Slay Your Premonitions

Year: 1025

            In a secret understudy located within one of the numerous hidden corridors within the Imperial Palace, a man sat alone in a dimly lit room that had been illuminated partially by a few burning candles.  On all sides, this individual had been surrounded by books and files that were filled with tons of secrets that neither the public nor the emperor himself knew about.  This place was the literal darkness and source of corruption that infested the once proud nation which had been only known by the current Prime Minister—Onest.

            Onest had been sitting at his desk eating a stack of steaks while pulling at his gray hair.  It was no wonder why the man had gained so much weight because he had always resorted to eating when scheming or under stress—both of which seemed to be his main two talents.  The old man was fretting over the attack that greatly altered the influence of the position of power within the corrupt grasp of the man; this being the attack that resulted in the loss of a chief advisor as well as three elders on the high council had taken place about a two weeks ago.

            Chills were sent down Onest's spine while he took bite and bite of his meat dish.  He could still see the soulless eyes of the assailant that had come declaring a personal war on behalf of this group calling itself 'The Order of the Sapphire Phoenix.'  That name reminded him way too much of the legendary assassins that had been dispatched 6 years ago.  He knew for a fact that there was some sort of connection between the two groups which then led to his memory flashing back to the time when the wife of the clan leader of said assassins escaped his grasp around 4 years ago.  Tugging on his withering hair even harder, he surmised that this group had to be extraordinarily powerful.  Was it possible that they were all teigu users that surpassed Esdeath herself? He didn't know.

            "Damn it all.  If it's come to this, then I have no choice but to try and drag this conflict out for the sake of this new project that I am dead set on starting.  Even if this empire falls, I'll make sure that I leave something behind which will last for generations," he devised setting his plate aside to stroke his beard.  On his desk was a folder with a black label strapped across it.  Over the black tape was a giant word written in red reading 'TOP SECRET'.  An additional label at the top read Project C.O.B.A.L.T.

            "No matter what, this will surely go on after my time is down and will revolutionize future warfare, heh," spoke the vile old man laughing as he rose from his desk, "At some point in time, the laws of humanity utilizing teigu will change when my plan introduces the world's ultimate weapon of a human teigu capable of mastering every other teigu at will!"

            Onest's mad genius had no limits.  His scheming this time would take him to the heights of his madness and then some.  Project COBALT stood for Crossbred Organism of Biogenetics Alterations and Legitimate Teigu.  The goal of this project was to create an actual human being who was a teigu.  It was different from an organism-type teigu which had a preset range of abilities, no; this project was to create a living being like a clone of sorts that could use all 48 teigu that was ever created at will and then go beyond their predefined limits.  Onest knew that the results of such a project would not be present in this life but he knew that he would set in motion in such a way that the research would continue for many generations to come.  After all, that's what the underground was all about.

            "My deeds will go down in history, regardless of what happens from this point on," he laughed walking off into the night.

MANY HOURS LATER…

            It was somewhat early in the morning about 20 to 30 minutes away from the city gates.  At a particular mansion belonging to a particular noble family by the last name of 'Hanate', the former members of the elite team of teigu users—the Jaegers—had gathered for training.  Esdeath, Aquilo, Yuki, Kurome, and Wave had been in this routine almost every day since the attack in the palace just two weeks ago.  Despite being Supreme Commander, Esdeath still devoted her time to training.  Her last orders were to bring all brigades in the field back to the city limits to regroup and prepare for the coming conflict with the new foes as well as the rebels.  In addition, she was calling in every allied force she had within her grasp to bring under her reach as well.  Considering the amount of personnel, she had a feeling it would take time hence why she organized this schedule for her team.

            From the time they woke up until the time they had to attend to whatever responsibilities were assigned to them when it came to official work, the Jaegers were training hard to grow their abilities as much as they could.  To maximize effort, Esdeath issued one singular effort—to train like they were out to kill one another.  Considering the level of camaraderie they had all developed with one another, it was hard to do but they knew that this was a battle for survival and that the weak would be trampled over by the strong.

            At times, they organized practices in three different formats: the first was a free-for-all setup in which the Jaegers would all fight each other at once without worry about who was allied with who; the second was team-based battles where they would divide themselves into pairs and duel against each other—Esdeath usually backed out of this method; the third was for the Jaegers to work together to gang up on Esdeath herself since she was the strongest out of the group.

            They were finishing up their free-for-all setup.  Yuki and Kurome were going head-on against one another as Yatsufusa clashed with Resplendent Will.  Given the fact that Yuki was a long-range fighter and a support type that relied on a bow, one would think that she would be inefficient against someone with a sword; however, this was not the case at all.  Her teigu provided her with a unique way of fighting given the fact that it was bladed so she could use it like a double-sided spear thus matching her opponent blow for blow.  In addition, she had her training from when she was once a part of the Blood Wolves so her combat experience outclassed her opponents.

            Steel clashing against steel resonated in the air as the two females fought.  They kept up with one another's movements extremely well almost like they were reading each other like a book.  It was insane to see the pair fighting like so considering the two different approaches to combat with their armaments.  Kurome's main strategy was to keep going at Yuki as much as possible so that her opponent would not get a chance to fire an arrow at her.  This was smart on the black-haired girl's part because if Yuki were able to use her weapon properly, she would more than likely have a clear shot.  Given the curvy girl's marksmanship, there was no doubt in her ability to hit her target at any particular range if given the chance.

            Kurome slashed at Yuki from right to left as Yuki countered left to right to deflect the swordswoman's blows. It was when Kurome accidentally put too much force in one strike that sent her colleague back that the female took a chance.  It wasn't by much but it was enough for a quick shot.  Yuki knocked her bow with an arrow and took aim while stumbling back; she still had a sense of balance as if she had been walking on a tightrope.  She pulled the string carefully and then fired off a shot before Kurome was able to close the distance.  The arrow flew through the air and scratched the girl's shoulder cutting her open but it was enough for what Yuki wanted.

            "Stun…" spoke Yuki.  Kurome's advancing body was halted in that instant before she collapsed to one knee.  Yuki knew that her opponent had a hyperactive nervous system due to her doping plus; her nerves were damaged after Chelsea struck her with a fatal blow which had been further accentuated with Raizo's shock therapy.  As such, the arrow she fired had a small but highly effective neurotoxin effect that entered the girl's bloodstream thanks to Yuki's "Will".  It looked to the marksman like she was able to hit the jackpot on that which settled their bout.

            Meanwhile, Wave, Aquilo, and Esdeath were duking it out on the other side of the training square in a triple-threat match.  It was a massive melee of tag as Wave would attack hand-to-hand in Grand Chariot against Aquilo's Gungnir spear and Esdeath's ice blades.  They would all sweep around each other like a weird three-way dance of sorts trying to land hits on one another.  Though it could be perceived that they were taking the definition of 'free-for-all' too seriously since neither of them tried to gang up on the other.  Just as the fun was about to get interesting though, the timer that Esdeath set up for the matches suddenly rang.  The trio of fighters had each other at blade's length when it happened.

            "Damn, just when it was getting good," spoke Aquilo but he couldn't fight the way he wanted to just now.  This was mainly because he was dealing with Wave.  The male was strong, he wasn't going to deny it but Aquilo could fight Esdeath on a different level if it were one on one.  After all, the woman had overseen his training personally when he first arrived in the Capital all those years ago.

            "Tch, you say that General but once again, my skill is lacking," commented a frustrated Wave while Grand Chariot disengaged to give him a moment to breathe and move about.  He stretched his neck and arms around but gritted his teeth in annoyance, "I need to continue getting stronger."

            "I told you that you were at your maximum level of potential when I first met you Wave.  Griping about it won't get you anywhere.  You just have to learn to adapt to the opponent's moves in order to overcome them," Esdeath instructed as she grabbed the timer to reset it for the next round.  Yuki helped Kurome up giving her a small vial with a fast-acting antidote to counteract the nerve agent she gave her.  Taking it with a small smile, the girl consumed it and felt better.  They shook hands in a good fight before rejoining the others for the team fight against their captain.

            "Esdeath," called out Aquilo informally, "I have a special request for this next round."

            "Oh? And what would that be?" questioned the ice queen while raising an eyebrow.

            "I want to fight you one-on-one like we did when we used to train together.  It's been a while since we went all out against each other.  I'm sure we can at least cut loose a solid 50% in this confined space without issue if you're interested."

            "You think your 50% is equal to mine now?  That's quite an ego you've accumulated over the years, Aquilo."

            "What can I say? I think I'm confident in my skills."

            "Oh? Yet if I recall correctly, you have been taken down to size by Raizo, Leone, and that mysterious assassin that attacked two weeks ago.  Are you sure you can handle me?" she dared seeing if the male was serious.  The ex-general really liked hitting close to home so that she could prod the best possible experience for a battle.  Aquilo knew this tactic all too well.

            "Sure, why not? After all, you got taken down to size in one punch by Raizo so I'm sure your skills may be getting rusty.  I guess you can say that I'll be the one to help you oil them up," he retaliated while striking a pose with his spear in a guarded stance.  In that next instant, an aura of pure rage and killer instinct filled the air as the two stared each other down.  Though they knew that the other meant no harm, they both dealt each other serious blows to their respective pride.  Sensing the atmosphere of tension, the remaining trio immediately headed to the sidelines to watch how this battle was about to unfold and prayed that they would try to control themselves in at least a marginal factor.

            Esdeath pulled out her rapier and aimed it at Aquilo staring him down eye to eye.  Their gazes seemed to penetrate to the depths of one another's souls trying to intimidate the other into attacking first.  The wind blew quietly in the air as time slowly passed by.  Suddenly, both stepped forward at the same time and attacked leading to an immediate deadlock.  Aquilo towered over Esdeath by about less than half a foot but needless to say, the supreme leader did not back down at all.  As they pushed on each other's armaments, it seemed that they were evenly matched thus they backed off.

            They propelled forward at one another once more.  Esdeath struck forward as though she was stabbing the air repeatedly with her needle-like weapon.  Aquilo countered by repeating the same action.  Their blades scraped across one another creating sparks from the friction as a result which led to the pair striking steel against steel.  Aquilo was keeping Esdeath at a distance that allowed him to maximize the efficacy of his spear techniques while the ice queen attempted to close the distance with her vigorous thrusts.

            Blow for blow, the pair seemed evenly matched while they traversed the training square back and forth trying to catch the other off guard to gain the advantage.  Both high-ranking officers had sadistic smirks on their faces.  Esdeath was already a battle maniac but Aquilo simply became the same way thanks to their history together.  As they continued their bout, flashes of the past had come between the duo as they had trained like this every single day.

            Esdeath would use her rapier masterfully to strike at any opening that Aquilo left unguarded, then would follow up with flying ice needles.  Aquilo bobbed and weaved as much as he could then used both hands to twirl his weapon in a circle to deflect the oncoming projectiles.  Once the obstructions were clear, Aquilo brought his teigu into a thrusting stance in which he charged forth directly at the superior officer.  He would stab toward her at any given angle he could but it seemed like Esdeath maneuvered like a snake between each strike. Suddenly, as the weapon came from the right side, she grabbed it with one arm and pulled the male forward before turning to deliver a spinning kick to her opponent's abdomen.  Letting go of the long-ranged weapon with one hand, Aquilo caught the kick but was still tripped up.  To recover, he dropped down while stabbing his weapon into the ground to pole vault and kick at his superior as a result.  Esdeath used an ice shield to deflect the attack.  Once they regathered their posture, they would begin once more while their fellow Jaegers watched in awe.

            "Wow, they are something else to watch," spoke an astonished Wave. Kurome stood next to the male casually eating a bag of snacks as usual.  Nodding in agreement, Yuki also chimed in.

            "I knew he trained with her but I didn't think it was to this degree. It's like we're watching a contained death battle," she added.  Just as the fighting was beginning to intensify, a messenger had come from the inside of the house holding a batch of documents for a report.  He tapped the pale-haired archer on the shoulder whispering in her ear about needing to report a critical update.

            Upon hearing those words, Yuki grabbed her bow and nocked an arrow.  She aimed at the pair just above their heads while they clashed and released it.  The arrow flew instantly to its intended destination and then exploded like a firecracker to grab attention.  Just as the projectile did so, Esdeath and Aquilo stopped fighting in a spectacular draw.  The tip of Gungnir was against the Supreme Commander's neck while the tip of the blade wielded by the ice queen was pointed at The Silver Fox's neck.  It was a deadly draw.

            "Seems like our fun is over," sighed Esdeath lightly both disappointed yet somewhat relieved.  Nodding in agreement, Aquilo casually slinks away while pulling his weapon back.

            "So it would seem but it was quite thrilling while it lasted wouldn't you agree?" he smiled taking a moment to wipe his brow from the sweat.

            "Yes. I'm glad we took the time to spar one on one again," she answered while sheathing her sword.  The woman then flicked a few strands of hair away from her face before turning to head back to the others while her protégé followed.

            Bowing his head in respect, the messenger handed over the documents he had been carrying for Esdeath to scan over.  The papers detailed the movements of the troops coming in as well as a status report on such matters.  In addition, it also noted how supplies were being moved to compensate for the swelling numbers but it also listed a very crucial detail that even the supreme leader herself had a darkened expression over.

            "The weapons facility was destroyed?" she spoke up in disbelief.  The report read that one of the most important foundries belonging to the Capital was completely destroyed.  In addition, all of the soldiers and staff that worked there were killed.  The way the factory was described after the horrific event amounted to systematic annihilation.  The report continued stating that the culprits behind the massacre were the Sapphire Phoenix; clipped to a page was a picture of the banner that represented the order as well as a piece of the fabric for further proof.

            Esdeath tightened her grip on the papers in frustration thinking of how irritating it was to deal with this unforeseen problem.  This threat has only begun to show itself in a matter of weeks and they have been dealing with losses in ways that neither she nor anyone among the Emperor's court could have predicted.  They lost the north that she fought so hard to retake and were thoroughly embarrassed on the home front and now this? It was getting out of hand way too quickly.  Something had to be done about this but Esdeath knew that charging in without a real strategy or even have any information about this new enemy was a fool's gambit. To be fighting one enemy while also dealing with another would scatter the forces too thinly.  There had to be a way.

            Seeing the growing frustration on her face, Aquilo began to think of an idea that would alleviate her concerns.  Schooled in the ways of being an effective officer by her led him to perceive her thought process a bit as well as gauge an idea of such a situation.  There had to be somewhat to deal with two different enemies but how?   He took a brief moment before he spoke.

            "Commander, perhaps we need to start tying up loose ends before we try to focus solely on this new threat," he began.  All eyes were then focused on him as he would then continue.  "We have the Sapphire Phoenix to the northwest and the Revolutionary Army to the south.  We know that the rebels won't attack so long as martial law is in effect because they believe that we will harm the people so why don't we begin trying to eliminate the greatest threat among them?"

            "You're speaking of Night Raid I presume?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

            "Yes ma'am."

            "Well, I see your point. If we manage to take them out once and for all, the rebels will lose a crucial fighting force among their pools of strength.  Plus, that will allow us as former Jaegers to achieve some closure.  Besides, I imagine that all of you have someone to take down among the group," stated Esdeath.  The faces of her compatriots all began to grow dim for a moment as each began to think of who they would like to fight and settle the score with.  Kurome thought of her sister Akame.  They had a longstanding rivalry that neither of them would be able to move past until one was dead.  Wave reflected on Tatsumi.  Though he did not harbor any hatred toward the youth, Wave felt like they shared a bond of sorts thinking that they shared similar ideals but walked different paths.  With Yuki and Aquilo, their minds mutually dwelled on Raizo.  That history was self-explanatory.

            "I think it is time to bury the past so that we can refocus our efforts elsewhere.  As a result, I am going to give all of you time off," the ice queen boldly declared. Such a statement was unheard of but not unwarranted.

            "In this time of crisis, I don't think that is wise," Aquilo addressed.

            "Yeah, you need us here plus we all have positions within the Capital as well as personal responsibilities," added Wave.

            "Then think of this as the final assignment I shall give you as Jaegers.  I want you all to go forth and eliminate Night Raid once and for all.  By targeting this group, you shall also be permitted to settle any scores you have and you are to return to your duty stations with clear heads to deal with the impending threat of the Sapphire Phoenix.  I can take care of the city myself.  Armies are still pouring in from all over to fight under our banner and I still have to organize the defense.  That should be ample enough time for you all, correct?"

            All parties present agreed to find no error in her logic but they couldn't bear to just leave right now, not with all of the chaos going on.  Reading their expressions like books, Esdeath sighed before crossing her arms and continuing.

            "I can't let you all go out there blind; therefore, take the time to use any resource you can to dig up information on Night Raid's whereabouts.  Settle your business here then you all may head out.  I shall give you a maximum of two weeks to find what you need, but I'm thinking that you all can get the proper information before then. Don't just stand there, hop to it!" she clapped her hands.  A unified nod came from the team as they all went their separate ways but Esdeath suddenly reached out and grabbed Wave for a moment.

"You said you wanted to get stronger right?" asked the general to the blue-eyed male.

"Absolutely," he answered immediately.

"Then take this," she spoke motioning the messenger to hand him a small object that was wrapped in cloth.  Taking it, Wave opened it and saw that it was a teigu…the teigu that had belonged to Ran.

"This is…"

"You may be able to utilize it fully. You have exceptional willpower. I don't know what will happen but trust in your power. I know you can use more than one teigu, Wave," she uttered to him to encourage him.  Taking the gift, the male ran off to get caught up with Kurome. Hopefully, with this, I can become even stronger than before. Just you wait Tatsumi; I'll show you the power of a soldier for the people.  The curtain had begun to open on the final act of the conflict between Night Raid and the Jaegers.

            Hundreds of miles to the south, the sun was elevated high into the clear, blue skies ahead.  It was around the noon hour at the stone hideout that had belonged to Night Raid.  Outside in a massive clearing, the assassins were all finishing up their training exercises that they had been doing regularly since the ceasefire.  Normally, the quartet of warriors—Akame, Leone, Tatsumi, and Raizo—would be working on hand-to-hand combat or using wooden weapons but today, they decided to step up the game but bringing in their teigu.  Of course, the only one who had to use a substitute weapon was Akame given the deadly effects that Murasame had.

            Tatsumi was clad in the draconic upgraded Incursio facing Leone in her Lionelle form while Akame had been paired against Raizo in a duel between swordsmen.  Overhead, Najenda and Chelsea had been watching to observe how the group fared against one another.  It was the climax of the training session that had been going on because, in an indirect fashion, it was a team-based match of guys versus girls—a battle of the sexes.  For Raizo, this was almost a flashback to when he first took on Night Raid by himself; time to see how progress was made.

            Tatsumi and Leone charged at each other head-on.  The pair engaged in a pseudo-boxing match as steel fists were pitted against fur and claws.  They knew not to hold back against one another yet they also knew not to go too far.  Tatsumi's left fist connected with Leone's jaw but the female had also landed a solid blow to the armored male's sternum.  Regardless of how durable Incursio was, one punch from Leone could be keenly felt.  Both parties grunted in pain before recovering and going at each other once more.  An exchange of fists began to fly in the air in a brilliant combination of brutal boxing and mixed martial arts.  Their combative dance was difficult to keep up with by the human eye given the intensity but from the display, it was clear that they had been evenly matched.

            Within the same confined space, the sound of steel clashing against steel resonated harmoniously in the air as the single sword wielder Akame faced off against the dual-wielding Raizo.  Aside from Akame using a random katana, Raizo grabbed two plain katanas as well so that he didn't feel weird about using his cherished blades against an ally.  Akame's form was that of pure mastery as she held her blade with two hands to rush her opponent then alternated from right to left as needed.  While Raizo countered Akame's attacks by swinging his blades from left to right in alteration to deflect and guard himself.  He did an excellent job at keeping the ground lost against the female to a bare minimum.  When he went on the offensive, the male would slash horizontally from right to left to begin his combo before he would rotate around performing some semi-acrobatic moves.  Deciding to mimic, Akame would do the same in her variation.  This turned their fight from a direct encounter to an acrobatic dance of sorts to see who could outmaneuver the other.  As with the former pair, the red-eyed twins seemed to be at a stalemate.

            It was when all parties backed off for a moment to catch their breaths that the surprise occurred.  Leone looked to Akame and Akame back to Leone passing a stare that was like a signal.  A slight nod then ensued while their male opponents were stuck wondering what was going on.

Suddenly, the females sprinted at the boys switching opponents; it was now Akame vs Tatsumi and Leone versus Raizo.  Unable to cope with the switch, Tatsumi suddenly found himself at the mercy of Akame's deadly blade techniques.  The armored boy was feeling grateful right now that his armor was on because his sloppy attempts to keep up with Akame were not helping his ability to guard or counter.  In fact, if Incursio wasn't on him right now, he was sure that he'd be cut up all over.

            Deciding to try and take the offense, Tatsumi pulled out his bell-shaped spear which sported a much larger blade now to make it almost look like an executioner's axe.  He brought the weapon around to push Akame back but the long-haired assassin merely jumped up and ran along the shaft of the weapon before drop-kicking the male off his feet thus rendering him flat on his back.  Akame then stood over him with her blade aimed at Tatsumi's neck holding him in check.  Yielding defeat, Tatsumi surrendered by holding his hands up while the armor of Incursio gradually vanished.

            Meanwhile, Leone was getting the jump on Raizo by swiping at her male lover with a series of quick jabs that packed a lot of power behind him.  Raizo was not prepared to be caught in this sort of match up and it left him conflicted.  Despite the fact that it was only training, he could not raise his blades against Leone because he didn't want to cut her in any way.            While sidestepping her attacks, the male flipped over the feline warrior kicking off her shoulder for a bit of momentum.  Once far enough on the other side of the field, the male tossed his blades away.  Everyone who was watching, including Leone, stared in confusion.

            "Giving up already?" asked Leone as she put her paw-like hands against her hips.  Raizo smirked and shook his head.

            "No, I'm just trying something out," he said.  It was then that he crouched for a bit standing in a fighting pose like he was going to use his fists.  Gradually, little arcs of electricity spiraled around his body as he initiated the effects of his transformation state; however, he did not actually transform into the mode he called Fury of the Storm.  This state was something that he had taken many times prior to unlocking Fury in which his emotions would activate the abilities within him.  Raizo took a deep breath as he let the flow of electricity charge within his body.

            "Calm Before the Storm…" he said in a whisper.  The arcs of electrical energy continued to spiral around which amped up his physical prowess. Taking a firm step forward, he lowered himself down and then charged toward Leone in an instant, about as fast as light.  Leone was able to narrowly evade Raizo's first punch before countering.  It was then that the couple engaged in their own martial art matchup.  Leone's furry fists collided with Raizo's lightning palms as the impacts of each blow echoed like thunder in the air.  Both of them had a bit of a smirk on their face as they seemed to be enjoying themselves rather than training.

Thunderous echoes clapped in the air over and over as the lovers traded fists trying to see who would go down first but even in this match-up, they seemed evenly matched.  Raizo was quick and decisive with his moves while Leone put power and force into hers.  The other members of Night Raid could only stare in awe as no one was expecting Raizo to switch up to close quarters with his bare hands for a fight.  Raizo tried the same snaking and acrobatic maneuvers that resulted in his body doing a series of twists and turns while rotating around his lover.  He landed a few strikes on the female which led her to jump from the slightly stunning effect of his electro-fists; however, Leone soon became a bit irritated and began using her feet to fight to try and catch him.  Once Leone started to pick up on Raizo's pattern, she cut off his movements using his right leg before grabbing the youth and tossing him across the area.

"Shit…" Raizo grunted but he was able to flip in the air to recover.  The red-eyed man then charged forward sliding on the ground to try and take out Leone's legs but the agile feline jumped up to dodge with ease.  Being caught off guard by her moves, Raizo slid to a halt due to friction.  To make matters worse, his focus broke so his Calm state was starting to give way.  Usually Raizo had always used his teigu based on emotional intensity so he had not fully mastered all aspects of transformation.  He still had a long way to go.

"Heh, looks like you're running on sparks. Can't get an ignition I'm guessing?" Leone teased as she descended rapidly upon him.  Raizo tried to move but he had a bit of a problem, he wasn't able to move at all!  As it turned out, the friction from the ground combined with his lightning aura caused enough static electricity between his garments and the asphalt which held him there.  Gulping nervously, Leone landed promptly on top of the trapped male and pinned him down using her paws. She leaned forward looking into his crimson irises, her ample bust grinding against his chest as their pelvises seemingly merged. She leaned down and whispered in a seductive tone.

"Looks like I win baby," she bragged before blowing a small puff of air against his neck and then licking his cheek; her makeshift tail wagging joyfully as a result.  The male was both upset at his fluke and embarrassed.

"Sh…shut up, it's not like I couldn't win…I just messed up," he stammered over his words trying to keep himself composed in this awkward predicament.  As Leone began to maneuver her body against his to tease him even further, Najenda and Chelsea came down from the balcony just above the courtyard to join Akame and Tatsumi who had been standing off to the side.

Chelsea reached out and tapped Tatsumi on the shoulder and gave the boy a friendly smile.  He blushed immediately and scratched the back of his head trying to shy away from her though he wasn't exactly trying his best to escape the auburn-haired girl's charm. Chelsea stood next to Tatsumi for a moment, a shade of pink on her face like she was an embarrassed schoolgirl nervous to talk to someone she liked before she began to speak.

"Though you left yourself open quite a bit, you did pretty well out there.  Next time, I'm sure you can win so don't beat yourself up alright?" she said trying to keep his spirits up.

"Yeah, I can't afford to let my guard down the way I did so I have to work on that for next time," he replied confidently.  During the time since the events of the breakout in the Capital, Chelsea and Tatsumi had been getting closer as of late.  At first, Chelsea was there for Tatsumi so that he wouldn't be too broken over losing Mein and Lubbock but as the grief gradually receded, it began to blossom becoming something more slowly but surely—though neither of them will admit to it just yet.

"I know you will, here's for good luck…" she said before delivering a small kiss on the male's cheek. Tatsumi's face brightened up even more as a result.  Najenda, watching casually from the side, smiled as though she was happy for them even though it wasn't official yet.  She thought they would make a good pair despite the times they lived in.

"Never let your guard down and always be prepared for a change in enemy tactics Tatsumi," Akame suddenly cut to instruct, "One small mishap can mean the end of your life, you have to be careful."

"Yeah…thanks Akame," the boy nodded.  Meanwhile, Leone had finally reverted back to her regular self and decided it was time to stop teasing her little boy toy.  At the same time, the static cling had begun to fade which gave Raizo some form of movement.

"Hey, do you need help?" she asked teasing yet also concerned at the same time.  The male shook his head no while ruffling his white and black hair.

"No, but static electricity sucks. I couldn't move at all," he sighed heavily, disappointed in himself.

"Oh? So does that mean if you would have been able to move…?"

"That I would have kicked your ass, yes, you're exactly right."

"Oh really now? You think you would have won? Heh, please, you wouldn't have kicked my ass because you love it too much!"

"Th…th…th…that has nothing to do with our match! Wh…what the hell are you trying to insinuate right now?!"

"Awe, look who's blushing! You're so adorable when you're flustered that it's almost unbearable for me to keep my hands off you!" she spoke trying to snatch up Raizo as they both stood up dusting themselves off.  Raizo stepped back immediately trying to avoid his lover's clutches.

"Would you stop right now? Jeez, it's like you're trying to take advantage of me in front of others!"

"Well, maybe I am. After all, I am like a wild animal and it could be mating season!"

"Leone!!! Stop it!" Raizo cried out running away from the female.  The taller youth was trying to avoid being captured by her as she gave chase. The other members of Night Raid could only laugh at the sight of the two playing around.  Najenda would then interrupt.

"If you two are done playing around, why don't we go and relax at the river? It allows everyone to cool down after working up a sweat," she recommended.  After all, it wasn't like they had any assignments so why not have some time to relax for a bit?

"Oh boy, you're in luck Raizo. You get to see me in a bathing suit," Leone taunted as Raizo had leaped up on top of the wall.

"Stop saying unnecessary things dammit!"

About an hour had passed since the training concluded.  Following Najenda's word of advice, everyone had gathered down by the river to enjoy some rest under the sun and the cool feeling of the water upon their skins.  The girls were all in their bathing suits, mostly different varieties of two-piece bikinis while the boys were in swim trunks.

Layered in a black two-piece, Najenda had pulled out a chair and laid under the sun to tan while Akame sat in a red and white bikini on the edge of the bank dipping her feet in the water while looking up into the sky.  Tatsumi, in tan swim trunks, was with Chelsea—who wore a burgundy bathing suit—walking together.

"That suits you," Tatsumi complimented as he casually observed her curves slowly.  This was one of the rarest times that he had been so straightforward with a girl but there was no time like the present and shyness wasn't going to get him anywhere if he didn't just do what felt right.

"Thanks, Tatsumi, I'm glad you like it. I was thinking it was a little too much," she spoke leaning close to Tatsumi while tracing a finger along his body feeling his more refined body.  "I see you have been building up quite a bit of muscle too. I like what I see…or should I say feel?"

"O…oh well um…thanks, I have been trying to keep up with training so…yeah, good to know that there are visible results," Tatsumi chuckled nervously while his heart began to race inside his chest trying to not let his mind drift toward less than decent thoughts.  Of course, this was easier said than done as he was a teenage boy so his body was experiencing those kinds of urges; in addition, the dark times of war did add quite a bit of pressure on his need to…explore.

"Well, not every part of you is viewable you know," Chelsea spoke in a seductive tone whispering in his ear, "Though I'm sure that can change later if you're interested."

Tatsumi was suddenly breathless and unable to come up with any sort of response now.  He could only look at her and stammer over what could be described as words.  His lips were moving but words refused to form as a result.  Chelsea turned her gaze slightly toward Leone who sported her risky yellow bikini that exposed more skin than is within the tolerable limits.  She gave her a thumb up and wink as the feline nodded in approval.  Clearly, Leone had been giving the female some pointers in seduction.

Meanwhile, Raizo was wearing a black pair of trunks but he was wrapped in a towel.  For some reason, he was feeling subconscious about his body and he didn't want to show his body off.  He was balled up and sitting on the ground looking at the water.  Seeing the male, Leone walked over and stood right in front of him thus forcing the youth to examine her figure.

"What the hell are you doing kiddo?" Leone asked with her hands on her hips tilting her head wondering just what her silly boy toy was thinking.

"Um, just sitting here…what are you doing?" Raizo answered nonchalantly acting like he was perfectly natural.

"Why the hell are you balled up in a damn towel? You look ridiculous!"

"I'm…cold," he lied while tightening up the towel around his body.

"Don't give me that bullshit. Take it off or I will…and I'll do more than take off that towel," Leone smirked deviously as she sought to torment him once again.  Najenda, who was lying in her chair nearby, watched for a bit with an amused expression.  She decided to help her longtime friend out a bit.

"Don't worry Leone, I got this," she spoke in a mellow tone. The feline woman chuckled as she knew just exactly what was about to happen.  Raizo looked over to the eye-patched woman then back to Leone and took a gulp.  Chelsea and Tatsumi were too busy flirting while Akame was in her world.  So much for backup from those three; as he let out a hefty sigh, he was left to wonder just what exactly was about to go down.

In the next instant, he felt something heavy plop itself on his back. It took a hold of the towel that he was wearing.  Turning his head to see what it was Raizo saw a dark green, metallic hand on his shoulder with a firm grip on the fabric draped over his shoulders. Oh…shit, you have got to be kidding me, the male thought but just as he tried to take it off…

"Hand it over, Raizo!" Leone told him as Najenda retracted her hand.  Suddenly, the male's body became mostly exposed showing off his rather chiseled frame and tanned skin but before anyone could study him up close and personal, he went flying.  He didn't get launched in the air or anything; it was just that he went in the direction of the towel…right towards the boss.

"Raizo let go!" Leone called out but it was too late.  Najenda knew that this was gonna be bad but not how bad exactly.  The hand slinked back to its slot but Raizo went crashing into her in the most unexpected of ways.

"Hey, are you two o…kay…." Leone asked but her words were suddenly cut off.  Akame, Chelsea, and Tatsumi jumped when they heard the loud impact turning to see what was going on.  As the dust settled, it could be seen that the lounge chair that Najenda was laying on had been turned over.  The silver, short-haired woman was lying on her back from the impact slowly rustling her head to snap out of it.  Suddenly, she felt heavier than normal around her chest area.  She knew that she was well-endowed up top but something felt off and she felt like something was pinning her down.  When she looked, she said the white and black hair that belonged to one of her subordinates and his face was promptly between her soft mounds.

"Rai…zo, um…" Najenda blushed looking down.  She wasn't sure what to think at the moment but she couldn't find herself to be upset for some reason.  In fact, her heart raced a bit almost like she was a teenager again.  Raizo slowly began to respond.

What the hell is this soft sensation right now? He asked himself but when he opened his eyes and realized what it was and who it was, his face lit up in shame.  He was not expecting this at all.  He could punch himself so hard right now.  How the hell did this happen? He would expect to wind up in this situation with Leone but not the boss! He was panicking inside the safety of his head right now.  Closing his eyes for a second, he tried to lift himself but he then accidentally grabbed her chest.

Najenda looked down at her breast and then back up to Raizo.  The former Blood Wolf immediately clammed up before tossing himself back.  He was completely at a loss for words.  As the other members of Night Raid watched, they were equally speechless.  However, Leone was getting a little upset right now.

"Er…Boss, I'm sorry I didn't mean to…um…well," the youth apologized while stammering nervously over his words.  The one-eyed woman had gazed at Raizo while he tried to apologize studying his body.  She had to admit, he was pretty toned for someone his age.  He could see scars from his past struggles along his abdominals then tattoos on his shoulders. On the left was a black stripe of sorts while on the left was a triangular shape that opened downward like an A with jaws of some sort.

"It is fine Raizo, you just need to be more careful okay?" she spoke softly like she was captivated for a moment.  What was she feeling right now? This was weird.  She hadn't felt like that in…well she didn't know.  She thought she suppressed such emotions a long time ago but apparently, the heart of a maiden was one even she did not comprehend at times.  Perhaps it was something she needed to feel for she had been denying her womanhood for a long time but this was definitely not like her.

"Right, again I'm sorry boss," the male bowed his head. On his broad back, his angelic wings that formed on his back from his teigu became viewable.  In the next instant, he was slapped in the back by a very angry Leone.

"What the hell do you think you're doing touching the boss like that?! Sure she's hot but you have me dammit!" she yelled in anger.  Wait, was she mad that Raizo touched another woman or jealous that it wasn't her that he landed on? Leone was so confusing at times.

"OUCH! HEY!" yelled the male.

"I hope it hurt you, idiot!"

"Not my fault! It's not like I was trying to score on the boss or anything!" he pleaded innocence but Leone was not trying to hear it.  Chelsea and Tatsumi shrugged their shoulders pretending like nothing was going on before minding their own business while Akame just sat there and watched with a deadpan expression on her face.  Najenda sat there like an innocent girl smiling at who knows what kind of thoughts she was having while Leone and Raizo were going back and forth.  Suddenly, the tender moment was interrupted.

"Commander Najenda," a person said jumping down from the trees in ninja attire. This person was a spy sent by the Revolutionary Army.  In his hand, he held a scroll and gave it to the woman.  Najenda immediately became serious upon the arrival of the individual and the rest of the team rallied in to see what was going on.  Najenda began to scan over the contents of the note.

"It seems like we've finally gotten ourselves a mission. It seems like we have a new threat to deal with in the war.  Everyone, get ready to move out," she said.  She continued to read while rallying together when she saw something concerning in the text.  It read that she was being summoned back to headquarters ASAP.  Now, what on Earth could be going down at HQ?