章 33: Chapter 31 - Into the Eye of the Strom
I tried using the POV of other characters. And also used AI to modify the chap a bit. Lemme know if you liked it or not.
Don't forget to give me a comment, reply, or power stone! They give me motivation!
Thank you!
-SR_2027.
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-- [Night Raid Headquarters] --
It was late at night, but Najenda sat behind her desk in the Night Raid headquarters, carefully reading the letter that had been delivered by Leone in the light of the candles. Her expression remained impassive, giving away no hint of her thoughts, but there was a frown covering her head.
Najenda had short silver hair and purple eyes. She was wearing an eyepatch where her right eye used to be. Sitting on the table, she adored her usual black suit and had a green and black mechanical right arm.
Her stoic face, along with her 'aura', if one says, screamed of her being a capable and intelligent woman. This was because of all the experience she had gained after joining the Imperial Army, and then defecting to the Revolutionary Army, and finally getting the role of managing the 'Night Raid'.
Leone leaned against the wall, but her usual playful aura was nowhere to be seen. Her usual smirky face was replaced by a serious face. Her face revealed a new fashion of seriousness that she rarely showed to others.
Leone had short blonde hair with two long tufts that framed the sides of her head and golden eyes. She wore a revealing outfit with a black tube top, detachable sleeves with what looked like gold bands, pants, boots, and a scarf around her neck.
Her aura seemed like that of a 'Onee-san' if one can say.
Usually, she had a very relaxed, upbeat, and cheerful personality, and tended to display a lack of lady-like manners, but with the recent situation, she was in a serious mood.
Looking at her boss, she asked, "Boss, is there anything important in that letter that is making you frown this much? Why did we have to change our base of operation? Isn't the people at headquarters impassive in our management as long there are no serious issues?"
Putting away the letter on her desk, Najenda sighed and replied, "It seems some of our informants were able to get their hands on some really... important news... They are saying that the Imperial Intelligence Agency was able to trach our previous base."
With a grim face, she continued, "That is also why we are here.", pointing at the room they were in with her chin, Najenda replied. "And it was confirmed as, as soon as we moved our base, it was raided by the Imperial Army."
Ruffing her hair, Leone asked seriously, "So that means... There is an insider... Huh.", The chance of the information being leaked was next to none, but it was leaked, and this all pointed to someone in their organization being a spy.
Nodding her head, Najenda continued, "That is a speculation, with a very high chance of being true. But there is another important thing that has arisen."
"Leone. Please gather everyone. There is an important news.", Najenda rubbed her chin with her mechanical arm and sighed.
"Yeah. We can become allies but the information that he provided us with is very... controversial..."
"Oh? Boss, what's in that letter that made you so stressed? It's not every day when I see you sigh.", Leone joked at her, only to receive a side glare, making her raise her hand in surrender, as she walked out to gather everyone in their new 'hall'.
Looking at the empty room, Najenda finally relaxed herself, and bought out a cigarette and lit it up. "Shadow Garden... What's their main goal? And why is the Revolutionary Army supporting it? Those bastards are saying that they have the child of the previous emperor on their side, but we don't know if the information is true or not."
"And they are supporting this so-called 'Prince'... Is the Revolutionary Army corrupted from within from some outside force.", With narrowed eyes, Najenda speculated. Her thinking pointed at the higher-ups of the Revolutionary Army being under some sort of hidden control."
"Such big news would generally be delivered to me physically and given evidence for why they are doing that. But they have only sent this letter to me, but have made no appointment with me? This is suspicious."
This was a very bad news. Without the Revolutionary Army, they will be at the lowest point. The Army is the one providing them with information and supplies. 'The only thing that we can do is wait... Wait for an appointment or go into hiding.'
Yes, they also had their own sources, but Night Raid, as a singular independent organization had almost next to no chances of winning and freeing the Empire from the clutches of corrupted officials and the 'Imperial Family', which was being controlled by Honest, the prime minister.
Taking a deep breath from the cigarette, she puffed out the smoke from her lungs, as her nerves began to calm down and her mind began to clear out. Her thoughts started to formulate what they could do to prove that the Revolutionary Army was not under someone's control now.
*Phew*
Taking another puff of the cigarette, she felt the tremor in the floor and understood that all the Night Raid members were near the hall, making her straighten her posture and return to her serious phase.
Najenda had this feeling of crisis rising in her heart. This feeling kept screaming at her that there was something wrong with the letter and the Revolutionary Army.
What Najenda didn't know was that Ryo was already in control of the Revolutionary Army and almost more than half of the Imperial Army which was stationed, within the Empire, using his 'Blue Pills', so he already knew what was going on. Her speculation was almost at the point.
He was the one who slowed down the Imperial Army, enough for Night Raid to escape, and also used 'Danger Beasts', to stop the Army in their tracks, giving Night Raid enough time to even process that the information was true.
Them dying at the start of the 'plot' would indeed give him a ton of UPs, but it won't give him that many Paradox Points, or UPs, as there were many 'main characters' who died in the original plot. Them dying now, would only reduce the UPs that he would obtain.
Furthermore, he had more plans for them.
-
On the round table, all the members of Night Raid were sitting in their respective places, except for Najenda, who sat there, alone, facing the other members.
In front of Najenda were Bulat, Leone, Lubbock, Mine, Sheele, and finally Akame.
Bulat was a tall, muscular young man with blue eyes and black hair that he usually wore in a combed-up, heart-shaped pompadour. He was donning his usual clothes; a black shirt with green shoulders, chest armor, and white pants with black boots.
He was also known as 100 Man-Slayer Bulat, and was one of the greatest fighters within the Night Raid, especially because of the type of Teigu he had in his possession.
On his side was Lubbock. Lubbock was a young man with shoulder-length green hair that covered his left eye, green eyes, and red goggles on top of his head. He adored a long, green jacket with a fur-trimmed hood over a white and red ringer shirt and blue jeans with brown shoes.
Lubbock was also one of the main information gatherers of the Night Raid at that point in time.
By his side was Mine, a self-proclaimed "Genius Sniper", as well as a sharp-tongued and quick-witted member of the team. She has big, pink eyes and pink hair. She wears a pink outfit, consisting of a tied shawl with a high collar, a pink, long-sleeved shirt, a gown, and black stockings with pink shoes.
Alongside her, was Sheele. Sheele was a young woman with long, purple hair and eyes. She was wearing her usually adorned revealing, sleeveless lilac cheongsam with detached lilac arm sleeves and white boots.
"So does that mean that we won't be participating in the war!?", With a frown on her face, Mine asked back to Najenda, who revealed her thoughts on the situation. With disbelief in her eyes, she banged her hands on the round table.
"How can we hide and leave the innocents in danger!? What about our people, who are working in the Empire!? And let's say if we 'Disappear' in thin air, won't we also be wanted by 'Revolutionary Army'? This is just madness."
*Sigh*
Sighing in defeat, Najenda exhaled a long puff of smoke as she resorted back, "Oh, you have a problem? Then tell me what do you want us to do? Fight against the newly formed 'Jeagers', who is being led by Esdeath? And then get betrayed by the 'Revolutionary Army'?"
"That-...", With a twisted frowning state, Mine's body trembled as she failed to resort to this question. The room went silent for a few seconds, as everyone digested the news.
Bulat, finally not able to stop himself responded, "I know that this can be very well true, but we cannot just think about the worst situation from the very start. This might only be a speculation and can be false. We cannot just stop. The Empire needs us!"
When Bulat replied back at Najenda's speculations and pointed out the missing key point, he earned nods from the rest of the members.
Finally, Akame looked down as she replied her thoughts, "...But if they really have the child of the previous emperor? It could change everything. We do not know how strong is Shadow Garden, but their actions aligned with ours. This will change everything. The plans. The actions of the Revolutionary army."
Akame was a 'pretty young girl' if one can say. She had long black hair that reached down to her knees and red eyes. She was wearing her usual dark sleeveless top with a white collar and a red tie; with a red belt that had a red side skirt cover over a black, pleated skirt.
Her thoughts instantly gained everyone's attention.
Najenda's gaze sharpened as she said, "Yes. The thing is that because of how the current child Emperor is ruling the Empire, the people will still be dissatisfied with the new ruler if the new Prince takes up the mantle"
"There will be many internal wars... But the thing is that they know a lot about us and the Empire... They even got in contact with the Revolutionary Army and made friendly relationships. While we know almost nothing about them... Even the Empire might know more about them than us."
The implications of such a revelation were immense.
If the child of the previous emperor truly existed and was aligned with the Shadow organization, it could tip the scales in the Shadow Garder's favor. They have a huge advantage as they are more secretive and probably more powerful with how strong the 'Shadow' was hailed as.
Furthermore, anyone with the blood of the Imperial Family was able to use the 'Shikoutazer', the National Defense Machine God: Shikoutazer, which was said to be the strongest Teigu every made by the First Emperor.
Once used, it would destroy almost all the opponents.
That was how it was described within the data book, which was written at the time when the Empire was at its peak. Through it being real was in question, as it was never seen for the last hundreds of years.
Though it was only speculation, the thought of Shadow Garden being able to access the 'First Teigu' ever made, was just scary in itself.
Najenda looked over toward the top of the hall, as she continued, "The thing is... This is not the end of the letter. The Revolutionary Army is requesting help us to help Shadow Garden"
"They claim that the Empire has obtained the location of their base and that Esdeath and the newly formed Imperial group, 'Jaegers' will be launching an attack on them in a day or two."
Everyone's eyes widened in alarm, realizing the gravity of the situation.
It was one thing getting in contact with the Army, but to request and even get approval of the request? A thought crossed in everyone's mind: could this be a trap set by the Empire, or Shadow Garden themselves or is there something more to it?
Leone, who was sitting silently looked at Najenda, "Boss, there's a high possibility that this could be a trap. The Shadow Garden might be trying to lure us into a trap to kill all of us. And you might be right..."
"Yes, I know, but I have a small plan in mind.", Najenda interrupted, her voice steady and resolute. "As long as we're not caught or involved in the incident, we can at least ascertain if the information in the letter is true or not."
"If Empire is actually raiding the Shadow Garden, then we aren't required to help them, but we can observe and assess the situation from far away."
"But... If they have the child of the previous emperor and are truly our potential allies, we can't ignore this. The child of the previous Emperor will also greatly benefit the Revolutionary Army. There is also a chance of the theory which I also had in mind."
"Revolutionary Army can propagate him being the real child while the current Emperor is being controlled to be a fraud. And use the Prince to steal the Strongest Teigu ever made. This will definitely capture our victory. But we can't be sure with everything."
"There is only around 10% chance of this to be true, but what if it really was true? And what if they are in some situation where they can't evaluate anytime quickly? This may sound too good to be true but my intuition is saying that we should at least confirm the truth... "
Everyone nodded in agreement. It was a risky move, but if they managed to escape the trap, they could gain valuable information and possibly forge an alliance that could change the course of their fight against the Empire.
Lubbock sighed in frustration, "Boss, I trust your judgment. Although we can't let this opportunity slip away, we'll need to be cautious and prepared for any scenario."
Smiling a bit on getting the support of her most trusted partner, Najenda replied, "Agreed, Leone. Now, it's time to gather the rest of the members of Night Raid. We need everyone's input and support in making this decision. This is a crucial moment for us, and we must face it together."
Taking a deep pudd, she then continued, "*Sigh* We need to take measures against Esdeath's abilities as well. I have the basic idea of all her skill sets, but I do not know anything about her trump cards. Lubbock..."
Noticing Najenda staring at her, Lubbock rubbed the back of his head as a silly smile crossed his face, "Right away, Boss! Hehe. Don't worry, I will gather all the information available and prepare a great spot for the plan."
-==-
--[Next Day]--
"Hmm~ Hmm~"
Ryo hummed a song in the back of his mind as he sat at his desk and read the book in his hand, while his head was being supported by his hand-first. All the while, he processed the hundreds of pieces of information that were sent to his mind from all the Klaxosaurs out there in the world.
'Today is the day, huh?', Feeling the information filling his head from all the 'Klaxosaur Hybrids' formed by his 'Blue Pill', he Ryo continued to read the book in his hand.
Just one single more day...
Every piece is in its place...
It was only a matter of time...
'The only hope left now is that everything goes according to plan. I have several contingencies planned in case it fails, but I don't want to rely on extra plans.'
'Hmm... I can feel a person in a small cave-like area just across the hideout. Night Raid is already here... Looks like Esdeath will be making a move now and will be here in a few hours... You did a great job, Rurik... I might keep you as a new piece for the future...'
"Humm~ Hmm~ Hmmm-?"
*BOOM!*
As Ryo concentrated on reading the book, the sound of an explosion echoed through the underground base, causing the entire structure to shake, and making him look up to the ceiling.
His expressionless face was covered with a smile. 'Showtime~', Placing the book back on the table, he patted it for the final time, as he rose from the chair, a calm expression on his face.
With that, he looked back at the ceiling of the room, his gaze fixated on a particular spot as suddenly a hole opened up in the ceiling, revealing the outside surface, while the ground started to transform into an elevator-ing structure.
Stepping onto the platform that had emerged from the ground, he swiftly ascended the platform, carrying the sunlight to fall on his body. The cool breeze brushed against his face as he surveyed the surroundings until their eyes met.
The world went silent as they looked at each other. One looked at the other coldly, without any emotion, ready to cut the other that very moment; while the second one had a smile on his face which was stretched wide.
---
~~[???'s POV]~~
"Looks like it's my time to intervene. I can feel the world react to 'Ryo'...", I looked at the small bubble-like world where the 'Main Character', was working out in. This was the time which will make all the difference.
'I cannot miss this opportunity.'
Honesty Omega... Or should I call him 'Otsuki Ryo' was quite smart. No matter what happened, even without me, Chaos would have interfered with the situation. 'No, he would have to, or else, he will become the next target, if I know 'Ryo' well.'
He has plot armor while not at the same time...
'I can only hope that Baal doesn't interfere. I have already made a deal with him. If he does, I will have to kill him, and my whole plan will go into shambles, not really, but it will make 'Ryo' aware of my plan...'
'He's just like a Main Character...'
Remembering my situation, my eyes narrowed down as I scanned the True Void. 'Chaos' and those old bastards are running away, into the 'it', just like the coward they are. But that was also a part of the plan.
That bastard Chaos and some of his old bastard-like subordinates had captured me, thankfully, I knew what they needed me for, what the 'Main Character' needed, and what I was capable of.
'They can hold me and think of me while underestimating me, but in the end, they cannot imagine the extent of my planning... And I can finally form it...'
How long has been? Millions of years? I don't remember but I had a single wish... And it is finally being granted to me...
Now I just have to take the side of the 'Main Character' and become part of the story! I will free myself from this shackles of being connected to the destiny thingy~
"Ryo! Ryo! Ryo! Ryo! Finally, you are working according to my plans! Just wait for me. I will be there for you and help you, who are the 'Main Character' to achieve your goal! We will fulfill each other's goals~"
I don't know if it was my imagination or not, but I could feel it, me slowly breaking out of my destiny.
Becoming a part of the story, which was written by an 'Author' if I can say~
I continued to look at the scene in excitement. 'Do it fast! Achieve what I expect you to achieve! I had to use so much of my ability and Paradox Energy to keep many out of the bay! I can't just wait and let the other character take my place!'
I looked at the scene as probably a smile covered my face.
I was sitting on the same throne, I was tied to, sealed, until I used a lot of my energy, and even falling from my grace as one of the most important concepts...
I thought so as I continued sitting on my throne as chains were floating around my world, which I had destroyed previously, as I picked up the white king piece and examined it... It was thrilling...
Everything to this point has gone all according to my plan he has reacted how a Main Character would react and act. Now, I just have to wait for the battle to end.
'Psychopathic Main Character? Cliche~ The only goals they have is to be the strongest and thing~'
What I didn't know at that point was that my involvement would shatter the plan I had in mind, destroy the limits given to the 'Main Character' himself, and even escalate things by a huge portion...
After all his goal was never to become the strongest at the end of the story.
-
.
-
--[Akame Ga Kill! World]--
"Oh my~ What brings such a guest to my humble adobe? The Jaegers? Well, I can't just make you leave now, do I? General Esdeath, Dr. Stylish, Bols, Run, and our special guest Kurome. And I do have to say that I was not expecting the three beasts, Daidara, General Liver, and Nyau to be here, along with hundreds of thousands of soldiers! Haha."
Looking at the sight in front of him, Ryo saw a huge ice block, tens of meters big clogged into the ground, just at the place where his hideout's located. Looking around, he saw that the whole place was surrounded by thousands upon thousands of soldiers.
Spreading his hands, Ryo welcomed them, his tone devoid of any hint of fear or even a slight bit of emotion.
*Swish*
Instantly, he was surrounded by tens of hundreds of Ice spikes, surrounding him from all sides.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Ryo swiftly sidestepped all the incoming ice spikes, his movement fluid and precise. His eyes remained focused, on the Jaegers in front of him as he maintained his expressionless face.
He moved so quickly that none of the ice spikes were able to reach even a few inches near him as they shot away from him and shattered against the ground but the ice shards instead of just scattering began to form the icy ground.
Looking at him, the ground below Esdeath began to freeze, the air began to turn freezing cold the mountain area around the base started to freeze as ice flakes started to rain down.
Looking at the sight, General Esdeath raised her eyes as a smirk formed over her face, her icy gaze fixed on Ryo. "Impressive reflexes, Shadow but you won't be able to dodge forever. This is now my domain!"
"No one can escape from here and no one can come out safe and sound. I knew that you would come out running like this to save this little base because there are no combatants who can compete against us!"
Ryo remained unfazed as his mouth opened into an unnatural smirk, and his eyes locked on Esdeath. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think so. Your reputation precedes you, General Esdeath, but I'm not one to back down from a challenge."
Rubbing his chin, he continued, "But I do think there is more on your mind than anything else... After all, if you are here, that means that my plans for the future might have worked... Hehe."
As soon as he said that, Esdeath's smile strained as her eyes turned colder as the ground below them started to cover in Ice she asked, "Looks like I was right. If you submit now, without any fight, and tell me everything, I will let you live and serve under the empire, or you can choose to get beaten down to your last breath and make you tell me all your secrets."
"Well~ Well~ Well~! If I was at a disadvantage and was sure that I would be losing to you, I wouldn't have been standing in front of The Jaegers, now would I be? I am sure that the reason you are here is because of the little rat that I let loose for you to come running into my trap. With that all, do you really think I won't be prepared for all this?"
Ryo asked as he slowly walked toward the Jaegers, not affected by the situation at all.
"That is where you are wrong, Shadow... You never stood a chance against us... No, you won't even stand a chance against me alone. Do you really think that I can't see through the messily placed trap?"
The ground shook as Esdeath opened her arms wide, showing her power, "I will give you another chance. Submit to me or I will just kill you. You don't stand a chance. If you won't you will die."
*Crackle* *Crackle* *Crackle* *Crackle*
The ground began to shake, as hundreds of thousands of Cavalry, purely made out of Ice began to march over the mountainy area surrounding the base, which was now covered in ice.
This made Ryo's eyes narrow down as he quickly commented, "Well, now you have me in a hard position. I do have to admit that I can't fight all of you.", his voice carried no hint of fear, instead he began to chuckle in amusement.
His expression remained unchanged, his eyes fixed on General Esdeath. With a swift motion of the hand, he taps on the inventory drop button and suddenly a tightly bound figure pops into their reality.
'This is good. Although the presence of the other Teigu users and the Three Beasts makes it hard for a fight with the 'Jaegers', this all is still expected. I can still sense the 'Night Raid' access at a long distance away.'
'They will intervene as soon as they see any advantage.', As he thought through it, his eyes landed on the little kid in his hand.
Tatsumi, the main character of Akame Ga Kill, struggled against his restraints, tears streaming down his face. His eyes widened with a mix of fear and anger as he saw Ryo, who was looking at him with emotionless eyes.
After all, he watched his whole village burnt to the ground by Ryo himself.
Esdeath's gaze fell upon Tatsumi, and for a fleeting moment, anger flickered in her eyes. Her aura and 'killing intent' leaked out, making Ryo feel a chill down his spine, making him confused as this was the first time he was feeling 'intimidated', making him more excited.
Esdeath's eyes were covered in darkness as she was about to do something, but then, she instantly composed herself, taking a deep breath and regaining her composure. Her eyes sharpened as he raised her rapier out of her scabbard and pointing at Ryo asked, "What is your game here? Taking him hostage will provide you with no insurance."
Ryo's voice was calm as he responded to Esdeath's question, "*Sign* Let's not kid each other here. You know who he is and what he is to you... or someone from the distant future... hehehe. So let me put this straight. What I want, General Esdeath is a little game - a test on your battlefield. Let's fight. One-on-one - till death where no one else fights alongside you."
"The wagers are that if I win, you will submit to me. And if you win, I will offer myself to you willingly, tell you everything, my plans, my past, and everything. So how's that? Deal? If you agree, I will give you Tatsumi right this instant. And who knows what you might learn during the small conversation that we might be having during the fight."
Esdeath's eyes narrowed, studying Ryo intently. She had a mixture of curiosity and suspicion in her gaze. "Ho? This is nothing more than empty words. How can you tell me everything if you are fighting me to the death?"
As she said that, Ryo rubbed his chin and hummed, "Well, the base is here. You will just have to reach the end of the base and you will find a huge library. It will be the collection of all the knowledge, the past, and everything."
"Search for a hidden passage and you will find a room that will have all the answers to your questions. Not just about me, it will tell you about the future and our organization itself."
"I see.", Esdeath narrowed her eyes as she stared at Ryo, as her thoughts ran rampant trying to figure out the game he was playing. 'I am sure that if I leave for the duel, the rest of my subordinates will be left without my assistance.'
'There is a very high chance that someone might attack them... probably the subordinates that he collected, or... probably the Night Raid itself... I can't let this happen as there is a big chance of some of my subordinates dying out.'
'Liver and other beasts can be held on only one member of the Night Raid because of location disadvantage. Kurome can hold out against Akame. The others will have a small problem especially Bols as he is not strong in hand-to-hand combat.'
'Thankfully Dr. Stylish is still alive. His army will be very beneficial for us. The army is hiding underground, waiting for an ambush to come.'
'This is a very difficult situation... I am sure that there is a huge connection between this Shadow and my 'Regression', what he is calling it. Overall, it will be strategically bad to accept the duel but I have to save Tatsumi this time. He is very weak and without his Teigu right now.'
Thinking so, Esdeath smirked as she showed her white sharp teeth on her face, "Very well, Shadow. Your challenge is accepted. Let the game begin. But remember, if you fail, you either will be mine or die regretting fighting me."
"Wait!", Run, who was standing by them and listening to their conversation interjected with a frown, "What's so special about that boy? Why would you risk everything for him?", he looked at General Esdeath with a serious face as he continued, "General Esdeath, how can we let our advantage go? And that too just for a small child!?"
"Shut up. Do what I am telling you to do. There are many things that are left for you to learn.", Esdeath replied to Run harshly and looked at him with a dark expression, making him flinch for once. "I apologize, General Esdeath. But can I at least know what this kid has that you left out advantage?"
"Well~ Since you guys don't know anything at all, let me tell you. This is not just any person. He is someone precious to General Esdeath. Or you can possibly say... That he is her secret lover of a sort."
As soon as Ryo said that, everyone, except Esdeath's face, turned into chaos and confusion. With their eyes widened, they questioned the reality as to whether Esdeath is even capable of loving.
"This..."
"Wha-!"
=====
[5280]
Finally, we are near the end of the second arc. Probably 3~5 chapters left? Man, yesterday, I spent 14 hours literally working on a Computer Science project... I am feeling so tired man~
Don't forget to give me a comment, reply, or power stone! They give me motivation!
Thank you!
-SR_2027.
=====
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