Akame: *She then nodded* Let's go... *She said as she began to keep a good distance between herself and Kairi* [She's heading away from the Empire.... Whoever this is, it's not someone close.... Just what are you up to?]

Leaving the Empire, Kairi jumped from house to house, travelling far east of the Capital. Once she was familiar with where she was, she jumped down to the floor. "If I remember correctly...." Kairi walked down a near, ominous alleyway, almost sending goosebumps down her body. By the end of the alleyway was a door, which she slowly reached the doorknob for, "If everything's the same... Isla should be here... Although it definitely feels weirder than I remember.."

Leone followed Kairi alongside Akame, keeping a good distance. But, as they made it to the alleyway, Leone observed from the top of a close building, "I think this is our end unless you think you could sneak in behind her somehow..... We can only really wait from here.." Leone glanced up and down the alleyway, "She couldn't choose a place any less sketchier? Damn it, this better be worth the trip for whatever it's for Kairi....."

Akame: ..... [Something's off, and I can't quite put my finger on it....]. *She thought as she looked around* You felt it as soon we got close... It's not just the sketchy nature of it... Something else.... There's something else at play here.... *She said as she kept a hand on Murasame*

Kairi opened the door, a cold air gently blowing past her. The inside seemed well lit, making Kairi feel a little less worried, but a chill couldn't help but go down her spine. She then walked inside, "Isla.... Are you in here?"
"Kairi?" A friendly voice responded, a girl then walking to the entrance to see Kairi. "Kairi, it is you.. It's been awhile. What brings you here?"
Kairi immediately felt safe after hearing Isla's voice, putting down the hoodie of her cloak. "It's been years now, you helped me get used to my Imperial Arm when I was younger..."
"Mhm... But, that's when I was actually with the Revolutionary Army until I just left to be on my own...... Although, I see they've succeeded.." Isla said.
Kairi felt off with that response but shook it off. "Right... Anyways, I came here because I actually been having some problems with Kurai..I recently used my trump card and.... I've been experiencing pain since and the mark... It almost like it's been spreading..?" Kairi tried to explain.
"Hmm, let me have a look.." Kairi turned around and Isla kneeled, lifting up Kairi's cloak and clothes to look at her mark, "Ah it really has spread a bit.... The thing with Kurai... Manipulating the shadows goes hand in hand with messing around with darkness.. And I guess, when using that form of yours, it's almost like you let the darkness too close to your heart.."
"I let it too close to my heart..? Is there any way I could get it to stop?" Kairi asked.
"It will stop spreading soon, now that you're out of that form..." Isla's finger traced around the mark on Kairi's back, "Though, if you use the form recklessly, it'll likely continue..."
Kairi felt uncomfortable but let her continue, "What.. What would happen if it did spread all the way?"
"Hmm...." Isla stopped tracing around with her finger, curiosity getting to her. "I don't know what would happen, truthfully... But, don't you think it'd be interesting to find out?"
Kairi gulped, "What do you mean..?"
"Exactly what you think it means, Kairi..." Isla smirked, "We could always let it happen..... and find out what happens...."
Kairi turned around and immediately moved back from her, "Isla, I don't think I would agree to that much...."
Isla frowned. "Aw.. and why not? You could stay for awhile longer...." She tried to walk closer to Kairi, "Let the darkness spread all the way and I'll be here to watch you over..."
Every step Isla took closer to Kairi, Kairi took another step back, "I can't help but feel like you have more intentions behind that..."
"Oh, but what if I do? It's nothing that you'd have to worry about, Kairi...." Isla said.
Kairi shook her head, "Isla I told you! I want no part in this!!"
With her response, Isla grew annoyed, "..... Fine!" She kicked Kairi, sending her out of the room and crashing her up against the wall of the alleyway. "If you don't want to do it willing, seems like I'll have to take some other measures.."
Leone gritted her teeth, "Kairi! I knew something was up with this.." Leone activated Lionel jumping down in front of Kairi to block Isla from her.
"Ah..." Kairi slowly opened her eyes after the impact, "L- Leone...?"
Isla walked out and into the alleyway, "Oh and what do we have here? Lionel? Must be my lucky day..."
(I apologize if this turns up to be really long lol)

(It's no problem.)
Akame: *She jumped down as well, blocking Isla from Kairi as well* Seems like there's a good reason we were sent to do this then..... *She unsheathed Murasame, pointing the blade at Isla* Who are you and what is your business with Kairi*

Isla completely ignored the question, more fascinated by Murasame, "Ah, so we have Murasame here as well..."
Kairi looked to Akame, "Akame too...? What are you both doing here..?"
"Kairi, we'll answer that for you later.... And you!" Leone snapped, referring to Isla. "You didn't answer Akame's question!"
"Why don't you ask Kairi?" Isla said. "As she is the one who came to me..."
Kairi was silent for a second before sighing, "Isla.... worked both under the Empire and was with the Revolutionary Army temporarily... She knows quite a lot about Imperial Arms and from what I can tell now.. She has a lot of interest in them..." She explained. "I went to her in hopes I'd find out why I was experiencing this pain..."
Isla added on, "As well as why that mark of yours is spreading now.. And, now I just want to know what would happen if it spread all the way...." She gently shrugged, "Can a girl not be a little curious?"
"The mark spreading? I've never heard of anything like that.." Leone turned her head to look at Kairi, "Kairi? Is that true?"
Kairi looked off to the side in silence, since she knows it was the one thing she was hiding.

Akame: *She thought about for a second* [Katsu will no doubt be upset.... But, for now I have one focus in mind..] You're taking a risk on another person's life for what sounds like an experiment..... An experiment of your own curiosity!

"An experiment of my own curiosity hits it right on the head!" Isla exclaimed. "And that small bit of curiosity is all you need to drive an experiment... Are you not curious too? Even Kairi herself asked me what would happen if it were to completely spread.. I'm not sure, so..." She smirked, "Why not find out?"
"Isla, you were never like this before...." Kairi said. "You were the one who actually helped me with Kurai..."
Isla chuckled, "And that was years ago, Kairi.. Things change, people change! Eventually I just wanted to go down my own path.. Fulfill my curiosity.... Don't you?" Isla kneeled down to look at Kairi ahead of Leone and Akame, "Individual Imperial Arms can be so unique that... have you ever wondered what it could be like to watch them practically driven to its limit? Maybe even being able create one with your own two hands.... Maybe not even just one! Multiple..."
"Stop spouting this shit to Kairi! There's no need for any of that!" Leone shouted at Isla.
Isla stood up again, now focusing to Leone and Akame. "There's no need, but where's the fun in any of that? I wouldn't do this because it needs to be done... I'd do it purely because I want to.."

Akame: Clearly the years haven't been kind to you.
*A voice emerged over the alley*
???: You know it's unsurprising, just how mad a person can become..... But you, its no secret. *The voice jumped down in front of them, it was Ren*
Akame: Ren! This wasn't part of the plan....
Ren: You're right it wasn't..... But something kept nagging and nagging at me.... Plus better me than Katsu....
Akame: He's not wrong.... I don't doubt Katsu's gonna be upset...
Ren: He'll get over it eventually..... However... *He then focused on Isla* Someone like you shouldn't be sticking around... However, it isn't my call to make..

"Ren too...?" Kairi thought. "They were all aware then.... Katsu....."
"More?" Isla put one hand on her hip, "Starting to become one too many for me...."
"Just....." Kairi looked down, "Just let her be....."
"Kairi??" Leone turned to her, "Let her be!? Are you serious? If we weren't here right now, you cou-"
Kairi cut Leone off, "I know!" She clenched her fists, "She could always be dealt with later.... She's a lot of talk but she's not a major threat.."
Isla raised an eyebrow, "I'm still here you know... Listening loud and clear."
Kairi ignored her, "Just let Isla be, please... I've already messed up enough as it is. I don't know if I want to cause any more..."

Ren: ..... I'd only say... Just don't let this be a decision that comes back... She may not be major now, but you never know.... Are you sure you want to let a judgment like that potentially affect you as well as Katsu?

Kairi felt uneasy and unsure but she stuck to her decision, "We'll deal with her before that can even happen, just not now.. I don't want to get rid of her on a whim, it just doesn't sit right with me....."
"Aw, are you trying to protect me, Kairi?" Isla said, in attempt to taunt her.
"Protect you?" It pissed off Kairi a bit but before she could even properly respond, she felt the sharp pain across her body again. She groaned, stumbling back against the wall again.
"Kairi!" Leone went beside her to support her.
Isla smirked, "Poor you... I guess it's still not done spreading yet, huh?"
"Whatever! Isla be quiet..." Leone yelled. "If Kairi wants to let her be, then I guess we'll have to go with that..."

Ren: Very well.... But we'll be keeping watch..
Akame: *She nodded*
Ren: But.... *He looked to Kairi* Now the real question is what about you? Bow are you going to fare in all of this?

"To be honest, I'm not too sure...." Kairi looked to Isla, "Technically that's what I wanted to figure out when I came here.."
"Huh? You told me what's wrong and I gave you the explanation." Isla put her hands on her hips, "I'm not giving you anything more than that after this whole conversation."
"Tch, whatever...." Kairi then looked back to Ren, "I'll try my best to adjust to this and see if I can learn anything else without leaving... Although the first thing I'll do is tell Katsu as that was my first mistake....."

Ren: Hm.... I can't tell you how Katsu will be... But, I know he's been really worried... But, just having you back home will be a big relief for him... Leone, you got Kairi.... Let's go.. *He said as he and Akame began to make their way back*

Leone nodded and looked to Kairi, "I'll carry you back because it's probably for the best. C'mon.." Leone gently carried Kairi in her arms. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah.." Kairi said in a quiet voice, her head mostly in her thoughts now. "I can't even predict how Katsu would respond.. I wanted to avoid worrying him, but I only worried him even more..... I messed up...."
Leone then started to make her way back with Kairi as well, soon arriving back to the Empire.
Isla sighed as she watched them all leave, "Definitely not how I expected my night to go but it was a pleasant surprise... We'll see how far she goes with Kurai...."

Akame: Kairi......
Ren: We're just glad to have you coming back home.... _
Akame: Yeah.... If you want a truth be told, that's why Katsu sent us.... Because we can't afford to lose you...

"Can't afford to lose me...?" Kairi asked.
Leone nodded. "Mhm... And don't go saying we can or something because I can already sense that response from you.."
Kairi glanced off to the side since Leone was right.
"We all care for you, Kairi.. And it's definitely no question how much Katsu cares for you.." Leone said. "So don't go doing things on your own like that, alright? Everyone is willing to help."

Ren: Damn straight.... Remember, not only are we a team... But we're a family too... But, I'll dare to say that we're family above all else... So, no more rushing to see about something on your own in the dead of night...... There's too many what ifs and factors to this.. Besides, it'd really hurt to lose my sister in law....

Kairi nodded, "Right, I'm sorry... I just didn't really realize how reckless I was being.. In my head, I just thought this could be something quick I can do so you guys didn't have to worry much... I promise I won't do anything like it again. At the end I'm glad you found out.."

Ren: *He nodded with a smirk* Alright then! Now let's see.... Was there anything else? No, I think I've said everything I should......
Akame: But there's still the question as to what's going on? An Imperial Arms with a spreading mark.. Not even using Murasame's trump card has an effect like that...
Ren: Katsu's Aoi Hono is not that far off...... The use of Aoi Hono's trump card turns him into a monster, and with each use... He takes a mental hit and loses a bit of himself in the process....

Kairi thought back to the conversation, "For me, Isla said something about darkness coming too close to my heart each time I use my trump card.. Besides from the spreading, I don't know what else it changes.... No one knows what'll happen if it spread all the way, but it's likely I wouldn't be the same me anymore..."
"Then if Katsu's similar, then do you know if there's any way he can recover from that?" Leone asked. "It can at least give us some hope when considering Kairi's situation."

Ren: ....... I know in Katsu's case, there's a rare flower that you can mix to make a cure..... It helped to solve his mental deterioration...... [Close to your heart....] I'm not sure if it's a counter to side effects of Imperial Arms trump card usage... It's a rare flower found in danger beast territory...

"Hm... I mean it wouldn't hurt to try, but it seems like a hassle to get around.." Kairi sighed, "And it probably wouldn't work..."
"Well, for now that'll just be something we'll have to worry about if it were to get worse... Maybe we should talk about this more in the morning when we're with Katsu and Najenda?" Leone suggested.

Ren: Perhaps that would be a wise move.... Discussing this among ourselves probably won't make this any better with Katsu... So, we discuss this in the morning with them... That way we have a solid strategy to get through this.
Akame: Agreed....
*They then made it back to the Empire*
Ren: I'd dare to say Katsu may be asleep, or he might be awake... Hard to tell...

As they made it back, Leone gently put Kairi down.
Kairi sighed, "And I was just going to ask you about that... Ok, I'll see when I go in. Regardless I'm going to have to talk to him about all this..." She bowed, "I'm sorry for having you guys up this late.. But, thank you again for looking after me..."

Ren: Eh, it's no big deal... Besides, night operations is where this team excels... It's part of the reason we knew you'd take the window route out... But of course, we're always looking out for each other... No more, no less...
Akame: It's never a problem... We do what we must for family....

Leone pat Kairi's back, "I couldn't have put it any better, don't worry about it Kairi."
Kairi put on a small smile, "I really do appreciate all of you.. I'm going to go rest now and check on Katsu... Goodnight!"
Leone waved goodbye, "Goodnightt, and hopefully things go alright with Katsu.."
Kairi then left the group, heading to the Emperor's Quarters. As she arrived to the room, she hesitated reaching for the doorknob, "I'm still worried on how he'll react... He was aware the whole time I was leaving, but he still doesn't even know why..... And finding out about Isla won't make it any better... I'm such an idiot, Katsu.. I'm sorry...." She thought.
Kairi took a deep breath. Unsure whether he was awake or asleep, she gently opened the door, "Katsu?"

*Katsuki stood at the window, looking out into the night. He heard Kairi's voice*
Katsuki: Kairi. *He ran to her and hugged her* Thank goodness you're back safe.... Seriously...

"So you are awake..." Kairi immediately hugged him back, tightly. "I'm so sorry if I worried you, Katsu.... I.. I only did this because I wanted to avoid that, but I only made it worse.. I feel so bad..."

Katsuki: *He sighed* Kairi.... With how you were feeling when you got out of bed.... I was ready to just stay by your side.... I had heard you were going to see someone..... Plus, you going on your own..... *He shook his head* I shouldn't sound like I'm going to lecture you.... Just seeing you back alive and safe.... That's all I need, and I'm grateful for that...

Kairi gently caressed his cheek, "And I'm happy I can be here with you again and reassure you.. I should've just told you from the beginning... I did go to see someone, but that's only because I wanted to know what caused me so much pain..... The mark on my back... It's been spreading since this morning... I wanted to handle it so I didn't have to worry you, but... it didn't really go as smooth sailing as I hoped.."

Katsuki: I see..... *He had a little disappointment in his voice* ...... Hmm.... Damn it.... The only other thing I could think.... It's got to be a side effect..... If it's not getting better with time... We'll need to move to plan b.... *He went into a drawer, and pulled out a vial containing a blue liquid* I had saved this in the event Aoi Hono would ever try to burrow its way through to take over mentally.... As a side effect of its trump card... This is believed to counter the side effects of Imperial Arms..... Kurai should be no different then.... Here.... *He said handing it to Kairi*

"Are.. Are you sure you want to give this to me? Isla said something about darkness coming to close to my heart whenever I use my trump card.... Of course, Isla being the person I saw..." Kairi stared down to the vial in her hands, "But, I guess if it's to counter side effects, it should help.."

Katsuki: I'm not sure to what extent it'll help.... For all I know, it may only help slightly... It may help more than that.... But, that should at the very least be a start... It's not too far off from me.... While I wouldn't exactly say that darkness comes closer to my heart.... But, using Aoi Hono's trump card.... It puts me closer to having the mind of a beast.... Considering its carnal nature in the first place..

"Ah, makes sense.. We'll see then. The pain hasn't be occurring as frequently now, but I'll still drink it to see what it does...." Kairi sighed, "I should've just came to you about this from the start... While I did get some info, it wasn't as much as I anticipated... Not to mention....." Kairi hesitated to mention this, "If you didn't have Leone and Akame follow me, I'm not sure if Isla would have let me come back..."

Katsuki: That's what I had been afraid of..... But, that's all the more reason why I'm glad I did send them... I never would've guessed Kurai would have side effects like this... But, everything comes with a trade off... I'm just hoping for a speedy recovery..

"So am I.." Kairi let out a sigh of relief, "You're responding better than I expected... I didn't want you even more concerned, but I didn't want to hide anything from you either.."

Katsuki: Sometimes we think we can take on so much more on our own.... But, I guess I realized I really wouldn't have too much room to talk if I responded any other way....

"Understandable.... and I guess I'm contradicting myself a bit because I would be the one who would tell you to not go off alone huh?" Kairi just slowly shook her head, "I just promise I won't do anything like it and worry you again..."

Katsuki: *He nodded* Though for now..... You should drink that and try to get some rest..... Hopefully it helps to the best extent.. Alright Kairi?

Kairi nodded, "Got it." She sat down on the bed and gently opened the vial. "Here goes nothing." She quickly drank down the blue liquid, her face starting to scrunch up. "Well that's delicious.." She said sarcastically.

Katsuki: I apologize for the bad taste... But, mixes like that usually aren't known for good taste..... But, things should start to get better with time now... As you rest, you should feel less pain and the mark will hopefully recede back to its origin spot.

"Hopefully..." Kairi then laid on the bed, patting the space beside her, "You should come rest as well.. Have you gotten any sleep since I left?"

Katsuki: A little bit.... But, I should rest as well... *He said as he got back into bed* I was asleep for a little while, but it unfortunately didn't last...

"Well now you can sleep as much as you like, without worry.." Kairi gently placed her hand on his cheek, "I'll be right beside you and I'll be ok..."

Katsuki: *He took her hand and kissed it* I'll rest with more ease then... Thank you Kairi... *He slowly began to close his eyes as he began to fall asleep*

"Of course.." Soon Kairi did the same, peacefully falling asleep besides Katsuki.
The next morning Kairi woke up before him. She slowly sat up from the bed, "I feel a little better, but I won't really know until I look..." She got out of bed, walking into the bathroom to check on the mark.

Katsuki: *He soon woke up after Kairi went into the bathroom* [I do feel rested, thankfully... She's home....] *He got up from the bed* Kairi? How are you feeling?

"Katsu, good morning!" Kairi greeted. She lifted her shirt, looking at her back through the mirror, "I don't really feel any pain anymore, but looking at the mark.... It didn't go all the way back to its original spot, but it's definitely better than what it was yesterday.."