Fate: Kill

Chapter 20

Akame had never expected her injuries to take so long to heal with Shirou around, but she'd opted not to ask him to speed up to the process since her first treatment. The pain of recovery would serve as a reminder for her to act less rashly in the future. Leone had scolded her about confiding with others she trusted before deciding anything life-threatening on her own. Doing so had the unexpected downside of endangering those she viewed as important in her life.
T

he ill-natured manner in which Elaine and Selka had tricked her into thinking that Shirou had died for her sake was enough of an example to dissuade her from doing anything stupid again. At the very least, she'd gotten it into her head that if she was forced to risk her life, she'd do so in a manner where others couldn't risk their life for hers.
A selfish thought, and she knew it, but it was the choice that she would make in a heartbeat.
Akame digressed, wincing while moving towards Shirou's house. She favoured her right foot over her left. Prior to being healed, the majority of her injuries on her legs were focused on her left side. Placing pressure on her left foot sent phantom pains shooting up to her neck. They too would disappear in time, but not yet. She'd just have to put up with it for the time being as she knew that the pain wasn't real.
Putting more weight onto her left foot, Akame shuddered, but forced her mind to focus ahead. In a few more strides, she'd reach Shirou's house.
As before, she intended to reassume her unofficial duty as Shirou's bodyguard. She was resolute on this stance and would not budge on it despite Leone insisting that she take more time to rest after just recovering.
Rest? No more.
Akame shook her head. Impossible as it was to explain to Leone, Akame worried more about Shirou than herself. He was the spark that would bring about change, the only light that she could see in a world enshrouded in darkness. How could Leone not understand that?
Akame had tried to explain to her friend, but she was never the best at eloquence, and Leone was Leone.
'Oooh, I see now. So, that's how it was all along?'
The memory of Leone grinning knowingly at her irked Akame more than she was willing to admit. The fact that she'd moodily bolted out of the room thereafter probably didn't help clear her case to Leone. It probably made it worse, and Akame didn't even understand what Leone had been insinuating, but she'd felt defensive nonetheless.
Leone should just mind her own business sometimes. What did she think that she knew anyway?
Grumbling to herself, Akame reached Shirou's house and immediately circled around it rather than knocking. In the next moment, she spied an open window near Shirou's office and hopped through it with practiced ease born from months of routine.
Through the window, she found herself within Shirou's office and made herself comfortable on a recliner, her arms crossed in front of her as she sat herself down. As a trained Assassin, she'd been taught not to stray too far away from the shadows, and ordinarily, she'd follow her self-made protocols, but not this time. With Shirou, it was different. When he'd said that there was no need to be so careful around him, he meant it. In a way, she'd already come to trust him closely.
It was early morning, and for once, Elaine wasn't around acting as Shirou's attendant.
If Shirou noticed Akame's entrance, he didn't react either because he was accustomed to her behaviour or he was too deep in thought.
Akame hummed, the piece of grilled fish whose tailed half was sticking out of her mouth pausing as Akame stopped gnawing on it. She'd been eating her breakfast on the way, but now she quickly finished as she gulped in the whole thing, bulged her cheeks, and rapidly chewed it before swallowing. She subconsciously straightened her back and smoothened her hair.
She was suddenly feeling self-conscious, her eyes glancing in Shirou's direction every now and then. When was the last time that the two had been together in a room alone?
Well, now that Akame thought about it, not since the first night that the two had threatened to harm or kill each other.
A bout of embarrassment clouded Akame's mind as she recalled the encounter, her lips twitching. First meetings aside, though, but Shirou was being awfully quiet today.
Akame twiddled her fingers and suddenly froze.
She blinked as she realized the oddity. Shirou could be serious when he wanted to be, and often he was swamped with paperwork in the morning; however, he'd never failed to greet her except for today.
Akame put aside her jumbled thoughts and stared hard at Shirou who was leaning over his desk and staring at someplace far away. He was clearly thinking about something.
Was it the coming conflict with Wakoku? The armies wouldn't just give up with one or two defeats. Wakoku was a large nation of clans whose population far exceeded Calla's. Then there was the Empire and Revolutionary Army to think about.
Calla would be facing three massive forces in the coming future. Of course, Shirou would have to bear the brunt of the responsibility as Calla's leader. War loomed in the horizon, and if Shirou valued the life of comrades as she did, then how much pain must he have to endure in the future for each casualty Calla sustained?
Akame generally preferred silence, but in this case, it wasn't the same.
She couldn't describe it, but it felt as if she wanted to be able to do more for Shirou. She was right here next to him, so why wasn't he confiding in her? The fact that Akame herself knew little to none about how to go about strategizing for war was lost on her.
Why was she suddenly feeling so demoralized? Should she speak out? But for some reason, she felt jittery and on edge, not wanting to make a fool of herself.
Her mouth opens then closes as words fail her. Finally, at her third attempt she managed to let out a high-pitched squeak and suddenly she felt like dying from embarrassment.
Why was it so hard to talk? No, frankly speaking, talking was simple, trying to convey feelings she couldn't understand was not.
"Akame?"
Shirou had heard Akame's botched attempt at speaking up. She felt the need to bury her face in her arms and pretend as if she was just dreaming. She abruptly clapped her cheeks with her hands. Hard.
Red-inflamed hand-prints were left on Akame's cheeks, almost swelling them like a chipmunk but her expression returned to neutrality. "Yes?" She asked cordially, pretending as if nothing had ever happened.
Bless Shirou, he seemed to understand to avoid the topic and coughed to clear his throat. "No, I ugh, good morning," he gave a curt reply, one hand scratching at the back of his head.
It was a show of normalcy that was so Shirou, that Akame found it ridiculous that she was thinking about her self-image so much. Regardless of how she presented herself, Shirou would still see her for her. She was an Assassin first before anything else superficial; composure was always key in any situation. It was in reminding herself of this that the inner mental restraints preventing her from speaking were naturally lifted.
Think of it as a profession.
She had to put personal unknown feelings that would only make things awkward aside.
"What are you thinking about?" Akame asked, standing up from her seat and moving over towards Shirou's desk to see if he was just having management issues. Based on what papers she could see, nothing seemed out of place. "Shirou?" She pressed for an answer.
Shirou had always been stubborn, and Akame knew from experience and from Elaine that Shirou would rather not speak on sensitive matters if he could do it himself. In the words of Elaine, 'you have to force him. Glare if you have to. He's been known to do some pretty stupid things outside of supervision,' she'd emphasized.
"Shirou, what's going on?" Akame tried again when she caught Shirou hesitating. This was the time to push.
Confide in me.
Akame could hide her feelings behind a professional mask, but her eyes expressed her sentiments far more than she could ever know. Especially, as Akame wasn't the first woman Shirou knew that used the same unfeeling expression. She wouldn't say anything if he rejected her in this instance, but she'd definitely feel hurt.
Putting aside the papers on his desk, Akame watched as Shirou gave her his full attention, the action prompting a wave of euphoria inside her that she forcibly quelled and squashed into bits.
Professional. She had to be professional.
Akame placed her hands by her side and waited for Shirou to elaborate on what he'd been contemplating over all morning.
"What do you think about attacking Wakoku's leaders directly?"
His reply was unlike anything she'd been expecting.
Wordlessly, she stepped up to Shirou and placed her forehead against his own to check for illness. There was no excessive temperature or any indication of flu. Shirou had clearly said what he'd just said with a clear mind.
Perhaps she'd just misheard?
"Leone was right. I may actually need some more rest," Akame muttered while drawing away from Shirou, but faltered when Shirou steadied her with a hand.
He wasn't joking. His wry expression spoke it all. He'd really just suggested targeting the leaders at the heart of Wakoku. It was suicide even if he was a Wizard, as Akame had seen the state Shirou always ended up in after excessive use of magic: Unconscious or too exhausted to move.
"Not happening," Akame felt the need to act as Elaine's voice of reason. Her red eyes narrowed into a glare that she hoped would dissuade Shirou from his foolishness.
If it was so easy to kill off the leaders of Wakoku then Najenda would have been the first to suggest it. The fact that she didn't was more than enough reason to understand the gravity of the task.
"I'm going to tell Elaine," Akame threatened.
That's when Shirou's eyes widened. "No, don't wait! Just hear me out first." His composure vanished faster than a blown candle when Elaine was brought up. Don't get Shirou wrong, he wasn't scared of Elaine. It was just that he knew that she had her ways to get him to stay in line when he insisted on doing something that she dubbed 'witless' or 'impractical.'
If it was in the past, Akame may have completely ignored Shirou's plea, but ever since Shirou had grabbed onto her she was no longer thinking straight. "Go on," she said reluctantly.
Shirou did not waste the opportunity.
Deception, lies, and betrayal. These three words were concepts that Shirou was no stranger to, as he'd once been the target of ill-mannered conspiracies in his previous life. Whatever the reason, whatever the motive that drove people to commit such acts, he'd always chosen to believe in the good of others. It was naïve, even illogical at times, but it was part of who he was as an Ally of Justice. It was those who twisted his actions of saving others into malicious acts that had ultimately been his undoing.
Helping with charity became boosting his own self image; stopping conflict became grounds for suspicion; even apprehending immoral Magi had turned him into becoming a feared Magus killer.
Shirou sighed before shaking his head. This wasn't the time or place to be recalling such memories now. Although he knew that there was a chance that he was being lied to, he was still choosing to believe in the integrity that he'd seen in Raiko's eyes the previous night.
Call it his intuition, but he could sort of tell whether or not a person was being truthful to him. It was his own wishful thinking in his past life that led him into trusting others he knew weren't the most trustworthy. He wouldn't do so again.
With the wisdom that he'd garnered from his own experience, he now knew better than to doubt his own intuition.
Using the information Raiko had traded with him, Shirou would not form an army, he'd form a strike team.
He considered going by himself, but he knew that the others would never agree. Most likely, they'd put themselves in danger trying to catch up to him. This wasn't an option. If they were all to go into danger, then he'd prefer it if they at least went as a group that he could help protect.
To that end, Akame's insistence about asking him what was wrong, played into his final decision.
If in the end, he'd died alone in his last life, then would it not hurt if he took Rin's advice and reached out to others for aid?
"Will you help me?" Shirou stared right across at Akame who'd remained frozen in contemplation after Shirou had explained the situation to her. "I need you to gather a capable team. If I start looking for people on my own, Elaine is bound to notice."
It would be an inside job.
With the location of Wakoku's leaders given by Raiko, the chance to succeed in ending the war early with Wakoku increased significantly. Akame understood this point immediately, and also understood just why Shirou had been dwelling over the issue for so long.
A shorter war meant less deaths.
It was an outcome Shirou definitely considered as the highest priority. To him, the lives of others mattered far more than personal gain or power, and that was one of the factors that Akame had come to admire. Besides, the plan actually sounded plausible.
He'd asked her for help. He was trusting in her judgment to form a team.
Akame balled her hands into fists.
It was all the motivation that she needed.
"Fine. I'll be back."
Without another word, Akame nodded her head towards Shirou and swiftly made her way to his office window where she vaulted out with a grace fitting of her station. She fell into the shadow of the building and was almost immediately out of sight. Her skill was not to be underestimated.
Now if only he could read her thoughts just a little better.
Shirou had spotted an anomaly with Akame. Just as he'd asked her for help, and right after she'd turned to leave, he could have sworn that the tips of her ears had reddened.
Had he done something wrong?
The thought was disconcerting, but he'd always known that he was never adept at understanding the hearts or sentiments of others. It was something that he'd been working on even in his past life where he'd died young.
No matter. Dwelling over the past never accomplished anything in the present.
Shirou stood up from his desk and decided to exit his study in order to gather his thoughts better outside. The forest behind his home was his preferred location to think, and this was precisely where he went.
Deep in the forest at the hollowed trunk of a tree was where he decided to sit down and just think. Elaine would not be able to find him easily here, and it would give her the impression that he was just avoiding her to get out of his paperwork rather than setting up a scheme to leave Calla with a strike force.
Elaine would not be amused if she ever found out, but it was better this way. If she discovered what he had in mind, and he remained insistent on the issue, then it was likely that she'd demand to go with him.
This was where Shirou would have to draw the line and say no.
It wasn't that Shirou didn't trust in Elaine and her skills, but it was precisely because of her skills that Elaine had to stay in Calla. If an unforeseen event occurred, then Shirou had all the faith in Elaine to deal with it. Unlike Akame, Selka, and most members of Night Raid, none of them had as much of an ability to lead others as Elaine. Najenda was arguably the best option, but she didn't have enough sway with the people of Calla for them to listen to her without question.
Elaine was the best choice.
How to go about staring the entire operation without making Elaine suspicious? This was the hard part, and the only reason that Shirou was spending so long thinking. Elaine was both too smart and too on point. If she couldn't figure out a problem through logic, she'd rely on her frightening level of intuition to fumble her way through.
The people in this new world didn't know how to use magic, but sometime Shirou wondered if they were blessed with a higher affinity of a sixth sense.
Minutes soon droned on into hours. The passing time led Shirou to only a single conclusion.
Wouldn't everything work out if he left before telling her? He could leave a letter or something, and by the time she read it, there shouldn't be any time to catch up.
Yes. This could work.
Unfortunately, Shirou was not thinking about the future, as Elaine could very well hold a grudge against him. This fact eluded Shirou's thoughts. He didn't have the luck capacity to consider it.
Besides, he was more focused on a more pressing matter.
Shirou glanced outside of the hollow tree he was resting in and quickly began surveying his surroundings. It was feint, but he could detect a presence nearby. Friend or foe? Came the next thought.
The feel of the magical energy that composed a certain Traced weapon narrowed down the result of just who had come searching for him.
Shirou let the tension leave his body. "You can come out, Najenda. I know you're there," he called out.
Silence, then a moment later, the rustling of leaves.
"So, you noticed me," Najenda hopped down from an overhead tree branch with a frown on her face. She was had her hair pulled up into a short pony-tail and was wearing a white tank-top, a sheen of sweat glistening over her skin. "It seems like I have to put in more practice into getting back into my former condition," she muttered more to herself than to Shirou.
Well, actually no.
Shirou had to admit that although he'd caught Najenda, he was only able to identify her, as she was carrying Pumpkin strapped over her shoulder.
Based on the way Najenda was clicking her tongue, she must have felt somewhat defeated that a 'sheltered town lord' had been able to sense her, the leader of Night Raid. She was going to have to go a long way before she could return to her prime.
Najenda was commendable. Despite feeling a tad dejected at the situation, she quickly composed herself and observed Shirou with a critical eye.
"Is there something that you need?" Shirou asked. He was expecting Elaine rather than Najenda to be the one who'd be searching for him right now.
"Something I need?" Najenda's lips quirked up; it could only have had been the forming of a smile, but she thought better of it, and snorted instead. "You didn't think I'd be curious when Akame suddenly kidnapped my sparring partner and over half of my team? She didn't even offer an explanation."
Based on how Shirou knew Akame to be, he could almost picture her in the act, raven locks flowing in the wind as she manhandled her teammates with a stoic face.
"My condolences," Shirou inclined his head in apology. He knew that he was the source of Akame's behaviour.
Najenda barked out a laugh. "No need. Akame's always been something of a special case. Her childhood did a number on her mental state and common sense. Now then," Najenda crossed her arms. "What do you have planned?"
Should Shirou reveal his intentions to Najenda? At this point, he knew that he owed her an explanation, and besides, she was someone strong who could defend Calla in his absence.
"It's something like this…"
Shirou took a whole ten minutes to explain his perspective and thoughts on the agreement he and Raiko had come to. By the end of his explanation, Najenda nodded along.
"If the information proves real, then you'd be stupid to waste the opportunity. However, you also have to understand that this could be a lure to get you out of Calla."
Najenda's point was reasonable, but Shirou had already considered it.
"I'll take the bet," he said strongly, prompting Najenda to sigh at his disregard for safety, something a future Emperor should cherish more.
"I'll send Lubbock with you. He's not the strongest, but he's definitely the most prudent as a merchant's son." Najenda offered no room for refusal. She trusted Lubbock, and knew that he'd understand the hidden mission to keep Shirou out of danger.
Shirou didn't argue with Najenda's arrangement. He could see that Najenda was just worried for him.
Now the only thing left was to see just who else Akame would gather for the strike force. He'd told her that there couldn't be too many people, but he really hoped that Akame wouldn't make too much of a scene and draw Elaine's attention.
However, this was Akame he was talking about.
Lost in his musing, Shirou only perked up after he felt a pat on his shoulder.
"Leave it to me. I'll help keep everything discreet."
Najenda coolly offered, her expression easy-going and carefree despite the task at hand.
Now there was the picture of a dependable woman.
The journey was estimated to take a fortnight. Ample preparations needed to be made, but to save up on time, Shirou had decided to procure food by hunting on the way.
Presently, he was sneaking out of the forest of his back yard and circumnavigating the perimeter of Calla. Elaine had eyes planted in Calla's residents so Shirou did not wish to take the risk of getting himself spotted. He'd informed Akame to be as low key as possible as well. The two would meet up with the group Akame had acquired a kilometer or so due east of Calla.
Shirou's days as a Magus and mercenary gave him all the wisdom he needed to keep away from view when he needed to be. It wasn't as great as something like a Servant's Presence Concealment, but he did mimic the movements and experience of assassins learned from the history of steel in his Reality Marble.
He stepped with light feet, and navigated with precision.
Shirou's movements revealed a layer of finesse that denoted a veteran killer; so much so that when Shirou left Calla and reached the meeting point where Raiko was waiting by a tent set up be a river, she froze in her stupor.
Raiko's expression was rigid, her wide-eyed stare almost as shocking as the way she shuddered at Shirou. "That's not possible," she muttered softly.
Shirou's present demeanor was different than what Raiko had seen only a day prior. He carried an air of mercilessness, and a cold disposition perfect for the mentality of a ninja or assassin. It was almost unnerving how closely he resembled the strongest ninja Raiko had ever met in her clan. Suddenly, a question came to the forefront of Raiko's mind. Was Shirou secretly a ninja?
No, but he was a Blessed Child?
Couldn't he be both?
Raiko didn't know what to think, but one thing that she did know was to forcibly quell the trembling of her hands. Although she wasn't the strongest of ninja, she was the clan leader of Jinsoku and would not show weakness.
"Something wrong?" Shirou asked in Raiko's silence.
"No, nothing," Raiko replied curtly, turning away from Shirou in order to pack up her belongings.
When first Raiko had suggested to attack the leaders of Wakoku, she'd been forced to return to her camp before her unit of ninjas and her comrades grew suspicious of her absence. Beyond her agreement with Shirou, she did her best to appear as unassuming as possible. As such, she didn't bring anything excessive. All she had was her sleeping gear and a change of clothes.
Raiko was wearing fish-net armour overtop a dark body-tight leotard, and had dismissed her unit of ninjas on the premise of a solo infiltration mission. She was taking a risk, and she knew it. She'd rather her being the only one put in danger if the plan backfired.
"I'm ready," she said stoically. "Is it just you?"
Raiko turned to look Shirou in the face, a rucksack slung over her back.
Shirou shook his head. "No. There are a couple more. Lets just wait a little bit longer."
Raiko nodded wordlessly and sat herself down cross legged, eyes closed, and hands over her ankles in meditation. She wished to calm her mind, and Shirou seemed to understand that she didn't want to be talked to and moved to wait by the river.
Twenty minutes later, and the rustling of the leaves alerted both Shirou and Raiko to the presence of others.
Akame touched down on the ground from where she'd leapt off of a tree branch. Behind her came Selka, Bulat, Leone, and then Lubbock who grumbled the entire time while wearing bandages all over his body.
When Shirou stood up to ask if Lubbock was okay, Lubbock shook his head in the universal sign of 'don't ask.' Meanwhile, Bulat, Akame, Selka, and Leone were busying themselves with scrutinizing Raiko.
Shirou had informed Akame that he had an informant on his side, meaning that Akame must have shared such information before she recruited everyone.
Raiko opened her eyes from meditation and was met with the piercing stare of Selka and Akame. Unperturbed, she then shifted her gaze to look at Bulat and Leone. She nodded as she recognized Akame's face from a wanted poster. It meant that the group Shirou had brought was capable enough for the task.
"My name is Raiko, Lord of Jinsoku," Raiko introduced cordially. "I will be your guide to the annual Lord's meeting where the mission will be to kill the other leaders."
"-or apprehend," Shirou voiced from the side.
Although admirable, Raiko scoffed at the insinuation of mercy; however, she didn't argue since the basis of the operation was dependant on the power that she'd seen Shirou capable of in her time in Calla. "Or apprehend," Raiko amended her statement.
Selka didn't seem to like the way or tone Raiko had replied to Shirou with, but crossed her arms with a huff when Shirou signalled for her not to mind.
Raiko inferred there and then that Selka was smitten whether she denied it or not. Now came the confusing part, was Selka not already in a relationship with Shirou?
Raiko had to admit that many males in Wakoku dreamed of taking a woman of Heiwa as a partner. Not only were they strong even without training, but they were all alluring. Selka as the Lord of Heiwa's only daughter was said to be the most captivating and the rumours did not disappoint.
Shirou's standard for a partner must be high.
Selka was in her battle gear, which from Heiwa was nothing more than a feather skirt, a fur tank top, and string ornaments around her wrists and ankles. The fang earrings Selka wore on her ears swayed as she grunted in displeasure.
Bulat, and Akame were in their causal wear which for Akame constituted a black shoulder-less uniform and skirt. Bulat was in a black long-sleeve shirt and grey pants while Leone was Leone. Different from before, Selka had somehow managed to convince Leone to wear the Heiwa Hunter's attire.
Leone hadn't been able to refuse Selka's request as she'd been freeloading from Selka and the people of Heiwa's hospitality. Expectedly, Selka's customs were far different from those of the Empire. Wearing the Heiwa Hunter set, Leone felt exposed rather than proud to reveal the toned yet sleek muscle definition of her body.
Selka seemed proud however, and had no qualms in taking pride in showing the fruits of her labours. She was lithe with barely any extra fat on her person to maximize hunting efficiency as a female Hunter. She'd even gone as far as to offer Akame a set, but Akame had flat out rejected the notion.
As Raiko continued to observe Akame and the others in front of her, she soon decided that she'd seen enough. Time was of the essence.
"I'll lead the way. Let's go," Raiko adjusted her grip on her rucksack and began marching ahead.
Left with little choice but to follow, Shirou and the others did so. Lubbock was the one who seemed the most dispirited, but he offered no complaints since Najenda had tasked him with a personal mission.
For the rest of the day, the group began trudged. They couldn't bring any form of transport as it would require the use of a road which would be too conspicuous.
Raiko guided everyone from the front while the others trailed a couple feet behind.
Evidently, Akame and the others were still being wary of Raiko. Trust wasn't something that could easily be gained in the current world, but Shirou once again broke the norm.
Shirou abruptly sped up until he was trudging alongside Raiko.
Raiko looked at Shirou inquisitively, but he only offered a kind smile back which Raiko had no idea how to react to. Nonetheless, she vowed to keep her mouth shut as Akame and the others soon matched Shirou's pace and trudged alongside Raiko as well.
It would be later in the evening when it was time to set up camp that the wariness would return.
"Who wants to take first watch? I can volunteer if you all want?" Raiko asked, and immediately, tension rose without a word.
Sleep was a person's most vulnerable state, and when out travelling, it was always left in the hands of those that could be believed in.
No one other than Shirou seemed comfortable with the notion of Raiko taking watch.
"I can do it," Leone said abruptly in an attempt to diffuse the situation. It worked, but Shirou saw no reason to keep Leone awake when the road ahead would already be tiring.
"No need," Shirou stopped Leone who was getting ready to leap towards a high enough vantage point.
"What do you mean, no need?" Bulat questioned. He was once a man of the military, and he knew his fair share of stories regarding carelessness. They were out in the wild, and exposed to constant danger.
"Just leave it to me," Shirou answered while lifting up a hand and suffusing it in the glow of his magecraft. "I'll set something up that will alert us of any danger coming."
Everyone stared, but no one refused. In the face of magic, they had no response.
Shirou was never really proficient in magecraft, but he did know how to make a detection-based Bounded Field. Right in front of everyone's view, he began setting up a magic circle and imbued it with energy. An unseen force rapidly spread outwards, uplifting strands of Akame's hair and causing Raiko to shudder at the various nuances magic was capable of.
Shirou was just full of surprises now, wasn't he?
Regardless, it was time for rest.
The journey would be long to the heart of Wakoku, and Raiko couldn't help but tense, doing her best to hold back a shudder as she and everyone else got ready to sleep.
Sleep? Lying on her side, Raiko realized that she would not be able to do so, so easily while caught up in her thoughts.
She'd assumed that she'd resolved herself to her decision, but it was only now while trying to sleep that the doubts came.
Treacherous her clan could be, but her clan was known to uphold their loyalty despite their focus on subterfuge. They could betray others at the drop of a dime, but they were never allowed to besmear their integrity.
Raiko could only hope that she could convince her people that she'd made the right decision. Better yet, fully convincing herself would be a better start.
Tossing and turning on her bed roll, she watched Akame and the rest quickly falling asleep while assured of their safety thanks to their trust in Shirou.
It was only Raiko who was different. Well, apparently, not only her.
Blinking, Raiko's gaze locked with Shirou's who was staring right at her direction.
He wasn't sleeping? No, it was her that was being clueless.
Why would Shirou trust her enough to sleep in her presence after only a single meeting late in the night?
"Having second thoughts?"
What?
Raiko was momentarily caught off guard with Shirou's question since it hit so close to home.
"No," she denied after collecting herself.
Raiko watched as Shirou got up and sat near her, the both of them in full view of the moon above. "You're lying," he said simply. "It's not hard to tell, and it's more than likely the reason that the others are still weary of you. They can sense it."
Raiko didn't respond, but Shirou continued nonetheless as if he could understand her.
"What would you know of honour and duty?" Raiko suddenly found herself asking.
"I know more than you'd know," Shirou replied.
Raiko scoffed, her gaze turning away harshly; scorn in the form of creases over her face developing in her frustration. She glanced moodily at the ground, an outburst at the tip of her tongue that failed to emerge as Shirou elaborated.
"There was a certain King that I once knew you see, and I can tell you from my experience with her that honour is in the heart," he spoke with conviction, certainty. "No matter what other people say is wrong or stupid, so long as it's a cause worth fighting for, then what do the views of others matter towards the greater picture?"
Raiko clicked her tongue, her shoulders squaring. "It does matter. Honour is earned from the respect of the people," she hissed. "It's all my clan has left to its name, making it the most important."
The clan of Jinsoku's was known to be hated by many for its past history dabbling with underhanded politics and violence. There had to at least be one point that could be trusted, and that point centered around committing such acts out of their loyalty. Their honour depended on it.
"If honour is really the most important, then why did you forsake it?"
Shirou's question rattled Raiko. She pursed her lips as Shirou continued.
"It means that you hold something above even your clan's honour."
Raiko did not respond, her teeth gnashing together as her hands balled into fists. She couldn't deny the words said. "So, what?" She spat out snappishly. "No matter how you think about it, you can't justify what I'm doing regardless of what you say."
"You're right," Shirou conceded the point with a sigh. "However, it doesn't mean that your intentions can't be admired despite the stain it would leave on your character."
Shirou nodded and seemed to reminisce about some sort of past experience.
Raiko opened and closed her mouth, staring at Shirou as if he was unable to be reasoned with, but no longer glaring at him nonetheless. Finally, she managed to get a word in after slumping her shoulders. "For a leader that should represent the views of your people, I really can't understand you."
Raiko's eyes listlessly stared at the ground, a self-deprecating laugh escaping her lips.
"Are you actually trying to comfort me, a person you've only met once and could potentially still be an enemy at the drop of a hat? I'd call bullshit if it wasn't actually happening in front of me." Raiko stopped her laughter and looked right into Shirou's unflinching gaze. "You're ridiculous."
"It's not wrong to help others." Shirou shrugged, his attention wandering towards the overhead moon above before moving back towards Raiko. "Besides, aren't you feeling better now?"
Raiko bit her lower lip and turned her back towards Shirou to lie down on her side using her rucksack as a pillow. She was unwilling to answer the question, and that in itself seemed fine for Shirou. She listened intently as Shirou got up and lied back down on his own sleeping gear.
As a leader, Raiko couldn't help but judge Shirou poorly, but as a person, she couldn't have asked for a better comrade.
Obligation and allegiances were fickle things, but it was only now that Raiko realized that she herself could be just as fickle.
The irregular pattern of her heart beats betrayed the pointed glower on her face.
Focus. Focus.
There could be no room for hesitation any longer.
The journey would begin at dawn.
-She ended up tossing and turning all night and became irritable by morning.
Shirou would have to travel with his guide glaring at him for the rest of the journey, and Selka glaring right back.