Kill the Mysterious Hero

Year: 1024

In the early hours of the morning, the streets of the Capital were bustling with all manner of noise. Fresh goods from neighboring districts were hauled in via carriages as the clacking of horse hooves along the cobblestone paving echoed in the air. Merchants standing beside various stands and open-air storefronts announced the arrival of "excellent" discounted stock for any and all prospective buyers to hear. The passing public mostly ignored them and simply strolled through the streets either by foot or privately owned horse-drawn carriages. This culminated together to paint the image of an untamed urban jungle brimming with potential venues for a would-be explorer. The sight of commercial business and open markets was nearly enough to make one forget about the corruption that plagued the great city's underbelly.

Among the sea of townsfolk, the assassins of Night Raid blended in whilst weaving through the crowds undetected. In particular, Tatsumi, Leone, and Raizo snaked their way through cloaked in veils of disguises. Tatsumi just wore a simple brown trench coat over a yellow sweater, blue pants, and white shoes. Leone was wearing a casual fur-collared blazer over a black tank top that showed off much of her cleavage with tan pants and black boots. As for Raizo, he was dealt with the unfortunate luck of wearing a lengthy, black-haired wig alongside sunglasses to hide his crimson eyes. He also wore a crimson jacket over top a white shirt and black pants with matching black shoes.

"How did I get dragged into this?" Raizo inquired with an apprehensive mood. Every few steps he would narrow his eyes and look from left to his right to study the movements of the folk around him. To ease the burden of his eager companion, Tatsumi reached out and patted the Blood Wolf's shoulder.

"Relax man, Lubbock did his best with that disguise. You'll be fine," the optimistic young man remarked in a reassuring tone which resulted in Raizo relinquishing an anxious sigh. The young man was not one who enjoyed being in public much.

The Blood Wolf then focused his attention on Tatsumi's expression. By now, he took note of the fact that unlike the more experienced members of Night Raid, Tatsumi's presence was more grounded.

"Listen to the kid here. He might not pack much of a punch, but he has a good feel for how things work around here," Leone spoke up whilst casually stretching her arms over her head.

The trio kept walking until they came upon an alleyway. Therein Lubbock emerged from a narrow passage on one of the walls. Seeing this, the trio followed their companion into the passage whilst taking care not to draw undue attention from the occasional passerby. Inside this area was a virtually undetectable sliding wall made of the same color and making as the rest of the corridor. Beyond a tight foyer, the group found an underground safe house. The inside of this pseudo-headquarters was a cross between a common pub and a library.

On the northernmost side of the room, there was a counter that sat in front of a wall filled with alcohol and other beverages. To the left of that area were bookshelves stocked with tons of rare reads and reports from different members of the Revolutionary Army who used the safehouse in the past. Finally, a banner of Night Raid could be seen stamped to a wall on the right in all of its glory. In front of the aforementioned banner was a living room where two other girls could be seen sitting on a leather couch—these being Akame and Mein.

"About time!" Mein declared with a confident yet endearing smirk upon seeing her friends. She crossed her legs and leaned back against the comfy leather. As always her pink twin tails seemed to flow like two graceful rivers in accordance with her movements. Raizo still felt a bit uneasy around her due to the girl's facade.

"She's probably a good girl underneath the tough act…but, she's just too caught up in acting out the confident fool."

Raizo then looked over to see Akame munching on what seemed to be a piece of beef jerky. Her strikingly elegant crimson eyes briefly met with his when she decided to tear a piece of jerky and extend her hand out to him offering it.

"Hard to believe someone so deadly can act so casually," he reckoned as he politely shook his head to decline her offer.

The entire faction of assassins would then gather by the bar and take a seat on the nearby pub stools. Akame acted as the bartender pouring varying types of beverages for her team.

"Now that we are all here, I'm going to tell you the purpose of our trip. The goals here are as follows:

1. We'll have Tatsumi enter the martial arts tournament for the purpose of additional revenue for his village and to obtain information and battle experience.

2. The other members of Night Raid will gather information regarding General Esdeath and the Silver Fox," Akame illustrated clearly. The other members in the room could only nod in acknowledgment.

Leone sighed. "Man… I got the chance to watch her a while back. I can't believe I'd ever thought I'd be able to take her," she huffed in a pouty voice while shaking her head from side to side.

Raizo tilted his head in confusion. "Just how scary is Esdeath anyway?" he pondered while glancing over at the others.

Lubbock sighed before gulping down his drink. "I'm guessing you haven't heard of how she conquered the north or how she effortlessly defeated those Gravekeepers in Putra a few years back," he explained with a glimmer of fear in his eyes.

"Aren't these Gravekeepers the ones with the ability to transform into hybrids of various animals? I think they even had a hand in the making of my Teigu," Leone noted.

Akame nodded. "I wasn't present by the time she arrived, but after the Elite Seven left the area she easily dispatched the rest of the Gravekeepers. Her strength is on a whole other level. It is possible that even if we were to engage her as a group, we would stand no chance in a direct encounter," she elaborated.

"She sounds like a devil," Tatsumi shuddered in horror. Raizo in the meantime simply sat in silent contemplation.

"I'm still nothing compared to Akame in a fight. To fight this Esdeath… I need more power," he surmised.

"While we were outside, Tatsumi went ahead and signed up for that tournament so that's out of the way. We'll be leaving in a couple of hours," Leone reasoned, only to then down another drink. The other Night Raid members nodded in agreement before they got up and readied themselves to move out—all except for two girls.

"Are you two not coming?" Raizo calmly asked, looking in the direction of Akame and Mein. At the same time, Leone walked up to him and nuzzled him on the shoulder.

"They have an investigation of their own to deal with," she remarked.

"Oh? I haven't heard anything about this," Raizo muttered.

Mein grinned. "That's right! Some of our spies caught wind that the Silver Fox's men raided a village in the countryside. The catch? After the big man left… all of his soldiers ended up dead overnight! Rumors have it that a whole platoon of soldiers ended up slain by a single man," Mein proclaimed whilst trying to sound as impressive as humanly possible.

"Not a single soldier was left and as a result, information of the incident hasn't traveled back to the Empire. It is our chance to swoop in and grab whatever information we can from the villagers before relocating them," Akame concluded

"I see…" Raizo pondered his mentor's words for a moment.

"Maybe I should go with them…" he thought. However, before he could even get a chance to get a word out…

"Don't even think about it! Aquilo is more than likely already back in the Capital so we don't need your edgelord ass coming along and getting in the way of our goal," Mine affirmed as she rushed up to the taller male and courageously grabbed his hand with strong resolve.

"Tch…" Raizo turned his head to the side. "Don't get ahead of yourself. If I wanted to go I'd just go…"

"Yeah, yeah you're not an official member of Night Raid, we get it. You want to see Aquilo, yeah? He's probably gonna be somewhere in the arena watching the tournament with Esdeath," the girl interrupted him.

At the same time, Mein also realized that holding the boy's hand might've been a little much given that the others around the room now stared at their little spat. Well, all with the exception of Akame who seemed to merely go about her own business without much care. Regardless, all of this resulted in Mein backing off at the speed of lightning.

"Well it's not like I care about your foolish revenge quest or anything, dummy," she spouted while fidgeting with her fingers in embarrassment.

"Well… now that I have been yelled at… shall we be off?" Raizo asked in a tired tone after a long sigh.

Thereafter the members of Night Raid left the establishment and vanished amidst the busy streets once more. Akame, Raizo, and Mein had to disguise themselves due to being on various wanted posters across the city to which once more, the Blood Wolf was not so enthusiastic about doing.

*****

After a few hours' worth of pilgrimaging, Akame and Mein arrived at the remnants of what once was a small but thriving settlement. Like the reports suggested, it had been raided by the men that served under the infamous Silver Fox. In fact, most of it seemed to have been consumed by flames as its various wooden structures were now ash. However, what caught the attention of the young women the most was the fact that a considerable number of villagers seemed to have escaped the catastrophe unscathed.

"It appears the information we received was spot on," Akame said whilst pointing toward a pile of burning corpses in the distance. Though disfigured, some still carried the silver armor allotted to all members of the Imperial Garrison. In particular, a few carried the emblem of the Silver Fox emblazoned in their gear.

Mein recoiled with disgust at the smell of burning human flesh. "The fact this specific smell is starting to be all too familiar to me is… concerning for my mental health," she confessed with a sigh.

"Such is the way of the assassin…" Akame asserted in acknowledgment of their dilemma, "Come on… we have a mystery to solve."

Alas, Akame and Mein quietly moved toward the townsfolk. There was some apprehension at first, but that was quickly settled when Akame raised a friendly hand to show a lack of hostility.

"We're with the Revolutionary Army. We'd like to know what happened here," Mein interjected to help ease the tense atmosphere. In a few minutes, the two found themselves being escorted by an older, bald gentleman who seemed to work as a farmer along with a young girl, probably around the age of five. She had reddish-brown shoulder-length hair with cyan eyes.

"Go ahead Yua-chan… tell the helpful ladies what you saw," the elderly farmer advised while patting the little girl on the shoulder.

"O-okay…" the timid girl agreed anxiously. Seeing the introverted little girl try her best to speak caused Mein to smile.

"Relax, we'll listen to whatever you have to say," the sharpshooter told her kindly. And so, the child began to describe what she saw the night prior.

THE NIGHT BEFORE…

Death had come for the simple villagers that risked their lives by feeding any and all information they could to the rebels that fought against the Empire. In the darkness of the night, the renowned Silver Fox and his men came to destroy these traitors to their cause. Without pity they took their lives, all the while making sure to save all of the women and even children for their twisted fun.

Yet… even when drowned out by the deep abyss of despair and beaten by what may as well have been the idea of true hopelessness incarnate—hope was, against all odds, reignited in a youthful girl named Yua. Her eyes were filled with tears as she saw the head of the man who was about to do unspeakable things to her roll off of his shoulders and fall onto the mud. The once arrogant Imperial trooper was now reduced to a lifeless head with his mouth agape in an idiotic fashion.

Looming over Yua was the backside of a tall, good-looking young man with messy, spiky jet black hair and a unique pair of red eyes. The very shadows of the night appeared to bend and withdraw around the presence of this savior.

"Are you alright?" The man's voice did not display an iota of fear as he turned on his heel to comfort Yua. The man appeared to have an athletic build and sported a white jacket with black outlines that were akin to that of an Imperial General. A long crimson scarf clothed his neck, gracefully flowing down his back like an iconic red river. The stunned little girl could only invoke a meek nod in response to which the kind man kindly smiled back at her.

The Red-Eyed Hero turned to face a growing crowd of imperial soldiers armed to the teeth with the Capital's bleeding edge of automatic weaponry showing that the Silver Fox's unit was indeed composed of prominent soldiers with access to greater technology. Without delay, they aimed at the mysterious man yet showed enough restraint as to not shoot presently given the imperial-like nature of the target's attire.

"Who the hell are you?!" the Captain shouted.

"Me? I'm just a passerby who felt like cleaning up the trash. Still, if knowing the name of the guy who's gonna end your fun matters that much to you folk—then my name's Akaro Hajime," he shrugged casually as if wholly unimpressed by the guns pointed his way.

"You're making fun of us?! You fucking bastard! Kill this piece of shit!" the commanding officer shouted out before giving his angrier men the order.

"FIRE AT WILL!"

Their shrieks echoed into the night in tandem with the noise and the muzzle flashes of their guns unloading into the mysterious Akaro and the little girl he had elected to save. On the sidelines, other villagers could be seen. Townsfolk who had their homes burned and loved ones taken away, children now lost in a world without their parents, and other such victims of tragedy—all of their feelings reached out and coalesced into the Red-Eyed Hero as he made his stand. A collective will that did not seek retaliation, but rather the wish to protect what was left.

Akaro's red scarf danced in the wind as he simply stood there. The hail of automatic fire fell upon him like an unrelenting and unending maelstrom that lasted for what felt like a solid minute, yet all of their bullets did naught but bounce off of his skin as if their potent impact was comparable to that of pebbles.

"WHAT THE FU—..."

Before the soldiers could react—a sudden rainfall of blades bearing the shape and aesthetic of Murasame struck their position. Half of the platoon was felled by the cursed blades as they struck their bodies, cutting clean through the top of their heads or falling into the shoulders and piercing through. From there, the effects of the Murasame would seem to take effect resulting in any surviving soldiers falling to the curse which assailed their broken bodies.

A lucky few who escaped the onslaught attempted to rush toward Akaro's position with swords and knives in hand. One of them darted so fast and so fiercely that he found himself directly ahead of Akaro with the intent to stab him through his gut. Yet an abrupt flash of purple startled the man causing him to attempt to halt, but it was too late as the imperial suddenly found himself teleported hundreds of thousands of feet into the air only to unceremoniously plummet to his death. The other two approaching soldiers were seemingly encased in ice without warning, turning them into motionless sculptures.

Other troopers would emerge from the confines of the burning village and yet a swipe of the hero's hand was all it would take for all but invisible wires akin to Lubbock's Teigu to slice the soldiers like onions leaving only their broken corpses behind. At the same time, a potent cold wind swept up the entire town, extinguishing the flames of war completely. A viscerally hopeless situation was averted in the blink of an eye. All that Yua and the villagers could do was watch in awe as despair was made null and hope returned.

BACK TO PRESENT…

"Akaro…Hajime…?" Akame mulled over the name upon basking in the words of the young girl's story.

"Someone you know?" Mein raised an inquisitive brow out of curiosity taking note of her comrade's reaction.

"I'm not sure…" the red-eyed killer remarked before turning her attention towards the backdrop of the village.

"Thank you for telling us your story. I know it must have been hard to recall all of those details," Mein asserted towards the young child whilst reaching out and gently patting her on the head.

"It was fortunate that this mysterious stranger showed up when he did to prevent a greater atrocity; however, this location is not safe for you all anymore," Akame concluded.

"My friend is right. Eventually word about these events will somehow reach the Capital and more soldiers will come. Even though you all have suffered from such a tragedy, you should think about relocating to another settlement," Mein professed.

"Where will we go?" one survivor cried out.

"The Empire already took away everything we had!" Someone else shouted.

"We are going to help you all pack whatever wagons you can salvage so you can begin a journey towards the south. There's a certain route you can take that won't arouse Imperial suspicion in which you will eventually run into the Revolutionary Army Camp," Mein explained.

"Take whatever you can, but place a top priority on food, medicine, blankets and water for the long journey ahead. In the meantime, my companion and I are going to take a look around to make sure the coast is clear," Akame spoke before tapping on her twin-tailed friend's shoulder to follow her.

"I find it almost impossible to believe that one man took on a platoon of special forces soldiers and just walked away," Mein expressed with skepticism. The two women walked together through the settlement until they came across the area where the bulk of the massacre occurred.

"What the hell?" Mein gasped in disbelief as she saw a scatter group of ice statues in which frozen bodies of dead Imperials were encased.

"Wait a second...wasn't the intel about Esdeath recording her as the sole ice user amongst Teigu users?" the marksman asked thus seeking reassurance.

"Indeed, but another thing that makes no sense is this…" Akame said as she crouched down near a batch of corpses etched with black markings indicative of the curse of Murasame; her signature Teigu.

"Check this out, these bullets are the latest in armor-piercing technology. Usually the rounds are as long as an average adult male finger; but these are crushed to where they could be confused for silver coins. Looks like that little girl was not exaggerating with her story," analyzed the normally boastful Mein.

"We shall take note of these findings and bring to the group's attention. For now, we should help these people relocate before any Imperial spies show up."

"I agree Akame, let's get to it."

The two female assassins rejoined the villagers and helped them prepare whatever wagons they could spare. A small caravan consisting of the survivors amounted to four-horse drawn carriages. The young and the elders rode inside two of the stations, another was for the wounded, while the last carried food and other supplies. Akame and Mein compiled a list of landmarks for the leaders to keep an eye out for so they could keep track of their pace and avoid any watchful eyes along the way.

"Thank you for your help," Yua bowed respectfully towards the two women.

"Don't mention it, just be safe and grow up happily," Mein smiled thus patting the girl on the head one more time supported by a brief nod from Akame off to the side.

As the villages departed, the two girls headed back to the city thus compiling their findings. A mysterious stranger by the name of Akaro single-handedly decimated a platoon of special forces thus saving a small village. Somehow, this person was able to use more than one weapon carrying special attributes reserved for specific Teigu.

"This Akaro person…you think he might be convinced to join us in our war with the Capital at some point?" Mein inquired about Akame's thoughts on this.

"Who knows, it is hard to make any assumptions at this point. For all we know, he could just be a mercenary. Nevertheless, this Akaro person…" Akame grew silent as the man's name rang out in her mind. A weird tugging on her chest hit her which made her feel like she was carrying added weight for some reason.

"This sense of Deja Vu is…unlike ever before. But I know I have not met this Akaro guy…"

For now, the duo moved back to the Capital to report their findings.

*****

Back in the Capital, the bustling streets of the market were crowded more than ever. The hordes of people along the main road that traversed the city was cleared as the populace was split into crowds lined up along the left and right sides of the area respectively. Voracious cheers and shouts of joy poured out as flowers and confetti flew about in celebration of a certain individual whose division just returned from a deployment. With his long hair flowing into the wind, the young, ambitious officer on the back of a black horse was leading his division down the streets. It was none other than The Silver Fox, Aquilo.

"Make way, make way!" one of the Imperial Guards shouted trying to keep the people under control.

"The hero returns home!" some of the onlookers shouted out.

"Hail the Peacekeeper!" others followed suit.

His deeds regarding the Blood Wolves were etched into their memory as propaganda and the Prime Minister's influence inflamed his glory. Given the immense accolades and attention given to him, the young officer only yielded a confident smile as he waved to the masses for a period of time. After a brief march through the city streets, Aquilo separated for his troops giving them leisure of relaxation once they reported in. As for the commanding officer himself, he turned his horse's reins and proceeded towards the looming stone structure in the distance made from spiraling chasms of archways that served as the Imperial Coliseum. Once there, the Vice General dismounted from his steed and was met by one of the guards outside.

"Vice General Aquilo, we have been expecting you. Please follow me, we have been ordered to escort you to the VIP section. The General is awaiting you," one of the guards said.

"I see. Lead the way then," he nodded in agreement.

Traversing the stairwell nearby, he was led up to the main hall towards the booths separate from the common seating areas. Eventually, he was shown towards a section that was being guarded by a small squad of at least 10 soldiers from the Imperial Court.

"The entrance is just over there, sir," the initial guard said to him.

"Right. Thanks soldier," Aquilo responded as he parted ways with the escort. Traversing the corridor, each guard stood at attention and saluted the Vice General as he then entered the threshold where he was told to go.

Inside, the space opened up revealing a luxurious area with padded seats that sat on top of red velvet carpeting. Trays of hand prepared dishes were arranged along wheel drawn carts with golden plates on top. As he pressed inside, a singular, familiar individual turned around to see him enter. A tall, beautiful, and slender woman with long, light blue hair and blue eyes draped in an officer's attire that served as the most ruthless and cunning officer in service to the Empire waited with a casual smile on her face.

"General Esdeath, good to see you again after so long," Aquilo politely bowed in respect to the woman who was not only his superior officer, but also as his mentor over the years.

"Vice General Aquilo, I can sense you have gotten stronger since we last met. It seems the battlefront is serving you well for experience," she complimented.

"Yes, the battlefield has its quirks; though I fear there are not many challenging foes left to face outside of that elusive Night Raid I have heard about."

"Yes, which leads me to why I had you summoned from the field. The Prime Minister has grown weary of Night Raid's exploits and has tasked me with dealing with them personally. My elite guard was already killed by them which further confirms my suspicion that they are a group of Teigu users."

"And the best way to deal with Teigu users is with stronger Teigu users. Do you need me to help you with the recruitment process?"

"No need," Esdeath nodded, "I have already put together my group of chosen warriors."

A group of people stood up from their seats and lined up alongside the notorious Ice Queen. Aquilo studied the individuals taking note of their appearances and what auras emanated from them.

The first individual was a tall, muscular man wearing a mask over his face indicative of his affiliation with the Incineration Squad that was often tasked with 'cleansing' problem areas in the Empire. He was wearing long gloves along his husky forearms and had three scars on his upper chest.

The second individual was a man of a particular height that was slightly shorter than the first. He had black hair with a white patch on the left side and blue eyes. The heterochromatic blend of hair reminded Aquilo of a certain someone from his past, but he pushed that memory aside for the moment. The male wore glasses and had a yellow suit on with a blue shirt, tie and a white lab coat.

The third individual was a young woman with auburn hair and amber eyes. Her hair extended down to her shoulders as she wore a typical military police uniform complimented by gunmetal-toned upper body armor. Her forearms were also metallic as well which drew a curious eyebrow raise from the Vice General, but he did not pay too much attention to it. From her eyes, he could sense that the girl had an eager attitude for justice; though there was likely something else hidden underneath.

The fourth individual was another young woman with short black hair in a twintail style and black eyes. She wore a black sailor uniform with a red belt that had a red side skirt cover matched with long, black socks and black shoes. Along her forearms, she wore red gauntlets and had a samurai sword hitched to her side.

The fifth individual was a fairly muscular young man of slightly above average height with short dark blue hair and matching eyes. He wore a blue leather jacket and a red scarf with an anchor on it. Underneath that was a white shirt with a single blue line down the middle paired with grey jeans, a belt and dark blue boots. Given his build and somewhat out of place visage, Aquilo presumed that this man was someone from the countryside of the Imperial territories or perhaps a man of the sea.

The last individual was a young man with fair blond hair and golden eyes. He wore a white robe on top of a black shirt and pants with a brown belt, a feather pin behind his ear and a unique, collar-like accessory around his neck. Given the formal atmosphere about him, the Silver Fox felt the impression that this man was somehow a scholar in the past.

"May I introduce the members of my new elite unit: Bols, Dr. Stylish, Seryu Ubiquitous, Kurome, Wave, and Ran," Esdeath pronounced in the respective order of Aquilo's observation.

"They are all handpicked individuals that have demonstrated capable combat capacity from all over the Capital; and they each wield their very own Teigu. They will be the forces under my direct command and will be the first response to any situations involving Night Raid. As a unique squadron, I have given us the name: The Jaegers," the Ice Queen proclaimed.

"I see, General. They seem to be quite the batch of unique personalities. Yet, I am at a loss as to why you summoned me personally? If you wanted me to back off of anything concerning the Night Raid, you could have sent me a message via courier," Aquilo expressed, dictating a small sense of confusion over why he was here at the moment.

"I summoned you because I wish for you to join us as well. Besides, rumor has it that the last survivor of the Blood Wolves may have become affiliated with them."

"I see.." Aquilo raised an eyebrow of concern over this revelation, "Well…perhaps joining this unit will net me some form of excitement after all then."

"Indeed, plus you might actually run into a challenge for once," Esdeath smirked.

"Considering how well you've trained me, I find that hard to believe. They would have to have strength rivaling yours or Great General Budou," Aquilo chuckled.

"Who is to say what the future holds?"

"Indeed," Aquilo nodded before turning his attention to the faces of all his new comrades, "I am a Vice General in the Imperial Army often referred to as 'The Silver Fox'. My name is Aquilo, I look forward to working with you all as we bring down this Night Raid and put an end to the Rebellion once and for all. Nice to meet you all."

Just as the pleasantries were being exchanged, a mighty noise of trumpets sounding off in harmony combined with wild cheers from the attending crowd echoed about.

"It seems we must become better acquainted later. Captain, the tournament is starting," Ran declared.

"Great, let's get this mundane festival over with then," Esdeath sighed before sitting down in the overseer's chair. The rest of the Jaegers followed, thus taking their respective seats as well.

"Aquilo, come sit next to me," the great slaughterer casually recommended.

"As you wish, General," he responded before walking over to take his place in a less elaborate chair next to Esdeath.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Empire! Are you ready to see some action?" a man in a black suit appeared as he walked into the center of a massive square with a grid pattern etched into its stone surface. Hordes of spectators cried out in response to the announcer's question through a conical device.

"Then get ready because some of the greatest fighters from across the land have chosen to step forth to lay claim to the prize in their quest to establish themselves as the Empire's Strongest Champion! It's the Grand Imperial Games!"

As more of the crowds' energy poured out in response, the announcer also made it a point to introduce a special overseer.

"If these competitors really want to make a name for themselves, they better make sure their victories are decisive and absolute in the eyes of our special guest. Ladies and Gentlemen, we all have the honor and privilege of being joined by none other than the fabled Ice General herself, General Esdeath!"

Gasps of awe followed suit as their attention was affixed to the Vip section where the infamous officer sat. Applause followed after as an appropriate tribute of respect; however, among the onlookers sat three members of Night Raid in disguise.

"So that's her?" Raizo inquired with a raised brow looking at her briefly.

"Yeah, she's the one I thought I could get a drop on; however, that woman is beyond me. She's a total monster on every level," Leone expressed.

"Even sitting there nonchalantly, she exudes a terrifying aura that gives me second thoughts. How we will ever find a way to defeat her is beyond me," Lubbock observed.

"I see…" Raizo sighed for a moment.

"She...was there...I can feel it. This woman was there that night…"

As the young wolf of vengeance became enraptured in his memories of the night that changed everything for him, the tournament commenced.

MEANWHILE…

The mysterious Red-Eyed Hero, the subject of Night Raid's investigation, nonchalantly waltzed through the front gates of the Capital. He was greeted by the tumultuous clamoring of a typical city bustling with means of revenue and profit for merchants of all different services along with crowds of people traversing the streets to fill their day. Though he did stand out a bit due his height and build, he did not drag too much attention to himself until the situation deemed appropriate.

"Out of the way, out of the way! I have a delivery to make!" an obnoxious voice exclaimed as the thunderous galloping of horses pulling a sturdy carriage blazed its way through the streets.

"Lookout!"

"Hey, watch where you steer those horses!"

"Get down, he's not trying to stop for anyone."

Voices of distress rang out as some greedy, overly opportunistic merchant elected to bulldoze his way through the streets of the city. Pedestrians quickly evaded lest they would be trampled upon by the powerful steeds charging at the whims of their master. Certain booths filled with commerce from local shopkeepers met with the misfortune of having their goods ripped from their station and dropped on the ground by the passing carriage. As the horses rapidly approached Akaro's direction, the man just stood there unfazed.

"Move it asshole or you'll get run over!" The impatient merchant screamed aloud, but the male did not move. It was then that as the carriage closed the distance, the horses slowed down without any instruction from their master as they halted right before Akaro's eyes.

"There, there, no need to overdo things," the hero said whilst reaching out and patting both horses on their heads.

"What the…come on you bloody beasts, move it! We got an urgent stop to make. Yah! Yah!" he commanded, but the horses would not budge.

Akaro brushed past the horses and marched right alongside the edge until meeting with the driver's seat of the carriage.

"Yo, do me a favor? Watch where you're going next time, 'kay?" he proposed.

"Who the hell do you…o-oh…" the merchant was about to raise his voice before taking note of the man's appearance. Mistaking Akaro's unique disposition in combination with his uniform as a military officer, the merchant quickly changed his attitude.

"Forgive me, O-Officer, I was rather careless. I fell behind on my schedule and was trying to compensate for lost time by quickening my pace," the noticeably bald, rounded fellow chuckled nervously.

"I don't think I'm the one you should be apologizing to," Akaro remarked, hinting at the damage left in the man's wake.

As the careless merchant turned, he saw baskets of goods all over the street with people angrily shaking their fists and cursing in his direction.

"Right…well, I'm sure we can make this right somehow, you think?" the merchant said as he reached for his purse that held many pieces of gold. With a slick smile, the man was proposing a bribe for Akaro to look the other way.

"Yet another sack of shit with money trying to buy his way out of a mess he made…good grief. Tell you what? How about this, you cover the cost of the damages you made in this district and I'll let you off the hook? Or I could take you to the alley over there and break your face in, your choice."

"OH uh…well…I uh…tell you what, give this to those shopkeepers and I will definitely be more careful next time!" The greedy man quickly changed his tune by handing the purse over to Akaro.

"Sounds like a plan. Now get out of my sight," the Red-Eyed Hero uttered before jumping down with the money in hand and motioning the old man to move along.

As the merchant quickly disembarked, Akaro moved in to help clean up the mess. One stand that was affected by the merchant's stampede was a fruit and vegetable stand run by a few farmers from the city outskirts. Their fresh harvest was just brought in this morning as they were finishing setup when the disruption occurred. Happily, Akaro assisted in their rearrangement of the items whilst discarding any damaged goods.

"Thank you, young man. We truly appreciate it," the elderly woman expressed.

"No worries, I'm just doing my part. Also, this is courtesy of the disruptive man that caused it," he responded before dropping a few of the gold coins in the woman's hand.

"Oh my, this is three times the amount we were hoping to earn today. Please, take a small satchel of our fruits in return. I insist."

Passing off a few apples, oranges, and mangoes, Akaro was treated to some of the freshest items in their products before moving along. He repeated the same gesture for a middle-aged man selling freshly baked bread pastries. In return, the man extended a similar kindness by giving Akaro two of his finest loaves of bread he was planning to sell today. Akaro's kindness towards these shops and others eventually drew the attention of some passersby as he elected to assist another shop with sales.

"Come one come all, hot dumplings and fresh stew; the finest recipe the Capital has to offer!" Akaro cried out. His taller stature and charming looks drew in several female patrons who were happily buying the products in earnest. As the crowds gradually gravitated towards him, almost every shop that had even the slightest ounce of his generosity experienced sales that surpassed each and every owner's wildest expectations. As a result, almost every shop sold out of their respective inventories before midday came and went. Earning the gratitude of every vendor, Akaro continued on with his journey through the metropolis.

The Red-Eyed Hero lost track of time during his tour of assistance with the townsfolk. Though he continued walking around carefree, he was still attentive enough to take note of the smaller nuances going on around him. One such instance was the sight of a beautiful, young blonde girl who was somewhere in her mid-teens in a white and blue dress trying to lift heavy crates. The surface of the wooden boxes were carved with brands linking them to ale and wine products. The girl was clearly struggling with the boxes, but was earnestly attempting to move them on her own.

"Whoa, watch out there!" Akaro leapt to her aid as one of the crates was slipping from her grasp threatening to crush her delicate feet. The man ducked low and caught it with one hand before hoisting it over his shoulder.

"That could have been ugly, are you okay?"

"Oh um…yes, thank you kind sir," the girl meekly responded in surprise as she glanced up at the male figure's face.

"I don't mind giving you a hand to move these, my name is Akaro."

"That would be much appreciated, but you do not have to trouble yourself."

"I know I don't have to, but I would like to. The last thing I want to see is a hard-working girl hurt herself by doing too much."

The girl gasped and blushed for a second before glancing at her feet and twiddling her thumbs around.

"If you really insist then…I will accept your aid," she muttered then looked up at the man again, "My name is Mercy. Nice to meet you, Akaro."

"Nice to meet you as well, Mercy. Now where are we taking these?"

"This way."

As Akaro grabbed another crate to hoist up on his shoulder, Mercy led him down a nearby alleyway towards the back entrance of a tavern she worked at. There, an old muscular gentleman with a faded red beard and foggy blue eyes was waiting.

"There ya are, Mercy. I was gettin' worried about ya. Why didn't ya wait for me to help with those crates?" he expressed out of concern until he saw the crates being carried by a stranger.

"Sorry Father, I thought I could try and get one here on my own. But this gentleman was passing by and offered his assistance when I almost dropped one. His name is Akaro."

Akaro sat the crates down on top of one another near the entrance to the facility as he then dusted off his hands and yielded a curt nod.

"Well, well Akaro, I can see you be a strong one eh? I thank ya for helpin' out my daughter. My girl is always tryin' ta prove herself even though she makes her papa proud every day. Why don't ya come inside for a cold one fresh out of the keg as a show of my appreciation? On the house no less!"

"It was not a problem. As I said to your daughter, a hard-working girl like herself shouldn't overdo it. I'm not much of an alcohol man, but if you got anything sweet like a strawberry sundae instead then I'll happily take you up on it."

"Sounds like that can be arranged. Mercy, my dear, wouldja mind makin' one for 'im?"

"Yes father, of course!" the blonde girl nodded enthusiastically. As she rushed off, the old man escorted Akaro to a private booth so that he wouldn't be disturbed by any rowdy customers.

"My name's Reinhardt by the way, I used to be a soldier once upon a time. Me and my good friend John were the best. Ahh…back then before the Empire became what it is now. Now I'm just a humble ol' tavern owner sellin' some of the best beverages this side o' the market!" the old man said whilst relinquishing a hearty laugh.

"Yeah, I was gonna say that you looked like you'd break anyone's neck just for even glancing at you or your daughter the wrong way. Thanks for not ripping my head off in the alley," Akaro chuckled in turn.

"Aha well when ya reach my age, ya develop a sense of knowin' someone just by lookin' in their eyes. I can tell you be an honest lad. Ya got a good sense o' moral conduct that ain't seen around these parts anymore."

"Here you go, one strawberry sundae on the house," Mercy interrupted whilst sliding the chilled dessert in front of Akaro.

"That's my girl for ya," Reinhardt spoke with pride.

"Thank you, Mercy. This looks delicious."

The girl smiled happily before moving along to other customers that were still in attendance on the sales floor. As she earnestly assisted them, the old man smiled proudly whilst watching her.

"That girl is my pride n' joy. My wish is that she marries someone that can make her happy, and give her a life she deserves; ideally outside o' this shithole. I spent quite a dime givin' her a good education so she could serve as somethin' more than just a mere waitress in this ol' dump. But, she never complains."

"I think as long as she's with you, sir. She'll never want anything else in this world."

The two men conversed happily for a few hours as some customers came and went with little-to-no difficulty whatsoever. As the evening hours shuttled in, about six or so imperial soldiers entered the facility with boisterous laughter and gruff behavior indicative of some form of malicious intent. Sensing the change in atmosphere, Reinhardt got up from the table to address them while other patrons quickly cleared out at the sight of them. Akaro merely sat quietly in the back while enjoying his third sundae.

"Oi old man, you know what time of the month it is right? You got the payment for us right? Taxes ain't no joke you know. Bad enough you've been sliding behind and now it's like you don't want to pay at all! Shouldn't you be making more of a conscious effort to contribute to the development of the Capital?" one of the Imperials boasted whilst stepping forward. The painted notation on his armor indicated his rank as some form of squad leader.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite Captain this side o' town. Don't worry, I'm makin' good on our arrangement. Why don'tcha lads come back tomorrow after closin' so I can pay ya in full eh?" Reinhardt proposed as he stepped towards the fellow. With the armor on, the Captain was about the same bulk as the old man; however, that was why the officer was reinforced by the small squad behind him.

"Nah, that ain't gonna fly today old man. Last time ya said the same thing and the time before that. I only accepted because this dump has some good ale; but a nice cold drink ain't worth letting you backslide any further. We let you off too much, then me and my men get looked at for showin' favoritism and weakness. Now…do you have the money or not?"

Reinhardt clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He glared at the officer with rage filling his hazy eyes, but he turned over his shoulder and saw Mercy standing visibly shaken by what was going on.

"Guess that's a no. What a shame. Seems like we're gonna have to do this the hard way. Boys, you know what to do."

Two shoulders came up from behind their commanding officer and jabbed the man in his sides with their rifles. Though he possessed the sturdy body of a former soldier, age and ailing health got the better of him as he careened over. This allowed the duo to grab him by his arms and pin him down on the nearby table. The other two soldiers marched over toward Mercy's position.

"Father!" she cried out helplessly.

"The hell are ya….guh!" Reinhardt was in the midst of shouting out before being punched in the side again.

The two men grabbed the girl and proceeded to tear away her clothes thus exposing her developing, naked body. As some patrons went to enter the bar, another soldier shooed them away then locked the door and blocked the exit.

"If you can't pay us with coin, then we'll take your daughter's purity as incentive," the Captain uttered with a twisted grin.

"Ahem," Akaro coughed after he finished slurping his sundae.

"Hey…who the fuck are you?" one of the squad members said as he let go of Mercy's arm and walked over to his position.

"You ain't get the memo ya dumb fuck? This shop is closed so get the fuck out!"

The soldier went to grab Akaro's shoulder to force him out, but upon doing so, he was frozen solid. The red-eyed stranger reached up and flicked the guard's forehead causing his body to shatter into fragments and dust. As he got up from his seat, the other soldier holding Mercy's body went to take aim and fire at the male. The bullet appeared to travel to its intended destination thus marking its trajectory for a headshot when the target gripped the bullet with his teeth.

"What…the.."

Before he could finish his words, Akaro spat the bullet out with enough force that it proceeded to pierce the aggressor's skull on impact thus blowing his brains out on the floor. Alarmed by the murders of their two companions, the four soldiers rushed at Akaro full speed. The Red-Eyed Hero called upon his sword which materialized from a burst of blue fire around its palm. The sinister looking katana with an ominous blade fell into his grip as he took a slight stance ready for battle.

The four men swooped in which led Akaro to turn on heel bringing his sword to bare. In a whirlwind of smooth arcs and precise cuts untraceable to the untamed eye, all of the soldiers were hacked into pieces. The sheer skill and precision demonstrated by the man would make even the greatest of swordsmen blush as he dispatched his foes without disturbing a single obstruction around him. As the air was riddled with death, Akaro felt that this would bring the father and daughter more trouble than they needed. With a snap of his fingers, the corpses were engulfed in blue flames and reduced to nothingness.

Doubling back, Akaro finished the last of his delicious sundae as he felt it was the right time to leave. He smiled in satisfaction as he walked over to Mercy's position. He reached out and patted the girl on the head gently.

"Thank you for the delicious beverage. I am sorry you had to see all of that," he spoke to her sincerely.

"Take care of your father and if you ever need help, just call out my name and I'll be there."

As he went to pass Reinhardt, he relinquished a nod of gratitude.

"Try to stay out of trouble old man, you got a good business here. I'll come back again soon."

Akaro unlocked the door and exited the establishment promptly without leaving much for the father-daughter duo to say much to stop him. Stepping outside, he looked up in the skies and saw that the evening atmosphere was growing dark with heavy clouds. Rumbles of thunder could be heard in the distance as well. Nevertheless, the man continued to press further into the Capital.