CHAPTER 40.5: LITHIUM

(A/N: "Once again, theme song is different.")

After leaving Wave to rest up and recover from his fight with Syura, Kurome was taking a small stroll through the corridor, though she was deep thought. What Run said to Wave, about 'not picking fights with Wild Hunt, especially in plain sight', she had grew suspicious of him. Taking both his and Lauren's stories into consideration, she had a feeling that both were gonna do exactly what Run said not to do... She was gonna confront the blonde, but as she passed by the room that belonged to Akaruime, she stopped, feeling an ominous aura coming from inside. Alerted, she looked towards the door, approaching slowly. She then took hold of the door knob and cautiously turned it while pushing the door open. Taking a peek inside, all she found wad the empty room and a normally closed window, meaning no one infiltrated the palace. However the ominous feeling remained. Slowly, she looked towards Himitsume, her eyes widening a bit.

The demonic scythe was glowing ominously, giving off that unsettling feeling. On the table next to it, lied the broken Yatsufusa. Kurome felt.. strange... It was almost ad if, Himitsume was calling out to her. Sensing that this wasn't some form of trap, she entered the room, approaching the demonic scythe before she slowly reached out for it. Wrapping her hand around the scythe's shaft, she gripped it firmly before suddenly demonic spikes stuck out of Himitsume, before stabbing into Kurome's arm, causing her to grunt and hiss in pain as she fell to one knee, with the Zodiac sampling her blood.

Soon, the ravenette would feel a sudden burst of power surge through her body with Himitsume's spikes retracting and the scythe itself glowing, this time in a more positive light.

Kurome: "Himitsume don't tell me... You chose me..?" She looked at in in disbelief before suddenly, the puppets of Natala and Doya surrounded her. She looked at them, feeling another surge that felt like 10 souls being consumed by the Zodiac, signifying that its Trump Card was once again, ready to be unleashed. She then looked at Himitsume before slowly smiling as she stood up. "Alright.. I accept!"

>>Meanwhile<<

With darkness coming upon them, Night Raid were already sat around the dining table, with their dinner in front of them cooked by Dairoku and Akame, as usual. Though as soon as they gave everyone their sharing of the dinner, the two excused themselves from the table and exited the hideout. This confused the members of Night Raid as normally the two would be around during dinner and more confusing was the fact that Akame wasn't eating today. That left a bad taste in all of their mouths, so they decided to go look for then together.

Mine: "Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean this is Akame and Dairoku we're talking about!" She wondered as she and the rest of Night Raid, minus Chelsea were walking through the forest at night, looking for the two crimson-eyes assassins

Najenda: "Exactly why we should check on them."

Leone: "Akame never misses a chance at food and Dairoku never isolates himself like this. Something has to be going on!"

Lubbock: *clenched fists* "I swear if these two are getting up to some business while trying to hide form us...!! Damn you Dairoku..!!!". It seemed as he was thinking of something completely different as Levi, Mira and Saber all deadpanned at him while sweat dropping.

Saber: "I'm pretty certain you're thinking about something completely different, Lubbock..."

Tatsumi: "But it does make me wonder... what could they be doing?"

Soon their attention would be caught by what sounded like an acoustic guitar and a piano... Carefully shuffling some bushes out of the way, they spotted the duo. Akame and Dairoku were... to put it frankly, standing on a lake. The water glowed underneath them as Dairoku was holding his girlfriend's hand with his left hand, allowing her to stand on the lake as well while his right hand held an acoustic guitar. In front of them was a grand piano with what looked like a faceless figure wearing a black suit, sitting at it. A bench rose up from the lake next to Akame and Dairoku, allowing the two to sit down, side by side. Night Raid watched intensively and quietly as the faceless pianist played a few notes on the piano before he began playing an instrumental, with Dairoku following along with the guitar. Soon, he opened his mouth and began to sing.

(A/N: "Bold=Male. Italic=Female. Bold Italic= Both. Remember that as it'll become important.")

🎶Take me down to the river bend
Take me down to the fighting end
Wash the poison from off my skin
Show me how to be whole again

Fly me up on a silver wing
Past the black where the sirens sing
Warm me up in a nova's glow
And drop me down to the dream below

'Cause I'm only a crack in this castle of glass
Hardly anything there for you to see
For you to see

Bring me home in a blinding dream
Through the secrets that I have seen
Wash the sorrow from off my skin
Show me how to be whole again

'Cause I'm only a crack in this castle of glass
Hardly anything there for you to see
For you to see

'Cause I'm only a crack in this castle of glass
Hardly anything else I need to be

'Cause I'm only a crack in this castle of glass
Hardly anything there for you to see
For you to see
For you to see🎶

Song: Castle of Glass
Artist/band: Linkin Park

The rest of Night Raid just stared, eyes widened in complete shock, well besides Najenda who only glanced downwards. None of them have ever heard Dairoku OR Akame of all people singing. They sounded like a duet, like they could have easily entered some form of competition and win.

Tatsumi: *whispers* "Dairoku can sing!?"

Lubbock: *whispers* "Akame of all people, can sing!?"

Leone: "I mean, I heard the two of them hum before but never actually sing.."

Mine: "But why were they singing?"

Najenda: "I know, why." They all turned to look at her. "To honor our comrades' sacrifices... and Kuraime's death. I remember when she was still here, I had caught Kuraime sitting by herself in the forest surrounding our old base. She had a violin in hand was singing a particular song.. I guess she was embarrassed to let any of you know so she begged me not to talk about it to anyone."

All of them fell silent, pondering on Najenda's words and with memories of Bulat, Sheele, Susanoo and Kuraime appearing gin their minds, giving the entire atmosphere a somber feel. Soon they turned their attention back to Dairoku and Akame. The Vampire king was looking up at the full moon above them, not a peep from him. His girlfriend, rubbed his shoulder out of comfort, causing him to glance at her briefly before continuing.

🎶Lithium...
Don't want to lock me up inside
Lithium...
Don't want to forget how it feels without
Lithium...
I want to stay in love with my sorrow
Ohhh but god I want to let it go...

Come to bed, don't make me sleep alone
Couldn't hide the emptiness you let it show
Never wanted it to be so cold
Just didn't drink enough to say you love me
I can't hold on to me
Wonder what's wrong with me

Lithium...
Don't want to lock me up inside
Lithium...
Don't want to forget how it feels without
Lithium...
I want to stay in love with my sorrow
I don't want to let it lay me down this time...🎶

They both briefly paused, their eyes widening as they heard a second female voice singing along with them. Their eyes quickly scanned the area, eventually landing on a glowing white figure that was approaching them, holding a purple violin in its hands. Both assassins narrowed their eyes before they widened in surprise; the one standing before them, was an ethereal figure, of Kuraime.

She was singing alongside them, with her violin adding to the melody and a pleasant and joyful smile plasters on her lips. Soon... they too would join her in song, to conclude it.

🎶Drown my will to fly
Here in the darkness I know myself
Can't break free until I let it go
Let me go!

Darling, I forgive you after all
Anything is better that to be alone
And in the end I guess I had to fall
Always find my place among the ashes
I can't hold on to me
Wonders what's wrong with me

Lithium...
Don't want to lock me up inside
Lithium...
Don't want to forget how it feels without
Lithium...
I want to stay in love with you

Oh I'm gonna let it go...🎶

Song: Lithium
Artist/Band: Evanescence

Night Raid had stared in shock, as all had seen the figure of Kuraime. Dairoku and Akame looked at her, with the faceless pianist and piano sinking into the lake. The vampire's eyes burned and his mouth trembled, as if he wanted to speak. Kuraime's figure simply looked at him, smiling sweetly before...

"I love you, big bro."

And then she vanished, into the night, turning into small fireflies that lit up the area. Akame stared up, in awe and amazement, before looking to her boyfriend, her expression softening as she saw him hanging his head, with the sight of tears running down his cheeks. With small tears in the corners of her eyes as well, she hugged him, tightly and lovingly, with his head in her chest while she was whispering sweet things to him.

Akame: "It's alright... I'm here... I love you..."

Soon, the male slowly began breaking down, his sobbing becoming a bit louder by the moment. Night Raid all watched in somber silence, before leaving the two by themselves...

Mira's thoughts: "Senpai..."

>>Later<<

An hour or two had went by and the entire team of Night Raid were about the base, waiting for a response from the Revolution Army concerning Wild Hunt. Akame had left her boyfriend in their room, giving him some space to reflect and regain his focus as they would need it, just in case a mission popped up. As she was walking through the halls of her base...

"Akame.."

Startled, she turned around swiftly, getting into a brawling stance. However, she slowly lowered her stance as she had recognized the voice.

Akame: "Kuraime..?" Feeling suspicion, the ravenette carefully wandered the halls, before coming across Kuraime's old room, where she felt a demonic atmosphere radiating from it. Carefully taking hold of the door knob and twisting it open, the ravenette opened the door, to find Ketsuekime leaning against Kuraime's bed, why glowing ominously in a similar way to what Murasame does. "Ketsuekime...? Why are you acting up?"

She slowly approached the scythe as it just glowed ominously. Having previously being the wielder of Murasame, this type of feeling wasn't new to Akame. In fact, she found it quite captivating. To her, Ketsuekime was one of the most beautiful Zodiacs created, along with Yoake, so she didn't really mind it. Stopping directly in front of it, she grabbed the Zodiac on its scythe shaft, only to gasp in both surprise and pain as Ketsuekime protruded spikes from its handle and stabbed the ravenette's arm, sampling some of her blood. Soon, she would feel a surge of power go through her body as a demonic sound was heard.

It seemed that everyone else in the base had heard it as they all immediately gathered around the room, with Dairoku dawning a worried expression.

Dairoku: "Akame! Are you-"

He quickly cut himself off with a gasp as he and the rest of Night Raid stared in shock. Akame was coated in a demonic aura, with Ketsuekime glowing a slightly positive aura

Levi: "Holy shit!"

Najenda: "Don't tell me..."

Dairoku: "Akame... Did Ketsuekime... bond with you...?" He however, didn't receive a response to that question as Akame slowly looked at him, her eyes glowing slightly before she spoke.

Akame: "I can see them... Kuraime's memories..." The others looked surprised. "From our time in the Empire... to the moment before she perished... I see it all... It's all stored within Ketsuekime..."

She closed her eyes for moment as a thin red aura surrounded her. Soon, she reopened her eyes, revealing them to be glowing brightly as black and red armor slowly began to form around her.

Tatsumi: "W-What's happening!?"

Dairoku: "Akame... you're emotions... is causing Ketsuekime to react to you like this... and for Ajax to evolve..."

Akame: "Kuraime... I promise... I will carry on your dreams, your soul... and your will. By Ketsuekime's blade, Ajax and I will Eliminate the Empire."

Streamline black and red armor with golden accents clad her, black jet-like wings on her back and with bright blue glowing eyes; Akame stood before them, a powerful aura pulsing around her as her blue glowing mechanical eyes glared with determination.

(Armor of the Devil—Ajax V2)

END
———————————————
Yup. That's right. It happened And yes, I made Akame sing. It made sense as her jap voice actress sang Skyreach (the first op theme) and the 2nd outro theme of the anime.