Chapter 7: Save the Memories

Beta read by Shigiya and Paragon of Awesomeness.

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-The Capital, Imperial Military Academy-

(Nine years ago)

What a strange sensation this was. Esdeath grew up in her tribe with the firm belief that the strong survived while the weak perished. This concept was ingrained in her as soon as she could think. and became even more entrenched with the tragic loss of her tribe, who fell in battle because they proved themselves weak in the end, even her father, as he'd admitted with his dying gasps. For her, defeat was never an option. It was synonymous with death itself. Any slip-up in battle, any moment of weakness, would see death closing on her just as the jaws of a Danger Beast did on their prey's neck.

She was not prey. 

Mistakes were forbidden, and every move had to be executed flawlessly to ensure survival.

'I… died…'

As she lay on the ground, feeling the ache in her body from the recent confrontation, she was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the anomaly before her. Her thoughts carried a hint of incredulity, but there was something more behind them, something she'd never felt before that she couldn't quite decipher. Despite the pain and exhaustion, she remained indignant, refusing to let her guard down even after her own defeat when in the presence of this enigmatic figure.

"Are you going to lie there the entire day?" the anomaly quipped, his tone teasing yet tinged with a strange sincerity. "If so, then I hope you're at least enjoying the sight. Make sure you don't go blind if you end up staring at the sun."

Esdeath narrowed her eyes, unsure of how to interpret his words. Was he mocking her, or was there genuine concern hidden beneath his jest? Regardless, she refused to be swayed by his remarks. With determination burning in her eyes, she pushed herself off the ground, gritting her teeth against the pain coursing through her body. Each movement sent waves of discomfort rippling through her, reminiscent of the trials she'd endured from the time of her early childhood while hunting Danger Beasts alongside her father.

"Again," she demanded as she tightened her grip on her training sword, her voice firm and unwavering. Despite the ache in her muscles and the exhaustion weighing her down, Esdeath was ready to rise to the challenge once more. There had to have been a mistake on her part for why she'd been the one on the ground. Indeed, she underestimated the brat from the beginning and that cost her too much — a mistake that would never be made ever again. 

Pa!

Esdeath felt a surge of fury as the wooden basket was placed on her head once again, pressing her back to the ground with deliberate force. The boy now crouching beside her exuded an air of contempt, his next words a cutting reminder of her repeated failures. 

"Don't bother."

It was taunting, his tone dripping with arrogance to the ears of the last survivor of the Partas tribe. 

"This has been going on for more than an hour now, and I've bested you over half a dozen times now. Do you want me to break your bones or something? Because I won't go that far on a brat."

Her pride stung at his words, but still she refused to concede defeat. "Don't underestimate me," she growled, her voice tinged with defiance. Anger surged within her as a source of fuel, refusing to accept failure in the face of this smug opponent. "You were just lucky I was caught off—"

"—As if," he scoffed, cutting her off with a dismissive snort. His expression twisted into a sneer, an odd sight on someone so young. An expression that would be far more appropriate on the face of  an adult, or perhaps some of the more senior students in the academy, even if they were still snot-nosed amateurs. 

…And Najenda. Suddenly Esdeath saw the resemblance between them, making the boy's previous statement of them being siblings hold more weight to her. Still, who did this little kid think he was, treating her like this? Everything he'd done had been both humiliating and nerve grating for her. If it weren't for her aching limbs and being so tired that a picnic basket now felt as heavy as a cannonball, then their next duel would have started regardless if he agreed to it or not. 

She wasn't above breaking a kid's bones. They mended back stronger than before, after all. So it was good for them in the long run, and taught a lesson about being weak and foolish.

"Stop trying to be so stubborn, you imbecile!" he retorted, taking a rather sharp tone for the first time since this entire fight started. "I've been patient enough with you this entire time, I don't know what's your deal with wanting to beat me so vehemently but if you want to win so badly then I can just forfeit the next match if that's what it'll take to get you to stop." 

He was lucky that she was holding back. If she fought with the desire to kill, then…

Emiya's deadpan expression remained unchanged as he chided her, delivering another bonk to her head with the basket, causing a small yelp to escape from the blue-haired northerner. 

"Don't think I'm impressed with that killing intent of yours," he remarked dryly. "We had a deal, or rather, a questionable agreement, since you basically tried to assault me for no reason and put words in my mouth. Despite that, I gave you the benefit of the doubt and entertained you. Now, I think it's time for you to finally honor your end of things in light of your loss. Are you ready to help me find Najenda?"

Esdeath couldn't deny those words, she did promise him assistance in searching for his sister as a way to keep him from leaving. And even that in itself had proved to be a bigger task than she imagined. There was no interest or fear she managed to uncover and use it to have him face her. It frustrated the girl at how her many attempts to provoke him with petty insults and demeaning comments seemed to have little to no effect, and if anything, only amused him further. 

"Argh!"

Summoning every ounce of strength she possessed, Esdeath forcefully pushed the basket aside, causing its contents to spill onto the floor. With a swift roll and a quick grab of her training weapon, she got back into a battle ready stance with the wooden blade brandished against the opponent before her. "Hm?" Strangely enough, she observed Emiya showing no care to her presence, his face unreadable while focusing his attention on the basket's spilled contents, rather than on the enemy before him.

The atmosphere shifted around him, she held herself back from rushing towards him despite feeling a surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins as she stood her ground, her eyes locked on the young boy's form. She couldn't afford to let her guard down, not even for a moment. Every move had to be calculated, every action deliberate.

The redhead in question finally tore his gaze away from the scattered food on the floor and fixed his piercing gaze on herself. There was a flicker of something in his eyes, something that she couldn't quite decipher. Was it anger? Annoyance? Or perhaps something else entirely? "You are going quite far for something as trivial as a duel, especially after having lost multiple times. I've been remarkably patient with you so far — but that is quickly reaching its limit." 

Humph, did he think he could intimidate her? 

How naive.

"Tch, let me teach you a lesson, kid. Life isn't fair. And don't go around believing everyone's words just because they gave you a verbal pro—gah!" 

In an instant, all the air in her lungs was forcefully pushed outside. An impact that did not feel like a sword but rather a clenched fist dug into her flesh hard enough to rattle the organs. 

An impact, strong enough that it nearly made her chest cave. Esdeath stared in shock at the figure below using his elbow as a blunt object. The boy had moved at speeds beyond what he showed her previously, fast to the point it momentarily recreated the same sensation as if facing against one of the most deadly Danger Beasts on the continent. 'What the hell? How is he so fast…' 

"You need to calm down, now." 

The remaining vestige of her strength slowly whisked away, her knees giving up, followed by a slow thud as she found herself in the same position as before, though now with her face in the dirt. Yet even in her current state she refused to lose consciousness, the very idea of giving up not even registering as a possibility within a single part of her being.

She heard the boy sigh in frustration, "It took me nearly four hours to prepare that food, and even that was after I was done scavenging for the right ingredients and finding workarounds for the missing equipment. All of it's now completely ruined. Do you have any idea just how hard it is to make a sous vide steak?" 

A what steak? Esdeath wondered if she heard correctly, but her mind was too preoccupied dealing with the pain to really care about his words.

She couldn't shake off the perplexity swirling in her mind. How was it possible for someone with such remarkable swordsmanship to not already be attending the academy, even with his youth? Even if he wasn't related to Najenda, gaining admission should have been a formality at best. Yet, she hadn't heard so much a whisper about him before coming face to face with him herself.

What puzzled her even more was that she hadn't even witnessed much of his swordplay during their skirmishes. All their exchanges had primarily consisted of her swinging her blade while he effortlessly dodged, landing a single powerful strike whenever he saw an opening. Despite the brevity of their clashes, they had been enough to give her a glimpse of his prowess.

There was no way he could have learned all that from that girl he called his sister; she had faced off against Najenda many times before, and there was no chance she was the one imparting those skills to him. If anything, it was more likely to be the other way around.

"Alright then, Esdeath, now that you finally seem to be incapable of fighting, perhaps you're in something of a state to listen instead." Emiya remarked, his voice pulling her out of her deep thoughts as he salvaged what he could from the scattered meal, before returning to her side. 

"Heh, you still have that look that says you want to skin me alive. Are you still so stubborn that you're going to try to get up and fight me again? Learn to take a loss and get stronger before coming back for more. Why do I keep running into people like you? Am I cursed or something? Wait… that might actually be the case, what with everything I've seen so far." He complained to no one in particular, yet what he said was true. At her core, as much as it pained her to acknowledge it, Esdeath knew that she didn't have the strength to continue this battle; this was a defeat, one that tasted so bitter that it made her want to vomit.

For the first time in her life… she'd been too weak.

But before she could utter a word, a third voice came from the outside of the field, 

"What the hell is going on here?" 

Holding a stoic tone that both combatants recognized instantly, both blue haired and redhead individuals turned their attention to the edge of the training yard where the elite dormitories were, finding a silver-haired young woman leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, gazing at them with squinted eyes. "And why are you on the ground, Esdeath?"

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"Pft, hahahahahaha!" Sitting on the edge of the academy's wall, giving them a view of the entirety of the Capital, the trio found themselves having a shared lunch together with what Emiya had managed to salvage of his and Najenda's lunch. "You actually challenged him in a duel and thought you would win? You did that despite knowing he's my brother. Why am I not surprised? Good to know that karma finally caught up to you, at least. I still haven't been able to beat this little turd at anything, and I doubt you will either."

"Shut up," Esdeath retorted, her attention momentarily diverted from her rival to the slice of meat she held up with her spoon. "Just how long were you standing there, savoring the sight of me being on the losing end?" She asked while silently appreciating the admittedly exquisite taste of the meal. It certainly was far beyond anything served in the academy, which had no shortage of snot-nosed nobility among its cadets. What had been even more shocking to her though, was when she found out that this piece of meat turned out to be that of a class two Danger Beast called a blood bear. 

It was a species that she'd hunted before, and ate one time after the slaughter of her tribe, which was why she could say with certainty that the meat tasted purely of bitter blood no matter how much it was treated or cooked — at best an emergency ration when there was literally nothing else available. But the meat she was eating instead tasted of various spices and fatty. Not a hint of the bitter aftertaste nor blood, and she was left wondering if this boy was lying. 'No, the texture is exactly the same…'

"From the moment you started adding punches and kicks to your fighting style instead of purely relying on your weapon to try and take him down." Najenda answered, sneakily trying to feed her brother a piece of a vegetable, only to have her hand slapped away. "You lasted longer than I imagined, honestly. And I certainly didn't expect for you to actually successfully trigger him at the end there when you knocked over the basket. I can't believe I never thought of doing that myself. Perhaps…"

"Don't even think about it." Emiya's voice cut through her thoughts, the boy sighing while looking at his adoptive sister. "Food isn't something you should waste under any circumstances, understand? It's childish and immature to go that far just to get a reaction, and no knight or warrior with the slightest sliver of pride will do that, least of all an aspiring general." 

"Aren't you the one always saying that it's foolish to hold any pride in a battle for one's life?" 

His eyes twitched, "I was alluding to other aspects, like giving your opponent time to prepare, letting them recover out of some sense of fairness, or refusing to fight how some in the military would no doubt scorn as playing dirty. Basically, anything that our old instructors would decry as being dishonorable. I'm just saying that spilling your enemy's plate as your strategy won't be as effective as you hope, if only because you shouldn't expect to see your opponent come at you while carrying their dinner on the battlefield." 

"You never know," Najenda hummed, "What if I attacked them while they were cooking or eating?" 

Emiya stopped to consider that, "That definitely sounds quite viable… but if you ever even think about doing that to me, I won't cook you a thing for at least a month. Now shut up and eat your food. Also, stop trying to feed me! I can eat by myself!" 

"It is a big sister's duty to take care of her little brother," Najenda declared, looking far too pleased as she continued to hold the food to her brother's face. "Remember how other siblings behaved back in the city when we went on a walk?" She insisted, not in the least bit discouraged by his continued resistance, while to the side, her rival looked at them weirdly — not knowing how to even react to this new side of Najenda. 

"That was a mother feeding her child, you idiot!" 

The frustration within his voice was apparent, but he didn't bother to push the matter any further, having long since grown used to it. He suspected she was even doing so intentionally to get a rise out of him, for some reason enjoying his reaction. Her weird, sadistic little tendency. It remained a mystery how and where she could have gotten it from.

"Where did you learn to fight?" Finally, Esdeath spoke once again, having been strangely quiet most of the time. He'd expected her to be much more vocal after the way she kept trying to provoke him into another fight. 

"Same way Najenda learned her swordsmanship: through basic lessons from our instructors and regular practice." He did not miss the look Najenda gave him, though he was thankful she didn't say anything about it. 

"You think I'm some kind of idiot!?" Unable to hold in her anger — easily crushing the spoon in her hand — Esdeath once again glared back at Emiya. "There is no way you studied under a master like that when even the best instructors in the empire can barely keep up with me and Najenda! Your moves cannot be explained through sheer training alone regardless how big of a prodigy you are! And the way you fought… It wasn't just skill or talent, but experience too. You've killed before." 

"You think so?" Emiya shrugged, not granting her any satisfaction of any change in his expression or emotions. "I didn't use any particular sword style against you, those were just plain slashes and thrusts coupled with dodging — my reaction speed was simply faster than yours. Of course, if it helps you to digest your defeat with the knowledge that I was using some mysterious secret style from a master, then all power to you. Najenda here can vouch for me though, when I say the only instructor hired by our family is a retired soldier who once studied at the academy, then taught at it for a time." 

"The way Najenda fights is far too different to be anything from the academy." 

At that, Emiya finally frowned before sighing before rubbing his temples. "That's because this stupid brat decided to change things up with something completely nonsensical and it keeps working, even if it's purely due to luck. It is not a style of sword fighting anyone in their right mind would adopt." 

"It works, that's all that matters," chirped the silver haired girl. 

"You're making it very tempting for me to beat that bad habit out of you… but something tells me that's exactly what you want."

"You make it sound like I'm some kind of degenerate."

"I mean, if the shoe fits…" 

This kid was strange, this exact thought appeared more than one time in her mind. From his mannerism, experience with fighting and other smaller details made it harder for her to see him as a creation of the environment here. 

"Regardless, you should be proud, no one else has ever won the achievement of besting me as you did. But don't think just because you defeated the alpha that I won't come back to reclaim my title. And it'll be sooner than you think." Her hands were already twitching for a rematch. And while the sting of her defeat still burned, she also felt herself becoming thrilled at the prospect of a genuine challenge. 

The understanding that there now existed a wall that she couldn't beat and a chance for her to be pushed further. 

She couldn't help but grin at the idea of doing it again tomorrow. She knew where Najenda lived. 

"Hn," to her surprise, not only did Emiya not show the least bit of interest, but he even started to chuckle. A clear hint of amusement accompanied but how he was shaking his head as if having heard a joke. 

"Beating a kid is nothing to be so proud about, especially since you already seem to be too caught up in your own supposed greatness." 

Her smile grew strained at that. This boy sure had a mouth on him, but she kept her peace, since he'd proven himself stronger than her, for today at least. No wonder Najenda was so immune to most of her taunts during their duels, if this was what she dealt with every time she went home.

"Then you should at least have some pride knowing that your sword skills are more than capable of taking out most of not all of the fighters in the academy. With talent such as yours, once you finally enter the academy I can't imagine it will take more than perhaps a year or two before you attain the rank of a general, and they will all fear you. But obviously, I'll be waiting for you, ready to defend my place at the top." 

It made her heart race, knowing that the road to the top wouldn't be as boring as she'd believed. While Najenda sufficed as her current rival, she still wouldn't be able to keep up with her progression… already she was falling behind in some areas. 

But him? Still in his prepubescent years, yet he already showed so much promise, and she found herself growing excited by the idea of one day having him answer to her authority once she reclaimed her place as the strongest.

Again though, he just chuckled, giving her a lazy side stare. 

"Pft, pride? What useless thing to have." He dismissed that notion with a wave of his hand, causing Esdeath's features to freeze up. "And  I don't plan on joining the academy anytime soon, or ever in fact. I'm quite content staying home, working on my own hobbies and helping out Nagumo and Najenda from time to time. Which does include reigning in their bouts of stupidity." 

Esdeath was starting to doubt the very words that entered her ears. "You'll… you'll be able to hone your skills further in the academy. Even if the other students and instructors prove worthless against you, me being here at least offers us the chance to sharpen our blades against one another." 

"Don't care about that." Emiya answered while packing up the items left over from their lunch into the basket, "I don't particularly hold any interest in improving my abilities with the sword, nor am I interested in becoming a general. I'm happy where I'm at, currently. You can keep your 'throne,' I won't be coming after it and you can keep on being the alpha." 

Pure disbelief flooded within her being, unable to understand what he said or even comprehend how someone with so much talent could ever say something like that. 

Keep her throne?

Not interested? 

His words were far worse than mocking, they were nothing less than a deliberate insult to everything she'd ever known to be true.

"…" 

It was at this moment that Esdeath came to understand one aspect about Emiya; his ideals, or rather, what she could only describe as a complete lack of them. A person who held the natural talent to become an apex predator, yet was somehow content with staying hidden within his little hole and wasting away… Worst of all, he had already proven himself strong in their duel. Stronger than her, even, as she currently was, at least.

"You are weak."

She… she couldn't allow that to happen. 

"I will show you how wrong you are."

{Break}

-Night Raid Hideout-

"We lost seven and three!" 

Almost as soon as they had started to verify the targets, the mission had devolved from scouting and assassination into a chaotic struggle for survival. Each arrow seemed to materialize out of thin air, leaving the operatives constantly on edge, scanning the shadows for any sign of these infernal projectiles. 

Some of the arrows even seemed to have a mind of their own! Twisting and bending through the air, seeking their targets like bloodhounds.

"Number six died!" 

The leader of the squad of assassins made a quick headcount of their remaining numbers, knowing with a sinking heart that those too would be dwindling soon. His mood was mirrored by the anxious expressions of his remaining team members. The news from one of their men only added to their growing sense of dread, as they realized they were trapped in a deadly situation with no clear way out. "Fall back, have everyone get to cover and head in different directions! We'll rendezvous at point bravo!"

With every member of their group that fell, the desperation among the survivors escalated, their nerves fraying as they grappled with the harsh reality of how terribly outmatched they were. The leader's resolve wavered slightly as he contemplated the dire consequences of their failure, knowing that the wrath of the Prime Minister's enforcers awaited them should they falter and return without any good news. 

Amidst the chaos, the sound of arrows whistling through the air and the distant cries of their fallen comrades continued to worsen their morals but they abided by his orders and regrouped further away. 

'How many do we have left?' Number one, the leader, looked around to find that out of the dozen of assassins he'd been leading going into this, only seven remained. The first five had been killed in a matter of seconds before they even got the opportunity to even see the main fort, or so much as lay an eye on a single member of Night Raid. "What is going on here damn it! Our reports intelligence said that the only bow-based weapon within the hands of Night Raid's assassins is L'Arc Qui Ne Faut! And that Teigu shouldn't be operational on us!"

Their names were hidden, unknown by most but the inner circle of Honest himself. The chances of a member of Night Raid to know who any of them were, were next to none, so it didn't make sense as to how those arrows could track them!

"W-Watch out!" 

As he spoke, another volley of arrows rained down, puncturing the dense forest around them and forcing them to abandon their positions once more. "We're being pursued!" Number one knew that staying clustered together made them easy targets, so he barked orders for his remaining men to spread out, hoping to evade the deadly accuracy of their unseen assailant.

"Half of you take the East path while the other half take the West. Divert their attention and make it harder to get targeted, I'll take the front and handle any other of these criminals chasing after us." 

It all started with their scout getting pinned against a tree trunk by an arrow, a shot powerful enough that it not only pierced through the head but also nearly went through the tree itself. Then they found one of their assassin's lifeless bodies crushed by a powerful blunt attack to the face rather than an arrow, leading him to believe that they were being actively hunted by multiple Night Raid assassins who somehow knew their location!

With a sense of urgency, the operatives dispersed into the shadows, each one moving with stealth and precision as they sought to flank their attacker and reach the safety of the castle. However, the leader's mind was focused on a different objective — survival. "No more projectiles being fired here, good." Recognizing the futility of their situation, he made a split-second decision to break away from his team and find his own path back to the capital by using the window provided by his subordinates acting as bait.

"Fuck! Shit! I'll just have to bring more people with me, but with their location now known, Honest will just send the entire army next time!" 

Cursing under his breath, he slipped through the underbrush, his senses heightened as he navigated the treacherous terrain. Every rustle of leaves and snap of twigs sent a shiver down his spine, paranoia filling his mind as he continuously kept surveying the general area around. 

"Hah… hah… hah…" 

Drawing in several lungfuls of air, the leader found himself halfway up the rugged mountains encircling the base, the imposing presence of the dense forest and terrain acting as a natural shield for the stronghold below. "Almost there," he muttered to himself, his breaths ragged as he climbed higher, the rocky terrain offering some semblance of cover from potential threats below. Though he knew he was vulnerable, he took solace in the fact that it would be nearly impossible for anyone to shoot at him from such a distance.

His mind raced with calculations and strategies, his knowledge of the enemy's tactics and capabilities providing valuable insight into their next move. Yet, despite his careful planning, a gnawing sense of unease lingered in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, that perhaps their unseen adversary was biding their time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

"Argh!" 

As he pressed onward, the distant sound of shouts and the acrid scent of smoke reached his senses, causing him to pause mid-climb. A sense of dread washed over him as he realized the implications — his subordinates were under attack and it was only a matter of time before Night Raid caught up to him if he didn't hurry. The chilling realization spurred him into action, his instincts screaming at him to hurry and reach safety and as far away from the enemy territory before it was too late.

"Damn it, dammit, damn it, damn it, damn it!" He muttered under his breath, frustration evident in every syllable as he trudged up the hillside, his movements fueled by a mix of desperation and the desire to survive. Ignoring the protests of his weary muscles, he pressed on, further driven by the urgent need to put as much distance between himself and his pursuers as possible.

With each step, he drew upon every ounce of his training and experience, employing every trick and technique at his disposal to evade detection. And it worked — against all odds, he found himself standing atop the mountain, the sprawling forest below nothing more than a distant blur on the horizon. Despite the burning ache in his lungs and the trembling of his exhausted limbs, a twisted smile crept across his face. "Hahaha, hahaha! I survived!"

But amid the relief of his narrow escape, a seething anger began to simmer beneath the surface. The humiliation of his defeat at the hands of the Night Raid assassins gnawed at him, fueling a fierce determination to seek vengeance. "I'll remember this, Night Raid. I'll remember this defeat and come back with an army that will tear you limb from limb. I'll have Honest hang your corpses from the tip of the wall as an example!"

Taking a moment to collect himself, he reached into his pocket and retrieved a brass spyglass, his gaze scanning the landscape below. With the fog dissipating and the general location of the enemy base now clear, he sought to uncover the identity of the sharpshooter responsible for their relentless arrow attacks. Whether it was the leader herself or one of her skilled assassins, he vowed to gather every detail, every scrap of information that could aid in their eventual downfall. "Where are you now…"

The device he used was no simple telescope, having been enhanced by the technology of Dr stylish giving him a much farther view of the area, going beyond anything it's previous self was able to accomplish. In fact it was time for this device in particular that they were able to track down this hidden base in the first place, without it night rates location would have still been unknown. "Dear Gods above…"

It was a grisly scene that unfolded before him through the lens of his telescope – a testament to the brutality of their enemies. The forest below was strewn with lifeless bodies, each one bearing the unmistakable marks of a violent end. Some lay in pieces, their flesh rent asunder in a grotesque display of carnage. Others had met their demise with a single, devastating blow, their heads crushed like ripe fruit. And still more had fallen to the swift and silent arrows of their unseen assailants.

As he surveyed the aftermath, a sense of dread crept over him, mingled with a grim determination to uncover the one behind this massacre. Through the haze of shock and revulsion, he began to piece together the identities of the perpetrators. 

"There," he muttered, adjusting the focus of his spyglass to get a clearer view. "Holder of the Lionelle Teigu, Leone." His gaze settled on the blonde woman moving among the corpses, her expression unreadable as she went about her grim task. Beside her stood two others, one of whom he recognized from their wanted posters — Lubbock, the traitor wielding the Cross Tail.

But it was the third figure that gave him pause, a face unfamiliar yet naggingly familiar. Then it clicked, one of the prisoners who had escaped during the chaos of Ogre's assassination. A former soldier turned traitor once more, though lacking a Teigu of his own as far as he knew. "If I remember correctly, captain Seryu has been particularly interested in finding him, most likely to avenge who she believes to be the killer of her former leader."

With a heavy sigh, he lowered the telescope and shook his head, the longer he searched the more apparent it became that none of his group's members survived. There was no time to waste… he needed to report this latest development to his superiors as soon as he got the information he searched for.

The assassin leader persisted in his search, pushing the limits of his surveillance device until he could catch glimpses of the fort's entrance. "Looks like there aren't any soldiers of the Revolutionary Army acting as an extra layer of defense." The base appeared to be sparsely populated, mainly occupied by a handful which were the members of the Night Raid.

Though there were some missing faces.

"There!" he exclaimed, focusing on a high platform where a strikingly dressed pink haired young girl stood with a bow in hand. It was unmistakably L'arc Qui Ne Faut, yet its lethal efficiency puzzled him. How could this bow be responsible for the carnage he had witnessed? The effect of the Teigu only worked when the user mentioned the name of the target and the arrows would hunt for them. The girl seemed equally perplexed, her wide-eyed expression betraying a sense of disbelief.

Following her gaze, he spotted another figure on the platform, cloaked and obscured by shadows. Despite the concealment, one thing stood out, "What… is that?" he uttered, the figure holding a massive longbow, its metallic black frame towering over the girl and her weapon while shorter than the man's height. Its presence alone was enough to overwhelm the Teigu wielded by the girl for some reason.

As he continued to observe, he realized with a sinking feeling that this was no ordinary weapon. "An unidentified Teigu? No, I don't remember such a weapon." Despite his extensive knowledge of Teigu and other renowned weapons, he found himself unable to identify this mysterious bow.

"Possibly a Shingu." Though inferior to a Teigu in terms of power while also having numerous drawbacks on the user itself, they were still dangerous weapons of war. 

His muscles tensed as he witnessed the man slowly pulling the bowstring, the colossal contraption bending under the tremendous stress while the man's arms remained unwavering. With his own experience in archery, he recognized the immense strength required to draw such a bow, bordering on superhuman. Even Teigu like L'arc Qui Ne Faut demanded extensive training, yet this bow dwarfed them in both size and power.

"Who is he aiming at?" he wondered aloud, scanning the forest for any sign of survivors from his doomed team. With practiced precision, he maneuvered the surveillance device, leveraging his knowledge of their previous path and the art of concealment he had taught his subordinates. Eventually, he spotted a small, dark figure darting at the forest's edge, racing along the same route he had taken to flee the area.

"He spotted him from this distance? That's over two kilometers away!" The situation defied his expectations and basically put some truth in his earlier assumptions. Without a Teigu or Shinku, it was impossible for anyone to perceive a target at such a range, let alone hit it accurately. Yet the unknown man remained silent, while the assassin's leader's eyes fixed on the unfolding scene below.

In a matter of seconds, the arrow released with a simple release, gliding through the forest, effortlessly piercing hundreds of thousands of trees without slowing down. Its deadly trajectory culminated in a chilling sight: the arrow impaled the head of his comrade, its force lifting the unfortunate soul from the ground and pinning him against the rock wall with brutal finality. 

Similarly to what happened to the first assassin who died previously.

The final twitches of his subordinate's body sent a shiver down his spine, the trail of blood pooling beneath him serving as sight and idea to the deadly accuracy of the unknown assailant. "…" 

Number one was rendered speechless, grappling with the reality of witnessing such devastation wrought by an unfamiliar figure wielding an unknown weapon with capabilities akin to a Teigu. Or most likely an unknown Shinku. "I must report him to Honest; he poses a grave threat."

His gaze returned to where the man had stood moments before, his next course of action having slightly deviated as he sought to imprint the assailant's features in his memory. Armed with this knowledge, he could prepare a new batch of wanted posters, alerting others to the danger that lurked in these woods and bring forth the hammer upon them.

"—!?"

In a heartbeat, the world seemed to freeze around him, his blood running cold along with a panicked gaze locking with the steely gray eyes of his adversary. Time slowed to a crawl as tension crackled in the air, the weight of impending danger bearing down upon him as the latter looked straight towards him as if he was standing right before him. 

With a gentle blue glow emanating from his left hand, a simple fletched arrow materialized, poised to be loosed from its bow. The sight sent a jolt of panic coursing through him, realizing he was the target of the imminent attack. "Wah!" 

As he tumbled to the ground, his telescope slipped from his grasp, careening down the mountainside and shattering into a thousand glittering shards. Scrambling backward, his weakened legs found a surge of strength driven by sheer terror and the desperate urge to escape the looming threat.

Woosh!

But before he could make any meaningful progress, a swift blurry blade sliced through the air, and a black katana materialized from the shadows, piercing his chest with deadly precision. "Aaaaah!!" A guttural cry tore from his lips, fueled by fear rather than any pain, the adrenaline coursing through his veins dulling the sensation to almost non-existent, at least momentarily. His gaze fell to the blade embedded and sticking out from his chest, blood sticking to its surface as sinister black markings spread from the wound, creeping ominously across his skin.

"Mura… same." 

In his final moments, as he felt the life draining from his body, he cast a desperate glance around him, his eyes falling upon the figure of the infamous assassin Akame. She stood nearby, an enigmatic expression adorning her features as she shouldered a giant boar, seemingly indifferent to his plight.

"…"

Speech eluded him as blood bubbled from his lips, staining the ground beneath him. With each labored breath, his awareness slipped further into the void, his body sinking to the earth as the katana was withdrawn from his chest, leaving him to succumb to the darkness.

Even in his final moments, despite the agony of his mortal wound, a lingering fear gripped him as he gazed into the eyes of his assailant. There was something unnervingly casual in the way the man looked at him, as though he had known all along that his fate was sealed. It made him wonder if this merciless killer had allowed him to flee, relishing in the twisted game of cat and mouse before delivering the final, fatal blow. Or was it a ploy to use him as a Judas goat, to lead them back to another possible base where other assassin's working under Honest awaited his next orders. 

'I was dead… from the beginning.'

.

.

.

The body fell onto the floor to the ground with a silent thought, how come it watched the man who she found observing the general direction of their base with a strange spyglass in his hand through sheer luck as it would have it. This part being a popular site where roamed these boar-like creatures, one of her favorite spots to go hunting. And given who joined the Night Raid group recently, she made recurring visits sometimes even twice a day. 

Going next to the body which had become covered in black marks from the cursed effect of her blade, Akame turned him around to inspect for any clues or pieces of information that could be useful to the group, "Assassin's."

She whispered, looking at the insignia embroidered onto their clothes, one that she recognized working under the authority of Honest and only followed his command. 

"They found out our hidden base?"

As soon as that idea came to her mind she quickly shook it away, if that were the case then instead of assassins he would have sent the army or even the generals to take care of them. Most likely a scouting mission which had the assassins discover their bases through pure luck, given what happened at the capital a few days ago it made sense why they were so insistent at patrolling the area here. With that problem resolved now, she stood back up and was prepared to go back to the camp,

"Hm?" 

The girl's instincts kicked in with lightning speed, her body tensing as she whirled around to face an uneasy sensation. In that split second, her mind raced through a flurry of possibilities, prepared to confront any potential danger head-on.

But as quickly as the tension had seized her, it dissipated just as swiftly. There was nothing there, no lurking assassin poised to strike. Only the stillness of the forest surrounded her, broken only by the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze.

Despite the absence of any immediate danger, the lingering unease settled over Akame. The sensation of a chill running down her spine lingered.

"…"

She squinted her eyes, waiting for a couple of seconds, looking around to be sure just in case she hadn't missed anything before grabbing both the man's body with one hand and the boars with her other come up casually carrying to heavy bodies with little strain and making her way down the mountain, surely with her killing one of the assassins who managed to step by, Emiya would cook her the animal as a reward.

She was looking forward to it.

{Break}

"Her instincts are sharp, or maybe she just has a keen sixth sense," Emiya remarked, his gaze fixed on Akame as she descended the mountain with both bodies in tow. Initially, he had considered using the assassin leader as bait to draw out any remaining threats, but after eliminating the last of them, it became clear that the man observing them from afar posed a significant risk if the information of his presence here were to reach Honest and by extension Esdeath. 

"Hah, at least that's handled."

With Leone and Tatsumi handling the cleanup, the bowman had been prepared to eliminate the observer himself with a single shot.

However, before he could take action, Akame emerged from the forest, her expression tinged with confusion. In a swift and decisive motion, she dispatched the target without hesitation, her instincts honed enough to sense his gaze despite the distance between them. Whether it was a sensation of being impressed at her swift action or the fact that she had an impeccable sixth sense. 

That was some impressive feet in itself, no wonder Najenda had so much confidence in the girl, she was the excellent stealth fighter assassin other than new book who held more potential with his tegu in particular. 

"What the hell was that?!" Emiya winced at the sudden outburst making his ears ring with pain, turning to face the shocked Mine with a puzzled expression. "That is not a normal bow!" she exclaimed, pointing accusingly at the black construct in his hand, screaming like banshee. 

Suppressing a laugh, he decided to let her try it for herself. "Why don't you give it a shot? If it were a Teigu or anything else then you would know instantly." he suggested, handing over the bow to the girl, who accepted it tentatively, equal parts hesitant and intrigued.

As soon as she took hold of it, her stance faltered, and she nearly stumbled to the ground, knees nearly buckling and threatening to fall onto the ground which she fought back against with wide-eyed astonishment. "Just how heavy is this thing!?" she exclaimed incredulously, inspecting the weapon in her grasp after regaining some stability.

"Believe it or not, for its size and shape, its overall weight is significantly lighter than what an equally sized bow would be if made from any other material, like metal or even wood," Emiya explained. He flicked the string of his own bow, demonstrating its resilience as it remained steady and unyielding. "It's tough enough to handle basically everything in my arsenal. Flexible to the point of being able to handle enormous amounts of stress and not snap. Give it a try."

Out of every single weapon in Unlimited Blades Works, the bow was actually the only weapon made by his own hands and created for him alone to use. Ironic that despite how it differed to every other Noble Phantasms and Mystic Codes, he never bothered to give it a name. 

"Don't break your back trying to pull the strings."

"Hn!" Taking his words as a challenge, she huffed and positioned herself against a wall, gripping the weapon firmly with one hand while using the other to grasp the string and attempt to pull it back. The bow remained unyielding, its weight and resistance far beyond what she anticipated. "Raaargh! Come on!" Each attempt to draw the string met with limited success, even using her feet in addition showed little success.

Frustration welled up within her, but she refused to give in. With gritted teeth and determined look, she continued to struggle against the unyielding force of the bow. Meanwhile, Emiya stayed silent the entire time, observing the scene with a genuine smile, silently amused by her effort to say the least. He almost wished he had some popcorn to enjoy the comedic display before him. 

'This is entertaining. I'll give her another five minutes before she eventually gives up or accuses me of cheating.'

As minutes passed by, Mine's efforts persisted, her efforts unwavering despite the lack of progress. The material of the bow remained stoic, not even creaking under her exertion. Each attempt brought her a few inches closer to drawing it by barely a few inches, but the overall task of fully drawing it seemed insurmountable.

'One thing, she sure is stubborn to a fault.' He thought with his arms crossed, having taken a seat and leaning against a tree trunk while watching me struggle. Her groan of discomfort and pain was no different to music in his ears. Sweat started to cover her face, dredging her clothes as she put more and more futile effort at using at pulling the string, going so far as to use her legs instead of her arm to push it back but barely made any progress at all as the resistance of the bow through tremendously the more it was pulled.

"What is this thing even made of? This is impractical as hell!"

Having gotten enough, she threw the weapon back at him which he effortlessly caught. 

"It's a special alloy, a strong one, lighter than steel and far tougher than anything you might be familiar with… other than Orichalcum and certain Danger Beast bones. Though it is not comparable to a Teigu, a couple of strikes from a sharp enough weapon like Murasame will break it." After that, he dismissed the construct which surprised Mine, most likely not used to seeing his magecraft in action. "In the end, it seems that I won." 

He had a hard time hiding his grin, as soon as he said that the girl before him pouted before turning her head around, scoffing at not saying anything rude for a change. "Of course you did, you're a newcomer and Najenda's brother, so it would have been idiotic for me to go too hard on you and break your spirits."

"Heh, if you say so, if that is the case then I thank you for holding back against a newbie like me. I will never amount to your skills no matter how long I train." The sarcastic tone leaked out of his tone without any intent of hiding it. "I still have so much to learn, would you be interested in teaching me?"

"Oh shut up!" She screamed, his obvious joke acting as a final nail in the coffin before she took a deep breath sigh. "Next time I won't be going so easy on you rookie," was all Mine mentioned before walking away whilst hiding her face. 

He chuckled before having a serious expression occupy his face as Leone, Sheele Tatsumi and Lubbock brought back the corpses in order to get rid of them. The insignia upon their clothing served as a clue on their identity which made him that much worried. 

"That was some amazing archery there handsome! You sure were amazing with those shots!" 

"And you were brutal with those fists of yours." 

Walking next to the blonde, both gathered around one of the corpses. "They work for Honest all right, these bastards are amongst those who kill any troublemaker or resistance groups in the slums. Dealt with a few a month ago, they are skilled but nothing we can't handle." She looked at him, "do you think we should move?" 

"Not really, at least not yet. Honest would have sent someone much worse if he was certain of our base's location. But I must admit, it's only a matter of time before we get found out, so better to have a back up in the worst case scenario." There were plenty of unknown factors he needed to cover but lacked information to make an accurate judgment. 

Perhaps another trip to the capital city might be in his best interest. 

"You're thinking about going there again aren't you?" Najenda's voice sounded from behind, Emiya let out a sigh as he sensed the disapproving glare from behind. 

"It's easier this way, better to gather as much Intel early on than wait here hoping the Revolutionary Army's spies will find something for us." 

"You're crazy," as expected, she wasn't so keen on his idea. "Last time you got lucky because she wasn't there, but this is no longer the case. The moment you step foot into the capital she'll freeze the entire capital. At that point not even Honest nor the emperor will be able to restrain her."

It worried Emiya that Najenda wasn't even exaggerating, given she already used a similar tactic previously in a much smaller town on the outskirts of the empire's borders.

"She won't know I'm there, I'll only remain there for a day at most, the capital is pretty big with hundreds of thousands of people roaming the streets." There still existed some hesitation, he could tell. "You know as much as I do that staying hidden here is not the best course of action after such an attack. Better to make sure this doesn't happen again by gathering more information from the capital. And don't think you can come with me, far more people know your face then they do mine… especially with how I look now." 

"I'll dye my hair red." 

"Don't you dare."

"It's a nice color, I can even get golden brown coloured contact lenses."

"Are you actually trying to piss me off?" 

"I still have some of the old portrait paintings of your younger self, it should be enough to copy the same shade."

"…"

"Hmmm, it's a good idea," she continued to play with that idea, completely ignoring his words. "I also have some matters to attend to back there. Bullat will keep watch over the fort while I'm gone, he's experienced handling everything I do regularly." 

"Najenda…"

"This is non-negotiable." 

Both sides were locked into a staredown, his frown present on the woman's face. Neither one of them willing to back out, this went on until he felt an arm come to rest around his neck with a flowery scent filling his nose. "Stop it both of you, I can sense the tension and it's making me sick. Don't make me become mama lion and stop you two from arguing with one another, trust me, I'm more than capable of that!" 

Leone spoke, forcing the two from breaking their gaze with Emiya closing his eyes to gather his thoughts. "Fine, but you dare dye your hair red or else I'll bind you in your room till I return." 

"Oooh, spicy~!" 

He gave the blonde next to him a stink eye for that comment, the latter grinning and waving her hand in dismissal. 

Najenda on the other hand shrugged, grabbing a cigarette from her pocket which made him frown at her even more. "We'll be leaving tomorrow before dawn, first we need to get rid of these corpses and make sure they haven't left any trail marks around for their allies to find and track. You will help as well, Tatsumi, even if you aren't part of our group it's still necessary for everyone to pull their own weight." 

"I'll do my best… and… and thank you for taking care of my friends till now! I never got to say this before but I am truly grateful for that!" 

A small smile appeared on her face, "Don't worry about that, as long as they remain here we'll provide our best support. Just don't go around screaming for revenge, we all want that to some degree, so be patient." 

"Understood!" 

With that said, she returned to the fort leaving Emiya, Leone and Tatsumi on their own. 

"Is it just me or is the boss strangely overprotective over you?" Still hanging around him, Emiya heard Leone ask this question and wondered how he should even answer it. "Like, don't get me wrong, it's cute that she does but with everything I've seen she doesn't really need to worry much about you."

"It's complicated," he said, not going any further which made the girl pout — but she decided to not force him for any answers. "Still, are you excited for our second date? Won't be the same as the boss looking around our shoulder but I'm sure she won't mind."

"There needs to be a first date for this to be our second." 

"Peh, details! We had lots of fun before didn't we? I count that as a date, so don't be too prudish about it." 

"You just want to get drunk don't you?" 

"You've read my mind, I knew you'd understand me, handsom—puh!" As she slowly drew closer a hand grabbed onto her cheeks, making the blonde resemble a chipmunk. 

"What were you doing?" 

"Eh, thryna licksh fyou."

Emiya looked at the girl strangely, "Why?" 

"Ah… instincts?" She answered, strangely enough sounding equally as confused as him. "A joke?" 

"That doesn't make it better. Oi!" He immediately let go of her as she just ended up licking his hand instead. "Are you a kid!?" 

"Ah come on~ it wasn't that bad!"

She was harder to deal with than Najenda, which in itself was a feat.

{Break}

(A few minutes later)

"I want to be added to the group for tomorrow's mission." 

Emiya found himself face to face with Tatsumi, the brown-haired boy, as they sat in the library. Taking a moment to relax and enjoy some peace, he listened intently to Tatsumi's request, curious about his motivations. "Why?" he asked, wanting to understand the boy's reasoning.

With a complicated expression, Tatsumi clenched his fist as he explained, "Well, if you're worried about me seeking revenge, don't be. I'll stay true to Miss Nagenda's words and won't cause any trouble. I just want to meet someone there, to talk to them about what happened to me and possibly convince her to join our side."

Emiya nodded thoughtfully, already suspecting who Tatsumi was referring to. "That girl who helped you become a soldier?" he inquired, confirming his suspicions. 

"Yes, Seryu is someone who has done a lot for me," Tatsumi affirmed, his voice tinged with gratitude. "She helped me when I needed it the most and is different from people like Ogre and those who try to frame me as a criminal. She has a strong sense of justice and genuinely wants to help people. I know you don't exactly have the best impression of people working for the Empire, but there are still good people amongst them. I just want to tell her the truth and bring her to our side. She'll be able to not only help us save millions of people suffering under the Empire's rule but also convince others like her to join our cause."

Emiya listened attentively, nodding at his words. "When did I ever say that I hold such thoughts about everyone working for the Empire?" he replied, his tone calm but firm. "Don't forget that more than half of the people here were once soldiers themselves, like you. While I do find it admirable that you want to clear your name with someone you trust, I want to make it clear that it's very likely that your plan won't work. How long have you known her? A week? A few days at best? I'm not saying that you shouldn't trust her, but you should be careful with such a plan. You can't be sure how she'll react if that were to happen."

Tatsumi nodded, his resolve unwavering. "I know, but I still want to try. If it doesn't work out, then… then I won't force it."

Honestly, the Counter Guardian wasn't sure how this would turn out. It wasn't a simple situation of him going to recruit a friend to join their cause. That girl was someone he had only known for a couple of days, and he sincerely believed that wasn't enough time to truly get to know someone. He felt the boy might be in over his head. But he also understood that if this were to work, the outcome could be very beneficial for their side. And something told him that if he said no, the boy would find a way to do it anyway, potentially creating more problems for them in the long run.

"Alright, we can try… But why are you discussing this with me? Najenda is the leader." Emiya questioned, curious about why Tatsumi had approached him instead of their leader.

"Ah, since you are her brother, I thought… that it would be easier to have her agree if you brought it up instead of me," Tatsumi explained.

"Humph, well, you aren't wrong," he conceded.

As Tatsumi left, it wasn't long before another person entered the room and sat right next to him. She didn't say anything and simply started to read a book. Glancing at the title by chance and recognizing the book from their first interaction. "Still reading that book on how to stop being a klutz?" he teased.

Sheele who was immersed in her lecture was startled, jolting slightly and lucky over at the man next to her with a hard to read expression. "Oh, when did you arrive?" 

He raised an eyebrow, "I was here since the beginning; you literally sat right beside me." If he recalled correctly, Najenda also mentioned how this girl was a rather strong airhead, though he didn't expect it to be to this extent.

"Ah, sorry. I'll give you some space—"

"—It's fine, you didn't disturb me at all." Feeling slightly bad about her genuine reaction, he quickly reassured the girl that he didn't mind her presence. "I was just surprised that someone else visited the library here. Even Najenda is not much of a reader, so it's good to find someone who shares this little hobby."

"My name is Sheele. I didn't get the opportunity to talk to you much before." She bowed slightly.

'Oh, polite as well. What a rarity,' he thought. She may have been a klutz and an airhead, which he didn't find that weird compared to some other personalities. "Are you that worried about being a klutz? I didn't see you having any issues during the attack."

"You saw me?"

"I did. That Teigu of yours is impressive. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of those scissors. Extase, if I recall, Cutters of Creation, a rather fitting name given its capabilities."

"I-It's not that impressive. Your cooking is much better!"

"—?" He wondered how these two matters were related in any way. It made more sense if she complimented his bow or swords instead of cooking. But his answer soon came with a rather powerful sound of rumbling from Sheele's stomach, the girl flopping onto the table without a trace of energy.

"Want me to cook you something?"

Woosh!

The tiles from the ceiling were removed as a waterfall of black hair showed, with crimson eyes peeking from the corner. Both looked at each other, Emiya feeling the corner of his lips twitching upwards as he tried his best to hold in a chuckle. Somehow, he could almost read the thoughts going through the girl's mind.

"Well, I'll need to check if we have enough ingredien—"

Bam!

A large shadow fell right onto the table, breaking the wooden furniture into pieces and leaving Emiya to face what appeared to be a skinned and carved body of a boar.

"Hah… You know, I'm not your personal chef. Weren't you supposed to be the one cooking today, Akame?"

"My arm is injured."

"No, it's not."

"I'm feeling sick."

"You don't look sick since you went hunting early in the morning."

"I got injured from the fight."

Wasn't she the person who easily killed the assassin with a single thrust of her katana? Emiya wanted to remind her of that small detail, but she didn't know he saw her back then.

This girl… She just wouldn't give up.

"Humph, don't think I'm your personal chef. I have other things to worry about," said the man as he picked up the meat, already wearing an apron. "If you try to steal again, I'll never cook for you again."

"Got it," Akame shook with fright but quickly calmed down, picking up the unconscious Sheele and followed Emiya. "Can I come as well tomorrow?"

Akame still held plenty of questions about his ability, curious to see him in action and find answers. The images of the Karleens mansion getting blown up and the short instances they crossed blades still crossed her mind.

"Talk with Najenda. Why are you all asking me?"

.

.

.

(A day later)

The bustling sound of the capital's entrance filled Emiya's ears. The place having become a bustling area in the morning with plenty of merchant caravans, travelers from all over the continent and other people walking in and out of the heavily guarded entrance. 

Not that they were going through it in the first place. 

"Is everyone ready?" In front of him stood four hooded figures, "We'll separate into groups, try your best to not attract any attention from the guards and keep your head down. They are more vigilant after what happened with the Karleens and will be on the lookout for us."

Najenda spoke with a loud voice, getting a nod from Akame, Leone and Tatsumi. 

Emiya looked at the sewer entrance, checking for any possible traps. "It's clear."

"Alright, everyone, let's go!" 

-------------

The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 1 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.