Red. Blood Red.
That was the first thing I noticed when I turned around.
Black hair and red eyes. In that instant, I felt as if death had just found me. Fear gripped me by the throat, suffocating me. I was unable to breathe for a moment, but went back to normal when I gathered myself. I had seen her on wanted posters that were found throughout the Capital. She was described as dangerous, possessing experience from her days working as an Imperial Assassin, before she defected to the Revolutionary Army. The posters also stated that she is currently part of an assassin group that was causing trouble in the Capital.
Akame of Night Raid.
So eventually, the more immediate question popped into my mind. Why is Akame here? What does she want. I need to confirm her motives. She is acting very hostile towards. An air of killing intent surrounds her slim figure. Even with all the training and experience, I was unable to stop myself from slightly trembling. I want to exact my revenge as soon as possible, but I can't just do so when there is a third party with unknown intentions hanging around.
"Please, spare me. I didn't anything wrong." the blonde girl cried, hoping to garner sympathy from the two of us. If i wasn't well-informed of the situation, I would have fallen for her trickery.
Neither of us gave any reply to heed her pleas.
"Please, sav-"
"Shut up. You're annoying me." I said. My bangs covered my eyes. How dare she begs for sympathy after what she did to my friends. Had she shown sympathy to them, when they were slowly dying due to her whims?
The blonde girl had now stopped her pleadings. She was trembling. Perhaps she was scared, knowing that she is lurking just outside of Death's door. With Ieyasu's axe still in my right hand, and I turned towards the blonde girl before me. Of course, I ensured that Akame was still within my sights. I can't have her kill me when I wasn't looking. I lifted the axe once again and without hesitation of any kind, I brought it down. The axe sliced clean through her skull, and her head fell apart into two halves, with having her fearful expression still etched onto it. Blood spurted out from the cut and eventually, all of her head was painted red. Since I have finished my business, I headed towards the warehouse, hoping to collect the bodies of my friends. I could already feel emotions beginning to flood into me. I stared at Akame from the corners of my eyes. I am no longer facing her, meaning that she can kill me at this moment if she want to. She didn't make any move to kill me, and eventually her intense atmosphere was dispelled, before she ran off into the forest.
I picked up the corpses of my friends and put them over my shoulders. I grabbed a torch hanging on a wall and proceeded to set the warehouse on fire. With my two friends over my shoulders, I walked out of the door.
Hikari walked out of the backdoor and came towards me.
"Are you don- " he stopped when he saw the two bodies I was carrying. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Is there somewhere I can bury them?
"There is a clearing outside of the Capital. If you like, I can show you the way."
"Yeah, thanks."
...
We arrived at the clearing. I had dug out their respective graves and buried the two of them. Even after this procedure was done, I didn't leave. I sat in front of their graves, staring at their gravestones, which were just two rocks placed at the front of their grave.
"I'll be over by those trees if you need me." Hikari said as he walked off.
Memories, emotions loneliness starts to flood into my mind. My friends are dead. They aren't coming back. I'm alone, once again. Memories started to flood into me. Tears started to fall. The floodgates opened. I cried.
"You don't like me? Then I don't like you either! Hmph!"
I could hear something within me break. Tears kept falling with no end. It was painful. There was no wound, yet it hurts so much. It hurts.
"Seriously. Ieyasu, you need to stop getting us into trouble. Every time you do this, Tatsumi and I will become involved."
It hurts. It hurt…..so much.
This was just like what I felt when they died. Eight years ago, they died leaving me all alone in this world. It was the same as last time. Questions popped into my head.
Why?
Why is it always me?
Why is it that this always have to happen to me?
Why is it that everyone that I care about always die?
The pain did not subside, but I could feel myself slowly getting used to it. I have to make sure things like this will never happen again. The pain is really unbearable.
...
I arrive back our base. It is situated in a cliff, literally and for some odd reason, was never found by the Imperial Army. Upon opening the door, we were greeted by our leader, Najenda. She was once a general in the Empire, but defected. She sat at her usual spot at the dining table.
"Welcome back!" she said upon laying her eyes on us.
"Mission accomplished I guess? Good job guys. Rest up. We have more missions tomorrow that require your attention. Although you guys took longer than usual to finish this mission today. Did something happen?"
"Nope. Just more guards than what we expected." Leone remarked.
Their missions come from people all over the Capital. The money that we receive as payment goes to the Revolutionary Army as funding to prepare for the day of the revolution. These people who seeks our help mostly come from victims of the Capital's evil.
After giving our mission report, everyone but me headed back to their respective rooms to rest. I walked into the kitchen.
I head to the kitchen to make myself some food. I had not mention about the boy that I found in the mansion to anyone. Somehow I feel I should have, but I didn't. He really is a mystery. His eyes lacked any colour in them, his face displayed no emotion and he killed as if it was a common thing for him. Not even experienced assassins can kill like him. This makes him very dangerous and may become a threat in the future, so why didn't I tell anyone about him? Maybe because I reasoned that he lost someone dear to them? Whatever the cause, I hope I don't have to face him in battle.
Something burnt reached my nose. I looked down at the meat in the frying pan.
What a waste, it's burnt.
...
I opened his eyes to greet the morning light that shine through my window. I can still remember the events of last night. Storming the noble's house, finding information on Imperial Arms and theories of a cure for a new disease that appeared, encountering and evading Night Raid and Tatsumi's loss. Looks like things just won't settle down. I was lucky enough our movement was not found out by the Prime Minister or Revolutionary spies. Although I wouldn't care if they found out. As long as our objective is reached, everything else is unnecessary.
I could kind of understand how Tatsumi felt. How the people you care about could very well be dead in an instant. Something like this did happen to me before, I think.
Better go check on Tatsumi.
...
Something called out to me in my mind.
"Tatsumi" "Tatsumi"
It is not just one voice, but multiple voices.
Two people came into my view. Sayo and Ieyasu.
I have no idea what is going on, but the last thing I want is to see my friends. It will just remind me that they are dead.
The only thing I want to do is to forget. Forget they died. I had similar thoughts back then when my parents died. I wanted to believe that they will return if I kept on waiting. I guess I'm abnormal. I knew that all good things would eventually come to an end. I knew, and yet I was still unable get over the loss of my parents and my friends.
They died before me. I witnessed them dying before me. I watched helplessly as they died. They must have been wishing for me to save them, but I didn't, I couldn't. All kind of thought have been circling me in my mind. Some were comforting me, while others were blaming me. Eventually, the former was drowned out by the latter. Questions began to surface.
How do I move on from now on. Where should I go? Why am I still alive. For what reason do I live.
Maybe it was my thoughts, but those questions spoke like voices of the crowds. I can only make out these questions from the plethora of voices in my head.
Even if I am talking to myself in my mind, the questions that were raised are still relevant. My friends are dead. They had guided me to the Capital and to do what they must do here. I always went along with their choices. I never liked to make choices since I can become quite indecisive.
Now that they are dead, what should I do.
I feel myself being pulled, and I was once again hoisted into reality.
Light poured into my eyes, blinding me momentarily. Adjusting to the light, I pushed myself up from the bed that I was lying on. I looked around the room that I am in. I did not recognize the surroundings. Someone was in view as I was glanced around the room. Hikari stood at the door.
"Yo. How are you feeling now?"
"Better, I think."
I need to figure what to do next. I can't linger on their death forever and need to find a new direction and goal in my life.
I listed all of the possible choices. Going back to the village would be out of the question. There are too much memories there. I also need to make money fast and send it to my village so they can tide over another year. Working as Imperial Guard earns a lot of money. However, to even be selected to be an Imperial Guards means you are exceptionally skilled.
"Maybe you can join us." Hikari said, interrupting my train of thoughts.
"Us?"
"Yes, us. We basically help the people of the Empire. Most of the people in our group are stationed throughout the Empire in various cities. Unlike the Revolutionary Army, we don't make ourselves known and we won't bet all of our chances to save everyone on a war which brings more deaths. Most of our actions are performed to help the civilians in the Capital. Of course, the infiltration of the mansion yesterday was one of the example. I was asked to look for a possible cure which could be used to cure a new disease that has spread throughout the Empire. Just like you, there could be many other potential victims of cruel acts done by the nobles of the Capital. The main culprit is the Prime Minister, Honest. He manipulated the Emperor, who was only a child and recently crowned. This began a string of event and allowed nobles to do these acts without any fear of being caught. Corruption, bribery, favouritism, slavery are all common in the Empire. There were rebels who stood up against them. The Revolutionary Army. It's base is located in the South of the Empire and they are openly opposing the Empire." Hikari said, hoping to convince me.
The Revolutionary Army. A large group of rebels who defected from the Empire. They were known throughout the Empire and were told to be killers who kill for personal satisfaction, though that was what the Emperor claimed.
"Would you kill me if I say no?"
"Depends on your reason."
"I want to join so as to prevent more people from being harmed. However, another part of me just wants to live a normal life and escape from all these violence. So, I would reject your offer."
"I see. Well, if you ever change your mind you can always approach us. Also, you can stay in my house as long as you like, just don't make too much of a mess. And if you ever reveal our existence, you will die." The last few words were laced with bloodlust. So much that I visibly shuddered.
Left alone, I continued pondering from where I left off.
Getting a job. Maybe he can work as a blacksmith or something.