3 Chapter 3: Save the Reunion

Beta read by Shigiya and Paragon of Awesomeness.

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-The Capital-

She still remembered that fateful day as clearly as possible; every single detail, from the orders her father received from the Royal Palace to investigate a settlement near the northern wastes. A place she heard snowed heavily for almost the entire year with little to no sun, though still close enough to experience a more sunny climate for a single month or two. 

Her father spoke about this place before, Wolfrod, a small livestock village where they mainly dealt with hunting animals and weak Danger Beasts that barely reached class four, before selling them off to passing caravans or the Empire directly. They hardly needed any aid from soldiers to fend off the occasional small group of bandits, due to the harsh environment and their own capable hunters on top of them having almost nothing even worth stealing in the first place. 

At one point, Najenda asked her father to take her to that region after she finished her academic education. She wanted to gain some experience on survieing in the frigid wilderness, something beyond the simple basics that were taught in class and a similar ordeal to what the newcomer prodigy in the academy had supposedly grown up in. Rumored to be the sole survivor of a clan from the northern frontiers, much further north than Wolfrod, where living conditions were much harsher, where class one Danger Beasts were common, and even some Special Class Danger beasts were rumored to still live somewhere in that region.

A few of her friends joked that she was an upcoming rival, and would land a similar position in the military to wherever Najenda herself would be placed. Which in itself impressed her, as unlike her the new girl didn't have her family's existing legacy of numerous high-ranked and distinguished generals in the army adding weight to her reputation. 

"Lady Najenda," pushed out of her inner thoughts, the young silver-haired girl closed her notes to find a maid standing near the door. Her posture was respectful as usual as she bowed, a gesture Najenda was indifferent to. "General Nagumo has returned from his duties, and requests your presence at once." 

"So soon?" He came back earlier than she anticipated, returning less than two weeks since he set out with his men. Just the travel to the northern regions took at least three days for a single rider — to say nothing of the difficulties of hundreds of soldiers making the journey even if they all had horses of their own, let alone the risk of the snow slowing them down. Something must have happened. Her inner worry blooming, she forced down her emotions and quickly left the room with several servants following along. Looking outside the window provided a view of a handful of cavalry, mostly composed of her father's most trusted subordinates, lingering around the entrance. 'No visible signs of injuries anywhere on them, was it a false alarm?' 

That wasn't to imply these men were weak, quite the opposite, but any battle against Danger Beasts in freezing areas always incurred some level of casualties. This notion was further enforced by the fact that the reports alluded to a possible Special Class Danger Beast being in the area, though with little proof. Najenda made sure to follow her teachings and take in every possible detail from everything around her, a trait that had been developed into a habit by her mentors. 

"He's outside by the fountain," this time, an older guard who had been working for the family for nearly two decades mentioned as soon as she descended the stairs. 

Odd, her father always preferred to have any sort of conversation either in his study or the living room. A habit which he never broke for any kind of scenario. This change added to the growing pile of irregularities about his behavior. 

"Father!" Pushing open the grand front doors of the manor, the young girl put up a smile as she came to greet the middle-aged man with the same shade of silver hair just like her own, and a chisled face that had a single scar over his eyebrow and down his eye. The man laughed heartily at seeing his daughter running up to him and waited for her to come give him a hug, both joyful to be back in the presence of each other. "I'm glad you're back so soon!" 

"And I am glad to see my little girl again." He said, ruffling her hair a bit. "I've gotten word from a few of your instructors from the academy. They say that you performed excellently on the final exams. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if when you graduate and receive your first post, the rank of captain or even higher instead of a mere lieutenant. And in a few years, I'm certain we'll have another mighty general in the family!"

A grand goal that not just anyone could dream about, the position of general was one of power, prestige, and influence only given to a handful of individuals by the Emperor himself. With the requirements to not only possess great martial power, excellent tactical acumen, and in many instances the ability to navigate the political sphere. And of course, the position also required a spotless military record. The rank in itself also practically guaranteed the chance for one to be given a compatible Teigu, of which she already had her eyes set on one in particular. 

"I'll do my best," said Najenda with a smile, but then she started to notice something. Her father felt off. He didn't sound as cheerful, or normal for that matter… almost behaving awkwardly with her and trying to hide it but failing. "How did the mission to Wolfrod go? Did you kill any Danger Beasts or bandits?" 

To her question, Nagumo sighed with a contemplative expression crossing his face. "Wolfrod is gone I'm afraid, nearly all of the villagers are dead. We were too late and the Danger Beasts had long since flattened the place to ruins. We only managed to drive off the creatures that stayed behind to hunt down any possible survivors or gorge themselves on the villagers' remains." 

"What?" That news shook her, horrified by this tragic development. While it wasn't unheard of settlements getting besieged by an influx of Danger Beasts or raids from particularly large bandit groups, the fact it happened to Wolfrod with no survivors creates a sense of shock. Yet despite all of that, she caught some inconsistencies with her father's words, and the sight of his men outside, neither of them was in rough shape, and armor and weapons were in perfect shape. Not everyone possessed fine-quality blades, against monsters, even the weakest always caused some degree of wear and damage. 

'I'm overthinking things again. Father must've dealt with them himself and the rest must've ran away.' 

Seeing the incredulity within his daughter's eyes, Nagumo resisted the urge to sigh again and blame himself. Upon further investigation, they found traces of a Super Class Danger Beast roaming the area in the west, its appearance scared all the weaker monsters away thus forcing the villagers to face hundreds of them at once. 

If his battalion had arrived a single hour earlier, then perhaps most of the people could have been saved. 

"Life is harsh, Najenda. While we live behind these walls, command thousands of soldiers, and even wield mighty Teigus… most of the world's denizens aren't so lucky. The legacy of the First Emperor not only protects us from invaders but also nature itself. When you become a general like me, I want you to remember this and make sure to remember that protecting our people is always your foremost duty, before anything else." He shared this small bit of wisdom, thankful that she hadn't come to witness the carnage that even made some of his less hardened soldiers empty their stomach contents at the sight. 

The stench of burnt flesh and ash stuck to his clothes and horse for the entire day, despite having not gotten a single trace of blood on them. 

Najenda on the other hand nodded her head again, fully keeping it close to her heart. 

"Najenda, wait here for a bit." Nagumo gently pushed her away, whistling to one of his soldiers to come forward. Curious as to what was happening, she was about to ask but froze as her gaze caught a particular sight. 

Red. 

A small bundle of red hair with golden brown eyes sitting behind the soldier. A child, a boy much younger than herself, wearing a blank expression with little to no emotions in his eyes. 

"There you are! Now that we're home, you can finally rest on a real bed and eat some properly cooked food." Nagumo exclaimed with a loud voice, a wry grin on his face as he lifted the boy from the horse. Najenda's eyes were still locked on his features. Not knowing what to do, she quietly approached the men. 

The boy glanced at her, making her raise an eyebrow as he did the same. Her mouth trembled as she fought back the urge to smirk. That wasn't a face a kid should make, and the sight made her want to laugh. She got a closer look at his face as her father placed him on the ground, hand on the boy's shoulder. He spoke in a deep tone that surprised her. "From now on, this little boy will be part of our family. He's… uh… Emma?" 

"—!?" Her eyes widened at that piece of news.

"Emiya." The boy spoke, a frown forming on his face which further didn't match the appearance of a child. 

"Right!" Nagumo patted the boy and pointed at Najenda while he continued speaking as though he'd never been corrected. "This here is my darling daughter Najenda, and from this day forward she'll also be your older sister. Both of us will take care of and train you for the challenges of life the best we can, for you are now legally part of this family. Be sure to follow your big sister's words, Emiya. Ah, would you look at the time, I should be going and delivering my report to the Emperor. See you two tonight!" 

Without giving her any time to respond, he jumped on his horse and galloped away full speed with his laughing men following along. Her eyes narrowed as she was certain that upon giving his report, her father would spend the rest of the day and night at the bar drinking all night with his men, and even that was assuming he wouldn't just have a subordinate make the report for him. She once found his horse outside a famous spot where soldiers went over to party when the man previously specifically mentioned he had an 'important meeting' with some officials. 

""That damn old man.""

Two voices spoke at the exact moment with the same amount of frustration and annoyance. It took a while for Najenda to register who even matched her words until she looked down at the boy next to her. Crossing his arms and with a prominent frown on his face, he looked more cute than anything else. He stared back at her, raising an eyebrow, and muttered, "What are you looking at, brat?"

"..."

Perhaps it was the way he looked and spoke that made the girl's body move on its own. A small foreign desire she'd never experienced that grew rapidly by the second, Najenda soon found herself reaching out her hands to gently grab his face — much to the boy's dismay. "Oi, girl, I would prefer if you get your hands off meeeeeehhh!?" 

The gentle hold now turned into her pinching his cheeks and pulling on them. That adorable frown disappeared and became replaced by shock coupled with outrage at the sudden action. He tried to break her hold, attempting to push her hands away only for her to further pull on and stretch his cheeks. For a child who lived in the frigid northern territory, his skin was surprisingly soft and malleable, Najenda felt the need to play with his face a bit more, despite the annoyed golden brown eyes staring back at her. 

"I am not some girl or a brat, you little twerp. Call me Big Sister." She insisted, still unsure of her new role as a sister nor willing to let her father off the hook so easily for making such a decision and proceeding to run away and leave her holding the bag — but having a little brother didn't sound so bad in itself. Looking past their differing hair and eye colors… she could see him as a part of the family. The way he frowned reminded Najenda of whenever she saw herself in the mirror.

"In your dreams," he said with a tinge of annoyance, using surprising force to pry off her hand slowly. A full two heads shorter than her yet wearing the same expression an adult would show to a petulant child. In response, she just applied more force and got right back to stretching his face. "H-Hey, what do you think you're doing!?" 

"..."

Watching him struggle was fun. A small smirk slowly made its way to her face as she was beginning to use a good deal of strength to keep her hold on him. Were all northern people this powerful from birth? Also, she wondered what these weird lines were on his skin, faint and almost invisible but they were there.

"Stay still, Big Sister is having fun." 

"Huh? You actually took his words seriously!? If you want to convince me you're not a brat, you're doing a terrible job of it!" The boy shouted, keeping up a good fight as both of them fell onto the ground, Najenda now wrestling to keep her hold on him while he struggled to keep the crazy girl at bay. 

At that moment, throughout the beginning when he woke from what felt like a long dream and found himself in the middle of a carnage filled with phantasm-like creatures in a world that wasn't familiar, the difference in the level of Mana around him and his previous memories being that of facing Emiya Shirou getting barraged with weapons from a certain Golden King. Then… then his memories failed him for the first time in just a way, but that didn't matter with the danger around him. Whatever happened, he had to deal with these monsters first. 

Then, next thing he knew, an old man picked him up after he lost strength and started to kidnap him. He vaguely remembered how they rode atop horses throughout foreign lands and regions he'd never seen in his life. Then before this weakened body even had the time to properly recover, an annoying brat suddenly started assaulting him for no reason with a familiar smirk that reminded him of a chaotic tiger. "Oof!" His strength gave out before the might of this teenager, where it hardly mattered if he used Reinforcement when there existed nothing but skin and bones on himself. Emiya found himself back on the ground, teeth-gritting while the teenage girl seemed to be having fun tormenting him for some unknown reason. The kid herself was strong for someone her age, with visible muscles that made everything that followed that much more troublesome.

"Call me Big Sister." She repeated, more determined than ever. 

He wasn't one to get violent against a literal child but…"Argh!" 

Both heads met in a loud clash, tripling the migraine and nearly forcing him to curse out loud — thankfully it got her away for a bit. Everything added up one by one, a simple fact that became a hard pill to swallow. The obscenely large palace that had been visible hours ago in the distance now dominated even the sky, being the centerpiece of this large city he'd only heard being referred to as the Capital.

A single phrase spilled out of his mouth carrying an unending amount of frustration and confusion.

"What is the meaning of this… Alaya." 

{Break}

-Night Raid hideout-

How many years had it been since he first laid eyes on her? It didn't really matter in the end. Ever since that fateful day that first inspired him to join the army. Lubbock never was a firm believer in the idea of love at first sight, but that moment when he first saw Najenda hit him like a warhammer, and he had served as her devoted follower ever since. From the moment she decided that fulfilling her duty to the Empire's people meant leaving the Empire, he never looked back and never regretted his choice once.

Being among her longest-serving subordinates and best officers, of course, he knew certain aspects of her past life that the other members of the team didn't. Whether it be Bullock, Akame, Leone, Sheele, or Mine, they all came to know Najenda after her defection. So it came as no surprise the shock he felt at the appearance of the familiar yet different white-haired man who he swore used to be a redhead last he checked. He had changed quite a bit over the years but remained recognisable enough for him to hold his breath if only out of sheer terror. 

"Since when did the boss have any siblings? She never spoke about any kind of brother to any of us, and I'm damn sure word would have spread around the country in the past few years if General Nagumo had more than one child." Mine exclaimed with a heavy look of doubt on her face, disbelief and skepticism still dominating her expression at this sudden reveal. "This just doesn't make sense, even their faces don't look alike. The only feature they share is hair color, and last I checked, Najenda didn't have any red streaks." 

The entire team was gathered around the dining hall with Najenda and Emiya still talking behind closed doors in the meeting hall, the former having asked them all to clear out and give them some privacy. 

"I had a feeling something was familiar about that guy, I just couldn't put my finger on it. Still, I definitely didn't expect this," said Leone, leaning on the table and resting for a bit. "Thinking about it though, the way he spoke and ordered me around felt so similar to the boss' tone that I almost followed his words without hesitation back then. That must be why Akame here insisted he come over; she must have had the same feeling." 

The katana Teigu user's expression remained as blank as ever, and she just shrugged her shoulders a bit. "He is dangerous." 

"And that gave you the idea to bring such a person here because…?" 

"Leave it, Mine. We all know how impossible it is to grasp Akame's train of thought at times. Her mind is a mystery to even the best of us." Leone joked, getting a side glance from Akame who continued to snack on some treats from the kitchen. "Besides, if he's related to the boss, then there is no need to be suspicious of him. I don't think a dangerous and heartless enemy would go to such lengths to save two random individuals from the Kalrenn's estate. Not to mention how those two were basically guaranteed to die if he hadn't brought them here."

"See, that's what I'm finding weird!" Mine slammed her hands against the table. "According to your story, he literally blew up the whole manor with an unknown Teigu and did all that just to save people unrelated to him in any way! He didn't have a grudge, wasn't paid, or even tasked to kill that family or save those people. I'm all for having a good guy saving the weak, but you have to be realistic here, especially in the Empire!" 

She saw the bodies he brought in, and calling them alive was nothing but a joke. Amputation only bought them so much time with dozens of different diseases and infections in their systems, to say nothing of all the internal and external damages that had been inflicted by human hands. Together, it all painted a most grim picture. "I mean, it's not unthinkable for him to be using those two victims to garner sympathy from us and such while he gathers information. We've faced such people in the past. After all, the Empire is filled with twisted monsters. The Capital even more so." 

At that, most people around the table went quiet. Each with their own opinion but all agreed with the idea behind her words at the end, even if not the words themselves. Such individuals committed atrocities in the darkness and used them to better their own image. Whether it be to gain more influence with the people or just for their own amusement differed from case to case.

"I don't think we are dealing with such a person." The quietest of them all, Sheele, a slender yet curvaceous young woman with long, purple hair and eyes. She wore glasses and had a scar on her right cheek, an overall appearance that strayed the furthest from what one would expect a member of the Night Raid Assassin group to have. "He seemed genuine… and they are already being looked over by the Revolutionary Army." Her meek, almost shy, voice mentioned the details. 

"Why bother, it's only a waste of time."

"Mine…" the oldest member of the group and former soldier of the Imperial army, Bulat, warned the pink-haired girl with a stern eye. "I know you're worried about the group's safety, but we shouldn't be callous about innocent lives when there is even a slight chance they may survive." 

"But you didn't see their bodies." She pushed back. "I… I really don't see them surviving for long." Her somber tone served to push the awkward atmosphere further.

"And I trust your judgment, but at times it's better to remain optimistic as we have nothing to lose from that." 

Having nothing to say in retort, she left the matter as it was while Lubbock continued to listen to the conversation with a pensive gaze… a behavior Leone noticed and couldn't help but comment on. "What's on your mind, Lubbock? You've been unusually quiet this whole time. Now that I think about it, do you perhaps have any information about the guy back there?"

And wasn't that a good question? How to even explain Emiya in the first place? The guy barely ever showed his face to the world back then. Only a handful of people ever spoke with him knowing of his identity, and all of them were people Najenda was close to or were rivals she respected. The last he saw or heard anything having to do with him occurred a few years ago during… the altercation between Najenda and that monster. When the former had defected to the Revolutionary Army with almost all of her troops. 

"…We only met once and didn't even talk back then. But he was present the day that Honest sent the Empire's best general to hunt down Najenda for her defection." That piqued everyone's interest, to put it lightly. Every Imperial general was a one-man army in their own right. They hadn't yet gotten a mission that targeted anyone of such a rank, though at their current rate, it was bound to happen soon. "Again, don't look at me expecting a detailed story. I was given the order to lead all the other troops to safety while Miss Najenda and her brother remained behind to stall our pursuers." 

Lubbock remembered how worried he was back then, how loudly his heart beat every passing second he got farther and farther away.

"She met up with us a few hours later at our rendezvous point, though her brother wasn't with her, and she never brought up the topic at any point following that day." She'd been covered in frost and had lots of scratches when she returned — some deeper than others — so suffice to say she hadn't been in the best state. But she came back without any permanent injuries, and the look in her eyes led Lubbock to believe that her brother wasn't dead, just gone for now and that she was fine with that outcome. So it was more than enough for him to not worry too much about it. 

"Well, after seeing the kind of Teigu he has, I'm not that shocked you all got away that easily," Leone commented with Akame nodding her head. "Like, even now I'm getting goosebumps from remembering the scene and how I nearly got crushed by the debris. Good thing you weren't there, I doubt he could have used that with allies around." 

That threw Lubbock in a confused state, "Eh? But I remember Miss Najenda mentioning he didn't have any Tei—" his voice came to a halt as the doors behind slammed open. Everyone looked back at the sibling duo walking out, their leader smoking a cigarette with a large smirk on her face and Archer having an even more prominent frown. 

"Sorry for the wait everyone, but, I've got some good news!" Putting an arm around her brother's neck and pulling him into a tight side-hug — an envious sight to a certain wire user — Najenda happily made an announcement. "As of this moment, Night Raid has a new member! Everyone, welcome Emiya. Or Archer, as he apparently likes to call himself by his alias." Najenda stated.

"What the heck!?" 

"Welcome to the team!" While Mine had a rather shocked reaction, Leone celebrated immediately as she slid next to her new teammate and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Now let's hope you don't accidentally destroy this base with that mysterious Teigu of yours. Anyways, let's start with introductions! My name is Leone in case you forgot."

"I don't think I could even if I wanted to, what with you being in my face at every available moment since we met." He said with a dry tone.

"Have I? Nah, must just be your imagination. Anyway, you obviously know the boss, Najenda, and you probably remember Akame too, plus you already got to meet our little firecracker here, Mine. Little safety tip though: get on her bad side and she might show you what it's like to have an arrow up your ass. Lubbock here can confirm. He usually gets it at least every other day." 

"Oi! Don't say it like that!" 

A bow user, interesting. Her physique did not give him that impression along with that figure which lacked any visible muscles, unlike Leone. Not like the people here could use Reinforcement to enhance their strength. She seemed rather lithe and thin even, especially for a bow user. "Hope we can work well together." 

"Humph!" 

He already had an idea of her personality from their last encounter, that reaction now just confirmed it. 

"On that note, next up we have one of our longest-serving members and resident pervert, Lubbock. Make sure you don't hang around him for long, or else you mind finding yourself at the receiving end of my fist if you decide to help him peek at us when we're bathing. Unless I agree, but we'll talk about that later, handsome." 

"Oi, don't make me look bad in front of Miss Najenda's little bro! Also, what's up with that double standard!?" 

Ignoring Lubbock, Leone then pointed at Sheele who was in the middle of reading a book. "This little beauty is Sheele. She doesn't talk much, tends to forget stuff easily, and is an airhead, but she can cleave you in half with little effort or bend you like a pretzel." 

"Hello," she nodded her head, a gesture which he returned. At least she felt to be the most normal out of the bunch… aside from her reading a book literally titled 'One Hundred Ways to Cure Being an Airhead'. 

"And finally, this big guy with the pompadour hair over here is Bulat. One of our most skilled and reliable members." A grin spread on her face for the next part. "Though fair warning, he totally swings the other way and you look exactly like his type. Don't drop the soap when you're in the bath together! Hehehehe!" 

Said man gave him a charming smile and a thumbs up, though none of Leone's words affected Emiya in the least bit as he greeted the man with the same respectful gesture as he had Sheele. His lack of reaction made the blonde sigh in disappointment. "Che, you're no fun. At least try to blush or stammer." 

But for the most part, Emiya's attention was glued to the blade at Bulat's side. A Teigu like the rest, but unlike Akame's sword or even Sheele's hidden scissors in the background… this one made his skin crawl. He could hear the growl, and feel the presence of the beast looking back at him with a morbid sense of interest that Emiya wanted to stay as far away from as much as possible if necessary. It didn't have the killing intent like Gae Bolg, nor any of its demonic presence like some of his other blades. No, the sensation was far too different. 

'That thing… is still alive.'

{Break}

They were a peculiar bunch for sure. A few familiar faces even, but only one of them recognized him aside from his sister. Aside from the pink-haired girl, everyone else seemed quite happy or at worst indifferent to his arrival on the team… not by choice at least. But then again, knowing about Najenda's future plans meant that he would have stayed regardless. That petulant child was heading straight to a dead end with little hope of survival if he didn't stick around to watch over her. A fact she knew perfectly well and used it to make him stay by her side. 

"This here is your room. Sorry about the mess, I'll clean it up for you right away!" Surprisingly, Lubbock turned out to be the most inviting of the bunch, more so than Leone herself who got pushed to the side by the boy. Now holding a broom and a duster, he swiftly went about cleaning up the room, not missing a single nook or cranny while Emiya just continued to stand at the door awkwardly. "My room is down the hallway, if you need anything then don't hesitate to call me." 

Now that he thought about it, wasn't Lubbock that rich boy who had a massive crush on Najenda, and 'just happened' to end up serving in her unit not even two months after they met?

"I'll manage, I've lived by myself in the wilderness for much of the last few years. You don't need to push yourself to help me with these little things." Taking off his hood, Emiya walked next to the window for a better view of the outside terrain. For all that ridiculous plan of hers, at least she found a nice hideout. Close enough to the Capital so that they wouldn't think about searching right under their nose, and the surrounding fauna created a natural shield from prying eyes. 

"A-Ah, I see. Oh, and in case you forgot, my name is Lubbock, I am Night Raid's top assassin and Miss Najenda's most trusted ally! N-Not to imply that she trusts me more than her own brother, of course, haha! You can just think of me as a friend or even a brother if you want! With me here, no harm shall befall anyone, least of all Miss Najenda!" He said loudly, flipping his hair in a weird sort of display, likely thinking it looked cool. 

Emiya gave him a bemused look and replied, "I'd rather not, considering this is the first time we've ever spoken." Lubbock's enthusiasm felt misplaced, and he sensed a hidden agenda behind the boy's behavior. Didn't take a genius to figure out what it was. 

Lubbock's face turned to stone at his response, fear evident in his eyes as he wondered whether he offended the man. "I-I-I understand…" 

'Shit! I came on way too strong!'

No, he couldn't give up so easily. He had to find a way to acquire the brother's blessings for his goal of conquering Miss Najenda's heart! Also, the way Emiya said that made the assassin realize that Najenda's brother might actually remember him. That meant he left an impression, right?

"Any news on the two I brought back?" 

"Huh?" Drawing a blank for a moment, Lubbock had to gather himself swiftly before processing the question asked. "W-Well, we got them to our allies at a nearby outpost. They have a medical center set up there with some good doctors in the Revolutionary Army, and if that's not enough they have the means to transport them to an area with more resources. I… they… I'm not sure how t—"

"I know," Emiya interrupted, sighing softly. "I'm not hoping for a miracle. I'm very much aware that their chances of survival are slim at best, but I had to try. Keep me informed if there's any improvement or if they pass away. I promised to bury them together if all else failed, so my role in this is not done yet."

There was a sense of frustration and anger lingering in his voice as he said that, though his face remained the same without showing any changes. Lubbock didn't know what to make of him, that kind of behavior didn't really suit an assassin, especially one who just joined their group. Injustice, suffering, and decay existed nearly everywhere within the Empire's domain. To fulfill their duties and bring about a better tomorrow, he knew as well as anyone in this hideout that having such hopes and going this far for strangers was pointless. 

"I know that look." 

"A-Ah, sorry?" Damnit, even the way his eyes narrowed resembled their leader! There were rumors floating around that her father cheated on his wife and had a bastard son, others mentioned how he was an orphan from the streets that Negumo picked up in an act of kindness, but they were never confirmed. But seeing his entire demeanor for himself, cemented the thought in Lubbock's head that whether or not Miss Najenda and Emiya shared blood, they were definitely siblings. 

"I'll tell you exactly what I said to Najenda. I'm not an assassin, not in the conventional sense at least. I've had my fill of being used as a weapon by those in power to kill specific targets. I know Night Raid takes orders from the Revolutionary Army and also accepts payments from civilians to supplement your income, but that's not my way. My sole purpose here is to ensure that Najenda, that headstrong idiot of a girl, doesn't get herself killed. If any of you choose to act as heroes or assassins, just remember not to jeopardize the team, as none of you are any good to her dead. She is my sister, and her life holds value to me, not yours or anyone else's; so any contributions that I'm willing to offer this team are for her sake alone." Emiya said without the slightest hesitation, harsh words that conveyed his intentions as clearly as possible. 

"..." 

Lubbock did not feel any anger or shock, as in a way, he actually understood the reasoning of the man before him. The life they led wasn't one to be glorified or to be looked at in a positive light. They weren't without sins and just wished to return the country to a state where, at minimum, corruption hadn't gone out of control to such an overwhelming extent. They were willing to dirty their hands for such a cause, becoming the lesser evil in a way. Night Raid always made sure to target those corrupt individuals and people working for Honest, a form of redemption for some, revenge for others, and to some, it was just another job. Each one of them had their own reason to be actively involved in taking out the worst filth the Empire had to offer. 

In fact, knowing Emiya's motives brought a sense of comfort to Lubbock. 

"Then I'm glad," said the assassin. "I wasn't sure why Miss Najenda was fine just bringing you onto the team at first. But as long as you intend to be by her side and keep her safe, then I can let you be in our base without worry." 

"Humph, she isn't a weak little brat anymore to be sure. I don't think there are many in the Empire who can go up against Najenda and threaten her, let alone kill her. She still has that ridiculous Teigu, after all. Even I'd rather not be on the receiving end of it." He smirked, touching the spot where he got punched when she first realized he was back. "Also, it looks like she's gotten stronger in the time since I last saw her." 

"Hehe, yeah, her love taps are getting more lethal than actual weapons." Both boys shared a chuckle, diffusing the previous tense atmosphere with some light-hearted conversation afterward. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your Teigu?" 

This question bugged him for ages and this moment seemed to be as good as any to ask the man directly. Leone and Akame mentioned how it had to be a gun-based Teigu, like Pumpkin. But even then they weren't too certain, as he carried no such weapons on him other than two blades and a bow, all of which he confirmed weren't Teigus.

Many of these relics of the past were either lost or destroyed during the Civil War. It was estimated that not even half of the original 48 creations remained, this number dwindling each couple of years. The possibility that Emiya possessed an ancient Teigu thought to have been lost or destroyed was high given his feat of destroying the Kalrenns' mansion. 'Wait, he calls himself Archer, so maybe that is related to his Teigu?' 

Not like an archer would use swords as his primary weapons. That was just ridiculous, or just him messing with people to confuse the enemy. 

"A Teigu? Sorry, but I was never deemed worthy to wield one." His gray eyes glanced at the gloves Lubbock had, and a strange sensation spread over Lubbock's body. "Anyways, I'm just an Archer. Give me a bow and some arrows and I'll manage just fine." 

.

.

.

Walking through the halls, Lubbock couldn't help but recall their conversation. That man turned out to be different from the rumored Danger Beast hunter, and not exactly the image he had of Najenda's brother. He certainly had that air around him, a presence that made Lubbock feel as if he was a child talking to an old man. "Wait… isn't he younger than me? Meh, doesn't matter, I'll just have to find a way to make him see me as a good candidate for Miss Najenda's future husband!" 

This was an opportunity he couldn't afford to miss! Once the younger brother approved of him, then that in itself would be a half-victory! If he managed to keep up the friendly relationship between them and even become best friends, then Emiya could pass some good words about him to Miss Najenda! 

"Shit, it's almost noon! Leone should be taking her bath right about now. I can still make it in time if I hurry u—"

"Hurry up where exactly?" 

"Wah!" His soul nearly jumped out of his body as he spotted the woman of his dreams leaning against the wall with a cigarette in her mouth. Exhaling a soft cloud of smoke, she gave him a stern stare exactly like the one he experienced a minute ago. "M-Miss Najenda!? What were you doing here… I was just going outside to get some fresh air!" He put up his best poker face, hiding any signs of embarrassment or panic of her having possibly heard his intentions. 

"Tell me, what's your impression of him?" Rather than berate him or even give the boy a vicious yet deserved hit to the head, she calmly asked him a question while looking at the ceiling. "My brother is a bit weird at times, I'll admit. Hell, I'd say I know it better than anyone. He definitely knows how to get beneath anyone's skin while acting either serious or nonchalant, and I'd even go so far as to say it's one of his favorite hobbies. Even a monk would turn into an Asura just from dealing with him for a few days." Her genuine laugh, a sound he rarely heard, was no different from a soul-soothing melody to his ears.  

"He's definitely a bit forward with his words, and he made it very apparent that he's only here to keep you alive and nothing else." Though he didn't quote Emiya verbatim, Najenda knew what he meant. "Not like I blame him, I don't have any problem with him being on the team if that's what you're asking. Too bad he wasn't a beautiful woman." 

"Hn, don't mind him. Emiya may seem rude and even behaves like a real jerk at times, but he is possibly the most caring person I know." That earned a surprised stare from Lubbock who found it hard to agree with her words. "Don't get me wrong, he'll say plenty of hurtful comments and even taunt you while acting smug and mature at the same time, but then suddenly he'll be there right when you need him the most. And sometimes even when you don't need the help. He'll try to play it off, claiming he was merely doing it out of pity, settling a score, or even out of boredom. He always had a hard time being honest with his feelings. That big old softy." 

"If you say so," shrugged the boy. "A~nyways, I have to get going, lunch won't get cooked by itself, and I have some ingredients I have to gather down by the forest and— kurgh!" His steps came to a halt as Najenda grabbed his collar, dragging Lubbock down the hallway to the main room. 

"No need, I already have someone else more capable assigned to that post today." 

{Break}

"What's with that look?" 

Gathered outside the base, Emiya couldn't help but comment with an annoyed tone as the group of assassins gathered around, each one giving him a weird stare as he barbequed multiple cuts of meat on a grill. Next to him was a table filled with various assortments of utensils and machines all of which he used for his cooking. 

Mine couldn't contain her bewilderment any longer and made her confusion known in the form of an outburst. "Since when did we have a barbecue grill?! And what's with all these bizarre contraptions?" She pointed at the equipment the likes of which she'd never seen before surrounding Emiya as he brushed the meat and vegetables on the grill with a savory glaze. Her surprise mirrored the group's collective astonishment, but as time went by, something else entirely captured their attention. As the aroma of the cooking meat and vegetables wafted through the air, everyone's mouths watered, and their stomachs rumble with hunger.

Emiya responded nonchalantly, "I found them in the storage room."

"Wait, what? I'm responsible for keeping a record of every item we have, and I don't remember any of these being in there!" Mine exclaimed, her confusion growing. She couldn't fathom how she could have missed such a wide array of bizarre items. The black apron Emiya wore also appeared to be brand new rather than a neglected piece of cloth left to gather dust. "You didn't reveal our location to outsiders to sneak these things in here without our permission, did you?" Suspicion tinged her voice as she questioned Emiya's motives. 

Leone intervened, clamping a hand over Mine's mouth. "Shut up, Mine! Don't ruin this, or he might stop cooking. I'm practically starving, and my Teigu is demanding sustenance!" Whether it was her stomach or somehow her Teigu, both felt as if they were screaming at her to eat soon. 

"That doesn't even make sense! And take your hands off me, you bimbo!" 

Najenda, watching the duo bicker, laughed while Lubbock helped Emiya clean up the used plates. 

"It's been a while since we had a feast like this outside," Bulat said, grinning at the pleasant atmosphere. "Feels like we are having a picnic, don't you think so too, Sheele?" 

"I'm hungry," said the bespectacled girl who stared absentmindedly at the massive platter of meat next to Emiya with an ever-growing pile on it. 

"Hahahaha, that's the spirit! The last time I experienced such an event was years ago at the Capital, even then it didn't last long as all the drunken soldiers quickly started brawling with each other." Bulat looked around at the group, enjoying the pleasant atmosphere. "By the way, where's Akame?" he asked. Just as the words left his mouth, the leaves rustled, and a black shadow leaped toward the plate of meat.

"Not again," Emiya's reflexes kicked in, and with impressive speed, he intercepted the shadowy figure and kicked them away. "I told you ten times already, you have to be patient if you want the meat to be cooked to perfection!" As the person landed at a safe distance, it became evident that animalistic hunger had taken complete control of their judgment. To no one's surprise, the recipient of this lecture and warding kick was none other than Akame. 

"..." 

It was no use, her mind failed to even register his words as she continued to stare with singular focus at the platter next to him like a famished animal. Having been denied even having a taste for the last two hours with the delicious aroma getting stronger by the second and her hunger growing in tandem with all that her nose promised, it just pushed the girl beyond the edge of rationality. Like a zombie, she slowly made her way toward Emiya, swaying left and right with a stream of drool trailing down her mouth, neck, and chest. 

"Najenda, if you want to be able to enjoy any of this yourself, help me out here with your crazy subordinate!" Even a cranky, tired Rin that had just woken up wasn't nearly as troublesome to deal with as this one. The carnivorous girl just wouldn't stop trying to steal every bit of meat he was preparing. 

"No can do, you brought this upon yourself, so it's up to you to deal with it. As you can see, Akame can be pretty stubborn when it comes to food, especially meat." Najenda chuckled before her eyes narrowed dangerously. "And don't you even imply that I might get anything less than a full serving of whatever I want from what you're making." 

As for Akame, said assassin jumped forward once again with nearly superhuman speed, similar to a predator pouncing on its prey for the purpose of mauling it to death. Her crimson eyes gleamed with intent to crash right into the results of his labor and make his life more troublesome. Unfortunately for her, Akame's attempts were once again thwarted in the form of a frying pan hitting her square in the face with a loud clang.

"Lubbock, help me out here!" Since everyone was using this opportunity to enjoy a good show rather than help him out. Emiya had no choice but to rely on his only ally amongst this group of snakes.

"Of course, Aniki!" On his command, hundreds of metallic strings emerged from the green-haired boy's gloves, cutting off all possible avenues of escape for Akame and instantly binding her limbs. "Got her! Wait, damn it, she's trying to break free! Oi oi! Don't take out Murasame! Do you want to kill me or something!?" 

If he applied any more strength to his Teigu, then he risked injuring his teammate. But that didn't stop Akame from using a ridiculous amount of strength on her end as well, her feet began digging furrows into the ground as she pushed herself forward. The strings around the trees he used as leverage began slowly cutting into the wood, trying to keep this monster at bay.

"Just hold her for another five minutes, I just need to finish with the sauce. Also, don't call me Aniki, it's weird." 

"I don't think I'm going to be alive in the next two minutes, Aniki!" 

"What did I literally just say?!" Emiya snapped.

"Pft-hahahaha!" Once again, Najenda burst into a fit of laughter at the scene before her. It hadn't even been half a day, and already the group had started to get along well with her little brother. Now she was certain about her decision… her brother would feel right at home with this bunch. Since the very beginning, he never truly had any friends, and in a way, she felt responsible for that outcome. Wasn't it an older sibling's duty to take care of the younger one? Well, having him join a group of assassins couldn't be overlooked, but at least it was better than living a lonely life. 

.

.

.

After the initial chaos of holding back a feral Akame and Lubbock nearly being on the receiving end of her poisonous katana, Emiya managed to get the food ready in time; thus saving the poor boy's life and bringing back the black-haired girl from her state of barbarism with the promise of food.

 "Whash happenesh?" Akame asked, her mouth stuffed with meat and a tall stack of plates that had been licked clean next to her. 

"Finally lucid again, I see," Emiya muttered. "Never in my life have I met someone this hard to deal with when it came to food, and only a handful of people who ate as much as you." 

"Ah, I'm sorry." She apologized after swallowing while sneaking her hands closer to his plate since hers was already empty… only to get it slapped away by the man. 

"..." 

"It doesn't seem to me like you're truly sorry at all. If you behave like that again, then I'll just stop cooking altogether for this group if only so I don't have to deal with your nonsense." 

As if hearing the biggest tragedy in her life, Akame's face turned pale white while she began to tremble in horror, terrified at the prospect of losing out on such opportunities again right after getting her first taste of such. No one in her team could cook anywhere near this good, and she didn't want to go back to eating what she now considered as bland, dissatisfying food. 

"I'll behave." She replied, focusing on her empty plate, eyes darting to the people around her, only to discover that they had all finished their own meals by now as well. "Can I have a second serving?" 

"You had fifteen servings already. You ate two-thirds of everything he made all by yourself." This time it was Mine who spoke up, unable to deny how she may have misjudged this Archer guy. "As for you, new guy, I'll admit your skills aren't half bad. Guess you won't be much of a hassle to have around after all… in the kitchen at least." 

Emiya rolled his eyes. "I'm very touched by your kind words, princess." 

The sound of glass clinking caught everyone's attention as Najenda cleared her throat after that. "Ah, I hate to break the festive mood we have here, but this is as good an opportunity as any to discuss our next mission for tomorrow. Leone". 

"Got it." The blonde cleaned up her face and put on a more somber face. "The other day before the whole Kalrenn incident, I took the opportunity to look around other districts in the Capital to gather some information. Later, as I was hanging around the port, a woman came over to request a mission." She retrieved a small bag from her belt and dropped it on the table. Glancing at the contents inside, Emiya found that it contained dozens of silver and copper coins. 

"Our client wants us to target an oil merchant by the name of Gamal, and Ogre, a city guard captain. The latter has been taking bribes from Gamal to cover up his crimes and then pins the blame on innocent civilians — framing debtors, people with assets Gamal wants, or even rivals in the city guard. Our client's husband happened to be the latest victim who happened to overhear a conversation between those two and sent a letter to his wife before he got executed. And already they have another young fella guardsman lined up as the scapegoat for another crime where the pressure on Gamal was mounting, and it seems they just decided to pin the blame on the first guy they saw." Leone pointed at the sac filled with coins. "She must have sold her body to earn enough money for this mission, and it's taken a toll on the woman. I could smell her poor health from putting herself through that." 

"..." 

Unfortunately, he kept encountering such matters no matter where he went. Though much of his past had long since turned into a foggy memory, Emiya still recalled the neverending horde of people who begged him to save them, their loved ones, children, parents, and so on, back when he ventured through war-torn wastelands. 

Offering to give him everything they had when he never asked for anything in the first place, desperate for a helping hand in the middle of hell. He couldn't help or save all of them no matter how hard his past blind self tried. For that was what it meant to be a hero, to endlessly walk a path that held no end, solely living on borrowed dreams till nothing remained but the hollow husk of a soulless machine. 

At some point during his travels around this world, Emiya questioned himself if history would just repeat itself. He couldn't let it happen, refusing to end up like his past self, he had made the choice to leave this corrupted land. For deep down he knew that the longer he stayed, the more likely it was that he might take an all too familiar path — his first day alone just proved that point. Still, he was no longer Emiya Shirou, who willingly took the burden of the world upon himself without hesitation, to willingly put his life on the line for anyone in front of him. 

But in the end, the bowman felt like a hypocrite for having such a thought after his latest stunt. 

"Did you confirm her statement?" He asked before Najenda could. 

"I did a bit of sneaking around that merchant's house. Found damning evidence, and he hangs out with Ogre regularly. However, we also have another problem. My informats clued me in on a third party that might be involved with those two. It's all just speculation and rumors right now, but there is reason to believe that Gamal recently hired a serial killer as his new bodyguard — one with a Teigu." 

A Teigu huh? Foes with one of those up their sleeves were always tricky to deal with. It wouldn't be false to think of them as weapons with similar abilities to Noble Phantasms. Rather than crystallized mysteries from a Hero's legend, they were man-made weapons of destruction made by the First Emperor to both protect his nation and serve as tools of conquest to expand it across the world. "Any idea who it might be?" 

"When it comes to serial killers with a Teigu, the list is quite small. Individuals with such traits are rare, so if this is true then I'd wager on the Beheader. Then again, it is very possible that there might be more than one bodyguard who could be present. What do you think, Boss?" 

Najenda pondered on the matter for a few seconds. 

"I don't see any reason to decline this request. But, since we are dealing with unknown variables concerning a possible Teigu user and Ogre himself who is renowned among the city guard for his sword skills… I'll tag along for this one." 

"Eh?" 

Everyone had varyingly different reactions to her words, but Najenda continued. 

"Akame, Leone, you two will be responsible for handling both Ogre and Gamal respectively. I'll keep a lookout in case there is indeed a Teigu user involved. We'll be leaving as soon as the sun sets. The others will stay here and protect the base from any potential wandering enemies or spies. Any questions?" Najenda addressed everyone around the table, especially the newcomer to their team. 

Emiya shrugged, "You have this matter handled, I'm here if you need help." 

{Break}

(A few hours later)

"Is everyone ready?" Now wearing a different outfit, Najenda and the other two girls gathered around the main room of the base. She had changed from her formal wear to a more protected vest of armor and a large satchel behind her back which stored a rather large gun. 

"All good to go, Boss." 

"Hm." 

Akame and Leone nodded, each prepared to set out under the veil of darkness. 

"One moment, I'll need to check something quick." There were plenty of reasons why she wanted to take this mission. The first was to keep her skills from deteriorating. Sitting around all day just invited further problems in the future. Secondly, she had to take this opportunity while that woman wasn't in the Capital to clean it up as much as possible before her eventual return. And finally… She just wanted to prove to her brother that the events of the past wouldn't transpire a second time. She'd trained and honed her prowess every passing day to ensure she would never feel as helpless as she did on that day. A sensation she still remembered vividly and abhorred to this very moment. 

More importantly, he was back. After all these years, finally, could she show him that he could rely on her. Even if this was a small mission, it would be the start of something bigger. 

Arriving at the door to his room, she knocked and waited for him to answer. 

"..."

Only for a whole minute to pass without a single answer or noise from the other side. "Emiya?" She called his name but still got nothing in return. A weird sensation spread inside her heart. He wasn't one to ignore her and had stated after supper that he intended to rest for the night and go to bed. 

So with a weary state of mind, she went inside with the door creaking as it slowly opened. The room inside was illuminated by a single candle on the bedside table. 

Next to the candle was a note, and the window was opened with the curtains gently billowing from the flowing air. 

Her eyes widened.

"Damn it!"

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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.