Hi everyone! It's been a while since the last update, and I'm really sorry about that! Many things have happened, and I also had a big writer's block that lasted a while. But after some time and a bit of rest, I was able to complete this chapter finally!
Though before I let all of you read the story, I want to say that I hope all of you are doing well right now with the current situation going on around the world with the Covid-19 pandemic. I won't try to act like an expert at those things, but do please listen to one to make sure you understand what to do to lower the risk of catching one. What I do know is we should all wash our hands regularly with soap and water or an alcohol-based solution. Avoid touching our faces and minimize going out now. So please take in mind of all of that as I don't want any of you to catch it. We will get through this together!
Now, I won't take up any more time from all of you! Here is the latest chapter, and I hope all of you enjoy it enough to make you forget about the stuff going on in the world, even if it is just for a short while!
A massive explosion erupts in the middle of an empty forest. Issei flies out of the smoke and lands on his feet, panting heavily as his body is littered with small cuts. Clenching his right hand to dispel the Rotation, Issei examines ahead as the smoke gets transparent to show a bottomless pit that used to be a flat land with a massive boulder.
Bending down and holding his knees to keep himself standing, Issei gulps in air as sweats continue to drip down his face. His shirt is entirely drenched. With Rias away and Hyoudou not really feeling like being around others, he decided to spend the day training his heart out. Getting stronger while also keeping his mind occupied. Releasing the knees to stand straight, Issei stretches his right arm to the side and opens the palm to charge up another Rotation.
"That Rotation will deplete your mana." Issei's emerald color eyes widen in stun by that unmistakable voice. He swiftly turns around to meet eyes with those alluring slit yellow eyes. "Hunter-sensei!" Issei exclaims with a bright grin and sprint forward to stop in front of the tall woman leaning by a tree. "Still reckless as ever," Hunter monotonously state, "Charging another Rotation with your current mana reserve would have left you unconscious." That hit Hyoudou, and he hangs his head low. "I'm all up for your constructive criticism, Sensei, but can't you at least be nicer about it? It's been a while since we've seen each other."
Going silent for a moment, Hunter examines Issei's eyes to see hidden frustration in them. "Reckless because of emotions... A rather novice mistake." Issei's face flinches, and he shifts gaze elsewhere. "A lot of stuff has happened lately." "No excuse. If your comrade got hurt in a battle and you go berserk, which leads you to be reckless... Will that help any of you?" "I got it!" Issei snaps and glares up at the woman. "Sorry, but I can't exactly block my emotions like you, alright?!" No retort needs to be made as the piercing gaze from the Archdevil is enough to make Issei flinch then looks down to the ground "... Sorry."
Exhaling a sigh, Hunter shakes her head. "You still have a long way to go, Issei." The student can only offer a nod in response. "Um... May I ask why you are visiting me, Sensei?" Hyoudou awkwardly moves to the next subject "I've brought some news," Hunter states, then pulls out a napkin, tossing it to Issei. "Use it to wipe the dirt and sweat off your face" "Oh, t-thanks, Sensei."
"So," Issei starts after finishing cleaning his face, looking up at Hunter. "What's the news?" "An Akumi member has been spotted in the Human World... More specifically seen leaving Tokyo." "Tokyo" Issei repeats, his tone turns serious by the mention of Akumi. "Tokyo is not far from Kuoh" "Precisely why I came to warn you. I can't confirm it, but one of them could be traveling here," "One?" Issei tilts his head, "I thought they normally travel in pairs." "My spies informed me this one was alone, which makes them more dangerous. This means this individual is strong enough to be allowed wandering alone."
"Are..." Issei gulps, clenching his hands tightly to masks his fear. "Are they after me again?" "Possible; however, I hold some doubt. From the information I've been given, that specific individual is neither the two that I encountered with you in the past." Hunter looks at Issei "You have two encounters with them, and both times they intended to capture you. So, it's not farfetched for me to assume that your kidnapping is assigned explicitly to those two." Nodding slowly in agreement, Issei can't help but shiver when that terrifying image of Kitomi's red eyes boring into him while wearing that mischief smirk. Then there's that mysterious woman who shares a striking resemblance to Akeno. Those slit, violet eyes are colder than even ice.
"Issei," Hunter speaks to gain his attention "I won't let them take you... You are my student, and I may not be a perfect teacher, but I do at least know protecting you is one of my biggest responsibility." Hearing those words set Hyoudou at ease, his hands unclench, and his body loosens. Even though it is hard to tell with that monotone voice, Issei knew Hunter meant it when she spoke those words. "Right!" He nods and wears a grin.
"Saying that those lead to the next matter I want to discuss with you. It involves your training." Issei perks up, "What about it?" "Before I set off on a mission after the invasion, I did inform you that I will be training you again. My plan is for us to go on a trip that extends to a number of months. A trip focuses entirely on getting you stronger and continuing your teaching with swords." "Oh! I remember you saying something like that" Issei nods. "But... You want to do that now?" "Is there a problem?" Hunter raises an eyebrow, expecting Hyoudou to be jumping for joy.
"Well..." Issei grimace as his eyes moves down. "There's some stuff going on with Nawin right now. I want to make sure he's all ok before I head out on such a long trip. If I leave now, it will affect my training as my mine will be occupied with worry." Hunter stares at Hyoudou in silence for a moment before releasing a sigh. "Fine. Do as you wish. I already informed Lord Sirzech that I'll be focusing on your training for a while. So, there won't be any mission thrown in my way till the trip is over." Leaning off the tree to stand straight, Hunter gazes at Issei. "I'll return to Vesarima and be back here next week. I expect you to be available when I arrive no matter if your friend's situation is solved, understood?" "Yes."
Watching Hunter summon the teleportation then vanishing into a bright light, Issei takes a deep breath and sigh. He was genuinely afraid of disagreeing with her by pushing back the date of the trip. Even though deep down, Issei knew Hunter won't do anything crazy as she said, she'll protect him in dire situations. However, even knowing that, he is still intimidated by the woman as he has seen her immense strength. Issei knows she could adequately kill him with just one hand after he saw how she effortlessly beheaded several fully-grown dragon's heads during the Khaos Brigade Invasion.
'Don't make a habit of clashing with her, Partner' Ddraig speaks up after seeing what's on Issei's mind 'I am well aware. Almost wet myself talking to her like that.' 'For once I can't blame you for acting like a wuss. That woman is something else.' 'So...' Ddraig leads to another subject. 'What's your plan now?' Issei exhales and stretches the back of his head, thinking hard. '... I won't do anything yet. I'll wait a bit. If nothing changes and Nawin still don't show up tomorrow, then I want to go looking for him again. Honestly... I can't shake this bad feeling in my gut that I've been having lately' 'Understandable, it's natural you are growing more concern for him after nearly a week of absence. Though I doubt anything major is happening to him, Partner. Sure he's somewhere relaxing trying to get his mind straight' 'Yeah. I hope so...'
Elsewhere
"Uh!" Gasping, Nawin snaps his eyes open immediately following gaining consciousness. However, instead of the normal dark-brown orbs, it is those bright red shade with slit pupils, matching that of Dragon's. Pushing himself up to his feet, Nawin takes a moment to look at his hands then clenches them. "She has indeed bestowed you more power." Knowing that soft-spoken voice in an instant, Nawin turns around to face that familiar Japanese style house. Sitting by the patio while sipping down some fresh green tea, Sairex sets the cup down on the table then turns to Nawin with that ever calm and pleasant smile plastered on his pale face. "Hello, Nawin. It's been a while since we've met like this."
Now understanding that he is in his mindscape, Nawin walks through the vibrant garden to reach the patio. He glances to the right for a moment to view the colorful carps swimming around the large, clean pond. "You pulled me here?" Makasha asks as he takes a seat across the Dragon. "I have," Sairex confirm, creating another cup to existence and set it on the table. Grabbing the hot kettle, Sairex pours some of the tea to the empty cup then slides it towards Nawin, who quietly nods in thanks.
Grabbing the cup, Nawin takes a small sip before setting it down on the table. "So," he starts, looking up at the Dragon "Why did you summon me here?" "I know what's going through your mind right now, Nawin. I brought you here to make sure you realized the immense effect you'll cause if you decide to go down this path." Makasha remains calm, expecting that to be the reason for him being here. "... In the end, it will benefit everyone" "You think it's that simple? Do you even realize the impact you'll cause to your family and friends? You undoubtedly know just how much you matter to all of them."
"..." "Going down the route that Sayomi failed with you won't help them, Nawin" "That's not what I plan to do" "They're the same either way! Don't justify it!" "Then the fuck should I do?!" Unable to be talked down anymore, Nawin explodes and glares at Sairex. "Do I have any choice in the matter?! If I didn't agree to Ophis's proposal, then she would have wiped Kuoh to ashes and kill everyone I care for! We both know she was never going to give me a choice. It was either willingly or by force would I join her!"
Sairex grimaces as he holds no retort to those words. Nawin was right, Ophis had him in her fingers from the very beginning when she gave him that Draconic Mark. "I am doing this, Sairex. Not just for myself but for those I care and cherish." "Nawin..." Sairex looks at the boy with great sadness in those gold eyes "Do you fully comprehend how harsh that path will be?" "I do... But if it helps me break through the glass ceiling to reach the next level... If it helps gives motivation to Issei, Rias, Lucy, Akeno, and the rest to get even stronger for the future, then I am willing to walk down that path. I'll carry that burden to the very end." "After all the battles you fought, the grounding achievements you accomplished, the lives you saved, the unrivaled reputation you built in under a year. You are hailed as a hero, Nawin. This will forever tarnish that. There's no coming back." "Like I always said, Sairex," Nawin gives a heavy smile, "I was never a hero. I never saw myself as one or claimed myself to be one."
For a moment, silence falls at the table while Nawin and Sairex stare at one another with sharp eyes. "Let him do as he wishes, Brother." A new voice joins the discussion, and both turn to see Tairex stepping out from the shadows and into the light. His piercing red gaze stops at Makasha. "You know as well as I do for the Kid to even sniff at the level that the Pureblood and Ophis are at, it'll take him decades of relentless training. That's too long when enemies like the Akumi lurks in the shadows and surely are planning something big that'll affect the entirety of the supernatural world. And even with the bar set lower from Deity-like beings as Ophis and Sayomi, for him to still stand a chance against someone like that White-Haired Nekoshou, Kitomi. It'll take him years of training to reach that comparable power." Pausing for a moment, Tairex takes a seat at the side of the table and summons another cup to pour himself some green tea. "And let's just tell him to his face that Azazel isn't a fitting teacher for him. Not anymore to be accurate. He may be a Sacred Gear maniac, but that doesn't necessarily translate to him being the best suited to train the Kid. Ophis, a fellow dragon and pretty much the Mother of all dragons... I say she is the best person alive to teach him."
Sairex opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. Closing his mouth, he goes silent and simply stares at the cup of tea in front of him with stoic eyes. Tairex turns to Nawin. "I hope for your sake that Akame and Misako will remain by your side with this decision, Kid." Instead of answering, Nawin quietly finishes the tea and set the cup down before vanishing from existence, leaving the mindscape.
"... You can't stop the Kid," Tairex firmly states after taking another sip from his cup. "Don't act so nonchalant," Sairex snap, glaring at the black-haired man "I know you care just as much for Nawin as I! We practically were with him when he was just a baby!" "... I do care," Tairex admits, setting the cup down and finally turns to his stunned brother. "That's why I want him to stop messing around and get stronger. And although the only thing Ophis cares about in this world is herself. She will protect the Kid while he's with her. Clearly, she has taken an interest in him. Which is admittedly a first for her." "We both know one of the main reasons she took an interest in Nawin is because of Sayomi Dracul," Sairex states, looking across the table where Makasha was just seated. "Try as she might to hide it, Ophis fears Sayomi... She wants to have Nawin by her side, not just for his potential but also to act as insurance" "I won't deny that."
Kuoh
"Where is he?!" Those frustrating words boom out of Senna's mouth as she soars through the clouds at rapid speed. The two jet-black wings on her back flap rapidly. Following closely behind, Hinamori is Misako and Akame. Both are observing down at the City of Kuoh, trying to scan for their King's magic signature. "Anything?" Senna glances backward, "No..." Akame shakes her head then looks up "It seems he's not in the city. Let's try going south. That's where Nawin-kun would go to do some training as it is still an isolated area" "Alright."
When reaching out of the city, Akame closes her eyes and concentrates hard to expand her senses in hopes of pinpointing Nawin's mana. Misako carefully scans around as they now hover above a dense forest area. Then, something shiny catches hit the corner of her eyes to catch her attention. Shifting to the right, Misako gasp when seeing a red dart cutting through the air, passing by her, and heading for "Akame-chan!" The warning occurs late as the dart stabs into the occupied Knight's bare neck. Senna turns around when hearing Misako's scream then loudly gasp when seeing Akame falling through the air, her eyes go shut in a loss of consciousness.
Acting hastily to save her friend, Misako flaps her wing to boost toward the Knight. "MISAKO!" Senna screams in warning when a magic purple orb emerges from the forest and speed toward Ichiru. Seeing the rapidly incoming spell, Misako did not give a second thought to grab Akame when in reach, then turns around to shield her friend. Seeing Misako defenseless, Senna thrust her right arm forward at the purple sphere and produces a light beam. Her attack pierces through the orb, splitting it into two. However, instead of merely vanishing, Senna watches in horror when both orbs grow bright then ignite in an explosion. "Gah!" Though she is not dangerously close to the blast range, Misako still is hit by the shockwave that sends her out of balance as her wings temporarily freeze due to lack of concentration. Closing her eyes, Ichiru focuses hard to get her bearings, but it's proven difficult, her heart rate is soaring, and her novice skill in terms of flying is showing. "Guh!" She groans in helplessness and does the next best thing, which is holding onto Akame tightly, securing her safety, as they plummet through the air.
"Misako!" Senna quickly rushes to her friends' aid, but more orbs emerge from the forest, and all four of them heads for her. Cussing underneath her breath, Senna hovers back before thrusting both arms forward to generate a wide light shield that covers her entire front. The spheres impact the barrier, resulting in multiple massive explosions that successfully shatters Hinamori's defenses. "Urgh..." When the smoke clears, Senna is visible and wears a discomforting expression as she lowers her shaking and burnt arms. Fortunately, the burns aren't severe as her shield was able to counter most of the blast. "Uh!" Eyes widen in awareness; Senna ignores the pain to swiftly blasts downwards. "Misako, Akame!" She shouts for her friends, seeing both plummet into the forest, disappearing within the greens.
Diving through the leaves, Senna opens her eyes to see Misako laid on the cratered earth with the unconscious and unhurt Akame resting above. "Misako," Senna calls out in worry. The moment her feet hit the ground, and the wings retract, she rushes towards her friends' side. "Urgh" "You ok?" Shakily opening her eyes, Misako looks up to see Senna kneeling by the right. "Misako?" "Y-yeah, I'm not too hurt." With a weak smile, Ichiru slowly tries to sit up, she winces at the sudden aching pain, but Senna quickly assists by grabbing her shoulders, helping the process. "T-thanks," Misako reply, finally sitting up. She watches Senna gently moves Akame to the side to lay her on the soft grass.
"Can you stand?" Senna asks, facing Ichiru, "I-I don't know..." Noticing her friend is wincing at the pain, clearly trying to hide some of it. Senna raises to her feet, ready to give a hand until a sound of a bush rustling from behind catches her attention. Body tense in alarm, Hinamori abruptly turns around to come face to face with a tall and bulking man that's clad in a black leather outfit, awfully similar attire to the bounty hunter they encounter in Jinka. Senna soundlessly gulps at the bold man's intense green gaze directing straight at her. He easily stands several feet over her.
"Who are you?" Senna demands in a firm tone, even though her confidence is wavering inside. With Akame defenseless and Misako hurt, there's no way she can protect both of them while fighting this individual. Just by observing those green orbs, Senna can tell he's no low-rank bounty hunter. "Ahaha, sorry, Princess, but he doesn't do much talking." A slithering voice joins the fray, and Senna gasps when hearing it from behind. "Misako!" she shouts and turns around to see a long silver-haired man has the injured girl pin on her front, the rear of his rifle grinds at the back of her skull. The mischievous looking man leers at the Princess with those unnerving yellow eyes. "An honor to be in your presence, Princess Sennarisa Bouganville."
A dark expression falls on Senna's face when hearing that name. "Don't you dare address me by that title!" "Oh ho!" the lanky man snickers, "Touch a nerve, have I? Well, no matter." The Bounty Hunter brings his free arm up, point forward with his long finger, "Your parents hired us to bring you back to them... They pay good gold for our service" "I refuse to go back to them!" Senna spat, "That's fine." The man shrugs, "We are permitted to get a bit physical with you if necessary."
Feeling the atmosphere grow tenser, Senna makes a quick glance at Misako to see those sapphire eyes staring back at her with great concern and guilt. Having those eyes looking at her like that hurts Senna's heart. 'This is all my fault.' Fists tighten, her eyes shifting to the color of gold 'Momo, Akame, and Misako. All of them suffered because of me. I will protect them!'
"Ah-ah!" Senna's freeze when the silver-haired man moves his rifle and instead stomp his right foot down on Misako's head, grinding half of her face to the earth. "Argh!" A sinister smirk arises on the man's face when hearing Misako's painful wail. With the barrel of the rifle aim straight at the back of the girl's skull, the Bounty Hunter gaze returns to the furious Bouganville, who's hands begin to radiate. "Aye! I know well of how destructive that light power of yours is to us devils. Hence," to prove the point further, the man lifts his leg up then slams it down on Misako's head once more, earning a loud cry from the girl below "You better knock that shit off!" Senna's hands flare brighter for a moment when hearing her friend's pain. Her teeth openly clench in rage as she glares venomously at the grinning man.
However, when seeing tears begins dripping from Ichiru's terrified eyes, Senna slowly unclenches her fists. "A-alright," she mutters, shoulders slump in defeat. "I'll stop... Just please stop hurting her." 'N-no,' Misako wants to shout at Senna not to give up, wanting badly to apologize for being so useless and a burden. Her heartaches at all of these negative feelings swirling within.
Seeing the man's feet loosen on her friend's head, Senna looks down at Misako with a faint smile. "Don't worry, Misako. Everything will be fine." "SENNA!" Ichiru shouts in warning when the large man behind Bouganville has both arms raise then slams right down at the girl's shoulders. "Ouch!" the Marksman wince at the vicious strike before turning to his partner. "Go easy on her. You just got to knock her out, not break her shoulders like that." The monstrous man simply grunts in response as he looks down at the heavily battered Bouganville.
An expression of distraught wears on Senna's face as she lays there, motionless on the ground. She tries to move her arms to get up, but both are unresponsive. "I-I can't move my arms?" "Woah!" the Markman let out a sinister laugh, marveling at the hopeless look on his target's eyes. "You really broke her shoulders!" "Aaaahhhhh!" When the pure shock subsided, an unbearable pain rages in Senna's body, she lets out a scream of agony. Having never felt such pain before. Unable to hide or coop with it.
'Stop it,' Misako murmurs in her mind, openly crying at the horrifying state Senna is in. 'Stop it.' The huge man unclenches his right hand and snatches the injured Bouganville by the leg, lifting her off the ground like some sort of animal. 'Stop it, stop it.' "Good," the bony Bounty Hunter nod in satisfaction. "Let's take the runaway Princess back to her family." "Stop it," "Huh?" the Marksman cocks his head to the side and looks down, "Something you want to say, Pink-hair?" "Stop it, stop it" "The hell? You've lost your mind?" "Stop it... STOP IT!"
Out of nowhere, a violent explosion erupts from Misako that send shockwaves throughout the forest. The Marksman gets blasts away and smashing through a few thick trees before crashing viciously into the earth. The massive Bounty Hunter remains in his feet but is forced to close his eyes by the roaring wind hitting his front. However, a few more seconds past, he lets go of Senna when the wind continues to only get stronger, and he is forced to bring both arms up to block his face from it.
For a full minute, the entire area was like the insides of a tornado. Trees are twisting to the sides by the wicked tide. The ground is splitting and bursting by the wind's booming roar. Senna slowly opens her eyes as she lays face-first on the ground, able to get some cover from the blast at being flat on the ground. Squinting her eyes, she is able to comprehend Misako's entire form is now glowing brightly in pink; she's standing there a few feet away, still like a statue.
Then, like it never happened, the untamed wind vanishes. The hovering pieces of the earth, such as rocks and dirt, drops back to the ground. The bulky Bounty Hunter brings his arms down and reopens his eyes. His pupils narrow at the scene before him. On the ground, Senna looks speechless at what she is seeing ahead. Misako has changed. The once smooth, flowing pink hair is now longer and spikier. Her supple body currently contains more muscle mass to a noticeable degree. And the most significant change comes from her eyes. Those striking sapphire-blue orbs are gone, replacing them is a shade of radish-pink. The pupils have morphed to a shape of a cross that's shining brightly in white. And there's one other element Senna notice is different about Misako. Her mana. It has skyrocketed to a new height. Stronger than anything Senna has felt.
Slowly, Misako's head moves until it stops at the Bounty Hunter. Those multicolor eyes flash in vengeance. Bending her knees to the right, Misako breaks off in speed, vanishing from existence and leaves destruction on the spot that she once stood, created by the aftershock. In a blink of an eye, Misako appears midair on the left side of the Bounty Hunter and delivers a swift backhand to the face that sends the large man blasting away. Misako isn't done and vanishes again, appearing a few feet away from the incoming target. As the man is barreling through the earth, Misako swings her right foot forward to kicks him right on the top of his head, propelling him off the surface and flying through the air. Senna watches the man hovers pass her and shift back to Misako only to find her gone again. 'S-so fast!'
Appearing in front of the bold man, who's now on all fours and trembling in pain. He looks up, and fear can be seen in those green eyes. His clench teeth bare in anger and anxiety. Misako remains ruthless and merely gazes down at her adversary with a fierce expression. That once gentle and kind persona is gone. Amid desperation, the man lifts his right arm at surprising speed to deliver a strike; however, Misako catches it and, without hesitation, snaps his wrist into two. A sicking crack is heard as the man grunt loudly in pain and can only glare up at Ichiru in an attempt to remain a threat. Without looking, Misako lifts her other arm up and twist her wrist to catch the incoming purple orb. She slowly glances back to meet eyes with the stun Marksman hiding behind a tree. "Well, shit..." the lanky Bounty Hunter cuss as he watches Misako unclench her and toss the orb back at him. He quickly jumps away as the sphere hits the tree to ignite in a sizable explosion. Deciding to retreat, the Bounty Hunter strap the rifle onto his back and is ready to release his wings until he hears a sound from the right, he looks over only to gulp when seeing Misako standing right there. Those eyes freeze him on his track.
A high-kick to the face sends the silver-haired man crashing back to the area his partner is at. "Fuuuck!" He shouts with anger at the pain before shakily getting back up to his feet. "You bitch!" That insult rewards him with a punch square in the face as Misako appears right in front. The attacks send the Bounty Hunter back to the ground. He screams in anguish while holding his face with both hands. Blood starts seeping through the fingers and taints the Bounty Hunter's gray shirt.
"M-Misako," Senna can only whisper in stun at the display of domination and ruthlessness her friend has shown. This side of Misako was something she thought could possibly exist. Not from a girl who's always so kind, gentle, and understanding.
Misako's breathing becomes more rampant, her cross-shape pupils' glow brightly. Lifting her right hand in the air and making a fist, Ichiru glares at the two adversaries and throws a strike, intending to finish them off once and for all. Another hand comes out of nowhere from the right and snatches Misako's wrist, stopping her in motion. "Urgh!" a newfound rage express on Misako's face. She snaps to the right only to gasp when coming to face with Nawin. "Misako," he speaks in that gentle tone of his, staring at her with concern. "This isn't you. Don't let the Sacred Gear take control of your emotions."
Makasha's words bore into Misako's heart. Seeing him and hearing that soothing voice of his provide ease within her. Slowly, Misako's rampant breathing starts lessening, her expression softens. Faint steam vents out of the pores from Ichiru's body as the muscle mass she gained steadily retreats. "N-Nawin-kun," Misako mutters, staggering forward as her eyes revert to those beautiful sapphire-blue eyes. Makasha quickly moves when the girl's feet give up, and she falls first. Holding her gently, he sets his friend on the ground. "Everything will be alright" "Y-yeah," Misako uses her remaining strength to bear a soft smile, shakily holding onto Nawin's left hand "Y-you a-are here..." With those words spoken, drowsiness takes over Ichiru as her eyes slowly shuts.
Placing Misako's hand down on the side with care, Nawin slowly raises up to his feet. Bangs hover over his eyes. Seeing an opening, the bold Bounty Hunter breaks into a charge and thrust his large arm right for a strike. "Nawin-kun!" Senna shouts in worry, but that quickly turns to shock when the man's fist connects to Makasha's abdomen. Silence envelopes the area. The Bounty Hunters stare in stun as Nawin shows no reaction to the assault. He didn't even shift sights to the striker and instead focused on Senna. Lifting his right arm, Nawin performs a fast swipe that produces enough pressure to vaporizes the bold man in the spot. It happened in an instant that all Senna did is just blink, and the enemy is gone, reduced to specks of dust that signal his death.
"F-fucking shit!" the Marksman cuss loudly, proving to be a mistake as Nawin's blazing red eyes shift straight at him. And rage is apparent in them. However, Nawin's attention returns to Senna. He walks past the frozen Bounty Hunter and proceeds to pick his friend from the ground, carrying her close to his chest. Turning around, Nawin blasts his right foot to the side to kick the Marksman's head clean of his torso. The corpse spontaneously disperses into a cloud of dust.
Senna remains soundless, clutching tightly on Makasha's shirt with her right hand. It would be a lie to say she didn't hold some fear towards him right now, but deep down, she knows he won't hurt her. "They were after you?" Nawin plainly asks. It was more of clarification than a question. "Yes..." Senna nods with a look of guilt spread across her face "I-I was their target. They were sent to retrieve me by my parents." The venom in Senna's tone when she mentioned her parents did not go unnoticed. However, instead of inquiring more, Nawin shifts gaze to Akame, who's still laid soundless on the ground. "She's ok," Senna promptly inserts. "They only used a sleeping dart on her" "I see."
Scouring around the area, Nawin notices something amiss. His red orbs shift down to Senna. "Where's Momo?"
Elsewhere
'The target's exiting the village... They are merely passing through it.' Hiding in the shadows, on top of one of the tallest trees, a scout of Vesarima unwaveringly study the Akumi member with his blue-eyes. 'So, their destination is Kuoh?' A deeper voice speaks through telepathy in the scout's mind. 'I believe so, Sir. Ever since departing from Tokyo, their path has remained at East... Which is the destination to Kuoh.'
The other line went silent for a moment. An unease silence befalls. This news was something that both did not want to hear. 'Understood. Good job, Soldier. Best you return here now as your assignment is done. I'll go report this to Lord Sirzech' 'Heard, Sir. I'll be back in a moment!' With the communication cut, the young Soldier takes a moment to reach around to grab a photo from the back pocket. Bringing it up to his face, he smiles at the two people shown. His beautiful wife and their two-month-old baby girl. "Hopefully, this assignment will be my last for a while! I need to get home to them," he exclaims with a hopeful grin.
"... Last it will be." The Scout gasp when feeling a soft-spoken voice from behind. The branch he stood one rattle ever gently. The feeling of dread course through his body as he slowly glances back to catch sight of those red roses. "A-Akumi," he stutters, meeting gaze with those black eyes that's devoid of warmth. Just coldness like ice. "You know," the person speaks as their body is masks in shadows. A sound of hiss is made as if a sword is being unsheathed. "I have a family member too that I love dearly... So, I kind of feel bad for you... However," their voice grows dark. "I hate being tailed like that. It annoys me greatly." The man's heart rate increases as he watches a long sword get raise in the air, unable to move and paralyze in fear. "P-please d-" A sound of a slash is made which follow by an explosion of blood. The photo of the family can be seen floating through the air, now covered in fresh red liquid.
Kuoh
"Ugh!" Sharply sitting up, Akame's eyes are wide open and immediately scan her surroundings. "You're awake," that unmistakable voice comment, and Akame turns to the left to see Nawin kneeling next to her. He offers a warm smile. "N-Nawin-kun?" the Knight whisper, still a bit drowsy "You were knocked out by a sleeping dart." Makasha brings his right hand up to press his thumb on the girl's forehead "Here's some of my mana. It should clear up your mind." Blushing a bit by the sudden action, Akame nods in silence, and her body eases as a warm sensation sets in her mind. Her sight is becoming less foggy as her mind clears.
Removing his hand, Nawin nods to himself. "That should do it." Blinking a few times, Akame finally looks elsewhere, and she stops at Senna, who's by the couch. "Glad to have you back, Akame-chan," Senna replies with a weak smile, sitting next to her deceased sister. Nawin didn't follow her gaze. Akame shifts back to him. "You know?" "Senna told me what happened in Jinka, yes." Seeing that look of tiredness and grief in Nawin's red eyes makes Akame reach up to cup his cheek, gaining his attention. She knows he's had it rough for a while now. She can't imagine what's going through his mind with Momo's death suddenly appearing before him. It's honestly a miracle he hasn't broken down yet and is able to remain composed. But that just makes her respect him even more.
No words were uttered as the Knight and King merely stare at one another. Slowly, a small smile form on Nawin's lip. "I'll be fine... Thank you, Akame" "You don't need to thank me. I'll always be there to help you, Nawin-kun" Akame answers without hesitation. Those words soothe Makasha's heart to a degree. Akame releases her hold and gives her own smile as she watches him stand up. "Akame-chan!" Misako burst into the living room and knocks her friend into the ground with a hug. "Thank goodness you are ok!" A chuckle escapes the Knight's mouth as she returns the hug, looking up at her friend "Don't worry, Misako. I'm fine..." Akame blinks when she discovers some faint bruises seen on her friend's face "What happened?" she asks, expression sharpening.
"We were attacked by Bounty Hunters," Senna speaks up. "There was a Marksman among the pair. I believe he was the one that shot you with the dart." Misako helps her friend back to a sitting position and nods to confirm. "They were strong and caught us by surprise." Akame turns to her King, "I finished them off... Although," Nawin eyes his Bishop, "Misako actually defeated them by herself." That catches Akame's attention, and she turns back to her pink-haired friend. "Y-yeah," Misako awkwardly inserts, poking her index fingers together. "When they started hurting Senna-chan... I got angry and I just... I just want them to stop" "Her fear and determination pushed her to awaken some of her Sacred Gear's power," Nawin joins in when seeing Ichiru is struggling "With that Misako was able to defeat the pair quite easily from what Senna told me" "I see."
"... What will you do, Nawin-kun?" Akame speaks up, eyeing Momo resting in Senna's arms. Nawin's right eye wince every slightly before turning to finally acknowledge his deceased friends. "Nawin-kun..." Senna speaks up, "Please help me..." she begins to beg, "I-I know you must have lost some trust in me with this reveal of me being a devil... Hiding it from you and the rest. B-but I did it for Momo's safety and my family."
Exhaling a shaky breath, Nawin opens his eyes once more to look at Senna. "I have not lost trust in you, Senna. You had your reasons, reasons that are good in heart, so I hold no grudge." "However," Makasha's tone sharpens. Misako and Akame remain quiet throughout, watching in the background at their King's decision. Both do show anxious as they genuinely can't tell which way it'll end. "Before I make a decision, I want to hear your story. Even though I hold no grudge on you, I do hold some anger that you are to blame of Misako and Akame being endangered today. Those Bounty Hunters came for you and, in doing so, hurt the two people I care deeply for."
Senna signs, calming herself down. She gives the nod. "You are right. You deserve some context. All of you do after what happened." Lifting her Head up to face the three, Senna opens her mouth. "My true name is Sennarisa Bouganville," "Bouganville?" Nawin repeats with narrow eyes, "Sounds like a Royal Name," "It is. Bouganville was once part of the 72 Pillars before we were banished. And that's correct. Centuries ago, there were 73 Pillars when we were part of it with the other Noble Clans." "Why did the Bouganville get banished?" Nawin asks, "Because of our exclusive connection with the Light. Unlike other Devils that are vulnerable to Light-based attacks, the Bouganville don't share such weakness. That was something that has always been unique to us, and it was a great asset during the Great War. However, my great Grandfather found a way to harness offensive magic from our unique bloodline." "And that's when the other Devils' opinion of your Clan begins to change?" Nawin inserts and gets a nod "Correct. When they saw my great Grandfather in battle using light-magic. It caused a considerable uproar among the Devils. Instead of seeing it as an asset anymore, they saw it as a threat. They fear that the Bouganville would use this newfound power to disrupt the balance. From the beginning of time, the Bael is considered the strongest among the Clans, and the oldest. Bouganville was the youngest. And to see this new Clan obtaining such power was a significant change that was not welcomed. It did not help the matter that I learned that my great Grandfather was a proud and cocky man, which further increased when he learned of his new power. His ways damaged the Clan's image more to the others' eyes and fueled their fear, justifying it. So, when the Great War ended, the other Clans came to an agreement to banish the Bouganvilles. Mark them off the Pillar and cast them aside. When the Baels also agreed to the decision, it was irreversible."
"That's awful," Misako comment, finding that ordeal to be unfair "Was there a retaliation?" Akame question "No. My great Grandfather was cocky, but he wasn't mad. It would be the end of the Bouganville if they'd retaliate. They couldn't give a reason for the other Clans to go on the offensive, especially the Baels. No one took their side, so they were outnumbered." "They left quietly," Nawin asserts. "Yes, they exited Vesarima and disappeared. Remained in the shadows for centuries, to the point many of the newest generations don't even know of the name Bouganville."
For a moment, there was silence as Nawin carefully digest all the information. "Then why had you run away?" That question surprises Senna as she looks back up at Makasha. "The signs are there. What would you be doing here and residing with humans? Why would Bounty Hunter come after you? So," Nawin crosses his arms, his eyes sharpen for an answer, "Why have you decide to be a deserter?" All sights set on Bouganville, waiting for an answer. "... I left because my Father started to become cruel. Unlike Grandfather, he wasn't born with the power to harness Light-Magic. He may hold a defense for it, but offense wise he wasn't gifted. He was the first to be unable to do so. Therefore, he wasn't appointed as the Head of the Bouganville. Right now, the Head of the Clan is still Grandfather. My Father was a kind-hearted man in the past, always creating time for me. He'd play with me, gave me gifts, tuck me to bed when Mother couldn't. But... That soon changed. When I was thirteen, I was playing in our garden, and I tried to reenact what my Grandfather did when I spied at one of his training sessions. I got into a stance like him and thrust my right arm forward. Then... A beam of light exploded from my palm and burnt an old tree in front of me." Senna bits her lip but continues, "My Father and Grandfather saw the whole thing has they were walking through the Gardens not far from where I was. And... And I'll never forget the look on their faces. They both were stunned, but my Grandfather also showed happiness while my Father showed... Confliction."
"Jealousy," Nawin comments, some anger contained in his tone. Senna solemnly nods and gives a weak smile to the three. Misako looked heartbroken while Akame remains stoic, but there is hidden anger behind those red orbs. "Jealousy can turn a good man... Cruel. After that discovery, Grandfather assigned my Father to teach me the art of combat while I get to start learning about my powers from him. However, as the years go by, my Father became crueler. My training sessions with him, but more brutal. He would not bother to spent time with Mother or me. He would just focus on his assignment, working hard to try to become the next Head of the Clan even though many said he will never because he didn't inherit the power of light like Grandfather and me."
Senna shakes her head at the memory. "It becomes an obsession for him. Things soon hit a breaking point when my Grandfather announced that he will make me the next Heir when he decides to step down. Many rejoice while my Father was... Devastated. H-He may be cruel to my mother and me at times... B-but h-he holds a good-heart within. He wanted badly to become the Head of the Clan so he can guide us toward a better future. He was passionate and motivated! B-but no matter how m-many times I begged Grandfather to make Dad the next line in Heir, he never listened! W-when I saw that enrage looked my Father gave me after the announcement," Senna sobs "I was s-scared and sad. I-I didn't want any of that, but t-there was nothing I could do. I-I couldn't go through any more of the pain of losing my Father, so I ran away... I became a deserter to get away from all of it and hopefully gave my Father what he wanted. To get out of his sight."
Unable to take her friend's crying sight anymore, Misako rush over to full Senna into a hug. Giving her a shoulder to let her tears out while comforting her with strokes on the back. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Senna-chan," Misako whispers, holding her friend close. "No family should be that disorder." Growing up with a loving Mother and Father that would always look after her, what Senna went through was something so foreign to Ichiru, and it horrified her such things even existed. A family should always be close and share happiness together. That's what she profoundly believes.
Nawin comes from the right and drops to one knee, setting a hand on Senna's shoulder to gain her attention. "What you did was selfless... You left not only to get away from the pain but also hope in doing so your Grandfather would in turn crown your Father as the new Heir, correct?" With more tears form in her eyes, Senna nods. She sniffs, nodding "Y-yes, I want him to have what he worked so hard to get. Even though he was cruel to me. Berating at me and shunning me... I could never bring m-myself to hate him! H-he's my Father."
For a moment, Nawin remains silent as Misako soothes the girl in her arms. Opening his eyes, Nawin has a look of making his mind up. Opening his right palm. 'You going to waste an Evil Piece on her?' Tairex's voice booms, 'Yes,' 'You lost your mind? You realized the path you are about to take, and you are going to waste one? You can't even guarantee she will follow' 'It isn't about any of that, Tairex,' Nawin retorts 'My friend is dead, and it is hurting the rest... I'm bringing her back for them and myself. That's it' 'Huh,' the Dragon snort at the reason 'Do as you wish.'
Pulling back from Misako, Senna notices a bright light shining from the right. She gasps when spotting Four Pawns levitating above Makasha's hand. Both of each holding two variant colors of black and white. "N-Nawin-kun," Senna whispers, looking up to meet with that warm and comforting smile. "Everything will be fine, Senna. You won't have to worry anymore."
Focusing on Momo, Nawin closes his eyes and begins pouring his mana into the Evil Pieces. All four glow even brighter then hovers toward Momo until they stop right above her chest. "I, Nawin Makasha, hereby, use my Pawns to resurrect Momo Hinamori!" Finishing the chant, the Pawns descends and absorbs into the corpse. The room goes quiet as Senna watches her sister with great anxiety, holding tightly onto Misako's hands for support. Then, gradually signs of life start developing from the corpse. Momo's once pale, cold skin begins regaining color and warmth. The wound on the chest is healing at an accelerating pace. Senna scooches closer with trembling lips, taking Momo's hand and bringing it near to her chest, she chokes in her tears when feeling that warmth from the hand.
"Urgh," a minute pass, and a soft, quiet groan leaves Momo's lip. Her eyes twitch before opening. "MOMO!" Senna exclaims and envelopes her sister in an embrace. Crying in pure joy at having her sister back. Momo blinks for a moment to regain her vision, though, in instinct, her arms raised to accept the gesture. Misako stands up and takes a step back to stand alongside Nawin. She glances at him to meet eyes and gives a grin. Nawin returns with a smile of his own.
Composing herself, Senna finally pulls back and quickly wipes the tears from her eyes with her forearms. She looks at her sister and wears a bright grin. "Welcome back, Momo!" "Y-yeah," the confused girl reply, still adjusting to all of this. The last memory she remembered was herself getting shot before soon getting enveloped in a world of darkness. "I-I was dead?" "You were." Momo blinks and turns to see Nawin kneeling in front of her. He offers a friendly smile. "Welcome back to the world of the living, Momo." When hearing those words, Momo knew what happened. Nawin brought her back to life with his Evil Piece. Letting go of Senna, Momo surprises everyone by planting her fists to the ground then gives a deep bow. "Thank you... Nawin-kun."
"Stop..." Nawin speaks up after a moment of silence. Akame notices his voice straining slightly. She examines carefully at those red eyes and can see the fatigue in them. 'He's putting a strong front. Why?' Momo looks up, shocked. "B-but Senna told me many things about the Supernatural World. The Evil Pieces included. You used such a valuable item to revived me... Even though you don't know if I possessed a Sacred Gear" "I did it to bring back my friend... Nothing more, nothing less."
Momo's body loosens the tenseness, and she gives a grateful smile. "I understand. I'm forever in your debt, Nawin-kun." With a grin and a nod, Makasha slowly raises to his feet. "Senna," he turns attention back to Bouganville, "Yes?" "Can you think who'd sent those Bounty Hunters for you?" "Ah," Senna grimace "I-I can't say. In truth it is still a bit of a surprise because it came out of nowhere" "Yes," Momo nod, showing she knows of Senna's past. "Senna and I met almost two years ago and not long after she get adopted into my family. During those times, there hasn't been any trouble until now. After that long with no activities, Senna thought they'd had given up" "Clearly not," Nawin inserts, crossing his arms "And I believe it has to do with both of you being associated with me" "W-what?!" Senna shoots up to her feet. "Why?" "Nawin-kun is right," Akame speaks up, standing beside her King, "I presume you haven't been back to the Underworld for some time, Senna?" "Since I left... I didn't want to create any chances" "Understandable. Then you are unaware of Nawin-kun's prominence in the Supernatural World," Akame speaks, glancing at her King for a moment and can't help but notice the dark rings underneath his eyes. The more she looks at him, the more she noticed his rough state.
"Nawin-kun holds much fame in the Supernatural World. He's known as the Black Flash... I believe you being friends with him has made you more visible. Not only that, but you are also seen with someone like Rias Gremory, who's a Princess such as yourself." "Akame's right," Nawin utters. "Someone may have caught you with us, and it became whispers from ears after ears until your Clan caught wind of it." "That... Is a possibility," Senna begrudgingly agrees to it though hate that to be a fact for her exposure. Being with her new friends results in her Clan finding her whereabouts. "So," Nawin continues, "I ask again, Senna. Who you'd think would send those Bounty Hunters for you?" "I-I can't confidently say, Nawin-kun," Senna slowly replies, scratching her head in confusion "My guess say Grandfather would pull such a stunt to want me back. But he will only do that if he'd still refuse to put Father as the next Head..." Senna grimaces at the thought, hoping for that not to be the case.
Nawin thinks for a moment and sighs, rubbing his forehead. He winces slightly at the throbbing pain coming from inside. 'Damn headache...' Silently sucking air through his teeth, Nawin opens his eyes and gives the nod. "I think it's best we continue this discussion later." Before Makasha could continue, Akame inserts, surprising everyone. "W-why?" Senna asks, not against it, but questions in curious. "Nawin-kun looks like he could use a rest," Akame gesture towards her King's rough state, "It's best to give him a day to get his energy back and continue our discussion on this matter. I don't think anything will happen right away as I'm sure you're Clan will think the Bounty Hunters is still handling the tasks" "You are right." Senna looks to the right to see Momo is close to passing out, her eyelids falling and rising. "It's normal she'd feel tired after being resurrected." Nawin comments, giving a faint smile, "Best, you take her home and let her sleep for the day. Senna" "Understood."
Before picking her sister, Senna bolts forward to envelops Nawin into an embrace. The latter is greatly surprised by the sudden gesture but raises his arms nonetheless to return the hug. "Thank you so much for this, Nawin-kun. You are the best" Senna whispers" "It's not a problem," Nawin slowly pulls away and gives a broader smile "Now head back home and take it easy. You also must be exhausted" "Yeah," Senna lets out a yawn before giving a grin, "Gonna take a nice long nap when I'm back." Nawin chuckles and nods, "Good."
Senna lifts Momo up and carries her in a bridal position. Bidding Misako farewell, she heads to the door opened by Akame. The two exchange a smile before the siblings exits the room. Slowly shutting the door, Akame turns around to watch Nawin walking towards the dining table, he grabs the chair and lifts it to move, but his legs lose strength and stumbles. "Nawin-kun!" Misako shouts, rushing towards her King when he collapses to the floor with the chair pin on his legs. Akame appears beside Makasha and tosses the chair away, allowing Misako to help him sit up, holding him in place.
Both girls look at their King with great worry when seeing his exhausted face. "S-sorry, you t-two," Nawin apologies with a guilty smile, "I guess my body and mind have finally reached its limit." Letting out a weak exhale, Nawin shifts his red eyes up to stare blankly at the white ceiling "So... So much has happened lately." "Then rest, Nawin-kun," Misako whispers. She sniffs, ready to burst into tears at seeing the weak state of her dear friend. It hurt her considerably to see the usually strong and composed Nawin in such a condition. "N-no," Makasha shakes his head and shift sight to the two girls in front of him. "I can't shut my eyes just yet... There's something crucial I need to tell you two."
Gray Lotus
"Excuse me." The middle-aged man behind the counter blinks when hearing the front door open, followed by the bell ringing. Looking up from the newspaper in his hands, he raises an eyebrow by the appearance of a gorgeous crimson-haired woman. Stopping in front of the desk, Rias offers a polite smile to the man. "Hello. This is the front desk for the Gray Lotus Motel, correct?" "Yes," the adult nods, standing up to be polite after folding away the newspaper and setting it to the side. "Are you here to check-in?" "Not exactly. I am here to visit a friend of mine that's currently residing in the motel."
With so much time in her hands right now, Rias decided to come to check on Miraya and see if she knows of Nawin's whereabout. She's one of the two excluding Akame that could hold that knowledge. "I see. Can you give me their name?" "Miraya Culdos." "Oh." Without checking, the man just blinks at the name, recognizing it. Hard to forget a person as bright and pretty as that girl. "Ah, she actually left not long ago." "Left?" Rias repeat, blinking in shock, "Exactly when?" "Two days ago, I believe" "... Did she give a reason?" "Just said it was time for her to leave. She and another boy that looks to be her boyfriend if I'm guessing came here to check out" 'Nawin-kun?!' "Did this boy have shoulder-length black hair and dark-brown eyes?" "Yes. Pretty boy type... You know him?" "Yes, he's a close friend."
"Ah, I see," the man nods. "Then I guess you'd also know of this other woman that I saw with him a few times." Rias blinks, "Another woman besides Miraya?" "Yeah. I would see her walking with the boy here sometimes" "What did this woman look like?" Rias pushes for further details. "Well," the man rubs his chin in a thinking manner, "She was a distinctive looking person like yourself. Long silver hair, soft pale skin, and the most striking thing about her are those unique red color eyes of hers." 'I-It can't be...' Rias is left speechless at the man's description. All those traits lead to one person. 'Sayomi Dracul was here?! Nawin would take her to where Miraya is staying?!' Gremory is thoroughly at a loss for words at this reveal. It doesn't make sense that Nawin would take someone as dangerous and unhinge as Sayomi to Miraya, who everyone knows he is incredibility protective of. It just doesn't fit the narrative. After witnessing that photo, Rias believe Nawin and Sayomi hold a unique relationship, but to think it be as deep to the point Nawin would have Miraya be involved and possibly even meet with the Pureblood. That was something that she never thought imaginable in her mind.
"Are you ok?" the man speaks up when seeing Rias has gone entirely silent. "Y-yes." Snapping out of her thoughts, Gremory offers an appreciative smile, "Thank you for telling me all of this." "Sure, though thought you'd be upset as your friend seems to have left without informing you" "That's fine... I am sure I'll find her soon. Now please excuse me," Rias gives a respectable bow, "There's somewhere else I have to be."
When exiting the building, Rias's expression turns sharp as she openly bites her lip in frustration. Striding towards the direction of her house. 'Instead of getting answers, I left here with more questions... What is going on here? What are you doing, Nawin-kun?!'
Dasuma
A tense and quiet atmosphere loams over the living room of Akame's apartment. Resting on the couch, Nawin looks at the two girls across him with a regrettable expression. However, those shocked eyes staring straight back at him were understandable. "Y-you," Misako tries to speak, clenching the ham of her skirts tightly. "You are going to l-leave?" "Yes," Nawin answers with swiftness, showing his mind is made up. "B-but," Misako tries to speak but is at a loss for words. Akame remains silent, her sharp eyes focus solely on Nawin's face.
"Ophis gave you no choice?" the Knight finally speaks. "Either I accept her proposal, or she destroys Kuoh. Even if I were fully against leaving, I wouldn't be able to decline," "That's the problem!" Misako abruptly shouts, "W-why are you doing all of this for her?! For Sayomi Dracul! I-it doesn't make sense! I-I thought she's the enemy! Wh-why are you causing yourself to suffer for her?" "... That's right," Nawin looks at Misako, seeing that rare, fiery glare from her. It warms his heart to see she'd be this angry towards him, worry him to such an extent to show this rare emotion from her. He carries a faint smile, "You don't know," "Don't know what?" "That Miraya is Sayomi" "... W-what?" The anger in Ichiru's face fades and is replaced with shock.
Staring down at the black ring in his index finger and gently trace his thumbs across it. The memory of him presenting the matching ring to Sayomi before she departed resurface. Opening his mouth, Nawin explains everything to Misako. He believes her knowing is for the best so she can fully grasp his mindset on the matter. So, she can understand his motivation. If she doesn't, he'll only end up hurting her.
"After saying our goodbyes... She left," Nawin finishes, his eyes finding themselves back at the black ring below. Misako remains silent, absorbing everything she's heard. It was tough to believe that the girl she considered a dear friend in Miraya turns out to be someone like Sayomi, but hearing everything from Nawin told in detail. When she tries to line up the pieces, it starts to fit. A new emotion surface in Ichiru's heart, though, when she finally heard the story. Sorrow for Nawin. She can't begin to imagine just how tough her friend has had after all of this has happened to him in such a short amount of time.
"You don't have to say anything more about it, Misako" Nawin speaks with a heavy smile when seeing Ichiru opening her mouth "It is what it is... I can't change Sayomi's mind to stay because she's right. There are too many unknown dangers out there. She can't remain by my side and remain oblivious to everything hiding in the shadows... That's why she's out there to... To protect me." Misako hangs her head down, not having any response to that. "That's why I believe I should leave. I need to get stronger... I refuse to stand around doing little while Sayomi is out there in constant danger and working hard for my safety. I just can't revert back to the way things were with this knowledge, Misako, Akame. I just can't." "And," Nawin rests his elbows to his knees, hands clenched together "I believe doing this will do good for the others. Issei, Rias... Akeno and the rest will benefit from me leaving." "How?" Misako quietly replies, her eyes refuse to look up. "It will give them the motivation to become stronger. Me leaving will deeply affect them, I am aware of that. However, it will also drive them to train harder and push themselves to new heights. Right now, what they lack is a true goal. If I have to become a goal for them to desperate follow, then so be it. All of them will face formidable adversaries in the future. Powerful adversaries that won't hesitate to kill them."
"W-why?" Misako whispers out, finally facing up to show those teary sapphire color eyes, "Why must you put yourself in such a position? Why c-can't you have an easier life?" "Because I rather it be me suffering in such a position than the people I love," Nawin softly replies. "B-but you will be seen as the bad guy, won't you?!" Misako asks, wiping the tears with her arms and looks up, "Which won't be true! You are the nicest and kindest person I know, Nawin-kun! Y-you shouldn't be the one..." "Sometimes, one has to walk a path between light and dark..." "And what is stopping you from stirring into the path of the dark?" Akame finally speaks up. Misako gasps at the comment while Nawin remains stoic.
Akame opens her mouth once more when given no response. "Walking down such a path requires a strong will, Nawin-kun. You are going to turn rouge... You aren't an ordinary person. The moment the news break of your desertion, you'll be shot up through the Bingo Book that'll undoubtedly attract the most professional Bounty Hunters across the Supernatural World. The Old Council already holds distaste for you, and you going rouge will give them an opportunity to strike. Tell me," Akeno stares at her King straight in his eyes, "Can you remain yourself through those pressures? Not counting what Ophis will do when you join her..." "I don't know," Nawin shrugs his shoulders "I can't say with confidence that I will be the same after all this. I may end up cracking and breaking under all the pressure. I may end up dead before that could even happen."
"There is another reason why I am telling you two this," Nawin continues. "I know this will be a selfish thing to asks and know I won't hold animosity towards you if you decline... But when I leave... Will my Knight and Bishop walk by my side?" "As I said before," Akame is the first to speak "Through thick and thin, I will remain by your side, Nawin-kun. Your life is the most important thing to me... If the entire world is against you, then it is against me as well." No words need to be said as Nawin gives an appreciative smile to Akame, who returns with a smile of her own. Even though Makasha knew deep down she'd join him, it is still a significant relief to hear her say those words.
That smile soon left his face when Nawin turns to Misako. He sees her arms shaking every slightly, her hands gripping tightly into the hem of the skirt. "Mi-" "I will have to leave my friends... My family if I choose to go with you, Nawin-kun" "... Yes," "For, how long?" "... I don't know." "Misako," Nawin drops to the ground on his knees to take Ichiru's right hand into his and gives a supporting smile. "You don't have to follow me. You have everything here, right? Family, friends, your health" "N-not everything," Misako chokes through her tears then looks up, "I won't have you..."
Ichiru releases Nawin's hand to grab ahold of his arms, clenching onto the shirt as her cries grow louder. "A-after everything you gave me... I c-can't lose you, Nawin-kun. I want to follow you, I-I want to badly follow you and be with you." Resting her head on his chest, Misako heavily sobs as Nawin pulls her into an embrace. His eyes turn glossy as a single teardrop drip down his face. "I'm so sorry for putting you in such a hard position." Misako slowly shakes her head; her arms wrap tightly around Nawin. "D-don't say sorry... You are suffering more than I-I." Looking up to his face, Ichiru opens her mouth once more "I'll follow you, Nawin-kun. If I must leave everything here to be with you... To help you on your journey... To be there for you. I'll do it. I'll follow you to the edge of the world."
Before Nawin could speak, he notices Ichiru going limp in his arms. He looks down to see she has passed out. No doubt due to mental exhaustion. Holding Misako tightly in his arms, Nawin stands up and gently sets her down on the couch to rests. Brushing away the few strands of hair from her face, Nawin can only look down at Misako with a look of sadness. "This was why I held out on turning her, Akame" he speaks at his Knight stood behind. "Not just for her safety, but because of decisions like this could arise. She's following me out of gratitude and love... A love I can't even fucking return right now."
Standing back up to his feet, Nawin turns around. "Do you think you leaving without telling her would serve better?" Akame asks, compose as ever "... I don't know" "Don't try to kid yourself. You know she and I will follow after you. All you'll end up doing is hurt her even more if you'd left without telling her. Even if your intention was pure. It'll only make her... And I think you don't trust or care enough about us to even provide a reason for your decision to go rogue."
With a weak smile, Nawin stops beside his Knight and clap a hand down her shoulder. "You are right. But it still doesn't make this decision any less hard... However, it's the one I have to make if I am to walk down this path." Akame notices more weight is suddenly push down on her shoulder. She quickly moves to catch her falling King. "That's enough," she speaks, her tone hardens when seeing Nawin tries to get back to his feet "You need to rest." Makasha grunts in frustration, but he soundlessly nods and allows Akame to guide him to the bedroom. After resurrecting Momo, his body has reached the limit. He's physically and mentally drained.
Laying her King down on her bed, Akame grabs the blanket and pulls it over him. "Enough thinking and worrying," she says in a softer tone, "Sleep to clear your mind, Nawin-kun." "Thank you..." Makasha whispers, "For always being strong when I can't, Akame." With that said, those red eyes finally shut, missing the single teardrop falling from the Knight's stoic eyes.
Time Skip
A few hours went by like a blur for Akame as she sat at the dining table, having nothing to do than read a book. And although her eyes track the words being displayed, her mind didn't fully pay full attention to it. Try her hardest to just read the words within the pages, Akame's mind simply drifts back to Nawin and the decision he's made. 'Did you predict this, Sayomi?' 'I see he is walking down a path that'll be full of hardship and will force him to make tough decisions... Decisions that will shine a bad light on him even though his intention is good.' Those words reply in the Knight's mind.
The conflict in Akame's eyes becomes apparent. 'Is this truly the kind of path you want him to walk down?' "A-Akame-chan." The Knight blinks, snapping out of her thoughts and looks up to see Misako staring at her from the couch, awake. "Misako," Akame provides a soft smile, setting the book down before getting up and make way to her friend. "How are you feeling?" "Better," Ichiru offers a brighter smile through tiredness is still visible in those sapphire color eyes.
Taking a seat beside Misako, Akame looks over to her friend. "Misako... I want to discuss something with you" "Hmm?" Ichiru blinks, "Ok" "Are you positive you want to do this? Following Nawin-kun." Misako goes silent, her eyes close for a moment. "What about you?" she answers with a question, "You and I are different," Akame swiftly states, "I have nothing here other than Nawin-kun. I don't have a family... People that I consider friends are you, Hana, Xenovia, Senna, and Momo. I won't lie... It will hurt to leave all of them. However, I value Nawin-kun higher than friendship. I'll go where he goes. Nothing more, nothing less."
Opening her eyes, Misako shows conflict and sadness. "You have family here," Akame speaks, "You have many friends here. You have a home here. Can you truly leave all of that for Nawin-kun alone? Because if you come to regret your decision in the future... It'll not only hurt you but hurt Nawin-kun too." "I'm following him." Akame blinks in shock by the sudden conviction in those words leaving Misako's mouth. "When I think about which pains me more... Having Nawin disappear from my life hurts more than me leaving my home and family. Because I fear that I may never see him again... He is walking down a dangerous path; we both know that. And I can't live with myself thinking that there's a chance my last memory with him is saying goodbye under those circumstances. Which is why," Misako finally looks up to meet Akame in the eyes, confliction gone in those sapphire color eyes and replace with conviction "I will follow him."
The straight line on Akame's lip twist to a smile, then she nods. "I understand. It'll be a great comfort for Nawin-kun and me to have you by our side, Misako" "Yeah!" Ichiru wears that bright grin of hers. With that matter resolved, Akame suggested Misako return home and spend some time with her family before Nawin makes his moves. "By the way," Akame speaks, holding the door open as Misako is done putting her shoes on. "Yes?" "Where's Wendy?" "Oh." A look of sadness cross on Ichiru's face. "She flew back to America a while back to visit her Grandmother. She won't return for a while," "I see." Saying their goodbyes, Misako departs to her home.
Shutting the door, Akame finds her eyes moving back to the bedroom. "Seems he'll be out for the entire night." She looks at the window in the living room to see night has already descendent. Knowing there's nothing for dinner, Akame decides it's best to go out to fetch some food for herself and Nawin if he, by chance, wakes up.
Grabbing a cloth bag and putting on her shoes, Akame takes one more glance at the bedroom before opening the door and leaves. Not wanting to go somewhere too far, Akame decides to fetch some simple Japanese meal at a Gyūdon restaurant she regularly visits when she's too lazy to cook for herself. Walking calmly down the quiet street, Akame takes a right and sees the bright sign of the restaurant in the distance. "Ehehehe..." The Knight stops dead on track, her stoic eyes morph to shock at the sound of giggles hitting her ears. 'That...' Akame snap to the left to only see an empty side street. Chills run down her spine. "Ehehehe." Again, the sound of giggles appears as if coming from all directions.
Then, at the corner of her right eyes, Akame catches something red, and she makes a dash for it. The shadowy figure can be seen in the far distance, bouncing through the roofs of the houses. Akame didn't hesitate and gave chase. The game of cat and mouse continues for a few minutes until both ends outside of Kuoh. Getting tired of this, when Akame jumps over a cliff of one fo the mountain that overlooks, Kuoh. She summons the Black Thunder then thurst her right arm forward, throwing the sheath out and fire a crimson lightning bolt from the blade. The attack flies towards the mysterious individual, who turns around and crush the bolt with their bare hand. Akame's eyes widen as before her offense was dispatched, it produced enough light for her to catch that unmistakable black cloak with red roses.
"Akumi," the Knight whispers, dropping the bag to have both hands holding the sword. Akame recognized the dangerous position she is now in. "Well, that's not nice." The clouds slowly stir away, allowing the light of the moon to envelope the individual. "It hurts to see you glaring at me like that... Dearest Sister." The Black Thunder drops to the ground. Time seems to have slowed down as Akame's face morph to a look of utter disbelief. Her eyes wide, and her mouth agape. 'I-It can't be.' Her stomach twists in doubt, not believing the sight in front of her.
The light of the moon shines on the face of a young girl, revealing the striking facial resemblance she shares with Akame. She has short black hair that's tied in a twin-tail style. Her coal-black eyes hold the same blankness as Akame's, but there is some happiness hidden in those orbs when looking at Makasha's Knight. Her height is slightly shorter than Akame, and unlike the latter, her figure is more petite.
For a moment, the only sound made is the howling of the night wind. Akame is frozen in place, merely staring at the girl before her. Then, she finally moves and takes a step forward to appear in front of the Akumi member. With no hesitation, Akame wraps her arms around the young girl, and tears immediately stream down her eyes when feeling the person before she is real. There's no illusion, Akame can feel the warmth of her sister's body. "K-Kurome... It's really you." Akame weeps, feeling her sister's arms wrap around her waist.
Kurome smiles widely in joy. "It's wonderful to see you, Sister." Pulling back, Akame cup Kurome's cheek with her right hand and look at her face. Both sisters smile brightly at one another. Their stoic eyes are now filled with nothing but happiness. Kurome grins and pushes her head forward to rub on Akame's cheek. The Knight giggles and accepts the affectionate gesture. For a minute, the two just remain close together in each other's arms. For them, it felt like a blissful eternity.
"We are finally back together!" Kurome says after pulling back, she can't contain the grin on her face. "Yeah," Akame nods. "After so long... After years of searching for you. You are here, Kurome." "B-but," Akame once gain take notice at that cloak. "... Why are you with the Akumi?" "Because they are my allies!" Kurome answers, never losing that joyfulness. "They took me away from that horrible place we stayed, Sister. I've been with them ever since. They taught me so much. I really wanted you to come with me, but sadly they only desired me, and I didn't really have much say in the matter. I just really want to leave that lonely place." Akame feels rage seethe within her. It wasn't towards Kurome but the Akumi that took advantage of her sister's weak-minded state back. Because of them, she lost her younger sister.
"Ku-" "But that's ok!" Kurome beams, "I am actually in need of a partner, that's why I finally had permission from them to come looking for you, Sister!" A chilling giggle left the young girl's lip "I had gone through a few partners already as they were very annoying. I just want you to be by my side!" Akame is at a loss for words. 'Joining the Akumi?' Kuroma takes both her sister's hands into hers. "It took me a while, but after I learned that you were the Black Flash's Knight, I set out to here. When I learned you are now a Devil, I was so happy! You must be very strong now! You'll be a perfect fit for the Akumi!"
Kurome pause when noticing the conflicted look on her sister's face. "What's wrong?" "Kurome... The Akumi is filled with dangerous criminals. They are bad people" "So are we." Akame is left speechless at the reply. "You and I killed so many people... We aren't good people, Sister," Kurome state, tilting her head, "I don't see the fault here." "Kurome," Akame utters, holding her sister by the shoulders, "You need to leave them" "... You aren't going to join?" Kurome whispers, her tone darkening.
"Akame!" "Uh!" the Knight looks behind and sees Nawin standing a few meters away, panting softly and glaring at Kurome. "Get away from her!" "No, Nawin-kun!" Akame turns around to face him "She's not the enemy. That's Kurome!" "W-what?!" Nawin gasps at the name, shifting eyes to the young girl. 'Kurome... She's Akame's lost sister!"
"Is it because of him?" Akame turns around and sees Kurome looking at her, those cold black eyes "Is he making it hard for you to join us? To be with me again?" "Kurome..." Akame whispers, grimacing "I-It's n-" "So it is that" Kurome cuts in, her eyes moving to Nawin "You rarely stutter like that." "Nawin Makasha," Kurome calls out, giving him a smile, but Nawin sees it did not reach her eyes. Her eyes are entirely the opposite of positive emotion. He begins to get a bad feeling. "Although I appreciate you turning my beloved older sister to a Devil. I will be taking her with me now" "What?!" Nawin shouts, "Isn't it the right thing?" Kurome tilts her head. "After all, she's my sister. She's nothing to you" "What are you talking about," Nawin grits his teeth, his red eyes glowing. "Akame is a precious person to me. My Knight. My dear friend. I don't care who you are but say something stupid like that again to me, and I'll knock some sense into you!" 'Nawin-kun...' Akame stare at her King, her hands clenching to fists.
"Friend... Knight," Kurome utters, her eyes darken, "Mean nothing to a bond between Sisters." Nawin's eyes snap wide when Kurome appears in front, rushing towards him with a long silver katana in hand. In the last second, as the blade graze his shirt, Nawin disappears in a black flash and reappears right above Kurome. He thrust a right arm down, but it gets catch, stunning him. 'H-Her reaction is that fast?!' Kurome clench her fingers around Makasha's hand and slams him to the ground in a whiplashing speed.
Twisting her sword to face down, Kurome pushes the blade down to pin both Nawin's hand to the ground. "Aaahh!" The instant of hearing Nawin screaming in pain, Akame appears from the right and delivers a punch to the side of Kurome's face, sending her sliding away. Grabbing the katana, the Knight pulls it off her King and toss it over ahead to the Akumi member's feet. Kurome is frozen in place, trying to register that her own sister just punched her. 'S-she hit me...' Kurome replayed the scene in her mind. Never once in their life has Akame raised hand at her, she always took care of her. 'That can't be right.' Kurome finally looks ahead to see Akame helping Nawin off the ground. She examines those red eyes looking with great concern. 'It's because of him,' Kurome's black eyes flares in anger. Kicking the sword up to her hand, Kurome blasts forward toward Makasha, sword aiming for his head.
A sound of a metal clash. "Why..." Kurome grits her teeth. "Why are you protecting him?!" Akame stands in front of Nawin, blocking the strike with the Black Thunder. "Because he's my King and a person I cherish dearly" "Uh!" Kurome clenches her teeth. "Fine..." Akame is surprised when the pressure stops, and Kurome takes a step back, resting the katana to her side. "I won't kill him but," she offers her left hand. "Come with me, Sister. Let's be together again," Kurome says with a bright smile.
Nawin watches Akame, seeing her head hung low. He didn't say a word, leaving it entirely to her. "... I can't." Kurome's smile shatters, "W-what?" "I'm sorry, Kurome..." Akame finally looks up with regret in her eyes, "I can't leave, Nawin-kun. I can't leave his side to join with you in the Akumi." "... Ehehehe," Kurome lets out a chilling giggle, her expression darkens as a cold grin split across her face. "If that is the case, dear sister," she speaks, lifting the katana to the air, "I'll force you to be with me then." A purple orb form above the tip of the blade and starts charging up. Akame gets to a stance, her eyes return to that sharpness.
"Enough," Kurome freeze when a hand grabs her wrist, the one that's holding the katana. She turns around to come face to face with the brown-haired woman, glaring at those slit violet eyes. "You..." "You tried and failed to recruit your sister." The purple orb disperses from existence, and Kurome swiftly pulls her arm back. "I can make her our ally" "A puppet is not the answer." Even though the woman spoke softly, power is behind it, and those violet eyes force Kurome to back off, calming down. Akame stiffens when those violet eyes stop at her. 'This person was once a guardian to Nawin-kun.' The Knight stares at the woman that shares a striking similarity to Akeno. Sayomi's words repeat in her mind. 'Before I even came into Nawin's life, she was there guarding him since his birth. Like myself, that woman would give the world to him... A shame how things turned out for her.' Akame steel herself and raise her sword to the side of her head with both hands, ready to protect Nawin if need be.
The unnamed woman raises her left hand and opens her palm. "There won't be a battle here," she states, lowering her arm then glance at Kurome. "Get yourself out of here" "Tsk," the younger girl clicks her tongue but does as ordered. Kurome snaps her finger, and a portal rips through reality, expanding to the size of an ordinary person, it glows brightly in silver. "Kurome..." Akame whispers out and gets her sister's attention. Though while she looks on with sadness in her red orbs, Kurome's eyes hold coldness. Without uttering a response, Kurome turns around and steps into the portal to leave.
The portal shuts from existence, and the remaining Akumi member shifts sight over to Nawin. The red and violet orbs clash for what seems like an eternity. Makasha's expression hardens as Akeno's face keeps appearing over this unknown woman. 'So,' the Akumi member's gaze moves to the draconic mark on Nawin's neck, taking notice of Sirzech's restriction seal being absent now. 'This is what you are planning, Ophis.' Closing her eyes, the brown-haired woman turns around and walks off. "Wait!" Nawin shouts, pushing himself to his feet and ready to make a move till the woman vanishes into the shadows.
With the enemies gone, Akame grabs the sheath from the ground and returns the Black Thunder to it before teleporting it back to the pocket dimension. "...Akame." Hearing her name called, the Knight looks up to see Nawin facing her. "... Why?" That was all he spoke, yet Akame exactly knows what he meant. "Because I am your Knight and your friend, Nawin-kun." With hands in his pockets and a tired but genuine smile on his face, Nawin walks forward and stops right beside Akame. For a moment, silence fell. Makasha looks up at the starry night sky while Akame faces the opposite of him and stare at his shadow. Nawin opens his mouth to asks this question once more from his Knight, and it'll be the last he'll ever ask. "Do you have my back?" "Always."
Next Chapter: Doubt, Irina's Request