Akame Ga Kill - Split The Earth In Two, Quake

Chapter Fifteen: The Ice Queen's Cold Beginnings

"Alright, let's hear it. What's the plan?", Tatsumi asks as he rubs his hands together, ready to get to work on the escape plan. "Well, I have two plans actually. The first one is this.", Esdeath replies as she points down at a glowing symbol on the ground. It resembles the symbol from before at the mountain, but it's smaller. "W-where did that come from!?", Tatsumi asks. "I think it's a marker for where that mystery man's Imperial Arm can teleport.", Esdeath replies. "So, we can only move to places marked like this?", Tatsumi asks as he points at the symbol. Esdeath nods and Minazuki says, "That makes sense. He can probably only move a few people at a time, so three to four might be his limit. And to move us such a large distance probably took a lot of energy." Esdeath looks amazed and says, "That's exactly what I was thinking! I doubt he'll be able to teleport like that often if it takes that much energy. I wonder what other limitations this Imperial Arm has?" "So if we keep watching this spot, the gate might just open and send us back?", Tatsumi asks. "Possibly, or it may send us to some other point this portal may be linked to, that part is still unknown for sure. This is just our first way back.", Esdeath says with a smile. "Then what about the second way?", Minazuki asks. "Before we get to that, we should setup a camp here, so we can watch over this spot while we talk about the second plan and put it into motion. Monk, would you kindly go collect some wood to make the fire with? Tatsumi and I will gather stones to build the base.", Esdeath say with a smile. "Well, I'd need a-", Minazuki begins to say before Esdeath tosses him an ax made of ice. "Oh, well, I guess I'm off to go collect some wood. I'll be back after a bit.", Minazuki says as he walks off. After Minazuki leaves and Esdeath and Tatsumi can't see him anymore, Tatsumi says, "Well, we should get moving. Those rocks won't find themselves." He stops as he hears the sound of rocks clanking together. He turns around to see Esdeath pulling rocks out of her jacket pockets and forming a fire pit with them. "I've already gathered some rocks for the pit.", Esdeath says as she finishes the fire pit. "There we go~ All done! Now, for my real plan...!", Esdeath says before looking over to Tatsumi. She quickly grabs him and pulls his face into her chest while saying, "We're finally alone together! Let's get to know each other more!" She pulls Tatsumi down on the ground before rolling on top of him and pinning him. "Wait! Time out!", Tatsumi begs as his heart begins to beat faster than the first time this happened. "You want me to stop? Then let me hear your story. First, where did you learn your swordsmanship?", Esdeath replies as she draws hearts along his chest with her finger. "In my village, there was a retired soldier who knew a lot about martial arts and swordplay. He was a good teacher and...", he begins to explain before she says, "I see, so that's where you learned to smith as well?" He nods and says, "I was thinking I should learn as many things so I could make a lot of money in the Capital. He taught me how to cook and showed me how to make a bomb once." "You must be skillful to have learned so much.", she says with a loving smile. "Well, you're pretty skillful too, Esdeath. You look like you could do nearly anything.", Tatsumi says with an embarrassed look on his face. "Actually, when it comes to certain things, I'm actually quite ignorant. I'm not great with most fine arts, cooking, singing, or even dancing.", she replies with a slight chuckle at her own expense. "This is the perfect time for me to gather information from her! And, since she thinks of me this much and I got her to think about it last time, I might be able to turn her this time.", Tatsumi thinks as he looks at Esdeath's loving smile. "So, what about you Esdeath? What's your story?", Tatsumi asks with a slight smile. "Me? Well, I'm from the Northern Frontier lands. Have you ever heard of the Partas clan?", Esdeath says as she climbs onto his lap, keeping him from escaping. He shakes his head no and says, "I can't say I have, no." Esdeath sighs and says, "They're a hunting tribe, with their specialty being danger beasts. I grew up there as the daughter of the tribe chief. Since you were so willing to tell me about yourself, I'll tell you about my past too!" "When I was a girl, I'd go out into the wilderness and hunt danger beasts to try to impress my father. I'd usually bring it back to the village and when I'd get there he'd have a beast ten times the size of mine. He was quite the man, I wish you could've met him, Tatsumi. Years before this, my mother was eaten by an ultra-class danger beast, but in the world I grew up in, that was only her own fault for being weak. Eat or be eaten, that's the environment I grew up in. The danger beasts and us, we exchanged lives as we did everything we could to each other. One day, when I was out hunting, I caught a rare species of evilbird. I was certain I'd finally caught something that my father couldn't top so easily, so I rushed back to the village to show him. But when I got there, my village was littered with the corpses of my fellow villagers and covered in fire. Among the bodies, I found my father. He'd taken six spears to the chest, yet he was still alive. He told me that we were attacked by the northern tribe. He said that it was his own fault for being weak before he died. After that, I kept hunting danger beasts to survive. Eventually, when prey began to get scarce, I signed up for the Imperial Army. Then it was just a matter of changing the targets from danger beasts to humans.", Esdeath explains. "So, is that why you did what you did to the northern tribe? Why you buried hundreds of thousands of them alive?", Tatsumi asks. "That was just my orders. I held no personal vendetta against the northern tribe for what they did. My people lost because they were weak. That's what I grew up with at least. Is there anything else you wanted to hear? I'll tell you anything about me.", Esdeath replies with a smile. "Could you, show me your Imperial Arm?". Tatsumi asks sheepishly. "Oh my, you want to see my Imperial Arm? Well, it's right here. This.", Esdeath says as she takes his hand and places it over her tattoo on her chest. "It was seven years ago and I'd risen to the rank of General. Prime Minister Honest had brought me into the Palace's Storage room. Inside they had several Imperial Arms without users. The one that chose me, was the Demon's Extract Imperial Arm. It's a blood type Imperial Arm made from the blood of a godly danger beast from the far north. It was said that a single glass was enough to get the effect, but I knew the effects would be stronger if I drank the whole urn. After drinking the blood, my mind was filled with incredible destructive urges, but I didn't falter. I took control of my fate and the power of the blood became mine.", Esdeath explains. "Then, even now, the blood of that danger beast runs through your body!?", Tatsumi asks nervously. "That's right. I've tamed it so there's no need to worry.", Esdeath says as she takes his hand into her's and holds it gently. "So, is it because of the blood that you started liking torture?", Tatsumi asks. "I actually liked torture from a young age. But...recently...I've grown bored of it. It doesn't seem to entertain me like it once did...", she replies, causing Tatsumi to raise an eyebrow. "How recently?", Tatsumi asks. "Well, I'd have to say, since the night we spent together.", Esdeath says as she closes her eyes and holds his hand against her face. "So, I did change her, even if it is just a little! I had an effect! Maybe I should make one more push!?", Tatsumi thinks to himself with a confused look stuck on his face. "Esdeath...", he says sheepishly. "Yes?", she replies as she opens her eyes to look at him with a loving smile. "I hate to bring this up, because I know this will make you mad, but...", he begins to say before she says, "You're about to ask if I'll leave the Empire and join the Revolutionary Army with you, aren't you, Tatsumi?" He remains silent, then she says, "I have been giving it some thought. If I didn't have so much responsibility, then maybe I'd take you up on your offer. But I have subordinates that I must lead, many of which want to protect this Empire until the day they die. I won't betray them, I'm sorry, I really am." He just lets out a slight laugh before saying, "At least you didn't hit me this time. Thank you, Esdeath, for taking it into consideration. That means more to me than you may know." He looks up to her and sees the smile on her face before thinking, "I probably shouldn't, right? This is a bad idea. This is a REALLY bad idea. Oh well, here I go." "Hey Esdeath.", he says casually, causing her to start to say, "What is i-", but before she can finish, he kisses her on the lips. She's both surprised and pleased by the sudden kiss and kisses him back. As they share their passionate kiss, they hear the sound of someone heading in their direction. They quickly stop kissing and turn to see it's Minazuki, and there's already a pile of wood behind them as he's coming with more wood. "W-when did he-", Esdeath begins to think before he says, "You two should stay more aware of your surroundings. I could've easily been an enemy or some sort of beast and you both would've been dead or worse. Now, let's get this fire built."

After getting the campfire going with a match from Minazuki's bag, everyone sits around the fire warming up. "Ah, that feels nice.", Minazuki says as he puts his hands up to feel the warmth of the fire. He looks over to see Esdeath sitting behind Tatsumi with her arms around him. He seems pretty calm on the outside, but on the inside, he's breaking down, thinking, "Yep, that was a bad idea! I knew it! She's probably going to hold me like this forever now! We'll never escape, never!" "What was that idiot thinking!? Kissing Esdeath!?! Who knows how this'll turn out now!!!?", Minazuki thinks to himself as he keeps his cool and composed outer shell. "So, what's that second plan then, Esdeath? You did mention a second plan, didn't you?", Tatsumi asks. "Yes, within the many species of danger beasts, there are some of which you can ride upon if properly tamed. I've mastered the art of taming danger beasts, so it'd be a simple matter for me. If I'm recalling correctly, this area is home to Air Mantas and Ocean Dragons, so if we take care to keep a close watch on the skies, one should fly by eventually.", Esdeath explains in a slightly saddened tone. Tatsumi looks up to the sky and sees an Air Manta flying by and points up to it while saying, "Is that one of the things you were talking about?" Esdeath looks up and is less than pleased to see that it is in fact an Air Manta. "Of all the... Alright! I'll get it!", Esdeath says as she gets up and throws on her hat while buttoning up her shirt. "What are you going to do from down here!? That things incredibly far away!!", Tatsumi shouts. "I'm going to shoot it down with an ice arrow, then I'll break it in!! I won't let it get away from us!!! We're heading back to the Capital together!!", Esdeath shouts as she rushes off to catch the beast. Suddenly, the symbol near their camp begins to glow. They look over to see it expand to its original large size as energy begins to pour from it. Tatsumi has a gleeful look on face when he sees it and thinks, "Yes! We can finally escape!" Then looks back and sees Esdeath's still chasing after the Air Manta. He remembers all the time he spent with her and how much she really cares for him. "Don't burn any bridges, Tatsumi. Especially with that woman.", Minazuki whispers. Tatsumi turns around and shouts, "Esdeath! The portal seems to be open, we're heading through!" Esdeath turns around to see Tatsumi and Minazuki walking through the portal. "Wait! Tatsumi!", she shouts as she rushes after him. She goes through the portal after them and ends up at the same mountain top from a day ago. "This is, the summit from yesterday.", she says as she realizes where she's at. She looks around for Tatsumi, but he's nowhere to be found. "Could it be he ran away while I was going through? No, not after that. He wouldn't just run away. It seems like the portals don't always send you back to the original location. How troublesome.", she says in a disappointed tone as she sheathes her sword. "We'll meet again, I feel it in my heart. I know it! Tatsumi, next time I see you, I'll make you mine!", she says before marching off. When she's a good distance away to the point where seeing them is beyond impossible, Minazuki shatters the rock covering the hole they were hiding in. As the two crawl out, Tatsumi says, "That was way too close. I thought she was going to sense us for sure!" Minazuki glares at Tatsumi before punching him in the head. "Hey, what was that for!?", Tatsumi asks as he rubs the fresh bump on his head. "Because you're an idiot! What exactly was that back there with Esdeath!?", he replies aggressively. Tatsumi doesn't have an answer and Minazuki just sighs before saying, "Don't fall for your own lies. You can lie so well that it seems true to everyone around you, but it's still a lie. It isn't the truth, Tatsumi. You aren't a blacksmith, you weren't trained by some retired soldier, you're not her friend, you're her enemy, her target! If she knew you were a member of Night Raid, you'd be tortured for who knows how long until you told her everything, then she'd kill you and leave your corpse for the rats to eat." Tatsumi seems to ignore him and just walks by him while saying, "Let's just return to base. The Boss will want a full report on this."

With that, the lovely couple is split apart yet again. I'm sorry this chapter is kind of short, but at least it's something. What will happen next? Will Esdeath eventually cave in and accept Tatsumi's offer to join the Revolutionary Army? Is Tatsumi actually in love with Esdeath or is he just falling for his own lies like Minazuki says he is? Some of these questions and possibly more will be answered in the chapters to come, so keep on reading! Next chapter, Chapter Sixteen: The Path of Peace.