Kill the Anticipation

Year: 1024 

            It was a quiet morning in the capital. At the Imperial Palace, soldiers were packing various items such as weapons, food, medical supplies, and other necessities, loading up wagons and carts for a journey.  It was a small platoon of soldiers numbering between 100 to 150 men in all.  They were ordered to mobilize on the orders of General Esdeath in which they would march to the location of The Archive located in Old West Town.

            Making his way through the corridors of the palace, Major General Aquilo carried his cloaked spear teigu—Gungnir—ready to deploy with the men.  His mission was to spring the trap he had set up for Raizo at the location in question.  Last night, he was given official authorization by the Prime Minister to move forward. A smirk had appeared on his lips as he would have an opportunity to confront his former friend once more.

            He made sure to dress as confident as he felt today, tying his long silver hair back in a braid that trailed down toward his waist. Dressed in the officer's outfit that was much like General Esdeath's, he had a custom-made black and silver aiguillette that was tied on his right shoulder and came across his chest toward the left side of his body.  High-ranking officers in the military were allowed to wear one thing that is a strict identifier to them on their uniforms. The General had a unique scarf to represent the fact that she grew up in a cold environment and is an avid ice user.  Aquilo didn't have a fashion sense but since he was given the option, he chose a custom aiguillette that was more like chains as opposed to the usual cord-style rope. In addition, he had a small cape that hung from behind his left shoulder to compliment his noble attire. Some might say that this was far too flashy but he didn't care.

            "Well aren't you looking fancy there kid," a hoarse yet sarcastic voice echoed from the entryway. Turning his emerald green irises toward the threshold, he saw a man with a dark skin complexion folding his arms with a twisted smile. He had golden eyes and short pale lilac hair. Two bangs caressed his older facial features in the front while the rest of his hair was seemingly slicked back cropping to a peak. The Silver Fox immediately recognized the individual in question standing there in a white tank top, black pants, and boots showing off his muscular frame.

            "Syura, what the hell are you doing here?" he asked bluntly. Syura was the son of the Prime Minister. They had never gotten along since the day he first arrived in the city 5 years ago. Onest treated Aquilo like a son and seemingly with more favor toward him than the man before him. Syura has a severe egotistical and sadistic streak that makes him think he can do whatever he wants because he is the minister's son.  The irony of it is that he was always desperate for the old man's attention trying to forever stay in high favor and always paranoid about losing it.  Recalling all of these facts about him made Aquilo chuckle a bit as he stopped to hear what the man had to say.

            "I just decided to come back and see what was up in my home sweet home. Besides, hearing General Esdeath is here with her shitty ass team of misfits as well as you plus the coming arrival of General Budou, I had to see what was going on here," he stated boldly. Aquilo sighed heavily; he forgot how much this idiot had a filthy mouth when it came to regular conversation. He had no tact for mannerisms at all but hearing that Budou is coming shocked him.

            "General Budou? I wonder what is bringing him to the interior…" Aquilo said in a small sense of surprise.

            "Beats me, apparently the old bastard ain't happy with what's been going on as of late so I guess he has decided to come and check up on things."

            "Duly noted, well if you'll excuse me, I have a mission to take care of."

            With that, Aquilo brushed off Syura's presence like he meant nothing which he really didn't in the young officer's mind. Feeling like he was just dissed, Syura reached out and grabbed the youth's shoulder.

            "Hey, haven't you learned any respect yet for someone older than you?" the man taunted glaring at him with a sort of frustration in his amber eyes.

            "Age is nothing but a number," Aquilo began, "I'll respect you when you actually do something of note besides fuck up every chance you're given or when you can beat me in a legitimate fight. Until then, I have as much respect for you as I do for every feeble-minded person I've killed in my career."

            "You son of a…" Syura began to say tightening his grip and gritting his teeth in a growing fury. Aquilo was 19 going on 20 this year. He was younger than the minister's son by about a margin of 5 years so he was around 25 or 26 going on stupid.  At least, that's what the major thought.

            "Well? Are you going to do something? Unlike you, I have a job to do so make a decision. I could kill you here if you prefer, it makes no difference to me. I'm sure the minister wouldn't miss a failure like you. Besides, through some networking, I could say Night Raid killed you and be done with it."

            Seething with utter fury and hatred burning in his eyes, Syura tightened his grip on Aquilo's shoulder suggesting he was about to inflict bodily harm on the officer.  Aquilo strengthened his hold on his cloaked weapon suggesting he was about to use it when suddenly a presence called out.

            "What's going on over here?" a calm yet chilly voice echoed in the area filled with a bloodlust greater than the two males standing in the area. Gripping the handle of her rapier, it was none other than General Esdeath herself. A glint of slight disgust filled her icy hues acknowledging the presence of Onest's son when she approached the pair. Esdeath always held feelings of dissent toward Syura but she never openly voiced them. She especially did not approve of how he treated her subordinates, especially the major. They always had a major rivalry since the day Aquilo came here.

AROUND 4 YEARS AGO

            It was just a few weeks after the execution of Raiden, the former leader of the Order of the Blood Wolves. Despite his feats, Aquilo was kept under strict surveillance to make sure that his loyalties were indeed for the Empire and not some ulterior motive.  Every day, the young assassin had a guarded escort no matter where he went in the palace or whenever he was allowed to go into town.

There was no sign of protest or resistance from him either. He kept a straight face and spoke with the utmost honesty regardless of the question that was asked of him. He didn't care whether it was about what he was wearing, his body measurements, or his sexual preferences. It was always clear and concise.  After a time, he was brought before Minister Onest, Esdeath, Budou, Syura, and the Emperor himself.

            "Tch, Father are you serious? What's the point of trusting this pipsqueak anyways? He's just a damn brat," a dissatisfied Syura spoke aloud directed toward his father. Even before royalty, he did not care about his tone. Despite pleas, the youth that sat on the throne never once reprimanded him.

            "Watch your language before His Majesty. It is obscene for you to speak in such a manner," Spoke the second highest ranking officer in the military named Budou.

            "Tch…" the annoyed son scowled at the elder before him.

            "I think he might be quite useful if sharpened correctly," Esdeath spoke, smirking as she examined the young male. She knew even then that he'd be a promising protégé just from the aura he emitted when in the room.

            "I'd like to know why you all think so highly of someone that's nothing more than a shitty tool to be used and disposed of," criticized Syura.

            "Because unlike you, he has managed to put down a potential threat and stop the rebels from growing in power before it even had a chance to manifest. Imagine the horrors we would have faced if the Blood Wolves managed to become an asset of the Revolutionary Army. Even caught off guard, we still lost a considerable amount of soldiers in the struggle to put those rabid dogs down. You're just jealous that a man his age could possibly hold a higher position than you," Onest expressed.

            "I think we should allow him to be a part of the military and serve the capital.  I would be humbled if such a hero were to serve me and protect the people," the young emperor expressed. Aquilo bowed his head lower appreciating such humble words.

            "I agree, and I also elect to take him under my care and train him in the ways of being a military weapon," Esdeath spoke.

            It was at that moment that Aquilo was indeed drafted into service and he held nearly as many audiences with the Emperor and the Prime Minister as Syura ever had. What bothered the man, even more, is that Onest took an interest in Aquilo teaching him about everything that he could offer about the capital. Some believed that Onest regarded Aquilo as the son he wish he had. One who was reliable and could get the job done and that's how the hatred between Syura and Aquilo began.

            Esdeath sighed as she recalled that moment while staring at the pair. She always thought she could keep them apart. The last time the two went at it, they nearly destroyed part of the palace but luckily Budou had been there to stop them. This time would have probably been the same but she was not going to let that happen.

            "Let go of my comrade Syura, you're keeping him from doing his service to the Empire," she spoke calmly though her voice held an edge suggesting her tension and willingness to fight here. Adhering to her words, Syura released his hold of the male grinding his teeth as he still held feelings of animosity toward him.

            "Better watch yourself kid, it's dangerous out there," he sneered trying to be intimidating. Aquilo only smiled and straightened out his clothes before turning away.

            "Don't worry, I'll arrange a guard to hold your hand on your way back to whatever cave you crawled out of," retorted the ambitious Major. Walking away, he later joined his men who had finished preparing in the meantime.

            "I seriously hate that damn kid," Syura grunted. Esdeath raised an eyebrow at the son of the minister before sighing promptly and turning to walk away. She hardly had any words to spare the man.

            "You should watch your back Esdeath, your greatest weapon just might be your greatest weakness," he chuckled as he made his way further into the palace. Esdeath only shook her head thinking about how stupid the man was. Even if Aquilo tried to move against her, she wouldn't hesitate in putting anyone down. That's just how cold she could be if needed.  She marched her way up the stairs standing atop the rampart observing the platoon organize and move.  It was there, that she saw her protégé mounting his horse and taking the reins to lead.

            "Good luck Major," she said to herself. She knew it may be a while before she sees him again.  The sadist had her own mission to take care of in the east dealing with a religious group.  She suspected that Night Raid would choose that area for the next target so she wished to put them down as fast as possible.  Ran, Wave, and Seryu would be accompanying her while Kurome was kept on bed rest.

            "All units move out! Our destination is The Archive!" he ordered as he took off.

            "HOOAH!!" the men echoed taking off immediately after him. Ahead of them lay a two-day journey in which Aquilo would hopefully manage to catch Raizo in his trap.

            Thousands of miles away in an undisclosed location in the south, Night Raid was making their final preparations for their upcoming assignment:  to assassinate a man named Boric who was plotting to take hold of a powerful religious sect known as the Path of Peace. 

            It wasn't going to be an easy job; Najenda knew this, which was why she was bringing the whole team to take him down. There was the feeling that the Jaegers were going to show up plus Boric's elite guard known as the Four Rakshasa Demons that they would have to face. It would not be an easy task but the leader of the assassins knew that this was a trial that she and her team would surely overcome.  Sadly, they would be down to three promising members.

            The team that would be heading to the city of the objective in question was composed of Akame, Leone, Mein, Tatsumi, Lubbock, Susanoo, and herself while another team consisting of Raizo, Yuki, and Chelsea would be going on another mission.  Although it was a personal endeavor for Raizo, Najenda had approved of this expedition of his due to the destination:  The Archive. 

As bland as the name of the location was, that's essentially what was there.  The Archive in Old West Town is the hub of the Empire's secrets. Some people didn't understand why one of the largest collections of information would be located outside the Capital but it was Onest's idea. He said that it was good for anyone foolish enough to be dealt with outside the city so that there would be less turmoil for the people. Of course, that statement was a lie. It was bait. The purpose of the location was to lure out any and all enemies of the Empire and crush them without delay. Also, it was to give the military a job to do when they weren't out putting down rebels or fighting off danger beasts.

The Archive did hold quite a stockpile of information though.  It was mostly old records of significant events, documents on officials, and historical records.  To most opposing political or military powers, the information was partially useful but the way the location was glorified made the temptation for the foolish to try and break in.  For Raizo though, historical information was just what he was looking for; therefore, when Aquilo tipped him off, he couldn't refuse. Najenda wanted to tell him no but Raizo was the kind of person who didn't adhere to orders so she knew he'd find a way around and head there anyway.  Though she said that she wanted him to get any useful intelligence for the rebels to use, she really didn't want him to go alone hence why he would have company.  Raizo's skill and his abilities with his teigu were assets that she didn't want to lose so she had to indulge.

As the groups had finished their preparations, the time to part ways had come. While everyone in the group was wishing each other the best of luck, Leone and Raizo had stepped away from prying eyes and ears to talk to each other in private.

"Hey, don't do anything reckless out there alright?" Leone spoke lightly, punching Raizo's shoulder. The young man smirked at her words.

"Me? Reckless? No way," he dismissed her with a bit of humor in his voice. She chuckled at his response than her face slowly changed into a serious glare of concern.

"No telling what kind of people will be waiting for you at that place. Regardless of it being just a beacon to lead lambs to the slaughter, you better be careful out there.  For all you know, what Aquilo told you could very well be a trap," she explained.

"I know. I'm prepared for that, besides Chelsea and Yuki are there to back me up right? Night Raid members have to look out for each other right?" he says scratching his cheek. It was one of the very few times he ever regarded himself as a part of Night Raid. Leone, feeling happiness from that notion, opened her arms and embraced him tightly. She nuzzled against him displaying her affection, especially with the way she grinded her bust against his body.

"L…Leone, come on now. This is just embarrassing!" he whined in protest but the buxom blonde continued to embrace him.

            "We're not gonna see each other for a while, you know. Just let me have at least this much," she replied as she continued. Giving in, Raizo wrapped his arms around her hugging her close as well.

            "Hey Chelsea, Yuki, make sure to take care of this guy for me okay? I won't forgive you if something happens to my boyfriend got it?" Leone boldly declared before everyone in Night Raid.

            "Boyfriend?!" they all gasped. Leone grinned and nodded.  Raizo could only put his hand over his face, extremely embarrassed by this. Instantly, Lubbock was raving with envy.

            "Raizo, how the hell did you manage to get Leone?! This…what the hell!" the boy shouted.

            "You'd have a girlfriend if you weren't such a pervert~" teased Leone.

            "Raizo landed big sis? Well then…" said Tatsumi in a precarious tone.

            "Heh well I guess surprises are bound to happen after all," concluded Mein who surprisingly didn't chastise the situation. The remaining individuals in the group simply smiled at the pair conveying their happiness for them.

            "Alright everyone, it's time we part ways. Let's all come back alive, that's an order!" Najenda exclaimed.

            "RIGHT!" Night Raid said all together.  Using the giant manta, Najenda and her party got on board taking off toward the east; the visage of Leone's smile and arm waving could be seen in the crimson irises of Raizo.  As the trio waved back, they turned and headed west on foot.

            Hours later, the trio of assassins came upon a small village that conveniently had horses available. This would cut their travel time from about 4 days to two. Taking this opportunity, they had settled from a brief meal before saddling up and moving out. Galloping side by side, they were making better time now.

            "Raizo, what are you going to do if Aquilo is there?" spoke up Yuki as she got her horse close to his for a moment to speak to him.

            "She's right, for all we know, it could be a trap and that he or someone stronger is there waiting for our arrival," agreed Chelsea as she came up on the youth's left.

            "I don't know but I'd like to avoid confrontation, to be honest. Despite my vow to take Aquilo's life, this is an extraction mission.  We infiltrate the stronghold, grab the information we need then bail out before we are noticed. We should keep the attention on us down to a minimum and try to avoid killing any sentries. Knockouts are understandable but if we take out too many, it could be compromising," he explained as they kept going forward along the path. The sun wasn't at its apex; therefore, he could surmise that it had not reached midday at all. They should have a few hours until the horses needed to be refreshed so they could make up some serious ground at this rate.

            "Sounds like a good plan but we still don't know the numbers that are stationed there," Yuki added.

            "Let alone how the structure of the building looks both inside and out," Chelsea noted further. They are going into this whole situation blind and with little data so precautions need to be taken.

            "Well if worse comes to pass, we'll just have to rely on our abilities as assassins and our teigu," Raizo smirked, feeling confident that they could make it out alive if they worked together.

            "I'm afraid that you and Yuki will have to do all the fighting. My teigu isn't meant for full-on combat," Chelsea interjected with a frustrated tone like she was a burden to the mission.

            "What do you mean?" Yuki asked as if to ascertain more details on the subject at hand.

            "Gaia Foundation isn't a battle-type teigu, it's one for pure stealth. I'm useless in a fight, only tactical assassination as well as reconnaissance."

            "That's perfect actually. You can scout out the area and give us a sign as to where to go inside while we handle the troops if needed," Raizo started thinking of a plan to make use of Chelsea's ability in no time flat. Yuki nodded in agreement to this notion as well. Feeling a bit more at ease, Chelsea trusted their logic and turned her attention forward focusing on the path forward.

            Two days later, Aquilo and 150 Imperial Guards made it to Old West Town. As the name stated, it looked pretty run down for the most part. All of the buildings were either log cabins or really old concrete structures. There were hardly many individuals here. Most of them were hotel owners or merchants that passed through here, then there were shopkeepers and farmers but that was it. Aside from the localized lifestyle, the most important thing was the massive spire that sat in the back of the town. It was a massive 4-story tower that stood looking like a lighthouse in the village. This was the place known as The Archive.

            "Make sure everyone gets a proper meal and a brief rest, then immediately take up the patrol positions both in and outside The Archive. I suspect we will be springing out trap tonight," Aquilo ordered his lieutenant.  The officer simply nodded and waved his hands. The group of men dispersed in an orderly fashion taking their horses to the massive military stables then began to prepare the encampment needed for their stay.

            The Silver Fox rode ahead to the building located deeper in town. Once at the massive structure, he dismounted and tied up his horse before walking inside.  Set up like a massive library that spiraled toward the roof of the place, he strolled inside looking around carefully.  Each floor of the place was laced with shelves upon shelves that were filled with books and various files. Luckily, each section was labeled by category as well as time period. The most recent archived events had been kept on the central floor so he knew it wouldn't take long to find what he was looking for.

            Examining each shelf carefully, he discovered the folder he was looking for. It was the case file dealing with the Blood Wolves as well as the prisoners manifest from 5 years ago. He leaned his cloaked teigu against the shelf and sat down at a desk opening the files up and skimming over them carefully.

            The words on file were a haunting reminder of what he did that day that lead to the deaths of thousands but he knew that the past could not be changed. Pushing the stirring feelings of guilt and doubt to the back of his mind, he scanned the prison roster and found the name he was looking for.

            "Hestia, wife of the Raiden, the leader of the Blood Wolves was imprisoned in the dungeons after the execution of her husband. She was personally overseen by the Minister and was attempted to be used for extracurricular activities but no man ever touched her. Many said that every time a male visited her cell, they would come out dazed and their eyes were soulless. After a year of captivity, she suddenly disappeared from the Capital successfully escaping without a trace," Aquilo read aloud. He sat for a moment as he recalled the events in his head. He took a paper copied the report then replaced the portion about her escape putting that she had died instead. Smiling to himself, he closed the file and left it on the desk in the open then grabbed his teigu and went towards the back of the library seemingly exiting out the back door.

            "Well Raizo, here's the information you so desperately seek. Better get here soon," he said chuckling before heading out of the structure. It was then that the same officer from before appeared to report in.

            "Sir, all the men are accounted for and are heading to their positions. We had a team scout the perimeter and all is clear. Awaiting your orders," he stated.

            "Good work. Make sure no one comes out of their houses tonight and patrol the streets. Also, have about 20 men actively patrol the perimeter of the tower and another 20 inside the structure guarding the upper floors. Keep about 5 on the bottom floor but leave the central desk clear. And make sure the men inside stay out of sight, I want to make sure our trap is set perfectly," Aquilo ordered. Nodding in compliance, the man saluted him and swiftly left his presence, and got the other soldiers into gear. Within hours, they were set up and ready to go.

            After various periods of extensive travel on horseback as well as resting periods when needed, Raizo, Yuki and Chelsea had finally arrived at Old West Town. They tied the horses outside of town in an unseen area and had been scouting out the town from the woods before they would make their move.

            "There, our target is dead ahead," Raizo whispered to his female companions. He felt a bit anxious considering how long he had waited for the day to find out information about his mother. He tried to keep calm so he could think clearly but the thought of her being alive was a breath of fresh air for him.

            "It looks like security is pretty tight around the town for some reason; I mean look at the guards. They are practically at every building and walking up and down alleyways and the streets. Though it seems like a majority of the forces are concentrated around the camp, that's interesting," Chelsea observed with binoculars.

            "Hey, check out the grounds of the Archive. The patrols are way off. We could easily slip in and out," Yuki pointed out.

            "So it would seem. Maybe we can get over there using the woods as cover. It might be easier to remain undetected," recommended Raizo. Hearing no objections, the trio moved together quickly and quietly to the far side of the area arriving at the back of the tower. Security was pretty weak it seemed. They just didn't seem to care about their posts. A couple of soldiers were just chatting away with other soldiers while some were drinking or gambling.  There was a major gap in the rotation of sentries that were patrolling the perimeter. Waiting for an opportunity, Yuki grabbed a stone and chucked it to the other side of a nearby house. Taking the bait, about 5 guys went to check it out due to the loud pang.

            "Now's your chance, go on!" Chelsea said. Raizo and Yuki looked at each other confused then back at her.

            "What about you?" Yuki asked, reading Raizo's facial expression easily.

            "I'm going to keep an eye out. There's a window right above the exit. I'll come through there and let you guys know when to bail out. Just keep an eye out for wings, okay?"

            Not understanding what she meant by that, the pair just ran ahead going to the building before being seen. Yuki stuck close to Raizo making sure to move exactly as he did so she wouldn't fall behind. Once inside, they hid behind bookshelves to avoid any guards inside.

            "Alright, looks like we're in now. Just keep an eye out for a place where there would be information about our clan okay?" Raizo advised. Yuki took her teigu from her back and had an arrow drawn just in case things got bad.

            "I got your back Raizo; just get what we came for."

            Giving a nod, he began to examine the shelves on the bottom floor, crimson irises filled with desperation for anything. Yuki examined the entire structure carefully to make sure they wouldn't be caught off guard. For some reason, the men stationed inside the building stayed away on the far side of the room. Thinking something was off; Yuki saw something on a nearby desk that seemed significant.

            "The desk Raizo, check the desk…" she huffed impatiently. Seeing the object, he went toward it and examined its contents gasping as it was the thing that he was seeking.

            "This is it, Yuki, it's about the clan and my mother. I can't believe…" Raizo stopped speaking when he read the lines about how she was a prisoner that died 4 years ago. A sense of devastation hit him as he read those words. He dropped the folder on the ground. It was then that there were loud marching noises coming from outside. Various firearms were loaded and cocked bearing down on their location.

            "Raizo, we got to move now, what's the hold-up?" Yuki asked impatiently. No answer came from her friend's lips. She moved over to him and shook him gently.

            "Raizo…come on!" she urged him then she picked up and read the report. Noticing there was obviously an anomaly in the record, she made a wry smile knowing it was falsified but that was not important now.

            "I can't believe she's dead…" he sighed heavily.

            "That's right Raizo!" a familiar yet foreboding voice called out. Coming from behind a bookshelf and out into the light, the man that Raizo hated most appeared with a sick grin on his face. Seeing who it was, Raizo immediately drew his scythes as a crackling of arc energy spiraled around his body.

            "Aquilo…you bastard," he grunted, "So it was a trap after all. I had a bad feeling it was going to be the case."

            "Indeed, would you expect anything less?" the silver-haired man taunted, drawing his teigu into an attack stance ready to fight. Yuki trained her bow on Aquilo as well, eyeing him in the face. Aquilo's grin grew as he nodded. It was then that she jumped away from Raizo about a solid 20 feet and let go of her arrow, firing it directly at her target.

            Meanwhile, Chelsea saw the movement of the soldiers. She sat on the ground and grabbed her teigu taking the form of a make-up kit. The situation just went to the worst-case scenario.

"Shit…Gaia Foundation!" she shouted. A small plume of smoke covered her body allowing her to turn into a bird and she flew directly toward the window. Looking inside, she saw Aquilo and a squad of soldiers surrounding her friends as well as something that was truly shocking. A small arrow had been shot into Raizo, stinging him in his shoulder then it dissolved. Light radiated around the young man and then dispersed. In that instant, he collapsed to the ground.

"What the hell…Y…Yuki?" Raizo asked writhing in pain turning his attention to her face. A smile crossed her lips as she saw his face. She strolled herself sensually over toward Aquilo leaning her head on the man's shoulder.

"I told you that I was tired of your quest for vengeance. This should not be too surprising to you but I've been working with Aquilo for quite some time," she chuckled sinisterly.

"Shit…why do I feel so weak. I can't…use my power?"

"Oh, that's because of my teigu, Resplendent Will. It allows me to do anything I want by imbuing my will into the arrows that I fire. I wanted to stop you from using your teigu and nullify your movements so that's what I did."

"Quite a marvelous power don't you agree Raizo?" Aquilo asked rhetorically. He walked up to his former friend who struggled to stand.

"Looks like I win, at last, my old friend," he said then he took the butt of his spear and swiftly jabbed the young man in his abdomen. An overwhelming blur of pain came over him as he fell backward. Getting a glimpse of the window, he saw a bird there. A small smile crept upon his face. So that's what you meant Chelsea, he said in his fading mind. His lips moved simply telling her to run. A tear filled the eye of the creature as it flew away.

Don't worry Raizo; I'll get word to the rest of the team of what happened here. That's for damn sure. Chelsea spoke mentally as she desperately flew away. She saddled up on one of the horses outside of town and then galloped away wasting no time to be pursued. Yuki was a traitor and Raizo was going to be a prisoner of the Empire. There's no way this was going to be taken lightly.