Winter Storm (Esdeath x Male Reader)

Once More

"So for a while we heard nothing from him except for what Akame told us when she came down. We know he'd set up a new town and taken up the job of an instructor. Us? We were too busy trying to help her condition for most of the years."

"Anything from her though?" The historian asked.

"Nothing definitive. She wasn't dead. We knew that much because there would be no body. But if she wanted to be found, she would allow herself to be seen. Hell, Najenda never gave a direct order to hunt her down because she knew that would be futile."

"So when did you see either of them next?"

"Well once Kurome's condition had been fixed, we were patrolling the coastline. It's familiar territory for me. But any and all problems started to happen a bit too much for us to help. I don't think it was an accident she sent him."

Three Years Earlier

"Attention!"

Trainees snapped to attention in parade formation in the village center. You studied each of them as yet another day started. Another cycle of determining who was truly cut for the Mando'ade.

As arranged with Najenda, those in the Revolutionary Army or otherwise bore similar talents and character to the likes of Night Raid were sent to you. It was also a clause that this was volunteers only. A conscript would likely have less motivation or desirable characteristics.

These bunch before you were in the first phase. This was the most strenuous and demanding of the three phases at least when comparing to before. Here, they were subjected to intense physical evolutions with less and less rest in between. It culminated with an entire week of nonstop training under the supervision of third phase students when you were not awake. The purpose was twofold. It conditioned their bodies and served as an extra gut check. Plenty of failures dropped out in this stage.

"Drop!" You commanded. The initiates fell to the ground on their palms and feet, back straight. So these guys were all ex-Revolutionary Army and thus knew what you meant.

"When I saw 'Down', lower yourself close to the ground, chest almost in contact, then push back up to your current position. Fifty repetitions. If someone falls or fails to complete the exercise properly, they will repeat until they achieve fifty." You told them. "Ready?! Down! One! Down! Two!"

Of course, several did not make the cut on the first run. If you were not walking up to them to give unwanted attention, a third phase trainee helping you out would. Finally they completed the task.

"Alastor!"

"Yes (L/n)?" A young man assisting you snapped at attention. He was well on his way to completing his last stage of training.

"Take the foundling's here on the Tour."

"Got it. Anything special?"

"First one to complete it gets a rest period. Everyone else, you be the judge." You ruled.

"No problem sir." Alastor turned to take charge of the new batch. The Tour was a run of eight kilometers nonstop around the forest surrounding Mandalore. Your role being relieved, you walked in the direction where the next stage was.

The second phase was about learning how to survive in any environment. Forestry, navigation, hunting, tracking, evasion and concealment among other things. The point of it was to teach the trainees to stay alive outside of combat, rather than be dependent on a town or others.

Third phase was learning the art of combat. It went from hand to hand to employment of firearms. A fully fledged member of the Mando'ade was expected to show competency in any form of conventional weaponry. The newly initiated Mando's would be sent off to the Capital to receive assignments. They were also expected to support fellow Mando and continue to hone their skills. In all, it was a year long process.