Akame ga kill x Ashura

Kill the escalation

“Good morning, filthy animals! Get your ass up and get moving!” Right on time, the drill instructor marched into the room and battered the trash can in his hands several times, its scornful echoes bouncing off the walls to announce the beginning of yet another day. 

Goutetsu’s eyes jerked up the tiniest bit the moment the heavily bruised recruit fell into his sight. “What the fuck happened to your face, Retarded dwarf? You look like a battered wife.” 

“Sir, nothing, sir.” A quiet, monotone noise left his lips.

“Don’t sleep on the job, Peasant! How many more times do I need to tell your lazy ass?! For fuck’s sake!” 

Tatsumi did not react to the sergeant’s barking, eyes glued firmly to his younger comrade slowly adjusting the bed with shaking arms. 

He turned his focus back to the task at hand before Goutetsu might feel the need to slap him awake. 

Wake up, round up, daily march. Rinse and repeat.

Tatsumi was jogging at a decent pace, until some of his colleagues went out of their way to either shove or trip him up. Just so they could finish faster than him. 

Instead of hitting back, he just fell back slightly after one too many elbows in his sides and jogged alongside Momo, who was having an average run. 

The boy’s legs seemed a bit shaky like his arms just prior but managed to keep it going. Every step must have been torture at this point. 

“Get moving, retarded dwarf! If you wouldn’t be taking your sweet time, we could all be having breakfast by now.” Goutetsu shouted from the other end of the training grounds like he had on their first day whilst everyone had been waiting for the two recruits. “You might no longer be crawling like a snail but you’re still the weakest link. Get your shite together or I’ll chase after you with a stick next time.”

“Sir, yes, sir.” Momo exhaled. Again, his voice was entirely devoid of any emotional investment. The boy’s face had been turned into a swollen canvas of black and blue, this was hardly a threat by now. The daily march wrapped up with the recruits regrouping in the canteen afterwards as per usual. 

Followed by a power nap, the recruits got to training with broadswords and armor in the afternoon. Once dealt with, they again found themselves in this gray, monotone box that was the canteen. 

“You did really well, Momo.” Tatsumi patted his shoulder and gave him something none of them received in weeks. Praise. 

His reaction was significantly delayed. As if he fell asleep with his open eyes staring down his meager portion. “I did?” Momo’s eyes didn’t even try to meet his gaze, while he was slowly stirring around in his food.

“Hell yeah.” Ieyasu half spoke and half munched with a mouth filled to the brim. “That son of a bitch didn’t even call you names.” 

Almost as if on cue the group of city recruits broke into a collective laughter. 

The boy glanced behind his back. “I suppose.” His tone didn’t really suggest a sudden burst of confidence like Ieyasu was having right now. He stood up all of a sudden. “I’ll go to the restroom.” 

“Alright, but make it quick or your dinner’s gone.” Tatsumi chuckled. For a moment, he gazed at the group with a pained, almost bitter smile. The boy turned away and whispered something, but it got swallowed by the cheerful noises around them. 

Sayo sighed.

“Somethin’ wrong?” Ieyasu inquired. 

“No, it’s just…Momo’s had it rough. He’s different today as well. Kinda weird. I don’t like it.” She replied as she watched the minor disappear behind the metal doors.