Kill the Jaegers

Year: 1024

Hours passed as Night Raid continued their flight home. Night fell all across the land as the forests below basked in the light of the emerging moon. Just over the horizon, the stone fortress home to the group of assassins came into view which allowed them to take in a collective sigh of relief. Even though they could take that moment to ease their minds, there was a lot of development left to unpack.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce the newest members of Night Raid," Najenda began as she yielded a curt nod to the unfamiliar trio.

The first to reveal themselves was a pale-skinned female with auburn hair and red eyes who was at least in her early 20s. She wore a pair of crimson butterfly-patterned headphones over her head that matched her outfit. Wearing a white, long-sleeve shirt whose collar was tied by a red ribbon under a black vest, a red, checked miniskirt, and black leather below-the-knee boots, the woman playfully smiled whilst enjoying the treat of a cherry-flavored lollipop.

"This is Chelsea, a specialist in reconnaissance and tactics which allows her to easily bypass enemy lines to take out her targets without so much as alerting anyone in the encampment," Najenda began.

The second individual was a peculiar, muscular man that exuded the vibe of a strong silent type; yet his prowess as a fighter could be felt from his person. He had a unique apricot skin tone with blue hair and blue eyes. Though currently sitting in a criss-crossed position, one could see that he held an imposing height that likely towered over all of the current members within Night Raid. Two bison-like horns protruded out the sides of his head as his outfit consisted of a black bodysuit layered by white robes tied at the waist by a black belt, two layered plates of armor on either side of his waist like a battle skirt, black shin guards with red plating located above the knee and over the heels of his feet.

"This is Susanoo, a warrior unlike most. Despite his appearance, he is actually a humanoid Teigu," Najenda nodded proudly to which the others merely stared for a moment before turning to the next individual.

"And last but not least…"

A woman of around 18 to 19 years old was the last to be introduced. Long, pale blue hair and grayish-silver eyes with light caramel skin wearing a V-cut black and white blouse over a matching black and white skirt and high-heeled boots. She had a unique, platinum bow strapped to her back as she flicked the bangs of her hair away from her face. From her bold appearance, one could say that she and Leone shared a flair for daring outfits that showed off their sex appeal, but that was likely all that could be said in similarities.

"This is Yuki, another long-range fighter of our group. Though this is her first time amongst us, she and Raizo are actually long-time friends from the same clan."

"Wait…you're another survivor of the Blood Wolves?" Lubbock raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yeah that's right. Raizo, Aquilo and I are all that remains of the Order," Yuki nodded in affirmation, "It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"So these are the reinforcements from HQ, eh? Hmph…guess having more rookies around ain't so bad, but to the uh 'other marksman' over there, the title of Genius Sniper belongs to me so don't go getting any ideas of taking the spotlight. I can outshoot you anyday," Mein puffed out with pride.

"We'll just have to see about that one, won't we?" Yuki smiled innocently though she was emanating an aura of competitive spirit.

"Oh boy, looks like we got a new rivalry on our hands! I sense a cat fight about to break out…no pun intended, Leone," Lubbock chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever wise-ass. Hey Raizo-kun, you didn't tell me you had a girl who had the same sense of fashion as me," Leone raised a brow whilst glancing over Yuki's outfit.

"Knowing Raizo, he probably never said a damn thing about me…he's not a social type," Yuki sighed.

"Or maybe you just aren't worth mentioning unless boobs are the topic?" Mein snuck a remark in.

"Sweetheart, we've known each other for less than five minutes and I can already tell you have an inferiority complex. Is it because you are lacking in the top area?" Yuki teased.

"HUHHH?!!!" Mein spat back as her twin-tails twitched with irritation.

Seeing her chance, Chelsea joined the conversation with a decisive blow. "Judging from the way a certain someone was hugged all over someone else, I think Mein-chan is doing rather fine in attracting the opposite sex. Hey Mein, does that Raizo fella strike your fancy or something?"

The sniper fell silent as her cheeks flushed red. Hearing those words, this caused Raizo to also twitch in discomfort.

"I don't like how I'm being mentioned in this conversation without clear context…" he criticized from the side.

"Ah, two people in denial, my favorite types to tease. Being in this group might actually be fun after all!" Chelsea clapped her hands together in excitement.

"Well this is rather amusing, I'm glad to see there's some good vibes going around already. Build up this foundation and invest trust in one another; we need all the teamwork we can muster for the battles to come," Najenda instructed.

"Getting to business then… we dug into that incident at that one village," Mein straightened up thus signifying the beginning of a joint report with Akame.

"A small contingent of Vice General Aquilo's platoon was scattered almost without a fight. As you know, being a part of an elite division guarantees a soldier to possess superior combat prowess and top-of-the-line weaponry; yet these troops were one-sidedly decimated by a man known as Akaro," Akame continued.

"What were you able to gather about this mystery man?" Najenda further inquired.

"Most of the eyewitness accounts came from a little girl, the rest we had to connect the dots by investigating the scene itself," Mein explained.

"On that front, we found that the soldiers were maimed in ways that suggest the person in question possesses superior swordplay. In addition, many of the soldiers were encased in ice which paints the question of whether or not this man may have a Teigu similar to General Esdeath. Nevertheless, the only clue we could get to his identity was that he wore a red scarf, sported attire similar to an Imperial Officer and he had black hair and red eyes."

"Black hair and red eyes…that's…a little too close to home for my tastes," Leone observed whilst looking at Raizo for a split second.

"Yeah well… it's obviously not me since I don't have ice powers. And…part of my hair is white after all," Raizo responded.

"The villagers consider the man a hero. He saved the survivors and protected the little girl who provided the testimony from a grim fate," Mein concluded.

"Damn, he sounds like quite the charmer. I'd love to meet a guy like him even if he sounds too good to be true," Yuki fawned over the thought for a moment.

Raizo's mind drifted to the words he shared with Aquilo about their dueling ideals for a second as the report came to an end. The boy clicked his teeth together and turned to the side in disgust.

"Heroes don't exist…not in this world. As much as someone acting out of selflessness for the sake of others sounds hopeful, I refuse to believe that person exists. In my eyes, everyone has an angle…seeking something to gain for the sake of their own goals. It's just a cause and effect sort of thing. Such is the hell of the reality we face. The strong will always prey on the weak."

That statement created an awkward silence on the air manta. As much as the others wanted to disagree and tell Raizo he was wrong, each of their personal experiences painted the picture otherwise. It was then that Leone brought up a different point of contention.

"So…Raizo, what was up with that weird form you took on earlier?" the female asked with a curious raise of her eyebrow.

"Oh yeah dude, that was some insane crap. You literally just raged out," Lubbock clapped his hands together as if he almost forgot.

"Storms and I don't get along…whenever the weather changes for the worst…so do I…" Raizo expressed whilst casting his head down so that he would not have to explain any further. In reality, even he could not understand it.

"So it happened again, Raizo? Damn it all…" Yuki sighed in concern.

"It seems like we will have to train more so you can master your Teigu," Akame suggested whilst patting the boy on the shoulder.

"Yeah…guess so," he muttered, still unsure of what to make of his powers himself.

"Man, this group has a lot of issues to get through. Not to worry everyone, I am certified in therapy, I'll just have to poke at your personality a bit then I can find a cure!" Chelsea pointed out whilst trying to lighten the mood up aboard the Air Manta.

Just then, a mysterious silhouette overshadowed the flying transport with the light of the moon at its back. It was like the shadow of an angel descended upon Night Raid's position as it emerged from the clouds. Suddenly in a brash change of events, feather-like arrows rained down from above as the flying danger beast was impaled in its vital points.

"What the hell? That's…the power of that one guy from the arena!" Leone shouted out.

Losing their mode of transportation, the assassins were thrust into free fall towards the ground below them; the overwhelming gusts of wind scattered them in different directions.

Raizo, Mein, Najenda, and Lubbock fell in the same direction in an open clearing amidst the forest floor. The impact created an audible thump in the wilderness that shook the surrounding trees nearby. The other members of Night Raid were sent elsewhere, likely deeper in the dense foliage around them.

Lubbock recovered from the fall with some ease due to weaving a cushion out of wire from the Cross Tail Teigu. Without delay, he cupped his hand over his ear and could make out the sound of steel clashing against steel in the distance.

"Seems like it's an all-out war zone right now. There's fighting on all sides. Just how the hell did the enemy find out where we were going?" sighed the male as he dusted himself off as he turned to see how the others were faring.

"Tch…dammit all," Mein cursed as she reached for her left shoulder with her right hand. The limb was notably out of place and somewhat disfigured from the fall.

"Can't believe I let myself hit the ground so carelessly; heh…I could have used Pumpkin but…" the girl gritted her teeth as she turned over to sit up. Using her Teigu, she would have blasted the ground to use the kinetic energy as a means to soften the blow. However, if she did that, she would have placed her allies at risk.

"Hold still for a second," the voice of Raizo reached her as the boy approached her injured side.

"Hey…how come you're doing just fine?" Mein questioned in disbelief.

"I've fallen from worse heights. Besides, my body still feels rather numb after that mess in the city. Maybe I'm just a little bit different," the young wolf proposed. Nevertheless, a coherent explanation was the least of his concerns.

"This might hurt a little," he warned as he took hold of the injured limb. With an abrupt jerk, twist and push, the youth mended the arm back into its proper place in shot one.

"OW!! Jeez, didn't anyone ever teach you to be delicate with women?" Mein spat out in response to pain.

"Eh? Why? In my village, some of the girls were just as tough as the boys…sometimes tougher," Raizo shrugged.

"Wow, you are a real charmer…" the girl said whilst rolling her eyes.

"Sorry you're so frail, princess."

"Eh?? Princess? Heh, that insult is more of a compliment for a girl of my stature. Finally recognizing my beauty then?"

"No. Not really. But whatever you say, Your Bitchiness."

"HUUHHHH?" Mein promptly stood up whilst placing her hands on her hips.

"You really wanna go?"

Raizo merely looked at the girl and observed the way she was moving.

"See? The pain is all gone. All you needed to do was channel your emotions elsewhere. Congrats," Raizo abruptly changed the focus.

"Wait…what? The heck are…huh?" Mein noticed the pain was gone as she moved her arms around.

"Good as new, right?"

"Yeah actually…thanks…I guess you can be a gentleman in your own pain-in-the-ass way. Jerk," the girl blushed slightly whilst twisting her hair around.

"Eh? It's not like I did anything special. We just gotta get ready for a big battle…that's all…" Raizo turned away as quickly stood upright to dust himself off.

As he cast a look at the girl again, he noticed something strange on her back.

"Hang on a second. What's that on your jacket?" Raizo asked as he reached towards her person to grab something. He pulled off a small disk-like device that was emitting a strange red light.

"What the hell? That…that's a tracker."

"This must be how the enemy found us," Raizo said as he crushed it in his hands.

"We need to rendezvous with the others. This could wind up escalating into a full-scale assault," Mein proposed.

"Yeah, and we are in a vulnerable spot right now."

Lubbock silently watched the interaction between the two of them and merely chuckled to himself.

"Those two are more alike than they realize, but at least they seem to get along."

The male turned his gaze and saw Najenda sitting on the ground toying with her prosthetic, mechanical arm.

"Good grief, this thing can be so cumbersome. Maybe I need to tweak some upgrades into it," the woman sighed as she fiddled around to manually adjust the inner workings of the limb.

"You need some assistance, milady?" Lubbock gently inquired whilst kneeling down beside the woman to check out what was going on.

"Oh Lubbock, there you go again with that. You know how it makes me feel," Najenda yielded a subtle pout.

The male casually glanced at the limb from another angle only to see that chunks of dirt and rocks got caught up inside some of the gears. He used his Teigu to create a brush to reach in and dust away the debris to help the woman out.

"You told me not to call you that in front of the others, not when it's just you and me," he playfully winked, "Besides, it's nice to see that adorable expression you make."

"Goodness Lubbock, you really know how to play with a woman's emotions," she softly smiled. Once the man appeared to be finished cleaning out the machine, she attempted to move it around.

"There we go, that feels much better. Thanks Lubbock," she nodded in gratitude.

"Anything for you, mi…"

"Don't say it, just once is enough. We are on a battlefield after all," she said as she quickly reached out with her human hand and placed a finger over his lips.

"Now then, we should try and survey our position," Najenda said whilst adopting her serious attitude.

"Right…there's fighting all around us going on in different parts of the forest. It's hard to say who all went to what location, so all we can do is just make due with the fighting force we currently have between the four of us," Lubbock suggested as Raizo and Mein calmly walked over.

"How are you two holding up?" asked the leader of Night Raid.

"Just fine actually, had a little bit of a bump but thanks to this idiot, I can start shooting again," Mein chuckled.

"Yeah, for someone who claims to be the Genius Sniper, she sure can't figure out how to relocate her shoulder if it ever gets popped out of place or realign her bones," Raizo said whilst rolling his eyes.

"The enemy tossed a tracker on her. Must have been during our grand escape from the arena. I don't get how they caught up to us so fast…" pondered the young wolf.

"Well the Air Manta was carrying quite a load of people, which in turn reduced its speed. Nevertheless, for these new elites to catch up so fast…" Najenda analyzed for a brief moment.

"I guess they really are trying to live up to the name of 'Jaegers'," Lubbock finished inadvertently. The conversation amidst the quartet was immediately silenced as a series of rustling came from the bushes in the short distance.

Just then, a man in a lab coat came strutting out alongside a small contingency force of unique soldiers.

"Shit…looks like they found us already," the Cross Tail wielder tensed as he and the others were forced to prepare for battle.

"Master Stylish, the source of the scent is just ahead."

A muscular figure could be seen hunched low to the ground as he marched ahead of the notorious Dr. Stylish. He was wearing a black vest and leather shorts with a large, strange beak emanating from his face.

"It would seem the surgical enhancements to your set of skills are performing beyond my expectations. Congratulations, Nose," spoke the scientist with a sly grin upon his face.

"Master, four targets are lying ahead. One of them appears to be attempting to make a web of steel wire. We can easily avoid them if we adjust our path ten steps to our left then four to our right," spoke another muscular figure that towered over Dr. Stylish. He had short blond hair, a black hat and similar leather clothing as the first figure.

"Way to go, Eyes," Dr. Stylish nodded in approval.

"I can confirm by their voices that they are indeed members of Night Raid as indicated via the voice records you took during the battle in the Capital," affirmed a small girl with long blonde hair and abnormally large ears. She was wearing a white dress with a black target pattern on her clothing as she listened to the enemy's conversation.

"That's my Ears for you. Night Raid truly thought they could get away with a sudden surgical strike. I admit, that kid going berserk was outside of my calculations. However, we shall end this in one fell swoop," mused the mad scientist.

"Just point me in the direction of my target and I'll take them out in one shot. Nothing can escape the deadly might of Trauma!" added another curious fellow carrying a rather large dagger in hand.

The male had a slightly above average build whilst wearing a long-black trench coat and matching black fedora. His dark brown, denim-like pants hitched to his waist by a regular belt made him appear like a serial killer that lurked in the shadows.

"My Knight, always eager to jump into the fray," Stylish chuckled once more.

"Wahahahaha! Surely this will wind up being a one-sided massacre!" declared a husky male voice emanating from a giant male of imposing size that stood even taller than Eyes. His muscle definition was almost three times that of any other fighter present in the group as he was draped from top to bottom in a white and silver jumpsuit that exposed the hairs on his pecs and his sturdy neck. He had black hair, blue eyes, a thick mustache and radiated confidence that danced along the line of arrogance. In his left hand, he carried a pair of large scissors that was about a quarter of the size of his person. In a size comparison, the mysterious weapon was twice the size of the girl known as Ears.

"Kaku, maintenance ordered for that Teigu so try not to damage it," directed Dr. Stylish in a foreboding tone.

"Of course master, I shall prove that I have the brains and the brawn to wield this thing!"

Last but not least was a mechanical looking gentleman covered head to toe in armor that mimicked the appearance of Incursio without the face mask. One could see his steely blue gaze and jet black hair as he adjusted the metal gloves over his hands.

"Toby," Stylish called out, "I initially designed you to fight Akame head-on; however, I do believe it would be best if you take on that troublesome child that went nuts at the tournament. It'll be a good opportunity for you to test out your speed."

"As you wish, Master. However, with the way I'm feeling…there's no way we're losing to anyone."

"Okay everyone, take up your respective places. It's showtime," Dr. Stylish smiled maliciously as his freakshow stood before the quartet of the isolated members of Night Raid.

"That Teigu…" Mein gasped in disbelief as she laid eyes on it. The visage of a girl with lavender colored hair and purple eyes ran through her mind as her gentle expression passing with a subtle smile painted the foremost images of her memory. That same, calming smile was abruptly shattered when the jaws of a dog-like beast controlled by none other than Seryu Ubiquitous took the woman away from this world.

"Mein, what's wrong?" Raizo asked, unsure of why the girl tensed up.

"That Teigu, known as Extase, belonged to one of our former comrades who died during a mission," Najenda followed up with a sorrowful explanation.

"Her name was Sheele…she was the kindest person you could ever meet. We all knew what we signed up for when we joined Night Raid…still, the passing of a comrade doesn't make what we do any less difficult," Lubbock implied.

"I see…" Raizo murmured whilst drawing out his dual scythes. He inspected the hooked blades for a moment and saw that the edges dulled and chipped in certain places.

"Damn…guess I'll have to use those then," the male thought to himself as he tucked the pair of sickles away then reached again to his sides.

This time, the youth drew a pair of dual katana whose shining steel emanated a harmonious ring that wafted through the air as the surface of the metal captured the light of the moon. They were the last gift from his childhood friend that died in his arms.

"I would prefer not to tarnish these blades, but I hope you can forgive me for putting them to use on such filth."

"We need to take that Teigu back at all costs. I'll rip it from the corpse of that overgrown brute myself if I have to," Mein stated with agitation as she brought Pumpkin up to aim down its sights.

"Raizo, I know that you would normally prefer to fight by yourself, but I would like if you would-..."

"Relax Najenda-san, teamwork is the best way for us to get out alive right now. I won't do anything reckless. I've already done enough of that for one day," the boy replied.

"Heh, looks like you're finally coming around after all," Lubbock smirked.

"Analyzing their ranks, the ones with the ears, nose and eyes should be our first priority. Their enhanced senses could sabotage our movements," Raizo analyzed.

"Yeah but that big guy, the dude with the hat and the machine looking guy are likely going to be their vanguard so we can't just rush them," Lubbock responded.

"Then you guys just handle the vanguard and I'll snipe those asshats from afar," Mein shot back.

"Okay everyone, together then." Najenda ordered.

Just as Night Raid was about to mobilize, hundreds of other creatures emerged from the woods. They were disfigured mutants of various shapes and sizes that lost all sense of self and merely obeyed the whims of their creator. The horde of foot soldiers were stronger than the average man enlisted in the Imperial Army; however, they were nothing more than throwaway pawns whose sole role was to dwindle down the enemy's strength.

"Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Guess we gotta take out the small fry first," Lubbock sighed as he reached behind his back to begin weaving his deadly wires around his fingers.

"Nothing unusual, I'm used to having the odds stacked against me," Raizo remarked.

"Then let's get to work everyone," Najenda suggested as she also readied herself for combat.

"This is a perfect pinch, and the conditions are just right," Mein grinned eagerly as she took aim with her rifle.

As the march of the ugly pawns progressed towards their position, Raizo was the first to leap into the fray immediately taking on the role of the vanguard. The boy rushed ahead with his twin blades glistening in the light of the moon as arcs of electricity spiraled around his body. He broke the ranks of the advancing force with a swift slashing motion that bisected two of his foes in one clean cutting motion. As the first two casualties of battle fell over, their blood pouring out over the grassy landscape, Raizo immediately carved a path deeper into the enemy ranks.

Limbs were strewn through the air as spontaneous bursts of electricity erupted in the air indicating the direction the youth was traveling. He was not aiming to reach Dr. Stylish and his elite guard, but to create enough chaos in the ranks so that his allies would have an easier time picking them off. The monstrosities were biologically mutated to a point where their sense of reason and strategy was all but nonexistent. They were mindless creations whose sole instinct was to destroy their enemies at the request of their master.

Though intimidating in numbers, they were not a significant threat to the well-trained individual. In fact, they were easy to confuse. With Raizo's speed and sporadic changes in motion, it was difficult for the creatures to even get a sense of location, let alone score a single hit on him. As a result, it was as if leading livestock to the slaughterhouse with the young wolf serving as the butcher as he hacked away at his foes.

"Damn Raizo, you're making me look bad here," Lubbock chuckled as he slid into position bringing steel wire from Cross Tail in around his fingers. The man took a glimpse at how Raizo was moving and began weaving a net in response.

"Raizo, jump!" he screamed out.

Hearing the plea from his comrade, the boy did just that as he leapt into the air. In that moment, Lubbock tossed out his steel trap and covered the enemies with it. Then he brought his arms together in an X-shape as if he was hugging the air which tightened the wires around a group of 20 creatures.

"Take this!" he said as he pulled the wires tighter and tighter, gradually slicing into the skin of the beasts.

"Hang on, lemme add a little something extra to the mix," Raizo declared as he landed on top of one of the creatures caught in the trap. The boy then infused bolts of lightning in his blades and stabbed them down towards the area where the wires crossed. As a result, streamlines of electricity circulated across the webbing which allowed the strands of steel to reduce its trapped prey into piles of flesh.

"Well damn, that's one way to make a mess of things," Lubbock chuckled, impressed by the combination they just pulled off.

"Sorry, having uninvited guests just bothers me a little bit differently," Raizo shrugged as he readied himself for the next wave.

"Hey, I don't like intruders either. Let's keep mopping these guys up then shall we?"

"Hate to interrupt your little bromance moment, but how about giving me a chance to shine here?" Mein yelled out from afar as she blasted a few of the pawns in a rapid barrage of bullets.

"I didn't think that she could use that gun like that," Raizo observed.

"Yeah, Pumpkin has quite a lot of tricks and configurations in its arsenal," Lubbock commented.

"Yo Lubbock, trap another batch of these guys in Cross Tail!" Mein called out.

"Coming right up!"

Lubbock proceeded to act upon Mein's request. He leapt forward ahead of Raizo by a few meters as he dished out another net weaved by his Teigu. This time, the number of foes numbered much closer to 50. Upon seeing this, the sharpshooter dished out her next set of instructions.

"Raizo, turn your body at a 60-degree angle towards my location and cross your swords over your chest. Lubbock, make sure you get out of Raizo's way!"

The male with the green hair peeked over his shoulder and saw that the twin-tailed sniper was taking aim with her rifle. Having an inkling of an idea of what she was planning, he instinctively jumped out of the way to his far left. Raizo proceeded to take up the stance she suggested as he dug his heels into the ground. Realizing what she was about to do, the youth took a deep breath to calm his heart rate and prepare for what was about to come next.

Mein slowed her heart beat by drawing in a deep breath. She aimed down the sight of her scope and saw the overwhelming numbers before her eyes. The perfect pinch scenario was isolated in her mind as she drew upon that crunch to unleash the power of Pumpkin. Carefully, she honed the scope at Raizo dialing in perfectly where his flawless steel blades intersected. Then…she pulled the trigger.

A giant chasm of amber light was emitted by the fearsome Teigu as the beam of energy was sent towards the youth at full speed. Raizo saw the oncoming projectile blast and reciprocated the action of a deep breath. Then, he amped his body up by reinforcing himself using the might of electricity to stimulate the nerves of his muscles to the maximum limit. With a resounding crash, the energy hit his blades. It was like someone unleashed the full force of a waterfall whose water flow was held back by a dam crashing down on him simultaneously. He felt his feet sink into the dirt that he was standing upon as the heat from the blast caused him to break out into a sweat. Then, using his foot as the perfect pivot point, he turned around and slingshot the blast with his swords acting as a mirror to drag the energy wave across the ranks—disintegrating the onslaught of 50 grotesque beasts in the blink of an eye.

"Heh, dead center like always. Now do you believe me when I say I'm a Genius Sniper?" Mein smirked confidently with a flick of her hair to the side whilst waltzing up to the boys.

"That was a really slick move to think of, but I feel bad that poor ol' Raizo here had to be on the receiving end of that," Lubbock said whilst going to reach out to pat Raizo on the shoulder before a spark of static wafted out.

"I wouldn't get too close to me. You're using a lot of metal and there's tons of electricity flowing through me," Raizo warned.

"Hey, you're using steel too so how come you're not shocking yourself?" Lubbock cocked a brow in the air.

"Because I'm the one wielding it. Shocking myself is impossible."

"Come on Lubb, that much should be obvious. I think the excess fighting is deteriorating what little bit of intelligence you possess," Mein sighed with a slump of her shoulders.

"Guys, come on! Don't give me that in the middle of a fight!"

Just as the light-hearted banter was about to end, a few more of the hideous lifeforms leapt at the three of them in a sudden rush attack. As they closed in to strike, Raizo was about to move for an instant kill move that would decapitate their foes; however, something else intervened.

A winding metallic cable whirred past the trio as it grabbed a hold of one beast then proceeded to slam into the others. The monsters were dropped into the dirt before the metallic contraption slinked back to its owner. In that next instant, Najenda dove down from the air and impaled the beasts with the heels of her boots. She then jumped away from them and took on another group of stragglers headed towards her. In a flowing motion, she easily dodged their clumsy attacks completely unfazed.

With one hand, she caught one of the creature's fists before using her mechanical arm to punch it directly in its face, thus crushing its skull instantly. Then she swiftly kicked another in the gut so hard that its spine snapped in half. From there, she proceeded to throw one smooth jab after the other as a symphony of broken bones emanated from her path.

As one beast attempted a sneak attack, Raizo dashed into the fray and tackled the beast from its blindside using his blades as it cleaved it in two. However, one was waiting for him to land as a new beast sought to scoop him up. Najenda merely spun on her heel before she carved her way straight down the middle using the heel of her boot. Now back to back, the leader of Night Raid and her new hire began to drop one creature after the other that attempted to flank them leaving Mein and Lubbock flabbergasted at their level of synchronized movement.

"It's like watching a dance or something. Have Najenda and Raizo even trained together?" Mein asked in astonishment.

"Not that I'm aware of. Then again, his moves are similar to Akame and he does possess a wealth of experience. Maybe that's why they are just moving so well together," Lubbock proposed.

An assassin trained from childhood and a former general of the Empire who lost both an eye and an arm; two individuals from completely different worlds sharing the same background of survival in a world of bloodshed were fighting side by side in perfect harmony. Just as the display could not become anymore amazing to see, another presence joined the fray.

A cylindrical mace-style spear landed in the crowd of contested foes as a muscular male with horns protruding from his head descended from the sky. As he gracefully stuck the landing, he grabbed a hold of the weapon and spun it through the air. The sheer force from the action enacted the ripples through the air to accumulate pressure and discharge like blades as the enemies collapsed in a pile of gore as a result.

"Susanoo, good to see you joining the fray," Najenda creased a smirk across her face upon seeing the new recruit as the man walked up to the group standing nearest to the boss.

"Damn, how the hell did you find us so fast?" Lubbock asked in slight confusion trying to hide a small tinge of agitation whilst seeing how close he got to Najenda.

"Maybe he's just a damn good tracker?" Mein proposed with a slight shrug.

"Not like we have been quiet with our battle so far anyway," Raizo dismissed in an uncaring tone.

"Well Susanoo isn't exactly human anyway. He's my Teigu, Speed of Lightning: Susanoo."

"Speed of Lightning huh? Well then, looks like ya got some competition there Raizo," Mein cheekily nudged the young blood wolf.

"Eh? Long as the job gets done, who cares?" Raizo said with disinterest.

"Aww come on, you're like no fun at all."

"I heard something about humanoid or biological type Teigu; they have some weird link with their respective owners right?" Lubbock loosely inquired.

"Indeed, he and I are spiritually connected. He is resilient and can regenerate from any wound so long as his core isn't destroyed. Guess you could say we're soulmates," the boss expressed with a cheeky tone.

"Um…not sure one of those jokes is really appropriate right now, Boss," Lubbock scratched his face with a wry grin.

"Let's cut the antics anyway, looks like an all-out assault is heading our way," Raizo said as he flipped his blades around with his hands to prepare himself for combat.

"Let's clear these guys out and get the main targets. I'm tired of these one-trick pony antics anyway.

Together, Raizo, Mein, Lubbock, Susanoo, and Najenda, all collectively charged at the oncoming rush of mutant beasts. Now coordinating with five individuals, Night Raid was able to make use of even greater team tactics and combinations to effectively mow down their enemies. Raizo and Susanoo acted as the group's vanguard with Lubbock taking the position of center guard and support; Mein was positioned as the rearguard and long-range counter while Najenda commanded the group using her experience as a general on the battlefield. In little to no time flat, the collective mob was wiped out thus leaving the main players to have to face the group head on.

"You all must think this is amateur hour then? Haha very well, allow me to show you the gift of Trauma!" the man with the fedora and the poisonous dagger said whilst stepping forward to confront Night Raid first.

"Haha, Trauma, you're always so enthusiastic. But you see, I will also join you in this endeavor!" the muscular man called Kaku declared whilst walking alongside the former party.

"Guess I'll join in too," Toby said thus completing the next line in the sand for the invaders.

Trauma stood before Najenda, Lubbock and Susanoo. Kaku moved towards Mein and Toby stood face to face against Raizo. The next fight card was established at that given moment. Night Raid looked to one another before giving each other a curt nod then split off in different directions over the widespread area; their opponents followed suit.

"Let's not drag things out okay? Even if there are three of you, your fates were sealed the moment you faced me in battle!" Trauma enthusiastically mocked as he twirled his dagger around his hand. In a flash, the man dashed towards his foes without hesitation.

"Go for the head and the rest will fall to pieces!"

Trauma made the unfortunate mistake of choosing Najenda as his target. With his knife in hand, he was set to deliver a fatal blow in one mighty thrust; but his path was impeded when Susanoo stood in the way. A spurt of blood shot out through the air as Trauma managed to pierce the horned human's side.

"HAHAHAH YOU IDIOT! Jumping in the way is so noble, but you just sealed your fate!"

The man in the hat removed his blade and went to step back, but was caught on the receiving end of a backswing dished out by the humanoid shield. Susanoo instinctively pulled out his mace and whacked the crafty assassin in his gut thus sending him flying back across the dirt.

"Heh, smooth shot, but the results of my effort should be taking effect any second now," Trauma massaged his gut and boasted for a moment.

The wound inflicted upon Susanoo's person swelled up and turned purple with black veins pulsating from it indicating that the tool had a foreign agent laced on the blade.

"Susanoo, you okay?" Lubbock asked in concern, but the man did not pay it any mind while Najenda merely smiled.

"My blade is dipped in a deadly toxin ensuring that no matter how shallow a wound might be, you will die no matter what!" Trauma boasted; however, the man's insane laughter was cut short when his victim's wound healed over almost instantly.

"Tch…so you got tricks eh? Well SO DO I!"

The maniac flipped his jacket open and proceeded to throw a myriad of daggers at his foes. In that instant, Lubbock stepped up with wires from Cross Tail in tow before weaving a web that caught all of the projectiles with ease.

"You really thought we would be an easy mark? Get real dude," Lubbock condemned with a casual tone.

"You're nothing but a cheap, one-trick pony. There is no need for useless cowards like you on the battlefield. Finish him off gentlemen," Najenda waved her hand.

"Yes ma'am," the boys responded.

Lubbock then weaved a large band of metal tied between two posts to create a makeshift slingshot. Susanoo voluntarily mounted himself on it as Lubbock released. Springing forward in a flash, the humanoid Teigu took his mace and swung in one smooth motion thus beheading Trauma instantly and allowing his body to crudely fall to the ground in irrelevance.

As Trauma's life was stripped from this world, another battle was taking place around the same time. It was a duel that appeared to be unfair in scope from an outsider's perspective. Yet on this battlefield, size paled in comparison to experience and raw emotion.

"I can't believe that I have to deal with such a puny little target…and a frail-looking girl no less. I would tell you to go home, young maiden, but you are a criminal and must be crushed," Kaku boasted as the lumbering giant approached Mein's position. The muscular individual cocked his head to the side with a twisted grin on his face as he lifted a giant pair of scissors over his shoulder.

"That…weapon…" Mein muttered as she caught a good glimpse of it recognizing its metalwork. In that instant, her mind was taken back to a certain night from a few weeks or so ago.

Night Raid was divided up and sent out on various tasks at once. She and another member of the group known as Sheele were out on a mission together. The woman was a beautiful girl with long, purple hair and purple eyes wearing a sleeveless, lilac cheongsam with detached matching sleeves and white boots capped off by a pair of black rimmed glasses. Though she was clumsy and soft-spoken, she was very kind and caring to her allies; but her personality switched whenever she had to kill someone.

They were just about to head back to base after they finished their assignment when they were suddenly ambushed by an overzealous justice freak known as Seryu Ubiquitous. The girls should have had a simple time dealing with the girl; however, the twisted individual was accompanied by a tiny dog-like Teigu that she colloquially referred to as "Coro". The beast was unlike anything that the women faced before as it could absorb serious damage and regenerate its wombs at will.

Mein attempted to focus her attacks on Coro using Pumpkin while Sheele dealt with Seryu. The Capital Soldier lost her arms and attempted to use bionic upgrades to take advantage of the situation with guns engrafted in her arms; however, Sheele blocked the bullet thus rendering the girl at the mercy of Night Raid. Just when the battle was to be decided, Seryu activated the trump card of her Teigu thus allowing the monstrosity to enter its Berserk mode. The beast transformed into an overwhelming mass of muscle whose scream paralyzed both women where they stood.

Mein was captured by Coro and was about to be crushed. Her left arm was broken in two places as the pressure grew tighter and tighter by the second. That was when Sheele shook off the painful effects of the scream and leapt into the fray to rescue the girl. Just as Sheele saved Mein from an early demise by slashing through the beast's oversized limb, the girl's guard dropped for a moment which allowed Seryu to get in a cheap shot by firing a bullet from a gun hidden in her mouth. The bullet pierced Sheele's chest from the back which rendered her vulnerable to being ripped in half by Coro.

The sight of Sheele's intestines exposed from the gruesome blow that tore her in two left Mein in a state of shock, agony, and blind rage. However, the battle eventually drew too much attention as a small garrison of Imperial Soldiers showed up to reinforce Seryu. The situation appeared to be helpless as the girls' fates were apparently sealed. However, Sheele was still clinging to life long enough to use Extase's trump card which blanketed the area in blinding light. This created the opportunity for Mein to escape; an act that she did reluctantly knowing that her sister-in-arms would die. It was a bitter end to part ways; yet that sacrifice allotted Mein to escape and to live on and fight another day.

Seeing Extase again brought that painful experience back. Mein felt a wave of overwhelming sorrow fill her chest as Sheele's smiling face plastered itself in the forefront of her memories. The Genius Sniper knew that all of their lives would be forfeit at some point in time, yet it still did not soften the blow any less. The sight of that Teigu brought those emotions to a boiling point to which the girl gritted her teeth in rage.

"THAT DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU!" she screamed out angrily.

"Oh this? Well that may be true; however, I still intend on using it for this fight. Now then, if you would give me the pleasure of dying…" Kaku declared as he went for a box rush attack with Extase at the ready.

Mein simply went down on one knee with Pumpkin at the ready. She used the power of her emotions reaching its limit as fuel for her weapon. Aiming down the sight, she honed in on the impossible to miss target and steadied her breathing. She counted to three before pulling the trigger.

A chasm of amber light burst from the barrel of the weapon as the energy blast bombarded Kaku's path. In that next instant, the upper half of his body was consumed as the lower half of his legs collapsed under the pressure of the blast. Extase dropped to the ground and slid before Mein's feet. As the girl stood up, she dusted off the hem of her dress and gazed at the weapon.

"Welcome home, Sheele…"

As Mein's battle drew to a close, another battle was just getting underway. Raizo and Toby stared each other down in a period of silence ignoring those around them. Toby, whose eyes seemed distant and nonchalant, made direct contact with the determined and fearsome gaze of the revenge-filled blood wolf. Both had no real reason to fight each other by choice, only out of obligation to get the job done.

"You know, you aren't even my original target. I was supposed to fight against Akame," Toby remarked with a bored sigh.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but it would appear she's elsewhere in the wilderness," Raizo replied.

"I'll get my chance eventually. Unfortunately, I have to kill you first. It is unfortunate for both of us; then again, you do look like a male version of her I suppose. You sure you two aren't related?"

"Well that's something I was not expecting to hear. But the answer is no; however, Akame is definitely one hell of a training partner."

"Excellent, then I can use you as a means to test my specs out. Perhaps I'll develop a quick way of defeating her by beating you."

"I wouldn't count on that too much."

In the blink of an eye, the two clashed with one another. Raizo's swords collided with blades that extended from Toby's wrists as they were caught in a brief deadlock. Pushing away from one another, the duo proceeded to run around the area whilst clashing again like pinballs inside a slot machine moving fast like lightning. Sparks of embers wafted through the air, the landmarks of when the opposing forces converged, as they zipped around their side of the field at an alarming rate.

Toby was built for speed. Secret cameras and eye-witness testimony of Akame's exploits were compiled into hours upon hours of footage that was directly uploaded into the machine's consciousness during his augmentation procedure. Dr. Stylish designed this man to be the ultimate weapon to bring down the Red-Eyed Killer as there was hardly anyone else capable of doing so outside of the two great generals of the Empire. Toby was the ultimate lifeform of innovation in which the mad scientist poured hours upon hours of his greatest technological advancements to fuel his birth. This skirmish should have been an easy mark; however…

"This kid…is keeping up?" Toby gritted his teeth as he felt the force of Raizo's strikes reverberating throughout his entire skeletal frame.

The man figured he would be able to best Raizo's potential strength using superior speed and agile movements; however, the boy was keeping up with him. In fact, it was as if the young assassin was actively calculating ways to surpass him.

"Impossible, I have hours of footage recorded in my memory banks and days upon days of simulated training to put me in a league above this child!"

"Wide open!" Raizo declared whilst changing the direction of his attack to press forward and bring his blades down upon Toby's chest in an X-shape.

"Tch…dammit, don't get cocky kid!" the metal machination responded whilst kicking away from the boy. Toby found himself reaching for his chest which had deep cuts in the metallic surface; small sparks of electricity were discharging from the engravings as Raizo managed to land significant damage.

"How the hell can a half-baked kid like you match up to someone who has spent hours studying the most notorious killer in the land?!"

"You mean the answer isn't obvious? You said you spent hours studying her right? Well the problem is, you haven't actually fought against her. Whatever shit they put in your head barely scratches the surface of what Akame is capable of. I fought against her when she was holding back in a life or death fight, and I've spent days training with her on a regular basis. There's never a moment where I don't learn something new. And as much as I hate to admit it…she's making me a better assassin for it," Raizo expressed.

"So a mechanized loser like you," he said before closing the distance between himself and Toby faster than the cyborg could react.

"Has no business putting yourself in the same league as her," Raizo murmured in the man's autoreceptors before liberating him of his head.

With all three skirmishes coming to a swift end, Dr. Stylish was finding himself backed into a corner. His only remaining soldiers were Nose, Eyes and Ears and they were not well suited for combat against full-blown Teigu users. Nevertheless, the trio persisted to move in front of their master to protect him at the cost of their lives.

"We'll have to be methodical here and work together to take each one of them out. After fighting so many of our forces, they are bound to feel the effects of fatigue by now," Nose observed as he slithered into position to attack.

"Indeed, and they will not be able to escape my sight so any surprise attacks will be useless before us," Eyes regarded confidently.

"Our superior senses will give us the edge!," Ears reinforced as well.

"That's where you're wrong," Raizo interrupted as he suddenly broke their focus by rushing up to them with little difficulty.

A collective gasp between the trio with eyes widened in disbelief spread amongst them. He appeared before them without a second's hesitation faster than any of the modified individuals could react. Stunned and rendered helpless before his superior agility, the assassin merely gripped his blades tightly and spun on his heel in a swift yet deadly maneuver; his blades ripping through the air as a result. At that point, Nose, Ears, and Eyes found their views of the world turned upside down as their heads parted from their shoulders. As it seemed like the world churned in slow motion to their eyes, their brains registered what happened to them as their bodies and craniums dropped to the dirt with a resounding thud. At that moment, their lives were forfeit leaving their master all alone.

"It's over Dr. Stylish," Najenda said as she, Susanoo, Mein and Lubbock joined Raizo's side thus cornering the professor.

"You made a gamble thinking that you could overwhelm us with numbers; however, you should have done more research on who exactly you were dealing with."

"Oh trust me, Ex-General Najenda, I have done plenty of my homework. I must admit, you have far exceeded the variables I set in my calculations. But I am not concerned about falling here. In fact, I still have one more trick to play that can still turn the tide of this scenario; though I preferred to avoid it…it seems I have no choice but to sacrifice my elegance," the proud scientist boasted highly.

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a singular glass syringe. Before the group could stop him, he proceeded to inject himself directly in the neck with an amber colored serum. In response, his eyes widened and the veins in his neck proceeded to pulse. His skin dyed to a cadaver shade of gray as his body started to morph into a hideous shape.

"Everyone, back up quickly!" Najenda ordered as the group instantly followed her instructions.

As they gave the doctor his space, a giant hulking mass of muscle spawned from a grotesque pile of flesh molting from the ground. Two giant arms reached for the bodies of the trio that was slain by the Blood Wolf. It scooped their corpses up including heads before shoving the remains in a giant maw engraved in its chest. From there, a giant beast of an imposing height nearly 60 meters tall appeared. It was a colossal titan with dark brown skin, a golden mechanized right arm, steel, armored legs and a strange almond shaped head with a giant red-tank like battery protruding from its rear skull. Engrafted in the beast's forehead was the remaining build of the insane doctor serving as the monster's control device.

"I despise resorting to such brutish measures, but such is the sacrifice necessary to put an end to you all swiftly!" Dr. Stylish declared whilst relinquishing a maniacal laughter.

"Great, he got bigger…this just got that much more annoying," Mein sighed heavily.

"Any ideas how the hell we deal with it?" Lubbock asked in an open-ended question.

Raizo pondered for a moment as the others tried to devise some form of a plan. He felt like there was something he could do, something that was beyond what he imagined himself capable of doing.

["Boy, you are the storm. Act like one and unleash its unchecked wrath!"]

The voice of the rustic deity that blessed him with his gifts called out in the back of his mind as he found himself envisioning what the idea of a storm is and the full scope of its catastrophic fury can bring to the land.

"I have an idea…but I need a little bit of time to pull it off. Can you guys distract him for me?" Raizo proposed.

"Huh? What the hell? In case you haven't noticed, but only you and the big guy over there are the ones capable of that role. I'm a long range fighter and Lubbock can't restrain that thing with his wires," Mein shot back.

"I can probably harass him with a few steel-woven projectiles, but I have to keep my distance," Lubbock noted.

"Whatever it is, leave it to me. I can keep the monster's attention occupied while you do whatever it is you need to," Susanoo spoke openly.

"If Susanoo says he can do it, then there's no questioning it. Do whatever you must, Raizo. We can handle it," Najenda reaffirmed.

With a resolute nod amidst the group, they scattered in different directions. Lubbock took to the far side of the field on the right while Mein went to the field on the left. Najenda jumped back to the rear to issue orders to Susanoo via their link while providing the group with an astute eye of how Stylish would move. As for the humanoid Teigu, he pressed forward with a full frontal attack.

"Oh? You wish to approach me, tiny man? Very well!" the mad scientist declared as he focused his lumbering limbs by punching the ground that Susanoo ran across.

Lubbock weaved countless spears and began hurling them one after the other at Stylish from the right flank while Mein persisted by unleashing a volley of bullets from the left. With Susanoo dashing around whilst occasionally jumping around and smacking the beast's hands with his blade polearm, Stylish was distracted and thrown off balance by the series of attacks. It was as if the doctor wandered into a space filled with a nest of mosquitos, flies and gnats and he was unable to cope outside of flailing his arms around to keep them away.

As for Raizo, he sheathed his swords for a moment and took in a deep breath. The youth had to reach into the deepest part of himself in order to draw out his hidden strength. He felt a wild torrent of energy buried in the pit of his stomach as if boiling to escape from his body. His imagination at full steam, he tried to envision what he needed to produce in this situation.

"That thirst for destruction when I went berserk…if I had to create it as a single phenomenon…then it would be….LIKE THIS!"

A strong pulsing sensation of electrical matter wafted from his person as he stomped the ground before him. It was then that crackling arcs of blue electricity traversed the earth until it produced a spiraling chasm of intense pressure that circulated in a violent combination of wind and lighting. A massive vortex akin to a tornado spawned from the ground up as it tore across the space.

Susanoo instinctively dodged the path of the unnatural phenomenon that threatened to consume everything in its way. The strong velocity of the concentrated pressure collided with the massive body of the mutated doctor. His superior mass was unable to suppress the sheer might of the force of nature as he found himself scooped up and hurled into the air.

"Mein, hit him!" Raizo cried out to the Genius Sniper.

"Got it!" she declared.

"This overwhelming sense of danger…another perfect pinch!" she thought to herself as she took aim and switched configurations with Pumpkin. As she pulled the trigger, a massive beam of power that was double the concentration she released before burst out from the barrel of her gun. The tremendous beam of power disintegrated the lower half mutated beast's body.

Susanoo pressed forward again as he jumped up into the air and surfed along the wind currents generated by the tornado to meet Stylish's body as it lingered in the air for a bit. Grabbing hold of his polearm, he flexed his muscles and swung it hard enough to send the beast further up into the sky.

"Finish it!" Najenda ordered.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!" Raizo screamed aloud as he generated a sudden lightning storm that consumed the sky from one side of the horizon to the other. An immensely powerful bolt of lightning fell from the clouds, vaporizing the rest of the beast completely. From there, the storm faded away as mysteriously as it came, returning the sky to its former luster. The battle was decided.

Susanoo landed on the ground promptly as the group gathered together at Raizo's location. At that point, the boy dropped down to one knee, his breathing ragged from fatigue.

"Sheesh Raizo, when you said you had a plan I was not expecting that," Lubbock spoke in disbelief over what he just saw.

"Yeah, that was an impressive set up…I'll give ya that much," Mein winked playfully with a smirk.

"It definitely was a flashy display, wasn't it?" Najenda said, forcing a pun in her words.

"Eh…Boss…really?" Raizo sighed with Mein and Lubbock shaking their heads in shame.

"Do you need a hand?" Susanoo asked whilst extending his hand. Raizo looked up and nodded as he grabbed on to be assisted to his feet.

"That's one headache down…now what's…" Lubbock was about to ask until there was an audible echo of rumbling in the distance, the ground subtly shaking as a result.

"That's a platoon march. It would seem the enemy has managed to obtain reinforcements," Najenda analyzed.

"What's our next move?" Mein asked.

"We don't know who all are fighting in what location. We shall split up and try to get as many of our comrades as possible and reunite at the base. Once we fully reunite, we shall plan our next move," the leader issued.

"Right," the members of the group nodded.

From there, Najenda and Susanoo went one direction while Lubbock, Mein and Raizo scattered in separate directions as well. It was a wild mess that they were in, but it was one that they had to overcome. As Raizo dashed through the wilderness, he felt his body pleading with him to rest after everything that he physically experienced so far. From going berserk to going past his limits fighting Dr. Stylish, he desperately needed to rest; however, his survival instinct would not permit that weakness.

"Behold the might of my JUSTICE DRILL!" a boastful female's voice shouted out from afar.

Before Raizo could react, he turned to catch a glimpse of a spinning drill launched towards his location. Just as he touched the branch of a nearby tree, the weapon struck, exploding instantly as the sheer force launched him in the opposite direction. He caught just a small glance of his assailant, that being the overly enthusiastic soldier known as Seryu before taking flight. His body tumbled through the brush and thickets many kilometers off course as Seryu grinned happily.

"I got one! I really managed to get him!" the girl proudly declared. Just as she felt the inkling to follow suit and ensure the boy's death, she saw a trio of her comrades pass by: Aquilo, Wave, and Kurome. Feeling the urgency to link up with her comrades, the girl went to follow after them all the while believing her victim to have met his end.

"Wait for me guys!" Seryu called out as she dragged Coro along to pursue the Silver Fox and the other Jaegers.

Raizo later awoke in some random location deep within the confines of the forest. As he struggled to find his sense of balance and awareness, he found himself surrounded on all sides by imperial soldiers. The men recognized him from the Capital wanted records. They were currently beating him with the buttstocks of their rifles and kicking the youth repeatedly. Though he knew he was being struck, his nerves were numb to the pain due to the other sensations of pain assailing his body. He was so dazed that he could barely make out the insults they were hurling at him.

It was then that a few gunshots echoed out alongside screams of terror as the soldiers were alerted to someone's presence. Raizo felt the faint sensation of blood splatter his clothes as his hazy vision saw bodies collapsing all around him. Something attacked the soldiers, but the Blood Wolf had no idea as to who or what it was. Using sheer willpower, the boy sat up clumsily as he saw a muscular figure with red eyes emerging from the shadows.

The entity leaned over Raizo and touched his shoulder for a moment which wiped away all of the pain and fatigue assailing the youth. As the boy's vision cleared up and the light of the moon cast down on the area, he saw a man with black hair and red eyes. This alerted him for a moment as he went to stand up unsure of this individual's identity. Just as he studied the figure more, he took note of the male's imperial attire and red scarf along with the grip of a certain blade in his hand, the Murasame. Striking a nerve within Raizo, the youth quickly reached for his scythes to strike at the man which led him to dash away.

"I'd thank you for healing me," Raizo said as he stood up, "But I just want to know…who are you and why the fuck do you have Akame's sword?"

Seeing the uniform, the boy felt like he had to come to terms with the unthinkable: Akame was defeated. Faced with this mysterious reality, the boy prepared himself for another battle as he became poised to attack.