4•Enki Vs. Spectator

[...]

About five days have passed, since Tatsumi's first mission, the group had a job of eliminating a official who was also the Minister's distant relative, with him out of the way, the Night Raid managed to chip off another end of the wood.

Currently everyone was present at the meeting room, as per usual, Hiro leaned up to the wall, closed eyes, but still listening to Najenda's orders. While the other's gave Najenda their full attention, who leaned forward from her chair.

Najenda: "This... Next target is the serial killer from the rumors. He appears randomly and beheads his victims. There's no telling how many dozen's his killed already."

Hearing this, Hiro, opened his eyes showing his interest in the serial killer.

Tatsumi: "Over a third of them had been members of the guards, right? He must be strong."

Lubbock: "No doubt about it, it's 'Executioner Zanku'."

Hiro: "Zanku, huh... So the mongrel finally showed himself."

Tatsumi: "Who's that?"

Mine: "You don't know? You really are a country bumpkin, aren't you?"

Sheele: "Excuse me, I don't know either."

Mine: (Sweat drops) "Sheele, I think you just forgot."

Hiro: "Zanku, an Executioner who worked for the Empire's largest prison."



After giving a brief explanation of what Zanku had done as the Imperial Executioner, Tatsumi shivered a bit.

Tatsumi: "I don't blame him..."

Mine: "So, beheading for the jail wasn't enough for him and he took it to the streets."

Bulat: "As soon as the subjugation corps was organized, he disappeared, but... I never thought he'd show up in the capital."

Tatsumi: "So he's a dangerous character. Let's find him and take him down!"

Hiro: "Not so fast brat, as of now your practically wanting to jump to the jaws of a death."

Bulat: "He's right, Tatsumi."

Tatsumi: "Aniki?"

Bulat: "Zanku stole a Teigu belonging to the prison head. And now he's lose on the streets with it." (Pulls Tatsumi closer) "We have to act in groups of two... Or else you could be in danger."

Tatsumi: 'I feel in danger for a whole other reason right now."

[...]

Thanks to the group being uneven in amount, one would be going in without a partner, Akame was going to volunteer, and was going to leave Hiro with Tatsumi. Najenda knew it wouldn't be a good choice to leave the blonde with someone who he doesn't really care for and wouldn't care what happened to them, so Hiro was the one who had to be all alone.

The area of his patrol was not that far away from Akame's and Tatsumi's. So if he did have to fight Zanku on a one-on-one, the two would hear them. But of course, Hiro didn't travel with them he... Well he just sat down at some ruins he found nearby. Hiro sat down in one of ruins, waiting for the crazed murderer to present himself. And that he did, the executioner came ou of hiding and was approaching Hiro who slowly stood up as he smirked. Standing up, Hiro, who wore his iconic Mesopotamian themed attire with the Enki at hand, gazed towards Zanku who was approaching him, on the executioners head was the stolen Teigu Spectator.

Zanku: "Good evening, Golden Knight. Hiro."

Hiro: "Zanku. The Executioner."

The executioner continued to approach the blonde who continue to smirk.

Hiro: "Hoh. You're approaching me instead of running away?"

Zanku: (widely grins) "I can't decapitate you if I don't come closer."

Hearing this Hiro, took off his two sword from the back to his shoulders, and spread his arms wide.

Hiro: "Let's us see who gets decapitated... Mongrel!"

First Bout!

Sword of End, Enki Vs. Omnipotent Five Sights, Spectator

Begin Bout!

The two fighters had their weapons drawn yet, none of them moved an inch. As the wind blows, a small leaf began to fall between the two, just as the leaf was about to make contact with the ground, the two fighters, disappeared from their position and reappeared in the middle of the area between them, clashing with one another. The two fighters looked at each other with grins on their faces.

The blonde reeled back his leg as he sent a swift yet powerful kick towards Zanku's shoulder making the executioner slide back. Recovering from Hiro's powerful kick, Zanku's gaze landed on where Hiro stood, eyes widening seeing him nowhere to be seen, the executioner looked around frantically, searching for the blonde.

Feeling dread from his back, Zanku turned around seeing a golden arrow fly towards him, surprised by the sudden appearance of a golden arrow, Zanku moved his head to dodge the incoming arrow, the executioner was barely able to dodge the arrow that grazed his cheek making him grit his teeth and lose his balance for a split second. And that was enough of an opening for Hiro, the blonde appeared behind Zanku who was surprised at his sudden appearance, brandishing both golden blade Hiro swung down his two blades at Zanku who barely dodges the attack by jumping forward.

The executioner managed to dodge the attack however it still grazed him, giving him an X mark scar on his back, Zanku gritted his teeth in anger. Turning towards the blonde who smirked mockingly at him. Charging forward, Zanku swung his knives downward at Hiro who in a split second reversed his grip on his sword, blocking the attack with his sword turned tonfa knife as a shield, the blonde raised his other sword overhead and swung it downwards at the executioner, who jumps back, dodging the attack, since Zanku jumped back, the blonde had slashed the ground creating a deep cut.

Zanku: "If that had been me, I'd be dead."

Hiro: "Come one~ Don't tell me your already chickening out~? The battle's just begun! Entertain me at the very least!!!"

Charging at each other, the two fighters swung, parried and blocked the attacks being sent to them.

Zanku: 'What skill... He's got plenty of experience under his belt... It's not just speed either... He has real strength too...!'

Hiro: 'Tsk. What a pain. Yet... This is fun!!"

Raising one of his swords overhead, Hiro, swung down the blade at the executioner, who blocked the blade by using a cross guard of his two Knives. But as soon as Zanku blocked the attack, his face morphs into the one of slight pain, as Hiro delivered a round house kick to Zanku's side, causing him to slid across the ground as Hiro resumes to charge at Zanku.

Unbeknownst to the two, who were too absorbed at their fight, Tatsumi and Akame were watching from the sidelines. Tatsumi was in awe, of how skillful Hiro was using two different weapons, thinking back to the fight between Hiro and Akame, the brown-haired boy wondered if Hiro held back back then.

Akame, watching from the sideline next to Tatsumi, couldn't help but worry for the blonde boy fighting the serial killer. Sure she fought him and she knew that the blonde never truly used his full capability against her. As the battle continued on, Akame's worry wouldn't drop, instead she became even more worried for the prideful blonde, she saw the files of Zanku and understood that fighting against such formidable adversary would prove to be a challenge even for her.

Tatsumi: "S-So fast..." 'This... Is a battle between two 'Teigu' wielders...!'

Akame: 'Hiro...'

Hiro: 'Tsk, what a pain he can still catch up even if I'm going this fast, damn insight. This is annoying... But entertaining...! So let's see how you deal with this...'

The blonde teen closed his eyes, taking deep breaths, holding his sword and tonfa knife tighter.

Zanku: "Oh? You cleared your mind. Wow! But Spectator has foresight! Through the subtleties of your muscles... I can see your next move!"

The blood red-eyed teen opened his eyes, even though Hiro's mind was clear, his eyes didn't turn dull, they were still flaring up. Once more, he dashed forward, swinging his golden sword to the left. But thanks to Foresight, Zanku grinned and blocked the attack, Hiro, turning his tonfa knifes into sword again, quickly turning it to a normal grip and swinging it to the right, Zanku reacted in time and blocked the attack from the right as he brought both his weapons up into the air before he slams them to the ground. Debris flew into the air as he grinned even more, Hiro backing up as he clicked his tongue.

Small specks of blood flew in the air as shards of debris cut the blondes arm and chest. He skids backwards, an angered glare set to the Executioner.

Tatsumi: 'Hiro actually got cut... I've never seen that before.'

Zanku: "I still don't see why they call you the 'Golden Knight'. You're no Knight, you know nothing of chivalry, though you do use Golden weapons."

Hiro: "Don't ask me about that. Even I don't know"

Zanku: "Tell me Hiro, How many have you killed?"

Hiro: "How should I know? I never remembered those mongrels who I deem unworthy of me acknowledging them."

Zanku: "Then tell me... How do you deal with the voices?"

Hiro: (curiously raising an eye brow) "Hmm?"

Zanku: "Come on. I'm sure you can hear them when it's quiet. The cries of all those who you've killed... Rising up from hell. They hate me, they keep telling me to join them in hell. I've been hearing them ever since I was cutting off heads at the prison. But it's particularly bad these days. I try to drown them out by talking over them. But I wonder how yo-"

Crazed murderer was cut off by Hiro stabbing one of the swords to the ground, which followed by a low laughter. It wasn't until Hiro laughed even harder, causing the three to look at him as if he was as crazed as the lunatic killer in front of them. One of his hand sat on his face as he laughed to he sky, his laughter echoed throughout the area.

His laughter slowly died down, looking towards Zanku, without removing the hand on his face, he lowered the hand a little showing his glowing soul piercing blood red-eyes, that seemed as if they were looking through ones soul made even the crazed serial killer flinch.

Hiro: "Hah.... What a bore. To think you're no different from those in the past. To answer your question, Zanku. No I don't hear them, even if I did why would I care about the worthless? They're nothing but pests in this world, every being I killed were nothing but pests. At every start of a fight they would provoke me then find me too arrogant, and at every end of it... They ask, plea and beg for mercy, let's hope you don't do the same. So let's just end this bore of a fight... After all, I already lost interest in you and you still have a play date with those from hell~"

The three were surprised by Hiro's answer, he didn't know what those voices were nor cared about it. The three looked towards a Hiro, seeing his face plastered with a crazed grin that was unlike the grin he had when fighting the raven-haired assassin of Night Raid, this only made Akame worry even more.

Zanku: "I see... To think that we'd be the same, it's a shame to think I found someone with the same burden... How sad!"

Spectator opens once more as the blood red-eyed teen stared at the eye-like Teigu. It was when his eyes widened.

Standing in front of him, was a youth who looked about 16, stood in front of Hiro, the youth had long beautiful hair that shimmers light-green, with light-green eyes, wearing a plain white tunic. If one saw them, they wouldn't be able to guess their gender cause the youth had retained a childlike features that can be interpreted as either gender.

The green-haired youth smiled at Hiro, who didn't say a word.

Tatsumi: "Wha-What's the matter? Hey Hiro! Hiro!"

Zanku: (Twisted smile) "Illusion sight. It's an optical illusion. The person most dear to them appears before they're very eyes.

Tatsumi: "Hiro! You're seeing an illusion! Don't be fooled!"

Zanku: "It's no use. It only works on one person at a time, but the effects are absolute. And... No matter how skilled they maybe, there's no way they can attack someone they love... Die at the hands of your dearest! Hiro!"

The green-haired youth Infront of Hiro began to charge, the teen reeled back their arm that glowed a shining white light.

Hiro knew them, he considered them a brother/sister closer than his own little brother, he would always visit them when he had the time, he had many fond memories with the youth, seeing them changed Hiro's crazed smile into a huge smirk.

Hiro: (smirking) "Open... Bab-Ilu."

Hearing those foreign words come out of the blonde mouth confused, the three of them, not knowing what it meant or signified.

A golden glow appeared behind Hiro, as ten golden ripples appeared in a circular pattern, in a split second a golden sword shot out aiming at Zanku's neck, surprising him, who barely blocked it with his two knives, Zanku slides back a few meters, raising his head the executioner took a peak at Hiro, who was approaching him, slowly, Hiro was dragging his two swords on the ground.

Zanku: "You...! You're merciless! You should have been seeing the person you love or care for the most in this world!"

Hiro: "You actually dared make use of my friend!? Such a crime is punishable by death!! Get ready mongrel... This'll be the last stretch of the game... Make sure not to die on me, mongrel!!"

What the blonde had said confused the executioner, as he heard cracking sounds, looking at the source, Zanku looked down at his weapon seeing the cracks made he bagan to screams.

Zanku: "Nrragh!! I'm not gonna die that easily!"

Zanku dashed towards Hiro, who readied himself. The two again started to duel one another. This time, the prideful blonde no longer held back, thrusting his knife at Hiro's head, who tilts dodging the attack, leaving a scratch at Hiro's cheek.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The sound of metal hitting metal continued, this time Hiro now had the upper hand, sparks from collision of their weapons flew everywhere as well as shards of Zanku's Knives.

The blonde raised both his two swords in the air, swinging them downwards at Zanku, who blocks using a cross guard of his both knives. The moment the attack collided with the knives, it shattered, Zanku's knives were reduced to nothing.

The blonde released one of the golden sword from his hand, reeling his fist back and then sending a devastating punch to the executioner who was sent flying back then hitting one of the pillars, the other two heard a cracking sound coming from Zanku's body, it was safe to say that it was Zanku's bones that broke.

Zanku: (coughing up blood) "You won... Hiro..."

Hiro: "Indeed... Now rest, you still have a play date with hell after all. After that, you won't be hearing any of those voices.... Good bye, Zanku, The Executioner, you proved to be worthy of my acknowledgement."

Hiro grabbed the other Enki he released as he began to walk towards the defenseless Zanku. the blonde brandished one of his blade and was ready to decapitate the executioner, but before Hiro decapitated Zanku he muttered thanks towards the blonde.

Zanku: "With this... The noise... Will finally be... Stopped... How delightful... I... Thank you.... Hiro..."

With a nod, Hiro swung his blade completely decapitating his adversary. The blonde walked away from the body of the headless head hunter as he flicked the blood off his adversary off his weapon. Putting both Enki back in the golden ripples that had disappeared, the blonde turned towards the two other Night Raid members who wtached the fight unfold, after giving them a glace, Hiro left the area without a word.

Later, at the base of Night Raid.

A few days after the fight Hiro had against Zanku, the blonde boy stood on top of the cliff above the Night Raid base, Hiro had a bandage on his cheek, with more bandages wrapped around his two arm. 

His golden blonde hair flowing as the wind blowed while he overlooked Tatsumi who was praying to the grave of his two friends, he also saw Akame picking up Tatsumi too cook.

Turning back to re-enter the base, Hiro had heard the raven-haired girl say; 'Everyone in Night Raid is an important person to me. Including you and Hiro.'

Hearing that Hiro, smiled a little.

[End]