The last lingering effects of the teleportation faded as Akame concluded her silent assessment of your group. Her presence was a cool, quiet weight, a promise of deadly efficiency. Just as you were about to formalize introductions, a flicker of movement caught your eye from the path leading back to the village. A lone figure, cloaked and moving with unnatural stealth, emerged from the dust. This was the assassin.
Your eyes narrowed. He was good. His gaze swept over your twenty-strong party – Tsunade, Olivia, Kaelen and his men, Akame, your new warriors. The briefest hesitation, a calculative pause, then he made his decision. Without a word, without acknowledging your presence, he shifted his trajectory, bypassing your formidable numbers, his focus unwavering on the simple hut ahead. He was no fool; a direct confrontation against such a force would be suicide. His target was clearly paramount.
"Tsunade," you murmured, your voice barely a whisper, but laced with urgency. "That man. He's the assassin. He's after the king's life. Make sure Ei Sei doesn't die. Secure him."
Inside the cramped hut, the air was thick with the weight of Shin's grief and his desperate questions. "Who are you?" Shin demanded, his voice cracking with a mixture of raw emotion. "What was Hyou involved in? Why was he here?" He pointed his sword at Ei Sei, demanding answers.
Ei Sei, despite the tense situation, maintained an air of calm authority. He raised a hand, not to silence Shin, but to acknowledge his own heightened senses. "Patience. I sense a presence…, outside."
His words hung in the air for only a fraction of a second. Then, with a horrifying CRASH, the very wall of the shack exploded inwards. Splintered wood and a shower of dust filled the air as a dark, lean figure hurtled through the gaping hole, a glinting blade aimed directly at Shin's throat. It was the assassin.
Shin, fueled by raw instinct and a newfound, desperate resolve, reacted with surprising speed. He threw himself backward, sprawling to the dirt floor, his crude sword clattering beside him. The assassin's blade, meant for his neck, bit harmlessly into the earth where Shin's head had been moments before.
Ei Sei, showing no fear, stepped forward. His expression was cool, regal, utterly resolute. "So, you've found me at last. After all this time."
The assassin straightened, a chilling, triumphant grin spreading across his face. He looked at Ei Sei, then at the scattered remains of the wall. "Indeed, Your Majesty. You are Ei Sei, the true King of Qin. My target."
Shin, picking himself up, stared at Ei Sei, then back at the assassin, a dawning horror on his face. "King? What are you talking about?! Hyou said…"
The assassin's grin widened, a cruel, mocking gesture. "And you, boy, are a loose end. A fool. But a useful one, perhaps. Did you know your friend Hyou was my handiwork? A body double, meant to die in your king's place, should the coup succeed. He played his part well."
Shin's face twisted, contorted by a mixture of shock, betrayal, and blinding fury. His breath hitched as the pieces clicked into place – Hyou's presence in the palace, his mission, his death. His friend, his dream, all a tragic deception. "Hyou… a double? You… you killed him! You killed Hyou!" His voice was a guttural snarl, tears of grief now mingling with unadulterated rage.
The assassin chuckled, a dry, grating sound. "A necessary sacrifice. And now, I offer you a choice, boy. Kill the king. Avenge your friend, in a way. Or die with him, an insignificant footnote in a grand scheme."
Shin's grip tightened on his crude sword, his knuckles white. His eyes, burning with a cold fire, fixed on the assassin. "I will kill you," he snarled, his voice trembling with the force of his emotion. "You're the one who took Hyou's life."
"Akame," you said, stepping beside the broken hut, your voice cutting through the tension. "He's yours. Make it quick."
Akame moved. No wasted motion, no dramatic flourish. She was a silent, black-clad blur, her blade a gleaming extension of her will. The assassin, though skilled, was instantly on the defensive. He parried her first strike, the clang of steel ringing sharply in the confines of the broken hut. He was fast, practiced, but Akame was a predator.
Their blades became a deadly dance. The assassin's style was aggressive, powerful, aiming to overwhelm. Akame, however, was precision personified. Her sword, the assassin's own weapon now, moved with chilling accuracy. She sought weaknesses, exploited openings with an almost preternatural intuition. The assassin gritted his teeth, his grins fading into grimaces of exertion as he was forced to block, parry, and retreat. He moved like a viper, attempting to strike from unexpected angles, but Akame moved like a ghost, flowing around his attacks, her counter-strikes appearing from nowhere. Each clash of steel echoed the vast difference in their training – raw power against honed, lethal art. Sweat beaded on the assassin's brow as he realized, with dawning horror, that he was fighting someone entirely out of his league.
Finally, with a swift, almost imperceptible shift of her weight, Akame created an opening. Her blade flickered, disarming the assassin with a sharp clang as his own sword flew from his grasp. He stumbled back, crashing to his knees, utterly defeated.
"Spare me!" he pleaded, his voice choked with fear, desperation replacing his earlier bravado. "Please! I have children! They'll become orphans if you kill me!" He began to clamber backward, fear-fueled adrenaline propelling him away from the silent, deadly woman. He misread Akame's stillness as a sign of mercy, or perhaps, your own intervention. "Thank you! Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Warrior!" he blubbered, his eyes wide with a desperate, pathetic relief.
But Akame showed no mercy. Before he could finish his grateful pleas, before his words even fully formed, she moved. In a single, fluid motion, her blade flashed. It was a swift, clean strike, the sound a wet thud. The assassin's head was removed from his body, falling to the dirt floor with a sickening finality. His body slumped, lifeless.
A collective gasp escaped from the onlookers, even from some of Kaelen's battle-hardened men. The sheer, unflinching ruthlessness of Akame's execution was stark. She cleaned her blade with a deliberate, unhurried motion, a flicker of something unreadable in her intense eyes. Then, she sheathed her sword. She bent, picking up the assassin's fallen blade, assessing it with a professional eye, and tucking it into her own gear.
While Akame was engaged in her deadly dance, you had turned to Kaelen, speaking in low tones amidst the chaos. "There will be many battles ahead, Kaelen. Good battles. Opportunities to defeat enemy officers, to win glory for your victories." You met his gaze, a hint of steel in your own. "Becoming a knight… it's not so far away now. For you, and for your men." You gestured to his five original warriors. "From now on, these five men will be assigned as pages. They are under your direct command." Kaelen's eyes gleamed with renewed purpose, a silent nod acknowledging the promotion and the promise.
With the immediate threat neutralized, you approached Ei Sei, who was now standing fully upright, observing the scene with a composed, regal air. "Your Majesty," you began, "we need to discuss these commissioned missions. My System tells me I was commissioned to help you reclaim your throne, a step towards unifying these warring states."
Ei Sei nodded, his gaze thoughtful, a hint of a smile touching his lips. "Indeed. A timely arrival, it seems. And a formidable ally you bring. But first…"
Note; add this kind of conversation here; alex to ei sei : to make sure we complete mission, we must ensure your safety. Kaelen and his men will be assigned as your guards. They will stick near you to make sure you are safe and alive.
Suddenly, Tsunade's hand shot out, grabbing your arm, her eyes wide, locked on the ground. "Something's coming. A lot of them. Too many." Her voice was tight with urgency. She knelt, pressing her ear to the dusty ground, her brow furrowed. "By their numbers, we won't be able to escape death if we face them head-on. Not here."
Shin, his grief momentarily overshadowed by the fresh threat, gripped his sword. "I won't let them take you, Your Majesty!" he declared, ready to fight despite the impossible odds.
Just as Shin and Ei Sei prepared to make a desperate, last-stand charge into the approaching storm of enemies, a strange figure materialized before them. It wasn't a teleportation, but a rapid, almost impossible leap from a hidden vantage point. The person was small, agile, with the distinctive, almost eerie features of an owl – wide, intelligent eyes, a beak-like nose, and feathers woven into their attire.
"I can help you," the owl-like figure said, their voice surprisingly smooth and clear, cutting through the rising tension. "I know of secret underground tunnels. They lead to safety. But they are not free. There will be a reward."
"Who are you?" Ei Sei asked, his hand instinctively going to his side, his regal composure unwavering even in the face of this bizarre new element.
"My name," the figure said, bowing slightly, an almost theatrical gesture, "is Ka Ryo Ten."
Shin and Ei Sei exchanged a look. The rumble of the approaching army was growing louder, shaking the very ground. Desperation was a potent motivator. They had no other choice.
"Lead the way, Ka Ryo Ten," Shin said, his voice grim, but resolute. "We'll follow."