Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prologue (Updated)

Blooms of colourful light filled the evening sky.

A day of celebration, in memory of a fallen hero of the Empire.

Many celebrated for what he had done and what he achieved. For he had once saved their home from certain doom. 

In another time, in another age, a ferocious throng known simply as The Golden Horde descended from the East. Lead by their tyrannical king they ravaged across many lands till their path of damnation leads them to The Empire. 

In this time, The Empire experienced a political war between rivals vying for the position of prime minister. It was from this peril, that a young man rose in their squabble and took the position of minister.

A means to an end, using his position to cease all fighting. He removed those he deemed dangerous to The Empire and reorganized the long-outdated army of the second age.

Once done, he raised his armies and marched against encroaching Golden Horde, defeating them at the battle of the Nirvana Valley.

In the end, he would spend the rest of his life living in peace with his family until he died.

Since that day, the citizens of The Empire celebrated this day that this single man protected their home. 

They do not celebrate it in the day but rather at night. It is said that the hero preferred to be active at night than during the day.

Hence, on this night in towns and in villages, the people celebrated. They paraded through their streets, waving banners of old and sparkling sticks. 

Kids ran about smiling, playing with one another. They danced and pranced down the streets, bringing happiness and joy to all those participating.

Shop stands stood, scattered across towns and villages, although more in towns than in the villages. This time of year has presented many with opportunity for money. 

Traders and vendors stood behind their respective stands, selling many items to the celebrants such as sparklers, jewellery, food, clothes and many more.

Not all though celebrated this Hero's day. Those who didn’t participate, instead, they slumber peacefully in their homes.

They sleep away, comfy in their beds, dreaming sweet utopias and fantasies. Ignorant of the events transpiring outside. 

Their decision for not participating varies from person to person. Perhaps, we’ll never know. 

Amongst those celebrating in the streets is a young ten-year-old boy accompanied by his Father. 

Brown eyes looked around in uncontained excitement, marvelling at the spectacles transpiring all around him. 

“Looks amazing ain’t it, Tatsumi?” The Father asked him. Tatsumi nodded excitedly. 

“Hahaha, you’re really excited aren’t you?"

The Father looked around, finding his wife occupied with looking at the array of accessories on display. From the looks of it, she looked indecisive. 

"Can say the same for your mother. Tell you what?" 

He reached into his pocket and handed Tatsumi some coins. 

"You go on and find something nice for your mom, I'll keep an eye on her, how about that?"

"Sure dad!" Tatsumi happily replied. 

"Just be sure to stay within my sight please," His Father said sheepishly. "Don't want to be cussed by your mother for leaving my view" 

With that, Tatsumi ran off eager to find something for his mother, whilst also keeping close to his Dad's vision. He looked around the different stalls, trying to find something appealing for his mother. Whilst looking around, he bought himself some bread to eat.  

As he explored, looking for the perfect gift, he noticed in the corner of his eye, in a dimly lit alleyway, someone, a hooded figure, sitting alone by himself. Curious and sympathetic for the lone individual, he approached the figure. 

“Umm, excuse me?” Tatsumi asked the figure. The hooded individual turned it’s to face Tatsumi, revealing mismatched gold and white eyes under the hood. “Are you ok?” 

The hooded man nodded. 

“It's uncalled for, but here's some food to cheer you up." 

Tatsumi reached out and offered some bread to him. The Hooded man looked at the bread, then looked back at Tatsumi. 

"Compassion without reason is an evil, feeling shame is another" 

Tatsumi tilted his head in confusion. 

"Well, that’s what that old man said to me in that place. But, I appreciate the kindness given" 

He took the bread from the young boy. Yet, rather than eating it, he instead placed it into his pocket. 

"As an appreciation for your kindness, I wish to give you something" 

"Eh, you don't need to give me anything" Tatsumi tried reasoning with the man. "You don't need to-" 

"Tell me, do you believe in wishes?" 

Tatsumi paused before nodding his head. "Yeah, I do" 

"Then what do you seek?" 

"Ummm" Tatsumi stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to say. 

The man chuckled. "It's alright if you wish not to say what it is, I understand. That is why, whatever your wish maybe" 

He reached into his other pocket and from it, he pulled out a black box and handed it to the young boy. 

"This will help you achieve whatever your desire" 

"What is it?" 

"Something that'll help you along the way" The man answered. “Trust me, you’ll need it for what’s to come”

“What’s coming?”

“Can’t say” the man shrugged. “I’m not from here, so I don’t know what’s going to happen, but, would you promise me something? It’s a simple one really” 

Tatsumi nodded.

“That you would not lose resolve, nor would lose your way. No matter the circumstances, no matter the challenges, the loses you’ll suffer, or the torment you’ll go through, you will stand firm. Can you do that for me?”

Tatsumi nodded, a look of determination on his face. 

Under his hood, the man smiled. “Good, guess my work is done in this world, never knew a collective conscious can work you to death.”  With that, he stood up. “Oh, and she can be quite a pain at times, with her whole girlfriend thing” 

“Huh?” Tatsumi tilted his head in confusion.

“Something to look out for in the future” The man replied. “Including one needing just a friend, pet her on the head and she’ll calm down, be sure to do some martial arts or else he’ll drill ya to death, and the last...she’ll need someone for support. The invasion of her homeland has twisted her into a cold individual, just look out for her. By the way, if you go over there” 

He pointed down the alleyway. 

“There’s a stand where they sell necklaces made of the finest seashells and other materials from the sea. Perhaps that’s a gift you’d like to buy for someone”

Tatsumi happily nodded. “Thank you so much, sir! I’ll treasure the gift you gave me!” with that, he ran out of the alleyway. The man chuckled, watching the young boy run out of the alleyway. 

“You better, they’re still people after all. Hopefully, you’ll be ready though, I’m not apart of what’s going to happen soon, but hopefully, you’ll be, and when you are maybe you can save this place from its own destruction, neu Erbe”

With that, a portal appeared behind him, and the hooded man disappeared from the World.

Chapter Text

To Kill the Darkness

I

(Rewritten - 30/01/21)

The world burned. It was hell incarnate. Screams of pain and despair filled the air. The desperation audible within each, crying for help, crying for anyone to save them. 

Their cries and pleads were overshadowed by the laughter and cackling of their perpetrators. Eyes filled with evil, with glee, joy and lust, as they committed atrocities upon their victims.

 All this viewed by lifeless eyes. He was powerless and weak. Unable to do anything to stop this madness, this debauchery-

This Evil . 

The clouds seemed to part, and upon the blackened sky was a red moon. A gaping maw that convulsed and pulsed as if it’s about to belch forth-

I̢̼̤̪̟͙̔̎ s̪̬̺͚͂ͦ͛̚ą̺̯͈̘̽ͣ̆ẘ̨̫ͮ̇̚͜͜ ą̴̠̜̰̐̇͆ b̴̵̲̖͚̞̾̉ě̮̯̰̃̒͛͝a̹͓̬̞̽͠͝ͅs̢̜̺̩ͮͦ̐͆t̴̡̬̤̙̩̻͞ ç̙̙̂́ͤ͛ͅǫ̧̛̬̙̝̖ͣṃ̣͕̩̠̜̽ͤi̢̭̜̣ͫ͗͊͜n̨̜̗̭̺̉̂́g̶̮̜̱͇̽̏ ő̟͙̭̍̈̓͛ų̮̯̘͚̦̇ͦt̨̪̺͔̅ͨͅ o̢̱̤̜̮̓̓̔f̫̞̗̙ͤ̈͝͞ t̸̢̳͔̣̲͍͂h̫̭̰̗̞̱̣͑ę̣̹̞̺̇̚͠ s̤̱̱̘ͤ͛̌͛e̴̩͔̭̪ͩ͂͜a̪̝̟̘͇̖͇̾

T̞̙̺̫͐͐̏͢ȟ̵̡̟̖̗̜̅e̲̐̈̒̂͆͝ͅ w̴̳̟̬̲̠̐͢ḩ̯̰͓̘͐ͭ͠ǫ̷̢̹̼̟̪̔l̢̪̬̺̎ͣ͂͛ę̹̙̯ͤͦ̽ͣ w̙̫͊̅̊̚͢͜ǫ̤̙̰̠̜ͨ̐r̵̴̰̜̲̖͂̾l̡͕̮ͤ̍̌̃͛ḏ̳͙̹͓̽͝ͅ w̭̜̠̺̌ͮ͛͆a̦̬̤̰̦̙̔͞ş͚͈̙̾̂́͛ f̢̨̩̣̬̙̆ͣį̣͚͕̩̊́̽ļ͈̭̐̇ͫ͗͜l̛̪̖̜̗̉̉̂ḙ̶̼̟̮̜̽ͅd̵̢̜̟͙̈́̋̍ w̮̮̭̘͚ͦ̇͛i̡̤̫̺͔̅͜ţ̢̥̱̤̓̓ḧ̯̫̜͕̞̗ͤ w̢̳̲͔̣ͫ̆͆o̷̫̭̮͎̗̞͋ṅ̵̛͙̪̣̹̚ď̨̼̞̱ͤ͛͛e̵̩̰͔̭̅ͩ͆r̨̪̤̥̘͇ͧ̾ à̢̫͙͈̍̎ͅn̘̪̭͇̎̏̑̅d̤̲̪͚͇͍͈̓ f̡̳͍̭͛̀͆o̥̟͔͐̾̋͛͡l͙͙̠̽̂̏͛͞l̻̲̲̠̃̔͢ͅo̫̞̞͓̺̱̱ͪw̱̤͇̠̲̒̓̏ę̟̬͔̫̘ͦ̃d̗̺̪͈͑͐͐̓ ţ̙͇̪̯̎̏ͫh̯̱ͭ̓̆͆͢͞e̼̟̹̝̙̍̾ b̨̺̖̜̠̋̽͝e̤͍̮̭͈͑̇̇a̰̣͇̭̻̽̉͞ş̡͕͚͑̌͞ͅṯ̣̩̹̻̰͛͛.̷̢̡̢̭̪͔͘ P̻͓̤̃͑̒͞ͅȅ̡̥̖͔̜̖̈ǫ̞̳̻̺̰̟͐p̲̞̣͔̲͇͎̓l̷̪̦̝̠̤̭̬e̵̡̦̗̗ͤͦ͞ ẉ̴̗̱̩̠̍ͥo̢̼̟͙̤̍̈́ͅṙ̸̡̭͚͕ͬ̽s̢̞̪͚ͣ͜ͅh̥̗͚̝̅̊͛͘i̝̬̖͚͗͛͝ͅp̧̜̹͈̫ͦ̈́̚e̻̹̗͈̹̽̒͑d̸̡̪̮̻̥̜ͨ t̨̪̩͙̰͒̓̍ḧ̯̭̙̲́̔ͤ͞e̯͎̝̦̺̒͒̏ d̜͈̠̰̹̋̇̊r̼̤̼̙͕͍̋ͅȁ̻̮̖̠͓̈́͜g̡̺̮͚̮̍͝o̞̥̻͕̻͍ͭ͌n̸̢̜̘̹͙͓̐ b̰̲̖͇̤̾̐̎e̥͎̯ͫ̅̅͆͝c̢̡̩̯̪͗͢͡ă̩̦͎̠̟ͬ̐û̸̹̳̹̝̺̫s̯̬͈̦̆̆͆͞e̢̫̥̘̘ͫͬ̇ h̷̸̝̦͍̍͢͞ë̦̫̻̠̲̇ h̫̺̮̺̭̊ͮͅa̧̢̮̘̗͛ͩͬd̠̝̠̭̺̎̏́ ģ͇̻̤̊̈́͒̔ḯ̟̺̘̦̲̞̂v̲̻̦͇̰͚̓͊e̻̺̳̟̺͢ͅͅṉ̶̸̢̞̹̱͒ a̹̬̤̟̖̒ͩǖ̡͎̩ͤ̓͜t̠̰̻̣̤̻̊͂h̯͙̻ͩͪ͜͠͝ȍ̷̹̭̗͛͜͜r̢̺͎̩̙ͫͥͦi̡̠̳̫̫̫͐̋t̶̢̨̩̜͂̔͝y̢̡̛̤̪͓͛͝ t̸̙̺͕͈̄͐ȯ̡̫̪̺̩̗͡ t̶̼̝͍̞͈̊ͅh̢̹̞̯ͨ͢͝ͅẹ̵̗̲͕͗ͨ͢ b̧̝͚̰̤͕̄̇e̷̲̜̱̖͇ͪ͠ą̷̢̱̜̜̐ͬs̨̻̥̬̱̓͘͢t̯͓͔̽ͬͥͫ͛,̢̝̫̪̓̏͆͝ a̼̱̖̠̱͛͢͝n̬͔̭ͥͩ̾ͦ͆d̸̮̯̟̝̊̆̚ t̛̲̻̰͈ͣ̃ͣh̴̡̡̪̱̩̎ͬe̩̯͈̻̓ͤ͝y̧̠͕ͭ̏͢͢͝ ȁ̻̝̋͜͠ͅͅl̬̰̻͈̥̂̔͠s̶̻͔̙͐̂ͤ͝o̷̧̟̯̜̱͘͞ w̨̡̜̻̞ͧ̽ͩo̢̮̣ͥͪ͆͞ŗ̡̼̱̜̟͚͛s̵̝̪̫̾͒͆͞h̝̞̺̭͌̔̐͆ỉ̴̶̡̪̲̝̺p̡̛̜͚̥͓͊ͪe̝͔̲ͥ̄͢͝ḏ̡̨͂͂̆͜ t̢̬̗̻̽ͫ̾͝ḩ̷̮̫̰͌̓͆e̡̡̞̹̹ͮ̔͂ b̨̩̻̜̳̟̘͞ę̵̹̠͈̓̉͝a̶̢̨̻͍͗ͭ͞s̡͍̜̣͗ͣ̎͝t̢̨̲͚̤ͩ́ͦ a̛͙͔͇̝̅̇̏n̡̜ͦ͆͛͘͜͝d̰̝̲̤ͧ̓ͣͅ a̠͎͛͐̄͜͜͡ṡ̺͙̘͔̲͞k̠̺͙̃̒̽͆͞e̴̸̪̫͚̻̰̹d̹̹̠̫ͧͥ͑̆,̥̭̥̻͈͋̃̅ “̯̯̬͎͚̍ͣ͋W̶̟̦͓̗̫̑ͅh̜̫͍̾ͤ̒͛ȏ̢̦̲̹̃̚ͅ i̳̥̭̖̠̜ͩ̒s̩͎̜̥͎̀͑̇ lͫ͛̓͛̚͜͞͝į̞̪͍̍͊͂͛k̝͓̙̘̰ͣ͊̉e̸̢̢̝̥͜͞ͅ t̴̥̫̠̙̞͂͞h̯̳͚̬͍̯̉͋ę̻̥̠̣̀͌͋ b̧͍̥̙̟̏̅e̫̙̘͌͗ͭ̅͝a̲̠̫̲̱ͪ̐͆ş̱̠̩̾ͫ͢ţ̤̪̖̻͈ͩ̽?̥̹̦̱̬̞ͤ͞ Ẅ̙̖̱́̆̈̈͛ḫ̸̵̗̣̄̇ͅo̰̜̻̟̹̓ͨͅ c̻̳͓̮̰̣̆͞ȧ̟̹̥͈͇͂̽n͍̗̥ͬ͒̆̅͛ w̫̺̟͍͇̏ͫ͡a̦̯̠̖͍ͫ͊͛ġ̢̥̹͓̩͔ḝ̰͈͇̊̐͢ ẃ̬̻̟̗̠͛ͅȧ̷̝̭̭̤̽͠r̨̹̠̊̓͊̀͝ a̢̰͍̫̮ͧ̇͝g̢̩̝̠̫͚̱̠ą̣̙̉̆ͣ͆͠i̵̢̡̟̼̖̙̝n̪̭̞̯̖ͧ̃ͣs̞̦̭̈́̾͜͢͞t̢̜̤̙͊ͨ͡͝ i̛̝̩̖͗͆͞͝t̸̞̙̠̅ͮͅ?̵̵̢̡̨̥̫̒”̢̳̖̫̰̽̏͗

 “̢̼̤̪̟͙̔̎W̪̬̺͚͂ͦ͛̚h̨̺̯͈̘̽ͣ̆ǫ̫̊ͮ̇̚͜͜ į̴̠̜̰̐̇͆s̴̵̲̖͚̞̾̉ ľ̮̯̰̃̒͛͝i̹͓̬̞̽͠͝ͅk̢̜̺̩ͮͦ̐͆e̴̡̬̤̙̩̻͞ ţ̙̙̂́ͤ͛ͅh̨̧̛̬̙̝̖ͣẹ̣͕̩̠̜̽ͤ b̢̭̜̣ͫ͗͊͜ę̜̗̭̺̉̂́a̶̮̜̱͇̽̏s̟͙̭̋̍̈̓͛ṫ̨̮̯̘͚̦ͦ?̨̪̺͔̅ͨͅ W̢̱̤̜̮̓̓̔h̫̞̗̙ͤ̈͝͞o̸̢̳͔̣̲͍͂ c̫̭̰̗̞̱̣͑ą̣̹̞̺̇̚͠n̤̱̱̘ͤ͛̌͛ w̴̩͔̭̪ͩ͂͜a̪̝̟̘͇̖͇̾g̢̪͈̟̠̍̎͠ę̨̭͇̯̑̅̅ w̪͍͈͔̓ͤ̈́ͅà̡̳̭͎̻͌͂r̟̟͔̺͕̋ͥ͡ â̠̺̯̏͛͡͡g̲̠̬̃̔ͭ͝a̡̞̞̻̱̱͆͘ȉ̱̜̠̲̗̈́͛n̨̟̬̫̘͎͍͛s̼̪͈̟̠͐̓̂ţ̢̪̯ͫ̇̈́͢ ĭ̯̱̟̓ͬ͢ͅt̼̺̝̙̞͕̾̎?̨̺̠͎̙̽́̈”̤̰̭͈̮̻̇͋

 “̢̼̤̪̟͙̔̎W̪̬̺͚͂ͦ͛̚h̨̺̯͈̘̽ͣ̆ǫ̫̊ͮ̇̚͜͜ į̴̠̜̰̐̇͆s̴̵̲̖͚̞̾̉ ľ̮̯̰̃̒͛͝i̹͓̬̞̽͠͝ͅk̢̜̺̩ͮͦ̐͆e̴̡̬̤̙̩̻͞ ţ̙̙̂́ͤ͛ͅh̨̧̛̬̙̝̖ͣẹ̣͕̩̠̜̽ͤ b̢̭̜̣ͫ͗͊͜ę̜̗̭̺̉̂́a̶̮̜̱͇̽̏s̟͙̭̋̍̈̓͛ṫ̨̮̯̘͚̦ͦ?̨̪̺͔̅ͨͅ W̢̱̤̜̮̓̓̔h̫̞̗̙ͤ̈͝͞o̸̢̳͔̣̲͍͂ c̫̭̰̗̞̱̣͑ą̣̹̞̺̇̚͠n̤̱̱̘ͤ͛̌͛ w̴̩͔̭̪ͩ͂͜a̪̝̟̘͇̖͇̾g̢̪͈̟̠̍̎͠ę̨̭͇̯̑̅̅ w̪͍͈͔̓ͤ̈́ͅà̡̳̭͎̻͌͂r̟̟͔̺͕̋ͥ͡ â̠̺̯̏͛͡͡g̲̠̬̃̔ͭ͝a̡̞̞̻̱̱͆͘ȉ̱̜̠̲̗̈́͛n̨̟̬̫̘͎͍͛s̼̪͈̟̠͐̓̂ţ̢̪̯ͫ̇̈́͢ ĭ̯̱̟̓ͬ͢ͅt̼̺̝̙̞͕̾̎?̨̺̠͎̙̽́̈”̤̰̭͈̮̻̇͋

"̟̗̜̠̜̅̓́W̸̠̯̒̂ͪ͆ͅH̴̟̭̲̠͍͙ͮO̴̧̲͓̘̱̲ͭ I̢̼̤̪̟͙̔̎S̪̬̺͚͂ͦ͛̚ L̨̺̯͈̘̽ͣ̆Į̫̊ͮ̇̚͜͜K̴̨̠̜̰̐̇͆E̴̵̲̖͚̞̾̉ Ť̮̯̰̃̒͛͝H̹͓̬̞̽͠͝ͅE̢̜̺̩ͮͦ̐͆ B̴̡̬̤̙̩̻͞Ȩ̙̙̂́ͤ͛ͅĄ̧̛̬̙̝̖ͣṢ̣͕̩̠̜̽ͤṰ̢̜̣ͫ͗͊͜ W̨̜̗̭̺̉̂́Ḫ̶̜̱͇̽̏Ő̟͙̭̍̈̓͛ Ċ̨̮̯̘͚̦ͦĄ̪̺͔̅ͨͅṈ̢̤̜̮̓̓̔ W̫̞̗̙ͤ̈͝͞A̸̢̳͔̣̲͍͂G̫̭̰̗̞̱̣͑Ę̣̹̞̺̇̚͠ W̤̱̱̘ͤ͛̌͛A̴̩͔̭̪ͩ͂͜R̪̝̟̘͇̖͇̾ A̢̪͈̟̠̍̎͠G̨̨̭͇̯̑̅̅A̪͍͈͔̓ͤ̈́ͅÌ̡̳̭͎̻͌͂N̟̟͔̺͕̋ͥ͡Ŝ̠̺̯̏͛͡͡T̲̠̬̃̔ͭ͝ I̡̞̞̻̱̱͆͘Ṯ̜̠̲̗̏̈́͛!̨̟̬̫̘͎͍͛!̼̺̝̙̞͕̾̎"̨̺̠͎̙̽́̈

"-ey! Hey! Hey kid! Wake up! We're here!" 

Brown eyes opened, its owner blinking multiple times before fully waking. 

"Not to sound like an ass, but this where we go our separate ways." 

"Ah, sorry about that," The kid apologised, slowly rising from his spot. He dusted his pants off, rising to a stand and stretching right afterwards.

"Like I said kid, everything is good. We can't thank you enough for saving us back there." the man assured him. 

"Whatever you're here for, I wish you the best of luck." The man gave a nod to the boy.

"And to you too, good sir." 

The man contemplated in silence, before prompting another question. 

"Hey, kid? I never actually asked for your name earlier, did I?"

The boy smirked. 

"Tatsumi." 

After bidding their farewells…

A thousand years have long since passed, and the grand nation known as The Empire remained the most dominant force within this world. Where all other nations would fall, The Empire would endure. When all were at war, The Empire stood at the top. None could compete. 

This grand nation began once as an idea - birthed from the mind of a young chieftain. Despite the challenges and trials that laid ahead for this young warrior, he left behind a nation that lasted countless generations. By his blood and tears, he left a dynasty that endured. By the chieftain’s will and through his descendants, The Empire shall remain. 

So his descendants did for the next thousand years. Those who came after the young chieftain kept the nation whole. While their efforts were applauded by many, they failed in all but in one regard. 

They have failed to stop the festering sickness, the horrid abomination, corruption, from growing. They failed to stop the darkness. It seeped into their subjects, took hold like a deadly parasite leeching off their host. Inevitably, it took hold of themselves. 

Their failure would damn countless generations, each falling to countless horrors and atrocities. 

Their incompetence is clear for all to see.

Everywhere he looked and went, Tatsumi could see the depressed and beaten expressions upon the people’s faces. He could see the defeat in their eyes, their pain and suffering at the hands of those responsible. 

They, who do not care for the suffering that they exhort to the people. They, who only care about their selfish desires. They, who are but the source of the people’s suffering, the evil that plagues this nation. This once great nation. 

To have this grand nation be reduced to this… mockery .

Whilst he thought, Tatsumi thanked a humble man at his stall for the ice cream as he resumed his walk once more. 

“I wonder if that young chieftain is rolling in his grave at the state of his Empire?”

He sighed, clearing his head of negative thought. He can reflect on it later. Right now, he had business to attend to. Yes, he had a job to do and unfortunately, it has had him here, in this accursed capitol. 

He’d rather be a nation away from this place than to ever walk its streets. However, he’s here now, and there’s nothing he can do to solve his problem. 

As he took small bites of his cold treat, he noticed a crowd up ahead. Curious of the source of the commotion, he got closer. He was greeted with a bloodstained, horrid sight.   

Chained strongly to a light post was a rotting corpse, with a gaping hole where his heart once was. The blood dripped onto the pavement, a crimson-stained pool at the base of the post. A fair number of enforcers or police were currently at work - some investigating for clues, some trying to untie the corpse from the light post and others ushering the crowd away from the scene. A roughly written sign hung around his neck. 

Charles Egremont. 

Guilty of child abduction and adultery. Punishable by death.  

The horrific display has gotten some people to speculate and discuss the man’s death or the heinous act done to him. Some were good, while others were bad. Tatsumi rolled his eyes at a few conclusions made by some people. 

“Just because he was committed to the Church doesn’t make him a good man.” Tatsumi scoffed in his mind. He finished eating his treat. 

“Then again, judging by this one’s death, he must have done some really bad stuff to make you do something as meagre as this.”

“Oi! Tatsumi? Is that you?”

Tatsumi was about to leave when he heard a familiar voice call him. He turned around and was greeted with the sight of a young man approaching him. He looked to be around his age, with white hair and green eyes. 

“Hey! Constantine!” he greeted back with a grin.

“Tatsumi, you son of a buck.” Constantine approached him. They instantly fist-bumped one another.  

“Been a while hasn’t it?” 

“A while? We were having that meeting a few days ago.”

“Yeah, but not physically you know,” he glanced from Constantine to the corpse. “I’m assuming that something happened… this definitely has your name written all over it.” 

Constantine chuckled, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. “Hahaha, you could say that...”

“Are you busy right now?” 

Constantine nodded. “Yep. We’ve been trying to find clues that could aid us in finding the murderer-”

Tatsumi shot an amused look at Constantine. 

“ ‘Finding’ the murderer...”

His friend rolled his eyes, a small smile forming on his face. “Ha, now, don’t be like that… it’s not like that...”

“Overworked?”

“...it’s a long story”

“We have plenty of time. I have all day and night. When are you free?”

“In an hour, and in terms of a place to chat, I know just the spot for that.”  

The Drunken Warrior

The Drunken Warrior was considered by the Capitol’s citizens as one of the city’s best bars. Founded by the Bartholomew family 50 years ago, their rise to fame came with the creation of their one-of-a-kind beer. It was an accidental creation; according to the family, they accidentally dropped a few ingredients into their batch, which resulted in their favoured drink.

Thanks to its fame, it has become a rather busy establishment. The exorbitantly loud noise made it the perfect place for both Tatsumi and Constantine to speak their minds. 

They’ve taken a spot at the far end of the second floor, one of the more concealed booths in the establishment. It was a perfect spot, due to the lack of people coming up to the second floor. Constantine had rented the entire floor for a good hour, dissuading others from paying them a visit. He had also bought some food and drinks for both of them to enjoy whilst they have their conversation. 

 “I thought we’d be doing this at your place?” Tatsumi asked Constantine, who shrugged in response.

“And risk uninvited people coming over? Nope, not a chance!”

Tatsumi shook his head in amusement. “You have Servants though...”

“Sure, then one of my Servants goes on a rampage, tears half the city apart, and I house a fugitive! Sure, be my guest.” 

"A bit exaggerated don't you think?"

"Is it? Why don't we ask him then?" 

“As much as I’d like to, we have more important matters to be discussing.”

Constantine smiled. “Bummer that we can't talk some more…” 

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a few coloured gems. He placed them on their table and began organizing them into a unique pattern. Once he completed the pattern, a barrier appeared around them. This barrier was designed by an associate of theirs; with the function of shielding their conversation from outside ears. The barrier could not be seen by normal people except themselves and people like them, of course. 

When the barrier was finally erected, Constantine’s expression abruptly shifted. The cheerfulness he’d displayed was gone and in its place, an air of seriousness had formed. 

“I won’t waste any more time; what are you doing here, Tatsumi? You shouldn’t even be near the capital, let alone within it.” 

“I apologise for not being within my designated zone, but I ran into an issue with one of my clients.”

Constantine raised an eyebrow. “An issue with one of your clients? That is a new one. Tell me, what might this issue possibly be, to bring you all the way here?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Oh do please entertain me,” he put his hands together. “We have plenty of time.”

Tatsumi sighed. He expected this kind of a reaction from him. Hence, he told Constantine on what had happened to his client. By the end of the conversation, Constantine was already scratching his forehead in mild frustration. 

“So let me get this straight; you have not only failed to escort the client but have allowed him to be ferried away by some rich folks,” he repeated. “Damnit Tatsumi, how could you do this?”

“I’m sorry alright,” Tatsumi replied. “But, at least I managed to track them down. 

“Even if you did, I doubt that he’d be paying you for the failed escort. Although, I can give you credit for preventing those Danger Beasts from getting anywhere close to a village.” 

“But that’s the thing, Constantine. I’m only calling them Danger Beasts because I’m not sure if we can call them that.”

Constantine raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” 

Tatsumi reached into his pocket and pulled out a topaz. The crystal began to illuminate and soon enough an image formed from the light. Constantine narrowed his eyes at the image of the Danger Beast encountered by Tatsumi.

“They are not any Danger Beasts I know. they do not look like the part at all.”

“That’s what I’m afraid, I was going to hear. Do you have any ideas on what they are?”

“No clue. Although, there can be two possibilities on what they are. Either a new species that we’ve never seen before or perhaps artificial Danger Beasts.” 

“Artificial?”

“Probably, but we don’t know. A year ago, I stumbled across someone who attempted to create a new breed of Danger Beasts. He was stopped of course but there is a chance that he might have made prototypes beforehand. You see, creating Artificial Danger Beasts is a tedious process and a dangerous one. That is why such research was condemned and forbidden by the Fifth Emperor.”

“Yet that hasn’t stopped people from trying.”

“Yes, many have tried and failed. The same can be said for this man, however, unlike them, he had nearly perfected the process. He came close in completing his creation. Thankfully, I managed to stop him before he could do any harm. The thing is, such a development wouldn’t have been successful without trial and error and a considerable amount of testing.”

“Which is where prototypes come in.”

Constantine nodded. “Hai, I won’t be surprised if he had made a couple and then just abandoned them for failing his expectations.” 

Tatsumi sighed in frustration. “This is troubling.”

“Troubling indeed.” Constantine placed a hand to his chin in thought. “Who knows how many of these failed monsters are out there?” 

“Whatever these things are, we need to find and stop them.”

“A sentiment that we can both share.” Constantine agreed. He took a sip from his cup of coffee. He offered some to Tatsumi, who declined in response. 

“Other than these... unusual Danger Beasts, there’s still the issue with your client.” 

“Yeah, I know. I’ve managed to track him down before my arrival here. He’s currently residing with a noble family near the boundaries of the capital.”

“And why haven’t you gone to him yet?” 

“Cause that family is known for their tendency of kidnapping lost people, especially those from the countryside?”

“...shit, that family?”

Tatsumi nodded, a grim expression on his face. “Yeah, that one.” 

Constantine took a big sip of his coffee. “I should have killed that family ages ago. Honestly, even with their help, there’s like a thousand more to judge. For every hundred we kill every night, there just seem to be a thousand more left to cleanse. Honestly, I think they’re just rabbits - the corrupt and sinful.”

“You think that's bad, then try the countryside. They just seem so hard to find, even with my Servant’s help.”

“A difficult endeavour we all have, but it is a necessity. However, while purging the Empire of its corruption is our objective, we must not forget our primary purpose.”

Tatsumi nodded. “The Holy Grail…”

“Honestly, it’s quite a troubling thing to think about, that somewhere, somehow is an omnipotent wish-granting device of unparalleled proportions, that shouldn’t even be here in the first place. Who knows what kind of disaster it could bring if it fell into the wrong hands?”

“Which is why finding the grail is the first and utmost priority.”

“Yep, and then afterwards we can deal with exterminating the root of the Empire’s evil; Honest.”

Constantine nodded. “Preferably, I’d want to kill that monster already but the existence of that Servant-”

“Does that mean we’d also have to remove the child emperor too? It’s not something that I’d be inclined to do...”

“Me too, but if it comes to it, that the child has been tainted by that Monster’s lies, and well, you know the answer to that.”

Tatsumi inwardly gritted his teeth. He didn’t say anything in response, yet Constantine knew how much he disagreed with the choice. 

“Anyways, the family… In terms of your client, I don’t think he’s alive anymore.”

Tatsumi heavily sighed. “He's probably dead, but hey, at least we have an excuse to finally deal with them, don’t you think?” 

“Heh, it’s not like we kill because of money. We’re not Night Raid, why should destroying evil be a paid job in the first place? The nerve of these people to charge money just to get put down some disgusting animals.”

“Well, they do need money for their living expenses.” Tatsumi snorted. “Then again, what is living expenses compared to eradicating evil.”

Constantine chuckled. “Anyways, as you said earlier, we’ll need to take care of that family. They’ve been living off borrowed time for too long-”

“-And since I’m here…” 

Constantine rolled his eyes. “I expected you’d say that.”

He went and took a sip of his coffee but found that there was nothing left. He sighed sadly, setting the cup aside. “Well then, I can’t stop you. Although this does open up the opportunity for me to look into a case that appeared last night in the Braben district. I’m sure you’ll be fine, it’ll just be another easy task for you.”

“If there’s nothing else to be said, then that's it for us then.”

“For now it is.” Constantine removed a single jewel from the decoration. Instantly the barrier collapsed. “Well then, I wish you luck in your endeavour. Remember, no one but our closest contributors knows of us, hence discrete actions are necessary to conceal our existence.” He gave him an intense stare. 

“We are not prepared to reveal ourselves to the Empire and to the Revolutionaries just yet, but once we do, it’ll be the day that the corrupted and the usurpers are dealt with.”

“Hmph, aren’t we usurpers too, since we’re also planning to take over the Empire?” Tatsumi jested, rising from his seat. 

“Perhaps, but it depends on one’s interpretation of the word usurp. Rebellions of long ago, time and time again they bring nothing but death and empty promises, failures and edacity. We will be the ones to succeed where all else have failed and we will be the ones to change this nation for the better. They are welcome to stop us. They are welcomed to resist. Hell, they are welcome to even join us, as long as their interests and desires are for the sake of this Empire's salvation. To think of any other, they shall be cut down all the same.” 

Constantine left the table, walking down the stairs and beginning the plan.

Chapter Text

Night has descended once again upon the Capital. The starry sky hung above, with great streams of grey clouds. They blanketed the sky, obscuring the captivating moon from the eyes of Men. Yet the moon fought, striving to shine its dazzling moonlight to its full glory. But the clouds stretched across the atmosphere, proffering a hazy ominous feel.

Its active streets were devoid of life. The people that occupy its streets have returned to the safety of their homes. It looked and feels peaceful, yet that is not the case. For the Capital becomes a completely different place entirely at night. In the day, it is less apparent yet in the dark of night, it is where it could stretch itself.

Upon this specific time, under the velvet dark of night, the scum and villainy of the Capitol would begin. All sorts of wickedness were committed, all forms of evil transpired. The deaths and suffering of countless would go unnoticed or it is known yet they are powerless to do anything.

Yet, not all could stand such degradations, not all would allow it to fester and continue.

Those who couldn’t stand such transgressions; the very few, whether small groups or individuals, would also emerge from the shadows and cull the sinful from the world.

All things have a beginning and an end.

The evils of the Capitol have run its course.

Their end has come...
________________________________________

Midnight

The grounds of the estate were quiet. For the captain of this noble family’s guards, it was too quiet. He listened closely and carefully yet could hear nothing. Nothing but the crackling fire beside him, the crickets amongst the trees and the sharpening of his blade.

He turned to his partner, who also sat next to the fire and asked if he could hear anything. His partner answered no.

“Relax a bit, Captain.” His compatriot assured him. “This place is well protected. I mean, who would be an idiot to even try and breach this place?”

“Tell that to Night Raid,” The captain retorted. “I don’t think they’d even care. Did you see what happened to the Hippias Family? 80 guards and they’re all dead.”

His partner seems to consider his words with more thought now. “That's one noble family though,” he responded. “There are other noble families, probably a small chance that they’d go for them and not us tonight.”

“But what if we’ve taken the short straw? Then what?”

The other guard sighed heavily. “I don’t know…but let’s hope and pray that we’d be able to fend them off for long.”

“You still have that whistle of yours?”

“Of course sir, I always keep it on me.”

The captain nodded as he focused back on his sword.

"Say have you heard what happened to General Bianco at Leopold?"

"Yeah, the spineless rebel bastards ambushed him and his men down the road from the town after they've surrendered."

"What spineless cowards…"

"More like a bunch of rowdy animals. Also heard that they've razed a nearby village to the ground just to get the old general to sally out."

The other guard gritted his teeth.

"As much as I'd like to get back at them, they'll soon get what they deserve. Heard that General Esdeath is pushing back the Northerners."

"Humph, about time. The sooner the better."

They both continued to converse with one another, unaware of something approaching them. Steadily approaching and with no sound, and when it was above them, and they finally realised; It was already too late for them to do anything…

Their fate was sealed, to begin with, even if they haven’t realised it yet.

“What the-where did this fog come from?” the guard asked the captain. Both stood up and looked around. All around them everything seemed to become obscured. It was so dense, even the fire began to die out.

“What is this feeling?” The captain muttered, looking around frantically. He couldn’t shake off the feeling of dread. He turned to look back at his companion, only to find him no longer where he stood.

“Hey-? Elias?” The captain looked around. “Elias!?”

He looked around hectically. There was no trace of the young guard. Shakily, he picked up his sword and drew a small dagger. He took up a defensive position, glancing around, looking for any potential sign of danger.

He stepped back, slowly...and shakily...

Unknowingly towards a pair of waiting yellow eyes...
________________________________________

“Oh! Robert! Where’s the captain at?”

“He should be around here. Can’t bloody see in this fog.”

Two guards were attempting to navigate their way through the thick fog. Their vision was limited to only a couple of feet. They tried using their lanterns for better vision, however, the fog snuffed the lights of their lantern.

“Ugh, of all the nights it has to be this one.”

“Ah suck it up, George. Besides, it's better than any other night.”

They continued to walk and it wasn’t long till they reached the spot where the captain was, only to find that the captain was no longer there. Nothing but the snuffed out fire and the captain’s sword and dagger laid on the ground.

“Hey...where’s the captain…?” George questioned.

“He should be here…” Robert said, looking around.

Both guards were beginning to feel anxious. Their hands were already on the hilt of their weapons, ready to draw them out.

“...hey, Robert, what do we-?!” he turned, only to find that Robert was no longer standing beside him. “Robert? Robert!?”

A rustling sound provoked him to draw his sword. He looked around frantically, fear and anger quickly enveloping him.

“Where are you…?” he slowly stepped back.

“WHERE ARE YOU!”

“Here”

The man’s screams were silenced.

Across the manor grounds, many of its guards died unnoticed and unseen. No mercy nor remorse was given. Many, out of fear and others were killed without knowing.

“Gghrrk!”

A man choked on his own blood, his hands grasping his throat. A futile attempt in covering his cut-opened neck. He fell onto his knees, losing strength to stand. He gazed up at the one responsible. Cold, green eyes glared down at him in revulsion. A bloodied spear poised at his heart.

“Thgk-is...ghkk….is wha-ttht..I...dhyieserve” he managed to say before being instantly skewered afterwards.
________________________________________

The Mansion…

“Hmmm, where did all this fog come from?” a woman wondered, looking outside the manor’s window.

“This fog is unexpected.” spoke a guard, who was accompanying the woman. “There was no indication by the observers of this weather tonight.”

“Hmmm, what can you expect of them? They can be inaccurate sometimes.”

The woman nodded. She turned away from the window and began walking down the corridor, followed closely by the guard.

“Is there anything you would like, madam?” the guard asked her. She shook her head.

“No, it’s quite alright. I’m ok for the night." They both arrived at her daughter's bedroom. "Thank you for escorting me. I'm alright for the night."

"Madam" The guard nodded. He turned around and made his way down the other end of the corridor.

Smiling, the woman turned the knob and entered her room.

"Now then...time to write today's journal entry." The woman smiled, taking out a small journal from a drawer and holding it close to her chest. "Heh, I just can't seem to quit this hobby-"

Unexpectedly her world seemed to spin, her excitement transforming into confusion. The drawer looked to be on its side. Did the drawer topple over its side? She didn’t remember the drawer falling on its side? Is she looking under it? Her head seemed to be moving, just what-

This was all that her mind processed before it shut down.

The woman is now dead, her headless corpse collapsing to the ground, like a puppet without strings. The severed head of the woman, her face full of confusion rolled gently across the carpet and stopped just shy from a pair of feet.

“Humph, humph, looks like the bad lady is taken care of!”

Yellow, gleeful eyes looked on with glee, head nodding with satisfaction at their work, a smile upon their face. They stared at the headless corpse before darting to the head at their feet. The knife in their hand dripped with the woman’s blood, which they proceeded to flick off.

“Everything is done there?”

“Nope! They’re a few more bad people that we have to take care of.”

“Alright, be sure to finish up quickly. We don’t want to stay around here for too long. I’ll be at their backhouse of theirs. Go meet me there when you’re finished, Assassin.”

“Ok, Mommy! We’ll meet you there!”

And so, Assassin; known as Jack the Ripper resumed her mission, given to her by her mother, Tatsumi.

Chapter Text

“Hmm, Constantine said there would be more guards,” Tatsumi observed the armour-bearing figures as they patrolled the noble’s estate. He was positioned on top of a tree away from harm. “I’m only seeing about 20 men, weird.”

“There’s more of them over there,” Jack replied. She pointed over to a denser concentration of trees east of the compound. “We count 30.”

“Well, guess Constantine was right then. Good job on spotting them, Jack.” Tatsumi smiled, patting the top of Assassin’s head. Jack beamed with happiness at her mother’s touch.

“You remember the plan, right?” Tatsumi asked her. 

Jack nodded in response. “Yup! Kill the bad people! While mommy finds the good man!”

“Be sure to be careful,” a black metal spear materialized in Tatsumi’s hand. “And be quick too, we’re not gonna be here for long anyway.”

“Ok, mommy!” 

Dense, heavy smog began to congregate around the large tree. White mist heavily mixed with sulfuric acid, smoke and soot. In addition, the mist was laced with mana. It slowly crept towards the mansion, expanding with every meter it travelled until it encompassed the entire area. 

This is one of Jack the Ripper’s Noble Phantasms; The Mist: Darkened Misty Metropolis . A recreation of the horrid, unbreathable atmosphere that plagued 18th Century London, causing the loss of ten thousand lives.

It would not claim the lives of the guards below. Assassin possesses free control over who would be affected and who would not. Tatsumi and Jack agreed to cut down the guards personally rather than using the effects of the mist. 

Both Master and Servant jumped into the mist. 

The shed…

With the last of the guards taken care of, Tatsumi could finally approach the warehouse without any trouble. Making the spear in his hand disappear, he approached the large, metallic doors and without any effort, pushed them open. 

What greeted him is horrifying to the normal human mind, yet is a site that is too familiar to Tatsumi. For he had seen such sights many, many times.

Mutilated bodies hung from the ceiling. Some were missing limbs, others had their chest or stomach cut open and their internal organs missing. Mangled remains laid upon tables and worktops, their faces and figures beyond recognition. Cages lined the walls of the warehouse, some were empty whilst others were filled with rotten carcasses. Dried blood smeared the floor, cages and even the ceiling.

This is the dark side of The Capital; the decadence and evil that run rampant throughout The Empire.

“H-h-he-help…m-me!”

Red eyes diverted their gaze from the corpses to the voice that called out to him. Sprawled helplessly in one of the cages was the client that Tatsumi was tasked with protecting. Blood seeped from his mouth, the whites of his eyes an unhealthy yellow colour. 

Enderson Disease; a highly life-threatening disease that requires immediate treatment upon contraction. Symptoms included blood from the mouth and eyes, in addition to a yellow colour affecting said eyes. It would seem that the denizens of the household purposely infected him with the disease. 

“H-help… me...”

The man was suffering and has been for a while. Death was quick for those who contracted the disease, and Tatsumi had expected him to be dead before he arrived. That didn’t seem to be the case. 

A pained look crossed Tatsumi’s face. Materialising the spear in his hand again, he slowly approaches the suffering man. 

“I’m sorry…”

He ended the man’s suffering. 

…

…

…

He pulled the spear from the man’s heart.

“Jack. We’re going now. There’s nothing left for us here.”

“Did you find the good man?”

“I did, but he’s gone now…” 

“Oh… we understand.”

“Just make sure no one is following you or else we’re-!”

Tatsumi materialised his spear just in time to block a lethal strike to his neck. The failed attempt forced the attacker to jump back a few feet from Tatsumi. 

“...ah damnit...”  Tatsumi cursed, upon recognising who had attacked him. 

Sword drawn and poised to kill, a certain black-haired and red-eyed assassin stood a few feet from him. Akame is here. Night Raid has come. 

Somewhere within the Capital... 

“I-I-didn’t steal anything!” 

“Stop whining you, filthy child!”

Within an alleyway stood an uncertain sight. A man, unassuming in appearance, with bland blonde hair and brown eyes, standing over a small female child, no older than 11-years-old. 

“I saw you staring from outside my shop! You bloody country blithers coming here, thinking you can take what you want?! Cause you’re starving and shit!?”

“I never walked into your store! Please, let me go!”

“I won’t until you empty those pockets!” 

“B-but I don’t have pockets! I don’t have anything at all!”

“Well, that’s too bad…” the man licked his lips slowly. He languidly approached the little girl. “Then that means you’re gonna have to remove your clothes. Show me that you’re not carrying anything underneath them.”

“N-n-no! W-!”

“Oh there’s no waiting little girl, you’re gonna be proving your innocence one way or… another.”

The man trailed off as he noticed something in the alleyway. The girl noticed his expression gradually shifting from anger to confusion and….fear…?

Slowly, she turned and gasped. 

Golden eyes shone brightly in the dim darkness of the alleyway, staring right at them, at the man behind her. 

“Filth such as you would not be missed.”

“N-night Raid!?”

He turned and ran.

“NIGHT RA-!”

....

....

Zabaniya: Delusional Heartbeat

A sickly, squish sound resonated throughout the dark alleyway. The man died with a weak gurgling gasp. The thing that killed it entered through its back and popped out of his chest. The girl looked up and gasped in shock, realizing that it was an arm. An extremely long arm that glowed orange. She followed it to the now dead man watching rapturously as it slowly emerged from his back, holding his still-beating heart in hand. 

The limb suddenly snapped back, so fast the girl could barely keep track of it. She traced them back to the golden eyes that belonged to a woman, her pale face obscured by a black veil. 

The disgusting limb hovered over the woman near to her face. She brought a slim hand to remove the cloth covering her mouth. The limb inched closer to her…

And ate it.

The little girl instantly puked. 

She knew of the dangers of the Capital, but she never expected something as dark as this! 

“A child such as you should not be out alone at night” the woman spoke sternly. The child flinched in response which made the woman sigh. Maybe she shouldn’t have sounded that harsh. Then again, this child was out at night, instead of somewhere safe. Children shouldn’t be out alone, not without parents or people to protect them.

“Head somewhere safe, head home if you must. You must never speak of this. You never saw me, you never were here.”

“B-but...I can’t…”

“And why not?”

“Because no one else can help my mother.”

“Is your mother not well?”

The child nodded. 

“...if you are familiar with Abbott Street then go there. A doctor by the name of William can help you. After that, go home and never speak of this, understand?”

She nodded once again.

“Then run along, and be careful.”

The child nodded for the final time and slowly made her way out of the alleyway and when she turned around the woman was no longer there. 

From a nearby rooftop, the woman watched as the child quickly disappeared from view. She sighed and muttered a prayer of protection for the child’s safety. 

“Didn’t give the kid a hug, Assassin?” a familiar voice asked.

Assassin glanced over her shoulder, golden eyes watching as Constantine emerged from under a chimney’s window. He wore the same police uniform however he hid it over a black cloak. 

“And I was expecting that you’d be the one comforting the child,” she responded.

Constantine shrugged. “Eh, I’m not really that good with kids, to be honest.”

“But alas, she will be protected.”

“That’s nice to hear.” Constantine smiled. “Anyways, there’s been some minor hiccup with tonight's assassination. Turns out the mob head sent a duplicate in his place. Frustrating as it is, I've gotten some information on his whereabouts.” 

“Yet you’re here...”

Her master shrugged. “Hmmm, thought I’d see how you are doing.”

Assassin rolled her eyes in amusement. “That's your reason, master?” 

“Yeah, it is. What else am I supposed to say?”

“Seems more like an excuse than a reason.”

As Constantine was about to muster a response he was interrupted by the sound of fluttering. Turning his head, Constantine raised his left arm to allow a humanoid-looking bird with a singular eye. It turned its head to face him and chirped something to him. Constantine’s eyes widened. 

“Are you kidding-Tatsumi got bloody caught out by Night Raid!?!”

“This compromises protocols,” Assassin told Constantine. “Worst, he is not skilled enough to fight them.”

“Against one he can hold his own,  the entirety of Night Raid is just overkill.” 

“We’re in the Oberon district. We’d never make it to him in time.”

“We can’t…” Constantine sighed. He turned around, looking in the direction of another district a couple of blocks from them. “But he can.”

“Are you planning to use a command seal?” 

Constantine nodded. “He should have finished his job tonight, so there won’t be any problems.” He raised his left arm and removed the armguard revealing a uniquely designed red tattoo on his left arm. 

“By my Command seals, I beseech you, that you go to the Leitpoldings Mansion and save Tatsumi, Avenger .”

At that moment, somewhere within the neighbouring district, howled a creature of vengeance.

Chapter Text

They stood from one another, fixed and unmoving. The subsequent silence of their surroundings disturbed only by the sounds of insects and the fluttering and squeaks of nocturnal animals. 

Tatsumi’s mind is filled with conflicting thoughts. One part told him to run, that he was no match for an experienced killer like Akame or the likes of Night Raid. He can stand his ground against her but for how long he doesn’t know. He hasn’t accumulated enough experience against teigu users.

Another part of him wanted to try and reason with her, try and reach a consensus with her. It was a much safer option, only that it depended on how Akame would answer. Death seemed like the logical answer here. 

“...not a target,” Akame muttered flatly. She relaxed her stance a bit, yet is still poised to strike at any moment. 

“You can talk…” Tatsumi cautiously responded. His stance was more relaxed but is ready to strike at any moment. “Why did you attack me like that?” 

“Thought you were enemy. Was mistaken.” 

“Yeah...sure…”

“Who are you? You are not one of the guards.” 

“I can’t really answer that,” Tatsumi carefully replied. “But I assure you, I’m not an enemy. I’m only here because a client of mine was taken by this family, who is now dead.”

Akame nodded in understanding. “Was this all your doing?”

Tatsumi nodded. “Yeah. So...why are you here, Akame?”

Her body language suddenly changed.

Akame glared at him. “How do you know my name?” she demanded.

“Umm, I don’t know if you noticed but there’s literally a lot of wanted posters of you within the city,” Tatsumi answered with a deadpan look. “So it’s not that hard to decipher…”

“Hmm, I see.” She nodded. She seemed to have relaxed a bit.

A small good sign of grace, now to keep doing that till Jack gets here.

“...So why are you here then?”

“Targets are guilty of murder, they can’t be left alive. Meant to assassinate them tonight but it doesn’t seem so anymore.”

“Yeah sorry about taking your kills...” Tatsumi joked half-heartedly. “And since I’m the one responsible for this, what are you going to do about it?”

Akame shrugged. “Don’t know,” she answered. “However, you’ve seen me.”

“And...?”

“We can’t leave someone like you.”

“Can’t you just, maybe leave me be? I won’t tell anyone.”

Akame shook her head.

“That so…”

She nodded. 

“I see…”

Silence covered the area once more. Tatsumi adjusted his stance, whilst Akame did the same. Both fighters did not dare move, wanting the other to be the one to make the move.

*Snap!* 

Both combatants swiftly turned towards the direction of the sound. Their eyes widened. One in surprise and the other startled. 

Emerging slowly from the shadows beneath the treelines and into the moonlight, was an immensely large beast. Its dove-grey fur gleamed in the moonlight, its sharpened claws dug into the ground as it trudged forward. A headless figure rode its back, clad in black attire, wielding two large sickles and a black cloak flowing behind him. 

The beast growled at them, more specifically at Akame. 

“Lobo-”

*Roar!*

The Beast - Lobo - howled, its piercing cries distorted the air around them. Its howls forced both fighters to cover their ears. For Tatsumi though, despite hearing Lobo howl many times, could never get used to the wolf's hateful howls. 

Lobo then surged forward, straight towards Akame. The Assassin barely jumped away in time. The Beast absurdly covered the distance between them within a few seconds. If she hadn’t, its jaws would have crushed her in two.

She leapt back a good few distances from the wolf before leaping back once more and into the trees behind her.

The King of Currumpaw snarled but did not attempt to chase her. 

Tempted as he was to chase it, he was reminded by his partner of their current objective; get Tatsumi out of here. 

Lobo turned and approached Tatsumi, who gave the wolf king a smile of relief. 

“Thanks, Lobo.” Tatsumi thanked. 

The wolf nodded in response, and made to pick up Tatsumi with its jaws-

*Bang!*

*Clank!*

The Rider - Hessian - quickly reacted. With a swift swing of its sickle, the headless warrior deflected the incoming shot. If it had eyes or its head, it would have glared, but it settled with tightly gripping its sickle blades. It settled with pointing one of its sickles in the direction of the bullet. 

A few meters from the Avenger, the perpetrator muttered a curse under her breath, witnessing her shot had failed. 

“Uh oh…”

Lobo howled once again, albeit much louder than before. Cracking the ground under its paws, it launched itself off the ground and onto the treetops. It hopped from treetop to treetop as it rapidly headed towards the sniper. 

“I was hoping that wouldn’t happen…” Tatsumi muttered. He was hoping for Hessian Lobo to get him out of here, but that just happened. Well, guess he’ll have to get out of here differently then.

“Jack, I need help getting out of here.” 

“Yes, Mother, The mist and ourselves will be with you soon.” 

“Better hurry-!”

He swiftly summoned his spear and a shield, using it to block a slash from Akame’s sword. 

“-Now would be a good time!”

Tatsumi shoved her away and attempted to skewer her with his spear. Akame swiftly twirled around the incoming shield. Sword swinging, she aimed to slice the side of his neck. 

Tatsumi’s eyes shifted red. 

Suddenly, he dodged the killing blow by kicking her left leg, thus making her lose balance. 

However, it did cut a bit of his hair off. 

Using her sudden imbalance to his advantage, Tatsumi delivered a hard punch to her diaphragm, knocking the wind out of her and sending her onto the ground. 

Akame, despite the pain, tried getting up, only to receive a shield bash to her face, stunning her. 

"Stay down." 

He held the spear near Akame’s throat. She tried moving Muramasa only for the sword to be kicked from her hand. 

"He ain't gonna be happy if I did something bad to you. Better give up or-" 

Tatsumi swiftly raised his shield, blocking a fist thrown at him by a blonde-haired woman. However, this left him open as metal wires wrapped around his left arm yanked him away from Akame. He was flung into a few trees before he was slammed into the ground. 

Tatsumi grunted in pain, slowly getting up into a kneeling position. He suddenly stiffened, feeling the sharp tip of a weapon near his neck. 

"Don't move."

Red eyes glared up at the perpetrator; a heavily armoured man pointing his halberd to Tatsumi’s neck. 

"I'm sure you know what happens if you do."

Tatsumi; red-eyed Tatsumi, could only growl. 

“Damn, good thing we got here just in time,” the blonde woman exclaimed to Akame, proceeding to her up. “Who knows what’ll happen if we hadn't come.”

“Thanks, Leone.” 

“So, who's your partner~?” Leone asked with a teasing smirk. Akame rolled her eyes. 

“Leone…”

Leone sighed. “Alright, alright. Being serious now, so who is our friend here?”

“Don’t know. However, he has killed our targets.”

"I see…" Leone turned her attention to Tatsumi. "Hey there bud, it's  rude to be stealing other people's prizes you know?" 

"Mine and Lubbock, where are they?" Akame asked her allies. 

"They're distracting that dog right now." answered the armoured man. 

Leone nodded. "Although, that headless rider was uncomfortable to look at. Hey bud, just what is that thing?" 

… 

… 

"Heh, I see. Hey, Akame, what should we do with him?" 

"We cannot leave him nor can we kill him."

 “Even though he tried to kill you?” 

“Self-defence.” 

“Do you suggest that we bring him with us?” the armoured man questioned. “Not sure if the boss nor the young man would be happy about it.”

“I’m sure the boss would understand!” Leone smiled. “I’d be a shame if he denies our request. We can keep him locked up if he refuses.” 

“Sounds good enough.” 

“So kiddo!” Leone exclaimed, turning her attention back to Tatsumi. “What's say you-”

Before Leone could finish her sentence, a heavy mist suddenly burst from the treeline and consumed the entire area. 

“Woah! Where did-Ah!” 

“Gah!”

“Ugh!”

If that wasn’t enough, all three assassins were forcefully knocked down by something large and swift.

They quickly composed and picked themselves up. However, the second that they did, the mist was already lifting, and Tatsumi was no longer where they had him. 

Silence once again filled the clearing.