Slay Your Ties

Year 1025, 20th of October

Time: 10 A.M.

Dawn broke over the encampment of the Sapphire Phoenix. As per the usual cycle for the past few days or more, the soldiers that fought under Hestia's banner had risen from their slumber and began to train and run through all supplies for the coming day in which the battle against the Empire would finally take place. The entirety of the northwestern territories belonged to this army and as such, they had to establish methods of maintaining control so that they are not caught off guard by their enemies.

The number of soldiers in the Hestia's army numbered quite a substantial amount at this point in time. The last count recorded was somewhere by a million or more, the exact number was lost after some time. The army was divided into three set legions. One legion was kept in the western territories; the second was in the north, then the third—being the main army—was left to be in the middle. Supply routes and methods of communication networks were established between the locations at set intervals where orders could be relayed and updated within a day's time at the most.

This system has kept the entire army of the Sapphire Phoenix organized; as such, they would be ready move within days of receiving the order but like it has been, all they have been doing lately is waiting and prepare for that coming battle. In the main encampment, there was nothing else to do aside from routine training exercises and formations. It was just another day in the office except for the fact that everyone knew the commander was keeping a visitor in her home. Though they were eased by their superior officers and forced to focus on their jobs, they still wanted to know just what was going on in Hestia's cabin.

Inside said location, the elite members and highest ranking individuals of the Sapphire Phoenix had been going over plans and reviewing intelligence to occupy their time. In the "War Room", Genesis, Zephyria, and Orion were trying to review plans while Hestia was pacing back and forth in concern. Her thoughts were focused on Raizo's condition as he was still bound in the mysterious barrier created from his weapon for the past 30+ hours. Adena was still in charge of keeping watch over the male while periodically being dismissed to make a report on any changes, get food or have a break. Even though the girl was more than capable of handling the task, Hestia could not help but worry.

"Lady Hestia," Genesis called out in his soothing voice. The woman did not respond but was biting on her finger nails with a look of distress. Her normally peaceful aura was all but diminished and her disheveled thoughts often caused a few things to fly around in the room. To make sure nothing would be damaged—and to protect themselves—the team members tried to keep the woman calm as much as possible.

"Lady Hestia," Genesis called again but Hestia continued to pace. She was mumbling incomprehensibly thinking the worst case scenario over her beloved child somewhat forgetting herself as a result.

"Milady!" the giant shouted which caused her to stop and look up startled. Orion and Zephyria only watched to see the events transpire before them unsure of what exactly Genesis was going to say.

"Yes? You called? Apologies, my mind is taken with thoughts," the woman spoke taking a deep breath to still herself.

"Milady, it's okay to be worried over your son but with all due respect, you are driving yourself crazy. You have not slept at all nor have you eaten. This isn't good not only for you but also for the troop morale. You have to stay strong for everyone's sake including your son's," he explained.

"I see…you're right. I need to get a hold of myself. Adena has been keeping an eye on my son and she knows to report to me the minute something changes. I shouldn't be…like this," Hestia said stumbling a bit. The trio immediately rushed to her aid out of concern.

"Lady Hestia, you need to rest. This isn't going to help the situation at all," the dark-skinned female stated trying not to be upset over this.

"She's right. Your kid is gonna be fine, you have us after all. You should take it easy you know. It's not fun seeing you in shambles like this," Orion put bluntly. Out of all the members of her circle, he was the most honest and straightforward with Hestia being respectful but also being himself. Any other person speaking in such a manner would probably be scolded for addressing her with such informalities but for Orion, Hestia made a special case since that's just who he was. In fact, she tried to extend this courtesy to the others but only Adena had that sort of audacity and even she tried not to talk too much after the woman with prying eyes around.

"Indeed, I have been much too careless as of late. Perhaps a nice meal and a bath would calm me down," she nodded giving in to the kindness of her subordinates.

"I'll make you something to eat. Zephyria and Orion will take you some place to relax. Shall I send for the musicians to play something for you?" Genesis inquired. Hestia nodded her head in agreement smiling softly at the thought as she was gently escorted by Zephy and Orion to her audience chamber. After that, the chivalrous giant headed off into the kitchen to prepare the meal in question.

Meanwhile in the back room, Adena was still watching over Raizo. She maintained her duty of observing his condition as much as she possibly could. The only time she had to leave was when she needed to use the restroom or she had to give Hestia an update. At times she ate with her colleagues but she told them that she would prefer eating in the same room as the patient. As far as sleep was concerned, she had a small futon to lay on when she needed it but she only napped for a solid hour or so before waking up to continue her watch. Adena did not require lengthy hours of sleep when she has not been using a lot of energy. Her body was considerably different than everyone else thanks to her teigu. As long as she had enough potential energy stored in her body from being around fire or being in the sun, she could go without many needs of the typical human body.

Seeing Raizo lying there sleeping peacefully, the female let out a sigh of frustration mainly due to the fact that she was rather annoyed. Her mind continuously drifted down memory lane recalling how they first met over and over as well as what time they did wind up spending together and what eventually caused them to be apart. She had a lot that she wanted to say to him but she just didn't know how she would say it when that time came. It was all just awkwardly timed but she felt like something would change all of that. Looking towards the nearby window, the young woman could see the sun gradually casting its light inside signifying morning soon heading towards noon.

"Looks like it will be lunch time soon, I guess I should get ready to make my report to Lady Hestia," she said to herself. The redhead soon stood up stretching her arms behind her back to get the blood flowing throughout her body. Her bust protruded forward as her long, blood-red colored hair danced down toward her hips. After taking a few seconds to warm up her feminine figure, she was just about to leave the room when something unexpected happened. The barrier around Raizo's body began to glow brightly before fading in and out. Unsure of how to deal with the phenomenon, the red-headed fighter could only gaze in awe as the unique event played out in front of her eyes.

Suddenly, the air began to resonate with the sounds of chirping birds as the lightning aura burst out sporadically. It went from being contained in one spot to sparking out without any warning making the entire room dangerous to be inside. Feeling that something was not right, Adena opened the door and backed out of the room before darting down the hall to find the others and tell them of the event that was taking place. As she rounded the corridors, she heard music coming from the main hall and smelled an aroma coming from the kitchen signifying the preparation of food. They must have finally convinced Lady Hestia to sit down and eat for once but I'm gonna have to derail the moment. As Adena rushed into the audience chamber with a distraught look upon her face, all eyes that was in the room immediately turned in her direction; even the band stopped playing.

"Forgive the intrusion but there's something going on with the patient and I have no idea what to do," she spoke bluntly. As they all looked at one another, Hestia immediately gathered her strength and began moving across the floors of the building via levitation. Orion and Zephyria followed after her as a result. Hearing the disturbance from the kitchen, Genesis stopped his cooking and soon joined to figure out the cause of the disturbance. As they were all gathered together now, Adena led the way back down the hall towards Raizo's location.

The loud chirping noises were still reverberating loudly like a symphony as golden light consumed the far end of the hallway. As soon as Hestia saw this, she forgot about her fatigue and brush past everyone heading to the door to see what was going on with her child. As the woman gazed inside, the others caught up to her and watched as well as the blade that maintained its stationary position over the boy's body began taking in all of the electricity. After about 30 seconds, the light show stopped and the blade gradually lay down by the sleeping youth's side. Taking it as a sign that it was safe, Hestia moved into the room with her companions filing in behind her.

"Ngh…gh…guh…" quiet mumbling noises came from Raizo's lips as his eyes slowly began to open up. As his crimson irises came into view, his vision was clouded since he had been sleep for so long. Extended a hand to keep her colleagues back, the white-haired woman gradually leaned down beside her beloved child as tears began to well in her eyes from joy. To her son, all he could see was an unfamiliar ceiling at first as his muddled thoughts began to come into focus. The male began to move his eyes around trying to gather an idea of where he was when he saw his mother crouched down beside him sobbing silently.

"Mo…ther?" he asked in a hoarse tone of voice before he tried to move his body around. The other four kept quiet silently watching this reunion take place each holding their own unique take on a look of satisfaction. Seeing the woman in tears, Adena nudged her companions and made a motion to leave the room.

"Let's give them a moment," she whispered in explanation. Nodding in agreement, they filed out of the room quietly as Adena brought up the rear and silently closed the door.

Raizo eased his torso carefully upward into the air sitting up. He could hardly feel his body; it was almost as if the entire fiber of his being was nothing but dead weight. As his cluttered mind began to regain its focus, he cast his gaze around observing his unfamiliar surroundings before reaching out to his mother. The woman whose eyes were wet with tears reached out to touch her child's face before pulling him into a tight hug so that she could feel that he really was not some cruel illusion.

"M…Mom, I still need to breathe…" he spoke in a broken tone of voice patting the woman on his back. She ignored him for a moment and just kept hugging him until she was sure that she was not dreaming by any sense of the word. As she released him from her motherly clutches, she sat on the bed wiping away her tears taking a breath to gather herself.

"Words cannot begin to express how happy I am to see you my son," she said with a smile gazing into the male's eyes. The boy began to flex his back to wake his muscles and crack his bones so that he could feel again.

"It's good to see you too, Mom," he said with a small smile. As he turned to see the sun shining in the window, he began to ask the obvious question.

"Where are we?"

"My headquarters—home of the Order of the Sapphire Phoenix; you're currently inside my barracks at the center of the entire encampment. You're safe," she replied.

"Your headquarters…but the last thing I remember was…" his voice trailed off as his mind flashed back to the fight that he had with the giant serpent monster—Leviathan—then the confrontation he faced against The Silver Fox.

"What happened to Aquilo?"

"He's alive for the moment. I'm sure he's off licking his wounds after I killed his lover. If he made haste, he's probably back at the Capital where he belongs…or at least halfway. I've had my contacts keep tabs on him since he did issue that challenge to you," the woman explained calmly as she recalled the events.

"Unmei no Tatakai…" Raizo echoed softly.

"Yes, an ancient dueling practice that we have not had in many years since the time of the Blood Wolves. I'm amazed he even remembered it. Only those with honor and pride would challenge someone to match where there is neither no quarter given nor mercy shown."

"He's looking to finish things with me once and for all. Heh, it's rather ironic."

"How so?"

"I chased after him for so long seeking vengeance for our clan especially after seeing father executed before my eyes and you being taken away. Repeating that day along with the sight of Assana dying in my arms was my fuel to keep my burning fire for vengeance going. Now, I just…I feel almost nothing. Yes, the pain is still there of losing everyone I've ever known and respected and I still find myself seeing their faces in my dreams but…I just can't seem to get angry anymore. It's like I'm at peace with it almost…even though I still have moments where I tie up loose ends; I think I've finally accepted it."

"I see," she said looking down at her hands. She remembered that day as well when Raiden was executed before her eyes. Indeed, it was heartbreaking to see but she did not take it nearly as hard to her heart as she thought…partly because she felt like she never gave it to the man in the first place despite the years of marriage.

"I will say that I have come to want answers because I feel like everything about the massacre was a set up. Being put on trial in the Revolutionary Army and finding out you were alive just made me want to know what exactly is going on."

"We do have much to discuss," Hestia replied reaching out her hand and touching her son's face, "But first, you need to get cleaned up and have some proper clothes on. Then we need to eat."

Raizo looked down at his body and saw that his clothes were completely torn up and that he still had dried blood and dirt smeared all over him. Blushing in embarrassment, he could not help but agree to the woman's logic. The long-haired beauty rose from her seat and walked over to a drawer grabbing out a small box that held clothes inside.

"Come, I'll show you to the baths where you can clean up then change."

Nodding in agreement, Raizo turned over and went to get out of the bed. His hand brushed against the scabbard of the blade that protected him raising an eyebrow as to why it was lying next to him. Seeing his perplexed expression, Hestia chuckled before speaking up.

"That blade really has a mind of its own. It kept you protected in an electrical barrier during the entire time you were unconscious," she said.

"How long was I out?"

"About 36 hours or so."

"Thirty-six?!"

Hestia shook her head yes before motioning the boy to follow her. As he took one last look at Vajra, the male felt the sudden impulse to grab it. When he stood up to take a step, he had to grab the weapon and use it as a cane to support himself. It seemed that his body was not fully awake yet and his motor functions were not fully restored. Seeing her child stumble, the mother reflexively went to his aid in order to ensure his safety.

"Thanks Mom," he said in a slight sigh feeling embarrassed over how helpless he must have come off to her; however, that was not the case in the mind of the woman as her maternal instincts had taken over at this point. After ensuring he had the proper balance, she escorted him out of the room and up the stairs where he could get himself cleaned and changed. Once inside, Hestia made sure that the water was hot and that there was soap and a towel for him before going to take her exit.

"When you're finished, be sure to come down and have a meal," she said before exiting the room and shutting the door behind her. As the Stormbringer was given privacy, he began to take off the tattered rags that hardly covered his body and tossed them aside in a small pile. He looked in the mirror at his toned shape seeing all of the places where he recalled being struck were healed up significantly. The scars and bruises that had covered his frame were all but gone with no residual pain. He looked over his form once more to spot any irregularities but none that were forthcoming concerned him so without further ado, he hopped in the water and began to bathe.

Fifteen minutes or so passed when Raizo finally finished getting cleaned up. After putting his tattered rags in a bag so they could be disposed of, he emerged from the baths with his new clothes on and gradually made his way down the stairs and out to where his mother had more than likely waited for him taking his pace slow. In the dining hall, Genesis had finished preparing a meal that was originally for his master but soon turned into a small feast of sorts for the rest of his comrades. On the table were six spots that had dishes sat before them filled with foods of different meats, stews, vegetables, bread and beverages. As the members of the Sapphire Phoenix sat down to prepare to eat, they were stopped by the sounds of footsteps gently echoing in the halls.

Raizo soon rounded the corner in his new outfit that was provided by his mother. He was now wearing dark brown combat boots; long, black pants made of cotton, polyester and a flexible form of denim; and a white T-shirt that was draped by a double-breasted, assassin style, black trench coat which featured a charcoal gray vest that zipped up in the mid-chest area. The coat occupied the shoulders onward which extended down past the back of his knees almost to the floor. There was even a hood attached to the color and on the back was an emblem of a silver wolf's head. On the right sleeve was a crimson stripe that went down toward his wrist outlined in white while the left sleeve featured a white crescent moon. With Vajra slung to his side, it was a complete outfit that almost made him felt as if his mother knew he would someday wear this outfit. Pleased to see her child, Hestia stood up and made her way to him.

"It looks lovely on you my child. I'm glad they fit you so well," she smiled observing how the clothes fit him. She had a momentary lapse in memory as she felt like she was seeing someone else but she quickly pushed that aside thinking that it wasn't the right time to remember the past.

"Come, come, you must have a set and get something to eat," the woman insisted with a smile leading the boy to sit down right beside her at the table. Hestia sat at the head of the table with Raizo to her left. Beside him was Adena then Zephyria at the end. Orion was across from Adena and Genesis sat across from Raizo at Hestia's right side. As everyone was officially seated, Hestia clasped her hands together to bless the food before they all began to eat.

Raizo did not know where to begin but his stomach groaned loudly in anticipation. The youth's cheeks filled with a blush as the other occupants in the room could clearly hear it which caused him to freeze momentarily but a chuckle from his mother gave the room a sense of relaxation and also to ease the nerves of the boy. After taking a deep breath, Raizo began to dig in. He made sure to maintain his table manners but after eating only rations that was not even suitable to be considered an efficient meal plus fighting all of those monsters—including Leviathan—plus being unconscious for over a day, he could not help but truly scarf down everything in sight…at least with some manner of grace.

As the succulent flavors of the different meats ranging from beef to poultry combined with the well-seasoned flavoring of the stew among other foods satiated the youth's pallet, Raizo soon cleared plate after plate. No one said anything but occasionally they all looked his way in awe seeing at how he was just going through everything without hardly stopping for air. It wasn't like anyone was offended by it either since it was to be expected given the state of the boy's body when he got here. In fact, Genesis was enjoying the sight given the fact that he prepared the meal. It meant that the giant's cooking was on point and extremely satisfactory though the dusk-haired individual tried not to make a showing of his pride in front of the others.

"Here I thought Adena was the big eater of the group," Orion joked arousing a laugh from some of the others minus the one the joke was pointed at.

"Oh, you're really funny Orion. How about I serve you special course of your ass on a platter well done?" she twitched in irritation. Although she was not being serious of course, reflexively Hestia had to comment.

"Now, now, no need to be violent or rude. We have a guest after all," she cautioned.

"Sorry about that, just had to make a funny," Orion snickered.

"S…sorry…" Adena huffed feeling embarrassed while looking at Raizo out the corner of her eye. Ironically, the Stormbringer paid no attention to what was said and was still eating up the last few bites of his food before taking a couple of gulps from his beverages and finishing his meal. After taking a towel to wipe his mouth and his hands, he covered his mouth letting out a hearty belch and exhaling in joy.

"Thanks for the meal," he said leaning back in satisfaction from having a full belly. No one else was nearly finished with their plates except Adena but seeing Raizo finish all of his food was just amazing in itself. Taking a moment to wipe her hands and to take a break from eating, Hestia took a sip of wine before proceeding to speak.

"Was it to your liking?" asked the woman. Her son nodded with a small smile of his blushing a bit in embarrassment from the way he probably came off while eating.

"Yes, it was. Everything was really good and worth every bite," he replied. It was then that Genesis spoke up.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I prepared it originally for Lady Hestia but since I figured you would be hungry, I wound up preparing a small feast," he said. Raizo turned his attention to the man and nodded with a pleased expression studying him along with everyone else at the table. He recalled at how he and Night Raid fought against all of them at Old West Town but that resentment he had was no longer weird. Feeling the air go tense for a moment, Genesis' unique perception kicked in.

"You are probably remembering our faces from the incident at Old West Town weeks back. I hope you can forgive us for our very rough methods of trying to apprehend you. We were just trying to bring you here per your mother's request," Genesis explained. As soon as Raizo heard this, he sighed briefly.

"With all that has happened to me since then, I'm not even sure I can be mad at any of you. Honestly, I'm not even sure who to be mad at anymore. I was declared a traitor by the Revolutionary Army and executed but I'm obviously still here so now I'm a fugitive. I also had to fight a demon horde of danger beasts in order to get here along with something that I am not even sure how to explain to anyone. Seriously, I don't even know what my life is coming to," the boy said. All eyes were fixed on him in confusion which caused Raizo to look nervous.

"Um…what?"

"Did you just say you were executed?" asked Hestia.

"Yeah, I was executed for treason after being forced through a completely rigged trial. I was taken before a firing squad and shot to death but I came back obviously thanks to my teigu. I also nearly died fighting a giant serpent monster…that was fun," he continued. The members of the Sapphire Phoenix continued to look at him with perplexed expressions.

"It's a long story…" Raizo sighed.

"I see, well now that you are here introductions are in order," Hestia began, "Sitting to your left is Adena Zao-Long. Beside her is Orion Nebulous. The woman beside him is Zephyria Venta and the man who prepared this lovely meal is Genesis Draven."

Each member of the Sapphire Phoenix bowed their heads in honor to meeting the youth as he did the same back. The girl known as Adena seemed to hold a lingering stare out the corner of his eye but he tried not to return the gaze. He felt a certain familiarity about her but he could not place it where and not because of the fact that she punched Leone in the gut so hard that it injured her. Although that fact was still kind of grinding his gears, he did not want to bother with any negative emotions right now. This feeling was a bit of nostalgia that felt like it went back a number of years but he just couldn't remember why.

"I'm Raizo Arashi; despite our differences in the past, it's an honor to meet you all. Thank you for taking care of my mother all this time," he said. It was weird that he was eating at the same table with those that he should consider his enemies but for some reason, he just felt calm. He didn't feel tense or apprehensive about being in this room with people that are considered enemies of the very army he fought for. Why? It did not make any legitimate sense to him. Before he could speak anymore, a loud trumpet noise that was playing out of alarm began to sound off. The meal was interrupted as everyone was caught wondering what was happening.

Orion went towards the door knowing that it was only a matter of time before someone ran inside to report what was happening. As soon as the raven haired male did so, someone was already there. Opening the door, it was one of the soldiers giving a report over what was happening.

"Tell Lady Hestia that we have an unknown enemy flying towards our base. They appear to be on the back of a giant manta!" the soldier yelled in desperation. Hearing this, Raizo's mind instantly recalled the manta that Najenda had trained as a way for Night Raid to get around on. It would make most sense if it was them but what would they be doing out here?

"Forgive me Mom, but I have to go," Raizo said getting up from the table and rushing straight out of the door. She did not have enough time to stop him thus could only followed suit with the rest of her team in tow. Raizo dashed past all of the soldiers with blinding speed causing the mobilizing units to see only what seemed like a black blur of movement. The male rushed past each and every one of the men and women taking up position along the perimeter with firearms, weapons and mounting on horses. Most of the archers and artillery units were on top of the ramparts of the fortresses walls preparing to fire. As the gates were closing on all sides, Raizo dashed right up one of the spires and went over to the outside.

"Hold the gate!" Hestia shouted as she along with her personal team ran out front. A small cavalry unit was about to follow suit but Genesis motioned them to hold their position. The approaching target came closer and closer to the fort before aiming to land in the middle of the field to avoid being shot at. In addition, they stopped advancing when they saw the figures on the ground approach. Immediately upon landing, four people hopped off the back of the beast and stood in the midst of enemy territory—the members of Night Raid.

Chelsea stayed back on top of the giant manta with Akame standing in front. Tatsumi was on the other side of the flying beast while Leone advanced forward. As Raizo approached along with the Sapphire Phoenix group behind him, tension immediately spiked as both sides prepared to for a fight. Feeling the killing intent, Raizo extended his hands out to both groups to calm them down.

"Everyone, relax!" he said but Adena was not having it.

"How the hell are we supposed to relax when the enemy just came strolling up into our territory?" she asked in annoyance as flames began to radiate around her body. Leone immediately transformed into her lioness form with Tatsumi drawing his new key for Incursio and Akame drawing her new Murasame behind her.

"Because as a former member of Night Raid, even I know that they would not be stupid enough to attack an overwhelming force at his point. We did that once and lost some people, I'm sure that mistake doesn't need to be repeated," Raizo responded. He turned his turned to his mother for support on this matter hoping she'd realize the logic of the situation then turned to his former associates.

"He's telling the truth. We didn't come here for a fight," Leone said taking a deep breath.

"Stand down everyone," Hestia sighed lightly entertaining her son's desire. Reluctant to do so, the quartet relaxed but remained on standby. Nodding appreciatively, Raizo turned his full focus to Night Raid who was also standing down.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked in disbelief of their arrival. Leone being the one before him was speaking for the entire group.

"We came looking for you hoping to bring you home," the blonde replied with a smile reaching out and hugging the man that she considered her lover. Slowly, he hugged her back but he was unsure what to think of that response. Pulling back, Leone tilted her head in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"I…I'm not sure what to say. Where's Najenda? Did she order you guys to do this? I could have sworn that Fujitora would have you guys confined for a long time because of how the trial went," Raizo stated. Uttering Fujitora's name made Hestia's skin crawl out of irritation but she merely kept quiet for now just to watch what was going on.

"Najenda is gone Raizo…Chelsea is the leader of Night Raid now," Leone spoke meekly. Hearing those words dealt a swift blow to Raizo right in his chest.

"What…what do you mean by gone?" he asked in denial.

"She's dead…the base was ambushed by two members of the Jaegers when we split up to look for you and they got her. If it wasn't for Tatsumi and Akame showing up, they would have killed Chelsea too," she explained. Hearing that story caused Raizo to feel an intense wave of sorrow as he was not sure how to react emotionally. It was hard to believe that the woman who fought tooth and nail for her subordinates was really gone from this world.

"That's not…that's not fair. Why would she have you all look for me? I was a disavowed member of Night Raid and branded a fugitive. That's just…why would…tch damn it all," Raizo cursed in confusion. Leone put a hand on his shoulder.

"We had to get you back home. Even though Fujitora basically forced us into a corner—either we find you and execute you on sight or we are all branded as traitors to the Revolutionary Army."

"That bastard would go that far just to see me dead? He truly is the lowest of all lifeforms," Raizo said turning his back towards Leone for a moment. Suddenly he took off towards the encampment in a flash without even entering his 'Calm' state and grabbed the back holding his old tattered clothes before coming back. He handed the bag to Leone.

"Take these too him. This is all of the clothes and stuff that I had on from the time I escaped until today. With all of the tears and blood on them, he should have no problem believing the fact that I'm dead. Rather, I'm presumed dead or something. Tell him I got lost in the Nightmare Forest and this is what you found. With the legend of that place, he should immediately have no problems in believing that lie," Raizo explained. Leone took the bag and felt confused over this action.

"You're…not coming back with us?" she asked.

"No, I can't. There are answers that I'm looking to find and I can't put you guys in danger over the problems I apparently caused. None of you will ever be trusted if you keep the secret that I'm alive plus you don't need the Capital and the Revolutionary Army breathing down your necks. With me around, you would be in constant danger. As much as I would not mind going back with you all, this has to be the last time we see each other."

The air grew quiet at that point as Tatsumi, Akame, and Chelsea held saddened looks on their faces but their expressions could not nearly match the one worn by Leone at this point in time. She felt like her entire world was breaking all over again and that her heart was being ripped in two before her eyes. It was then that tears began to well up in her eyes and stream down her face slowly but surely. All eyes were either focused on the duo or looking down on the ground and just listening.

"Liar…" she said softly in a broken tone of voice. Raizo leaned in to hear her more.

"What?" he asked.

"Liar…Liar…Liar…Liar…Liar!!!" she yelled, "What do you mean this will be the last time we will see each other? Are you saying that you're gonna stay here with them? With the enemy?! Just a week or so ago we were fighting for our lives against them in Old West Town! Don't you remember that? I wound up hurt the most as a result and now you're saying that this is gonna be the last time we see each other while standing in front of the same people that injured your friends and your lover?!"

"Leone…it's not like that. It's just…"

"Just what Raizo? Just what?! Is it because your mother is standing behind you? What? Because you haven't seen mommy in heaven knows how long and she suddenly pops up before you, you just drop everything and pursue her? Remember the last time something about your mother was brought up? You wound up captured, your childhood friend stabbed you in the back—literally—and we had to come and rescue you from the Capital. We lost Lubbock and Mein during that operation or were that just a series of unfortunate events that you just don't give a shit about?"

Not a single word could be spoken from either side as the female ranted her feelings with tears streaming down her face. She was truly unleashing everything that was in her heart and out of respect, no one dared to interrupt her whether they disagreed with what she was saying or not. It was like the entire day turned to night with a rainstorm approaching given the feeling of this atmosphere right now. The pain and tension was so high that it was nearly suffocating and would make one's heart want to explode.

"You lied to everyone about what you did to that platoon of soldiers thinking that you were protecting us but what's worse about it is that you lied directly to me! Me of all people Raizo! And it always feels like you're abandoning us just to chase after your personal vendettas. You know what? Maybe Fujitora is right after all, you're just a selfish individual who only uses other people for his own gain. Everything that has happened to us since you joined is your fault.

I thought that maybe I was just gonna get in your way since you have your family from another universe that none of us will ever hope to reach but…heh. At the end of the day Raizo, you're just a ruthless murderer who will stop at nothing to achieve his own goals even if you have to trample over the people who care about you most to get where you need to be. You really are nothing but a traitorous bastard who lives his life with no remorse and I am done with you. We're through Raizo. Go on and be with your mother or whoever you supposedly call family. You're dead to me, at least I can report that much," Leone finished.

Carrying the back of their clothes, the blonde turned around and walked away with tears pouring uncontrollably down her face soon jumping on top of the manta. Listening to that heartfelt and gut-wrenching rant, even Tatsumi and Chelsea were moved to tears as they got on the manta not even trying to look at Raizo's face. Akame was the only one left behind for the moment. She merely walked up to the blank-faced Stormbringer and without any malice or disdain, she whispered into his ear.

"I won't blame you or say anything spiteful to you over your decision. Ultimately as human beings, we all have to choose our paths. I don't hate you or hold any resentment towards you Raizo as I do still hold respect for you both as a fellow swordsman and an assassin. I pray that we will never have to cross paths as enemies for it would be rather unfortunate so as your friend I can only say that I hope you know what you're doing," Akame stated before turning to walk away, "May the heavens forever shine on your sword and guide you to the everlasting triumph Crimson Harbinger."

With that, Akame mounted the giant manta. No more words were spoken as Night Raid lifted off into the skies and headed back in the direction they came. Raizo stood there in utter shock and disbelief unsure of what to do or say. He wasn't one that was well-versed in emotions after feeling only anger, hate, and sorrow for so long. This feeling inside his chest felt like a massive what was crushing him, gripping his lungs and causing him to choke and gag for air. It was like someone was stabbing him directly into his heart and turning the knife with a sickening smile before his very eyes. What was this pain? It was not just your average physical pain but something that was just eating away inside of him to the very core of his being. This was true agony.

For once in those rarest of moments, Raizo felt tears well up in his eyes as it felt like the floodgates were opening. They began to pour like waterfalls down his face as it was the only outlet to express how he truly felt. Looking up into the sky, he saw Night Raid fly further and further away. He could not even speak nor utter anything back in defiance to what Leone just said to him. Could he argue it? Ultimately it was true; everything that happened to Night Raid since he joined was his fault in some way. Perhaps he truly was selfish and he did not deserve to have anything good in his life.

The members of the Sapphire Phoenix that stood behind him were rendered completely speechless by what they just heard. There was nothing they could do or say about it. Letting the "enemy" go was not even a big deal after hearing everything that the woman just berated the boy in front of them about. However, the way the youth just stood there unable to move or react, it was truly heartbreaking. Since they do not know him well, none of the members could really offer any advice. After all, they just met him—minus Hestia and Adena. His mother silently floated up next to her child and saw that he was in tears. She attempted to reach out to him and embrace him but she was nervous about it. Raizo merely lifted his hood to hide his face and turned around.

"Mother…" he said silently.

"Yes Raizo?" Hestia answered.

"Is it alright if I stay with you all? I…know I'm technically your enemy but…I have nowhere to go and…"

Before he could finish that sentence, the woman reached out embraced her child holding him close to her bosom rubbing his back gently. She could not help but to feel his pain and begin to cry as well once again. After being reunited, this was the second most upsetting thing that she had to see her child o through. She just wanted him to know that she was here for him.

"You don't have to ask. You're my son and now you are home," she said.

Those words alleviated some of the pain he was feeling but there was a scar on his heart that ran deeper than he had anticipated from Leone's speech. He hugged his mother close and began to cry almost breaking down before her and everyone else as for the first time in a long time, Raizo cried out of utter sorrow.