Beta read by Shigiya and Paragon of Awesomeness
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-Imperial Capital Outskirts-
Wave's time in the Capital had been a crash course in suffering.
Whether it be emotional or physical, it just kept coming and getting worse by the day. By now, he'd begun to suspect that the next new pain awaiting him wouldn't be a lesson at all, but simply the one that finally killed him.
And unfortunately, that painful death seemed to be right on his doorstep, especially with the beating he was currently enduring.
"Puh!" Wave spat out a mouthful of blood onto the ground, covering the dirt and pebbles, along with a tooth.
"Hahahaha! Is that really all the infamous Jaegers can accomplish? How utterly disappointing! I didn't even get to stretch my muscles." Sten guffawed with a hearty laugh, his voice booming into Wave's ears, much to the latter's irritation, given he was dealing with a splitting migraine from having his brain rattled. "Oh? Back up again? Great! Giving up is never the answer for anyone aspiring to be a true warrior!"
"Yeah, true warrior... whatever." Even now, he barely followed anything being mentioned by this lunatic. This first approach of catching him off guard with a thrown dagger failed. After that, his main objective had been to distract him long enough to get his Imperial Arm back and end this once and for all.
But each tactic kept getting utterly deadblocked by this walking gorilla, who also possessed a ridiculous speed for someone his size.
"How about I offer you the opportunity to just turn around and walk away? Consider it a reward for showing me that you at least have the spirit of a true warrior. Of course, it would be best if you leave your Teigu here, since you won't be needing it anymore."
"Might as well just tell me to kill myself. At least you would've had a better chance of convincing me as it would be less painful," he joked, though far less than he would've liked.
Turning back at any point would mean facing Esdeath again, and unfortunately for him, that woman was by far more threatening than even a hundred Stens, and less merciful. Not to mention, it meant abandoning everything he worked for so far and going against his ideals.
"Guess I'll just have to resort to the good old basics."
Grabbing the dagger that was currently lying at his feet, Wave raised the weapon into a defensive stance. It seems that Wave's defiance and unwillingness to stay down made Sten grin like a madman.
With a single push, the bearded fellow rushed towards him with a maniacal grin on his face. Bringing the dagger closer, he took the fighting stance taught to all Marines, keeping the major organs and the head protected. Not presenting a wide target and keeping oneself grounded and nimble.
"Hah!" The first punch, just like every other one, came head-on and was rather simple. Except for its ridiculous speed and strength, keeping up was not too much of a problem, and so was predicting its pathway.
Bang!
When fist met dagger, the blade failed to even cut through Sten's skin right as Wave dodged to the side. He felt the air from the attack brushing against his face, and the next strike was once again met with clashing, with Wave hoping to at least draw his assailant's blood.
'Is his skin made of iron!? It fucking sparked! The shit, man!'
Not even having enough time to be shocked, he had to move right as he saw the bearded bastard moving. His bare hand was a weapon in itself, and attempting to cut through his head.
"Hahahaha! Let's keep dancing till the sun sets, boy!"
What came afterwards could not even be called a fight, for it was just him dodging each attack again and again. Trying to find any opportunity to attack, yet each clash led to the same outcome.
With little to no opportunity to injure or even attack this freak, all he could do was jump around the field, dodging each attack at the very last second. The impacts caused several tree trunks to be shattered, boulders to be rendered to rubble, and the wind from his movements jostled his clothes.
'With how heavy this guy is, I can't even do a shoulder throw.' Having tried to grab hold of one of his arms made it feel like he was holding onto a steel pole; no amount of strength even budged that man.
A single hit from this guy would knock him out, if not kill him.
'Hopefully this guy gets exhausted before I do.'
Then again, no matter how far he pushes his senses, he was still human and eventually would make an error, a faux pas which would cost him his life.
"Hn!"
That particular misstep came in the form of misreading one of the oncoming punches, believing it to be another uppercut, and focusing his attention on avoiding that. Only for Sten to change his stance midway and twist his body so quickly that he could practically hear the bones cracking from the motion. However hard Sten strained himself to pull off the maneuver, it enabled him to perform a powerful kick to Wave's stomach, sending him flying in the distance and rolling on the ground several times.
"Gah!"
Wave was left struggling to get his breath back, but long before that could happen, Sten appeared atop him.
"For a walking twig, you still fought well. I've lost count of the number of soldiers who always scream about being the absolute cream of the crop, only to piss their pants and beg for mercy when they find themselves outmatched. But you maintained your discipline even to the end. You're either a lot tougher than you look, or I must've been slacking in my training?"
His foot twisted into Wave's ribs, making the boy nearly bite his tongue off from the pain, but he still remained defiant.
"I didn't lose, you idiot."
"Eh?"
Fortunately for him, for all that muscle, power, and speed the man had on him, he still lacked in the brain department. Enough to not pay full attention to the direction he had kicked Wave towards, who extended his right arm just enough to reveal that he had recovered Grand Chariot. This action left Sten stunned while a vicious smirk appeared on the Marine's face.
"I win. Grand Chariot!"
Whoosh!
The ground underneath them exploded, the transformation pushing Sten away, a heavy force descending upon the field as an armoured figure holding onto a prolonged sword.
"Hahaha! Do you think a piece of armour will protect you from my punches?" The man challenged, doing the same movement as before and pulling back his fist for a powerful punch.
An attack that ended up being met by a similar move by Wave, both fists clashing mid-air with a thunderous boom. The boy's stance remained firm and grounded while Sten's figure faltered, much to the latter's dismay.
"Heh, not so strong anymore, are you?" Wave said, grabbing tightly onto Sten's wrist and moving at greater speed than before. Having learned his lesson from past encounters and Stylish, he realized that the quicker a fight ended, the more likely he was to throw off his opponent and overwhelm them.
Clenching his other fist, Wave drove it deeply into the iron-like skin. "Gah!" The impact created a small shockwave, pushing Sten's body into the air for a small window of opportunity. One that Wave capitalized on with a spinning heel kick, aiming for the face and giving him a taste of what Wave tasted early on.
"..."
Without a word, the sword in his hand got replaced into a spear. Holding it above him with the intent to throw it at his target. "Any last wor-"
A single loud clap stopped both men in their tracks.
"Alright, that's enough, gentlemen. Victory goes to Wave, so you can get off him now, Sten."
The familiar bone-chilling voice of General Esdeath surprised Wave from his attack, who stared to the side just to see his general standing there with her arms crossed and a satisfied smile on her face.
"You did well, showed no fear in the face of imminent danger, and did not back away despite not having your precious Teigu by your side at first. You used your environment and even your enemy's attacks to your advantage and calculated risks in order to achieve victory at the end. That is truly what a Jaeger should be like."
"..."
While he was more than happy to be praised at such a high level and powerful person like her, he had to admit that at this moment it was hard to enjoy since he was confused at the moment. Even more so when other Jaegers arrived, with Kurome standing right beside the General, along with Run.
"What is going on here?" he asked after gathering his breath, Sten getting off the ground as if the previous attacks did not even phase him and standing quietly to the side.
"You didn't figure it out yet?" Run asked, tilting his head enough to make Wave feel embarrassed, since he felt like the gaze he was getting from the taller man made him feel like the latter was wondering just how someone could possibly be so stupid.
"My head is still dealing with a concussion from the fight I just went through. But mind telling what's going on?" A great excuse in his mind, though he was uncertain if it actually worked on Run, the blonde-haired Jaeger just shrugged and continued on as if it never happened.
"This was all just a test. No bandit would be this powerful, and no experienced bandit or mercenaries would just spend their time talking to you like this, or recognize your Imperial Arm that easily. Also, their faces are quite well known amongst the army."
They were? Wave was pretty sure he had never so much as seen a single picture of this bearded gorilla anywhere.
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"Who did you have as your opponent?" On their way back toward the Capital, with Wave still bandaging his wounds and applying a peculiar salve gifted to him by Sten of all people. True to the man's word, though, it proved to be quite effective, reducing the stinging pain from his bruised body and helping to stop the bleeding in a matter of seconds.
'I should probably ask him for an entire tub of this stuff, given how dangerous our missions have been lately.'
"I faced her," said Run while pointing at a woman at the back who was speaking casually with Sten. A blonde with a rather gifted body, possessing a level of beauty and attractiveness that had Wave trying really hard to not look below her neck.
The kind of clothing she wore did not help with that evaluation, in Wave's humble opinion.
"What the hell? I had to deal with a rampaging musclebound maniac, and you got to spend the afternoon with a tan beauty? Life is not fair."
Despite his whining, Run just chuckled and shook his head. "You would be sorely mistaken if that is your assessment of her. She cracked the bone of my forearm with a simple graze of her fist, and she was strong enough to shatter a boulder twice my size into pieces."
"What?" For a moment there, Wave wondered if he heard correctly and if his friend wasn't just bullshitting him. Looking back at the blonde, he couldn't help but try to imagine the scene of a small, lithe girl like her holding a similar kind of freakish strength as Sten.
He had no doubt that Run wouldn't say something if it wasn't true, but still, he was finding it hard to believe.
"I could barely keep up with her speed. Whatever attack I threw at her would get dodged or thrown back at me. I had to resort to using dirty tactics and use my flight capabilities to my advantage, but even then it was a struggle since the only reason I won was that she ran out of boulders and trees to throw at me," he said with a helpless smile.
Once again, Wave stared back at the small figure and tried imagining her just throwing things twice her size casually at Run in the air, who kept narrowly evading her aim like some hardcore version of dodgeball.
If he had been the one she was fighting... Forget about surviving a few powerful punches; he would have been turned into mincemeat by a massive boulder crushing his body!
"Alright, people, I believe some introductions are in order," Esdeath mentioned as they arrived back at the Jaegers' headquarters and rejoined a mostly recovered Bols, with her nodding towards the quartet of fake bandits.
The first one to take a step forward was none other than Sten, glowing with confidence. He spoke with a booming voice. "Greetings, Jaegers! As some of you may already know, my name is Sten! I am one of the Four Rakshasa Demons and the former martial arts teacher of Prime Minister Honest himself! I also used to teach other generals in the past, and my family's martial arts have cultivated thousands of competent soldiers of the Empire for the last century!"
That fatso knew martial arts like this!? Wave wondered if Honest might have looked similar to Sten back in his youth... What a terrifying image and was more unbelievable than the tan blonde chucking boulders. And the Four Rakshasa Demons, now that name finally rang a bell in Wave's mind, for he remembered hearing rumours about such a group from his time at the Marine. He'd never received confirmation, but they were said to be a secret group of top-tier assassins working for the crown.
And not one of them had a Teigu.
The blonde beauty was next. "Heya~! Nice to meet you all! My name is Mez. I won't bore you with many details, nor do I have any kind of notable background... So yeah, let's get along."
Well, Mez was certainly a nice name in Wave's opinion. Even the way she spoke felt like he was listening to a simple and friendly countryside girl with little regard to modesty. She greeted them with such a brilliant face that it was hard to look away from her smile.
Funnily enough, Sten was not the most intimidating. That title easily belonged to the second male of that group, one whose body was just a little bit less muscular, but he made it up in terms of height, appearance and the sheer weirdness he was giving off - honestly, why can't anyone one around him be normal?
"Hehehe, name's Ibarra. Let's drink wine together after this."
With how much bloodlust oozed off of him, Wave would pass on that invitation. Also, who the hell had to deal with this one for the General's test!?
Looking around, Wave felt a crushing sense of defeat upon realizing that aside from him, no one from his team looked hammered at all. Was his luck that bad?!
As for the last member, it was a woman with spiky dark hair and a loose kimono that was not properly closed in the middle. She barely gave them any attention.
"Suzuka."
With introductions made, Esdeath then brought them to a large clearing where Wave's soul newly jumped out of his body upon seeing a group of massive Danger Beasts.
"Oh? Been a while since I rode on an Air Manta." Dorothea mentioned casually, walking right past him and approaching the creatures without any fear. She gently caressed one of them, which hummed with satisfaction, moving its large body to carefully rub its face against her touch.
"Are we really going to ride on those? Why not just go with horses?"
"It's much faster this way, especially with how far west we're heading." Run also showed no fear as he and the others swiftly boarded the Danger Beasts, with him being the last one to climb aboard. Though he felt uncertain at first, Wave couldn't just remain behind while the others left. So, with no other choice and wanting to not be seen as a wimp, he went up there with a shaky heart.
"Whoa!" The Air Manta started to move as soon as it gained its stability, soaring through the air with its large wings flapping gently. With a single push, a great distance was crossed in mere seconds, with the wind rushing past their faces. Climbing and climbing further above till the ground beneath had turned into a tapestry of green and blue, other creatures, and even roaming herds of Danger Beasts that were migrating to the south, looking no bigger than ants.
"Wow, this is... "
He was in complete awe at the beautiful scenery before him.
"At this rate, it should be a matter of just a handful of hours before we reach our destination. From the look on your face, I take it you have never flown like this before?"
Realizing that Bols also looked quite calm with flying on something this big, it really started to sink in just how his current behavior potentially painted him as a country bumpkin to these people.
"I-I've used my Teigu to fly before during fights," he protested. "Just never had the time to take in the view when I did."
The journey itself, as mentioned earlier, barely lasted five hours before they reached their location. Passing across vast swathes of countryside and numerous small villages and what seemed like small towns compared to the Capital, they finally came upon a small city where, in the distance, one could see a temple-like building where a long line of people could be seen gathered in front of, waiting their turn to enter. The guards that stood near the gates immediately halted their duties and rushed ahead to welcome both the Jaegers and the Four Rakshasas.
Being who they were, they didn't have to wait long.
"Honored guests, welcome to the Path of Peace." A kind and peaceful voice came from the stairway. A middle-aged man with a bushy brown beard and slicked back hair appeared, wearing an eye-catching robe only worn by higher-ups of the cult. "It brings great joy to my heart to see the valiant soldiers of the Empire. Let's all get along nicely."
"Bolic."
The blue-haired woman just gave him a simple nod of acknowledgment.
"General Esdeath, what a pleasure to see the Empire's Strongest herself gracing us with her presence at our humble home. Please, don't just stay outside; come in, our Lord is waiting for your arrival and is most eager to see all of you. He wanted to greet you personally, but with recent developments, we figured that option best be avoided until things settled."
With that said, the group followed the man inside while Wave and the other Jaegers curiously looked around at all the famished-looking civilians lining up even inside the temple. Their numbers were easily in the thousands.
It did reassure the young man to see that, at the very least, there were still some good people present inside the Empire willing to help the unfortunate. After all the atrocities he had witnessed in the last few weeks, finding a glimmer of light amidst the ever-growing darkness was a welcome experience.
"You seem happy," Run commented, walking beside him.
"Why wouldn't I be? Just look at these people, finally finding a place where they can get some shelter and some food instead of starving on the streets. If the Empire can work alongside them for a mutual understanding, so many of our current problems would be resolved."
"It's quite easy to see things through a rose-tinted glass."
Damn it, there came what the man dreaded to hear. A metaphorical "but" where what he received as a wonderful thing turned out to be the complete opposite. Was it bad that he'd started to expect such things ever since he came to the Capital?
"Look closely."
Upon Run's advice, he did just that and started to take a deeper look unlike before. Sure, there was a line of people being fed and sheltered, but what lay beyond a hot meal and a roof or blanket? And he soon spotted something rather odd; anyone who had gotten their share would be directed to another room.
"Tell me, have you noticed anyone leaving since we came here?"
No... no, he did not.
With Stylish's recent incident, he had been pretty sensitive to such things and immediately began fearing the worst. But as if the blonde leader could see right through him, the taller man just chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "No, it's nothing like what you're imagining. Rather, this is just the cult's way of recruiting soldiers."
"What?"
"Unlike the lowest ranking soldiers at the Empire, who, despite being at the very bottom, at least still get paid a steady income and receive lodging and food. Those who come here are promised to be fed and sheltered along with their families, but they don't get paid until much later, and all of that still depends on their level of devotion to the cult. At least, that's what my own findings have shown."
"Oh, well, that's not so bad... I guess."
He expected to hear a horrible story of them being branded to forever serve this place and treated as slaves or something. But what he heard just now was not even bad at all! "Why the hell did you have to say it like that? I was thinking that doing some crazy, messed up things!"
Run chuckled. "I was not finished. Rather, it's not the way they recruit their soldiers that might disappoint you. But rather their relationship with the Empire. I'll tell you right now, it's not as friendly as you imagine. It is widely known that both the Lord who leads the Path of Peace and the crown do not exactly see eye to eye."
"Oh, I see rumors are still circulating about this topic," Bolic said, glancing behind while still maintaining his smile. "I can assure you, while we do have our differences, the Path of Peace and the Empire are still at their core allies. If one of us ends up being in danger, then the other has a duty to intervene and help them. You don't need to merely take my work for it; the Lord will speak of it himself, along with your current mission."
Upon walking through another large doorway, the group came upon a large empty space where, at the end, glancing at a giant painting depicting several kinds of Danger Beasts that Wave did not recognize, stood a beautiful woman. One whose gaze could easily make a man's heart waver from just a glance.
"Welcome, it has been years since I last saw you, General Esdeath."
Eh?
Were his ears playing a trick on him? That voice did not belong to a woman!
"It's a man," Kurome commented, giving him a dry stare. "You can stop gawking at him now."
"..."
Had the words come from anyone else, then he would not have immediately believed them. But since this came from Kurome of all people, a girl that didn't know a joke if it smacked her in the face, there was absolutely no way she was lying!
"You haven't changed a bit, I see. So rather than me being sent here to kill you after being labeled a traitor, mind explaining what could have possibly changed to have you come running back to us with your tail tucked between your legs, 'Lord'?"
Brutal. Even for the young general, no one amongst the Jaegers was expecting to hear Esdeath speak to such a gentle-looking man so brazenly. Though a handful amongst them remained unimpressed, given that they had gotten used to her behavior. Bolic and the Lord themselves did not seem to mind her choice of words, with the latter even letting out an amused laugh before continuing.
"And I cannot express just how grateful I am that you are willing to hear me out first," the Lord mentioned, continuing to exchange a few pleasantries with Esdeath, trying to ask more probing questions about both the Empire and the woman herself. Unfortunately, she did not give him much of an answer aside from silence or a gentle hum, leaving her opinion ambiguous. "I'll keep this short, but recently, our intelligence has uncovered a possible plot by the Revolutionary Army that indicates they might be targeting me."
That made Esdeath raise an eyebrow. "The Revolutionary Army? Weren't you and those people getting along quite well lately, enough that you were planning to overthrow the current emperor together?"
Overthrow what!?
To say it so openly startled Wave and put several members of the group on edge. Yet strangely enough, the Lord did not seem to be offended by those words and instead just continued to smile. "The Path of Peace and the Revolutionary Army only sought to create an alliance in order to help those who have suffered from famine and lack of shelter. I cannot speak for the Revolutionaries, but starting a war goes against our principles."
"You did not answer my question." Esdeath was not the least bit convinced.
"We are not the Empire. Your enemies are not necessarily our enemies, even though we are allies. Some prefer to keep a neutral stance, while the Revolutionary Army has taken its own stance toward the Empire. I'm just uncertain as to why they deemed me an obstacle. I even tried to contact them but received no answer."
'I suppose the Empire is not the only place that has to deal with corruption,' the former Marine thought, not having any personal deep-seated hatred for the Revolutionary Army or any personal reasons to dislike them. But that did not mean he trusted them, much less Night Raid, who were associated with them.
And those bastards had killed Seryu.
"We only require a temporary period of protection." Bolic stepped in and got their attention. "We are in the midst of gathering our forces, and after we have upgraded our defenses, our partnership shall end there. While we are grateful for the Empire's help, we do not plan on relying on your generosity forever. Once we are secure, we shall deal with our own problems."
While they continued to talk about details, Wave started to wonder if this meant that the Revolutionary Army would send Night Raid to complete this assassination mission against the Lord. If that were the case...
'This might be my only chance to end this, once and for all.'
"I hope she comes."
"Hm? Did you say something, Kurome?"
"..." The girl kept her silence, going inside her nearly emptied bag and finding barely anything left of her sweets. "I'm almost out..."
Seeing the perturbed look on her face, he could not tell if what flashed across her eyes was anger or fear. The more he thought about it, the more suspicious these candies felt. He had dealt with people suffering from addiction, but for her, it felt like there was something much deeper going on with those things.
As for Esdeath, she stepped past him, lightly tapping his shoulder as she did. A faint smile touched her lips. "I forgot to mention it earlier, but congratulations. You're the second one who managed to turn the tables and gain the upper hand against Honest's assassin. If that fight had continued, the victory would have been yours. You and Kurome have what it takes to become a Beast."
"-!"
He... did she...
That meant the others... oh...
So he was not the worst performing of the group after all. As for the Kurome part, he was not surprised one bit.
{Break}
-Night Raid Headquarters-
He was well aware that some people tended to have sharper intuition than the average person. Individuals who might not exactly be the smartest, yet somehow they tend to have a far greater sixth sense.
"Did something happen between you two?"
Though the one he expected someone to ask the question, Sheele was the last person that he expected the question. The bespectacled assassin asked him that question as soon as he arrived at the meeting room with a tilt of her head, glancing back and forth between him and the blonde lioness who was happily chatting with Akame and Tatsumi.
"Is there something in particular that makes you think that?" He neither denied nor confirmed her words. Instead, Emiya found himself more curious than anything else.
As Sheele continued to look back between Leone and him, he could practically feel her brain running at full speed like an overclocked computer, working heavily to come up with an answer.
"I don't know. Just a gut feeling, if that makes sense. It just feels like she's happier than usual, and I feel like you're the reason."
"Isn't she always happy? Maybe you only noticed it just now because of how hectic things have been recently."
"Ah... that's true. That makes sense." Somehow, she swallowed his words with little push back. He was expecting her to continue with another barrage of questions, check if he was lying, but she just nodded and went back to reading her book.
"...Is that it?"
"Yes."
"You don't have any questions about whether or not what I said was the truth? No doubts?"
"No."
"What if I was lying?"
"Oh... I didn't think about that."
"Then do you still believe what I just said?"
"Yes."
"..."
What a strange moment. Perhaps having dealt with people who were always stubborn in nature during both of his lives had altered his perception to some degree, and how he interacted with most people. Then again, this felt oddly satisfying, yet a faint presence of guilt still managed to affect him.
"Hah, you really should work on your ability to read through people's lies."
Sheele nodded, taking his words seriously. "I will try. I found several books that I believe will teach me how to do just that."
"..."
Sometimes he worried about these people and their survival.
Putting aside how likely she was to be led astray by simple words and how she'd managed to survive so far with such a personality, much less become an assassin, Emiya brought his attention back to Najenda, who leaned against her desk. She was holding a bunch of documents, the same ones she handed them yesterday, filled with information on every notable individual associated with the Path of Peace.
"Going in as a full group will not be a good idea. Our objective is just to assassinate the target, not engage in a full-on battle once again with whatever Imperial groups that were sent there to act as bodyguards. We can't keep being thrown into such an intense situation every time we target an enemy," the woman stated, tossing the papers onto her desk and crossing her arms. Her fingers tapping against her forearms, she seemed rather irritated today, but tried to hide it. "Just like we discussed before, a small group infiltrates the area, takes out the target before anyone realizes, and leaves. Acquiring any sort of proof or records that can add more to our earlier findings is a bonus."
"So that means I'm out?" Bulat asked. "Well, I can't really argue; without Incursio, my stealth capabilities are practically zero in my current state."
"We also can't afford to have operatives focus on both assassinating and collecting evidence at the same time."
"I agree, Leone. Which is why, rather than one group, I've decided we will send two small teams. One will be tasked with the assassination, and the other with information gathering. And thankfully, I already have a few names in mind." Her fingers were suddenly raised near her lips, the woman realizing only at the last second what she was doing; an old habit for a smoker. The irritated look on her face grew. "Ah... damn it all to hell. Okay, the assassination group will be composed of two individuals. Akame and Tatsumi."
"Okay," Akame nodded without any complaints or questions.
"Eh, me? Really?" As for the brown-haired boy, he was stunned to be even mentioned as someone who'd be entrusted with this mission. Excitement bloomed across his face, visibly energized by being trusted enough to be included. "I won't let you down, ma'am!"
Najenda smirked and continued. "Good. For information gathering... Leone, you know some of the converts over there that you say can help you get in easier, right? But are you sure they are trustworthy even after converting?"
A major risk when dealing with a cult is that such organizations tend to demand the total loyalty of their members. Trust remained a highly valuable luxury for people in this kind of work. Where even a single mistake easily led to one's death.
The blonde just waved her hand with a smirk. "It's not like they are doing it for free. And I've got blackmail on them as well in case they try something. Besides, this person may be a member, but he doesn't exactly have the best history with the Path of Peace; he's searching for his little brother, who disappeared in that place. Don't worry, boss, I wouldn't take such a risk without thinking it through."
At least she looked confident. That inspired the same feeling to arise within the others, and even Najenda. "Good, you will be accompanied by Chelsea. Your skillsets should complement one another in your mission, and this will also serve as a good opportunity for our newest member to get used to our dynamic and how we operate."
The new assassin had no complaints as well, agreeing by showing a peace sign and high-fiving Leone, who was more than happy with having her along.
"Wait, what about Emiya?" Mine mentioned, pointing out the one thing that surfaced in everyone's minds, even himself.
"I didn't forget about him. But do I need to remind you that we are a professional group of assassins who have completed dozens of missions in the past before he even came into the picture? It is a big mistake if we start to rely on one person for everything. We are not that incompetent, and it is high time we showcase what we used to be capable of. I hope you don't mind that, Emiya."
"No problem with me."
Of course, everyone held their own opinions on the matter. Whether it be Akame, Leone, Tatsumi, or even Mine. It would be a lie to say that his presence did not give them a sense of confidence or even comfort, that if things were to go completely south, he would be there to protect them even from the likes of Esdeath herself. But on the other hand, they all couldn't bring themselves to disagree with their leader; relying too much on one individual was not a good approach.
If they couldn't even accomplish a single mission without him, then calling themselves assassins would be a complete joke.
"Alright then, I have already arranged to have a group of domesticated Springers available for transportation. If you leave now, you all should arrive at your location by this evening. Can't risk you all being spotted by taking the flying route; this operation is to be as covert as possible. That is all, you are all dismissed."
As everyone started to leave the room one by one, Najenda turned her gaze towards two individuals in particular and called them out. "Hold on, both of you stay behind. I have some other matters I want to discuss with you privately."
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.
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"Had a change of heart?"
He figured there was more going on in Najenda's head when she made those choices and just waited for her to eventually call him or relay the message when no one was listening. However, he did not expect Sheele to also be included in this matter.
"Not really, I already made my decision last night, but I want to keep this matter secret from the others so that they may be able to focus on their duties without needing to rely on you."
"But you're worried that in the end, I'll need to intervene regardless."
"Yes," she answered without a hint of hesitation. "I trust their abilities and their strength. I paired them up specifically with people who may be able to help them to escape should things take a turn for the worse."
"In a way, the actual one on whom this entire mission relies to go smoothly without any incidents is Tatsumi."
"Yes."
Good choice. Emiya could say with certainty that the most versatile and useful Imperial Arm in this entire group belonged to that boy. When used properly, he could easily become their most lethal and dangerous assassin. Even if Akame had a sword that could kill anything with just a single cut, Sheele had her Extase, which could supposedly cut through anything, and even Leone's Lionel, which boosted her physical attributes to a ridiculous degree, all of them had their limits.
"The Four Rakshasa Demons are not exactly the kind of group that requires your presence. They are an assassination team trained to serve Honest alone, the very elite of his servants. But they don't possess any Teigus, as far as I'm aware at least. So everything should go smoothly."
She then turned her attention to Sheele, the latter having kept her silence the entire time and standing there awkwardly. "I initially wanted to send Mine with you. But with her current state, she can't walk long distances, or run for that matter. Bulat still needs to recover, and Lubbock has to keep watch on our base here so that we don't get caught off guard like last time."
"That's fine. I can handle it."
Speaking of her Imperial Arm, Emiya focused on the one within his Reality Marble. Wondering if both halves of the scissor could be separated and used as dual swords. But with its ridiculous size, there was no advantage to using it in that way unless he used alteration to change it up a bit.
"I'll be in your care, Emiya."
"Same for me. Hopefully, we won't need to intervene."
With that said, the girl walked away from the room, leaving both siblings alone as an awkward silence soon befell the scene.
"You slept with Leone, didn't you?"
A statement more than a question, one which he did not bother to deny, unlike with Sheele, who could be lied to very easily.
"I want to ask how you even know, but I'm afraid of the answer."
"Hmph, it's not that complicated. The fact that she's been smiling like that all morning and how her scent is all over you is proof enough."
Emiya raised his eyebrow at that. "Are you can smell her on me? I thought Lione was the one with the enhanced sense of smell because of Lionel. Should I be creeped out that my older sister is so aware of the way I smell?" He finished his sentence with a casual shift of his head to the right, right as an object went straight past him and broke against the wall. "Someone is angry."
"Wow, what could have possibly given you that idea?"
He shrugged casually. "Who knows. I have been told that I have an acute sixth sense, similar to a woman's intuition."
"Then your sixth sense better be capable enough to give you an answer as to why I'm pissed. Or else I'll be throwing my collection of glass orbs at your head as target practice."
Definitely irritated, more so than usual. He wondered if not smoking had any effect on enhancing that temper of hers. Perhaps allowing her to smoke once in a while wouldn't be a bad idea, let her slowly wean of it. Still, he sighed and leaned against the wall.
"There is not much to it. She came over, wanted to talk with me about how things are currently, over some wine. I accepted her offer, we talked, drank, and things went how you would imagine after that. If I had to guess, you're worried that she will get too attached to me and take unnecessary risks, or I will take unnecessary risks."
Just the way her eyebrows rose, and she clearly wanted to throw another object at him, but refrained from doing so, was more than enough to tell him that he was right on the money.
"You are already a lost cause who will put himself at risk to save a random stranger. Let alone Leone. I'm more worried that she might become like you. This is a dangerous job where any misstep will result in death," she said, massaging her temples with an air of exhaustion settling around her. "I've lost enough people already. I don't want to add more to the list. Especially you."
"I'm not that easy to kill. All of you should know this by now."
"You don't get it, do you?" the woman snapped at him, leaving him momentarily at a loss for what she was trying to say. "We don't care that you are powerful enough to cheat death. No matter how resilient you are, no matter how weirdly your powers work, in order to stitch yourself back together after getting blown up. The mere fact that you are in danger and could get hurt is enough to motivate anyone who cares about you to come to your rescue, Emiya."
"That's-"
"Illogical? Stupid? A waste of time?" She cut him off and finished his predictable answer. "Welcome to real life. I've come to an understanding that, despite being pretty damn wise, you are astonishingly stupid when it comes to the mere idea that other people care about you just as much as you care about them, if not more. For some reason, that notion just does not stick with you."
These words felt familiar, for he had heard them several times in the past. His mind went blank in that brief moment, as several memories intertwined with one another. Different faces, different hair, different points, people at varying points in their lives and his, whether it be young or old - saying those exact same things to him. Those whose faces he could not even remember, those who did not even have any reason to care about him, those that had turned their backs on him and those who were foolish enough to die for him.
Not that he did not understand where their feelings came from. He was not blind or a wall incapable of eventually understanding them. But he truly felt like those kinds of worries and emotions being directed towards him were just unnecessary and a waste.
"Especially with what happened just now. I suspect that she's not the only one who worries about you, more specifically, those who saw the state you were in. We can't have you experience the same thing again because you were incapable of protecting yourself."
"..."
"But I also can't stop you. We already had this conversation, so I won't bore you with it," she said with a self-deprecating chuckle, turning her attention to the window. "Also, Leone? I'm kind of surprised it was her. I was under the impression that you were incapable of getting interested in women. I was even starting to wonder if you actually had a thing for men."
His eyebrow twitched. "Just because I did not necessarily show open interest before does not mean I swing the other way."
"On multiple occasions, you were in hot spring baths with Esdeath and myself, both of us naked, and you couldn't have cared less. You know how many guys - and girls - would kill to be in your position? Then again, there was that one time where I'm pretty sure you got har-"
"-Anyways! Looking past the fact that we are technically siblings, they were just that, a bath. And I doubt Esdeath was thinking the same thing like you back then. She had no feelings towards me, and even if she did, I wouldn't have accepted them."
As he said that, memories of their time on the island resurfaced and nearly made him pause and cough right there. Then again, he was not lying; the Esdeath of that time differed greatly from the Esdeath on the island...
'Hn, what a joke. I don't even trust my own words.'
"No interest? You're an idiot if you believe that. She once mentioned something to me about the kind of requirements her lover would need to have in order to help her repopulate the Partas Clan... And she did mention that if in the end no one were to appear that fit all of her requirements, then she would just grab the strongest man she could get her hands on and have him put babies in her. Guess who topped the list in that category for strongest?"
"Who knows, Grand General Budo happens to be quite powerf-"
Crash!
Another orb flew right past him and shattered into thousands of pieces behind him.
"Right, nevermind."
No point in trying to deny it.
Why was he not surprised that Esdeath would say that? Given that at that point, every other living soul were terrified in approaching her, , given how unpredictable she could be, and the few that did, barely met her standards. There was only one male in her life she considered herself close to. "What an honor. I am so pleased to hear that," he said dryly, making Najenda chuckle.
"I imagine a bunch of little redheads, or white-and-blue-haired brats running around creating chaos everywhere by summoning a freezing rain of swords. That's a terrifying image."
Emiya rolled his eyes at that, knowing full well that she was just trying to get under his skin. "Going back to the previous topic with Leone, you don't have to worry too much. I told her my intentions of how things would be between us, which was something similar to what you've mentioned, and she shared hers with me. She didn't do it just to seek anything long-lasting, just think of it as a one-off thing."
As soon as he said that, Najenda gave him a strange look. "The way you are wording it makes it sound like this is not your first time with something like this."
Because it technically wasn't...
"It's not anything complicated. We both know the risks and the potential issues that may arise from this if we're not careful. We acknowledge them and are taking the proper approach to keep things uncomplicated."
"Don't tell me all this time you were traveling around the continent, you were philandering with a bunch of loose hussy's across the Empire," she continued, her gaze on him changing into something more filled with disbelief and annoyance. "I did not raise you like that."
"Pretty sure that it was the other way around. I was the one that was usually taking care of you and your dad. And Esdeath too, I suppose.," he said, crossing his arms, before letting out a sigh. "In any case, no, I did not go around the continent sleeping with other women. So get that thought out of your mind."
"Humph, whatever. Regardless, just stay safe." She then passed him a note, and on it he saw a location where he realized a separate pair of Springers had been prepared for himself and his partner.
With that said, he walked out of the room where Sheele waited for him on the other side of the door.
"Get your things, we'll leave in a bit after the others have departed."
{Break}
"That guy definitely went around the continent sleeping with lots of other women. HeThat was way too damn good for it to be his first time doing it."
Already outside Outside of the hideout, four of Night Raid's members left for their mission, taking the Springers prepared for them - creatures capable of traveling great distances faster than even the most well-bred horses, doing so with little sound with each step they took. While thinking about the mission ahead of them, Tatsumi and the others heard Leone mutter this phrase under her breath.
"Eh?"
"Oh, don't mind me. Just thinking about something unimportant. Or rather, I guess it is important, since that technically means he lied to me? There is no way he is that good if it was his first..."
The boy had no idea whatsoever what the self-proclaimed playful big sister of Night Raid was talking about at all, looking towards Akame for explanation, only to realize the girl was completely submerged in her own train of thought.
Namely, she was poking the creature underneath and whispering to herself. "This should be edible and tasty, if he cooks it."
"-!"
The creature nearly stumbled to the ground, as if it had understood the danger riding on its back. It even gave Tatsumi a pitiful look, as if pleading with the human to get him away from this woman and not let her eat him.
"Sorry, bud, can't help you much here," he said with a strained smile until Leone spoke again.
"From here on out, we will head to the city where the Path of Peace headquarters is located together. But before we get too close, it would be best if we split ways. My informant will be present in another location. I hope you all are up to date with the mission so far?"
"Yeah, we get in, kill our target, and leave," he said, earning a thumbs up from Akame. "The tricky part will be to get inside. I can teleport anywhere within a short distance, but if it's too far, I'll be required to set up a mark there, and that could be tricky."
"We won't need it to get inside. Leave that part to me and just keep pace. You will only need to use it when we are done with our target and need to retreat." Akame added.
"Understood! Ah, hold on... are we going after Bolic or the other guy? What was his name?"
"No name. He's just called the Lord. He's something of a Danger Beast hybrid," answered Leone. "At least, the Revolutionary Army believes him to be the one behind this. But we also have a suspicion that this Bolic guy may be connected to the Empire and has a heavy hand in this, so we can't count him out, which is why we will need to rely on what information we can gather and find out who is truly the mastermind that needs their skull caved in. While we go inside to gather together with the information, you two will be responsible for locating our potential targets. Once it's clear who's pulling the strings, you kill them and get out of there as soon as possible."
The plan sounded simple enough. He still carried a few concerns, but they came from nerves more than doubt. This marked his first real mission centered on assassination, and that alone kept his thoughts unsettled.
Leone kept up a steady stream of chatter during the journey, her easy grin preventing the mood from sinking too low or getting awkward. As they drew closer to their destination, however, her voice faded. The air grew tighter with each step until silence settled over all of them. The western region of the Empire did not stretch very far before one had to delve into territory that had only been conquered from tribespeople mere years ago. And their target location fit the definition of a city, but only barely so, especially compared to the likes of the Capital.
To avoid recognition, the four of them wore cloaks. Leone and Chelsea split off to meet her informant, disappearing into a side street without a word. Their Springers were left behind in the forest, with the group traveling on foot from then on.
Akame and Tatsumi moved straight toward the primary target. Before long, they reached the main gates. A long line of civilians shuffled toward the entrance in an orderly stream, one after another passing through the city entrance, with a great many continuing on toward the temple.
"We'll blend in with them. Once we're past the gate, we slip away and use the crowd to stay out of sight. Then you teleport us inside, or at least over the wall. Can you manage that?"
"I can."
He answered without hesitation, eyes scanning every face in the crowd. Searching for anyone familiar, whether from past encounters with the Imperial military, or worse, a member of the Jaegers. With their luck, running into that group would not be surprising.
"Is it normal for this place to be so crowded? They just keep coming. It feels like the city can barely contain them all."
Seeing the desperate people, many of them showing signs of starvation and diseases, or wounds from their travels to the temple.
"They must be refugees from the northern lands," Akame said, everything finally clicking in place for Tatsumi, who recalled what had happened to that region not too long ago. A heavy sensation settled in his chest as he looked back at the heartbreaking scene; people who had lost their own and were now forced to seek shelter with what was basically an ally of the Empire, who took everything from them.
"Was it not mentioned that the Northern clans had evacuated long before General Esdeath arrived? Their prince is even a leading figure in the Revolutionary Army."
"Yes, those were the most likely to be killed and captured by Esdeath's forces. But the Northern lands are a vast territory, and some people living on the edge or away from all of this would not risk staying in the land like that, especially with Esdeath's army devouring so many of the region's resources during their invasion. So they left of their own accord. Not all of them are from the Northern lands either, some might be from the more central or southern parts of the Empire who came here just to get food and shelter."
"I see..."
He truly felt helpless. If he and his friends had not been able to seek the necessary aid for their village, would they also have followed the same path as these people and come here to join a cult in order to obtain refuge? Then again, he was thankful that the village still had a year of supply left. With the Revolutionary Army promising to spare some supplies in exchange for his work in Night Raid, his worries were greatly reduced compared to before.
While he was contemplating such details, a particular voice reached his ears.
"Anyone who needs emergency medical attention, please raise your hand! We cannot treat all of you at once, so we must prioritize those who need it immediately!"
Not far from the line, a man with dark-blue hair and a naval uniform shouted until his voice carried across the open space, his voice rough from strain. Beside him, a young but annoyed black-haired girl moved with sharp gestures, waving a group of civilians toward another entrance with little patience. Several people who were badly injured followed their directions, some limping heavily while others could barely stay upright. A few were still bleeding through torn clothes, staining bandages that had already been used once. The blue-haired man stepped in to support those who could not walk on their own, placing an arm around their shoulders and urging them forward without slowing the flow of people behind them.
'They are here as well!?'
The thought filled him with dread, unwelcome and heavy. At this point, he could not help but wonder if they were simply cursed with terrible luck. No matter where they went or what the situation demanded, the Jaegers always seemed to appear at the worst possible time. Whatever force guided coincidence seemed to enjoy placing them directly in his path.
"Careful. Do not act suspiciously. Blend in with the crowd."
Akame whispered the words close to him, her fingers closing around his wrist with enough pressure to ground him. It was not painful, but it carried a clear reminder to steady himself. Her eyes stayed forward as she spoke, scanning the crowd rather than looking at him directly.
"Weird. The report only mentioned the Four Rakshasa Demons, not them. This must have been a last-minute decision. Or we were misled."
If that was true, then the situation had escalated far beyond what they had prepared for. The presence of the Jaegers changed everything, from viable escape routes to the smallest movement they could make.
"We should leave and inform the others."
She shook her head slightly, dark hair brushing against her cheek. "No. If you leave now, it will look suspicious. Even more so if you teleport. They will notice immediately. We have no choice but to stay here and hold our position. Make sure they do not discover us."
That was easier said than done, especially when the image of that general crossed his mind. Even remembering that terrifying woman brought back a sense of pressure in his chest. As he considered every possible outcome, another thought slipped in, quiet but persistent.
'Should I try to tell them about Seryu?'
He had been thinking about it even before leaving headquarters. He refused to believe that all of the Jaegers were heartless enough to accept what had been done to that woman or support how far Stylish was willing to go just to claim a victory. Still, he did not expect them to suddenly abandon their loyalty or turn against the Empire on the spot. He had tried something similar before, and it had nearly cost his team their lives.
He wanted them to start to doubt. If even one of them began to question the Empire or hesitate before following orders, it could change things later. Not because he begged or forced the idea onto them, but because they reached that conclusion on their own.
'No. This is not the time.'
They were here for an assassination mission, nothing more. Letting his emotions guide him now would only endanger everyone involved. If an opportunity appeared naturally, he would take it. Until then, he would not chase it and risk the entire operation.
With that decision made, his breathing steadied. He stayed in line, shoulders slightly hunched, keeping his head low enough to avoid recognition. The noise of the crowd covered his movements, footsteps blending together into a dull rhythm.
Then Akame spoke again, her voice low but firm.
"We should follow this group."
"What?"
His eyes widened before he could stop himself. "That group is for people who are badly injured and need immediate treatment. If they realize we are not injured at all, they will figure out who we are. That will put us in serious trouble."
"I know," she replied calmly. "But with the Jaegers here, we will not be able to slip away easily anymore. We need to be somewhere they cannot watch us, even if it is only for a short time."
As more of the crowd began moving toward the entrance Wave was directing them to, their exposure only increased. Any chance of quietly disappearing would vanish the moment the flow of people thinned out. It was a risk, but it was the only option left.
He clenched his jaw and followed, allowing himself to be carried forward with the injured. With every step closer to Wave, his heartbeat grew louder in his ears, fearing that they would recognize them at any moment. Eventually, the Jaeger stood right beside him, giving Tatsumi and Akame a quick look over with a frown apparent on his face.
'Shit, did he find out?'
"I don't see any injuries on you. Are you sure you can't wait in the main line?" Fortunately, it was not what he feared, and Wave asked something else entirely to which he was first to answer.
"N-No... internal bleeding... hm! E-Encountered an Earth Dragon along the way... P-Please, I-I don't want to die." He strained his voice as much as possible to make it unrecognizable. Biting his inner lip hard enough to draw blood, he coughed it out with a mix of spit. All while practically shaking in his shoes with the fear that perhaps he hadn't done enough. Thankfully, fate was not so cruel, and Wave immediately bought his story.
"Ah, forgive me, I should have known. Quickly, go inside, before it's too late! There should be doctors who will be able to help you!"
He really hoped Stylish wasn't among said doctors.
With the path cleared, Akame and he went inside, entering the building right in time to finally be away from the Jaegers' gazes, reaching a place packed to the brim with hundreds of individuals. Taking this opportunity to slip by, both assassins found an empty spot, away from the crowd, with Tatsumi already knowing what he had to do, and he did so without wasting a second.
With Shambhala in hand, both vanished and reappeared this time in a completely different room.
"Finally!"
To finally be away from prying eyes was an immense relief that could not be put into words. With their disguises no longer needed, they got rid of them, and Akame swiftly took the lead, Tatsumi following her as she made her way to platforms leading them to the rooftops and using the strange decorations as platforms to avoid the ground as much as possible and any posted guards around.
"This place feels a bit too deserted, don't you think so? Do they know we're coming?"
If there were Jaegers outside, there should be more on the inside, along with the four Rakshasas. Yet aside from standard guards, he saw none of them anywhere.
"Only one way to find out. That should be the main temple; both our potential targets should be inside," the black-haired Assassin said as they reached a rather luxurious-looking building with an ornate door. Doing the same thing as before, the pair teleported to the other side with his help. Even though it was only his second time using it, he already started to feel the secondary effects of his energy depleting with each subsequent teleportation.
"Ah..."
But as they arrived within the room, what they would be greeted by was not the sight of the leader patiently working in his study or relaxing on the sofa; what they saw could be described as walking into a crime scene. Where a headless body just lay on the ground, right as those two came in.
"Isn't that..."
Akame nodded. "We got here too late."
Add that moment, and the bad sensation within his guts grew tenfold. His entire being was telling him to leave that area right then and there, only for Akame to bring him back to reality with another squeeze of his wrists.
"We will need to inform Leone. This might actually be a trap. I also don't see any of the Rakshasas."
He agreed with her entirely; it felt like they had just stumbled in the middle of a betrayal they had no hands in!
'Why can't it just be a regular assassination mission for once?'
---------------
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Taimanin with 3, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.