Tatsumi gazed intently at the destroyed headquarters of the bandits, as Esdeath's voice echoed from behind him.
"Tatsumi, I will be the one to train you personally. You don't need to admire them, because you will become even greater than that."
Tatsumi, of course, held no admiration for the Jaegers; he was trying to memorize every detail of the team to report back to Night Raid if he could manage to escape.
"You're... actually quite kind, aren't you?"
"I'm not like the impression you had of me, am I?"
Esdeath placed her hand over her heart, feeling it throb intensely, and lowered her face slightly.
"To be honest, this is the first time I've experienced this feeling. The feeling of being in love."
"It seems it's not bad at all."
Tatsumi looked at Esdeath's slightly flushed face, and a thought that seemed far-fetched suddenly crossed his mind.
"Is it possible... to convince her to join our side?"
"This person is too brutal and bloodthirsty, she has committed terrible acts. But she could atone for them if she helps the Revolutionary Army overthrow the Empire!"
"Alright! I'll try to persuade her tonight!"
"It's time to show some manly spirit!"
Tatsumi was burning with determination, but when he was "dragged" onto the bed by Esdeath, that resolve began to wither. As she was bathing in the room right next door, his fighting spirit turned into a mixture of embarrassment and... nervousness.
Under the shower, Esdeath stared blankly at the empty wall in front of her, droplets of water tracing the perfect curves of her body—a body tempered through countless battles.
Tatsumi knelt on the luxurious bed, only daring to look down, not even glancing toward the bathroom door.
"How on earth did I end up in this situation?"
Something was stirring within him, which Tatsumi immediately suppressed. He slapped his cheeks lightly, trying to regain the "fighting spirit" from earlier.
"This is not good, not good! If I stay this tense, I won't get anything done! I need to persuade her to join our side!"
"Just like that... I'm a man!"
"I won't be tempted!"
Click!
The bathroom door opened. Tatsumi turned his head to look, and his face instantly turned red.
Esdeath wasn't wearing her usual military uniform but was dressed only in a white shirt that reached her thighs. The buttons at the front were undone, revealing her ample chest and the black mark in the center. Her appearance was incredibly seductive, especially to a young adolescent like Tatsumi.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting."
"No... not long at all!"
His poor "fighting spirit" vanished once again. Tatsumi felt his nose grow warm, as if blood were about to spurt out at any moment.
"Would you like something to drink?"
"Ah... no! No need..."
"Hmm, are you nervous?"
Esdeath sat down beside Tatsumi, leaning in close. He was utterly flustered, his limbs flailing awkwardly. She looked directly into his eyes.
"You really are quite cute."
"Truth be told, I don't really know what to do in this situation either. But I'm certain we'll figure it out if we just let our instincts guide us."
Tatsumi calmed down slightly and took a deep breath, concentrating his "fighting spirit" for the third time.
"Uh, hey, I have something to ask you."
"Esdeath, you like me, don't you?"
Phut!
Esdeath immediately leaned forward and kissed Tatsumi. It was so sweet and passionate that his vision spun. By the time he realized it, he had been pinned down onto the bed by her.
"If I didn't like you, I wouldn't have done that."
"Then... could you listen to a request of mine?"
"Oh? What is it? Tell me. Speak clearly so I can hear you."
Tatsumi pretended to hesitate; he obviously couldn't directly say he was a member of Night Raid and then invite her to join. He didn't even want to think about the consequences of that. He had to lead into it gradually so Esdeath would understand.
"You know, I really hate the capital."
"It's not unusual for many people to feel that way. So, what about it?"
"If there's a fight to be had, I want to fight for that cause! To tell you the truth, I'm planning to join the Revolutionary Army."
Esdeath grew silent. Tatsumi continued.
"Would you be willing to fight alongside me in the Revolutionary Army? The casualties and losses would be greatly reduced."
"Tatsumi..."
Slap!
A stinging slap landed on Tatsumi's cheek, leaving him stunned. Esdeath's face had turned icy, her furrowed brows indicating her anger.
"What on earth are you thinking, saying that to a General of the Empire?"
"I know what I'm saying sounds absurd, but if it stays like this... we'll be enemies!"
Esdeath suddenly leaned down, using her tongue to lick the red mark on his cheek from the slap. Her face immediately returned to a gentle expression, as if the coldness from a moment ago had been a mere hallucination.
"You don't have to worry about that, Tatsumi. All you have to do is stay by my side."
She embraced him, and Tatsumi fell silent. He didn't want to reject this warmth, but this person was destined to be an enemy of Night Raid.
"I know you've suffered a lot in the past. But from now on, I won't let anything harm you."
"I won't love anyone else; you are the only one for me, Tatsumi. I won't let you feel lonely."
It was truly, truly very warm, but he already had a place that sheltered him; there, he didn't feel lonely either. Everyone there, including himself, was striving toward a common goal. Therefore, he couldn't agree.
"I... I'm very happy that you treat me this way. But it's not right."
"That would only be happiness for myself alone."
"You mean your family? I'll place them under my protection."
"It's not that. It's... a nation where everyone can be free and no one is trampled upon. But as long as this empire exists, it can never happen!"
"Tatsumi..."
"You understand, don't you?"
"No."
Esdeath showed a look of confusion.
"I cannot understand the feelings of the weak. The law of nature is that the strong survive and the weak perish; the weak are eliminated through natural selection. It is only natural that they are killed."
"I could never love someone with that way of thinking!"
Tatsumi gritted his teeth, stood up angrily, and threw his arm out. Esdeath said she couldn't understand the weak, and he couldn't understand her way of thinking either.
"If you truly have feelings for me, I beg of you to change your principles!"
Esdeath wasn't angry; instead, she blushed, because his strong display at that moment was too beautiful in her eyes.
"However, that will not happen. I will be the one to change you, Tatsumi. You won't change me; our positions must not be reversed."
Esdeath also stood up and pointed her finger directly at him.
"That is the only possible outcome."
"Do you want to possess me? I won't be conquered! Even if you torture me."
Tatsumi closed his eyes and crossed his arms, while Esdeath smirked.
"You're quite stubborn, aren't you?"
She thought back to this morning when Tatsumi had finished off his opponent and smiled—that smile was etched into her heart. It was like a curse, making it impossible for her to forget.
"But that is exactly why he has a smile like that."
"I want to... see it one more time. This emotion... I want to monopolize him."
"In that case..."
Esdeath stopped talking about that issue and shifted to what should have been the main topic of the night.
"Anyway, I'm sure you're quite tired. We'll discuss that later. For now, let's get some rest."
"Then... then... then... I'll go sleep on the sofa..."
Tatsumi was nervous, cautiously trying to slip away from the bed, but he was immediately caught by Esdeath.
"I won't do anything, so sleep in the bed with me."
"I... I need to take a shower first!!"
"There is one thing I want to say: if you try to escape, it's equivalent to a death sentence. So don't do anything foolish."
"Under... understood..."
Tatsumi froze, then slumped dejectedly. He obediently opened the bathroom door and walked in. Esdeath smiled, looking up at the moon through the window.
"Perhaps I should have told him to bathe together."