.... This is somehow worst than paperwork, at least i can actually do something then instead of floating endlessly towards my body. How much time has passed? Are things really slow in here or really fast? Finally reaching my body, i merge with it once again and the next thing i know i was back in space. It feels good to be back at full power. Eh? A cloud of dust forms itself in front of me out of nowhere. Is this exp? I absorb the cloud and finds that it feels the same as the ones i absorb from slain enemies. Only this cloud is much larger than most of the old ones. I guess absorbing strength is a ability of my soul and that cloud over there must have accumulated from my time as a skeleton knight. Judging by the size i would say that the weaker my body is and the stronger the enemies during fights than the more exp i would gain. This could be great for grinding for grinding in the future. *sniff* *sniff* wait... what's cooking? Looking behind me i notice that my body has starting to enter the planet's atmosphere... and i'm starting to burn up from entering it... well shit. I try to slow myself with the wind but the velocity was too high for that. Earth and water is too far away for me to grab and using flames wouldn't accomplish so i use some cryomancy to encase myself in ice only to find that it immediately vaporizes after forming. For some twisted reasons, i didn't feel any panic or pain during this moment and instead hear a song playing itself in my head. A certain song about shooting stars.
[below]
People in the capital were awoken to a bright light in the sky. They all look out their windows and spot a small shooting star headed for the woods, entranced by the beauty of the rare occurrence. Esdeath and Najenda also see it from their respective quarters and can't help but feel a sense of familiarity about the entity. They could've sworn they heard someone cursing through the night sky. (Najenda still has a mechanical arm and eyepatch like in canon. Esdeath wasn't that brutal but she refused Najenda's idea of joining the revolution because of Yosif's teaching. To avoid suspicion, she had to attack Najenda and things carried on as they should with her successfully crippling Najenda)
[Back with Yosif]
*BOOOOOOM* ooohhhh it feels like i just got hit by mega truck kun. Stumbling to my feet, i dust myself off and survey the surroundings to be a burning forest. After stopping the forest fire that i accidentally started, i contacted Sergei and Victor to deploy the endless elites around. I can't use the normal knights anymore because the elite seven would recognize them. Besides, this is to instill fear and confusion for both sides, discretion is out of the equation. One more thing though... i charge up a wind blade and send it at a large boulder. At first, nothing seems to have happened... And then the top of the boulder slides clean off. The edges were so smooth it was as if it was carved by the finest sculptor. It's good to be powerful again.
[The mansion]
Tatsumi was having the worst day of his life. First he got separated from his friends Ieyasu and Sayo because of bandits. Then he got kicked out of the recruitment office. And scammed by that blonde lady. Now, the mansion he was staying is getting attacked by the infamous night raid. He looks down at the fight below and feels sorry for that the guards that didn't stand the slightest chance against that girl Akame and some armored guy wielding a spear. Not to mention how unnerved he is at the girl with pink pigtails deleting a guard from existence with her gun... Tatsumi then slaps himself that he forgot about Aria and rushes down. When he got there Aria was at the shed with the last guard remaining holding a rifle. Akame shortly arrives later and Tatsumi thought he could hold her back somewhat and find out the hard way that he was insanely outmatched as Akame used his head as a springboard to cleave the guard in half. Stubbornly, he tries to protect Aria again as Akame readies herself to charge in again but a loud roar from the woods interrupted the fight.
Akame: Danger beasts? This close to the capital?
Leone: Be careful Akame, that doesn't sound like any danger beasts that i know of and i've been hunting a lot.
Tatsumi: WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!
Tatsumi yelps loudly pointing behind Akame to the right causing Akame herself and Leone with Bulat who has just arrived to look at what has caught his interest. They too were caught off guard as what they could only describe as a monster emerges from the forest holding a massive greataxe in its hands. Its menacing armor glistens under the moonlight as a blue wisp flames engulfed the creature's head consisting of only a skull with 2 demonic horns growing on the side. The thing leaks intoxicating killing intent that scares even Akame. It points its finger accusingly at Aria before growling at the bitch with immense hatred.
Paladin: GRAWWARGHH! GUILTY!
Before anyone can move save for Tatsumi who fell on his butt from the paladin charging past him, Aria got split in half. The axe cuts through her like paper as her intestines and organs flow outside onto the ground. But the paladin didn't stop there, it keeps cutting Aria remains in morbid glee eventually tossing it through the shed's door and continuing inside. Leone cautiously approaches the shattered gate with Akame by her side and Tatsumi also creeping near. Inside was nothing short of a slaughterhouse with rotting corpses everywhere hanging from the ceiling and in the cages. With the true face of the empire revealed, Tatsumi has a hard time keeping his dinner and throws up on the floor. During that, he also noticed a very familiar figure hanging from the ceiling and another one motionless inside a cage. It was Sayo's and Ieyasu's "corpses" (they're not fully dead yet).
Tatsumi: Sayo...Ieyasu...NOOOOOOO!
Unluckily for him, the scream caught the attention of the paladin as it turn its head back at them. Leone drags Tatsumi out of the way as Akame tries to block the angry undead rushing at her like a mad bull. *CLANG* The impact sent her flying past Bulat who tries to fight the monstrosity with his spear. Though they were evenly matched in terms of raw strength, the paladin has way more stamina than he did and eventually knocks Bulat off guard and kicks him through a tree.
Leone: Akame, Bulat we have to retreat, i'm grabbing the kid with me! *grabs Tatsumi by the waist like a suitcase*
Tatsumi: Hey! Put me down!
Leone: Do you want to fight that THING!
Tatsumi; I-*angery (yes that is spelled correctly) undead screeching*.
The three of them ran for their lives with Tatsumi screaming like a little girl as the paladin gains on them slowly but surely. After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached the clearing where Lubbock, Mine and Sheele were waiting.
Mine: What took you so long? And who's the kid?
Leone: NO TIME TO EXPLAIN WE NEED TO RUN!
Sheele: What's... the matter? *paladin lunges from the trees nearly hitting Bulat*
Lubbock: WHAT THE FUCK! MINE SHOOT IT!
The powerful beam came from Pumpkin melted parts of the paladin yet the wounds seem to be healing itself. Fully charging Pumpkin up, Mine release a more devastating attack sending the paladin crashing through the shed.
Mine: WHAT WAS THAT!
Akame: We need to return to base now! Najenda needs to know about this.
As Night Raid retreats to base with Tatsumi forced to tag along, they failed to notice that the paladin wasn't dead yet. It lays in the splinters of the shed with half of its skull gone but otherwise was gradually healing. It abruptly receives a new order and comply as it heals the bodies of Sayo and Ieyasu before bringing them with it. When the imperial guards arrive at the scene later all they saw were the dead body guards littering the ground with Murasame's curse on them and a brightly burning shed. What freaked them out was that the flames were blue instead of red.
[The next day]
Najenda has returned from her assignment of collecting intel from the revolutionary and was now standing in front of Night Raid's base. She knew something was off as it's now near noon yet no one was outside or anything could be heard. Bulat wasn't doing his usual training, Lubbock wasn't creeping near the bath and Akame wasn't out hunting. The eerie scene didn't sit well with Najenda as she cautiously enters the dead silent headquarter with the dossiers clutched in her hands. She tries her luck in the meeting room and was relieved to see all of them there... with a new kid she hasn't seen before? They weren't having a meeting with everybody having bags under their eyes being half asleep.
Najenda: What's going on here?
Leone: Huh what? oh it's you boss.
Najenda: Leone, what happened while i was gone and who's the new kid?
Leone: Remember that mission about the noble family tricking people from the countryside and torturing them? We met Tatsumi during it and he's our new recruit.
Najenda: That doesn't explain why you all are sleep deprived.
Leone: Hehe, we... ran into some complications on the way.
Najenda: As in how this mission is completed 3 days late?
Leone: Well yes but it's because of this monster that popped out of nowhere and starts attacking us.
Najenda: How did a danger beast beat all of you?
Leone: IT wasn't one. The thing looked like it came back from the dead for vengeance.
Najenda: Wait...dead...*flips through the dossiers* does it look like one of them?
Sheele: *looks at 2 photos each of a paladin and a phantom* Yes, it was the one on the right, i still couldn't sleep after fighting it.
Akame: Where did you find those photos boss?
Najenda: I didn't expect the situation to be this bad. Recently, there have been reported cases of these monsters appearing out of nowhere. At first we thought it was just the two of them but considering how there was another reported case the time you encountered one during the mission, i'm now certain that there are multiples.
Lubbock: W-what? This has been happening everywhere?
Najenda: Yes...The one you encountered was given the nickname of "executioner" and the winged ones are called "angels of death". They have been appearing all over the empire and attacking people. The worst thing is the empire wasn't behind them.
Mine: Wait, they aren't?
Najenda: A spy infiltrated one of their meetings and reports showed that they too are afraid of the new arrivals. Theses monsters seem to kill both revolutionary and imperials at the same time. But they're not mindless, wherever they go, they would never touch civilians.
Bulat: So these monsters have a leader?
Najenda: It would appear so...someone is planning something big and i don't think they intend to have us or the empire in the picture. Normally i would question Tatsumi's recruitment but times are getting desperate so i'm giving you the benefits of the doubt. Akame you are to train him into a skilled swordsman, the rest of you may relax for now and i have to inform of the higher ups about this discovery. We have another player in this deranged game of chess.
[a hidden house inside the capital]
Sayo's eyes snap open as she gasps for air, frantically looking around. She remembered travelling with Tatsumi and Ieyasu before they got separated by bandits. Then that little devil Aria drugged and tortured them for days. She questions if she's dead but it was answered when she heard Ieyasu's loud snoring coming from beside her. The thought of it all being a nightmare isn't possible as she clearly feels pain lingering and that the room she's in is unfamiliar. Footsteps are approaching the door and Sayo hides beneath the sheets pretending to be fast asleep. The wooden door creaks open and by how heavy the footsteps sounded, she deduces that they're wearing heavy armor. They walk around the room restlessly before stopping. Sayo's stomach drops when she feels a hand grips her sheets and pull it down.
Me: You don't need to pretend to be asleep you know.
Sayo: W-who a-are you... Where i-is this?
Me: It's just Yosif and as for where you are... approximately near center of the capital.
Sayo starts to hyperventilate and i back up to give her some space. She manages to calm down enough to speak 5 minutes later and i continue the conversation.
Me: Are you feeling well?
Sayo: Feeling WELL? I JUST GOT TORTURED FOR 2 DAYS BY A FAMILY OF SADISTS!
Me: I meant physically not mentally.
Sayo: Oh... well my head still feels sore and my joints ache but i think i can sleep it off... Wait a minute how did Ieyasu and i got here?
Me: I had someone pull you out of that nightmare and brought you here for recovery.
Sayo: Is Ieyasu going to be ok?
Me: Yes his vitals are stable and he should wake up in a day.
Sayo: I see...what do you want in return? My body?
Me: Do you take me for pathetic excuse of a human being that lacks the confidence and decency to have a normal relationship?
Sayo:....Yes?
Me: *sigh* No i don't want anything like that. I just need you to regain your strength and join my forces in cleaning up this cesspool of degenerate that is the empire.
Sayo: That's it? No catch?
Me: Well there may come a time where you have to make extremely hard decisions but that's just part of the job and i'll try to make those moments easier for you. For now just rest, i will have someone bring you breakfast in the morning.
Leaving Sayo alone, i head to the meeting room guarded by a dozen paladins and 3 phantoms where 2 of my most reliable subordinates were waiting, Victor and Sergei. My current plans as of it is to scout out the exact location of Night Raid's HQ, try to whack some senses into Seryu the nutjob, intervene in Sheele's death, plant spies within the ship where Bulat faces the three beasts and join the Jaegers. I'll think of more goals when i get to that part but there's also quite a lot of side characters that could help the cause. Spear could be a decent fighter against Teigu users given enough training and Chouri could help with strategy and politics. So much work yet so little time...
Total inventory:
Grenade launcher
Venus Magnum
Ascended Wraith set
Primordial's wrath: Damascus
Diadem of supreme arcane might
15 copper 53 silver 38998 gold
Current familiars:
- Sergei the Armor Demon
- Victor the Soul Of Cinder