Fate: Kill

Chapter 13

Akame was in the dark of the forest, her sense of direction largely obscured by the recurring patterns of trees and foliage that she found herself maneuvering through. Night under the canopy of the high trees was the same as treading through a pitch-black room filled with the hooting of owls, the skittering of wildlife, and the rustle of the leaves.
I

t didn't matter.
Her movements were swift and refined, her body moving on auto pilot. This wasn't the first time that she'd navigated through a forest in darkness. She'd faced worse back when she was still an untrained and ignorant girl sold into the Empire's Assassination program with her younger sister.
She wasted no energy, conserving her movements to the bare minimum to optimize her remaining reserves and save it in the case of emergency.
Her face was a mask of indifference, unmoving, and still like glass despite the weariness brewing in her eyes.
As calm and composed as she appeared on the surface, her mind was less so.
Was this wrong?
The direction of her choices, the outcomes that would be produced, would there be meaning?
She pursed her lips.
Shirou.
Royal Family.
Everything that she'd experienced since the start of a simple assassination assignment had effectively caused her to question everything. She hadn't felt such indecision since the time that Najenda had convinced her that siding with the Empire as an emotionless tool was not the way that she wanted to live her life.
Freedom.
Compassion.
Honesty.
Those were the principles of a world that she wouldn't hesitate to fight for, and she'd already seen it.
Calla, the village named after a flower of New Beginnings was like none other before it.
The more that she thought back to the village, the more that her resolve waned. In truth, she never wanted to leave. For all intents and purposes, she felt like her actions and decisions were finally amounting to a purposeful cause.
For the first time, she'd felt…fulfilled.
The word took an entire second to register in her mind, and the urge to suddenly plant her feet in the ground, turn around, and then run back to that familiar place in her heart, nearly overwhelmed her.
Shirou would not ask her where she'd gone, merely nod in her direction without suspicion nor inquiry.
She in response would stoically take her place behind him as a guard.
The sights that she'd seen.
The people who greeted her on a daily basis and urged her to take care of Shirou's safety.
All of it was playing through her mind and breaking her professionalism as an assassin. It almost made her feel human, an emotion she'd never considered thinking about again after the numerous people that she'd already killed.
A sinner. A Murderer. That was who she, and it would never change.
And yet, the images of people smiling at her within Calla's streets manifested in her thoughts. They encouraged her to work hard, gave her food when she was hungry, and earnestly thanked her when she'd return with hunted food in turn. Hell, she'd even gotten used to the town's children climbing up her legs and pulling on her cheeks to garner a reaction from her. Artus and Anna, Shirou's siblings, were much the same in that regard.
The innocence and trust found within Calla were a far cry from the injustices of the Capital.
She really didn't want to leave.
This was bad.
She was wavering.
Akame paused in her movements while traversing the forest outside Calla's walls, her feet lightly landing on the ground beneath her. She stood still; a hand pressed to her forehead as her gaze tilted up to stare at the soft glow of the moon-light peaking through the overhead vegetation above.
Memories would only be cherished and thought fondly of after the fact.
They were hard to abandon not because they were difficult to stow away, but because it was heart wrenching to do so. Given a choice, she probably never would have had given up her new found life without a violent struggle. The best example was Leone.
To protect Calla and the people within it, Akame had even gone as far as to confront her long-time friend into a standstill.
The fact that she'd managed to convince Leone to not expose Calla's secrets to the Revolutionary Army should have had been an achievement worth celebrating. However, things changed in the process of doing so after she discovered what sort of heritage Shirou possessed.
Emperor.
He was the only Emperor in her mind.
A leader that thought not just for himself but for the sake of those relying on him was what a real leader should have had been.
The credibility that Shirou had towards the throne was the crucial factor to everything. It was a right of Kingship that was impossible for her to ignore. If given the chance, it was a revelation that would alter the entire foundations of the current Empire.
If she had remained ignorant to the information, then perhaps she wouldn't have had done anything. The path that Shirou was taking would no doubt bear solid results in time, and she was fine with that. However, when compared to the effectiveness of ascending the throne? There was just no comparison.
How many more people could be saved if a war with the Empire was avoided by having Shirou declare his right to rule as a blood-related member of the Royal Family?
Akame was no idealist, but she'd long since grown sick and tired of the constant betrayals and evils of the world outside of Calla's walls. Now that she had experienced what it was like to live a life without fear of tyranny and injustice, how could she not wish to fight and spread the feeling to others in despair?
Just as Shirou had said before, 'it's not wrong to save others,' and that was enough.
He had shown her the beauty of trust, faith, and belief.
Akame balled her hands into fists.
She didn't need any other reason.
Akame steadied her breathing. She'd been travelling alone since she'd left Shirou's house back in Calla, and only now was she resting.
Dragging her feet over to a toppled tree, she sat down over the trunk and began collecting her thoughts to stay focused.
Shirou said that he'd 'save her' like she'd asked a redundant question. Worse, he was entirely serious, and that did funny things to her heart that she could not explain.
No matter what, those words brought warmth to her empty being. It was the first time that she'd ever heard anyone speak with such sincerity to an assassin, and for a moment, it had almost rendered her into inaction.
If he'd asked her to stay, or pried into what she was planning, would she have had been able to refuse giving an explanation?
Akame didn't know.
She sighed while resting within the silence of the woods.
His promise was not intended to lure Shirou into a confrontation with the Empire, but for her use as mental support. It was reassurance in all senses of the word.
Right now, she was intending on fighting alone.
Within the darkness, the dim light of the moon reflected off of the steel edge of her Murasame sword which she was in the process of maintaining.
If it was for him, then she could have a reason to further sully her hands with blood. She didn't want to taint Shirou by exposing him to the decrepit world that she lived in. Calla's walls were as much of a divider as they were a simple structure of defense.
If Calla within the walls was the oasis in a wasteland, then the world outside threatening to do it harm was the vast desert that she grew up within.
She was strong. She had to be in order to survive.
In which case, even by herself, she should be able to make a difference.
Time was what Shirou needed for Calla to flourish.
She would be the one to buy that time.
If she were to be captured or killed in the process, then so be it. She welcomed it.
She did not know what sort of place that she held in Shirou's world, but if there was one thing that she knew about him, it was that she trustedhim. It was a foreign concept, but oddly enough, it brought her no end of comfort.
If it was him, then he would definitely take action.
If her life could bring about a major change for the good, then all the better.
Time passed on.
She sheathed her blade.
Her body had rested enough. It was time to move out again.
Yet, in the darkness of the shadows, as she readied herself, she suddenly tensed as her ears perked up in alarm. She'd heard a familiar noise, high pitched and panicked.
A scream.
She may have had ignored it at any other instance, but Shirou's influence had rubbed off on her. Besides, she was still near Calla's borders so if there was trouble, the least she could do was check up on it.
Her decision made, her feet carried her forward until she reached the edge of a clearing while perched atop a tall tree.
She narrowed her eyes.
What was this?
Her gaze shifted left then right, taking a quick estimate of the number of individuals that had set camp within the moon-lit clearing. There were hundreds of them, and based on their clothing, they originated from the states of Wakoku.
Hageshi?
The first thought in her mind was the tension that Shirou had sown in the past. However, rather than just the people of Hageshi, there were other states of Wakuku currently in the field. All of them warrior states.
A coalition?
The Warriors of Wakoku were far more than Akame could have had ever expected.
She couldn't understand it. She'd been to Wakoku before and she refused to believe that the headstrong leaders of the various states could ever band together.
Her lips curled downwards, her brows creasing in confusion.
While scrutinizing the scene in front of her, she heard the scream again which snapped her out of her musings. The best way to find answers was not to make assumptions, but to investigate.
Her attention shifted, she nimbly hopped from tree to tree without so much as a sound.
She had moved away from the main area by the clearing and was now staring at a secluded part of the camp.
In front of her, armed men and women were detaining several groups of travellers who were a mix of the Empire and Wakoku's common folk.
Akame frowned. Judging in the direction that the people were travelling, she had no doubts that their intended destination had been the village of Calla.
"Stop, enough!" Two young men stood protectively in front of a black-haired girl who'd gotten shoved to the ground after trying to make her way out of the encirclement. "What do you bandits want anyway? If it's money or food, then we don't have any!"
The words of one of the young men where chorused by the other people similarly being detained in the encirclement.
The warriors of Wakoku remained firm. They didn't even speak.
The young men helped the girl up and moved to argue further, but were stopped by the common folk of Wakoku who more or less understood what was going on.
"It's no use. They don't want money or food, but labour," an old woman from Wakoku elaborated. "Too many people from both the Empire and Wokoku have began to migrate, and it would seem that Wakoku was the first to notice."
The old woman glared at the warriors of Wakoku near her. "What's the use of ruling a country without people? The reasoning is that simple."
Akame and the young man bristled at the information. The young man's name was Ieyasu, a young man from a poor village near the outskirts of the Empire.
"But none of us are even from Wakoku," Ieyasu gestured towards himself and his friends before growing angered. "Tatsumi, Saya, let's go. I'm sure that they'll release us if we just explain that we were only travelling along with this group."
Tatsumi and Saya were from the same village as Ieyasu. The three were good friends.
The old woman shook her head. "Does it matter?" The old woman did not direct her question at Tatsumi and the others, but towards their detainers.
"Capture them," the lead warrior of Wakoku coldly issued out the order.
Tatsumi, Ieyasu, and Sayo paled. The three of them were strong warriors in their own right who could face off against even Danger beasts. However, it was one thing to confront just a single individual, but to face an entire trained group on their own was impossible.
"T-This can't be happening. We still haven't even helped the village yet," Sayo trembled as she unsheathed her daggers and pointed them towards the Warrior's of Wakoku drawing in towards her. Tatsumi and Ieyasu were no different. Sayo swallowed audibly. "We've followed the rumours of a land with fertile fields and plentiful food and water. I-It wasn't supposed to end like this."
"That's why it won't."
A voice abruptly spoke in the darkness, the clinking of a drawn sword echoing throughout.
A silent blade. A cold blade of the damned.
One cut meant death.
The First Act, the beginning.
Up, down, left, right, everything was but a blur as a shadow slipped out from the trees and exploded into action. Feet planted into the ground, pivoting before pushing off with unprecedented mobility.
Red eyes.
The deep hue of crimson illuminated under the moon.
The Second Act, the start of grief.
Fingers wrapped around a worn hilt, gripping fiercely; a body dipping low before kicking off into high gear.
The butt of a sword smacked against the skull of an enemy, dazing them and forcing them to tumble back before a red line manifested over the individual's neck. The man toppled over, dead.
The rest were no different.
It was a flurry of precise strikes, all meant to kill.
Third Act-
Akame paused mid swing. There was already no one left. Those that had chosen to escape had already been cut by Murasame's edge.
She sheathed her sword and pointed in a certain direction under the dazed expressions of the people staring at her.
"Calla," she said softly. "Calla is that way."
She turned to leave, but paused after some consideration. "Run, it won't be long before more come," she warned them.
"Wait, are you actually planning to stay behind?" Tatsumi called out while pushing his way through the crowd.
Akame need not answer. She just stared back impassively. It was an obvious question.
"Why did you help us?"
This question was less so.
Sayo and many others looked at Akame in confusion. Many of them had already recognized her as the criminal in the wanted posters, and yet, she was different from how she was described. At the very least, the image of the impassive murderer drawn on the poster held nothing to the expression in Akame's clear eyes.
There was warmth, conviction.
Shirou had shown her that there was more to the world than killing and putting an end to the Prime Minister's corruption. After all, what was there to fight for after that? The cycle would surely repeat and a new 'Prime Minister' would eventually come into power.
Akame knew this.
Everyone knew this at least on some level.
However, Shirou thought differently.
In a society where a stranger was more likely to backstab you rather than aid you, he still held out his hand to others. If he was made Emperor, surely, his line of descendants would not fall into strife or power struggles.
In fact, she could picture him casting away the title of Emperor in the first place to establish a new form of Government for the people.
That was the kind of person that Shirou was.
If she was the darkness, then he was the light that she was chasing after.
"Does there need to be a reason?" She was always short on words. She never preferred talking to begin with so it felt weird for her to talk to a crowd, but her voice came out strong regardless.
"It's not wrong to help others," because I myself was saved. Her lips subconsciously curled upwards into small smile.
From a certain perspective, Akame was a tool of war to eliminate high-profile political and military figures. She was empty, hollow, but fighting for a purpose that she had thought that she had believed was right.
Now though, it was different.
She was fighting not for the Revolutionary Army, but for herself.
"It's not wrong to help others?" Sayo and the people around her echoed Akame's words and looked at her as if they were truly seeing her for the first time.
It caused Akame's face to redden. Those weren't her words to begin with. She shook her head and composed herself. "Hurry and go. You're all wasting time."
"Wait, we can fight too," Ieyasu offered up his help. "If you helped us for no other reason than to help, then there's no way that we just abandon you."
"He's right," Tatsumi gripped his sword tighter and straightened his back. "We're plenty strong."
"No."
Akame flat out denied them and directly turned to leave before they could get another word in.
Tatsumi and the others wouldn't be helping by staying behind anyway. They weren't strong enough and she had no intention of openly confronting the enemy.
She was an Assassin.
A silent killer.
Given the situation, it was better to work alone. "Go." She gave one last reminder before darting through the foliage and out of sight. Left alone, Tatsumi and the others had no choice but to leave under the urging of the others.
Up in the trees, Akame was creating a plan of action.
The warriors of Wakoku were forcibly keeping travelers away from Calla and capturing them. There was no way that she could leave this matter alone.
Since there were too many of them, she'd do what she did best.
Kill the leaders.
Considering the large number of enemies that she'd have to bypass though, her expression fell.
This was going to be a long operation.
The Empire's scouting troops had not made another reappearance in days, making it safe for Shirou to assume that the Empire was temporarily pulling back its forces. That meant that the only troops he had to concern himself over were from Wakoku and the Revolutionary Army.
He was sitting while leaning forward onto his desk. A stack of papers that he'd neatly piled up were in his hands, and he was organizing them one by one into separate stacks based on priority.
Management was truly a tedious job.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to concentrate to little effect.
Administrative duties and needless paperwork aside, it was oddly disconcerting to not have a silent shadow trailing behind him anymore.
His eyes wandered towards the vacant chair in the corner before shifting to the plate of food left untouched by his desk. Akame had always come in early and enjoyed pilfering his food storage. It had something to do with her competitive edge in regards to cooking. She ate all of his dishes on the notion that she was trying to learn his 'secret' regarding culinary arts.
It felt sort of empty without her.
A part of him could already picture Akame munching on a piece of dried fish while waiting for him to finish his paper work in order to head into town.
He didn't know where Akame had gone. He'd never asked that night because he had assumed that Akame would be back by the morning.
It wasn't the case.
He put away his papers and leaned his back into the chair.
Where are you?
Shirou had been with Akame long enough to get to know her already. There was no way that she would just up and leave without telling him. Moreover, the only thing he'd found that Akame had left behind, was a small note asking to take care of a friend of hers named, Leone.
He read the note several times, but still found no other clues as to what Akame had been thinking.
A dead end had been reached, and there was no solution in sight.
The question now was simple. What should he do?
There was no way that he was just going to give up on Akame when she hadn't even explained anything before leaving. What if something had occurred without his knowledge, and to protect him, she'd gone off on her own?
He couldn't just put the matter aside, nor could he act recklessly either.
Shirou stood up from his chair, and decided to start by contacting his only clue: The woman that Akame asked him to look after, Leone.
Marked on the note that Akame had left behind was the address of Leone's current residence. She was officially renting a room within a local inn, but in actual fact, she spent more of her time near the woods training. At least, that's what Akame's note said.
With nothing better to do, Shirou set off looking for answers.
Life in Calla was different from everywhere else, and news of it was only growing stronger within the nation's undercurrents.
Shirou had no intention of stopping people from coming. The more people that he could help, the better.
The walk through Calla's streets was far livelier than Shirou could have had ever imagined. The new immigrants that migrated from all parts of the world found exactly what they were looking for in regards to open housing and sufficient food to raise their children. Not only that, but the new arrivals were emotionally moved by Calla's welcoming atmosphere. Even hardened thieves and crooks broke down in tears when they had tried to steal something, failed, and then got off with a loaf of bread and a kind gesture to persevere through the hard times.
"…"
In fact, he was looking at an identical case right now.
"You look thinner than normal. Here, take another. I still have plenty."
The woman who had tried to steal from a vendor hawking his wares began trembling in disbelief. From her expression and demeanor, she was definitely part of the new arrivals. Dumbfounded, the woman silently began sobbing when the vendor offered her another product.
At the place where Shirou was standing, he could see a little girl clinging onto the woman's leg. She too looked starved. That was probably why the vendor had offered more.
This situation was perfectly alright for Shirou. The fact the vendor could offer his wares for free, could only mean that the man was not in need of any extra money or food. What the vendor was doing represented a new concept taking root from within Calla.
It was notion called Charity.
When one had more than enough a staple good, then there was no harm in sharing it with others less fortunate. Besides, for many vendor and people, the inexplicable giddiness that they obtained from seeing the heartfelt expressions of those that they helped was enough of a payment.
"Sorry, I-I'm so sorry," the woman who had tried to steal broke down into apologies, her child joining her.
The vendor only smiled and did nothing back.
That was all that Shirou had seen before he continued on, and it was one of the many reasons that Shirou wished to protect Calla from harm.
This peace was worth fighting for.
Akame had definitely felt the same way which was all the more reason that he couldn't understand why she'd disappeared.
It wasn't in her character.
Leone was still his only lead. Therefore, without another moment's hesitation, he directly made his way towards the location where Akame noted that Leone would be.
Low and behold, he found her, but he hadn't exactly been expecting a familiar face.
It was the woman who nearly had nearly suffocated him on their first meeting.
He found her training in the back of the woods near the inn that she was renting owned by the people of Heiwa who built it.
If he was feeling slightly awkward right now, then Leone was a mix of apprehension, disbelief, and caution.
The way that she looked at him made it seem like she didn't know whether or not he was monster, or royalty. It was a blend of the two.
"Hi there," he called out to her.
"Hi," her response looked rather stiff, but she was quick to keep her composure. "Where's Akame? She told me that she acts as your bodyguard."
"Well, actually, now that you bring it up," he scratched the back of his head. "I was hoping that you would know. She's been gone for a couple of days now."
Leone's eyes sharpened in disbelief. "She's what?"
"She's gone," he repeated. "I haven't seen her around town in days."
The information seemed to throw Leone for a loop. She looked floored, her mouth opening and closing before settling into a deep frown. "This doesn't make any sense," she muttered to herself before creasing her brows and crossing her arms.
"Have you tried looking for her?" She asked. "I'd start looking myself, but I'm still not accustomed to everything in town yet."
"I'm looking for her right now," Shirou admitted.
No matter how he thought about it though, Akame wasn't around. He'd already asked the townsfolk the previous day, and none of them had seen Akame either.
"I'll help look," Leone immediately volunteered.
Leone was worried. Shirou could tell by the minor trembling of her shoulders. He did not refuse her offer.
The two directly went back into Calla to begin their search.
"Not here,"
"Not here either."
The two didn't spend much time talking. Instead, they moved to cover as much ground as possible.
As expected of a friend of Akame, but Leone's movements and reconnaissance gathering skills were excellent. She only needed a scant few minutes to determine whether or not Akame was in a certain area. Shirou in comparison felt like he was grabbing at straws. He wasn't nearly as experienced in this field of work.
"Damn it, Akame. There's no way you could have had just up and left," Leone was biting on her lip, a hand placed beneath her chin as she began pacing. "I knew that something was wrong with you when you started acting funny. Damn it all."
Leone's concern was genuine, and despite the situation, Shirou couldn't help but feel heartened at the fact that Akame had a good friend.
Still, no results meant that they had no leads.
Shirou and Leone found themselves resting by Calla's entrance, just a short distance away from the constant flow of migrants passing through the front gates.
"We can't give up. I won't give up on her." Tired as Shirou felt, he had no intention of stopping.
Leone could only stare. Different from her, Shirou had only known Akame for a period of a couple of months. It didn't make sense for him to be this committed, it was subtly changing her impression of him. He didn't seem like that bad of a guy despite how terrifying his power was.
Leone kept her thoughts to herself.
"We've already searched through the entire village. She's not here," Leone advised in frustration.
"Even still. I have to at least keep trying."
Leone blinked. "Why?" The word slipped out of her mouth.
Shirou stared back at Leone, their gazes meeting. "She's my friend. If she's in trouble, do I need any other reason to help her?"
"Dunno," a light flashed in Leone's eyes. She uncrossed her arms and nonchalantly placed her hands into her pockets. "Friends these days are more likely to backstab, so it's hard to say."
"Then they weren't friends to begin with," Shirou didn't even think before answering.
"Fair point," Leone fell silent, absently kicking at the dirt beneath her feet. "Say, you're the leader of Calla, right?"
"You could say so," Shirou didn't pay much attention. He was still busy looking for any signs of black hair and red eyes in the passing crowd.
"Calla's a nice place," Leone began to follow Shirou's example and help look for Akame once more. "I've never seen so many people smiling before. Rather than that, I've never seen so many people look so happy."
"A leader's duty is to provide and care for his or her subjects. A selfless rule," Shirou fell into reminiscence. He once knew a certain King that was perhaps the greatest of all. Her reign was in an era of war and invasion. "It's the people that make the nation, not the individuals in power."
"Oh," Leone suddenly fell silent.
Shirou didn't know what Leone was thinking about, but there was no way that he missed the way that she was idly glancing at him. She was sighing wistfully, and he simply didn't know why.
"I guess I can see what Akame saw in you," Leone's muttered to herself.
Shirou was too far away to hear and instead only saw Leone wink at him for reasons unknown.
Women were always hard to read or understand. Regardless, the two were quickly getting nowhere again until a chance coincidence.
"Thank goodness we got away from those people. Were you guys saved by that woman from Night Raid too?"
Shirou's ears perked up, his muscles growing taught.
Leone was even more so.
"Oi Oi! Who just said that!" Leone straightforwardly yelled into the crowd. Naturally no one answered her because of how intimidating she looked in her haste.
Shirou though was different. "Might I ask someone to elaborate?"
Shirou was a saint in the eyes of the migrants who opened up Calla's lands and resources for those in need of aid.
It didn't take long to get a response.
"I-I think I know who everyone's talking about," a youth with unkempt brown hair pushed his way though the crowd. It was Tatsumi, and following him were Ieyasu and Sayo. "We didn't know who she was at first, but once we saw her poster in town a few days ago, we found out that it was Night Raid's Akame."
"What exactly is going on?" Leone tried to press for an answer, but the people around her weren't very helpful when they tried to talk over each other.
"Fighting, she was fighting," Tatsumi continued. "There was an old woman that could probably explain the situation better than any of us."
Tatsumi, Sayo, and Ieyasu gestured for an older woman of Wakoku to give an explanation.
The vast migration of Wakoku's common people had ruined the balance between the warring states. Rather than fight each other for land, the warring states now had to take measures against the migration of its own people.
Leone's eyes soon became bloodshot.
Shirou was no better.
He knew that there was something wrong.
Akame was fighting on her own.
Shirou was back in his study with a single decision to make.
An army of thousands and Akame was confronting them all by herself?
'Would you save me?'
The words that she'd asked of him.
His firm reply, everything that she'd said that night.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Shirou gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists, but he couldn't act recklessly anymore.
There were people relying on him as a leader, and he couldn't just endanger them on impulse. Life and experience had taught him better, but he was forgetting a universal truth.
No matter how mature an individual grows, fundamentally, the foundation that made them who they were would always remain the same. Twisted, bent, or horribly disfigured, there was no denying their roots.
Shirou Emiya, was no different.
The warriors of Wakoku were kidnapping people and using them as labour.
Here came the dilemma.
On his own, he may be able to directly deal with the problem using his magecraft, but there was always the risk of magical depletion. Moreover, he would be versing an entire army. What he needed right now was help.
A part of him already knew on some level where he could get that help, but that was the true dilemma itself.
He closed his eyes in thought.
'A Hero does not sit back and let injustice lie.'
A Leader who neglects their people is no better than a villain.
'Inaction leads to stagnation. A sword sheathed, is a sword never used.'
Wisdom comes with time, the one to move first does not always win.
He closed his eyes, his fingers rapping against the wood of his now empty desk. He'd cleared all of the paper work and miscellaneous items over top to be left with nothing but a blank slate. It was a symbol of self reflection; to start from the beginning and think not with distraction, but with a clear mind.
The safety of Calla and its people must be prioritized.
'That's not what a Hero would do.'
Leader? At his core, who was he?
'An Ally of Justice.'
His eyes blinked open at the realization.
Elaine was standing before him, having opened the door of his study on the opposite side of the room.
She was the first to notice that something about him had changed. He was different.
His gaze, his bearings, his demeanor, the sharp cry of a drawn blade seemed to echo within the room despite a lack of any noise.
He was serious.
He'd been acting ignorant before not because he didn't notice, but because he did not wish to endanger anyone else despite their willingness to aid him.
It was a selfish thought, but not one without merit. Many of his colleagues died in the line of duty in his last life. However, he'd neglected a single factor, and that factor was 'choice.'
Even if he wanted to protect everyone as a leader, if they did not wish to be protected, then continuing to do so was the same as denying them their freedom.
Not anymore.
His gaze narrowed sharply.
"How many have you already gathered?" He directly addressed the heart of the matter.
Elaine seemed startled at first, but she soon took off her glasses and brushed back her long bangs behind her left ear. "I thought you'd never ask, your Majesty. I've gathered plenty. Would you also like to know more regarding the situation?"
Elaine smiled softly at him in satisfaction. A part of her had always known that Shirou couldn't have had been that dumb not to feel anything off with Calla and its inhabitants.
Majesty? Inwardly, Shirou grew alarmed, many questions popping up in his mind. However, no; he wouldn't ask nor address the issue.
Not now.
Therefore, he could still claim ignorance later when everything was concluded. Instead, he just nodded for Elaine to proceed.
Passiveness had its benefits, but it may not always be the correct answer.
Many people were dying, and many more people needed to be saved.
He could understand Akame's impatience simply because he himself would have had once done the same. Not for honour, or glory, but for the sole reason of helping others.
In a world filled with atrocity, villainy, and corruption, what was there left for him to do if not fight for a better tomorrow? Wasn't that what the Nameless Hero would have had done?
"Like you might already know, the people of Wakoku have gathered up a sizable army in response to the influx of migrating citizens. Some of the spies that had made contact with the group were given two demands in order for the warriors of Wakoku to cease hostilities." Elaine straightened her back and clasped her hands in front of her.
"Go on."
Elaine nodded. "They are asking for half of Calla's population and a treaty of heavy taxation."
Half of Calla's population and heavy taxation, or face war? The warrior tribes of Wakoku were asking for too much. Shirou's expression darkened.
No wonder Akame had already started an attack.
He wouldn't leave her to fight on her own.
The Warriors of Wakoku did not truly understand just who it was that they were dealing with right now.
He stood up, his muscles taught and gaze hardened.
The time for action had come.
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