The Slums / After Waking Up

At this moment, Hata no Kokoro sat quietly drinking tea, seemingly uninterested in anything. Indeed, for the current Hata no Kokoro, aside from her Master, Koizumi, there was probably nothing that could interest her.

"By the way, Seryu, did you see anything strange or interesting while patrolling today? Or... have you noticed anything unusual lately?" A strange glint flashed through Koizumi's eyes as he tested her with the question.

"Strange things..." Seryu frowned slightly and began recalling her patrol that day.

"Here, sit down and think while you drink some tea..." Reimu unusually poured Seryu a cup of tea and handed it to her.

That really was rare. Reimu could be so lazy that even when she wanted tea, she could not be bothered to make it herself.

Pouring tea for someone else was practically something Reimu would never do.

Koizumi could not help glancing at her. After handing over the tea, Reimu silently returned to her seat. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Strange... Had the sun risen in the west...? Koizumi did not dwell on it and continued looking at Seryu.

"There was nothing particularly strange. When I'm on patrol, I don't have that much time to worry about such things. I'm only responsible for disputes and disturbances to public order..." After thanking Reimu, Seryu answered Koizumi's question.

"But recently, the assassin organization that has been lurking in the Imperial Capital, Night Raid, has been very active. They specifically target wealthy nobles, so you all should be careful. If you ever need help, you can come find me at the Imperial Guard anytime. I'd be happy to help!"

He had to admit, the girl seemed pretty warmhearted. That was what Koizumi thought to himself.

After buying a few protective charms from Reimu, Seryu slipped away. Well, Koizumi finally understood Reimu's scheme.

She looked like she was warmly serving tea, but in reality, she just wanted the other party to buy a few charms from her.

After all, when someone personally served you tea and attended to you, it would be awkward not to buy something before leaving.

Heh... Koizumi had no desire to say anything about that.

But back to the point, an assassin organization? That alone did not give him any useful information.

After all, as for distortions, if he did not investigate carefully, merely staying here would probably tell him nothing.

"What is it? Are you concerned about that assassin organization Seryu mentioned, or are you troubled over your mission?"

Reimu slowly stepped forward and asked.

"Both. The first because I'm worried about trouble. If assassins come knocking to rob us or take advantage of you, I'll have to worry about whether you'll accidentally kill them. The second is a matter of principle. The mission has to be completed, or we'll have to stay here forever. And according to Yukari, there are two ways for the world to correct a distortion. One is for an agent to correct it. I count as an agent of the world, helping resolve these problems. But if the first method does not work, then the world will choose the second..."

Koizumi did not continue after that. He believed Reimu understood what he meant.

"Destroy... this parallel world..."

If it could not be guided back onto the proper path, then the only option was to completely eliminate this unnecessary possibility. That truly was something the world might do.

Thinking of what had happened in Gensokyo, Reimu's expression became somewhat unpleasant.

Although she appeared carefree, that land had been protected by her mother all along, yet it had actually...

Thinking that, Reimu could not help snorting coldly, a trace of displeasure flashing through her eyes.

Forget it. It was better not to think so much about it...

The Slums

By evening, Koizumi was walking slowly through the streets alone, looking rather lonely.

"Those two really are heartless..." Koizumi muttered to himself.

Dinner had been coming up, but neither of the girls had been willing to come out. Hata no Kokoro said she needed to watch over her mask shop, while Reimu said she was too lazy to leave and told him to bring food back. And so...

Koizumi walked out alone with an unusually heavy heart. They really were not afraid of him being suddenly attacked.

But then again, he had Command Seals. That was probably why they were not worried.

Thinking that, even Koizumi could only smile helplessly. Those Command Seals had given them an excuse to be lazy.

But then again, this Imperial Capital did not show any sign of a so-called distortion... So where exactly was this world's problem? Koizumi frowned slightly.

Before he knew it, Koizumi had wandered into the slums.

"Eh... How did I end up here..." Koizumi scratched his head, a troubled expression appearing on his face.

The slums of the Imperial Capital were undoubtedly not a place someone like Koizumi should visit. His clothes were not luxurious, but they certainly did not suit someone who belonged here. The people of the slums likely would not be very friendly toward someone like him.

Yet what surprised Koizumi slightly was that the gazes of those poor people contained mostly fear, with no hostility at all.

No, it was not that they had no hostility. They simply did not dare show any... It seemed they had already become numb to this kind of life.

They would not have such looks unless they were constantly oppressed like this. The poor had no rights in this world.

Thinking that, Koizumi sighed, his voice carrying a hint of melancholy.

At that moment, Koizumi felt a hand land on his shoulder, and his body immediately stiffened.

Slowly, Koizumi clenched his left hand. Faintly, the Command Seal on it gave off a weak red glow.

It could not be helped. Seryu had said earlier that assassin organizations often caused trouble in the Imperial Capital, and this was the slums. He was dressed so well... Well, relatively well. It would not be strange if he provoked public outrage.

"Hey! Who are you, kid? You don't dress like someone from the slums, so why did you come here?"

The voice sounded bold and straightforward. Though it carried a hint of vigilance, there was no hostility in it.

If she were an enemy, she would have attacked already instead of patting my shoulder and talking to me.

Thinking that, Koizumi decided the other party probably was not an enemy and instinctively relaxed a little.

Slowly, Koizumi turned around to face the person speaking to him. At the same time, a sharp glint flashed through his eyes.

She was a golden figure with beautiful blonde hair, golden eyes, and a pretty face that made Koizumi's eyes light up. He had not expected her to be such a beauty, with a lovely figure and a chest that stood in stark contrast to Reimu's...

Uh... Better not imagine any further. That would make Reimu seem far too pitiful.

"I was merely taking a walk and accidentally ended up here. Please go easy on me, beautiful lady..."

Speaking in that frivolous tone, Koizumi indirectly complimented the blonde beauty before him.

The blonde beauty instead burst into laughter and hooked Koizumi's head under her arm. No... It was more accurate to say she had clamped him down, though she apparently had no idea how bold and... uncomfortable that action was.

"You're quite honest, kid. You could tell at a glance that big sister here is beautiful. How about we go have some fun at a tavern nearby?" As she spoke, the blonde beauty dragged Koizumi toward the edge of the slums without caring whether he agreed.

"..." Let me say something, you big-breasted airhead!

Koizumi was smothered like that and could not say a single word, though to outsiders, it probably looked like he was getting quite the treat.

"Come to think of it, kid, what's your name? I'm Leone. What about you?"

After leaving the slums, the blonde beauty, Leone, finally released Koizumi and introduced herself with a smile.

"Cough, cough, cough..." Koizumi coughed several times before finally recovering.

"My name is Koizumi. Nice to meet you. But seriously, beautiful lady, you're way too open. That was practically letting people take advantage of you!"

Koizumi could not help complaining as he looked at her with a strange expression.

It was the truth. The way she acted was practically inviting people to take advantage of her, though the person doing so might get smothered to death. But then again, if someone got smothered to death like that, would that count as dying in bliss?

"Do people often tell you that you're too honest, kid?"

Hearing that, Leone also looked at Koizumi strangely. He had actually said it so directly.

"Sorry, no one has said that to me so far..."

Koizumi shrugged, looking bored.

"Forget it, don't think so much about it. Meeting is fate, and I happen to be looking for someone to drink with. Let's make a pair and go have a drink together!" Leone simply stopped caring and grabbed Koizumi, dragging him toward a tavern.

"Hey, hey, hey!!!!!"

Koizumi looked at her speechlessly. Had they really reached the point of drinking together just after meeting?

Although it was already evening, the taverns had not closed yet. But then again, there should usually be more people coming to drink at night, so nighttime was probably their busiest period.

Leone walked into one tavern as if she knew the place well and promptly ordered several bottles of alcohol.

Come to think of it, why did Koizumi feel that the owner was looking at him as though he were someone pitiful?

He truly could not figure out what was wrong. Leone just kept toasting him while pouring out all her grievances.

She talked about how the Imperial Capital's taxes were too heavy and how officials here and there were corrupt.

Watching her complain so freely, Koizumi could not help looking around.

Is it really okay for you to casually badmouth people like that? Are there no other Imperial officials in this tavern? If someone hears you, that could cause serious trouble! If you get into trouble, fine, but don't drag me into it!

Koizumi looked at her awkwardly. They had only just met, and being dragged into trouble over something so pointless was hard to accept. Besides, Seryu was a member of the Imperial Guard. If she found out about his affairs, it would probably be troublesome.

Though he had only just met Seryu, even Koizumi had roughly figured out her personality.

She possessed a strong sense of justice, but there was also a faint hint of distortion to it. Reimu had told him that.

Reimu had sensed that the justice Seryu advocated was somewhat twisted, perhaps mixed with some of her own personal feelings.

Getting back on track, Koizumi looked at Leone, who kept raising her glass to him, and could not help letting out a deep sigh.

It looked like he would not be getting back anytime soon.

After Waking Up

In a hazy state, Akame slowly woke up. Her crimson eyes gradually opened, and an unfamiliar ceiling came into view. In an instant, her vigilance rose sharply, and her right hand instinctively gripped the hilt of Murasame at her waist.

"Where is this? I..." Akame muttered, a trace of confusion flashing through her eyes.

She vaguely remembered fighting Esdeath and losing without surprise. At that time, Esdeath had truly intended to kill her, but... she seemed to be alive now. Could someone have saved her?

Though Akame relaxed somewhat at the thought, her hand gripping Murasame's hilt did not loosen.

Before she knew why the other party had saved her, she absolutely could not let down her guard. That was what Akame believed.

She still had a mission to complete. It would not be good if she failed here.

"Oh my... You're awake..." At that moment, a pleasant voice echoed through the surrounding space.

Judging from its tone, the speaker was likely a woman.

She could not see the other party at all, but she could hear her speaking. Did the other party possess invisibility?

Or perhaps an ability to transmit her voice through space, or an Imperial Arm? Akame had seen many Imperial Arms, but so far, she only knew that the Imperial Arm Dimensional Formation: Shangri-La was related to space. She knew nothing about the others. Could there really be an Imperial Arm like that? Or was it simply a special ability humans possessed?

Legend said the leader of the Peaceful Path Sect possessed the abilities to heal wounds, foresee the future, and see into people's hearts. Perhaps the other party was like that too, or perhaps... she was the same as Akame now?

"Who are you?" Akame asked calmly, without the slightest panic.

"Asking that... Even if I gave you my name, you would not know me. I can only say that I am not your enemy. After all, if I were, I would not have saved you at that time."

The woman spoke calmly, her tone carrying a hint of playfulness.

Hearing that, Akame relaxed slightly. Though she might have been trusting the woman's words too easily, based on Akame's judgment, the other party had no need to deceive her.

"If you are not my enemy, why not show yourself? Why hide in the dark instead?"

Even though she had relaxed, Akame did not completely trust the other party. After all, she had not appeared at all.

The fact that she continued hiding herself meant she was the type accustomed to concealing herself, which only made Akame more uneasy.

As the saying went, it was easy to dodge an open spear but hard to guard against an arrow shot from the shadows, was it not? Even if she was not an enemy, getting set up would still feel awful.

"It can't be helped..." The owner of the voice seemed helpless, and it was easy to hear from her tone. "This world should originally have been under my control, but that damned person used some method to forcibly seize control of it. Not only that, I have to hide myself to prevent him from noticing my existence. Once I formally appear in this world, he will probably notice me instantly and become wary."

"I am the only existence capable of competing with him for control over this world. If he discovers me, that man will likely mobilize everything he has. At the very least, I cannot let him discover my existence before that person notices this world."

"That person?" Akame frowned slightly. What did she mean by that?

"Please immediately search for someone named Koizumi. He is the reason I appeared here. I had originally been sleeping within his body, but the crisis in this world and his appearance triggered a chain reaction that caused me to manifest here. Find him, and you will understand why you appeared as well as what exactly happened to this world."

After saying that, the voice slowly faded from the air.

Akame furrowed her brows, and the hand gripping Murasame slowly lowered.

"Koizumi... Is that so... I'll trust you for now. And honestly, I don't have any particular objective at the moment. I have no idea where Kurome is either. It seems I can only act according to what she said."

With that, Akame immediately opened the door and discovered that the small house stood deep within the mountains and wilderness.

Glancing around, Akame could not help revealing a bitter smile.

"This really does feel somewhat nostalgic."

Shaking her head, she tried to throw all those thoughts to the back of her mind. The next moment, Akame seemed to turn into a bolt of lightning as she raced in a certain direction.

"Hey, kid, wake up..."

Faintly, Koizumi seemed to hear someone calling beside his ear. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

Only then did he realize he was lying face-down on a dining table in an inn, with nothing on the table.

"How did I end up here?" Koizumi rubbed his forehead, vaguely feeling a throbbing pain in his head.