deadpanned and returned to the potato in his hand.
A short while later, he dumped the sliced potatoes into the pot and leaned against the counter. All he needed to do now was wait and let it cook. Akame on the other hand had moved to a fruit dish and was plucking grapes off one of the vines one by one and popping them into her mouth.
"Well? Are you gonna hurry up or what?" Mine complained.
"These guys are going to run me ragged," Tatsumi thought to himself as he face-palmed.
(] Agk [)
A few hours later after having finished breakfast, Tatsumi found himself beside Akame on a ledge that overlooked a small pond. Opposite them was a series of waterfalls crashing against the liquid surface creating a line of white mist. Akame had brought with her a woven straw basket that she carried on her back with him doing the same. She had said he would help her collect some fish for lunch as part of his training.
"Maybe it had something to do with patience?" Tatsumi thought to himself.
"Our target today is Koga Tuna," Akame announced.
Tatsumi's expression suddenly became one of disbelief and shock in response. "I guess not," he thought.
Koga Tuna were best known to be ridiculously hard to catch and almost impossible to find. But the flavor and size made all the trouble worth it. He had caught one back in his village when a school was making their way down one of the bigger rivers. They were probably some of the smartest fish to ever live and it was by pure and stupid luck that he had managed to not only catch one, but catch one that was five feet in length as opposed to the average three and a half feet.
"Um, Akame?" Tatsumi asked as the girl loosened her tie.
"Yes?" She asked turning to him.
"I, don't see any river," he told her.
"Mhm," she nodded and pulled her tie over her head to throw it onto the ground. "Every year Koga Tuna migrate up north where they were born to lay their eggs. Those eggs in turn stay in an almost dormant state until the next year when they hatch and follow the rest of their kind back to the south."
"Really?" Tatsumi asked as Akame began to take off her boots. "If that was the case, wouldn't they be a more endangered species due to poachers?
"It's not an easy to reach place," she told him and tossed her boots off to the side. "From what I know, the region is very mountainous and cold with danger at every corner."
"Oh yeah?" Tatsumi asked with an air of curiosity and set his basket down beside him. "What kind of danger?"
"Well," Akame began as she tugged off her sleeveless top. Tatsumi almost turned around to give her privacy before he saw that she was wearing a white form fitting suit of some kind, also sleeveless, beneath it. "Some say there is a giant bird that inhabits the entire region. Others say It's a dragon of some kind. But aside from whatever the creature is and the Koga Tuna, nothing else lives there."
"I see," Tatsumi said as Akame stepped out of her skirt to reveal the bottom half of the suit she was wearing which resembled short shorts that reached halfway down her upper leg.
"You're going to want to lose some clothing unless you want to be waterlogged the entire time," Akame told him and dove into the water below.
"Um, okay," Tatsumi said to himself as he began to pull of his sweater vest.
A few seconds latter, three fish were thrown from the water and landed in Akame's basket with a resounding thud. Tatsumi was stupefied and let the sweater vest fall off his arms. How could someone catch one, let alone three, of those slippery fish in one go?
Akame took that time to resurface and let out the breath she was holding. "Koga Tuna are highly sensitive to aura which is why they're hard to catch. When you reach the bottom, you must suppress your aura. Then choose a target and strike when ready."
"Okay," Tatsumi said. "Just one question."
"Shoot."
"What's uh," he paused and gestured to his clothing. "What's with all, this?"
"This?" Akame asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Your, swim suit?" He half asked.
"Oh," she said shortly. "It's a basic suit made from the skin of a Shifting Swimmer, a rare otter like danger beast that lives in the far south and is known for its agility and speed when swimming. It helps me better move in the water in addition to minor protection underneath my clothes."
"Wow," Tatsumi said in surprise. "That sounds, expensive."
"I'm sure it was. A very… good friend got it for me for my last birthday and I wear it almost all the time."
Tatsumi nodded his head in acknowledgment before getting back on track. "So, get to the bottom, suppress my aura, pick a target and strike?"
"Mhm," Akame confirmed.
"Alright then," he pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside as he ran for the edge. "Here goes nothing!"
He jumped and landed in the water with a loud splash. They were there for the rest of the day, with Akame getting multiple fish and Tatsumi missing just as many. He did however manage to catch a few which he loaded in his basket.
After returning to the base, Akame insisted they cook their catch immediately. To which Tatsumi (reluctantly) agreed and began cutting away at the first fish he grabbed. It took a while, but they managed to cook ALL of it by the time dinner came around.
It was much quieter than last time though with only a few hushed conversations. After everyone else had eaten, they began to trickle out of the room to do whatever it is they wanted. Leaving Najenda who wanted to speak to Akame and Tatsumi.
"So, in the end Tatsumi caught how many?" Najenda asked after everyone else had left.
"Five in total," Akame replied.
"Hmm. Not bad," Najenda said with a smile and turned to Tatsumi. "Most new recruits are only able to get three. Well done Tatsumi."
"Oh, well, I'm sure you guys could have caught a lot more," Tatsumi said humbly while rubbing the back of his head with embarrassment.
"Not really," Najenda said with a bit of mirth in her voice. "I'd probably have a hard time getting around with this old thing," she gestured to her prosthetic.
"Really?" Tatsumi asked and looked at it. "Doesn't look that heavy from the way you're carrying it."
"No, I'm just used to it," she told him. "It's actually just a little over twenty two and a half kilograms."
"Wow," Tatsumi said sounding surprised. "That's some heavy metal."
"It is. Most of the weight is in the plating though," she told him. "Now, tomorrow evening we have a mission for you. Leone and Lubbock will go out tomorrow to scout out the target and give you the information. I've also assigned Maxwell to accompany you in case things go south. Is this acceptable?"
"Yeah, just tell me who it is," Tatsumi replied.
"Very well. Your target is none other than captain Ogre of the imperial police. Better known, as Ogre the Demon," she told him. "Once a top notch soldier, he retired and became a captain in the imperial police. From what we know, he is an incredibly skilled fighter who or ruthless and will show no one mercy. From what the client told us, he is guilty of covering for the oil merchant Gamal when he goes through with a shady deal by having an innocent civilian take all the blame. That innocent civilian would then be arrested and executed. The client was the wife of his most recent victim."
"W-what?" Tatsumi asked in shock.
"It's true," Akame interject while chewing a slice of smoked Koga Tuna. "Uziel sent a group of Wolf members to take him out a while back in the past, but all of them were slaughtered."
"S-slaughtered?" Tatsumi asked in shock.
"Yes," Akame spoke. "Apparently, he likes to poison his blade with some kind of toxin that keeps wounds from clotting. One of their members made it back only to die of blood loss a few minutes latter."
"H-how-how many…"
"Sixteen," Najenda told him. "It's was not pretty. Uziel didn't want to take any chances, but even sixteen members couldn't take him down. And since Ogre is almost always surrounded by civilians or imperial police he couldn't- Tatsumi?"
Najenda's words fell on deaf ears as Tatsumi let her words finally sink in. "Sixteen people. And he killed all of them?" Najenda spoke again but he couldn't hear her from within his thoughts. "I'm just, one guy. How am I supposed to take him down?"
"You shouldn't doubt your abilities Tatsumi," Bulat tore him from his thoughts as he walked in and pulled up a chair across from him. "Otherwise you'll never be any stronger."
"Bulat," Akame greeted with a mouthful of fish.
"Akame," he greeted in kind with a nod.
"Wh-uh," Tatsumi tried to find the words. "I'm, not doubting my abilities."
Bulat looked to him. "Maybe not on the surface. This doubt, comes from within."
"Within?" Tatsumi asked.
Bulat reached out and tapped his index finger on Tatsumi's chest over his heart. "Your heart is filled with it," Bulat retracted his hand and leaned back in his chair. "Their names were Sayo and Ieyasu right?"
"Uh, yeah," Tatsumi said as a flash of pain shone in his eyes. A flash Bulat caught.
"There," Bulat said and leaned forward. "That right there, was your doubt."
"What?" Tatsumi asked.
"Your doubt," he stated. "Comes from the death of your friends. You doubt your abilities because you couldn't save them."
Tatsumi's eyes widened in shock. That, that couldn't be right. It was the empire who was the cause of their death, not him. Why would he blame himself? Did he blame himself? No, of course not. Then why did he feel… responsible?
"You blame yourself for their deaths when the responsibility falls on the empire," Bulat continued. "This is the reason for the doubt that has dug its roots in your heart. And in order to uproot this doubt, you must learn to move on."
"Move, on?" Tatsumi asked in confusion.
"Hmmm," Bulat thought as he rubbed his chin in thought. "Tell you what. You two will join me in on training grounds tomorrow. Be there about mid morning and make sure you eat a good breakfast."
"Will do," Akame replied between mouthfuls of fish.
"Good," Bulat spoke and turned to a bewildered Tatsumi. "Tatsumi, no mortal man can uproot any kind of pain, misery, or doubt from their heart alone. Which is why we are here to help."
"Wha- but, why?"
"Humans are social creatures Tatsumi," Bulat answered. "Most don't realize it, but we rely on ourselves as much as we do others to thrive and grow. Weather it be physically, mentally, or emotionally."
Tatsumi was stunned. He had never thought about it that way. Bulat took his silence as his cue to continue.
"You're a member of Night Raid now Tatsumi, a part of our family. And family, no matter how dysfunctional, means nobody, gets left behind. Sayo and Ieyasu were your family right?"
"Yeah," Tatsumi replied and his face darkened. "But they're gone.
"Death cannot separate people Tatsumi," Bulat corrected him. "Because when someone close to you dies, it's up their friends and family to carry them. To carry their memories, to carry their personality, to carry their hopes and dreams! And finally… to carry them to their final resting place! All of it done to the end of time."
Tatsumi was speechless. Never before had he heard words spoken with such passion and purpose. It was as if a fire had been lit in the man's eyes that would burn without stop, but it was controlled. Like a force of nature forged into a powerful weapon.
Finding his voice, Tatsumi asked a question. "What do you mean 'all of it done to the end of time'?"
"A person's body it the ultimate reminder of who they once were. And so by burying their body, or cremating it, we say goodbye to the person that once lived. It's a sign of respect, even to those we didn't know."
"A sign of respect," Tatsumi repeated to himself. "But what about keeping them close if you have to say goodbye?"
"You do both," Bulat replied with a simple answer. "How you do it though, is something you must figure out for yourself."
Akame and Najenda, who had become invisible throughout the conversation, nodded their heads in agreement. Both had faced this reality and accepted it as truth. And all three senior members present knew Tatsumi would do the same. With that in mind, Bulat took his leave and said good night to them and segguested Tatsumi turn in and get a good night sleep for tomorrow.
It was strange though. Despite Bulat's words and multiple, seemingly infinite thoughts running through his head, his sleep was peaceful.
(] Agk [)
It was mid morning the very next day and a group of ten or so men were treading carefully through the woods. Each of them bore a matching cloth that was either a hood or a scarf and their tan chests were bare along with a simple pair of pants and boots to adorn their lower half. One however, bore what appeared to be a wolfs head over his own and was at the front of the group.
"Hey boss, you really think their base is out here?" One asked.
"Of course," the one at the front responded and looked over the paper in his hand once more. "Our informant is never wrong."
{ Gale }
TO BE CONTINUED!
I know I know. Some of you were probably wanting to see me do the whole tribal assassin's thing. But I honestly thought this was a good place to stop.
Anyway, I got a few things going for this. Probably the biggest thing (As of now) is the addition of the four Splinter Groups who work in Night Raid's shadow. This Idea sprouted from when I expanded on the idea for one of the leaders (I won't tell you which one) because I didn't really feel like they belonged with the other revolutionary assassin group. So with a bit of time and thought, I came up with the idea before you.
Next is … well. Bulat isn't a homosexual in this. I've never been a fan of the act which is one of two reasons why. I know that, for some of you, this may look as though I'm homophobic or something like that, when it's actually far from the truth. You can be a homosexual, a feminist, an SJW, an atheist, Muslim, anything. I will still treat you as a human, a person. For example, I know this person at my school, homosexual, and he's a pretty good guy. Very interactive, a good sense of humor, fairly good at singing. I don't treat him any differently than I would any other person.
The other reason: I felt as though him being a homosexual was just a way to break the tension or get some chuckles, something that was just there. So I thought, what could I do to change this. Because despite this character trait, he comes off as more of a brother or mentor to Tatsumi.
Now, as for why I chose Leone. They had a few things they share personality wise. Then a few things contradicting. She is this wild girl who is somewhat literally a beast, then he's a soldier with a burning passion in his heart. She's very flirtatious, he's one of those guys who's not afraid to be romantic.
One the subject of Leone, she has this pet panther of her's who was a bit of a last minute addition. Leia is going to be Leone's sidekick of sorts who is essentially a bit of a side character who brings in a little humor. But don't think I don't have something planned. I do.
And finally, I introduce to you Maxwell, who might I add bares a striking resemblance to a certain sniper. He'll play a pretty big roll later on so don't expect anything too major just yet. His story will pick up around the time frosty herself comes to town.
Other than that, everything else should be self explanatory or to plot sensitive to speak about. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and may you have a Merry Christmas!