9 Kill Your Innocence

Year: 1024

Raizo's body was lying inside a tent housed in a field at an undisclosed location. This place was located far away from where Night Raid's original base was. Months had passed since the battle against the Jaegers compromised their original headquarters forcing the assassins to move elsewhere. Inside the tent was the youth, who was still healing from the scars left in his mind after going berserk during the tournament. In the months following their escape, Leone took on the task of watching over him. Regardless of Yuki's adamant arguments of the one being in charge of Raizo's care, Najenda's orders were absolute. Even though Yuki was Raizo's childhood friend and longtime comrade-in-arms, it would not look right to have a newcomer watch over an asset of the boy's skill. Even if they were on the same side, the matter of trust comes into play when fighting a war.

Leone sat beside his bed watching him sleep peacefully. She studied his breathing to make sure he didn't have any irregular respiratory problems after the way he fought to the utmost physical limits months ago. He seemed so relaxed and at ease to her even though he had such a painful past. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she leaned closer to his bed. She felt an undeniable attraction toward him which she thought was just an illusion before or a passing interest before. Sure she teased him and flirted with him like she did with Tatsumi but she never took it as something entirely serious. However, at this moment, her heart just kept beating like she had become deeply infatuated with him.

What was wrong with her? Why feel this way right now? These questions circled her mind.

Her body moved forward on its own. She took a hard gulp to calm down her growing nerves which only slowed her heart rate down ever so slightly. Before she knew it, she had slowly climbed on top of the boy who was still lying asleep in the bed. She was careful not to put too much pressure on his body as she slowly lowered herself on him. She didn't understand why she was doing this at all. She carefully leaned down over him and took a whiff of his scent. One thing that her teigu, Lionelle, had on her in terms of effects was more animal-like instincts even when it wasn't active. The boy's aroma filled her nostrils which made her blush. Her heart raced even faster.

"I can't just take advantage of him, not like this!" she thought in her mind but her face lowered to the crease of his neck. Her hot breathing gradually tickled his skin thus gauging a bit of a twitching response from his body but he never opened his eyes.

"Well, here goes nothing," she whispered softly. She brought her face over his to his left cheek and gently licked the side of his face. It was something she did once before but not as a serious thing.

"I just marked you as mine, Raizo. One of these days, I'll claim you as such," she said with a hint of determination in his ear. She rose up still sitting on top of him when the unexpected happened. Raizo opened his eyes abruptly taking a sharp gasp then thrust his torso up toward Leone in a panic; however, he was not aware of his actions.

Raizo felt two soft flesh-like objects surrounding his face. He slowly pulled away and looked up to see Leone's face blushing but also smiling. He swallowed his saliva hard and his face immediately beamed a visible pink color.

"I…I…can explain. I'm sorry," he started apologizing before he saw that she was on top of him. This made him feel even more embarrassed. She sighed and kept smiling then wrapped her arms around him and hugged his head back to her bosom.

"You don't have to apologize. I did this so it's my fault. It's not like I'm mad about it either, hehe," she giggled flirtatiously. Raizo just looked to the side and scratched his cheek which felt a little damp.

"What the?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Oh, before you woke up, I marked you by licking you. This means that you are mine and that I will claim you as my prize whenever I want," she winked.

"B…but….what???" he squealed a bit in shock. He honestly did not foresee this outcome. He was unsure as to how he should react or where to go from that point. He only took a deep breath then exhaled and nodded at what Leone just said.

"So does this mean that I'm your boy..fr…" he tried to say before she put her finger over his lips shaking her head.

"Not yet, it just means that in the future, you shall belong to me," she declared. Once more she hugged him close then the sound of someone coming into the tent echoed.

"Hey Leone, Najenda finally allowed me to see Rai…zo," Yuki said coming in when she noticed the busty blonde holding Raizo in between her breasts and hugging him closely.

"Well then, am I interrupting anything?" Yuki asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes and no. but it's okay now!" Leone answered cheerfully while letting go of the boy and getting off of him.

"He's all yours," she smiled walking out but she stopped and turned her head, "Remember what I told you, Raizo."

Sitting straight up almost immediately upon hearing that, he nodded his head quickly as she exited the tent. Yuki raised an eyebrow at what she just heard.

"It seems like you're quite the popular guy, Raizo. Since when did you become such a ladies' man?" she spoke condescendingly walking over to his bedside.

"Oh don't even start with me, Yuki. Besides, since when did you decide to become a part of Night Raid?" he shot right back.

"Since Najenda came and asked me to join; I had a feeling I would run into you if I joined so I went with my gut instinct and here I am."

"Guessing time down south at HQ was getting too boring for you?"

"Basically; I mean they wouldn't even give me my own assassination assignments because they said "my teigu's abilities were too high valued" and that they couldn't risk such a unique asset. It's all a bunch of bullshit if you ask me. Sometimes I wonder why we even bothered signing up for all this stupid shit!"

"How could you say that? The whole reason we joined is to find and take out Aquilo! It's our main mission. It always has been!" Raizo uttered.

"But why did we have to sign up?" she inquired in response

"They had the intel we needed! Sure it took a long time to get it but the information we got while working with them would have taken us years to obtain!"

"That's all you care about…isn't it? Vengeance for a clan long gone and people that no one ever cared about. We're assassins, Raizo. No one gives a damn if we die! We're demons of the night meant to be used and discarded. We aren't even considered human! Why are you wasting your life over something so trivial?"

"Everything I knew…everyone I loved was taken from me and from you too! All because of greed and ambition! To top it all off, it was one of our own who did it! Don't you want some sort of answer? Some sort of restitution? He was responsible for your own cousin's death! Don't you want to honor Assana's memory?"

"DON'T FUCKING USE HER AS AN EXCUSE!" she screamed back, "You think you're the only one hurt? Angry? Suffering? I loved my cousin and the rest of the clan, but I'm not going to waste my life hating someone because they took it away. I'll believe that justice will be justly served one day! And I also believe that the people we lost don't want us chasing their phantoms for the sake of vengeance!"

The tension in the air from the argument was enough to silence even the strongest-willed individuals. It seemed like if someone lit a match in the room, the tent would be engulfed in a massive explosion. Raizo turned away from her and started putting on his usual red and black attire. Yuki got up and reached out to help him but he jerked away from her.

"So this is how you truly feel? I wonder how long you been holding this feeling inside you," Raizo spat out condescendingly not even trying to look his longtime friend in the eye.

"It's been about a year or two now, I just never told you. I figured you would have let it go over time as I have but I guess not," Yuki replied in a low but firm tone.

"I see."

"Raizo please let it go. I don't want to see you die because of a foolish rage."

"It isn't a foolish rage. I just have a strong reason to live and that is to kill Aquilo along with everyone else who was responsible for that day. So long as I possess this power, I'll make sure to make this desire become reality."

"How much will that cost? How long until you lost control again?!"

"That's where you are wrong. I am slowly gaining control of myself while possessed by my instincts. It is a slow process but I'm getting there. I just have to keep training."

"But…"

"I'm not in the mood to discuss this anymore. I know that in the past I have hurt many when I was enraged. I carry that burden every time I think of using this teigu, but it is an evil that I must embrace for now."

Yuki stormed out of the tent; she was furious that Raizo was ignoring her pleas to let go of his anger and hatred. The lone assassin shook his head before arming himself with his swords and his scythe then walked out into the morning sun. Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, he started to walk around to check out the area. Night Raid chose a good place to settle down. Judging from the direction of the sun, it was apparent to him that they were more toward the south so they could dodge the ever-watchful eye of the empire.

It was a smart move for them to relocate, even if it was only temporary. Thankfully they had managed to avoid losing any members during their battle against the Jaegers and to make it even more favorable for Night Raid, Tatsumi had managed to escape Esdeath's "imprisonment" and akame was able to return him to safety. For once it felt like they were on the lead.

Raizo continued walking around until he happened upon a small hut not too far from his tent. He had then heard voices yelling at one another. Feeling something was off, he decided to go and check it out.

"What do you mean they were a waste of time?" the high-pitched sound of Mein's voice had shrieked out in distress.

"Yeah, Bro was one of the best fighters I've ever trained with!" an exasperated Tatsumi yelled. Raizo opened the door slowly not knowing what to expect on the other side. Inside the hut were all the members of Night Raid along with his friend, Yuki.

"I'm just saying that even though they were highly trained individuals, they were ineffective as assassins," Chelsea said whilst flipping strands of her deep red hair out of her face.

"I read Bulat's and Sheele's files before my arrival. As I said, I won't deny their ability in battle, however, their capability as assassins was mediocre at best," she reasoned.

"Who the hell asked your goddamn opinion bitch?!" Mein yelled getting up into the girl's face. Their eyes met with one another. If Mein had her Pumpkin, this audacious individual would surely have a massive gaping hole blown through her chest right now; at least that is what the atmosphere clearly suggested. Najenda stood next to one of the beds in the room and took a deep puff of her cigarette.

"Alright you two, that's enough," she spoke exhaling a small cloud. Looking up, she noticed an estranged Raizo walking in unsure of the situation.

"So what was going on before I came in?" Raizo asked very cautiously but curious as to what the commotion was about.

"Oh nothing, I was just giving my observation over some previous members that were once a part of Night Raid," Chelsea answered.

"Yeah, an unneeded opinion that should never have been said," Mein sneered.

"Agreed," Tatsumi nodded.

"I'm guessing this is about members who were in the team before my time with you all?" Raizo asked.

"Yeah, Bulat and Sheele.. they both died in the heat of battle," Akame answered with a somewhat dismal expression.

"I see… the loss of a comrade is always hard but it is to be expected in this line of work. I may not know them but it sounds like they died fighting for a cause they believed in and to ensure that their friends will live on carrying their dreams," Raizo surmised as he stood there with his head bowed.

"Which is why I was saying that they aren't true assassins," Chelsea spoke abruptly breaking the silence. This only spurred the tension once more.

"You…" Mein growled as she walked over toward her. Susanoo used his massive frame to step between the two girls before a fight broke out.

"I'm only stating a fact," the redhead added.

"That's not for you to say! How do you know who they are? Just because you read a file doesn't mean anything!" Tatsumi cried out struggling to keep himself contained. He clutched at his chest realizing how heartbreaking it was to talk about this.

The room went deathly silent. The atmosphere rapidly changed from that of tension to that of just awkward silence forcing Raizo to break it up.

"I take it you have something important to tell us all right boss?" Raizo ended the discussion abruptly which allowed Najenda to broach the subject of their meeting.

"Alright then everyone, listen up," she said stepping forward, "As you all know, the Jaegers have managed to discover our previous hideout. Even though we eliminated Dr. Stylish, we have no idea how many of the other imperial dogs know the location hence the need to abandon it. For now, we are going to lay low and relax but I do have a plan for our next move. As far as training is concerned, there are plenty of Danger Beasts in the area that are considerably strong so feel free to prey upon them as you see fit. Any questions?"

"What will be our next move?" Akame asked.

"We're going to lure out the Jaegers and try to take down as many of them as we can. If they are all teigu users like us, then they pose a threat to the future of our plans and to the success of the revolution to come. It'll take some time to get everything that is needed ready to be executed hence why we will be staying here outside of the capital's territory."

"So basically… we're on a vacation?" Leone asked hinting excitement in her voice.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Najenda smirked.

"WOOHOO!" the ecstatic female yelled. Everyone else just made a sigh but given Leone's positive attitude, it was a welcome change to the atmosphere of the room.

"That settles it then… Are we clear everyone?" Najenda asked.

"Yes!" answered everyone inside the small cabin.

"Good then you're all dismissed," she nodded promptly putting an end to the meeting. Although there was a greater plan to be attended to soon, it was decided that Night Raid would take a few days to rest and train.

Now that the meeting was over, the members of the team were given freedom as to what to do with their spare time. Due to the area basically being something akin to an oasis, it was decided that Night Raid would enjoy a casual day in the sun like it was a day at the beach. The scenery was an astounding sight to behold. Everything was in full bloom during this time of year. The fields were lush green with patches of various breeds of flowers in full bloom. Multitudes of trees provided just the right amount of shade as well so the area was kept cool from the heat of the blazing sun overhead. In a short walking distance of about twenty paces, there was a river connected to the base of a large waterfall that flowed steadily to the west.

"Who wants to go for a swim?" Leone asked excitedly jumping up and down in joy over the newfound free time that they now have.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea. Plenty of opportunities to catch fresh fish for tonight," Akame nodded in approval.

"Is meat always on your mind?" sighed Tatsumi shaking his head at Akame's conclusion.

"Meat is the stem of happiness in the world," she looked back at him with glowing eyes of hope.

"Akame, you should probably calm down," Lubbock suggested, "Besides, all that matters is that if Leone wants to swim then I can finally see her big…."

Before Lubbock could finish his sentence, Leone dashed up to him and swiftly punched him in the gut. Lubbock's perverted behavior was something that the regular members of Night Raid were used to. It was unfortunate that he would act this way with the newcomers around. Leaving him writing in pain on the ground, Leone lead Akame, Mein, Chelsea, and Yuki off somewhere to change in peace; if left unattended to, Lubbock would probably try to peep on them so it was fortunate that she knocked him down before even giving him a chance. Tatsumi sat with Lubbock to ease his pain although he was kind of ashamed to be sharing the same gender with someone like the green-haired goofball at this point.

Susanoo stood by already changed into a pair of white and blue swim shorts exposing his muscular torso. A few minutes later, Najenda came out of the cabin in a black two-piece bikini and lay out on a long chair to sunbathe. After Lubbock had finally recovered, Tatsumi took his friend to go and get changed into the tent for the guys. Raizo sighed heavily feeling like this whole thing was a waste of time. He didn't feel like being bothered by such trivialities so he left the small camp and headed toward the base of the waterfall.

It was a straightforward trip to where Raizo wanted to go. He just had to carefully hop over some rocks and navigate the slick spots to get behind the falling water. He hoped that his absence would not be painfully obvious because he just didn't want to expose himself in front of others. Once he felt far enough away, Raizo removed his torso wear and unhooked his armaments along with a small bag, and sat them on the ground. He kicked off his boots as well leaving only his black pants on his body. His chest was patterned with different marks from the scars he received in battle. Although there were few, the sheer size of them would make any normal person question what kind of horrors he has dealt with.

Aside from his scars, Raizo had tattoos on his body. He had wolf claws that covered his upper arms on both sides and a small wolf head in the middle of his chest. What was most interesting were the marks on his back. They weren't like the battle scars that decorated his torso; they were a faded black color that had a cloudy wing shape. Etching his body from the top of his shoulders to the base of his spine, Raizo never shared them with anyone except Yuki. They first appeared on his back about 5 years ago after he drank a jar of blood which gave him the Teigu, Indra's Judgment. They glow during select times in which his power activates, mainly during the time in which he is about to go berserk.

Normally, Raizo didn't care about who saw his body but when he found out about the marks on his body as a result of the teigu, he became self-conscious and cautious about who saw his body. He was even particular about those who treated his wounds if he fell in battle because of these marks, hence why only Yuki knows of them. If he couldn't treat himself medically, then Yuki would treat him should he have to remove his clothes. Although, now that he thought about it, there were times when Yuki wasn't around and his marks weren't exposed. When he first arrived at Night Raid after his fight with them, he passed out and found himself on a bed and in different clothes from the ones he had before.

Why didn't anyone ask about them then? Were they even there at the time? He thought to himself. He reached over his shoulders and touched the marks which had a slightly rough texture to them compared to his skin. Maybe they only show themselves around certain people? He was unsure but he shook his head not trying to worry about it.

He stood up and removed his pants and underwear and was finally fully nude, he looked around one more time to make sure no one was watching. He then stepped under the water and let the torrent wash his entire body.

"This feels pretty good," he said while bathing under the roaring rapids. Then he sat down underneath the pouring water and fixated his posture into a meditative position. He let his mind go blank so he could quietly focus and redirect the energies within his body. His focused senses could perceive much of the world around him past the sounds of the rushing water to the lightly whistling sound of the wind. He could also hear his friends all the way back at the encampment. It sounded like they were having a good time.

"Whose bathing suit looks better Tatsumi?" Leone teased the brunette as she wore an orange and yellow bikini.

"Yeah, I'm curious to know the answer," Chelsea questioned. She was in her pink bathing suit. Akame and Mein were nearby as well but they were already in the water; one wore a white bathing suit while the other a dark pink bathing suit. Yuki casually walked around in a dark blue bathing suit just taking in the sights of the beautiful scenery. Tatsumi became nervous and tried to avoid choosing. He knew that this was a dangerous position that was put in so he took an unexpected turn.

"Su! You look pretty buff. How did you get your body to look that muscular?" he blurted out to Susanoo to change the situation.

"Well, I suppose training does go a long way," Susanoo answered.

"Wow, he completely deflected the question," Leone sighed.

"Awww, I wanted to know too," Chelsea whined.

"Why didn't you ask me? I could have chosen easily!" Lubbock shouted. While Raizo was away, he eventually recovered and managed to change prior to the girls getting back.

"Shut up you or do you want me to hit you again?" Leone smirked clenching her fist. Lubbock ducked down and shook his head back and forth repeatedly.

"Good, now then; maybe I should ask Raizo. He'll probably be more direct," Leone chuckled.

"I doubt it. Raizo isn't really one who pays attention to details regarding the female body. Well, he actually avoids it which is why it is fun to tease him," Yuki remarked.

"Let's try it then shall we?" Leone said enthusiastically.

"Alright let's do it!" Yuki smiled.

Over behind the falls, Raizo sighed as he could hear what they were plotting.

"Thankfully, I am nowhere near them so I can have some form of peace." He refocused back upon himself blocking out everything become wrapped in the sounds of nature.

"Raizo has been gone for a while now hasn't he?" Tatsumi wondered as hung out with Lubbock and Susanoo. It was now nightfall and the members of Night Raid had split into guys and girls to relax in hot springs located not too far away from where they set up camp.

"Yeah, you're right. I haven't seen him since after the meeting. Did the girls ever find him?" Lubbock inquired. Tatsumi shook his head.

"Not that I'm aware of, I don't think they searched all that hard for him after comparing swimsuits…" Tatsumi sighed in disappointment. He was kind of annoyed that they didn't search harder but they were so focused on having a comparison of who looked better in swimsuits that it didn't stick in their minds.

"Man, first I miss out on enjoying their swimsuits and now I have to miss out on seeing their lovely naked bodies. Damn my luck!" the infuriated Lubbock shouted in frustration. As usual, his perversion knew no boundaries.

"OW! What the hell!" yelled the deviant-minded Lubbock while rubbing the back of his head. A wooden bucket had descended from the sky from over the side of a large rock-formed wall. On the other side were the females who were attempting to soak in peace.

"You know we can hear you right?!" Mein yelled displaying her usual domineering attitude.

"Seriously Lubbock, how stupid can you be?" sighed Leone.

"Men really are quite the confusing creatures are they not?" Najenda shook her head while soaking without her robotic arm on.

"Indeed but they can be quite fascinating when they need to be," Chelsea smirked.

"You're not talking about what I think you're talking about are you?" Yuki raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe, maybe not, I'm just saying my opinion," the eccentric redhead winked.

"Tch, as if you would know anything about men," snorted Mein.

"I do know more than you ever will. I mean what can you possibly hope to accomplish with that small chest of yours?"

"WHAT! Since when did this become a discussion about breast size?"

"A lady has to know how to use her assets to get the guy oh mighty flat-chested one."

"Well good thing I have nothing to worry about!" Leone cheesed as she squeezed her own enormous bust. Mein shot her a glare while clutching her own chest.

"I'm with you on that one, Leone!" Yuki boasted clutching herself as well holding an identical size to the busty blonde.

"I may not be all that big but at least I'm not like Mein," Chelsea sneered making yet another joke on the short-fused girl.

"I swear I'm going to end you."

"Now ladies, it isn't all about size. Sometimes it is just a matter of experience," Najenda said with a sly tone. Sitting quietly in the water, Akame sat and listened all the while examining her bust with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. She squeezed herself then looked at Leone and reached out groping hers as well.

"Interesting…" the quiet girl said.

"Hey! Hehehe, that tickles!" Leone moaned slightly.

"Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!" Lubbock screamed in frustration from the other side of the wall. He had small tears welling up in his eyes due to his lustful desire to see what was going on.

"Tatsumi, this is way too agonizing!"

"I umm…can agree to a certain extent," the young boy blushed hearing what was being said. He wasn't as perverted as Lubbock but he was at that age in life where a boy would naturally be curious.

"Tatsumi, use Incursio's invisibility to get a sneak peek man I'm begging you!" Lubbock clasped his hands together standing up in the water, bowing and begging Tatsumi.

"Umm…well," he didn't want to say no because he was admittedly curious himself but then again.

"WE CAN STILL HEAR YOU!" the women called out at once.

"Damn it..." Lubbock and Tatsumi silently said while Susanoo just sat there indifferently.

Meanwhile, Raizo awoke from his meditative state. He got a sudden chill running down his spine as the water he sat under had turned bitterly cold. Jumping up, he dashed for his bag and grabbed a towel to dry himself off. He looked around to see that it had become dark already. He had no idea that he was away from everyone for so long. Shaking from the cold water pounding his flesh for unknown increments of time, he was shivering and sneezed a few times. Quickly, he threw on his clothes and made his way back to camp. It seemed as though everyone was away or something because there wasn't anyone around. He quietly went back into his tent, put his gear down, and slipped into his bed curling up in an effort to keep warm.

"Damn it, I think I overdid it today. Achoo!" he cursed then sneezed, "Oh well, I'll just have to rest for a while so I don't get sick."

After a few minutes, he heard a group of voices approaching the camp. After focusing his hearing a bit, he realized that it was his companions from Night Raid coming back from somewhere.

"Hey, I want to go make sure if Raizo is back, I'll catch up with you later," a feminine voice echoed then got closer and closer to his tent.

"Raizo?" she called out. The mellow timbre in her voice which was both soft and mature belonged to Leone. She approached his bed and saw him lying in it.

"Hey, where have you been all day? We've been worried about you," she spoke concerned.

"Training…mentally," he answered not turning to face her.

"Hey are you okay?" she leaned close to him gently touching his forehead. He shivered a bit more.

"Jeez, you're burning up but you're shaking like you are freezing!" she gasped, "Hang on; I'll get you something hot to eat and bring more blankets."

She disappeared out of the tent and headed back toward the cabin. She let the other members of Night Raid know what was going on. Susanoo made Raizo some hot soup from the ingredients that Akame caught while fishing and some of the local forest herbs and spices. Tatsumi got some extra blankets as well. They brought the items into Raizo's tent and checked on him briefly before Leone motioned them to leave.

"Don't worry, I'll stay with him tonight to make sure his case doesn't get any worse," she said with a warm smile.

"You sure?" Tatsumi asked raising an eyebrow.

"No, she won't," Leone insisted.

With that, Leone stayed with Raizo and kept an eye on him. She helped him eat and put extra blankets over him to keep heat in his body. The weakened youth turned over and curled up underneath the extra fabric to keep warm but he still shivered. Seeing this, Leone sighed. She stood up and began to take off her clothes without a second thought then opened the bed and got in with him. Feeling her warm breath slowly trickling the back of his neck, he jumped in surprise.

"What are you doing?"

"Keeping you warm, silly. Here, take off your clothes. Direct skin contact will allow heat to transfer to your body," she said tugging at his clothes.

"What?! Hey, wait for a second…that's not!" he panicked a bit. Leone put her finger over his lips and just began to forcefully undress him.

"Just shut up and let me take care of you, don't be such a baby."

She took off his shirt and his pants only leaving his undergarments then she readjusted the blankets and pressed close against him embracing him like a body pillow. Leone's instincts then guided her to straddling the boy later in the evening. What occurred in that tent after that is not a story for prying eyes.