Hi there. My name is Marcel and I´m the author of this story.
Even though I´m new to this kind of writing, I hope you enjoy it.
It´s a composition of parts of the Manga/Anime, other ``Akame ga kill´´- fanfics and my own ideas.
I´d only like to give you the following information before reading:
1) Italics mean that those lines are thoughts/dreams.
2) Single words written with big/cursive letters in one sentence mean they are emphasized.
With this in mind, please enjoy ;)

DISCLAIMER:
I DON´T OWN ANY RIGHTS TO THE "AKAME GA KILL"-FRANCHISE. THE MANGA WAS WRITTEN BY TAKAHIRO AND ILLUSTRATED BY TETSUYA TASHIRO.
THIS FANFIC HAS NOT BEEN WRITTEN FOR PROFIT!
IT MAY CONTAINS SPOILER!
IT´LL INCLUDE BRUTAL CONSIDERED SCENES!

Chapter 1: Kill the Inequity (Part 1)

The battle had reached its peak; the sound of clashing steel filled the environment. Orders were barked by the enemy and screams of agony and pain could mix with the sounds of war. The bodies littered the ground each covered with a thick layer of ice and snow.

The brown-haired teenager pushed forward, sword in hand, and hacked at his opponent with murderous intent. He knew the blue-haired General would sit back and watch, as she had done before. The boy knew she enjoyed it way too much.

He knew only one could walk away from this fight; he feared it wouldn't be him. The outcome looked grim. He felt the fear of failing his friends and village. But more than that he felt the fear of failing his dead comerades and his own oath!
A final strike; blood poured in a crimson fountain, dyeing both enemies in its colour.
When he fell to his knees, all he heard was silence...

Two months ago

After years of training, their hard work would pay off; the day to leave their village had come at last. Tatsumi and his two friends would be able to go to the Capital and save their village. He was sure that Ieyasu, Sayo, and he would rise into high military positions in no time. The money they would earn could save the poor village and give their families and friends comfortable lives in the cold lands far north of the Imperial city. Nobody would have to starve anymore. Though teary goodbyes had been exchanged, he looked forward to their adventure in excitement.

Alltogether they were well equipped for the month-long journey. Each of them wore brown ankle-high leather-boots, which were cut out for hiking, climbing and fighting. The village elder had three cloaks made of fur; one for each of them. Worn over their normal clothes, those should keep them warm and protect them against snow, wind and rain. Additionally, each of them had gotten a newly forged iron short-sword and a newly manufactured hunting knife as well as five silver coins.

Tatsumi adjusted the straps of his pack and grinned with excitement.
`With this equipment and our skill we should be able to reach the Capital easily. We´ll enlist and climb by the ranks to officers in no time.
I can´t wait-´

``Tatsumi!´´
His friends had to shout in unison for him to notice.

Tatsumi jumped, startled.
``What´s the matter. You two just scared the hell out of me!´´

``Sorry,´´ answered Ieyasu. The boy with black spiky hair and a white headband laughed.
``But you didn´t respond. I tried talking to you, but you seemed to be absentminded. What were you thinking about?´´

``Just about what we´ll do if we reach the Capital,´´ Tatsumi answered enthusiastically.
Sayo and Ieyasu couldn´t help but to giggle at this answer.

``What´s so funny?´´ Tatsumi asked, a bit annoyed. He didn´t understand their amusement at all.

``Stop worrying so much, we just started our journey. We still have to travel for about a month to reach the Capital. We can think about those things when we´re there. For now let´s enjoy our trip,´´ Sayo, a girl with beautiful long black hair, responded with a snicker.

``Well, I think you´re right,´´ Tatsumi started to chuckle himself. He was happy that his friends accompanied him. He knew they were great fighters, too.

He liked Sayo´s calm nature - it put him at ease - as well as Ieyasu´s psyched up but sometimes clumsy nature, which would excite him as well.
They were a great trio, cancelling out each other´s flaws. They all knew that for sure.
So they continued their journey.

Three weeks later

While traveling South, drawing closer and closer to the Capital, they stopped at villages taking requests for difficult tasks in exchange for payment.

Thanks to their training they had no problem fighting Danger Beasts or bandits.
They earned quite a bit of silver on their way, which they saved for when they would reach the Capital.

In fact, they were earning some more right now.

``Sayo, Ieyasu distract it!´´
While shouting, Tatsumi ran towards the right side of the big lizard-like creature they had found about a minute ago.

``Alright Tatsumi!´´ they shouted in unison.

As planned, the Danger Beast focused on those two when they struck its gigantic, well-armored jaw over and over with their swords.

Right when they pulled back, the creature which was as big as a house, launched forward incredibly fast, although something that big should have no business moving that quickly. It tried swallowing them whole, but when it bit down, to its surprise, neither Sayo nor Ieyasu were there. Both dashed away from its closing maw, missing them by mere inches. The beast reared back, confused. It tried to figure out what had happened, but its hesitation sealed its fate.

Tatsumi slipped under its belly and pushed his sword into its guts, making it scream in agony. In a desperate attempt to avoid death, the beast stumbled to the right, only widening its wound. Tatsumi pulled out his sword and rolled to the side as fast as he could. Its green blood poured down and coloured the earth below in a poisonous tint. Its eyes rolled back and it collapsed dead on the ground.

Tatsumi shook off the blood on his sword and attached it back on his back, as Sayo and Ieyasu walked over to him.

``So this was the cause of the disappearance of the people in the forest,´´ Sayo stated calmly while kicking the remains of the dead Danger Beast.

``Seems so,´´ Ieyaso confirmed with a nod.

``We can´t bring this thing to the villagers; it´s too heavy and too big to transport! If they want proof, we´ll have to bring them here. They can decide what to do with the carcass.´´
Tatsumi scratched his head while looking to his friends.

Since they had done their work, they agreed on heading back to the village and collecting their payment.

`This should have been our last job, before reaching the Capital. We´re already in its direct outskirts. We should reach it by tomorrow evening, if we go a steady pace. After we get our payment we should-´
Tatsumi´s toughts were put to an abrupt end as an arrow passed his face by mere inches.
He had been so deep in thought that he hadn´t noticed the arrow as it soared out of the bushes.

``Aaaahhhh!´´
Sayo screamed out in pain, the arrow sticking out of her right shoulder.

Tatsumi turned his head in an instant.
``Sayo are you-´´
He couldn´t even finish this sentence, when a second arrow was launched out of the bushes.

``Aaaahhhh!´´
Trying to protect the already hurt Sayo, Ieyasu jumped in front of her with his sword drawn and slashed at the arrow.
But it was to fast to be deflected. Before he could hit it, it already buried itself into his belly.

``Ieyasu!´´
Tatsumi screamed out in horror. But before he could do anything, he got a hard blow to the back of his head that instantly caused him to pass out.

When he started to come to his senses, he felt a throbbing pain at the back of his head. He decided to let his eyelids remain closed until the pain would fade.
He could barely remember what had happened. The only thing he could remember was the three of them completing a request and being on their way back.

`Sayo, Ieyasu!´
The thought shot right through his head, causing the pain to grow. Even so, he instantly opened his eyes. He was placed on the ground face-down. He turned his head as much as possible, but he couldn´t see anybody. He wanted to take his sword, but it was gone, as well as his cloak and the small bag filled with their hard-earned silver.

`We were attacked by bandits!´
Tatsumi felt his stomach drop at the realization; he had to find his friends as soon as possible.
Then he heard it, someone coughed near him. Still in pain, he slowly stood up, feeling the sickness caused by the hit. But he ignored it. He slowly went in the direction the cough came from, only to find a heavily wounded Ieyasu leaning at a tree, caressing a seemingly sleeping Sayo, with her head on his lap. What made him worry more than Ieyasu´s deep wound, were his swollen, red eyes and the snot leaking out of his nose.

``Ieyasu, thank god you´re ok! What´s the matter? Are you in that much pain?´´ Tatsumi asked while looking at his friend with a concerned expression.

``You don´t get it, do you?´´
Ieyasu answered with a weak voice.
Hearing this, Tatsumi instantly narrowed his eyes to a slit, looking at both of them more intensely. As he noticed it, he took a deep breath and his eyes widened, tears starting to stream, Sayo wasn´t breathing!

``What happened?´´ Tatsumi blubbered out.

``After they knocked you out, they took everything valuable from us. When they got to Sayo, they took her cloak, and-´´
Ieyasu nearly vomited while trying to go on.

``What? What? Tell me! What did they do?!´´
Tatsumi screamed louder and louder.

``I ... can´t; it´s ... too much!´´
Ieyasu´s voice wavered, the physical and mental pain evident as he tried to speak.

``What?´´
Tatsumi spat the word out, desperation taking root.

``T-Th-They r-ra-raped her! And w-when s-she started crying and pleading, t-they ch-choked her t-to death!´´
Ieyasu tried to hold back his tears with every last ounce of strength. Tatsumi just stood there in shock, he couldn´t believe what he had heard. What did Sayo do to deserve this kind of death?! He started to cry like a small child and so did Ieyasu. Tatsumi only stopped when Ieyasu started to cough extremly hard, spitting out a mix of salvia and his own blood as a result.

``Ieyasu!´´
Tatsumi knelt down next to his friend with a look of despair and disbelief.

``I´m sorry... Tatsumi. They... got me... pretty hard.´´
Tears appeared in Ieyasu´s eyes again.

``No, I won´t let that happen! I already lost Sayo, I won´t lose you too!´´ Tatsumi said, still crying.

``I´m ... afraid ... it´s too... it´s too... it´s-´´
Ieyasu slowly closed his tear-filled red eyes.

``Ieyasu? Ieyasu?!´´
Tatsumi couldn´t stand anymore; he hugged Ieyasu´s corpse, crying in agony.
Both of his friends had just died. But him? He couldn´t do anything about it! How could he save his village, when he was this weak?!
He simply knelt there, next to the corpses of his former friends, crying and screaming in rage and misery.

A day later

Tatsumi had cried until the tears wouldn´t come out anymore. It was just impossible for his body to produce more of them.
His eyes were red and swollen; his cheeks showed signs of the tears pouring down in salty lines, until they dropped down to the earth from his chin.
His knees were chafed. He wanted to mourn their deaths more, but he couldn´t. Feeling cold and weakened from hunger and thirst he stood up.
He knew that he couldn´t bury their corpses here, but he couldn´t let them be either. So he took the only possibility and carried them.
Without thinking anything, he carried them on and on. He didn´t rest or even halt. He carried them, until he noticed that he had reached the marketplace of the small village they stopped by the other day.
He must have brought them here subconsciously.
The villagers gathered around this disturbing sight. The elder came forward and started speaking to Tatsumi, who hardly took in his surroundings.

``What happened boy?´´ the elder asked with a concerned voice. He had noticed that something was off.
When he got no answer, the elder reached out for Tatsumi´s arm slowly. Only when he touched Tatsumi´s elbow did the latter snap out of his state.

The elder tried again.
``What happened boy?´´

``We found and killed the Danger Beast responsible for the disappearance of your fellow villagers.´´
Tatsumi spoke with a voice full of sorrow, causing all the people nearby to pity him.

``They died fighting the Beast?´´ the elder did want to know.

``No. We were on our way back to tell you that we achieved our goal, when we were attacked by bandits. My friends got hit by arrows and died from their wounds. I survived because they knocked me out from behind!´´
Tatsumi left out the part about speaking to Ieyasu one last time and about the true cause of Sayo´s death. He didn´t want to frighten and disturb the villagers.
The Danger Beast was gone and the bandits had most likely run away.
``When I woke up, I found their bodies, and I grieved for them for about a day. I couldn´t bury them there, but I didn´t want to do nothing either. Please allow me to bury them here!´´

The elder nodded. He felt responsible for their deaths since he sent them out on the village´s behalf. He thought this was the least he could do.
After they had cleaned the corpses, they had shrouded them in fine silk-clothes and buried them in the nicest spot of their cemetery, a small hummock covered with flowers of all colours. They placed a gravestone on the hill, reminding everyone about their deed, which saved more villagers from dying.

Being finished with the burial, the villagers brought food to Tatsumi and gave him a place to rest. At first Tatsumi was unable to take a bite or even to sip from his water. He couldn´t rest either. But after nearly two days without something to drink or eat, his body was weakened.
At some point his instincts told him to survive and he started to brace himself. Afterwards, he was taken by a deep slumber.

The three of them sat around a fire, broiling the meat of a deer they had killed before. Everyone looked at the meat with hungry eyes.
``How are you doing, Tatsumi?´´ Sayo asked suddenly.

``Fine! Why?´´
Tatsumi replied with a confused expression.

``Isn´t it obvious?´´
Sayo looked at him with an expression of concern.

Tatsumi tried to think of a reason, but he couldn´t find one.
``No!´´

``She asked because you couldn´t say goodbye to her when she died. Not to mention, I died in your arms. We knew you for ages! There is no doubt that you couldn´t possibly be able to handle that!´´ Ieyasu answered for her.

``Stop making weird jokes. You´re sitting beside me right now. How could we talk if you were dead?´´
Tatsumi didn´t know why the would make weird jokes like that, but it annoyed him.

``You´re dreaming, Tatsumi!´´ they said in unison.

``Stop messing with me!´´ shouted Tatsumi. Their joke made him pretty angry.

``We´re not messing with you! Don´t you remember? We both died after the bandits attacked us. You mourned our deaths for about a day, before you carried our corpses back to the last village we visited together. You begged them to bury us and helped them creating a grave and a memorial. After that, you went into a small hut and tried to strengthen yourself,´´ Sayo summarized what had happened.

``You weren´t able to, until your instincts took over and your body urged you to survive! After eating and drinking something, you fell deep asleep, and here we are!´´ Ieyasu added with a smile.

After hearing this, Tatsumi began to remember anything. Everything they said was right! He started panicking, what caused him to hyperventilate. Tears filled the corner of his eyes. His voice became desperate and full of sorrow. He wanted to repress his memories again, like he had before.
``No, no, no, it´s not true!´´

``It is!´´ they said, giving him no chance to do so.

``Why? Why did I survive, while you died?! We should have died together!´´
Tatsumi was unable to control his emotions any longer.
He snapped out of it when Sayo slapped him hard across the face.

``Don´t you dare to think something like that! Everything has its reason and everyone has a purpose. Since we died, it´s your purpose to save our village!´´ Sayo stated.

``But, am I cut out for this?´´
Tatsumi still doubted himself.

``Yes, you are,´´ Ieyasu laughed.
``You always were the best fighter out of us three. Whatever you wanted us to do, we did it! We never doubted your decisions, because we knew that they were the best possible. It´s true, even if you never recognized it yourself.´´

Sayo only nodded.

``But I wasn´t able to protect you!´´
Tears filled the corner of Tatsumi´s eyes again.

``There was nothing you could have done back then! It was the fault of everyone! We were all too careless!´´ Ieyasu replied.

``But I don´t want to lose anyone else in the future!´´
Tatsumi knew that he couldn´t stand to lose another person dear to him.

``Then become stronger! Use this incident as trigger to get stronger! Train hard and become able to fulfill your goals! Repeat this after me: I will become stronger and protect the weak!´´ demanded Sayo.

``I will become stronger and protect the weak!´´
Tatsumi repeated the sentence barely loud enough for Sayo to hear it.

``Louder!´´
Sayo did everything she could to encourage Tatsumi.

Tatsumi´s voice thundered in the darkness.
``I will become stronger and protect the weak!´´

``Put more vigor to it!´´
Sayo still didn´t feel satisfied.

Again Tatsumi´s voice went stronger.
``I will become stronger and protect the weak!´´

``SCREAM IT WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT!´´
Sayo knew it worked. She shouted at Tatsumi as loudly as possible.

``I WILL BECOME STRONGER AND PROTECT THE WEAK!´´
Tatsumi roared with everything he had while tightening his fingers to fists. Finally, he had his self-confidence back.

``GOOD! If you´ll ever need us, we´ll be right here in your dreams.´´
Sayo´s voice went back to her soft tone again. She knew the time to part ways had come and smiled at Tatsumi.
``But now: Wake up and continue to grow stronger!´´
Tatsumi hugged Sayo one last time and gave Ieyasu one last high five; then he parted from his friends and his view went black.

The next morning

``Did you get enough rest?´´ the elder asked with true concern, but was also a bit surprised.
He had planned on cheering the boy up, but when he had entered the hut, Tatsumi had already been awake and done his morning-exercises. This boy didn´t look at all like the mental and physical wreck that had entered the village the day before.

``Yes I did!´´
Tatsumi replied full of newly found enthusiasm.

``That´s good! Look boy, I talked to the villagers last evening and we agreed that you can stay here, if you want. If you´d like to, we would be happy to build you your own hut, or if you want to travel to some special place, our blacksmith agreed to make you a new sword. Some of us would accompany you, until you reach your destination,´´ the elder offered with genuine kindness.

``Thank you for your offer, but you have already helped me enough. Sayo and Ieyasu are buried in a nice and save place. I don´t have to worry about that matter anymore. Indeed, I´d like to continue my journey. I have to go to the Capital and earn enough money to save my own village. Since I only need one day more to reach the Capital, I should be able to go by myself. But if you could give me a sword and the payment we had agreed on for killing the Danger Beast a few days before, it would come in handy and I would be very grateful.´´
While speaking, Tatsumi had finished his exercises. He wiped off the sweat of his bare upper body and looked at the elder with determined eyes.

The elder nodded. He didn´t know what it was that had changed the boy overnight, but he did know for sure that he couldn´t persuade the boy to stay.
They brought Tatsumi a small brown leather-bag with a shoulder strap, a small clay bottle filled with water, a few strings of dried meat and a sword, as well as a small pouch filled with silver coins.
Before he left, the villagers gathered around Tatsumi and wished him a safe trip and that he would be able to achieve his goal.

``Someday I´ll repay you for your kindness!´´
Tatsumi turned around and started walking towards south, toward the Capital.
He turned around one last time and waved the villagers goodbye before he disappeared out of their view behind a small hill.

Tatsumi went at a steady pase. He wanted to reach the Capital by the evening. Around noon he had gone half of the way.
After resting for a short period of time he continued on his way, but now something was off. He had a feeling that somebody or something was watching him.

He didn´t know for sure, but this time, he wouldn´t let himself be distracted by his own thoughts.
He continued walking like before, since he didn´t want his observer to pull back, but he paid attention to every noise and movement around him.

Thanks to this, he heard when an arrow was launched behind him. He turned around on the spot and drew his sword out of its sheath attached to his back, and with a fluent movement of his right arm, he cut the incoming arrow in half. A second arrow was launched instantly, but it was no obstacle. He cut it down like the first one.

``Seems like it isn´t working this time. And I thought I could avoid a direct fight again.´´
A voice from shadows called out in annoyance.
A man about 1.98 meters tall walked out of the bushes to Tatsumi´s right, followed by two men nearly the same size. Tatsumi, who was just about 1.65 meters tall, had to look up to see their faces.
They were covered with dirt and scars. Their heads were swathed in big linen clothes, helping them against the warmth of the day, as well as the cold of the night. Most of their teeth were rotten; a few were even missing some. They all had big, muscular bodies, covered with old, dirty clothes full of holes. Their brown pants were worn out and ended in fringes. They all wore already worn out shoes.

``You can come out, Stan!´´
After the tall man, seemingly the leader, said this, a fourth man walked over to them, carrying a bow and a few arrows inside a leather-bag, which was attached to his hip. He looked just like the other men.

``Hey boy, we don´t intent to kill you. If we´d wanted do it, we´d have done it at our last meeting.´´
The leader paused to let out a small chuckle.
``So if you give us all your belongings, we´ll let you live this time too.´´
Again he laughed.

``You said you don´t wish to fight or kill me, but you were the ones that killed my friends last time, weren´t you!´´ Tatsumi said gritting his teeth.
His voice was full of anger and hatred towards the four men.

``Watch your mouth boy! We only wounded them! We didn´t kill them! Or at least, we didn´t kill the boy! And if the small bitch would have enjoyed my present as much as I had, instead of screaming and whining in my ears and pleading me to stop, there wouldn´t have been a need to shut her up!´´
The men laughed.
``She should have been happy and thankful! I mean she got a real man for her first time!´´
The men laughed again, ignoring Tatsumi´s facial expression, that had turned into pure hate and rage.
``That meeting was so nice! I wish the girl would be here right n-´´
His sentence was disrupted, when an upwards directed sword slash swiftly decapitated him. A fountain of blood shot into the air.

Tatsumi did no longer stand in the middle of the four men, but behind the headless leader, whose body fell to the ground.
Seeing this, the two men that stood behind the leader attacked with drawn swords. They wanted him to pay for what he did. But Tatsumi was prepared. His eyes had turned dull; no thoughts crossed his mind.
He parried the downwards slash from the man on the left with his sword, kicking him in the stomach afterwards. The second man raised his sword with both arms, aiming to cut Tatsumi in half. But Tatsumi sprung back and let the man strike into the ground, where he had stood a moment before.
With another swift slash, he cut off both of the man´s hands, still holding the sword. The bandit cried in pain and fell to his knees, only to become the second one to be decapitated.
The first man, watching his second comerade die, got back to his feet, still feeling the pain in his stomach and launched forward. But before he could react, Tatsumi was right in front of him and impaled him on his sword.
Seeing this display of brute force, the archer decided to run for his life. But Tatsumi was faster, cutting off his left leg. The man fell to the ground with a scream of agony. He started begging for his life while crying.
``Please; don´t do i-´´
He didn´t finish his sentence, when Tatsumi drove his sword into the man´s head.

He didn´t know what had happened, but when he came back to his senses, the four bandits were massacred.
Tatsumi was still holding his sword, covered in blood. He looked at what he had done, but he couldn´t feel sorry for this trash.
Nevertheless, he swore to himself that he would learn to control his emotions better.
He shook off the blood of his sword, attached it back on his back, turned around and walked on, like nothing has happened before, leaving the corpses to rot in the burning sun.

In the late afternoon

Tatsumi was stunned. He stood on a hill, making it possible to oversee a part of the Capital, that covered roughly 200,000 square kilometers.
It was the first time in his life, he saw something that impressive.
A white wall, that seemed to be at least 120 meters high, surrounded a wide amount of cottages and houses. There were buildings of each colour, height and length. Some looked rather cheap, some very expensive. The big streets and small alleys leading through the city could only be reached by entering the city through one of the four big gates that were each placed in Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern direction. They were twice as high as wide, with a height of about 24 meters.
Each gate was guarded by at least 20 soldiers at a time.

He could see the palace on the horizon, which was built right in the center of the Capital. It was by far the biggest and highest, as well as the most extravagant looking building in the whole Capital. It was surrounded by its own walls, being nearly twice as high as the outer walls. Nevertheless, its green coloured roofs peeked out over them. Its single gate was only half of the size of the gates of the outer wall, but was secured by thrice as many men as an outer gate.
The different towers of the palace, that still loomed over the wall, were connected to each other as well as to the main building via bridges.
The villas to its base had to be the different homes of the highest nobility as well as the highest military leaders.
Still impressed, Tatsumi started to walk towards the Northern gate, ready to start a new chapter of his life in the Capital.
After twenty more minutes, Tatsumi had finally reached the Northern gate.

``Where are you heading?´´
A tall guard in a shining silver armour approached Tatsumi, when he was about to enter.

``Me?´´ Tatsumi asked, pointing at himself with a slightly anxious expression.

``Yes!´´
The guard stood right in front of Tatsumi now, giving him a determined glare.

``I´m coming from the Northern border. I want to enlist myself in the army,´´ Tatsumi said a little sheepishly.
In the meantime the guard checked his bag and his sword for a few moments.

``You are free to go! Follow this street and you´ll reach the recruitment office directly!´´
The guard turned around and stepped back to his former position.
Still a bit meek, Tatsumi finally entered the Capital, following the main street, the guard had pointed out earlier.

A hour later

``Finally, I´ve made it. To think that I would walk past the office and have to go half of the way back,´´ Tatsumi said to himself while letting out a sigh.
`Not that it matters. I´ll just have to go inside and enlist myself. Sayo, Ieyasu, I´ll make sure that our village will be saved!´

Tatsumi went inside. The building was much bigger than it seemed from the outside. Around ten desks were placed in two rows. Five in each, standing parallel to one another. Behind the desks sat the recruitment-officers taking care of the people that wanted to enlist. Tatsumi waited for his turn. When another recruit finally left, he went straight to the desk.

``What do you want?´´ the black-haired officer asked with an uninterested voice, not looking up from his files.

``I´d like to enlist in the army!´´ Tatsumi answered enthusiastically.

``Ok. Sign here and you´ll start as a recruit.´´
The officer looked up from the files and reached Tatsumi a form.

``I´d like to start higher as that if possible, Sir!´´
Tatsumi wasn´t able to hide his disappointment. The officer didn´t even bother to test his abilities.

``Do you think you´re something better than the other recruits?´´ the officer asked with a harsh voice.

``By no means, Sir!´´
Tatsumi tried his hardest to calm the officer down.
``I just need to earn money for my village. As a grunt I wouldn´t be able to earn enough.´´

``You can sign this or you can leave! Since many people want to enlist, there is no other option!´´
The officer couldn´t hide his annoyance anymore.

``Please give me a chance! I would do anything! I even would clean barracks for the next ten years, if I could just earn more money!´´
Tatsumi pleaded like he wanted an enemy to spare his life. He even bowed before the officer. He didn´t notice his voice growing louder with each word, getting the attention of the other people in the building.

`Enough is enough! I´ll kick that annoying brat out of here!´
Just when the officer was about to go through with his thoughts, he noticed the faces of his colleagues on the other desks, looking at him as pleading as the boy´s face.
`No way! They´re on his side?! If I kick him out now, they could report me to the boss for any reason one day! That could cost me my job! Damn brat! Creating such a situation! What should I do?!´

Right at this moment he noticed a file, which was placed on the corner of his desk. He knew it too well. It was a request for reinforcements to the army stationed in the North under HER command. A devilish grin showed on his face, that the still pleading Tatsumi didn´t notice.
`I´ll make this boy learn the lesson of his life! Trying to guilt-trip me. Pah! On the other side my colleagues will be pleased with me being so `generous´ towards him and I will make a better quota. It shouldn´t be a problem that the files are already heading north with a messenger since yesterday. 200 men are better than 199 after all!´

He tried to assume a look of concern and innocence, that seemed as genuine as it could, and said with a now convinced sounding tone:
``Ok. You´ve persuaded me. I´ll offer you a better position.´´

``Really?!´´
Tatsumi´s eyes widened in surprise. He couldn´t believe that he was able to change the officer´s mind.

``Yes, really.´´
The officer looked around for a second. His colleagues seemed pleased by his `kindness´ and turned back to their own work.

``What is it?´´ Tasumi asked with a mix of skepticism and excitement. He was happy to get an assignment, but he couldn´t imagine what kind of assignment.

``You´ll be assigned to one of the Empires frontlines!´´ the officer responded with a cheering tone.

``Already, without training?´´
Tatsumi was surprised the officer would change his mind that fundamentally.

``It´s an urgent request; you´ll head to the North this evening!´´ the officer answered, trying to scatter Tatsumi´s doubts.

``The North! I have to return already?!´´ Tatsumi said with a look of disappointment.

``You´ll be part of a caravan with supplies. I think this will be much faster and easier than your way to the Capital. Besides it´s the only offer; take it or leave it!´´ The officer´s voice hardened again. He knew he had lured Tatsumi in his trap. Soon this brat would be gone.

``I´ll take it!´´
The boy gave the awaited answer instantly. The officer had to smile.

``Then sign here!´´
He gave Tatsumi another sheet and a pen.

``But-´´ Tatsumi started with a thoughtful tone.

`Damn it! How pestering can this brat be!´
The officer tried his hardest to pull off his masquerade until the end.

``-what about the payment?´´
Tatsumi had to make sure he would earn enough to help his village.

The officer pointed on a lable on the sheet; it said 60%.
``I thought you would ask this question! It´s simple! As foot soldier your weekly payment increases with the risk percentage of your assigned mission. A risk up to 10% means 20 silver pieces, one up to 20% means 30, one up to 30% means 40 and so on. This post is labeled 60%! That means you´ll earn 70 silver pieces a week. Making it 280 within a month.´´

``And if I die?´´
Tatsumi didn´t want to think about this possibility, but if he did want to save his village, he would have to know about the worst case.

With a compassionate look the officer placed another sheet in front of Tatsumi.
``On this sheet you can list your benefactor and their address. In case of death the money you have earned up until then will be doubled and sent to them. After one month for example it would be 560 silver pieces!´´

``That could be enough to help my village!´´
With these words Tatsumi signed up on both sheets.

`Where you are going, it won´t matter for you! You won´t last a week!´
While thinking this the officer had to restrain from grinning.
``Congratulations and welcome to the Empire´s army!´´ he said with an encouraging voice.

`I made it Sayo, Ieyasu! I´ll be able to help our families and friends!´
The thoughts of his friends crossed Tatsumi´s mind. He knew they would be proud of him. ``Thank you very much, Sir!´´ Tatsumi bowed again.

``No problem! But now we´ve to hurry! The convoy won´t wait for you and you still need your equippment!´´
The officer took an empty paper and hastily wrote down something.
``With this requisition order you´ll get your uniform from the quartermaster. You´ll find him half the way back to the Northern gate. From there the convoy will be departing in about two hours. You should hurry!´´

``Thank you!´´
Tatsumi bowed one last time. Then he turned around and went straight out of the building.

The officer chuckled.
`Finally this pest is gone! And for me all has worked out. Sorry kid, but it´s your fault for trying to mess with me! If you are not killed by Danger Beasts, then by Northerners! Or far worse than death: SHE will have HER way with you!´
Thinking about this last possibility, even the cold-hearted officer felt some sympathy for Tatsumi, while he shivered in fear.
`Let´s hope you´re not that unlucky, brat. Let´s hope that you won´t give this crazy psychopath a reason to lay her focus on you!
Nobody deserves HER treatment!´

Tatsumi didn´t know about anything of this. On his way to the quartermaster he could just think about helping his village.
He knew that this assignment would change his future, but even he couldn´t have imagined its true meaning for him at that time!
And so he went on to follow his purpose without looking back.

Last but not least my first chapter is finished. I hope you liked it.
At this point I´d like to thank/mention a few people:
Thanks to ``Real Personal Trooper Type-0´´ for his permission to use the basic idea of his story and to ``thedog318´´ for his permission to use some of his story´s gadgets. Both of their ``Akame ga kill´´- fanfics inspired me to write my own.
But the biggest gratitude goes to ``InDeathWeLaugh´´ and ``Love reading 3.14´´ for supporting this story from the scratch. Thanks to their support and especially their Beta-reading I think this story became quite good for a first try :)
I hope ``InDeathWeLaugh´´ will update his ``Akame ga kill´´- fanfic soon ;)
Finally I´d like to thank my friends who encouraged me to write and publish my own fanfic.

Feel free to follow, ask questions or make reviews. All that will help me to improve and write even more enjoyable stories :)
Feel free to contact me via PM. I will try to read and answer/consider all questions/reviews.
Constructive criticism isn´t only alleowed but requested ;)

Since I´m a student myself, I´ll probably need about a month for the next chapter, but I will try my best to finish it earlier.
So have a nice time and fun until then and keep reading and enjoying the fanfics you like ;)

Marcel M