*"Reporting live as of January 12th of the 5000th Comet Year—the infamous war criminal Akame Saikyo has been found alive! Sources indicate he had been hiding on the African sub-continent, more specifically the Loliwean island chain in the southern hemisphere. As this territory remains one of the Vatican's primary colonial holdings, questions are already emerging about whether Church officials were aware of his presence..."*
JANUARY 23RD, COMET YEAR 5000
THURSDAY, 1500 HOURS
11 DAYS LATER
ZAYA'S TRINKETS AND OFFERINGS — SAFE HOUSE, NAIROBI
The radio in the corner of the shop crackled with manufactured urgency, spewing whatever narratives its producers had deemed most profitable. The truth about Akame's existence had leaked to the public two days after he'd turned himself in—a firestorm of headlines and outrage that swept across every nation tuned to Vatican frequencies.
"Public outcry continues to mount, with demonstrators gathering outside Vatican embassies worldwide demanding immediate execution. Most vocal are those who claim he deserves to die a hundred times over—preferably drawn out across the next decade..."
The news had also whispered about possible accomplices. About others who might have aided the Calamity during his time in hiding.
But Maomao's quick thinking had extinguished that spark before it could catch. A word here. A favor called in there. A carefully placed denial that carried just enough weight to be believed. The authorities stood down. The danger receded.
Just as Akame had hoped it would.
RING! RING!
The bell above the door chimed with cheerful indifference to the weight of current events.
Two men entered—one removing his coat as he crossed the threshold, the other following close behind. The first ran a hand through distinctive purple hair, his expression a careful mask of calm. The second untied his long black hair, letting it fall freely as he surveyed the shop's cluttered interior.
Undine looked up from behind the counter.
"Koji and..." Her eyes shifted to the younger man. "You must be Gil."
"Yes, I am." Gil extended his hand, and she took it—a firm, respectful shake. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Undine."
"Please." A slight smile tugged at her lips. "Just Undine. 'Miss' makes me feel old."
"Okay then... Undine." Gil's smile didn't waver. It was steady, warm, genuine.
Koji watched him with quiet satisfaction. He'd been worried, honestly. The news of Akame's choice—to surrender himself, to walk into the lion's den—could have shattered someone less resilient. Could have broken the boy's spirit entirely.
It hadn't.
"If he wants us to keep moving forward," Gil had said, days ago now, "then that's what we'll do."
Simple words. But they carried weight.
'For an eighteen-year-old,' Koji thought, 'he is remarkably wise. He's grown so much in just the two weeks I've known him.' A quiet warmth settled in his chest. 'I can see it now—our future will be in good hands.'
He turned his attention back to Undine.
"How are the departure preparations going?"
"Better than I'd hoped, actually." Undine leaned on the counter, her expression shifting to something almost satisfied. "It was smart to let things settle first. Let normalcy return before we moved. Now we've got time to actually think—more food, more supplies, actual strategies instead of panic plans."
She ticked off points on her fingers.
"Plus, we've got protection from the Okinawa Group. They're letting us rest in their village along the way. That alone saves us an entire month of resources."
"That's good to hear." Gil chimed in. "I have this weird feeling I'd get seasick if we stayed on the water any longer than necessary."
Undine's eyes narrowed playfully. "Before we go any further—where the hell did you two disappear to? Did someone die?"
Koji and Gil exchanged a glance.
"Not really." Koji shrugged. "We went to visit Junichi-san in the hospital. He is my senior, after all."
"How is he?"
"He's fine. Wounds are healing slowly." A pause. "Though he seemed pretty upset that Akame didn't finish him off."
Koji allowed himself a small smile.
"That tells me he'll be just fine." He glanced at Gil. "Although he seemed really excited to meet you, for whatever reason. So maybe we'll have to worry a bit after all."
Gil grabbed his wrist, wincing slightly. "I think Mr. Junichi was fine. Although he might have broken my arm when he shook my hand."A sheepish grin. "But I'll be good."
"Great." Undine pushed off from the counter, weaving her way toward the door. "We should be able to leave in a couple of hours. You can tell me about your weird adventures once we're at sea."
The bell chimed again as she stepped outside.
Koji waited until the door swung shut before turning to Gil, his voice dropping to something more private.
"How was your talk with Nina-san?"
Gil considered the question. "It was fine. Nothing too interesting happened." A pause. "Although she did say she'd be heading out first. And that I shouldn't die before I make it there."
Koji's brow furrowed. "I'm still surprised she asked you to help her usurp the Blight House head. I hear she's... ruthless." He met Gil's eyes. "Are you sure that's what you want?"
"She offered to help me train." Gil shrugged. "I don't have a reason to say no." A thoughtful expression crossed his face. "Although... maybe we can do it without violence. If there's another way."
Koji sighed—but it was a fond sound, warm with something like pride.
'That way of thinking might be childish,' he admitted to himself. 'But at least he's considering other options. That's more than most would do.'
His thoughts drifted darker, to a memory he couldn't shake.
'Whatever that darkness was... I haven't seen it in a while. Then again, I only saw it once. I don't even know what I actually saw.' He studied Gil's face—open, earnest, good. 'Whatever it is, I hope he has the strength to defeat it. When the time comes.'
He clapped a hand on Gil's shoulder.
"Hey. I'm going to talk to Mao-chan about the other preparations. You go get Catherine and pack your things." A smile. "You can take one final stroll around the city, if you want. Clear your head."
RING! RING!
The door opened, then closed behind him. Through the glass, Gil could see Koji already on his phone, his expression serious as he walked.
Gil was alone in the shop.
He looked around properly for the first time. In the days since Akame's surrender, he'd been with Nina—not training, exactly, but learning. She'd explained things to him. About being a sorcerer. About what to expect from here on out.
'You're leaving the pond, Gil,' she'd purred, her voice a velvet knife. 'Soon you'll be swimming with sharks.'
She'd laughed after saying it. But something in her eyes had been utterly, completely serious.
Gil still couldn't read that woman. Probably advisable not to try. She was an anomaly—a puzzle box with no visible seams. He hadn't met Donovan, but he'd heard plenty. About him. About the Blight House in general.
He took a deep breath, inhaling the musk of the shop—old paper, dried herbs, something metallic lurking beneath.
"I better go look for her."
There was a door behind the counter. Koji had mentioned it led to the apartment complex in back. Gil pushed through, finding himself in a narrow stairwell. He looked up—four floors of worn steps and flickering fluorescent lights.
He climbed.
Children played in the hallway on the fourth floor, their laughter bright and unburdened. Gil greeted them as he passed—small waves, gentle smiles—until he stood before Room 7.
He dug into his pocket, found the key, and opened the door.
The apartment was small. Sparse. A bed in the corner. A table with two chairs. A window that faced the setting sun.
And Catherine.
She sat by that window, the long sword Maomao had given her gripped in a reverse hold—blade running along her forearm, hilt pointed downward. Her thumb rested on the guard, pushing just slightly, exposing a sliver of gleaming steel.
In that exposed sliver, she studied her own reflection.
There was no joy in her eyes.
No brightness. No spark.
Just... stillness.
Gil stood in the doorway, watching her watch herself, and felt something cold settle in his chest.
'Catherine...?'
TO BE CONTINUED.....