Kill Godspeed

Year: 1024

The world had stopped. Time itself could barely keep up with the happenings that suddenly took place. Mountains shattered as trails of lightning and fire were left behind by two speeding streaks of blue and white color. These two were followed by a third red one that crossed the continent alongside them. To villagers and travelers along the way, it was as if Mother Nature had suddenly decided to punish humanity for their sins but that was far from being the case. No, it was something much more powerful than simply nature.

As rains of crimson, blue, and white lightning bolts fell upon the countryside setting everything ablaze, fear rapidly emerged from within people's hearts. However, that would soon prove meaningless as this nightmarish battle of gods would only continue to escalate. Coming to a halt next to a cliff overlooking the sea, Vesta found herself surrounded by both of her pursuers. With a malicious smile full of murderous intent, she turns to face them.

"This place will do," she remarked before turning her gaze to Akaro and Raizo. That said, Raizo didn't care much for her games. Shattering the concept of speed—the young man charged forth directly toward her, thrusting one of his blades directly into his foe's heart. However, this reckless move wasn't something Vesta would simply fall for.

"Raizo, wait!" Akaro tried to warn his comrade, but it was already far too late. Falling to his knees, Raizo became the victim of the burning pain of several stab wounds. Somehow, Vesta had negated her opponent's speed—causing his momentum to hurt him and collapse to the ground.

"Now I'll be taking your head," she spoke while swinging her lightning blade toward Raizo's neck. It would seem death's embrace had finally come for the former blood wolf, but thankfully Raizo wasn't alone this time around.

Suddenly a replica of Tatsumi's Incursio enveloped Raizo's body the same instant that Vesta's blade would've made contact with his flesh. Surprised, Vesta dropped her guard long enough for the now armored and empowered Raizo to take the chance to deliver an uppercut to her chin.

"Ugh!" she grunted before being sent flying over the cliff and down into the waters below.

"Wow," The Stormbringer murmured under his breath, impressed at his own augmented strength. With a smile on his face—Akaro approached his teammate. Patting him on the shoulder, the two assassins share a moment to take a deep breath.

"Close call eh Raichu?" Akaro spoke out jokingly, but his partner was more curious about something else.

"How did you do that? In my world, no one has the kind of power you have to create Teigu on the fly" Raizo remarked as his wounds healed thanks to his advanced regenerative abilities.

"I'll tell you my whole story one day, but the basics of my ability should be easy to grasp. When one traces back the branches and leaves they will inevitably reach the truth. That is my power. Infinite Teigu Codes—the powers to understand the fundamental aspects of all things and in doing so master every skill, ability, weapon, or talent. From there I can replicate it and use it at 200% efficiency against my foes to overcome them."

"So you're an ever-expanding one-man army huh? I guess that explains your speed as well," Raizo remarked calmly at the explanation.

This moment of peace would be soon cut short as the two red-eyed assassins turned their attention to the raging storm ahead of them. Rising out of the waters surrounded by a vortex of spinning, white electricity, Vesta opened her eyes once more. She was now clearly enraged and fully willing to unleash more of the power she was previously holding back to avoid accidentally killing Raizo.

"Yea, call me crazy Raichu but… I think she's ma—

Reappearing right next to Akaro, Vesta used her dual lightning blades and control over magnetism to paralyze her target and unload a barrage of slashes to his entire body. Striking from left to right in a loop, she continued her onslaught mercilessly before releasing all of her accumulated electrical energy into the Crimson Knight; thus breaking through the boundaries of reality as if they were made of glass and banishing Akaro to another realm far away from here after she blasted him through the rift she made.

Raizo did not have the reaction speed to follow her movements, but after she had stopped moving he was able to dash his way to Vesta and attempted to swing his blades at her. Nonetheless, his strikes were useless as the little girl easily dodged her way around his flurry before grabbing hold of his face and slamming it against the cold hard ground.

Stepping onto the back of the boy's head with her pointy high heels—Vesta casually began stomping the former blood while letting out a maniacal string of laughter.

"How does it feel to fail your family again? Once I devour your speed… I'll be sure to destroy those wannabe friends of yours. I'll rip them apart limb from limb!" Vesta's words echoed within Raizo's mind as unconsciousness began to take over.

"No, not yet… you have to feel more pain!"

"GAHHHHHHH!"

Screams filled this broken world as the merciless white-haired girl shoved her hand into Raizo's back only to then begin draining the power of his Indra's judgment.

Raizo's life started playing out in his mind's eye as his life force started slowly but surely being drained. He then saw the visions of Vesta's world once again; a world where the Blood Wolves were slaughtered, a world where he wasn't the one to be given birth by Hestia and Raiden, a world where neither the rebels nor the empire succeeded in winning the Revolutionary War.

[If you fall here boy, there's no going back.]

"I...I don't need you telling me that, Indra," Raizo spoke, using whatever remained of his will to remain conscious. At this point he only had a few instants worth of life left in him; his body now looked like that of a skinny old man. As his last breath fast approached, a familiar voice blasted into Raizo's ears.

"Hey idiot nobody said you could die! Get up Raizo!" Akaro shouted as he casually reappeared out of thin air, his body still unscathed by all the damage he received earlier.

Having crossed an infinite set of realities that constantly tried to kill him and battled endless eldritch abominations just to return to where he now was—the Red-Eyed Hero still kept his shining smile proudly stamped across his lips. It seemed that there was nothing in existence that could put his optimism down. Vesta, however, was less than thrilled at his return. Removing her hand from Raizo's back the little killer took several steps back before finally snapping with hatred.

"W-Why?! You don't owe these people anything! You've saved this and many other realities countless times haven't you?! Raizo is nothing to you! He's just another insect in a world of predators! He's no one! So JUST WALK AWAY!"

The girl's words echoed across the world around causing the ground beneath her to crack apart and a swirling translucent aura of power to radiate around her.

"Because it is the right thing to do," Akaro's words echoed across the valley as a blue aura now showed itself shining throughout his body. This radiance drew the attention of a now sweating and desperate Vesta. In the meantime, the defeated Raizo rose off the ground. He barely had enough life left in him to do so, but his comrade's words were more than enough to force him beyond his limitations.

Looking over his shoulder and directly at Raizo, the hero smiled before turning his attention back to Vesta.

"Watch closely, Raizo. What I'm going to show you now is beyond your current understanding and power. But someday, given enough time...you'll reach this level."

With those words spoken, the man unleashed his power. His blue aura had now expanded vertically into the clouds created by both Vesta and Raizo splitting them apart. Earthquakes took over the entire countryside, and animals did their best to escape the area. Reality itself began to distort as rippling waves of godly energy emanated from Akaro. The once smooth black hair was now spiked and dark blue. Both Gaia and Unconscious of Humanity weaved in a dance of order and chaos as Akaro's eyes ignited a crimson glow symbolizing the completion of his ascension into a new state.

"Now Vesta...are you ready to know the depths of human potential?" Akaro spoke out confidently. The vexing lolita on the other hand had no words. Vesta's eyes widened with fear, and her legs now shaking. All she could do was try to hold back the tears forming in her eyes.

"What is that form?" she questioned.

"I call it my 'Zen' state. All potentials within me rise to the forefront all the while I maintain a perfectly focused mind. It is quite usual for battles like this."

Raizo stumbled his way to Akaro grabbing onto his shoulder. The Red-Eyed Hero looked at him with confusion.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Brothers don't let each other fight alone." The Stormbringer responds with a smile on his face.

"Heh… well then, let's do this Raizo!" Akaro exclaimed excitedly before transferring part of his aura into his friend, reinvigorating the young assassin with tranquil yet almighty energy. It was something far different from what he was used to, but still more than enough to temporarily push him far beyond his limits.

Vesta both cowered in fear and felt hatred towards the duo that stood against her. Forcing herself to the upper bounds of her powers and using the power absorbed from Raizo. The girl rose into the heavens above as a vortex of white electricity spun rapidly around her.

"Power...from the very beginning that was all I could hold on to. My whole family was gone. I needed power, power to become everlasting. Don't you see brother? Strength and ruthlessness are the only true currency in this life. You're either always the strongest or you're a failure. Don't you strive for more power, RAIZO?!" she screamed, her raging words filled with energy. Everything above and around Vesta now shined with a white sparkling aura that clashed against Akaro and Raizo's blue aura—both cutting through the heavens and out into orbit like two giant beams of light. Citizens from all over the kingdom witnessed this; Assassins, mercenaries, merchants, rebels, imperials, and those who serve their own banners. All were there to witness what was to them an unexplainable event that would live on as mysteries, folk tales, myths, and eventually legends of this crimson world.

"Power is just a means to an end. I don't crave it, nor do I want any more of it. I just want the strength to defeat my enemies and to make sure they can't come after the ones I care about ever again," the young wolf spoke loud and clear, looking his parallel universe counterpart dead in the eyes. Nevertheless, his 'sister' was relentless in her attempts to throw her faults on his shoulders.

"But what happens when someone more powerful than you comes knocking on your door huh?!" she asked, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"I know that eventually I'll run into someone stronger than me. Someone who will take my life. However, if there are people by my side who possess greater power… then I'm content with my own demise. Because I know that when I'm gone, I can leave the rest to those people and that the people I love will always be safe."

"Very well then. If you can't see the error in your ways brother, then I'll take everything you hold close to your heart away and force you to see," Vesta said as the energy she had amassed began to change her. The once glowing primrose irises were replaced by glossy silver eyes; her hair now shined a brighter white coloring with blue arcs of electricity she had stolen from Raizo. Her aura was now pure white and silver; the girl looked as if she was ready to explode taking everything and everyone alongside her.

Letting go of Akaro's shoulder, Raizo couldn't help but question. "We can beat her, right?"

With a smile on his face and his red scarf dancing in the wind, Akaro smiled. "Trust me… we're not alone in this," he said.

"Hero and Harbinger will fall; everything will end in a flash of lightning. This is my power, the power of the heavens… perish in the Eternity of the Storm that devastates all of existence!" Vesta proclaimed before exploding like a supernova.

Rather unexpectedly before Vesta had unleashed her ultimate move, a lone savior suddenly appeared in front of the two crimson warriors. Prior to Vesta's attack reaching the planet's surface, the girl—Kimiko Hanate—causally pulled her katana from the sheath hidden within her crimson cloak. Her eyes now shining with a red glow, the female took a horizontal swing at the incoming white energy wave.

In a defiant display of power, this swing completely negated Vesta's almighty blast, cutting the electrical energy open and making it dissipate into nothingness.

"Weak..." she commented in a cold, almost deadpan tone. Vesta on the other end couldn't help but look in disbelief at the situation. Having put her all into a move only to have it completely negated as if it was child's play or a joke was the greatest humiliation she had ever experienced. However, her suffering was far from done as a woman with demonic gray skin, long black hair, devilishly red eyes, and black angel wings descended from the clouds above her only to ultimately stab her blade into Vesta's heart. This demonic figure then quickly removed her blade from the little girl's body and flew down to ground level.

"It's over…." she uttered as her body returned to its human form revealing herself to be the adult Akame from Akaro's group.

Unable to speak, Vesta gasped for air. Without any power left, her body struggled to fight against Murasame's poison. It was already far too late for her.

"Now we finish this!" Slamming his hand forward, The Red-Eyed Hero transferred the remainder of his aura into Raizo whilst simultaneously launching him toward Vesta like a missile. Akaro then quickly follows that up by encasing the dying little girl within an electrical construct in the shape of a crimson moon using his own replicated Indra's Judgment.

With the blue and white aura surrounding him now taking the shape of a raging wolf, Raizo unleashed a flurry of sequential sword slashes from left to right as he fast approached the red moon cutting Vesta relentlessly before the construct exploded. Falling to the ground, Raizo went down to one knee. Vomiting his blood, Raizo's victory was interrupted as his body fell limp onto the ground.

Vesta was not doing much better. Her clothes were ruined and the poison continued to afflict her.

"This is…" she couldn't speak as she fell onto the ground and to her knees.

"What am I doing? This isn't me…" she suddenly said before vanishing into a burst of energy. It seemed that after her emotional outburst had finally subsided, something had awakened within her. Nevertheless, she was now gone.

In the meantime, Raizo struggled as his consciousness started shutting down almost completely. The only thing his mind could process was a few familiar voices.

"It looked like you boys needed a hand."

"Yea, thanks for the rescue back there, Kimi. Not sure what would've happened if you and Akame hadn't shown up. So thank you both."

"You would've just used Omnifiction to save the day."

"Just take the compliment."

"By the way, shouldn't we take mister wolf here to a doctor or something?"

"It's okay. I heard he heals fast."

Those were the last words that Raizo heard. When the young wolf opened his eyes once more, Raizo was greeted by the comfort of a bedroom and a pillow to rest his head on.

The boy looked around for a moment to catch his bearings. The only things in sight were several bookshelves and a few opened windows that flooded the place with sunlight. Sitting up and leaving the bed, Raizo steps onto the cold wooden floor with his bare feet. All he had on now was a plain white shirt and pants of the same coloring.

Carefully he walked to the door nearest to his bed only to then open it. The smell of pancakes immediately made its way to him as the male caught a glimpse of a rather large dining room that doubled as a kitchen. Sitting around a big wooden rectangular table were both Akame and Kimiko. Meanwhile, Akaro expertly handled his way through several dishes and ingredients. Finally catching a glimpse of the boy standing by the door, Akaro turned to face him.

"Finally up eh? And I thought I was a heavy sleeper!" he joked.

"Where are we? How long was I out for?" Raizo asked while rubbing his eyes out of sleep dust.

"Where are we? Exactly where we were before… just in a different universe. As for how long you were knocked out? Don't sweat it, just pick a chair and enjoy the free food," Akaro remarked casually before pointing the Blood Wolf to an empty spot where he could sit, and so he did. The young man even thought of grabbing hold of a few of the pancakes that were next to Kimiko, but after considering the consequences of such an act he just casually put his hands back down on the table.

The rest of the morning went by rather quickly, and by midday, Raizo and Akaro were in their battle attire. The two made their way to a nearby road away from the public eye. There were no incoming travelers and no merchants; it stretched for way longer than necessary for what Akaro had planned.

"So, what exactly are we doing out here?" The Stormbringer questions his sight now wandering around the area. Different from his world, this Earth seemed far more peaceful. It also felt very alien to him. After all, he was used to finding some kind of inhuman act around every alleyway.

"Today Raichu… I'm gonna teach you how to travel between universes," the man casually adds to the conversation, immediately snapping Raizo out of his thoughts.

"You're gonna what now?" he asks, his face spelling out confusion and surprise at the same time. In response, Akaro simply taps the boy on the shoulder before giving out an explanation.

"Remember what I said about the Multiverse? Well, if you can run fast enough while channeling your energy just right, you'll be able to return home. The thing is you're still not fast enough for that, so we're gonna combine your speed with mine."

Raizo didn't understand this explanation completely, but he did get just enough of it to understand that this would be a farewell for now.

"Feels like every time we meet it's for some grandiose reason… Wish I had gotten more time to learn more about your past and also hang out with Kimi and Akame honestly," Raizo thought out loud.

"I'm sure this won't be the last time we meet," Akaro noted.

Soon the two red-eyed individuals position themselves side by side while facing the seemingly endless road ahead.

"On your marks," Akaro starts.

"Get set," Raizo adds, and then…

"Go!"

The two departed immediately Together they ran on equal footing. The forest alongside the road just couldn't help but be blown away as the red and blue streaks raced side by side creating winds powerful enough to dismember regular humans and even high-class Danger Beasts. Grabbing hold of the back of Raizo's shirt, Akaro launched Raizo forward. As expected, Raizo broke through the boundaries of space and time vanishing in a burst of dark purple light.

Now left alone on the road, Akaro came to a halt.

"Good luck, kid. Something tells me you're gonna need it," he spoke before turning on his heel and taking off.