Fate: Kill

Chapter 15

It was a route.
I

n any kind of war or battle, a route was synonymous to death. There were hardly any exceptions in history and this wasn't one of those cases. The enemy was taken completely by surprise and unable to recover. On top of a sudden attack, they didn't even know the number of aggressors.
Worse, twisted masses of steel were raining down from the heavens in torrents, skewering through enemy after enemy and leaving them pinned to the ground.
The sound eerily similar to the screeching of a monster with the furor of thunder:
Metal roaring in the twilight of the sunset echoed by the twang of a bow.
The rain of metal continued unabated into enemy lines.
Some were upright, others flattened or sprawled, many pierced through by the same arrow.
All were dead in an instant.
The psychological impact was indescribable. It was a means of attack that had never before been seen within the world, impactful and painfully vivid amidst the violence. Tufts of dust and debris leaving tiny craters that only made the image more haunting.
Was it Judgment?
Was it retribution?
No. Akame knew otherwise.
Everything was for the sake of a flimsy promise and she knew who it was that was capable of such an unimaginable assault.
Shirou.
The name resonated with the image of a kind hearted man within her mind.
One who'd smile at an assassin.
One who'd care for an assassin.
One who'd trust in an assassin.
No matter how much of a tool of war and conflict that she thought herself to be, to Shirou, she had always, and always would be just Akame. Not a killer, not an asset, but just a woman who's past was clouded in tragedy.
A person worth saving.
Wasn't that enough?
A Hero didn't need a reason to help another. Even if the one who should be saved was soaked so heavily with blood that her hands could never be cleaned.
"Akame, are you crying?"
No. No she wasn't.
She refused to acknowledge it or to look at Leone who was supporting her in her arms.
The wetness she could feel on her cheeks weren't tears, they couldn't be because it was impossible. She'd stopped crying years ago when she understood that crying and weakness would get her nowhere.
The liquid trickling down her face must have had been blood, the salty taste a mixture of the sweat that she'd worked up.
Regardless, she turned away from Leone so that Leone couldn't see her face until the wetness left her cheeks. That was until she realized that it was impossible to actually turn her face away due to the state of her injuries and her exhaustion. Worse, the way that Leone was supporting her head up so that the blood wouldn't rush up to her brain, all but guaranteed that her efforts were entirely in vain.
"I'm not crying," she wheezed out, uncertainty evident in her voice.
Leone didn't call her out on it and instead used a hand to wipe away the liquid on Akame's face. Akame would have had done it herself but her arms were incapacitated so she had no way of using them at the moment.
Akame's eyes were somewhat puffy and she felt it which was even weirder because she had assumed that she'd been poisoned somehow.
What a stupid poison.
Rather than kill, was it's sole purpose just to irritate her eyes?
She took in a breath to compose herself which sounded eerily similar to a sniffle from even to her own ears.
What the hell?
Leone was smiling lightly down at her. "It's alright to let it all out when you're relieved or thankful," Leone advised.
Let what out?
Akame's confusion must have had been evident on her face because Leone just sighed and shook her head. "It's nothing Akame, never mind."
Leone hauled Akame over her shoulder and stood up straight.
It was only then that Akame had calmed herself down enough to really inspect Leone. Now that her life wasn't in immediately danger, she could do such a thing, but when she did, she couldn't help but balk.
What was Leone wearing?
Leone was basically wearing nothing at all.
Her navel and bare legs were entirely exposed while only the most important places were covered by a thin layer of animal fur. Around her wrists and ankles were bracelet-like ornaments threaded with leather and paired with loose dangling feathers and beads.
Leone looked like she was earing Selka's attire. In fact, that was exactly what it was.
The question now was why?
She knew that the people of Heiwa prided themselves in their physical ability and as such weren't afraid to show it, but what purpose was Leone serving by dressing like them?
She herself would rather be caught dead than wear something so revealing, and no; it wasn't because her breasts were small. That had nothing to do with anything.
Akame was probably staring for too long because Leone ended up smiling wryly. The answer to Akame's questioning gaze though came promptly in the form of Selka who made her entrance by kicking a nearby enemy with her foot and sending him flying.
"Women are not as physically strong as the men, so we must take the initiative to attack in order to accumulate more honour as a Hunter," Selka walked up to Leone and began to lecture firmly in the middle of battle.
The enemies that tried to attack Selka on her way were swiftly dealt with as her lithe form twisted on the balls of her feet and struck out with athletic ferocity.
Akame noticed Leone's face cramp due to her close proximity. Moreover, was Leone actually nervous?
"Uhm, right," Leone mumbled.
In Leone's time in Calla, Leone had coincidently posed as a new recruit for Calla's Hunting unit in a profession largely dominated by male Hunters. Selka, as the only female Hunter of Heiwa had her pride and had been inwardly elated at the prospect of another female hunting companion.
Since Leone was the only woman recruited in Calla's Hunting unit to date, Selka had taken it upon herself to personally train and tutor Leone to be an expert Huntress.
"We must not bring shame to the Hunt." Selka concluded strongly.
Leone looked like she wanted to run away, but the fact that Leone was wearing Heiwa Hunting attire meant that at least a small part of Leone had warmed up to Selka and the rest. Not that she'd ever admit that. Besides, the accommodations that Leone was currently residing within at Calla were under the jurisdiction of Selka and the rest. Leone didn't have to pay for any sort of housing or food during the training period.
In short, Leone could be considered to be freeloading.
"So, crush the enemy, got it," Leone said robotically.
Selka nodded strongly before turning her attention to Akame.
"This isn't the place for you to die," Selka said somewhat awkwardly. She had always viewed Akame as a woman vying for her ideal man, and in her culture that meant War, but this was different. "Not when I haven't bested you yet."
Selka was a Hunter, and she had her pride.
Akame looked at Selka. Although it sounded like Selka didn't care a lot about saving her, she could see that Selka had been genuinely concerned on her behalf. Selka was just using her own approach to show that she cared, though if only just a little bit too confrontational to be healthy.
Akame really couldn't understand what she'd ever done to earn Selka's ire, maybe Shirou would know?
Something about the look on Akame's face inwardly infuriated Selka.
Selka would have had just declared a formal war right then and there against Akame if she was able to read what Akame was thinking about. Selka didn't have such an ability so she maintained her silence.
"Thanks," Akame murmured out nonetheless.
Selka nodded stiffly but didn't dwell on the matter.
Selka looked to Leone. "Take Akame to safety and then group up with the rest of the Hunters."
"Will do," Leone acknowledged with a poker face.
Selka looked at Leone oddly for a moment before shaking her head and retuning to battle.
"Rest well," Selka's voice carried in the wind.
Akame didn't have the energy to respond. She was too limp and Leone too quick to bolt away in the direction of Calla's backline where it was safest. Under the cover of Shirou's 'arrows' the journey to safety was without any real danger.
Leone came to a stop by the time that she reached the perimeter of the back line.
A majority of the people around were the relatively weaker members of Calla's expeditionary force since the main attackers were committed to the battle ahead. It was a logically sound tactic and had no problems whatsoever, but Shirou knew to be cautious by experience.
He'd left behind Elaine to oversee the backline.
As soon as Akame and Leone arrived, Elaine ushered them to the safest location before moving elsewhere to oversee a different part of the backline, namely the supply lines. Why Elaine had created supply lines for a short-term battle, neither Akame or Leone had any idea. Elaine had her own considerations and assumption to make in the long run and it wasn't Akame or Leone's business to pry into.
Safe and sound, Leone deposited Akame onto a rolled-out bed and smiled lightly.
"I'll help end this quickly so you can get some kind of medical attention," Leone said. "For now, just stay right here, okay? Don't you dare do anything stupid again."
When Leone had first heard what Akame had done without even informing her, she'd been both disheartened and furious. She had thought that she'd developed her relationship with Akame to a level where Akame could at least confide with her before making such a rash decision, but clearly this wasn't the case.
"Rest, Akame. You've done enough." Leone finally revealed traces of her disappointment and frustration. "We have a lot to talk about when this is all over."
Leone walked away before Akame had any time to answer.
Akame shut her mouth.
She'd probably annoyed or worried a lot of people this time, not that anyone could really blame her. It had been years since anyone had even cared about her so she wasn't really used to the feeling yet.
Still, it felt heartening.
She inwardly flinched when she imagined the scolding that she was certain to receive.
Maybe, just maybe, she should have planned things out better?
The Lords of Houju and Raika were at their wit's end. Neither of them had suspected a sudden enemy attack and their forces were all scattered and disorientated. The cursed Archer was treacherous.
Every time the Lords of Houju and Raika attempted to gather their men and assume a defensive formation, the steel arrowheads would instantly kill the troop leaders. This resulted in continued chaos that was difficult to mediate. Eventually, every troop and platoon leader were killed, leaving only the Lords of Houju and Raika to personally command. However, neither of them wished to vacate the safety of cover.
They were terrified.
Without any cover or obstruction, the penetrative power of the sword-like arrows launched from the air could kill either one of them if they weren't careful. The Lord of Raika was not a fighter to begin with. He was only equipped with a walking cane. Meanwhile, the Lord of Houju did not dare think that he could withstand the enemy's onslaught on his own.
"That damn Lord of Hageshi. Where did he go at such a time?" The Lord of Raika felt his blood draining from his face.
From the moment that the fighting had started, the Lord of Hageshi had mysteriously disappeared. There was no indication to how the Lord Hageshi had retreated, but both the Lord of Raika and Houju understood that there was no way that the Lord of Hageshi would come back given the situation.
"We're on our own," the Lord of Houju growled.
The Lord of Raika shook his head. "It's not 'we' it's you. Look at me, do you really expect me to fight?"
The Lord of Houju grimaced at the Lord of Raika's reminder. "Then command from the back. We have to make a stand or the army will be entirely defeated."
The Lord of Houju nodded while standing up on his feet and leaning over his walking cane. At the same time, the Lord of Houju took in a breath and stepped outside into the line of fire. Fearful as he was, he understood that he would die if he lost, and he'd die if he kept still. If the only choice that he had was to die, then he'd rather choose his own death by his own terms.
The Lord of Houju drew his sword and stared wearily at the sky as if he was already a goner. However, nothing happened.
He waited, and waited longer with no result.
The rain of steel had ended, but for what reason, the Lord of Raika didn't know. Frankly, he didn't care. Maybe the Archer had run out of arrows?
"Gather into loose formations! Make sure to spread out." The Lord of Raika was quick to issue orders. "We're dead if the Archer fires again!"
Meanwhile, on another part of the battlefield Shirou lowered his black bow before dismissing it in a shower of glittering gold dust. He'd already achieved his objective of rescuing Akame and he'd also killed the guards around the captive travellers. He'd also seen Selka and Leone escorting everyone away under his cover fire. Therefore, he had no reason to stay and risk the lives of his people any longer than necessary. However, he couldn't just stop now. He'd grown from the ignorance of his youth, and understood what it meant for such a large force of enemies to gather at his door step.
In some ways, Akame had been right. It was true that there was nothing wrong in taking a passive approach to peace, but at the same time, it allowed his enemies to take the initiative to attack. Why else would such a force from Wakoku gather?
He had always been averse to killing, but he was going to take the opportunity to cull the enemy's numbers and dissuade them from ever thinking of attacking again.
At this point, he'd already drawn the leaders out, yet killing them wasn't the answer.
He had to ingrain fear and aversion within their minds. As leaders, they alone could decide whether or not their people would participate in war.
That was why it was time to personally take to battle.
With the amount of magical energy that he'd been able to conserve, he didn't need to hold back today.
With his bow dismissed, he reinforced his body and directly jumped towards the fray.
Magic circuits thrumming from within him, circuit-like patterns formed over his skin, causing him to dimly illuminate the area around him in a soft glow.
It was eye-catching under the darkness of the day and like a meteor descending down from the skies, he crashed into the middle of the battleground in a cloud of dirt and debris. All eyes turned to stare at him, a layer of steam exuding from his body as his magic circuits heated up and flared to life.
Physical strength had never been his strongest suit, but that was only in comparison to Servants which he had once pitted himself against.
In comparison to an average human, he may as well have been an oversized beast.
His feet dug into the ground with a single step; the sound of his knuckles cracking, audible as he clenched his fists.
What was scarier than a sword or weapon?
He appeared in front of an enemy in an instant, sparks showering around him as a sword grated against his skin and left only a single scratch.
Everyone's eyes widened.
It was a body that would not die.
Mundane blades and attacks were useless against him while his skin was Reinforced.
His was a body of steel with the strength of a beast. Of course, it would not last, and he wouldn't use it carelessly since Reinforcement actively burned through his reserves if left on for long enough. However, his enemies did not know that.
Under everyone's scrutiny, he directly batted away the enemy's weapon and lifted the man by the leg before hurling him through the air without a change in expression.
The man tumbled and groaned as his limbs flailed. By the time that the man ground himself to a stop, the man had long since died from the force or had passed out from the shock.
Shirou had never needed a weapon to be lethal on the battlefield. His body itself was a weapon; a sword ready and poised.
Selka and the Hunter's of Heiwa who prided themselves on physical strength stood frozen at the sight. Selka was beaming and nodding as if what Shirou had done was her own achievement while Leone gawked.
Not to be outdone, Selka and the rest began their attack in earnest.
The Hunters of Heiwa were all well-muscled. Using Shirou's actions as a benchmark, the Hunters of Heiwa began to compete in who could throw the enemy the farthest. Different from the rest, Selka chose to see how far she could kick someone instead.
"Run, it's the freaks of Heiwa!" Screams ripped through the air followed by dozens of men and women being flung from their legs.
Selka preferred the term, 'Hunter,' but she digressed. The opinions of dead men did not matter.
Shirou stared, but chose not to comment. Selka and the others were all equipped with mystic codes that suited their fighting styles, but as if to emulate him, Selka and the rest weren't using them at all.
Leone was the most incredulous while seeing this scene.
Meanwhile, the Lords of Raika and Houju stared grimly when they finally noticed a key detail.
Shirou was wearing a white overcoat emblazoned with the symbol of the Empire's Golden Era over his normal clothes. It wasn't a symbol that the standard army member of the Empire would wear. Instead, it was reserved only for a specific family line. The symbol caused Lord Houju and Raika to pale.
"A member of the Empire's Royal family?"
The Empire wasn't the only nation with history books. In the generation of the First Emperor, the territories that were conquered all learned of the Emperor's symbol and war standard.
If Shirou heard what Lord Raika and Houju muttered, then he didn't react.
This was taking too long.
However, moments before he could fully commit himself, he noticed something in the distance.
"Selka," he called out briefly. "Can you take care of this?"
The enemy was already routed and the only people left to deal with was Lord Raika and Houju.
"Yes, of course! Leave it to me!" Selka didn't waste a second to reply. In fact, she looked so determined that the other Hunters were grinning from ear to ear.
Shirou didn't notice and instead took the time to reach Selka and bow his head in gratitude.
"I trust you," he said moments before leaving.
Selka's mind momentarily shut down before fire seemed to erupt around her.
The way that she looked at Lord Raika and Houju made them feel utterly unnerved.
It wasn't natural.
Love was blind.
Akame knew that something was wrong. She was an assassin and had been one for years. As such, it didn't take much for her to get on edge, and more often then not, it saved her life.
She was at the back line of a battlefield. Even if it was the safest location, why was it so silent?
Elaine was the one overseeing the area so much of Akame's weariness was taken away. However, the situation was too abnormal. Besides, Elaine couldn't be around all of the time.
It was then that a shadow loomed down from over her.
She paled while trying to move her body in order to react, but her injuries were too extensive. Screaming for help wouldn't work either because a hand almost instantly covered her mouth.
"Well, now. I didn't expect one as injured as you to be conscious."
She looked into the eyes of the missing Lord of Hageshi and tried to bite his hand. However, the Lord of Hageshi merely grinned before roughly pulling her up and hoisting her over his shoulder.
Again, she tried to resist in any way, but all that she managed was a feeble twitch before her body slumped on her. Worse, if she wasn't careful, her wounds which had clotted closed would reopen.
The Lord of Hageshi used this time to sneak out of the back line using whatever method that he had used to sneak in. Said method didn't take long for her to determine at all. She'd been purposely kept in a safe location by Elaine, and that was exactly why she hadn't noticed what was happening. Elaine was proficient and had refused to let the fighting reach anywhere near her.
Dust and splinters were showering the ground relentlessly in the nearby vicinity. Trees were knocked over and many people preoccupied with defending.
Hageshi was the land of Danger Beast Tamers. The average strength of a member of Hageshi may not have had been as strong as the Empire's elite, but the Danger Beasts that they commanded were formidable. The Lord of Hageshi was no exception. There were several bee-like Danger Beasts preoccupying the weaker guards while Elaine, Raiga, and the other members of Calla were dealing with an agile Great Ape.
The Lord of Hageshi had snuck by in all of the commotion.
By the time that Akame knew it, the Lord of Hageshi had taken her deep into the forest away from the backline.
"Why don't you just kill me?" Akame slurred out.
The Lord of Hageshi remained expressionless. "You're more useful alive then dead."
"That's where you're wrong," her voice was shaky.
She couldn't understand the Lord of Hageshi's reasoning. She didn't have anyone that would care very much about her life. Sure, she had comrades that would die for her, but that wasn't the same thing. She didn't want them to die for her if at all.
"Oh, I believe otherwise," the Lord of Hageshi replied flatly. "Perhaps you just don't understand your own worth. Isn't that right, boy?"
Boy?
The Lord of Hageshi clearly wasn't referring to her.
Mustering up her energy, she craned her neck to the side to see Shirou suddenly appear walking from the underbrush. Her eyes widened; her mouth suddenly dry. What was he doing here? Wasn't he leading the battle?
"Let her go," Shirou's tone was stern.
A trace of emotion finally graced the face of the Lord of Hageshi. Hageshi was a land of Danger Beast tamers, but the thing was, humans themselves could be considered beasts. The Lord of Hageshi himself was exceedingly critical in reading the emotions and thoughts of others.
"In all honesty, I'd never believed that such a tactic like this would ever be useful in this world of selfishness and personal ambition, but I was proven wrong." The Lord of Hageshi eyed Akame snidely before snorting. "For the sake of others, an Assassin chose to give up her advantage? At first, I was incredulous, but then I thought about it."
The Lord of Hageshi used his free hand and rummaged through his back pocket. "If an Assassin was willing to give up her advantage from the shadows, then would an associate of such an Assassin share similar views?"
Shirou remained silent, his jaw clenched tightly.
"In which case, rather than waste my time in a futile struggle in a routed army that's bound to lose, I figured a gamble of values was worth more of my attention."
Akame tried to escape when the Lord of Hageshi's attention wasn't fully on her, yet she was too exhausted to do much more than grunt and flail. Even with one arm, the Lord of Hageshi could still restrain her in her current condition.
Nonplussed by her struggles the Lord of Hageshi eventually pulled out some kind of bound pellet the size of a glass marble from his pocket.
Shirou narrowed his eyes upon seeing the marble's entirely black and purple surface.
"The most lethal of poisons aren't always the one's that react spontaneously." The Lord of Hageshi tossed the pellet over which Shirou caught with his hand. "Eat it, and I let her go."
Akame's widened, her heart lurching from within her chest when she heard what was just said.
No. NO.
She would have had tried to yell at this point, but the Lord of Hageshi muffled her mouth with a hand. However, her eyes were practically screaming.
'Don't you dare!'
'You can't do this! Not for me!'
Shirou hesitated, clearly thinking about whether or not to accede. He remained silent, but the Lord of Hageshi seemed to see right through him. "You're thinking to buy time until your allies arrive? I'm not that foolish."
Shirou stilled, expression somber. "I'm warning you; you do not want to make an enemy of me."
The Lord of Hageshi raised a brow, but didn't say much more. "I already have. Eat it now or the girl dies."
Shirou remained frozen for another second, contemplating the time and distance before reinforcements arrived and concluding that it was impossible.
Shirou raised the pellet closer to his mouth, prompting Akame to struggle harder against her restraint.
Stop! Stop that now!
Magic! Use your magic or something!
She knew that she was pulling at straws, but her desperation was preventing her from seeing that. No matter what kind of magic Shirou used, nothing would be fast enough to stop the Lord of Hageshi from directly killing her.
Shirou made his decision.
Her mind blanked, but for a different reason entirely.
The Lord of Hageshi's eyes widened as his entire body froze. He was simply unable to move no matter how hard he tried. All that he could do was dart his eyes left and right and move his mouth. "W-What did you do?" His tone was clipped, laced with an undercurrent of panic.
Hidden behind the Lord of Hageshi, the silhouette of a sword was visible from where it had subtly stabbed into the Lord of Hageshi's shadow.
A Black Key.
The preferred weapon and sacrament of the Enforcers of the Holy Church of another world manifested it's unique ability of restraint. Once pinned to the shadow of an enemy, there was no longer any room for escape unless disturbed by a higher power.
The Lord of Hageshi had been correct. Shirou had indeed been buying time, but it wasn't for reinforcements.
Under Shirou's magic, the Lord of Hageshi could do nothing as Akame fell away from his arms.
"You, what is this?" He asked again in incredulity.
"Is there a need for me to explain?" Shirou walked forward ominously. "You were correct from the start. We are enemies."
Shirou outstretched a hand, and a sword manifested at his finger tips to the shock of the Lord of Hageshi.
Seeing death approaching, the Lord of Hageshi did not panic, instead, he hurriedly called out. "Do you think that this is over! Look behind you!"
Akame felt it first, the prickle of movement near the nape of her neck before a small spider crawled out from beneath the collar of her shirt.
Shirou's feet firmly planted into the ground. One look, and he could tell that the spider was poisonous.
"You never saved her to begin with, and regardless of what you did, there must be some conditions to it. Release me or the girl dies," The Lord of Hageshi demanded. However, a hint of unease could be seen in the man's eyes. "What will it be?"
The smart move, the one that Akame was hoping that Shirou would do was to give up on her. Sure she may die, but the Lord of Hageshi was all but captured already.
Shirou grimaced, the sword he had in his hand already raised overhead but never falling.
He looked to Akame, and then to the lord of Hageshi.
Kill one for the sake of all and balance the worth of lives on a scale?
He wasn't Emiya.
He refused to take that path.
To Akame's horror, he released the Lord of Hageshi and promptly swallowed the pellet without hesitation. His body swayed and staggered.
Akame's mouth opened, then closed, her lips quivering before she exploded, lashing out at the Lord of Hageshi with all of her remaining strength.
This bastard.
This bastard!
Her legs wobbled before she practically threw herself at the Lord of Hageshi in her rage. However, her struggles were meaningless. The Lord of Hageshi dodged and with a single arm he grabbed her again. This time to remove the spider from her neck.
"Good." The Lord of Hageshi smirked at Shirou. "Now then, I suppose it's time for me to leave. Although this may be the most opportune moment to kill you, but the poison will do its job in time. Moreover, I never underestimate an enemy."
The Lord of Hageshi retreated slowly, but rather than release Akame right away, he dragged her with him as a shield, prompting Shirou to glower.
"Stay right where you are," the Lord of Hageshi warned darkly. "I will release her when I get far enough. I'm not a dishonourable man who would renegade on an agreement. However, I'm not foolish enough to release a hostage while directly in front of an enemy whose skills I do not know."
The Lord of Hageshi was still considering just how Shirou had managed to incapacitate him. The Lord of Hageshi wasn't stupid either. Whatever Shirou had done, it had been done from behind him. He kept a careful eye on his back. He would not be struck by the same attack twice.
The Lord of Hageshi waited for a moment before moving again. This time, Shirou did not follow.
From Akame's perspective, she could see that Shirou was struggling to concentrate, his breaths heavy and pupils somewhat unfocused from whatever poison that he had ingested.
It hurt. Something inside her was hurting.
When the Lord of Hageshi was far enough away, the moment of release came.
The Lord of Hageshi jumped atop a tall tree in the distance with her in tow.
The Lord of Hageshi did release her, but rather than let go of her on the ground, she was dropped head first from an elevated height.
Bastard.
She inwardly seethed.
She didn't even have enough strength to reorient herself.
At the end of the day, she knew that she was only human. If she fell head first onto the forest floor at her current elevation, then her cranium would shatter into pieces and she'd die like any other man.
That was when it happened in an instant, almost as if Shirou had been waiting for it.
A sword. A large sword had manifested from beneath her in order to catch her.
From the corner of her eye, she saw another sword which had been aimed at the Lord of Hageshi wobble before veering off course and just barely grazing the side of the man's neck.
A pity.
Yet she couldn't blame Shirou for missing. Rather than focus on killing the Lord of Hageshi, he again chose to save her when her life was in danger.
She didn't know what to feel after the realization hit her.
Meanwhile, the Lord of Hageshi's expression turned grim from confirmation. His internal conjecture that Shirou could manifest swords from anywhere was spot on. He stared at Shirou like he was a monster. The man then took off with a speed faster than even the Empire's elite units assuming the ability was limited to Shirou's view.
The Lord of Hageshi had no intention of remaining any further. As the Lord of Hageshi retreated into the woods, he made sure to constantly check over his shoulder to see whether or not a sword was looming over his head. After all, he'd just experienced the literal representation.
If the sword had just been another centimeter the to the right, then the Lord of Hageshi would have had died.
The thought itself was chilling.
An instant passed, and soon, the Lord of Hageshi was no longer in sight. He had a lot of new considerations to make.
Left behind, Akame just stared blankly. First at the direction that the Lord of Hageshi had run away from, and then towards Shirou who was slowly making his way over.
"…"
She had no words.
Why? Why did he do it?
She felt that even if she asked, all that she'd receive would be a reassuring smile and an answer that would probably infuriate her more than appease her.
Her thoughts must have had been showing on her face because Shirou quietly bent over and picked her up over his back. She immediately protested, her feeble attempts doing little to dissuade him.
"Don't worry about me. I can handle myself," Shirou said with beads of sweat forming over his head. "Besides, you aren't in a condition to be worrying about others."
"Your poisoned," she responded to the best of her ability.
"It'll be fine." He adjusted his grip on her and mumbled a few words to himself that she had managed to hear due to her proximity.
"Steel is my body, and Fire is my blood."
She didn't know what he meant, but his words seemed to have some other meaning. She chose not to press on it mostly because she was too tired and concerned to really care.
They travelled in silence with Shirou carrying her on his back despite her continued protest. He was poisoned and was in no shape to add her weight onto his shoulders. However, he was bullishly head-strong and wouldn't listen to her as if he considered his well being to be beneath hers.
It was frustrating, but she could see that this was just the kind of man that Shirou was. In a short time, they would reach the others, but first, Shirou broached a difficult subject.
"Why did you leave without asking for help?" He said, the sound of his feet crunching against the ground echoing. "If you already knew what was happening here then surely you would have had known that I wouldn't have had refused."
She didn't know how to answer.
In truth, she had left on more of an impulse rather than a rational plan. She'd just wanted to do something to change the current dynamics of the world rather than adopt a passive approach. Of course, she didn't want to admit that so she simply remained silent. She didn't want to lie anymore nor did she want to mislead anyone again.
Her chin fell to rest over Shirou's shoulder, the silence between them stretching until Shirou sighed.
It was fine, he seemed to indicate. He didn't need an answer anyway.
That was what she liked about Shirou. He never pried when it was too difficult to answer, and he always did his best for the sake of another. Even someone like her.
Resting on Shirou's back, her pupils dilated as she saw a twinkle of light in the distance. When she focused her gaze, the image became clearer to reveal the silhouette of a familiar gunner before a shot was fired.
Shirou didn't notice. The poison must have had been affecting him more than what he was letting on.
The charged magical bullet was aimed in her direction.
No, her eyes widened. Not at her.
"W-Wait, no don't!"
It was impossible. Even if she had managed to yell, the distance was too far.
It was too late.
Mind spinning, she directly pushed Shirou away with what little bit of strength that she had left in her body.
It was barely enough.
Shirou was weak as it was. It didn't take much to shove him. The force caused Shirou's grip on her to wane before breaking entirely. She fell and rolled on the ground, but almost as soon as this happened, she was grabbed and taken away.
She looked up at her captor. It was a lanky and green haired man with a similarly coloured long jacket. He had red goggles around his head and had long bangs that covered one side of his eye.
"Lubbock?" It was the name of another colleague from Night Raid.
"Quiet. I need to get you to safety." Lubbock was looking at her with concern, but it was having the opposite effect. She didn't need to be rescued in the first place.
"Let go," she muttered weakly.
"What?" Lubbock was taken off guard and stared at her in confusion.
"I said let go!" She tried to shove herself away from him, but forgot that her arms were currently incapacitated. Once again, her efforts led her nowhere.
"What the hell's wrong with you? Stop struggling! I don't want to drop you!" Lubbock could not understand what was happening or what he'd done to deserve such ire.
Akame directly glared, causing Lubbock to flinch when a pair of red eyes seemed to pierce directly through him. "Easy, easy now. It's me. I'm not here to hurt you."
She didn't care. Another random movement and she fell from Lubbock's hands. Fortunately, Lubbock had been travelling at a low elevation so all that happened was a minor tumble.
Lubbock clicked his tongue and reoriented himself to pick her up. However, the gleam of sharp metal surrounded Lubbock in an instant.
Akame got a strange sense of Dejavu.
Lubbock stilled in disbelief as a layer of swords formed around him. Worse, they were wobbling, showing no indication of restraint.
Lubbock quickly raised his hands in surrender, his expression stiff.
"Well, this is awkward."
Thanks for reading! (Edits: done at the end of chapter.