For the first time in Rochan's Pass I could tell it was morning. Rays of sunlight beat through a slim fissure in the mists above. Several hundred people had had come to witness my execution, in what I presumed to be the town square. It was dusty, with a bunch of squat stone buildings sitting to the side. Turns out I was right, the place was some sort of abandoned village, wedged between the two enormous canyons, just like the two men holding me down at my side.

"Good evening! No. Good morning! Ladies and gentlemen!" a familiar voice shouted. The crowd parted for Soulsteel. He wore the same wicked scythe like grin on his face, but held himself with an extra cocky demeanor.

"I present you all, a spy from the army!" he threw his arms wide open like a magician about to put on a show. A show for the crowd, when I looked and saw them, most of them were dusted, wary eyed and wore ragged clothes. Some of them casted me sympathetic glances, but most remained emotionless.

"Now just like in the old days, you will all get to decide his fate! SO YAY OR NAY?"

The crowd was quiet, but when Soulsteel eyebrows twitched, a series of chant came from the back and began to make its way towards the front:

"BOO!"

"KILL THE BASTARD!"

"DEATH TO THE GOVERNMENT!"

Soulsteel nodded and seemed to be enjoying the attention, as he raised a hand and signaled the crowd to be quiet.

"Then to respond to the people's wishes! I Soulsteel the first, sentence Kard, the little metal arm man to DEATH!"

Soulsteel stuck his tongue out, and gave thumbs down gesture, while the crowd cheered.

"Now, I shall let lady death herself do the honors!"

The crowd cheered on loudly, as a figure emerged from the crowd. It was Kuro, but she wasn't wearing any armor. Instead she wore a long black dress, as if she were a widow at a funeral, and in her left hand held a sleek katana.

Kuro...

The two men holding me shoved onto my knees. Kuro was at my side with her katana poised right above my neck.

"ON MY COUNT! 5!" Soulsteel yelled out happily, as the crowd repeated after him.

Is she really going to do it? Well I can't say I don't have any regrets.

"4!"

I couldn't see Kuro's expression from this angle, but if I had to guess, it would be her poker face.

"3!"

So naïve for me to think there is going to be a miracle...

"2!"

"CURSES!!!" my shout went above all chants, as I shouted like it would be my last.

"1!"

Rumor said that, you will see your entire life flash before your eyes right before you die. But for me it was just closing my eyes in the darkness, waiting for the inevitable end of my life to come; but it didn't come.

I opened my eyes and blinked away tears, I already knew what was happening, but I needed to see it. The other ending I feared, the one where my death would merely be delayed by a few seconds.

A furious war cry came from Kuro, as she hefted her katana and charged at Soulsteel. His sneer was clearly saying: I knew it from the start.

"Kuro! NO!" I tried to reach my hand out towards her, but I knew it wouldn't make a difference, her choice had already been made, and there was nothing I could do about it.

WHY!?

The instant Kuro's katana touched Soulsteel's abs, the blade shattered into a million pieces like silver rain. Soulsteel swatted her away like a tossing her back several meters.

"Ha...BORING!" Soulsteel said with a droopy expression as he whined like a 5 year old.

"Well...I guess I will do the honors myself! Starting from the traitor!" Soulsteel whistled passed me as he walked towards Kuro's unconscious body.

Without thinking, I frantically grabbed onto one of Soulsteel legs as he walked by, hoping to buy a few seconds for Kuro.

"Humans..." Soulsteel looked down at me sneered, then just as I expected, he turned and sent a kick to my stomach sending me rolling several meters it hurt 10 times more than Kuro shooting my legs. It hurt so much, I wish I didn't have a stomach to begin with.

"Do you have feelings for that woman?" Soulsteel's voice was muffled. And even if I did want to answer him, the pain made me unable to produce one eligible word.

"Whatever, watch as I kill the one you love in front of you..." Soulsteel stopped, "sorry that wasn't original at all, but I suppose discovering the colours of the guts of the one you love should be interesting! HUEHUEHUEHUEHUEHUE!" he gripped his head with his finger, and licked his lips as if he was about to enjoy his favorite dish.

The worst possible ending...

If Kuro and I have never meet, if I have never joined the operation, if I have never chosen the special program, she could have been saved...

It's all my fault...

Curses...

Curses...

Curses...

Soulsteel was now only a step away from gutting Kuro, and there was nothing I could do but watch, no. I couldn't even bare to watch.

C...U...R...S...E...S...

A shock shook the ground. For some reason, only the gods know why, Soulsteel who was within arm reach of her a moment ago, was now tens and meters away from Kuro, in stance holding something that looked like a projectile.

"CLOSE! BUT YOU'RE OUT!" Soulsteel threw whatever had been fired onto the ground. Clearly whoever fired, had no interest in Soulsteel's game whatsoever. As waves of explosion continued to rain down. This time, Soulsteel jumped back, and where he stood a moment ago was now a small smoking crater.

"NOT PLAYING BY THE RULES HUH!?" Soulsteel shouted. In response a volley of shots rained down from above. Dust and debris flew everywhere, and the crowd scattered, leaving Kuro, me and Soulsteel alone. When the dust cleared the whole square had been leveled. with a steel cocoon lay amidst the destruction and unwove itself. A moment later it retreated back into Soulsteel's back. He hadn't been harmed in the slightest.

"HEY! I CALL UNFAIR!" Soulsteel raised his fist in protest.

With the pain slowly easing, I managed to flip myself onto my back, and watch groups of MS's descend from the sky with sling ropes. Most of them were grey, like the standard military use MS, but one of them caught my eye in particular. It was completely white, with a glowing blue visor. The knight in shining armor that saved me on numerous occasions held a white spear with a glowing blue tip. She hit the ground and I couldn't but let out a relived cry:

"ISA!"

My attempt to call for rescue had worked! Though the chances were even lower than winning jackpot in lottery, which reminded me, I needed to go buy some lottery tickets when this was all said and done.

Soulsteel seemed surprised for a moment as he saw Isa's MS, and I guess anyone would, seeing how she survived despite having her stomach opened.

"WOW! THIS MANY AGAINST ME?" Soulsteel shouted, he put down his hands and sighed.

"AN HONOR! NOPE! YOU CAN ALL BITE MY SHINY METAL ASS!"

Soulsteel leapt away with incredible speed and into the mist. A group of MS gave chase to Soulsteel, but not Isa, as she slowly walked up to me and put her spear away on her back.

"Isa..." I said, my voice still pained from the kick.

Without a word, she picked me up and carried me in her arms. Never in a million years, had I thought a woman would do this to me. When I looked up at her helmet, I tried to imagine what expression she was wearing:

Happy? Because I was safe? Angry? Because I was sidetracked from the objective? Or both?...

The thought of thinking made me tired as the thought of comfort and safety began to set it, I began to close my eyes. And before I knew it, I passed out.

Q: Have you watched akame ga kill before?