Beta read by Shigiya, GamerCrusher55 and Paragon of Awesomeness
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-Kyoroch Outskirts-
For a man of Bolic's standing within the Path of Peace, his living quarters offered almost nothing. A bed against one wall, a wardrobe beside it that had clearly seen better days. The wooden floor gave out softly underfoot, worn down by years of the same quiet footsteps, though someone had taken care to keep it clean.
The only window looked out over the temple's central courtyard, now settling into the hush of evening. Beneath it sat a desk buried under papers: ink bottles, records, letters, financial reports, each stack arranged with a precision that bordered on compulsion.
The second in command of the Path of Peace stepped inside, loosening the collar of his robe, looking exhausted from the day. "Hah… What a day. Hm?" Then he stopped,noticing that he wasn't alone in the room.
Near the desk stood a blonde woman, holding one of his documents up to the torchlight. Her eyes moved across the page with an idle expression. Around her, several other papers had clearly been shifted from their original places.
"Miss Dorothea?" he asked slowly, surprised to find the woman in his room. He didn't sound angry for someone intruding in his room, not when the one is a member of the Jaegers. "May I ask what you are doing in my room"
She glanced up from the document at last, a faint smile settling on her face with the ease of someone who had not just been caught rifling through another person's belongings. "Nothing important," she said, setting the paper back down. "I was just satisfying a little curiosity."
The priest frowned faintly while stepping further inside but did not let his guard down.
"You have a rather plain room for someone in your position," she added while glancing around again.
"I do not see much purpose in unnecessary luxury for one walking the holy path."
Dorothea hummed softly at that before changing the subject.
"How are things progressing?"
"That is a question I ought to be putting to you," the heavyset man said, making his way to the stool beside the desk. He settled onto it with a low groan, the wood groaning back beneath him. "I have yet to receive any word on the matter of the Lord."
Dorothea's hand moved through the air as though brushing away a fly. "That is no longer your concern," she said. "The problem has been dealt with. I will stay out of your affairs, as I said I would."
That answer visibly eased some of the tension in the priest's face. "That is good to hear," he admitted while exhaling slowly. "The situation was becoming difficult to manage as of late."
Dorothea tilted her head slightly. "Difficult?"
"If the Lord survived long enough for us to leave the region and fully detach ourselves from the empire. I would have needed to involve outside mercenaries instead. Such actions would not be good for business and would have too many loose ends." His expression darkened faintly afterward. "Transporting slaves hidden from curious eyes is already expensive enough; doing so after would be a nightmare."
The woman nodded in agreement. "That is an acceptable risk in my opinion. But speaking of these mercenaries, do you mean Night Raid? Why would you think they are mercenaries in the first place?"
Bolic let out a deep, rumbling laugh. "Haha! My dear Dorothea, you are still very young. You do not yet understand how such people truly operate. They present themselves as champions of the common folk, fighters against the Empire's forces, but in truth, they are nothing more than mercenaries. They serve the Revolutionary Army for no reason beyond the fact that the Revolutionary Army pays better."
This made her raise an eyebrow. "Then why can't the Empire just offer a bigger sum to bring them under our control? It shouldn't be that hard. Our coffers should be far larger than the Revolutionary Army's."
Bolic snorted. "It's because Honest is too damn stubborn." He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "I offered this idea to the man and was promptly ignored. With all due respect to the Prime Minister, his age is starting to show, paranoia getting the better of him. Sooner or later he'll have to give his place to someone more broad-minded." He waved a hand dismissively. "I'm beginning to think the child Emperor is actually getting to him. If I were in his shoes, all this nonsense would have ended within a month or two. A new age of peace, just like that."
Dorothea looked at him. "Claiming that peace would come that easily is quite the boast, given all the things that have happened between both groups and all the killings."
"At the end of the day, money talks," Bolic stated with absolute certainty. "With enough of it, any sort of grudge can be dissolved. With enough money, parents are willing to sell their children and their loved ones. So, why would you expect that most won't change their minds to no longer be enemies with an entity like the Empire if they were offered sufficient compensation?"
To that statement, she just looked away, her gaze drifting to the plain walls of the room. "Perhaps you have a point. Then why not just hire them to kill the Lord yourself? Why go through all this elaborate planning?"
Bolic grabbed a glass and a bottle of whisky from a small shelf, pouring himself a generous measure. "I am a frugal man. It is a sin, and a trait I have long since accepted. If there is a way to use both sides without spending a single cent, why not just do it?"
"You are saying quite bold things to me, given I am part of the group you are apparently using," Dorothea said, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Bolic smirked, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "I can spot a kindred spirit. The moment I laid eyes on you, I saw the same qualities I once admired in Dr. Stylish. Consider that worth something… I am willing to make an exception to my usual habits and sponsor you for a promotion that may be coming sooner than you think."
"Promotion?" the blonde repeated, getting her full attention.
The man smacked his own forehead lightly, gave a genuine apologetic look to Dorothea. "Ah, forgive me. That was just a rumorI heard through some of my colleagues. We will know the truth in a few days. But my offer will still stand then as well, and I hope you will remember me." He took a sip of his whisky. "But going back to the matter at hand, Night Raid should be conducting their operation today. I made sure to lessen security to allow easier infiltration. You will know when they are here, so feel free to participate in the fight if you desire it."
"Forged documents, letters penned in the Lord's own hand, all of it laid out before Night Raid even agreed to the job," Dorothea said. "And Honest notified before they took their first step. You really are a shrewd man."
Dorothea's smile widened slightly.
"Heh… definitely a snake," she said lightly. "And a clever one too."
The priest let out a tired chuckle at the comment while turning back toward the desk. He grabbed the bottle sitting beside the scattered documents and poured himself another drink, the liquid splashing softly into the glass. Behind him, the blonde woman quietly stepped closer. "Cheers." Bolic raised the glass toward his lips.
Whoosh!
"Urgh!" Then a wet, gurgling sound suddenly cut through the silence of the room.
His body jerked violently.
The reason behind it was that a thin blade was driven straight into the side of his neck before he could even react. At the same time, a hand clamped tightly over his mouth, smothering the scream that tried to escape him.
His eyes were wide in shock, then widened even further when the blade was twisted.
A horrible wet gurgle clawed its way out of his throat as blood poured freely from the wound, soaking into the front of his robes and pattering down onto the floorboards. The blade drove in deeper, working through flesh and muscle with cold efficiency. The cup dropped from his fingers and burst apart against the floor, mixing into the pool of blood.
The hand covering his mouth finally let go.
The second in command lurched forward, blind and desperate, but every attempt to draw breath only brought more blood bubbling up from his throat. A wet, choking rasp escaped him; nothing close to words. One hand clawed uselessly at the gaping wound in his neck while the other fumbled toward the desk, grasping for something solid to hold onto.
He never made it… His knees struck the floor first. Then the rest of his body followed heavily after. He lay there twitching weakly while staring up at Dorothea in confusion and shock at the person standing over him.
"Phew, finally done with this." Only for the blonde woman's appearance to begin changing right in front of his eyes. Her hair shortened and shifted color. The shape of her face altered little by little, while the features of Dorothea slowly disappeared completely. By the time the transformation finished, the person standing there was no longer the blonde female Jaeger. Long brown hair sprouted with a set of headphones over her ears.
Chelsea casually pulled a lollipop from her pocket and placed it into her mouth with an audible crunch.
"Reducing security everywhere was honestly pretty stupid," she said casually while looking down at him. "Made this way easier than expected."
Bolic's body twitched once more. Then it finally went still.
The assassin wasted no time after confirming the kill. She immediately moved toward the desk and began searching through the organized stacks of papers. Unlike the messy appearance of the room itself, the documents had been arranged carefully enough that finding specific files became easier than expected.
"Hm… there you are."
She pulled a leather-bound folder free and quickly flipped through its contents until she found the sealed letter hidden inside. Her eyes scanned the writing briefly before she tucked the envelope safely inside her bra.
The brunette looked once toward the corpse lying on the floor, blood slowly spreading beneath it.
Then she quietly stepped over the shattered glass, slipped out through the doorway, and disappeared back into the dark corridor without another word. Her appearance changed to that of a tall man covered in armor, the standard ones worn by the guards.
…
Tatsumi began to believe that perhaps he was the bad luck charm in the group. Having heard past stories from the others about how easily each mission went and how they could accomplish a simple assassination in a single night without even so much as being spotted. It really started to dawn on him that ever since he joined this group, it was one disaster after another.
Even after having escaped the ambush from the Yeagers and reaching their meeting spot, waiting for the other two to arrive was more nerve-wracking than anything else.
Thankfully, those worries subsided when his gaze fell upon a figure that rushed towards their spot.
"Chelsea!" Tatsumi was on his feet before he had even fully registered the rustling of leaves. Across from him, Akame's head lifted sharply. They had been sitting at the rendezvous point for close to an hour, and for Tatsumi, every minute of it had sat heavy in his chest.
Chelsea stumbled into the clearing, looking visibly out of breath. "What the hell happened?" she panted, leaning against a tree. "I barely managed to get out of there in time."
"It was a trap."
Chelsea's expression sharpened. "I figured, why such a big commotion? Wasn't the plan to just teleport in and teleport out?"
"It wasn't that kind of trap," Akame interjected, her voice flat. "We were used to frame the murder of someone from the Path of Peace."
Chelsea clicked her tongue. "So we were used as scapegoats after all. Well, I have good and bad news on that front, but this is not exactly a good place for me to reveal everything."
The other two looked at her, curious. "What do you mean by that?" Tatsumi asked.
"While you two were dealing with the Jaegers, I actually managed to infiltrate the building," Chelsea explained. "I… uh, got to have an interesting conversation between one of the higher reps of the Path of Peace and a former Wild Hunt member—"
Her sentence was cut short by a loud explosion in the distance, a blast of ice and force that made the ground tremble. All of them tensed up instantly.
"General Esdeath."
"We can have this conversation later," Chelsea said, her voice urgent. "We need to leave, now."
"We can't go without Leone!" Tatsumi insisted.
Akame stayed silent for several long seconds, then spoke. "If Leone does not appear in the next few minutes, we will have no choice but to leave."
"Are you crazy?" Chelsea hissed. "Staying here another minute could mean running into the General! Even though I'm new, I know neither of you can go against that monster. Unless I missed something critical from the boss?"
"It's not a guarantee that we would lose," Akame replied, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. "Regardless, I will stay. If you wish to go, I will not stop you."
"I'll do the same," Tatsumi added, his jaw set.
Chelsea cursed under her breath. "Fine," she muttered, " it's our funeral." She stepped forward and took up a position facing the tree line, hands drifting toward the needles tucked into her sleeves. Beside her, Tatsumi shifted his weight from foot to foot, a bead of sweat tracing down the side of his face. Chelsea's other hand rested on the bloodied gun at her hip.
Tatsumi noticed the weapon. "Where did you even get that?"
"From the second-in-command of the Path of Peace," Chelsea replied without looking at him. "It was hidden inside his drawer, and I figured that it would have been a waste to leave it with him."
Tatsumi's eyes widened as he realized the implication of her words, but before he could ask, the sounds of footsteps got his attention. Through the foliage, Leone appeared, still in her transformed state but looking pale and haggard, holding onto her own arm, which was visibly severed, the limb still in the middle of merging back to her stump. The sight made everyone freeze in shock. "What are you all standing there for!? Let's go!"
Akame and Tatsumi rushed towards her, Chelsea right behind them.
"Grab each other, quickly!" Tatsumi shouted. Akame didn't hesitate, taking Leone's good arm. Tatsumi grabbed Chelsea, then the others, before retrieving his Imperial Arm and activating Shambhala. Their figures flashed once, then disappeared from the spot.
Whoosh!
They materialized in a forest clearing, somewhere along the road back toward town. The landing was graceless, everyone hit the ground hard. Tatsumi's legs buckled the moment he touched down, his face drained of color, and he pitched forward. Chelsea's hands shot out and caught him before he reached the dirt.
"What happened to him?" Chelsea asked, her voice laced with worry. A thin line of blood trickled from Tatsumi's nose.
"Teleporting another person is already draining," Akame explained while checking their surroundings, "Doing so with four of us over such a long distance goes beyond his limits."
Chelsea turned her attention back to Leone, who was still in her transformed state, leaning against a tree and holding her reattached arm.
Leone let out a shaky sigh. "Hah… hah… Glad I found you in time. This is going to hurt for the next few days." She tried to sound cheerful, but the exhaustion was clear in her voice.
"Is it permanent?" Akame asked.
Leone shook her head. "Nah. As long as I stay transformed, the arm will reattach itself. I just need a few minutes. We should keep moving, though. Even if we teleported away, I don't trust that crazy bitch. She might be able to track us. She's just not human."
Akame nodded, then moved to lift Leone, slinging one of the blonde's arms over her shoulder. "I can walk," Leone protested with a hint of embarrassment, clearly uncomfortable with being carried.
"Not fast enough," Akame retorted.
Chelsea looked at the black-haired assassin with disbelief. "Don't tell me I'm in charge of carrying Tatsumi," she complained. "I can't carry someone that heavy and run at the same time!"
Akame simply reached down with one hand and picked Tatsumi up as if he were a light piece of luggage, slinging him over her other shoulder. The action shut Chelsea up instantly.
"...That works," Chelsea muttered, staring in silence.
With Akame carrying both Leone and Tatsumi, the group started heading back the way they came, disappearing deeper into the forest. Using the dense foliage as a cover, with both girls making sure not to leave a trail behind that could lead anyone back to them. Doing so for nearly half an hour until both are certain that enough distance has been put between them and the rest. "Hah… That was exhausting."
Now finding themselves genuinely in the middle of nowhere, Chelsea muttered those words while Akame busied herself looking after the others. Though thankfully, Leone is already fully healed and now walking alongside them, but is still somewhat tired.
"This should be far enough," the blonde woman said while looking back down the road again. Her eyes scanned the distant treeline carefully, checking whether anyone had followed them or whether they had left behind anything that could lead pursuers straight to their location.
After a few more seconds, she clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Damn it. We left the Danger Beasts back there."
That immediately killed whatever small relief the group had managed to recover after escaping.
"What do we do now?" she continued while folding her arms. "By now, they most likely have already left due to the commotion, and going back to acquire more isn't an option. The guards will already be watching the roads after everything that happened."
"I can handle it," Chelsea offered while raising a hand casually. "It's not like they'll recognize me after I change appearances." She shrugged lightly afterward. "I can sneak in, grab a few mounts, and leave before anyone notices."
Surprisingly, Leone shook her head before anyone else could answer.
"No, that's too risky."
Chelsea blinked. "Why?"
"Because four missing Danger Beasts right after a major incident would immediately raise suspicion. Even if your disguise works, the timing alone would make people investigate."
The group fell quiet for a moment while thinking it over. "But walking will take forever," Chelsea complained.
"I'd rather take longer than risk getting cornered again," the older woman replied calmly. "Besides…" Her eyes drifted briefly toward the unconscious boy they were carrying. "He's still out cold."
That reminder shut down most arguments immediately.
No matter what route they chose, one of their own was currently in no condition to travel properly.
Akame finally spoke after quietly listening to the discussion.
"There should be a village further down the eastern road. If we keep moving without stopping too much, we should arrive before sunset."
Leone nodded slowly. "Then that settles it."
Chelsea let out a tired sigh but eventually shrugged in defeat. "Fine. Walking it is."
"Try not to complain too much halfway there."
"No promises."
A few small laughs, mostly from Leone and Chelsea, escaped the group after that, easing some of the tension that had been hanging over them since escaping the town. Without wasting any more time, they started moving again down the eastern road together, leaving the distant town far behind them while the afternoon sun slowly continued its descent toward the horizon.
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"Damnit!"
The smoldering wreckage of what had once been the Path of Peace headquarters crackled around him. Wave drove his fist into the ground with a dull metallic thud, leaving a fresh dent in the dirt beside the last one. "They ran away again!" His voice came out raw, and he hit the ground a second time for good measure. The purple plates of Grand Chariot sat rigid across his frame as he knelt there, jaw tight, staring at nothing in particular.
The armor dissipated in a flash of light, leaving him in his standard clothes. This entire mission ended in a disaster, no matter how much the blue-haired former marine tried to look at it… to call it a disappointment did not even scratch the surface of his current emotions.
The same sensation exuded from the others, at least in his mind. Bols walked up to him, carefully positioning his Teigu on his back with the flames already gone. Then, he placed a heavy hand on his shoulder and offered some small moment of comfort. "Hey, are you hurt? Are you okay?"
"Not okay on the inside, but physically I'm fine," Wave bit out. "The opponent I fought wasn't someone capable of going through my armor. Truthfully, I would have preferred that, at least then I'd have a good excuse for my failure."
"The one with Shambhala?" Bols asked. "Yeah, that man is a difficult one to fight if you can't hit him."
"Should've just rushed him the second I had the opening," Wave growled in frustration, before sagging in defeat, the anger quickly leaving him. "I keep letting them walk away. What's even the point of being here if that keeps happening?"
"You shouldn't be too hard on yourself," Bols said calmly. "Those assassins are not exactly standard either. Plenty of people have died facing them, and amongst those were our own best of the best. The fact that you survived an encounter with them twice is an achievement in itself."
As he spoke those words, Wave remembered the last part of the battle and couldn't help but whisper, "I actually had him. I was about to capture him, but I stopped at the very last second."
The masked man beside him tilted his head. "Why?"
"Tatsumi mentioned that Seryuu was still alive."
Bols's masked head snapped towards him, a genuine shock in his posture. "What? Did you hear that correctly? Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I heard it correctly," Wave confirmed, scratching his head. "I can't say for certain that he didn't just say to buy time, but if there is a chance that he's telling the truth… What do you think, Bols?"
Before the older man could answer, another voice cut in. "There is a chance that it is a lie." Both Wave and Bols turned to see Run land next to them, his wings fluttering for a bit till they disappeared.
"Did you find them?" Wave asked immediately.
Run shook his head, his disappointment clear. "No. They most likely teleported out of the area. Even if Shambhala consumes more energy with another person, its range is still great to follow and it could be anywhere."
"Yeah. Thanks for trying anyway," Wave muttered, giving a half-hearted smile to the former teacher.
Run nodded and continued, "Going back to your previous topic, it's very unlikely for Seryuu to still be alive. This is not the usual way Night Raid operates." He went silent.
"But?" Wave pressed, a faint trace of hope appearing in his eyes.
Run stroked his chin. "The one who said it was Tatsumi?"
Wave nodded.
"Tatsumi used to work under Seryuu. From what I've learned, they were a bit close, with Seryuu acting as his mentor of sorts. He's very new to Night Raid. It's possible he was telling the truth."
The revelation hit Wave like a physical blow. He shot to his feet. "If that's the truth, then we have to tell the others! We have to save her!"
Run agreed. "Yes, it should be one of our priorities, but we have other things to worry about for now." He motioned towards the burning building. "What happened to Kurome?"
Wave pointed towards a tree where, under the shade, a certain black-haired girl was sleeping. "Something's not right with her. After Akame disappeared, she became very erratic and dangerous. It actually took both of me and Akane to get her under control; she was waving her sword around, attacking anyone that got close to her while focused on her sister. I had to knock her out."
Run moved to Kurome's side, placing a hand on her forehead. His eyes narrowed. "Her body temperature is too high. It feels like a fever."
"She was acting normal before the attack," Wave said. "Was she poisoned?"
Run shook his head. "No, doesn't seem like it. This isn't a normal fever. We should get her help as soon as possible."
"She's sick. She needs her medicine." The words cut through the conversation like a blade. All three of them turned at once to find Dorothea walking toward them, Cosmina trailing a few steps behind. The blonde alchemist looked completely untouched—not a speck of ash on her clothes, not a hair out of place, signs that she had not engaged in any struggle.
Wave's anger flared. "Where the hell have you been!? We were facing Night Raid this whole time, and both of you were nowhere!"
Dorothea offered a sweet smile. "Just because you didn't see us doesn't mean we were doing nothing. We were handling another assassin. One that nearly managed to sneak her way into the inner area and assassinated Bolic."
Wave's eyes widened. "Bolic is dead?"
"Unfortunately," Dorothea corrected, shaking her head. "Tch, it's not that she succeeded that pisses me off, but the fact that she did so using my face. I tried to apply some of my drugs to heal him, but it was already too late."
The blonde girl walked towards Kurome and casually kicked her in the leg. "She really is in a bad condition."
"Oi!" The action sent Wave into a rage. He shoved Dorothea away harshly, screaming, "Don't kick your teammate! What is wrong with you!?"
Dorothea didn't seem to mind his aggression; her smile only widened and her cheeks were red. "You're so rough~." The words were spoken in a tone that made his skin crawl and quickly backed away. "Letting her go to sleep like this is not a good idea. The longer she sleeps, the more likely she'll end up in a coma."
"What?" Wave and Bols said in unison, stunned.
Run remained sceptical, "Is it because of some substance within her?"
Dorothea snapped her fingers. "Correct, but only half correct. It is not because of a substance in her body; it is due to the lack of this substance."
Run's eyes narrowed further. "Those candies."
"Candy?" Wave repeated, looking around frantically as if trying to spot them. "Right, those! Where is it?"
Bols pointed at the burning building. "It must have fallen off her when she was fighting Akame. By now, those things are already burned for sure."
"Damn it!" Wave screamed, making a move towards the burning building before being pulled back by the masked man at the very last second. "Let go! I can't just let her die!"
"You won't," a new voice stated, catching Wave's attention. Run was still looking at Dorothea. "She still has a solution for it, right?"
Dorothea's smile was beatific. "Yes, I do. It is a rather crude method, but what Kurome is basically suffering from, both mentally and physically, is withdrawal."
"She only went a few minutes without eating them. An hour at most. Such a short period won't cause withdrawal symptoms." Run argued back, audibly still cautious of everything he heard, and so was Wave.
"Those candies were a special creation from Dr. Stylish," Dorothea explained. "A drug that helps boost one's physical capabilities."
The revelation took Wave aback. "Why was she taking them every day then? She didn't need them all this time. Why keep eating it?"
"Simple. She was addicted. As mentioned, both her body and mind became addicted to the substance. It's not the typical kind of drug. For now, she needs something to temporarily replace it until we can get our hands on more of those."
"How can we do that?" Wave asked.
"I won't tell you," Dorothea replied, a smile still plastered on her face.
The answer sent Wave over the edge. He lunged, grabbing her by the collar and lifting her. "I'm not in the mood for whatever game you're playing! One of your teammates is in danger, and you're here having fun! If you don't say it, I will force the answer out of you!"
Dorothea's smirk only grew wider. "I will give you the answer on a condition. Sure, you try to beat the answer out of me, but you'll just be wasting your time. If you really value your teammates, you need to accept my conditions first."
Wave's fists shook as he stood there, fuming. Run walked up beside him. "We should listen to her first before agreeing to anything."
"Are you for real!?" Wave asked incredulously.
"We're not in an advantageous position to bargain or demand answers," Run stated calmly. "It would be better to at least hear her out first and see how it goes."
"We can't trust her," he shot back. Everything about this girl, just like with the other members of the Wild Hunt, could not be trusted!
"I agree, but we are limited in options and time," Run said.
"And does your distrust for me outweigh wanting to see your friend still alive?" Dorothea added sweetly.
"Your actions now will get you killed if the General were to find out about this!" Wave threatened.
Dorothea's smile finally disappeared, replaced by a calculating expression. "Will she?"
"What?"
"The General's main motto and teachings have always been crystal clear: only the strongest survive. Right now, Kurome was weak against Akame. She cannot even survive without a special medicine in her system all the time. Without it, she becomes deranged or useless. How can one even call that reliable, let alone strong? If such a thing were to die, then it was meant to be. We would mourn her passing for a bit before replacing her. It helps with reducing the numbers before the final three Beasts are chosen as a replacement. Am I wrong?"
Wave gritted his teeth, feeling the strength leave his body. He dropped Dorothea to the ground. "Tell me your deal. I'll accept it, as long as you can save Kurome."
Dorothea's triumphant smile returned. "My terms are simple. You become mine, and in exchange, Kurome lives."
The words hit Wave with the force of a physical blow. A fresh wave of anger surged through him, but it was quickly drowned out by the image of Kurome's feverish, sleeping form. He stood there for several seconds, his face a mask of conflict, before his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Save her," he said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.
Dorothea's grin widened. Without another word, she raised her hand and, right before Wave's horrified eyes, slashed her own palm with a fingernail. Blood welled up instantly. She knelt beside Kurome, forced open the unconscious girl's mouth, and let several crimson droplets fall inside.
"What are you doing? Why are you feeding her your blood?" Wave demanded, his voice a mixture of disgust and confusion.
"The pills are made with a base of blood and materials from Danger Beasts," Dorothea explained dryly. "Drinking something similar should help alleviate the symptoms. It won't serve as a permanent replacement, merely a way to buy time."
"I get that," Run said, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, "but why your blood? What are you really?"
She simply shrugged. "I'm human. I just had the opportunity to have some modifications done to my body before Dr. Stylish died, which I've further expanded with my own research."
Before anyone could press her further, the ground beneath their feet trembled violently. The temperature around them plummeted, the air turning frigid in an instant. Every head turned simultaneously towards a single direction. A deafening explosion ripped through the night, followed by a massive pillar of ice that speared into the sky. The frost spread rapidly, the trees closest to the pillar freezing solid, their branches encased in glittering ice.
Wave's eyes widened in terror. "It's the General!"
He and Run didn't hesitate, breaking into a dead sprint towards the source of the destruction, leaving the others to watch them go.
{Break}
-Nightraid Base-
(Several days later).
"They still aren't here yet."
The words came from Sheele, who sat around a crackling fire pit back at the Night Raid hideout. Holding a long skewer loaded with chunks of meat, not a single vegetable in sight, as per her request. Turning her head, staring at the white-haired man sitting beside her. He seemed focused, carefully turning his own brochette over the flames. Her prior question spun in his mind for several seconds; it wouldn't be accurate to say that he also did not harbor such a curiosity.
"Shouldn't they be back by now?" she asked. "Both groups technically left at the same time."
Emiya hummed, "The group must have taken some time to rest and recuperate after what happened before coming back. They probably decided to wait until morning. Leone was not in good condition to travel long distances, so they likely camped out somewhere halfway. It was a good decision. I would have done the same. Trying to traverse these parts of the forest and beyond is not technically dangerous for us if we are in good condition, but in a wounded state, it is only inviting trouble. The stench of blood would attract plenty of Danger Beasts."
His gaze shifted to the side, landing on Najenda, who was slumped in a chair, completely drunk. Her face was a deep red, and an assortment of empty liquor bottles surrounded her.
"Hehehe… ano… ther bottle…"
Even without having the ability to read minds, he could take a wild but accurate guess at the kind of dreams this woman was having. Something involving either sitting upon a throne made of booze or being lazy while a certain step-brother of hers ran around being a bona fide butler serving her more alcohol. 'Where have I gone wrong raising this woman?'
It wasn't this bad before he left…
"You're worried about them?" He asked, turning his attention away from the passed-out leader and focusing on Sheele.
The bespectacled girl nodded slowly, though the worry on her face remained. She sat quietly near the fire with both hands wrapped around her knees while staring into the flames.
"It's hard not to worry after seeing that," she admitted softly. "I genuinely thought Leone was going to die back there."
Across from her, the white-haired man gave a small nod of agreement instead of dismissing it.
"She really was close." Close enough to brush against death, and for the blonde to show some brief moment of genuine panic from what he saw. That answer made the girl blink in surprise. Most likely, having expected reassurance, not confirmation on his side.
"Then why didn't you step in earlier?" she asked. "You were nearby, weren't you?"
He let out a quiet hum while thinking for a moment before answering. "Because I trusted her."
"Eh?" That immediately confused the woman, who tilted her head slightly.
"Most people underestimate Leone's Imperial Arm, Lionel," he said, reaching over to adjust one of the skewers. A drop of fat hit the fire and the flames spat back. "And they're wrong too. The strength, the speed, the scent, I'd give all of it up before I gave up the other half of what it does. Her body takes damage that would kill anyone else and keeps going. A stab wound that would be a death sentence for you or me is just an inconvenience for her. That kind of regeneration doesn't exist in any other Teigu."
"I… didn't know it was that effective."
"Most enemies don't either," he replied. "That's part of why it's dangerous. They think she's just a musclehead who can only punch hard — Esdeath made the same mistake. Like you saw today, even if she had been twice or several times stronger, it wouldn't have done much against her opponent. But that regeneration made her capable of living to see another day."
The girl lowered her gaze toward the fire again while quietly listening.
"Also, if I jumped in every time someone was hurt, especially when they were still capable of surviving on their own, it would just make things worse in the long run. Not to mention, it wouldn't help with the group's morale."
That confused her.
"Would it really have been that bad if Leone had found out you sent us to check on them? You were only trying to avoid unnecessary deaths."
The man shook his head.
"That's not the issue." His expression became more helpless afterward. "If I had interfered directly, Esdeath would've realized I was nearby."
The meaning behind that sank in almost immediately.
"Oh…"
The quiet assassin fell quiet after that. Before the conversation could continue further, another voice suddenly cut through the sound of the fire.
"Humph, and then the two of them probably would've frozen another town while fighting."
Both people near the campfire turned toward the source of the complaint. The pink-haired sniper slowly approached the campsite while supporting herself with a pair of crutches. Thick medical bandages covered both of her legs, forcing her to move at a frustratingly slow pace. Nonetheless, her wounds were not that bad to force her into early retirement; he figured a couple of days would be enough to see her walking without crutches again. If the remedy they used to accelerate recovery worked as intended.
"You two should seriously take this nonsense somewhere far away from civilization," she grumbled while moving closer. "Normal people shouldn't suffer because you two monsters can't settle things quietly and like regular people."
Emiya glanced at her briefly before smirking faintly. "You're late for the barbecue."
That instantly made her glare at him.
"No one called me!"
He turned toward the bespectacled girl sitting nearby. "Didn't I ask you to gather everyone along with Najenda?"
The airheaded swordswoman froze completely. A long pause followed while she tried to think back; then her shoulders slowly dropped.
"…I forgot."
Mine looked genuinely offended.
"I was starving in that room!" she complained loudly while hobbling closer. "At some point, I thought I was hallucinating the smell of grilled meat."
Without hesitation, she pointed directly at the skewer in the other girl's hand.
"Give me that." Before the poor girl could react, the food was already stolen straight out of her fingers. The pink-haired girl immediately took a huge bite, and her angry expression practically melted on the spot. "…Okay, that's really good."
A chuckle escaped the man near the fire at the sight.
Meanwhile, Sheele looked down at her now-empty hands with visible sadness. Her lips puffed slightly into a pout while staring at the missing skewer, as she had personally suffered a betrayal. Seeing that reaction, he simply handed her another one fresh from the fire.
Her mood recovered instantly. "Thank you," she said happily before taking a bite.
Mine dropped down carefully onto a nearby crate with an annoyed groan while balancing her crutches beside her. "I seriously hate being stuck like this," she muttered between bites. "My legs feel useless."
"That's because they currently are."
"That's not helping!"
A small laugh escaped the other girl at the exchange. The two-tailed sniper pointed accusingly toward the bespectacled swordswoman afterward. "And honestly, why did she even go?" she complained. "We were supposed to observe from afar. She fights up close. I'm literally the sniper here."
"You also currently can't walk properly."
"So?" she shot back immediately. "I could've rolled there in a wheelchair if I had to."
Emiya gave her a dry, unimpressed look. The stare was enough to make Mine flush with embarrassment and look away. "Fine, it would have been difficult," she admitted, "but I would have managed. Besides, I don't really need to stand up to use my bow." She took another bite of her skewer, then swallowed before asking, "So, what exactly happened?"
"Leone got pierced and got her arm cut off," Sheele stated simply.
Mine's reaction was immediate and explosive. She spat out the food in her mouth, breaking into a fit of coughing. Her eyes widened in horror. "What?!"
Emiya waved a dismissive hand, unconcerned. "She's not dead. Her arm got reattached."
"Why would you let that happen!" Mine shrieked, her voice cracking. "Why not save her?"
Emiya sighed, a long-suffering sound. "I already told you and Sheele the answer when you joined us earlier." He stared into the fire for several quiet seconds before speaking again. The orange glow from the flames flickered across his face while the rest of the camp remained mostly silent around them. "Even if I'm confident in my own abilities. Esdeath would never let me escape a second time."
Mine listened carefully, a slight frown on her face. Part of him wanted to give a deliberately vague response, to tease her a little, but figured now wasn't the time.
"She'd block every route herself if she had to," he continued while keeping his eyes on the fire and making sure the food wouldn't burn. "Even if it meant putting herself in danger. She'd rather force a confrontation than let me disappear again. And if that happened, the others around me would end up dragged into it too."
Mine looked even more annoyed after hearing that.
"What the hell is wrong with that woman?" she complained while adjusting herself carefully on the wooden crate she was sitting on. One of her crutches nearly slipped beside her before she caught it quickly. "Why is she so obsessed with you in the first place?"
The white-haired man shrugged lightly.
"It's complicated."
"That's a terrible answer."
"It's also the only one."
Mine pointed directly at her bandaged legs in irritation. "I'm literally injured and stuck here doing nothing all day. I've got plenty of time."
A small laugh escaped him despite the topic. Before he could answer properly, another voice suddenly cut into the conversation.
"They're basically just a toxic couple that broke up," Najenda muttered dryly from nearby while slumped on Emiya's lap, "and now Esdeath refuses to move on."
Mine blinked in confusion before slowly turning toward the commander. As for Emiya, he immediately looked exhausted but didn't make the effort push Najenda off of him. "Please stop talking."
Najenda ignored him, lazily swinging her bottle in his direction instead; it nearly caught him across the face, and she nearly went with it, saved only by his arm around her waist.
"Am I wrong?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?" she asked while narrowing one eye at him. "You know better than anyone that Esdeath's way of expressing affection isn't exactly normal."
Mine's head slowly turned back toward Emiya after hearing that.
"…Affection?"
"She's drunk," he replied immediately. "And talking nonsense."
Najenda snorted loudly at the denial.
Emiya sighed, grabbed a half-full bottle resting near the campfire, and handed it to her without pause. She took it gratefully and drank it down in seconds.
"Just drink and go back to sleep."
"I was planning to," Najenda muttered while pushing herself out of his lap with a groan. "Didn't realize I needed permission."
She stretched her back slightly before walking off toward her tent, already raising the bottle for another drink. Mine watched her disappear into the darker part of the camp before looking back toward the redhead again.
This time her expression was calmer, though still focused.
"…Was any of that true?"
Emiya stayed silent briefly while the fire crackled between them. He rubbed his thumb lightly against the side of the cup in his hand before finally answering.
"Esdeath does have a twisted mentality," he admitted. "A very inhuman one."
Mine listened quietly while he continued.
"The way she was raised had a lot to do with it. Her father and clan drilled survival into her from childhood." He leaned back slightly afterward. "To her, the strength of deciding everything isn't just reality. It's the natural order of the world."
Mine grimaced faintly. "That sounds miserable."
"It is."
"And she just… accepted all that?"
"She embraced it," he corrected calmly, knowing full well what the twin-tailed assassin was thinking and immediately wanted to dismiss that notion from her head. "That's the difference. You can't convince her or show her the truth because she knows it fully well."
Mine fell quiet after hearing that.
"But that still doesn't answer what I actually asked," she said a moment later. "I'm talking about you two."
For the first time during the conversation, Emiya actually looked uncertain. He scratched lightly at his cheek while thinking about how to answer. "Honestly… I'm not fully sure myself."
That answer clearly surprised her.
"I shouldn't even fit the kind of person Esdeath normally likes," he continued, once again thinking back to the moment she mentioned the list of requirements. "If anything, we should've just remained enemies trying to kill each other. That would've made more sense."
Mine narrowed her eyes slightly.
"You're still dodging the question."
"I'm not dodging it."
"You absolutely are."
He let out a tired sigh at that before leaning forward slightly, resting his arms over his knees.
"She's dangerous," he admitted. "Half the time talking to her feels like standing next to a natural disaster waiting to happen and other times, she is just that annoying girl that didn't know the meaning of personal space and got a kick at annoying me." A small dry laugh escaped him afterward. "You never fully know if things will stay calm or suddenly turn into a battlefield."
"That still doesn't explain why you don't hate her."
The question made him pause again.
Mine noticed it immediately.
"There it is," she said while pointing at him. "That face right there."
"What face?"
"The one people make when they realize something annoying about themselves."
He raised an eyebrow. "That's oddly specific." Emiya was quiet for a moment, his gaze drifting back to the fire. "…Somewhere along the way, I stopped seeing her as a monster," he said, almost to himself. "I'm not sure when. But that was a long time ago."
Mine stared at him for several long seconds after hearing that. Then she groaned loudly and dropped her head back dramatically. "You're both completely insane," she muttered.
A small smirk appeared on his face. "That's probably true."
"And somehow you still sound like the more normal one between the two of you, which honestly makes the whole thing worse." She shook her head before looking back at him again. "You realize this whole relationship sounds terrible, right?"
"Things used to be somewhat normal," the white-haired man admitted. "But now, they are very different. I suppose it's the moment that she earned the title of general or when she consumed that Demon's Blood… no, it wasn't those, I'm just trying to find something to make sense of it."
A huff escaped Mine. "So you admit it finally!"
"I never tried to hide it in the first place," Emiya countered. "It's just that no one asked me any direct questions."
"You're always so secretive and dismissive whenever someone does try to ask you personal questions!" She shot back, though he could not deny it exactly.
A small smirk touched Emiya's lips. "Sorry. It's an old habit."
The girl's gaze softened as she looked back into the fire. "What if you just accepted her feelings?" Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. "If you were to do so, wouldn't that mean Esdeath could potentially join our side? And don't get the wrong idea, I hate her. But I have to admit, she is a powerful natural disaster. She would be a great weapon to have on our side."
"I did consider that option, truthfully," he confessed. "But Esdeath is not stupid. She would know immediately that I was just pretending. And even then, her desire is not for me to accept her feelings for us to become a standard couple. She wants to fight me to the death."
"Nothing makes sense about that woman," Mine grumbled, sinking back into her chair.
"I completely agree."
"If that's truly the case, why not just give it a try? At the end of the day, if you encounter her again, just do it and see her reaction. If it works out, good for us, and we win. If it doesn't, you two just go back to killing each other for all I care."
An uncomfortable expression crossed Emiya's face as he recalled their interaction on the beach, how it had been so abruptly interrupted. "It's a bit too late for that," he murmured, staring of at the distance. "I missed the opportunity, truth be told."
"Aha!" Mine exclaimed, pushing herself to her feet with surprising speed, ignoring the sharp protest from her injured legs. She pointed a finger directly at him. "You do actually lo—!" The sudden movement sent a jolt of pain through her body. "—Ouch!" she cried out, stumbling and falling back into her seat with a wince.
Emiya did not respond to her accusation. Simply gathered a few pieces of cooked meat onto a clean plate, then got up and scanned his surroundings before walking away from the firelight.
He made his way back into the main building of their headquarters, his footsteps echoing in the quiet halls. Descending the stairs into the basement dungeon, the air grew cooler and damper. He stopped in front of a heavy wooden door, then unlocked it and stepped into the dimly lit room beyond. A single torch on the wall cast flickering shadows, illuminating a jail cell. Inside, a certain emaciated girl sat chained to the wall. Bandages covered nearly her entire body, swathing her form so that barely any of her features could be seen, save for one piercing, unblinking left eye.
He let out a quiet sigh before placing the plate of meat and a jar of water on the floor just inside the bars. "If you skip another meal, or even drink something, you will not live to see the next day," he stated, his voice devoid of its earlier warmth.
Seryu did not budge. She just sat there, her gaze fixed on some distant point on the opposite wall, not even looking at him. Emiya was not certain if she did so out of defiance or because she simply lacked the strength to turn her head. The silence stretched on, thick and heavy.
"Have you truly given up already?" he asked. "The handful of confrontations we had earlier gave me a very different understanding of your character. You were stubborn to an unnatural degree."
A faint, raspy voice emerged from the bandaged figure, the sound of someone who had not spoken, drunk, or eaten anything for the past several days. "I do not talk... to murderous criminals."
He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the dungeon's silence settle. "Yes, we are criminals. Murderers of innocents. Every one of us has blood on our hands, whether it belonged to someone who deserved it or someone who didn't. Some of us carry more of it than others. And every one of us had a choice, we could have walked away, found somewhere quieter, somewhere far from all of this. We didn't." He opened his eyes, his gaze settling on the unmoving figure. "But there is one among us that can't be measured by the same standard. Tatsumi."
He let the name hang in the damp air for a bit, yet Seryu remained silent. After several more seconds, he continued. "The boy is a victim, just like most people in the capital and even those in Night Raid. He still has loved ones back in his village. His friends are still alive, and he still sees hope in many places where others don't. He saw the same hope in you, where most would've slit your throat."
"Don't say his name," Seryu's voice rasped from the bandages. "Go away."
"Do you hate Tatsumi because he was apparently a spy for Night Raid? Because you think he lied to you this entire time?" Emiya pressed, his tone even.
"Shut up!" Seryu screamed, the sound tearing at her dry throat.
"Tatsumi is nothing more than just a person from a faraway village that required resources just to stay alive. Their people could not survive without proper resources, so they sent him and his friends to the Empire to gather them back, so that the people could live past another winter. Farming in their area is nearly impossible with all the dangerous monsters roaming the area. The boy came to the capital with great hopes to pursue a bright future so that he could support his friends and family. There was never any contact with Night Raid. He was nothing more than just a village boy who had no connections, no influence over anyone in the capital. Why would Night Raid even be allied with him?"
"Shut up! Your lies won't work on me!" Seryu screeched again. "You're a fool if you think I would believe such things after everything that has happened!"
Emiya looked away from her, towards the stone wall. "Perhaps you are right. Perhaps I am indeed wasting my time. I thought you would be different from Esdeath, but it turns out you were basically the same, with the same kind of stubbornness. It's why I feel sorry for the boy. He knows he's making a mistake, one that will haunt him for the next few years."
"Why not just kill me…"
"If Tatsumi was really your enemy, why would I go through all this effort to keep you alive?" Emiya sighed, turning back to face her. "The reason I am not going to kill you is that it is not my decision to make. But you are really pathetic. You might be stubborn, but not the same kind of stubbornness as Esdeath, who would not give up until the very end. The General made a mistake being surrounded by people like you, who do not even believe what you preach. What justice? It's nothing more than selfishness."
A new fire lit inside the girl. Her body tensed hard enough for the restraints to creak, and even through the bandages wrapped around her, he could feel the anger pouring off her. The curses started almost immediately, "You bastard! Murderer! You think you can lecture me after what you people have done!?" she shouted, struggling against the bed. "Night Raid are monsters! Criminals! Every single one of them deserves to die!"
Her voice grew louder with every sentence until it nearly echoed through the cell. The white-haired man remained where he stood, listening quietly until she finally started running out of breath.
"If you still believe in your version of justice," he said calmly, cutting through her shouting, "then you're doing a terrible job proving it."
That only made her glare harder.
"You say you want to punish evil. You say you want revenge on Night Raid for the people they killed. Fine." His eyes stayed on her. "Then hate us properly. Hate me. Hate all of them. Hold onto that anger and use it to survive long enough to actually do something with it one day rather than just rotting away in this cell like a worm."
The girl's breathing grew rougher.
"But none of that matters if you die here because you're too stubborn to eat or drink," he continued. "Right now, you're not acting like someone pursuing justice. You're acting like a soldier giving up out of spite. If you die like this, nobody will remember some proud defender of justice. They'll remember an angry girl who barked a lot and accomplished nothing in the end. The memory and teachings of this Ogre fellow will die here with you."
"..."
For once, the screaming stopped. Silence settled inside the room apart from the faint hum of the lights above them. Seeing no response, the man gave a small shake of his head and turned toward the exit.
He had only taken a few steps before her voice stopped him again.
"Wait."
He paused. The girl lowered her head slightly before forcing the next words out. "What happened to Koro? What did you do to his remains…"
"Remains?" A chuckle escaped him. "Your dog isn't dead."
That immediately made her look up at him properly for the first time since he entered the room. The hatred in her eyes remained, but now there was something else mixed into it.
Shock and an overwhelming sense of relief.
"That's impossible," she muttered hoarsely. "I felt…"
She stopped herself midway.
"The Teigu shut itself down," he explained. "It's basically in a coma right now. No reaction to outside stimuli. It's been like that since the fight ended."
Seryu stared at him silently while trying to process the information.
"Maybe it stays that way forever. Or maybe someone compatible with it eventually wakes it back up." His gaze shifted slightly toward her. "Though personally, I think the little thing is waiting for its owner to come to its rescue rather than trying to throw her own life away first."
The girl's fingers twitched slightly against the stone floor.
"Who knows," he added while turning back toward the door, "maybe if that stubborn owner decides to keep living, she'll get reunited with it someday."
Right before his eyes, Seryu moved. Her bandaged arm slowly, shakily, reached for the jar of water. She grasped it, her fingers trembling, and brought it to her lips. She started to drink. Then she took a handful of meat from the plate and stuffed it inside her mouth. She paused slightly, as if she had not expected it to taste so good, but then continued to eat in silence, whispering, "This is not the end."
Emiya allowed a small smile. "I sure hope not." He then turned and walked away.
As he was walking upstairs, ready to join the others back at the barbecue outside, he heard several voices cheering loudly. He stepped out into the cool night air and saw Leone and the others had returned. "Heeeey!" The blonde was at the forefront, her eyes immediately zeroing in on him before she rushed towards him with a giant smile. She raised her hand as if she were coming for a high five. He copied her movement, and she slapped his hand with a high five so forceful it made his palm sting. He reacted with a slight wince of pain, but didn't show it for long as Leone got into his personal space.
"Mission accomplished!" she yelled.
Emiya blinked several times, a flicker of confusion in his eyes, before he smiled as well. "Congratulations on your success. Happy to see you back unharmed."
Leone backed away and crossed her arms, her posture radiating pride, joy, and confidence. "It wasn't a hard mission in the first place. We managed to accomplish it so easily that I barely had to do much."
That drew a laugh from him. He knew better than anyone how close she had actually come to not returning at all, but he kept that to himself. "Naturally," he said.
A grin spread across Leone's face. "From now on, Night Raid is back! Also, I encountered the ice bitch."
This made him react with fake surprise. "You confronted her?"
"Not the others, but I sure did," Leone said with a wink. "And guess what? I managed to beat the shit out of the General and even left her half-dead for that matter."
Struggling to hold back his laughter at that exaggeration, he just nodded. "I am impressed."
Leone pouted. "I expected a bigger reaction."
"I trust your ability. I would have been surprised if you wouldn't be able to hold your own against Esdeath. I trust you and your ability to come out of any scenario alive."
Color crept up Leone's neck and spread across her cheeks. She turned her head away, jaw tight, like she was annoyed at herself for reacting at all. "Don't try that with me," she muttered. "Flattery doesn't work." A beat passed before she cleared her throat and glanced back at him, the flush still sitting stubbornly on her face. "Anyway. Mission was a success. Flawless, even." She tilted her chin up slightly. "That kind of thing deserves something, don't-?"
But before she could finish her sentence, his attention immediately went somewhere else. Focusing over the horizon in a particular direction, goosebumps started to spread across his skin. Something felt off…
{Break}
-The Capital-
The Imperial Palace remained unusually quiet that evening. Most servants moved through the halls carefully, speaking in lower voices than normal whenever they passed near the Prime Minister's chambers. The atmosphere around the man had improved over the past few days, but nobody trusted that it would last, given how strangely the man had behaved lately.
Inside the lavish room, Prime Minister Honest sat sprawled across a large divan with a half-finished cake resting on the table in front of him. Several layers of cream and fruit had already been cut apart messily, plates scattered nearby from earlier snacks he had demanded throughout the afternoon.
A servant carefully poured more coffee into a decorated cup beside him. "Your drink, Prime Minister."
"Mm."
Honest barely acknowledged the man as he carved off another piece of cake with his fork and stuffed it into his mouth. The servant bowed immediately afterward and hurried away before risking overstaying his welcome.
The old politician chewed slowly while staring ahead in thought.
Then, with a grunt, he pushed himself upright. The divan creaked loudly beneath his weight as he rose and made his way toward the balcony overlooking the capital. The evening air greeted him the moment he stepped outside. A large cushioned chair had already been prepared there, along with a small table holding the fresh cup of coffee from earlier. Honest lowered himself into the seat with another heavy groan before grabbing the cup and taking a slow sip.
For once, his expression actually relaxed.
Below him, the capital stretched out beneath the fading sunlight. People still moved through the streets despite the late hour, guards patrolled the walls, and lights slowly began appearing across the city one by one.
Honest leaned back deeper into the chair.
"It's been a long time since things felt this peaceful," he muttered to himself. One of the nearby guards overheard him and carefully spoke up. "Should I order the musicians to return for tonight, Prime Minister?"
Honest waved a hand lazily. "No. Too noisy."
The guard bowed immediately. "Understood."
The Prime Minister took another drink before letting out a long breath through his nose. The constant problems surrounding the Empire had finally started calming down, at least for the moment. No reports screaming about another assassination. No individuals are fighting each other and causing the whole place to crumble because of that.
Funnily enough, it almost felt strange to be this relaxed lately.
For several moments, the old man simply sat there enjoying the rare calm around him. Anyone seeing him now would have struggled to connect this relaxed figure with the same man feared throughout the Empire.
"Watch," he muttered while staring out over the city lights. "The moment I start enjoying myself, some idiot will probably ruin it by tomorrow morning."
The rotund man's gaze eventually drifted toward the other person standing on the balcony, seeing an armored giant standing there quietly. Startling the maids, who quickly left the scene after his arrival. General Budo remained near the railing with his arms crossed behind his back. Even while off duty, the man carried himself like he was still standing in formation before the Imperial Army — which tended to become a tiresome habit in the middle-aged man's opinion. The evening wind tugged lightly at his cape, but otherwise he barely moved at all.
Compared to the overweight minister lazily drinking coffee behind him, the contrast between the two men could not have been greater.
Honest chuckled to himself at the sight. "You really never relax, do you?"
"..."
Budo did not answer immediately, despite there being no change to his face… one could tell what was going on in his mind.
The Prime Minister took another sip before continuing, "You're worrying over nothing. The mission should already be over by now. Bolic has most likely secured the Lord's position already."
The general's eyes stayed fixed on the distant skyline of the capital. "You know very well that isn't what concerns me."
Honest hummed lightly. "Then perhaps you're thinking further ahead." A small grin spread across his face. "What did you think about the candidates I suggested for the next General position?"
That finally made Budo glance toward him slightly.
"Most of them are politicians pretending to be soldiers or just spoiled brats carrying around the achievements of their forefathers as if they were their own accomplishments," he answered bluntly as his face hardened with displeasure. "They gained their rank through family connections and influence, not through battle. Some have never even stepped onto a battlefield themselves. They command from safe positions behind their troops and call that leadership."
Honest snorted into his coffee. "You military types always care too much about that sort of thing."
"A General should be competent."
"And politics should be practical," Honest replied casually. "Unfortunately, the Empire requires both, along with the proper connection. In your case, you have everything in spades."
Budo remained silent, not even attempting to deny that.
The Prime Minister leaned back further into his chair before speaking again. "Personally, I still think Dorothea would be an interesting choice."
That finally earned him a visible reaction.
"Dorothea?" Budo repeated, sounding genuinely confused for the first time during the conversation. "The girl from Wild Hunt?"
"The very same."
Budo frowned openly now. "How is she remotely qualified for that position?"
"She's more capable than people assume."
"She's unstable."
Honest waved a hand dismissively. "So are most powerful people in this Empire."
"That is not the point." Budo turned more fully toward him now. "A General carries more than authority. They represent the military strength of the Empire itself. If someone holding that title dies at the hands of an ordinary soldier, the humiliation alone would damage the Empire's reputation."
Honest shrugged. "And yet Dorothea is still more deadly than many officers currently serving."
"Lethality alone is not enough to make a leader. You should know that better than anyone at this point."
"Neither is discipline," Honest countered immediately. "Half the disciplined officers in this country are too stiff to adapt once things stop following the manual."
The Grand General's eyes narrowed faintly at that, though Honest merely grinned back at him.
"Still," the Prime Minister continued, "I'm curious who you would choose instead. You clearly already have someone in mind."
The general stayed quiet for several moments. The only sound on the balcony came from the distant city below and the faint rustling of his cape in the wind.
"…There are several candidates among my own subordinates," he finally admitted.
Honest immediately smirked. "Wouldn't that be considered favoritism?"
That earned him a huff from Budo. "Since when has favoritism ever bothered you?"
The old minister barked out another laugh at that. "Fair point."
Budo's expression returned to normal afterward. "Still, if I were to choose someone outside my direct command…" He paused briefly before continuing. "Then the next reasonable option would be the former Marine from Esdeath's unit."
Honest rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "Hm."
His eyes drifted upward as he searched through his memory.
"Ah, right. I remember him." He snapped his fingers once. "Wave. That was his name, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
Honest leaned back in his chair again, looking mildly interested now. "Young, popular with the troops, decent reputation, tied to Esdeath's group…" He chuckled faintly. "That would definitely upset a lot of nobles."
"That is not my concern."
"I know," Honest replied with amusement. "Which is exactly why it would happen."
Budo nodded. "Wave is still very early in his career. He has much to improve before he can be seriously considered as an official candidate. His loyalty is not yet certain, but his strength is undeniable. He has potential, especially with an Imperial Arm like Grand Chariot."
Honest nodded slowly. "I understand. I will keep an eye on that boy." He changed the subject then, his voice dropping conspiratorially. "Are you still conducting the research?"
Budo's silence was an answer in itself.
Honest burst into laughter, a booming sound that echoed across the balcony. "You are too paranoid for your own good, Budo! There is no way that girl survived after being attacked by your Imperial Arm and falling from such a great height."
"If that were the case," Budo countered, his voice low and steady, "then why can we not find her body?"
Honest shrugged, a gesture of immense indifference. "She was most likely devoured by the rats in the sewers."
"Her bones would have been found if that were the case."
"Her remains were most likely swept away by the current," Honest grunted, his patience wearing thin. "But even if she were alive, what could she possibly do? She is without power, no real influence anymore. All of that belonged to her father. With him gone, no one in their right mind would support her."
Budo stood up straight, his imposing figure casting a long shadow. He turned to leave, but not before offering some parting words. "Leaving such an unresolved matter, no matter how insignificant you believe it to be, is always a bad idea. It will come back to bite you in the future."
Honest waved him off, not even bothering to look at him. "Thank you for accompanying me for this small talk. I will keep the matter in mind." He clearly wasn't taking it seriously, reaching out and grabbing a hunk of roasted meat from the table, tearing off a large piece with his teeth. Chewing slowly, his expression dissatisfied as he stared out at the horizon. "These people are becoming more and more annoying," he muttered around the mouthful of food. "Never mind. Things will get better from now on, after that monster is gone." He slowly closed his eyes, letting the gentle breeze and the warmth of the sun lull him into a light sleep.
Lately, Honest had been feeling more and more tired. Ever since that woman came back, not a single day went by that he didn't wake up either covered in a cold sweat or startled awake, his hands flying to his own fingers as if to check if they were still there. The nightmares were more persistent than usual, to the point where he was starting to feel more anger than fear. The dog that bites its master's hand needs to be put down. That is the natural way of things. And lately, that special dog had been getting way out of control. He knew that despite Esdeath being a powerful General with a powerful Teigu, the Demon's Extract could eventually be retrieved if her body was brought back intact, without too much blood loss. There was no guarantee it would work, but the Empire was not lacking in powerful armaments. He could always find another person like Stylish to continue working on the artificial Teigu later on.
His mind sank into a deep silence, and for the first time in a long while, his sleep was not plagued by nightmares. There was only pure darkness, a quiet, empty void. It was peaceful, a welcome respite. This tranquility continued until a subtle chill crept up his spine. "Hm?" His eyes fluttered open, and he realized he had dozed off. He breathed out, only to see a white fog puff from his mouth, hanging in the air for a moment before dissipating.
"Why is it so cold…" he mumbled, confused. Staring up slightly, a tiny, perfect snowflake descended from the sky, landing on his open palm.
"—?"
Its crystalline structure proved to be both intricate and beautiful, yet also confusing. For this should not be happening now, looking up at the sky, which had turned a dull, overcast grey. "Winter is already here?" That didn't make sense. There were still several months before the snows were due to return.
Snow began to descend upon the Capital City.
His heart skipped a beat when he looked in the distance. Dark, dense clouds were gathering with unnatural speed, and he could see a visible trace of ice creeping across the land itself, frost spiderwebbing over the stone balustrade of his balcony.
A terrible sensation soon washed over him; he recognized this sight far too well.
"Damn it! Summon Grand General Budo and assemble the army! You, accompany me to the throne and bring me the Emperor now!"
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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.