Bulat was dreaming. He was there, on the day he was accepted in Night Raid. The day Najenda reached out to him, even though he had nothing to offer her but his desire to fight back against the same structure that disgusted him the same who framed and imprisoned his former superior and friend, Liver just because he didn't give in to the Prime Minister's agenda. He could still remember it... the moment he was unable to help Liver in that unfair situation, a memory of his impotence that would stick with him till the end of his days.
It would serve as a reminder that he must not show weakness if he wanted to protect his comrades.
He still felt ashamed whenever he remembered his figure when he still worked as a high Imperial officer, a figure he was constantly reminded of whenever he saw his wanted poster. They truly needed to update that picture he couldn't stand it anymore. Imperial Guard Bulat was dead for him now, he was Bulat of Night Raid here, he had been received with open arms by people like him that were no heroes but distinct people who were united for a single purpose of taking down the source of the suffering and corruption. In the current government, innocents had no other choice but to live under the rule of a corrupt supreme authority who was being fooled by a cowardly swine. Change the Empire into a better place that was what the revolutionary Army and Najenda promised him if he joined.
He shook Najenda's hand gladly and smiled. It relaxed him recalling the events of that day but then the scene had changed. He was now recalling the events of the other day when he and his comrades had met the one who called himself God. The guy had appeared out of nowhere and squashed his friends like they weren't much in a matter of few minutes. He remembered the bald guy with horns and the sinister smile he fought and the ludicrous strength he had. He barely was able to keep up with him and the others weren't better specially Akame who got her arm life force sucked out of her...? He still couldn't understand the nature of this enemy's powers it didn't seem like any Teigu he had seen during his time in the Empire nor the ones he read about in the Teigu book he took the chance of reading a while back. But one thing was clear to him, the rage he had felt the moment he knew one of his friends was about to be killed right in front of him was unbearable. He wanted to rip out the long-haired man's head off but was stopped by the bald bastard who couldn't rid himself of him. The frustration he felt when Akame lost her arm was like Liver's situation all over again. He failed a friend, again. What a disgrace he was.
What was once a recalling of happy events of his life, was replaced by this nightmare. A man who once served under the Empire, one who didn't flinch upon the worst mankind had to offer and fought bravely against it, also feared by the nickname of 100 man-slayer which he received upon slaying a hundred people in a battle against the barbarians in the south long ago was now covered in fear. Fear of losing his comrades. And without a moment spare, the scene changed again. But this time, Najenda appeared in the battle and everyone seemed to have recovered their hopes of winning. But it was not to last. Najenda made a signal and they went for the attack but Pain threw some of those black rods at their arms and legs and it seemed to have immobilized everyone. Before anyone could do anything, Pain once again got the better of them and sent a powerful shockwave that was much stronger than he remembered. This time though, they didn't get out with only a few broken bones but instead, were all vaporized by the unknown force. Bulat opened his eyes immediately after that. He woke up panting heavily looking around him desperately. He noticed he was in his bed and was sweating heavily.
"Thank Go- No... It's good that it was just a bad dream" He murmured to himself.
He got out of his bed and went to check on his friends' room where they were resting and recovering. Or at least, where they were supposed to be resting and recovering because none of them were there.
"What!? how could they have moved from here...!?" Bulat said in surprise he expected at least a few more days until they could start moving by themselves again. He then heard the sound of dishes being broken and quickly left the room and went downstairs and all he found was a very gloomy atmosphere in the kitchen.
They were all reunited around the table eating breakfast. Akame sat opposite to Mine and Sheele was sitting opposite Lubbock, sided with Mine distracted while reading "How to not be an idiot" book. Since Akame was in no condition to cook, Leone had done her best to cook their breakfast. No one managed to say a word it seems like some "wounds" weren't recovered yet. Bulat noticed Leone was picking up the dishes from the ground. Just about when Lubbock was about to stand to help her Bulat stepped in. "Let me handle it". He said as he picked up the broken dishes and put them inside a garbage can. "So, what are you guys doing down here? didn't the doctor leave advice in the room that you had to stay in your beds at least for a few more days? If you wanted to eat, you could have called me or one of the nurses in the other room" Bulat asked.
Akame was forcing a smile but inside, she seemed like she lost all her pride as a swordman. The place where her right arm used to be was bandaged but even after its removal, she still seemed to be feeling pain through her whole body but decided to hide most of it to not worry her friends and whenever she felt that sharp pain around the area where her arm was, she had to bit her lip to not shout in agony it was difficult for her but she didn't want anyone to feel pity for her. Deep down she knew her time was short and was trying to live the time she still had as if it was just like any other day in her life. She then gave out a small laugh and replied " You underestimate us, Bulat. Our wounds heal quicker than ordinary people especially Leone's. Even after being caught point-blank by that shockwave, her wounds are all healed up" Akame said while signaling with her chin to make him look at Leone.
Bulat checked out Leone looking all over her body to confirm Akame's statement which made Leone laugh at his concerned expression.
"Do you like what you see handsome?" Leone asked in a teasing manner.
"Yeah, she's alright," Bulat said stopping his checkup. Everyone in the room shared a laugh except Bulat. It seemed like they forgot their problems for a moment. But every good moment has to come to an end.
"So, everyone's here. Good." Said a man dressed in revolutionary army clothes in a serious tone while entering the kitchen. His sudden appearance made everyone gasp in surprise.
"You are..." Mine started but was cut off by the man.
"A spy and scout for the revolutionary Army, Miss...?" The man tried to catch her name.
"Mine". She replied without hesitation. Curious as to why the Spy/Scout was here personally instead of using a Falcom to send any information like usual.
"Yes, Miss Mine as I said I'm a spy/scout for the revolution. You must be all curious as to why I'm here instead of sending messages through our usual method" Some of them nodded. "Well, the reason is that the revolutionary army and the sub-faction Night Raid are in a very delicate situation right now". This statement tensed Night Raid.
"Wha-what are you talking about!?" Bulat asked in an altered tone.
"Miss Najenda reported your situation to us recently and our commander didn't like at all your way of approaching the new possible threat. Najenda now has to take full responsibility for your actions" Everyone in the room felt insulted. Lubbock, who didn't feel too much interest at the start, stood up in anger upon hearing about Najenda.
"What!? we've always worked on our own terms and he never criticized our methods why this sudden change of mind!?" Lubbock asked. The man frowned at his outburst.
"Listen, I decided to come here personally not only on the commander's orders but also as a friend so don't take me as your enemy. And as your friend, let me fill you in a few more details. Our commander doesn't take lightly carelessness from his subordinates. This new enemy is not to be taken lightly. According to the information we got from the General, and what I have gathered could be a major threat in conquering the Imperial capital, our plans to take down the Empire are currently delayed. Miss Najenda has received a mission to lead Night Raid into an infiltration mission into the "Hidden Rain Village" which was formerly known as Dong Zhuo's Kingdom" The man said and they all blinked in surprise.
"Dong Zhuo's Kingdom...? Isn't that Kingdom that lies in the middle of a rocky desert somewhere in the southwest?" Leone asked.
"Affirmative. But as I said it's no longer known as his kingdom. Apparently, there's been an uprising a few days ago and a certain individual has taken over the Kingdom..."
"Who?" Night Raid asked not getting who it could be.
"Pain" The sole mentioning of the name made Night Raid shiver involuntarily. Their bodies convulsed in fear and despair it seemed to return to the moment of their last encounter. The utter experience, the impotence some of them felt, the powerful presence he gave out and the pain they suffered upon taking a direct hit from his most powerful attack. The members of Night Raid unconsciously touched the areas where they were most wounded by his last attack. Akame being one of those who didn't take a direct hit from the powerful Shinra Tensei had to touch the place where her arm used to be remembering the agonizing experience she had felt.
"I know that your encounter with him was not the most pleasant but I have to request that you all assist Najenda in this mission"
"What are you saying!? of course we will! we're a team! Lubbock shouted in yet another outburst. The other members nodded.
"I'm not questioning your teamwork if that's what you thought. I have to request you that because the general has decided to make a very dangerous move that could put her life in danger. All my advice for her fell on deaf ears. She herself decided to do the mission on her own and right now she is on the way to the mission by herself" Everyone in the room panicked.
"What!? if that's true then we should follow her immediately!" Lubbock said as he was readying himself to leave and the others were doing the same.
"Wait!" Another voice they didn't recognize reached their ears. It was their Doctor who was accompanied by two nurses.
"Doc! What is it? don't tell me you want to insist that we rest?" Bulat asked.
"That's not it. Of all of you, I have to insist that Akame stays in here" Akame gave a step further in disagreement.
"What!? you want me to stay here while my friends go risk their lives!?" She shouted furiously.
"You are in a completely different case than the others. You have to stay here for further observation. And being honest with you, I had to use many powerful drugs several times to keep you alive and to relieve the immeasurable pain you should be feeling right now. For you to even be able to walk as you are doing right now is a miracle" Akame stepped back in disbelief. She lost control of herself for a second almost falling back but was saved by Leone.
"If that's true then I'll stay here with her the other can go help the Boss" Leone stated firmly.
"What!? but Leo-" Akame tried to complain but was cut off.
"C'mon now, who else is gonna cook those pieces of meat that way you love? And what kind of friend would I be if I left you here alone with this shady doctor?" Leone asked with a smile which made Leone look so bright that Akame had to look the other side to not be blinded by it and hide her blush. She was feeling down since the faceoff with Pain but now she was feeling much better.
"I'm not shady!" The Doctor replied feeling offended while adjusting his glasses in a very shady manner.
Yeah, right. They thought in unison.
"Miss Najenda was not thinking straight when she left. But now that I stopped to think a bit, she no longer is a Teigu user is she?" The man asked.
"No, she used to be Pumpikin's user but now I'm its holder" Mine replied.
"I see... then she should be heading straight into the Revolutionary Army HQ to find a Teigu she can use. She wouldn't go into such a place without one. If you go through the usual shortcut you should find her somewhere along the way, and since I have no more business here, I'll be going with you and return to the headquarters. Get your raincoats first before we leave and don't ask why. I'll be explaining everything more detailing once we meet up with General Najenda" spy/scout said and everyone nodded nonchalantly.
"Let us not waste any more time. Let's go!" Bulat shouted while leaving the hideout everyone else just behind him. He was still feeling unease with the dream/premonition he had but he swept it aside to not cloud his mind.
"Let us just hope they come back in one piece" Akame said worriedly.
"Don't worry they have Boss to lead with them this time what could go wrong?" Leone asked.
"You're right" Akame replied bluntly.
Meanwhile with Tatsumi and the others...
"Aaaaaaaaah! what part of this training is any easy!?" Asked a badly hurt and frustrated Iyeasu who had several burn marks from failed explosions all over his body.
"You're the only one who is having trouble controlling the chakra necessary for the explosive clay Ieyasu, "Tatsumi commented. He then gathered chakra and released "Fire style: great fireball jutsu!" He shouted releasing a large fireball through the courtyard.
"Wow, congratulations Tatsumi that's a perfect fireball!" Sayo complimented while clapping.
Ieyasu just narrowed his eyes in jealousy. "Ha! That's a very simple jutsu compared to what I have to do here! and you don't need a mouth in the palm of your hands to perform that!" Ieyasu accused while pointing his finger accusingly at Tatsumi.
"Those mouths are part of the Kinjutsu necessary to mold the clay, Ieyasu. And you must carefully control the amount of chakra you put into the C1 explosives if you over-infuse chakra into them they are gonna blow up before you can even throw them. This is following the chakra control exercises we did earlier. Pain sama explained that to you several times didn't he? why are you still having so much trouble if you did so well before?" Sayo asked.
"Blah, blah, blah! talk to the hand missy!" Ieyasu replied while showing her his hand and the mouth in it mockingly showed its tongue.
Sayo got a thick mark on her forehead and her eyebrow twitched violently in anger. "Ieyasu... I'm usually very kind and caring about you and this is how you thank me!?" Sayo then released her butterfly wings made of paper and created several spikey projectiles that were aimed at Ieyasu.
"Wait, Sayo! we can talk about this!" Ieyasu took a few steps back in fear.
"Talk to the hand instead, ask her to get you out of this!" Sayo released the paper spikes at Iyeasy who tried to defend himself by throwing a C1 explosive in the shape of a bird at the incoming spikes.
"Katsu!" Ieyasu shouted and the explosion made the spikes explode and disperse.
"Ooooh! now you can do it, huh? It seems fear unlocked your brain cells" Sayo mocked amused by Ieyasu's unexpected success which the latter seemed to ignore her words lost into his sudden accomplishment.
"I can blow up things...? I can blow up things! Yeaaaah!" Ieyasu threw another C1 in the air, and another, and another, and another. "Katsu!" Many explosions followed his command, shaking the courtyard and making loud pops.
"Ieyasu, you shouldn't play with the clay used for training" Sayo recommended.
"Ah, shut up! you're being too wishy-washy!"
Sayo had enough. She was fed up with Ieyasu's mistreatment. She threw herself at him, grabbing him by the throat.
Tatsumi seeing his two friend's antics could only smile. 'And here I thought that I was the one who most improved... they are way ahead in their training and I just got through the fireball now... I still need to practice the lightning chakra infusion and then later practice genjutsu with the gift Pain gave me...' Tatsumi gave out an imaginary long sigh. "Well, back to training!" Tatsumi said as he drew the anbu sword he got from Itachi's scroll and continued his training as if nothing had happened.
With Pain
"Let them come." Was Animal Path blunt response after being questioned about leaving the spy run away and the possibility of an attack from the revolutionary army. His retainers could only gasp in surprise.
"Are you sure about this Lord Pain? letting that spy run amok around the village seems careless" Yukimura stated and Masayuki nodded.
"Yes, If they are planning an attack here we shouldn't let them breach our defenses so easily," Masayuki said. But Pain didn't reply he just closed his eyes seeming to meditate on the situation.
"The last time I fought with Night Raid I wasn't taking them seriously. But if anyone, whether it is Night Raid or anyone else from the revolution, dares to disturb the peace in this village, I will show them no mercy" Pain's words were cold, so much so that it made his retainers gulp.
"And what will you do about the request we received earlier today lord Pain?" Yukimura asked.
Pain narrowed his eyes in an attempt to get a grasp of the situation. "Oh, the request from the hero of the North? I'll be attending to the request myself. There is a major war going on there and they are struggling to withstand the might of the Empire's army. I'm also interested in facing this General from the Capital personally. It seems she possesses a very powerful teigu in her possession that controls ice. It will be interesting to witness the extension of her abilities...". Pain said with an interested tone of voice. 'If I get the chance, I'll capture her and seal her teigu into the statue' He finished his thought with a sigh.
"Numa Seika is a great friend of mine. We used to clash our spears back in the past when our great Lord was still alive and although he requested my personal help, I feel that my power won't be enough to face a Teigu user especially if it's who I think it is..." Yukimura said as he made a face of concern.
"You know who this General is?" Pain asked intrigued seeing his retainer's concern.
"A few years ago, in the savage land in a remote part of the south from here, was the home of the Ban tribe, a group of savage tribes that numbered the ten thousand warriors. They rose in rebellion against the Empire's tyrannical rule and even though the Empire sent 120.000 soldiers to quell the rebellion, the land's natural defenses such as poisonous bogs, plants, insects, wild animals, and diseases managed to give them a hard time. It also had perfect spots for ambushes and night raids which helped to their inevitable doom. In the face of this, the Empire's expedition force had seemingly given up... but that was only until the Prime Minister sent two young Generals to help suppress the rebellion. They were Najenda, who from what I know works as one of the Revolutionary Army's generals after her defection and the other one... was a woman called Esdeath who is known to be the Empire's strongest. I don't need to say much about what happened next. In the blink of an eye, she was able to open the way into the Ban tribe's base by completely freezing the river that separated the Empire's army and their forces. In their disarray, they were annihilated shortly after. But that's not what surprises me about her. It was what she ordered next. Shortly after their warrior's defeat, she ordered her troops to ravage their city letting the soldiers invade the people's homes and take their children and wives and rape them as they please just for her own enjoyment" Yukimura finished with disgust in his voice.
"I see. So she's a sadistic woman like no other..." Pain said in understanding. He also felt disgusted by Yukimura's short description of the general's feats.
"But if you feel that this war has no meaning to you lord Pain, you don't have to bother attending to it" Yukimura said as he lowered his head in shame but Pain dismissed it.
"You don't have to lower yourself for that. Teigus are very powerful weapons in this world. Only another teigu user or someone with powers beyond it can defeat one. You can cease your worries. I'll take care of this matter shortly" Pain said in a calm tone and his retainers felt reassured.
"I'll have a chat with the trio in the courtyard now. And Yukimura, I need you to find me three powerful soldiers and then bring them to the throne room. Don't bring me anyone who is not willing any less than to fight to the death for their God, understood?" Pain asked in a commanding tone.
"Yes sir!" Yukimura said as he and Masayuki bowed and Pain disappeared in a shunshin.
"We don't know yet if they will send an army here or assassins what will we do if they send someone very powerful?" Asked Masayuki in a concerned tone.
"If they approach the outer limits of the village, Lord Pain will know immediately that they are here and how powerful is the threat just like how he did with the spy. I believe that only those who can withstand the might of his subordinates are fit to face him. I doubt he would waste his time with revolution fodder" Yukimura answered in an unworried tone.
"I guess I'm thinking this through too much. Sometimes I just forget that we have a God on our side. Part of me simply finds that hard to believe" Masayuki said while brushing off his concerns.
"You're not the only one. The constant protection we receive from Lord Pain here is a blessing. Fearing the Revolutionary Army and the Empire is pointless now. We don't need to worry. He also told me before that where he comes from, he has never lost a battle and I doubt he ever will". Yukimura said as he leaves to find the three soldiers Pain requested.
In the courtyard...
Sayo was strangling Ieyasu and Tatsumi was too focused on his training to perceive anything that was happening in his surroundings.
"Sayo... enough already... I already said I'm sorry..." Said an Ieyasu almost lost of breath.
"Your excuses will not work now Ieyasu. Prepare to die!". Ieyasu's face was purple, he was almost out of oxygen when suddenly, Pain appeared out of nowhere in the place seeming as if he had teleported.
"Pain sama!" Sayo said desperately as she let go of Ieyasu's throat, embarrassed of her behavior at Pain's presence.
Ieyasu quickly recovered his breath."I thought I was gonna die!" Holding his throat in pain.
"What are you two doing? You're supposed to be training not playing around or trying to murder each other" Pain said in a serious tone.
"I'm very sorry sir but it's all Sayo's fault! I was training here peacefully when she got angry out of nowhere and tried to kill me!" Ieyasu explained while pointing at the girl. Sayo's jaw dropped in disbelief.
"Whaaat!? I tried to help you, and all I received was insults instead of acknowledgment!" Sayo shouted in indignation.
Tatsumi simply stood in front of Pain and pointed at Sayo and Ieyasu.
"I saw everything Pain sama! the married couple disagreed and started fighting each other for a stupid reason!" His friends made shocked faces and looked at each other.
"Me with him/her!?" They pointed at each other in disgust.
"Enough with this nonsense. I got something for you three to do. I'll need your collaboration for a certain jutsu... I'll need you three to lend me a large portion of your chakra"
The trio looked at each other in confusion but nodded, recovering their composure to a more serious one.
Back with Night Raid and the scout...
They were running through a forest shortcut that led to the Revolutionary Army's HQ guided by the scout. After running for minutes they managed to see a silhouette of a very familiar figure who was carrying a bag. It was Najenda who they were trying to catch up to. As soon as they found her they all shouted.
"Boss! General!" Night raid and the scout shouted in unison.
Najenda immediately stopped. She slowly turned her head to look at them. They expect a look of surprise from her but they were the ones who ended up surprised since all they received from her was a frown.
"What are you doing all the way here?" She asked in a serious tone and Night Raid could only gasp in confusion.
"What do you mean what we're doing here!? we came to support you in your mission! you can't face those guys alone!" Lubbock shouted in a worried tone.
"Go back. I need to do this alone. This is my mission, my responsibility" Najenda replied in a dry tone.
Night Raid was left astonished by her words.
"Forgive me my intrusion in this discussion but I must disagree with your decision, General. At first, I thought that letting you go by yourself and just praying for your safety everything would be alright. But after thinking through the info you delivered to us and what I witnessed in that Kingdom I wouldn't forgive myself for letting you go just like that. The conditions for this mission are extreme and even if you all go together there's the possibility that the whole team might be wiped out" The scout said and they blinked in surprise.
"What the hell are you talking about!?" Najenda asked annoyed but deep down, she was left concerned by the man's words.
"It's better for me to explain everything once we get some time after you meet up with the big boss in the HQ. You should know he is not known to be a very patient man"
Najenda gritted her teeth in exasperation and locked eyes with the scout. They both had serious expressions on their faces. She wanted to just get this mission over with. Akame needed to find a cure soon otherwise she would succumb to the curse or whatever that bastard did to her. She still couldn't shake off the rage from within her. But to obtain success in this mission, she needed to bury these feelings deep within her heart for the time being. Left with no other choice, she made her decision.
"Have you finished your lecture?" It was all she said as she turned around and started walking. "What are you all waiting for? I agree to lead this unit for this mission" Night Raid widened their eyes in surprise by her decision but they replace their surprised faces with smirks and confident smiles. And just like that, they all marched together to their destination. Najenda then tried to light a cigar but found herself unable to. A very serene rain began to fall from the sky, extinguishing her cigarette.
"Great. It was all I needed" She should have brought her cloak with her...
The precipitation started to fall faster and faster until it covered the skies dark. It was all a mere prelude to the turning point of this story...