CHAPTER 7: JUST BE ON MY SIDE
When I woke up, I didn't feel the shaking and noise of movement.
"Did we already set up camp for the night? How long ago?" I asked Bayb, who was sitting next to the exit.
"Yes. No," he replied laconically.
"Where are the others?" I yawned and noticed that there was no one else around us.
"They're out walking."
"I see. I think I'll take a walk too," I said to Bayb, who was scrutinizing a wooden figurine of an Eastern dragon.
"Sure," Bayb replied, crushing the figurine into a handful of splinters and then scattering them onto a piece of cloth laid out on his lap.
"You didn't have to break it; it looked really nice," I lamented the destroyed figurine. "I would have taken it."
"I can make a better one. I'll give it to you when I can."
"I'll appreciate that."
Bayb's figurines were exquisite, not inferior to those of a professional carver. The dragon did indeed look impressive, radiating strength and cold pride.
***
Stepping outside, I took a look around.
It was a caravan campsite, a place that had been used by traders for many years. The ground beneath my feet was trampled to lifeless gray, and nearby I could see awnings, pens, something resembling open hearths, and a few roofs of what looked like sheds. The area didn't seem littered, indicating that it was maintained and kept in decent condition.
Casually strolling, I observed the people who were diligently preparing for the night. Some were unharnessing and grooming their horses, some were fetching water from the nearby babbling stream, and others were kindling fires, getting ready to cook. Overall, the people were not idling about. However, as soon as they noticed me, most of them got distracted from their tasks. Some approached to exchange a few words, some nodded in greeting, while others simply stared with curiosity or wariness. At first, the attention was amusing, but it quickly became irritating.
"Well, fame doesn't last long," I reassured myself mentally. "I'm not Old Man Budo coming for a visit, after all. And it's not interesting to stare at Budo for a long time either."
When, after the liquidation of the head of the notorious Oarburg clan in the country, the generalissimo himself came to Akame's chamber, we were also amazed. The legendary warrior and tactician, for some reason known only to him, offered to train the Elite Group. At first, everyone looked at him with wide eyes, but soon we settled down. Well, generalissimo, so what? And what harm could he do? He was friendly, and observing him in hand-to-hand combat was an interesting prospect. Soon, even the presence of the Supreme Commander failed to awe anyone.
Could it be because of the specific upbringing of the members of the Seven and the Squad?
By the way, the generalissimo from the lineage of generalissimo turned out to be a remarkable and charismatic individual. A formidable figure, stern yet fair. Even considering the vast difference in status and the traditional "love and friendship" between the Army and the Intelligence, he did not look down on talking to the "despicable assassins."
Budo demanded strict adherence to everyone and granted respect based on merit alone, without regard to gender, age, or origin. You either met his expectations or you didn't. If you did, you received equal treatment, irrespective of your background. If you didn't, no matter how noble or high-ranking you were, you were treated as nothing.
An appealing quality. It was no wonder that the army personnel revered him.
"Hey, you blackfeet!" I was snapped out of my thoughts by the annoying voice of a guard who approached the peasant carts. A lanky guy, he seemed full of himself.
"Newcomer," my consciousness remarked, eyeing the mismatched jacket of the guard.
"If you need to relieve yourself, go do your business over there by the toilets," the mercenary pointed vaguely towards the distant wooden structures that I had taken for barns. "If I notice a pile of shit in the center of the camp, I will forcibly feed it to you! And don't you dare piss in the stream! I'll cut your dick off and stuff it up your ass! Got it, damn it?!" Without waiting for any inarticulate assurances from the peasants, he swaggered away.
A real tough guy out of nowhere!
"Well, it's worth watching your step," I thought. I wasn't particularly squeamish, but I believed that stepping into a "smelly mine" would be far more unpleasant than treading on an enemy's guts. "And maybe I should practice, but where and with whom?" Going too far from the camp seemed like too much effort, and displaying my full strength in front of potential witnesses wasn't a great idea. My gaze settled on a steep rocky incline a couple of hundred meters from the camp. It was unlikely that even the most enthusiastic hiker would attempt to climb a ten-meter vertical wall, but any of our group could easily jump up there. "I wonder if there's a suitable training area up there."
Although the C-rank monitor lizard entertained me, but the fight with him tested my fighting skills as "successfully" as some earthly MMA fighter would be able to assess the strength in a fight against an elementary school student However, I needed to test my combat skills. Who knows what influence the new memories had on me.
"Kurome! Come over here!" Akira's cheerful voice interrupted my thoughts. She was waving her hand and stood with Key and Natal's.
"How about we warm up and spar a bit?" I asked as I approached. "Training alone gets boring."
"No, I'm too la-a-azy," Kei Li drawled. "I'm strong enough as it is! Well, maybe not as strong as those little monsters like our new celebrity." There was a hint of jealousy in his voice. Or was he just pretending, as he often did?
"Got it. 'He was lazy and considered himself strong'—not a bad epitaph," I quipped. "What about you two?" I turned my gaze to Akira and Natala. "Do you consider yourselves strong?"
"No joking about that!" the redhead hissed angrily. "You can't joke about things like that!" Akira started scolding me.
Kei Li, to whom words meant little, hid behind the girl's back and stuck out his tongue playfully.
"I don't see evil, I don't hear evil, I don't speak evil," I thought, inwardly wincing at the redhead's righteous indignation. It was easy to understand her outrage over morbid humor. But agreeing with the desire not to notice unpleasant facts was impossible. "It's as if, by forgetting about a problem, it will go away on its own. Well, well... If you do nothing, it will be us who disappear," a tinge of sadness turned into anger.
Unlike Akira, I couldn't delude myself anymore. Even with the brainwashing and the "medicine" that give fake joy, the majority of the Squad was marked by grim fatalism. Even in their training, they lacked enthusiasm, as if they didn't believe it would make a difference.
The new perspective allowed me to notice and comprehend many things that had previously escaped my attention.
No one needs us alive and happy except ourselves. And only we ourselves could write ourselves on the pages of history in a different form than the figures in the statistics of the dead pawns or a bunch of despised executioners of the criminal regime. After all, it wasn't the truth that had the power, but the truth was in the power. Either you had the strength (no matter in what form) to bend the world to your will, or you would serve as a stepping stone for more successful competitors.
I cannot say that I like such a social Darwinian philosophy, especially it was repugnant to the part of me that belonged to an Earthman, but this did not negate its practicality.
***
A cold gaze of dark gray eyes swiftly extinguished Akira's enthusiasm. A shiver ran down her spine. Since Kurome had acquired her gruesome sword, she had become increasingly eerie. It wasn't that Akira was afraid of undead creatures; it was just that, ever since Akame's betrayal, something unhealthy had been flickering in her sister's eyes. Her strange attraction to dead bodies sent shivers down the superstitious girl's spine.
Since joining Elite Group A, the red-haired assassin had become more and more convinced that the current Kurome was significantly different from the cheerful, occasionally adorably serious sweet tooth she used to know. Sometimes, she even scared their own team members.
***
"I-I... please don't look at us like that!" Stepping back half a step, Akira pressed herself against Kei, who had finally stopped squirming.
"Natal?" My questioning gaze settled on the blond.
"I'm not against warming up, but only briefly. The caravan leader invited us to a dinner in your honor. We were looking for you to tell you that. You don't want to miss the festive dinner, do you?" The glaive-wielding individual glanced at me somewhat mockingly.
"Sure," I weakly nodded, but my thoughts were already captured by the magical word "dinner." My stomach, feeling an empty pit, reminded me that lunch had long passed, and the hefty bag of cookies I had brought with me wasn't considered food. "Dang, where does it all go? Do I have a black hole in my stomach? A normal person on this diet would've turned into a dough ball by now!" I pondered, resolutely striding forward and dragging Natala along with me.
Although it was hard to call a person normal when they could briefly accelerate to supersonic speeds and fight at that pace, disregarding inertia, air resistance, and other trifles like explosive waves that should have appeared as they moved. Even the fact that I, having accelerated my perception, processed these thoughts in a fraction of a second exceeded the bounds of normalcy.
***
"A warm-up and duels to ten victories?" I stopped in front of the sulking Rutger, asking my friend with a questioning look.
"Sure, but don't think you can win easily," the blond smiled.
"We'll see," I grinned, anticipation in my eyes.
The sullen head of security, begrudgingly distracted from his duties, reluctantly provided us with training weapons. The sword was essentially a thick, heavy wooden stick, while the spear was a slightly longer stick.
"Not ideal," I waved the provided piece of wood and unsuccessfully tried to channel a drop of my spiritual power into it. "Not ideal at all," I had my doubts that the training equipment would survive even five duels. But judging by the belligerently bristling moustache, the commander of the guard who disliked us would rather die than give out another set. And this is despite the fact that I saved at least two of his people. Stubborn fellow. The retrieved wooden sticks were already the best option available, and the rest was nothing short of kindling. "Well, at least it's better to use this wretchedness than to fight with real weapons while doubting your abilities."
***
Natal was warming up on the platform they had found. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the miniature brunette perform her stretching exercises.
"I'm a lousy commander, and I'm the same friend," the boy sighed sadly.
Long ago, before their first mission, he had promised his group that they would all survive. Now, out of the five of them, only Kurome remained. And even she owed her survival not to Natala and his foolish promises but to her own strength and luck.
Kurome had always been the strongest in the Squad. She could even control that eerie teigu that commanded the dead.
But all of Kurome's strength proved useless when her own sister decided to betray the Empire and run away. Natal could see how deeply this betrayal of a beloved relative affected his comrade. He remembered how little Kurome used to smile as she talked to anyone willing to listen about her older sister Akame, who had joined the Elite Seven. About how they would become the strongest together, work as a team, and never, ever be apart.
"How cruel the gods can be," Natal bitterly thought, recalling a not-so-distant past.
After the massacre at the Putra Temple, when their trio was accepted into the Elite Group, Natal grieved for the fallen, but at the same time rejoiced not much less than Kurome, who was reunited with her beloved older sister. No wonder! Now they were under the care of an experienced and powerful individual. One of the infamous Rakshasa Demons, the owner of the Murasame teigu, the person who personally trained the Elite Seven. The one who wouldn't allow them to die foolishly.
And once again, as on their very first mission, the gods laughed at the foolish mortal's hopes.
First, Gin, the girl who could have been his girlfriend. But she didn't, met a gruesome death. At that time, he was held captive by the assassins of the Oarburgh Clan, unable to put up a fight, entertaining these bitches with his screams during their tortures. Perhaps that's when something inside him broke, and he stopped believing that anything good could ever happen to him, or to the Squad for that matter. He even stopped trusting the words of the higher-ups.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Then they saved them. Again. And again, nothing depended on him. And then... It was as if Fate itself had turned against their group, sending failure after failure and taking lives one after another.
Now the Seven were gone, almost all of its members were dead or had fled across the border. Akame, who had killed her teacher and adoptive father Gozuki, took his teigu and joined the rebels. Only Kurome remained, shattered by the betrayal of the person closest to her. And he.
Unable to help. Again.
After Akame's escape, Natal had tried to console his only surviving comrade. But he failed even in that. Kurome tried to act as if everything was normal, but Natal knew her too well not to see the lingering pain, confusion, and emptiness in her gray eyes.
Sometimes, he regretted that his friend hadn't followed Akame.
Natal genuinely despised the rebels, who had spilled so much of his friends' blood. But with each passing day, a louder question echoed in his mind: who was worse? The enemies who killed in the name of their own interests and survival, or the Squad's officers who were ready to dispose of a soldier deemed unnecessary? Even the special procedures that all the assassins of the Underground Base underwent couldn't change that. They no longer stirred up patriotism and a desire to serve the Empire like before.
More and more seditious thoughts crept into his mind: was what they were doing in service to the Motherland and the Emperor? Who benefited from their sacrifices, their blood, their lost lives?
He knew the answer but hesitated to voice it even in his thoughts. Something inside him rebelled against it. Perhaps remnants of faith in the Empire, maybe reluctance to be seen as a traitor in the eyes of Kurome and the others, or perhaps just the fear of being alone. Natal didn't know. What he did know, however, was that if Kurome decided to follow her sister, he wouldn't stand in her way. No, he would try to support her. He would keep his promise and help Kurome survive.
At least to her.
That's what he had decided today when the look in his almost-sister's eyes changed. When the confusion and emptiness inside him gave way to anger and determination.
The same fire he had seen in Akame's eyes before her escape.
***
"Well, ready for the fight?" I asked, finishing my warm-up.
"Ready," my friend nodded with a serious expression. "But I need to talk to you about something."
"Sure," I replied, not particularly thrilled about the prospect of explaining the changes that had occurred within me. It was unlikely the topic of conversation would be different; it would be strange not to notice the changes. "Let's do it after the fight? I need to take out my nerves on someone," I added, tugging at the corner of my lips.
"So that's why you tried to get Kei Lee and Akiru to train with us?" He smiled, twirling his training spear.
"Not just that. Although Kay has been asking for therapy with beatings for some time. But mostly, I wanted them to take their development more seriously. The more strength you have, the better your chances of survival. You know what kind of monsters we might run into. And as the new Elite Group, the command will send us straight to hell. I don't want them to die."
"You're right," he nodded. "Extra training is necessary, and we need to get better accustomed to each other. I'll talk to the others."
"But first, let's fight," I saluted him with my sword.
***
The training spear in the hands of the tall guy pierced the air with a machine-gun-like speed. The ironwood strained and trembled under the incredible stress, and if such a thrust hit the target, its destructive power would rival that of a large-caliber bullet. The guy himself wasn't standing still, practically dissolving into a shadow in an attempt to reach his miniature opponent armed with a sword.
But neither the monstrous speed nor the advantage in arm length and weaponry helped the blonde win. Moreover, if there had been a third party present capable of discerning more than a blur in the twilight, they would have seen that it was the guy who was playing defensively, trying to keep the girl out of striking range.
In vain. As the tip of the spear deviated slightly from its optimal trajectory, creating an opening in the defense, the girl seized the opportunity. Shifting the spear's point further away with a strike of her sword and agilely dodging a kick, she delivered her own blow.
Crack-Bam! The sound of the broken spear and a strike against the fortified flesh reinforced by spiritual power merged into one sound. Less than a second of real time had passed since the beginning, and the duel was over. Unlike staged battles, real fights were far less spectacular and rarely dragged on.
"You've become even stronger, Kurome. I'm no longer a match for you," sighed my friend, sitting on a large boulder and tossing the broken spear fragment at his feet.
"Don't say that," I replied, settling beside him. My own sword hadn't emerged from the battle unscathed. The wooden blade had cracked, and if my friend's weapon hadn't broken earlier, it wouldn't have survived another parry or strike. "You almost caught me the second time."
"Your mistake," Natal pointed out. "If you were more careful and didn't try to show off, I wouldn't have had a chance to get close to you."
"Maybe. But you'll have a chance for a rematch when we get proper gear. For now, it's five-zero," a satisfied smile flickered on my lips .
In principle, Natal was right. To my joy and contrary to my fears, not only have I not lost my combat abilities, but I have also made some progress.
The first fight made it clear that the speed of my thinking and perception now exceed the maximum speed of movements, and do not lag behind it, as before. It was fantastic news. Even without any discounts, my natural speed was already higher than that of my sparring partner, and my ability to track the movements of others, as if in slow motion, further increased the gap. Even his long weapon and tall stature did not help Natal to keep her at a distance.
Emboldened, I decided to win the second match "gracefully", which almost cost me my life. In the end, Natal was not such a simpleton as yesterday's monitor lizard, with whom i could afford to relax. But, ultimately, my friend was right: after I took the battle more seriously, my superiority became difficult to challenge. Probably now I had a good chance in a training match against the whole team. It's a pity that it wasn't enough to get close to Akame's current strength.
On the other hand, the strength of followers is the strength of a leader, isn't it?
"I think you should try to enhance your affinity with your Teigu," I scratched my cheek thoughtfully. "It should boost your development."
"Affinity with my Teigu?" my friend asked in surprise. "What do you mean, Kurome?"
"Well," I tried to put my guesses and thoughts into words, drawing on her observations and analysis of information from the anime and manga. "I don't know about other Teigu and Shingu, but my Yatsufusa and your Glaive have their own spiritual energy, which they exchange with us. And since the density of spiritual energy in artifacts is higher, the owner gradually adapts to it and becomes stronger. The higher the affinity, the wider the channel of energy exchange, and the stronger the artifact's influence on the user. Something like that."
Scratching my cheek again, I added: "I haven't fully figured it out yet, but I've given you the gist of the situation. Imperial artifacts, like Shingu, enhance their wielders anyway, but with conscious effort, you can achieve more."
Natal remained silent, deep in thought about something. I didn't interrupt him, gazing at the moon hanging in the dark-gray sky and the emerging stars.
There was something enchanting about the night and evening sky. The view was almost as captivating as my favorite sunsets and sunrises.
Finally, my friend cautiously began to speak, as if carefully weighing each word:
"These changes in your behavior, your altered demeanor, and the moments when you radiated terror...," Natal hesitated. "Is it because of your Teigu? Have you mastered Yatsufusa's trump card? Did your sword grant you new knowledge?"
"In part," came the calm reply. Inside, I rejoiced in having something to attribute my changed character and speech to. Though remembering of the manner of speaking, it was... strange. At times, I caught myself using archaic expressions and a more formal tone that had never been typical for me, especially not for my previous self. "I don't know about the trump card yet; I think I'll discover it later. But yes, I received a new package of information from Yatsufusa. I've gained some new abilities and a few other things. And what kind of horror did you mean? Or are you talking about that joke in the restaurant when I let out a little "bloodlust" while I was singing?
"No, not just that," Natal shook his head. "Your 'killing intent' has changed too; it's become darker and more frightening. But even without that, there were times when something...," Natal paused, as if searching for the right word. "Cold and malevolent emanated from you."
"When did that happen?" I asked, taken aback.
"Don't frown. Maybe I didn't express it right," Natal corrected himself, seeing my sour expression. "It's just that sometimes, when you were lost in thought, or when Akira and Kay declined training, there was this strange chill about you. The guys and I didn't know the reasons, so we got worried," he reassured with a smile.
"Ah, that's why the redhead reacted so strangely to my gaze. Alright, we'll look into it," I nodded, pushing aside the alarm for now. Maybe it was indeed Yatsufusa's doing rather than a psychological issue or a memory of the afterlife?
After all, my katana wasn't the brightest artifact. Yatsufusa had its own aura, exuding a grave coldness and a thirst for destruction. So, it was quite possible that the "terror" emanating from me was due to an increased synchronization with the Teigu. On the other hand, regardless of the cause, such matters shouldn't be taken lightly. The question needed to be studied, and "volunteers" on whom I could test the intensified Killing Intent were in order.
The prospect of incapacitating and driving weak opponents insane with just my embodied Killing Intent was enticing. With this skill, there would be no fear of ending up as a pile of meat when facing formidable enemy forces.
"Alright, understood. So, did you want to talk to me about this?" I inquired.
"No, not just this," Natal sighed. "The others haven't noticed it, but I see how your perspective has changed," Natal looked attentively at me. "You've made some important decisions, haven't you?"
"And what should I say? Both parts of me were never masters of weaving verbal lace. At the Base, they trained us to be assassins, not spies. 'To the Abyss! I'll say it as it is... almost,'" I was sure my words wouldn't go further than Natal. He hadn't even betrayed Akame, even when she approached him before the escape. What was the point of being coy when I intended to try and win my friend over to my side anyway? Though I didn't expect this moment to come so soon.
"If you're wondering whether I'm planning to run after Akame, then no, I'm not," I said with a sly smile, watching Natal's reaction. "I have other plans."
"But why?" Natal's light eyebrows raised. "I mean, I just wanted to know what you've decided," he quickly corrected himself.
"An interesting clarification," I noted.
"Heh-heh. You weren't going to suggest, my friend, that I desert from the Squad, betraying our wonderful command and the government with its fine Prime Minister?" I playfully inquired.
"You've changed, Kurome. You wouldn't have said something like that before."
"I would never betray the Empire! How could you even think that?" I dramatically exclaimed. "Did you expect such a reaction?" I added, curling my lips into a crooked smile. "Or should I have quoted the nonsense that revolutionary agitators feed naive fools? About the necessity to burn the 'rotten Empire' in the flames of revolution, then drown the remnants in the blood of a new Civil War to free the high seats from one set of bastards for another?" My smile turned into a snarl when I mentioned the rebels who lured Akame into the web of their lies.
"But you know what?" I continued, pacing back and forth. "I really won't betray the Empire! Because the Empire isn't the bloated city aristocrats, it isn't the Prime Minister with his cronies who are ruining the country, and it isn't even the poor boy turned Emperor, manipulated like a puppet. The Empire is our land and its people! Those we swore to protect from both external and internal enemies!" I paused, catching my breath, and continued in a slightly hoarse voice, "And it doesn't matter in what guise the enemy appears. Whether it's the rebels, their separatist supporters, foreign nations, or parasites eating away at our country from within. I'll destroy them all, give each what they deserve! Or die trying," I grinned, beginning to calm down. "Are you with me, Natal?" I asked cheerfully, looking at my friend who seemed utterly astonished.
"I shouldn't have assumed that you, my friend, were going to offer to desert from the Squad and betray our wonderful command and the government led by its outstanding Prime Minister," I said, winking.
"You've changed, Kurome. You wouldn't have said something like that before," Natal remarked with surprise.
"I would never betray the Empire! How could you even think that?" I exclaimed dramatically. "Did you expect a different reaction?" I added, curling my lips into a crooked smile. "Or should I have quoted that nonsense they feed to naive fools and idiots—revolutionary agitators, about the necessity to burn the 'rotten Empire' in the flames of revolution, then drown the remnants in the blood of a new Civil War to free the high seats from one set of bastards for another?" My smile turned into a snarl when I mentioned the rebels who had ensnared Akame.
"But you know what?" I continued, pacing back and forth. "I really won't betray the Empire! Because the Empire is not overindulged urban aristocrats, not the prime minister, who is destroying the country with his cronies, and not even a poor boy who has become an emperor, who is manipulated like a puppet. The Empire is our land and its people! Those we swore to protect from both external and internal enemies!" I paused, catching my breath, and continued in a slightly hoarse voice, "And it doesn't matter in what guise the enemy appears. Whether it's the rebels, their separatist supporters, foreign nations, or parasites eating away at our country from within. I'll destroy them all, give each what they deserve! Or die trying," I grinned, beginning to calm down. "Are you with me, Natal?" I asked cheerfully, looking at my friend who seemed utterly astonished.
"In vain I thought that the hypnotic attitudes of loyalty to the Empire had disappeared in me," a detached thought flashed. "It seems that they have only weakened and changed."
I felt like a reveller starting to sober up. It cannot be said that the speech that escaped now seemed stupid or erroneous. Too pretentious and categorical — yes. But in general, I really expressed what I believed in. However, I still wasn't going to lay my life on the altar of the well-being of abstract citizens of the Empire.
Here are the lives of the enemies — please! This is us with pleasure and a joyful smile!
"That's... an unexpected proposal, Kurome," Natal said, running his hand through his hair. "I believe you, and I'm always ready to support you, but... what can we do? Kill the Prime Minister? It's unlikely we can defeat the Palace Guard and Generalissimo Budo," he laughed nervously. "And as you said, someone just as bad would take their place. We'd only die senselessly."
I wasn't rejected outright, which was a good start. It wasn't surprising that Natal didn't believe there was much of a chance. After all, our powers and the System's capabilities were incomparable. To be honest, I didn't have even half the confidence that was in my words. But I believed we had a chance. After all, even a massive avalanche starts with a single stone. Now, I just needed to convince my friend.
"I'm not planning to die alone, or worse, send you to a stupid and inglorious death. You know: if you can't eliminate the target head-on, you have to prepare and strike at vulnerable points. For now," I emphasized these words, "we may not be able to do much.But to do a little does not mean to do nothing," I paused and pulled a water flask from my belt, taking a couple of sips. "At the very least, we can get rid of our 'beloved' new commander and his idiot deputy, pin their deaths on the revolutionaries or someone else. Although we'd need to make sure they won't replace them with someone even worse," I mused. "Though I doubt even a couple of southern monkeys could have done anything worse."
A bitter chuckle followed, and Natal even smirked, his lips twisting wryly.
"Even the biggest beast can be eaten, taking small bites, the key is to act cautiously and not choke," I continued, catching my breath. "Let the foolhardy idiots tear each other apart in direct confrontations. We, on the other hand, will hide in the shadows for now. First, we'll gather strength, resources, and information, and then we'll start acting. If neither the Revolutionary Army nor Onest can offer anything good, what's stopping us from finding and supporting someone more reasonable? Like a friend of Budo's—the former Prime Minister, Chouri?"
Natal blinked and fell into thought. His reaction encouraged me.
"Choices is small. We could have died on one of the missions, we could have withered from the "medicine" or been thrown out after a serious injury," I grinned, bending my left arm at the elbow and turning my palm, imitating scales for balance. "Or we can play by our own rules, with a chance to win and survive," I continued, raising my right hand. "What do you think of these options?" I moved my hands as if tipping the scales. "I've made my choice. Even if I lose, at least I'll know what I fought for and what I was fighting against," I clenched my right fist. "I'm not going to die like a fighting beast that awaits death either from the fangs of another like it or from the hands of its owner when it becomes weak and useless from wounds and age," I shook my left hand in disgust.
"Are you with me, Natal?" I asked, extending my hand toward my friend.
Natal looked at my outstretched hand for a moment and then, rising abruptly, grabbed it with both of his hands.
"Of course, I'm with you, Kurome! How could I ever abandon you? You're like a sister to me," Natal released my hand and took a step forward, hugging me tightly.
"You mean a lot to me too, Natal," I awkwardly managed to squeeze out. I had never been particularly good at expressing my own feelings, whether in my previous life or now. When it came to love and trust, both versions of me struggled to put words to the emotions. Victor didn't like getting sentimental, and Kurome preferred to hide her true feelings, considering their expression a weakness. The only exception was her sister, and partially, the original Team A, of which only Natal remained. "Just be on my side, and we'll see a happy future, I promise," I spat out to ease the awkwardness, putting my arm around my friend's shoulder. "Just be on my side."
After a while, we shifted to a more constructive dialogue, and Natal began asking questions. I breathed a sigh of relief at the end of the awkward moment and briefly explained my new abilities, both mine and from the Teigu. I described how I had relived my entire life anew that morning and how it had caused me to reconsider my views. I also talked about my plans and the paths to achieving them. Without delving into unnecessary details, like memories from my past life and knowledge of the future, I explained how I had ended up in my current situation.
"So you're saying that this crazy insect lord claimed that the 'cure' would kill you in a few years," Natal said, tapping his fingers on the rock we were both sitting on. "And that's why you're offering to get rid of him?"
I nodded. "First me, and then you."
"She could have been lying," Natal remarked, furrowing his brow for some reason.
"What's the point?" I shook my head. "She wanted to recruit Akame to her side. If my sister had agreed and later found out she had been deceived, it would have caused more problems for Oarburgh. Why would she take such a risk? If the stimulants weren't dangerous, everyone would use them," I threw a sarcastic glance at my friend. "Have you ever seen a self-respecting spirit warrior who constantly uses stimulants? I doubt it," I answered my own question. "Even those half-animals from the Putra Temple looked down on us when they found out that we were taking a strengthening "medicine". Also, Akame interrogated General Bill before killing him, and he said the same thing."
"Maybe you're right," Natal frowned. "But if we manage to get rid of the 'medicine,' won't we become weaker?"
"I hope to recover when we return to the Capital," I replied. "The mission will take a long time, and we'll have enough time for that. Better answer: will you cover for me?"
"Yes. When we get to the port of Singstream, I will suggest that we sail in different cabins and ask the others not to bother you. I'll say you're trying to get in tune with your teigu," Natal sighed. "But do you understand that this is dangerous, and you could die, Kurome? Let's find a good doctor instead."
"I was planning to look for shadow doctors or alchemists in Singstream. After all, it's one of the largest cities beyond the Wall. Besides," I assumed an arrogant expression, "do you really think that some pathetic drugs can harm the great and terrible ruler of the undead and nightmares? Even the Underworld would choke on me, mwahahaha," I tried to portray a villainous laugh.
"Kei Lee isn't a good influence on you," Natal said with a skeptical expression on his face. Apparently, I needed more practice.
"And seriously, I've already bought medications to ease the symptoms and speed up the detoxification of my body. In principle, I doubt that the withdrawal syndrome will be able to kill me even without seeing a doctor," I said, touching my chin thoughtfully. "Even a weak warrior of spirit can survive what would kill a peasant on the spot. And I dare hope I'm not one of the weaklings."
"True, I'm far from truly powerful beings," I admitted to myself. "Someone like Esdes, old Budo, or that parody of a Warhammer Titan, aka the Forty-Ninth Teigu Shikoutaizer, would crush me and not even notice. But this is now. I'm still very young by the standards of strong warriors."
- Alright, I understand you, Kurome. But promise to be careful," my friend's eyes looked serious, with a hint of concern. "If you feel like it's getting too bad, stop. Sooner or later, we'll find a reliable and skilled doctor. I heard that after the recent witch hunt in the Western State, many alchemists fled, and some went into hiding in the Empire."
- Don't worry, death is not in my immediate plans. By the way, are you getting too quickly into the role of a caring older brother?" I teased my friend.
- As a commander, I must take care of the members of my group," he averted his gaze. "And you really mean a lot to me, Kurome."
- Um... Thank you, I guess," I nervously scratched my cheek. "But just in case, I should warn you: I prefer girls!"
- What?" Natal didn't understand at first. But when the meaning of my words dawned on him, he blushed abruptly and turned away. "...Akame... Oarburg perverts... It can't be... Slept together... Bathed together..." Fragments of almost inaudible whispers reached me.
"What is he thinking right now? You, sir, are quite the pervert!" I thought with a chuckle. Although I liked the direction of his thoughts. Moreover, Akame's behavior indicated that she loved me not only as a relative. "Heh, when we meet, I should seriously punish my disobedient older sister," various scenarios began to spin before my mind's eye.
- Stop imagining all sorts of indecencies with my sister!" I jabbed Natal with my fist in the side. "Akame is mine."
- Are you... Well... Really?" The guy hesitated, meeting my narrowed gaze.
- Really what?
- N-nothing," he shook his head. "I meant we should hurry if we don't want to be late for dinner." Natal pulled out his recently acquired (taken from the corpse of another target) pocket watch from his belt pouch, adorned with gems and intricate plant engravings on its silvery case. Clicking the lid open, he glanced at the time. "Yes, we need to hurry!" He abruptly stood up, grabbed his glaive along with his broken training staff, and quickly strode away.
"What an adult, yet he gets flustered over some dirty jokes. Should I suggest to Kei Lee to take him to a nice brothel? Nah, Akira would kill me along with Kei," I chuckled quietly, imagining the red-haired girl's reaction.
- Grrr-ur-ur," a malicious growl emanated from the ravenous monster. It was my stomach that politely reminded me of its existence, threatening to devour its wayward owner if it was not immediately filled with something tasty or at least edible. So, without lingering, I gathered my belongings and followed my friend.