Slay the Falsehood II: The Meeting of World Leaders

Year 1025, 20th of November

Time: 12:00 A.M.

Day and night are often associated and correlated to each other—such basic concepts are seen as absolutes in this world. When the sun rises the night shall retreat and vice versa, never once do people question this notion. That is until now. As the night turned into day after a torrential storm and a battle between forces of unspeakable power, the citizens of the illustrious capital watched from within the safety of their homes or out in the streets; such an event contradicted the beliefs of many but nonetheless, people could do little more than accept what now occurred.

The clock had struck midnight yet the world was more illuminated than ever before, a fact that spelled trouble for all as the light provided by the Red-Eyed Hero wouldn't be everlasting. However, a certain group of killers didn't care about such details; instead they silently moved towards their target in an abandoned alleyway full of human dirt. Together they remained steadfast and unwavering in their mission of completing the task at hand; it didn't matter if it was day or night given that one of the killers possessed the ability to bestow temporary invisibility to himself and his comrades.

Quickly cornering a man who wore a formal black suit, an armored assassin alongside his female companion with cat-like features became visible to their target once more. The businessman was terrified; his legs shook as if his life depended on his cowardice, hell he might've even pissed himself a little in the presence of Night Raid. Leone couldn't help but smirk and crack her knuckles in anticipation for the beat down she was about to give this poor soul.

"Please don't! Show mercy!" the target cried out as yet another figured emerged from the darkness, this time it was the leader of Night Raid—the lollipop lover, Chelsea herself. She wore a long flowing crimson dress with no straps, to a commoner's eyes she might as well be a princess or a figure worthy of being called royalty.

"Get this over with, Leone," she coldly spoke without hesitation. In the instant that followed, Leone's claws were at the man's neck. In her transformed Lionelle state the female's sheer physical strength was more than enough to completely squash the target's throat causing his bald head to fall over his shoulder as his lifeless black eyes closed on their own one last time.

"Not bad sis."

Tatsumi was quick to acknowledge Leone's skill when it came to ending a life, her methods could be cruel and even brutal but in the end it was no doubt effective.

"That new invisibility trick your armor developed is not half bad as well," Leone returned the boy's half-hearted compliment. Despite having his features masked by his armor, Leone could still tell that he was uncertain about Night Raid's current assignment.

"Let's move," Chelsea spoke as a cloud of white smoke rose up around herself, the female's appearance then morphed into that of the target Leone had just slaughtered.

"Here Boss," Leone spoke before handling a small card she had retrieved from the target's corpse over to Chelsea's disguised self. Luckily enough no blood fell on it.

"I wish Akame was here, she'd be able to see us through this without fail," Tatsumi voiced his thoughts out loud, his voice muffled by his helmet.

"Sigh...as much as it pains me to say this, we can't deny the facts. The Akame who strived to free this world from the chains of corruption no longer exists. Now she's a wanderer who explores the world and patiently waits for her 'destined' day to come or whatever. Ever since her and that guy got together she acts differently towards our cause, almost like she already knows how all of this will end."

Hearing Leone confess her feelings of uncertainty towards the one who once was her best friend certainly hurt her comrades but such truths weren't any less real because of it. How could someone just abandon hope in the rebellion they sacrificed everything for and leave for their own personal agenda? Such a selfish act just because she finally met someone her cold, unrelenting heart could love and because of some sort of predestined route chosen by the gods? Leone just couldn't really accept it no matter how much she tried to see Akame's side of the story.

"Maybe her sudden disappearance act has something to do with the night suddenly becoming day," Tatsumi wondered.

"Or maybe Team AKARA has something to do with it," Leone added.

"Or both," Chelsea ultimately concluded the train of thought, her voice that of an adult smoker due to her disguise, "Regardless...we have a mission to complete now so, let's move out."

"Yes ma'am."

"Aye Boss."

Vanishing into the shadows once more, the members of Night Raid moved from building structure to building structure like lightning bolts, never once were they seen by those below. Their final destination was quite the important event; a meeting between international leaders held in a newly built circular building with a portico of large granite, Corinthian columns—eight in the first rank and two groups of four behind under a pediment; a rectangular vestibule linked the porch to the rotunda which was under a coffered concrete dome, with a central opening to the sky.

Constructed over a section that was previously occupied by the back end of the now-destroyed imperial palace, this Pantheon's imposing look was meant to be seen as a representation of the empire's riches and power. Inside the structure tables full of various famous dishes from all over the world prepared by freelance chefs were elegantly placed creating a welcoming aroma to the many guests in the building—that combined with the abundance of red carpet covering the ground gave the event a royal aesthetic.

Approaching his many guests, a fat man all too familiar to most politicians and influential figures in the empire calmly hosted the event. As the new emperor of a nation full of enemies Onest felt a need to keep some security around him at all times. The ice queen Esdeath whose new mechanical limb stood out remained by the former Prime Minister's side with both of her arms crossed.

The two kept themselves composed as a young girl joined them. This lovely female looked to be in her mid-teens. She wrapped her body in a fashionable Taisho style Kimono consisting of a bubblegum pink Hakama and long leather boots. Her young expression combined with her pinkish blonde hair that went down to around her shoulders and cold yet youthful eyes gave her the facet of a cool-headed man-slayer. She didn't carry any form of weapons other than a strange custom katana with a disc guard that resembled a silver lotus.

"Emperor Onest I presume?" she inquired as she tossed her identification card over to Esdeath who promptly caught it with her metal hand.

"Inari Akane huh? Wow...didn't expect the heir to the throne of Mercury showing up here unaccompanied by any security, or even her parents. Then again...you are The Inari Akane aren't you? One of the highest ranking members of the Followers of Vermelho and daughter of Mercury's king—a young girl with a strong attitude on the battlefield, one that has allowed you to earn the respect of all members of the faction you serve with an undying loyalty. Legends say you can defeated entire legions on your own much like myself," Esdeath all but gave a complete analysis of the guest.

"You've heard of me then, guess my reputation goes far these days," the girl's rebuttal carried an extreme indifference towards Esdeath's claims.

"Is it true though?" Esdeath inquired.

"What is?"

"Is it true that the kings of Mercury are linked spiritually and that they used this connection to gain the power required to fight the Danger Beast that was later used to create this Teigu of mine?" the Ice Queen continued to probe for information.

"Yes I'm quite curious about that as well," Onest voiced his thoughts.

"The King who lived during the age of your First Emperor did indeed partake in the creation of your Teigu, Esdeath; but if you two are trying to obtain information regarding the power of my royal bloodline I'm afraid I'll have to take your lives," Inari stated without as much as a second thought.

"Oh? Can you do that?" Esdeath questioned with a doubtful expression.

"You wanna find out, ice bitch? Or are you still sore from the last spanking you experienced during the so called Pandora Crisis."

"Wait how do you-…"

"You're an open book to me, Esdeath," Inari spoke as her eyes began to rapidly shift between multiple colors before stopping at a glowing crimson color.

"Heh...mind reading huh? Impressive, perhaps I misjudged your strength," the ice queen quickly corrected herself. Mercury's princess however didn't care much for Esdeath's apology. She felt as if taking the time to listen to the words of such an incapable, weak fighter would be little more than a huge waste of energy.

"Please Princess Inari take a seat over by the round table, we'll await the remainder of our guests there. You can get all the food you want as well," Onest tried to get on the princess' good side but all he got in return was a soul shattering deadpan stare.

"As if I'd eat that crap that's rich in calories you obese pig!" the royal of a faraway continent yelled immediately breaking any pretense of being an educated princess destined to be a queen; her expression was now that of a pouting child.

"Um...we're sorry then."

Onest was left dumbfounded by the seemingly random mood shifts displayed by Inari. Come to think of it, her eyes did change color just now from their original lavender color all the way to a deep, glowing crimson when she got angry at Esdeath; now they were a tranquil aqua blue shade. Well at least she was finally taking a seat next to the round table Onest had set up for his international guests.

Away from this small discussion, a bald individual with deep violet eyes carefully spied from a distance while savoring the food available. Despite her appearance, this individual was actually Chelsea in disguise. In situations like this infiltration mission her Teigu showed how useful it could truly be for information gathering. Just as predicted the new emperor had set up the round table where the nation leaders would be meeting directly below the large opening in the dome above. No doubt a clever move made as a plan B because if negotiations failed, Onest's hired shooters would open fire on the international guests from the strategic position above...or at least that's what would've happened had Night Raid not acted.

Now stationed on the roof after slaughtering the shooters, both Tatsumi and Leone could drop in at any second to assassinate Onest and any who tried to join his cause. Of course this was a risky plan, but the idea of a war where Onest obtains support from Neveir, Mercury, and Alexandria was just quite terrifying. Add to that the threat someone like Hestia represents in that scenario and you got a conflict that could destroy the world, if not the entire universe.

"So this is the pitifully weak emperor who rules this kingdom now? I'm not impressed."

A mercilessly powerful voice echoed across the inside of the Pantheon signaling the arrival of a certain long-awaited group. Thus a red eyed 15 year old girl dressed in all black attire with a few red details scattered throughout its odds and ends stepped forth. She wore a militaristic set of boots and carried a devilishly looking katana-style weapon with a tsuba that resembled the wings of a demon and a customized red sheathe with a black decal circling its far end.

As the girl's gorgeously long, jet black hair danced in the wind alongside the royal crimson cloak she wore, Chelsea noticed the strange piece of clothing she wore on her head. It was something akin to a crown-top hat hybrid of sorts that fully displayed her status as royalty. A menacingly sly smile slowly began creeping across her lips as she walked over to the meeting table while all eyes rested on her. The dark aura of murderous intent that surrounded her mere presence was something that could only be described as truly and utterly insurmountable.

"Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate," the Devil Queen proudly spoke as she made her entrance, her three generals following closely sharing with her fearsome presence.

To Hikari's left stood a female with a crimson assassin uniform that had no sleeves and a battle skirt of the same color. She had a white collar with vertical red stripes and a black tie accompanying it. To make this female's identity even more obvious, her crimson eyes and long flowing black hair proved to be more than enough for Chelsea to identify her as Akame. The fact that her weapon of choice was identical to the Murasame only further confirmed Chelsea's suspicions.

Standing by this Akame's side was another female; her body was covered by a strange dress. Somehow it appeared to be made out of living shadows while the woman's skin was pale and had glowing red marks all over her body. All that put together with her psychopathic smirk, pinkish red eyes and light purple hair made this woman a walking nightmare despite her perfect, curvaceous body and large assets.

The last member of the Devil Queen's elite stood to her right. His young appearance was another one that no doubt got a reaction out of both the ice queen and even Chelsea herself. This boy used a traditional white assassin jacket over a black, base layer shirt with jeans. His average height and green eyes combined with his medium length, messy brown hair created an almost perfect reflection of Tatsumi himself. That said, this young man looked to be more serious and even a bit older; in addition his hair followed a different pattern being slightly spiked to the side.

"Who are you? I was expecting the Rogue King...not some little brat," Onest protested.

"More importantly why is a member of Night Raid with you?" Esdeath further inquired. The Akame doppelganger of the group couldn't help but let out a brief chuckle under her breath.

"Night Raid huh? Sure is a better name than Phantom Siege," she mockingly said. Both Esdeath and Onest could barely understand what was going on here; their expressions were stuck somewhere between curiosity and outright nervousness.

"Rogue King? Don't be ridiculous Onest...that foolish man fell like any other who stood against me and my four generals," Hikari spoke up before taking center stage next to the other two world leaders. Esdeath meanwhile could barely believe her eyes.

"You're...the daughter of Ikuro Hanate?" her voice echoed across the Pantheon.

"Oh? So you remember me...ice queen," the Devil Queen remarked with a smug look on her face.

"Absurd!" Onest protested, "The Hanates were all assassinated."

"Hikari was just a lost little girl. How could a fourteen year old escape the best assassins the Revolutionary Army had at their disposal? Sure her body was never found...but even so…" Esdeath voiced her thoughts once more, though in the end Hikari could only really smile at the older woman's confusion.

"I can assure you two. She is Hikari," Inari entered the conversation bringing all eyes back to her. The Devil Queen in particular had a joyfully sadistic smile stamped across her lips.

"Well, well, well...it has been a while princess, how's your lover?" she inquired as a way to break the ice.

"Dead remember? That fourth general of yours killed her," Inari spoke angrily, her eyes sporting a burning primrose color now. Hikari merely shrugged off the comment.

"It's a shame that the so-called Crimson Raider had to pass away, but whoever my most trusted retainer chooses to kill is irrelevant to me as long as it serves my cause. Besides, I've heard you hooked up with another redhead and her buddy a while back," she remarked.

"Adena? She and her friend were only one night stands," Inari explained. At that moment she found herself remembering the aforementioned girls. In her mind it was remarkable how much the world had changed in part due to Adena's actions in the Pandora Conflict.

"Still...she did manage to kill your brother didn't she? Maybe you should look into recruiting her for your little military," the princess continued.

"All in due time my dear Inari. Eventually the whole world will kneel under my banner, even Team AKARA and the stubborn, old fashioned people of Mercury shall serve my vision. I'll even take you as one of my wives if you wish," Neveir's ruler spoke with pride.

"I'd rather die a free woman who persevered in a chaotic world than live as a slave to someone else's cause," Inari concluded. Esdeath and Onest were at this point merely observing the ongoing banter.

"None of that explains why Akame is working for you though," the ice queen interrupted before the two could continue endlessly. Walking up to her master's side, the Red-Eyed Reaper didn't bow down; instead she just stood there without any emotions appearing in her expression.

"Let's just say I'm not the killer you call Akame, I'm from a different world. My name is Arayashiki...otherwise known as the Black Death," she introduced herself.

"Sooo um...you kill black people or something?" Inari let out her immature joke.

"Really?" Esdeath spoke in a scolding tone; the princess sure was having a good time in this otherwise formal meeting.

"Anyway...I'd like to discuss the possibility of an alliance between our nations," Onest spoke as he crossed his hands over his face before placing his arms down on the meeting table. He looked dead serious, quite obviously the need for support in this desperate war had started getting to his head.

"We're willing to listen to your proposal," Inari promptly spoke now back to a business-like attitude. The Devil Queen meanwhile remained indifferent about the whole endeavor; she was only here out of curiosity after all.

"I'll be straightforward. The Order of the Sapphire Phoenix represents a threat to our great empire; they have displayed enough power to shake the very core of our world. Their leader–Hestia Arashi–did the unthinkable...alone she killed the last of the royal bloodline and crushed our Supreme Teigu. Truly people like Rintaro Hanate and his group proved to be a far greater menace but in the end, Hestia still needs to be stopped. Even Esdeath herself would be powerless when fighting her so called elite forces. To that end I need the aid of Neveir and Mercury."

"Interesting...what about the kingdom of Alexandria? Their military and mystical abilities would no doubt be a great resource to possess in a time like this," Inari added to the emperor's ideas.

"Perhaps, but unfortunately no representatives of that continent appeared here today. Nonetheless you two should be enough," Onest concluded with a proud smile as he reached for the meat on his plate. His smirk however vanished when he noticed Hikari had not yet taken her sit. Instead she stood there, a blank expression on her face.

"I saw the world Hestia wishes to create," she stated.

"What do you mean?" Esdeath was the first to ask, the others all seemed to wonder the same thing.

"Raizo Arashi—the Red-Eyed Stormbringer—not long ago he used his abilities to go back in time and save his clan," Hikari began with quite an ominous tone.

"He succeeded in doing so and in the new world he created his mother and the Conclave conquered the capital and birthed the Ulrick Empire where even Esdeath joined her side. Hestia crushed any hope for a rebellion over time, but her weak and shortsighted mind didn't see the obvious danger in front of her eyes. In that world my counterpart took over Alexandria, Mercury, and all of their respective countries. Had that chaotic world not been returned to the one that exists now by the Counter Force, my goals would've been accomplished."

"What's a Counter Force?" Onest questioned.

"Forget the details, what matters is that my other self from that false world escaped that terrible reality before it was too late and alongside her was that timeline's version of Akame," Hikari spoke finally clarifying the origins of Arayashiki.

"So you abandoned your name, your world, and your people...all to take on a new identity? How interesting," Esdeath remarked as she stared at the Shatterpoint incarnation of Akame.

"I'm just a reaper looking for people to kill. You on the other hand quickly abandoned your cause when a new ruler took over like the weak little girl you always were," the Black Death dug deep with her words causing the ice queen to clench her one metal fist, a malicious smile could be seen stamped across her lips.

"Weak? You dare to challenge the Empire's strongest?" Esdeath inquired, she was now ready for a fight.

"Take a shot at me ice queen if you're ready to lose another arm and then become a scarecrow..." Arayashiki promptly and coldly spoke in response to Esdeath's challenging posture and proud tone.

"Now's not the time or place for this," Onest protested before slamming his hands down on the table.

"Princess Inari, Queen Hikari...I need a definitive answer on this matter," he finally spoke his mind. Both Inari and Hikari traded a quick glance before returning their gaze to the former Prime Minister. In a way the two ladies shared the same indifference in their eyes.

"Hestia taking over this land sounds wonderful doesn't it? The people of Mercury do not care how strong the enemy is nor about their numbers. All we want is valor in battle. Without it freedom loses its meaning. I say let the mad conqueror have her way in this sorry excuse for an empire but if she ever challenges my homeland then rest assured we'll eat her alive," the small princess voiced her decision.

"Please Princess Inari, you must reconsider!" Onest began to beg, "Queen Hikari what about you? Surely someone of your caliber will side with us."

"A single soldier of my army has more power than the Sapphire Phoenix as a fighting unit. Hestia and her retainers, no matter how skilled, represent no threat to me whatsoever," the Devil Queen spoke her mind; the atmosphere around the room was getting quite tense. Soon Onest would be left no real choice but to order his shooters to fire at his guests, a move that would've resulted in his own death given the power wielded by Hikari, her generals, and even the princess of Mercury.

"Lastly why would I ever side with someone who can't even set up a secured meeting?" Hikari remarked before turning her attention to the bald man in the crowd, "You can come out Chelsea and the rest of you Night Raid assassins as well."

The room fell dead silent as Hikari's words echoed across the Pantheon. In a moment's notice the disguised leader of Night Raid had been discovered and soon the attention of all fighters present in the building caught up to her. Chelsea was afraid, almost irrationally so. The mere act of observing the Devil Queen's eyes made her freeze for an instant. Something horrible emanated from within those crimson hues. They were always cold and all but fully focused on whatever Hikari chose to observe. Neither mercy nor any semblance of humanity existed in that girl's eyes, and that alone served as a powerful reminder of what kind of fate Chelsea would suffer if caught.

"Kizuna please restrain our guest," Hikari ordered with a small smile appearing across her lips.

"As you wish, my mistress," the female with the strange dress that seemed to be made out of shadows calmly spoke. Her pinkish red eyes widened and her light purple hair alongside the red marks that covered her young and curvaceous body began to pulse with a powerful glow. Almost as if on a whim, the tail end of her dress extended outward forming what appeared to be bladed tentacles that quickly moved through the air like knives possessed by a malicious spirit.

"Chelsea!" Tatsumi's desperate scream could be heard as he launched through the opening above and descended towards his girlfriend at speeds the boy did not know he could reach. Donning his new Incursio, the youth carried his crystal blade in hand before he attempted to cut through the incoming tentacles that threatened to turn Chelsea into mincemeat. He did manage to land a fast downward slash, but his blade did nothing but phase through the shadows. It seemed as if Chelsea's fate had been sealed, though luckily for her there was still one member of Night Raid unaccounted for.

"You're not dying yet!" Leone's voice cut through everyone's eardrums right as she dived in and tackled Chelsea down. Both females ducked under the bladed tentacles and their furious slashing; for a moment the girls felt safe as Leone remained on top of Chelsea, the two sharing a smile. However that sense of safety soon passed away when the living shadows under Kizuna's command pierced through Leone's back by striking down at her spine. Splashes of blood were sent in all directions; Chelsea could even see a dark blade protruding out of her friend's stomach. Regardless she knew Leone could take this.

"This shit ain't nothing!" the busty blond declared as she stood back up forcing the bladed tentacles to retract out of her body. She then offered Chelsea a hand in order to help her get up.

"How curious, the group's weakest link can regenerate," Kizuna made an observation, her pulsing eyes now dead set on Leone. She looked quite satisfied.

"Look we just want Onest...everyone else can leave as long as you're not working with him," the feline warrior spoke up as she readied herself for the worse.

"Let's test that regeneration of yours," Kizuna ominously declared. In the instant that followed her dress launched what appeared to be stretching fists created from her shadows. They were fast, so fast in fact that Leone was immediately hit several times over in her Adam's apple—the area of the body found in the front of the neck. If punched in this area one can end up choking or outright unable to breathe, needless to say Leone was left speechless after that.

What followed was an onslaught of strikes. First, one of the hands struck the center of Leone's chest causing great pain to the female who already couldn't breathe. Second, another dark limb struck Leone's jaw causing it to immediately dislocate and no doubt resulting in mouth and lip pain. In the end as if to entertain herself further, Kizuna aimed for her target's fingers pulling on them and bending them backwards resulting in excruciating pain for her victim.

"Stop!" Tatsumi shouted as he swung his blade directly at the psychopathic girl.

Before he could finish his rage filled attack, the boy was interrupted by a kick just below the ribs in his solar plexus. When struck there Tatsumi quickly got the wind knocked out of him before being sent flying into the nearest wall. To everyone's surprise the one attacking Tatsumi was none other than the boy who looked almost unbelievably similar to him down to their outdated fashion sense.

"Damn...who are..." Tatsumi stopped mid-sentence as he forced himself to get up on his feet, now without Incursio. The boy couldn't believe his own eyes. He would've recognized his attacker anywhere; his average height and green eyes immediately gave his identity away. Like Tatsumi, this man had endured the pain of loss...but of a different kind.

"No...Please...tell me you're not with the enemy," Tatsumi cried out, blood now running down his lips.

"It's good to see you again, brother," the older of the two remarked.

"You have a brother?" Chelsea inquired in a moment of curiosity.

"I do…" Tatsumi answered the girl he was dated before turning her attention back to the man before him, "Why Kanto? You were the one who wanted to stay behind, and now here you are with the enemy?!"

"I told you the capital was a dangerous place; I told you that nothing good would come of your little misadventures. Well...where are your inseparable friends Sayo and Ieyasu now huh? Wake up Tatsumi. You're not a hero, not by a long shot," the older brother—Kanto—scolded his sibling harshly.

"Shut up! You're serving someone who wants to rule over mankind, you're no better than me. At least I'm trying to save this dying kingdom," Tatsumi spoke in an attempt to stand up to his older brother.

"The difference between you and I is obvious, Tatsumi. I understand that no matter what we do there'll never be peace, it's written in human nature. As long as we're free and allowed to live as we please, there'll always be someone willing to hurt others in order to reach their goals. You walked down the path of an assassin believing that a mere revolution would bring everlasting peace, but I knew better."

"W-What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that my queen will change all that. Human nature will be rewritten, we'll all be made to follow a higher power, and we'll grant all of humanity lives free of suffering. All they'll have to do in return is follow the rules of our goddess and those who deny her light will be forced to adhere or be outright killed. Given enough time humans will evolve and learn to obey our ruler's every desire. Undying loyalty will be programmed into the genetic coding of all future generations," Kanto proudly proclaimed, "The world as you know it today will vanish alongside human nature as we understand it...and in its place a new utopia will be born."

"That's insane! You can't change human nature," Chelsea protested. It was at that moment that Kizuna approached the group, one of her tentacles wrapped up around Leone's ankle dragging the unconscious assassin.

"Are you sure? We live in a world where literal gods come down from the heavens, a world where the dead can be reborn and revived, a reality that throws the concept of anything being impossible out the window," the mysterious girl calmly remarked as she stood beside Kanto.

"Should we finish them off already?" she inquired before letting out a giggle. By this point Arayashiki, Esdeath, Hikari, Inari, and even Onest were all in a circle surrounding the members of Night Raid. Without warning Kizuna casually used her shadow tendrils to toss Leone's body in front of Tatsumi and Chelsea; the two knew by this point that escaping this nightmare they had gotten themselves into would be impossible.

"I suppose so...though I'd appreciate it if someone else could do it. I'm not heartless enough to kill my own brother," Kanto spoke as he turned his back towards his brother, "Let's go Kizuna, leave this to Shiki and our mistress."

"Shiki huh? Not a bad nickname," the Black Death remarked before taking a step forward. Kanto and Kizuna soon left the Pantheon whilst other members of the Emperor's guard and his affiliates also decided to abandon the meeting leaving only the remaining world leaders and the Red-Eyed Reaper behind to slay the members of Night Raid.

"Akame...is that really you?" Tatsumi questioned, Chelsea now hugged against him.

"I used to be, but then he left me behind...or better yet, he was never there to begin with."

"He?"

"It doesn't matter Tatsumi," she spoke before letting out a sigh, "You'll be leaving this world anyway."

"Akame please...this isn't you...y-you don't have to do this!" Leone spoke as she recovered consciousness only to use whatever remained of her energy to stand on one knee.

"We're best friends...aren't we?" she questioned, almost begging while at it.

"Friends? I killed you in my world...in fact I hacked your body all over before making scarecrows out of both you and that insignificant friend of yours...Mein I believe was her name," Arayashiki mocked the feline warrior before pulling out her weapon, the Murasame.

"End this now Shiki...we're done here," Hikari ordered. By her side Onest rejoiced in the fact that although he had failed in his original objective Night Raid would still be utterly eviscerated here and now.

As Arayashiki raised her blade in order to deliver one swooping cut to Tatsumi's throat, a cold wind ran across the Pantheon building. In that moment of desperation the heavens above were clouded by the wrath of an oncoming storm. The light that had been ignited into the endless night now retreated and gave way to the descent of crimson lightning bolts. An ever present pressure could now be felt by the more powerful individuals present as, unbeknownst to Esdeath and Onest, four beings of immeasurable influence and power approached this location.

Halting the advancement of her blade mere inches away from her target, the female nicknamed Shiki froze in place when the cracking sound of the roof above collapsing reached her ears. She looked up just in time to witness a girl she immediately recognized as the Akame of this World Line. To Shiki's surprise her counterpart was accompanied by an iconic group comprised of the Red-Eyed Hero, the former Jade Princess, and the Red-Eyed Stormbringer. Descending alongside the rubble of the broken ceiling the group gracefully landed in-between Night Raid and the members of Neveir's and Mercury's royalty.

Luckily both parties managed to back away from the falling debris which ended up doing little more than dusting up Team AKARA's clothes. At that moment Arayashiki couldn't help but display a smile when she saw her own counterpart standing in the middle of both Akaro and Raizo. In the eyes of the Black Death, who waited for this hero throughout her entire life only to receive abandonment in the end, seeing him alongside this counterpart of herself and the useless prince of the now nonexistent Ulrick Empire just made her feel a deep sense of dramatic irony.

"I who made a vow to wait for you throughout eternity end up in a world destined for destruction yet the inferior 'me' who stands by you now gets to live the dreams I yearned for?" she voiced her emotions. The Red Knight on the other hand was quick with his response.

"You may have her memories, you may look and sound like her, but in the end you're nothing more than a mirage, an illusion that escaped into our reality. No matter what way you frame it, my Akame...she would never kill for the sake of killing. She would never toy with corpses and make them into scarecrows for her own amusement."

Shiki's grip around her weapon grew tighter after hearing those words. How could her beloved be so blind and hopeful in a world that'll no doubt forevermore remain corrupt unless saved by Hikari's plan? To her it simply made no sense.

"It was the knowledge and know-how of your idolized Akame that made me into who I am; the best ways to kill and triumph over my opponents have been engraved inside my mind. You could say violence is part of my nature, more so than with any other human being. That's just how I was born, it's who I am...yet you judge me for it?" she questioned.

"Enough you two," Hikari spoke before finally stepping up to the group known as Team AKARA. She observed them like a predator judging the value of their potential victim. In particular her gaze came to a stop when the boy, Raizo Mercer, came into view. For a moment she looked stunned before her eyes began to glow with an intimidating demonic red radiance that sent a shiver down the Stormbringer's spine.

""You are..."" both Akaro and Raizo muttered simultaneously. Though Hikari looked much younger, she was still nonetheless strikingly similar to a female both brothers loved.

"Kimiko?" Raizo dared to ask in spite of the fear that now corroded his entire body. Sweat poured down his forehead, his hands shook, but he still didn't run or gave in to his emotions. Instead the youth forced himself to remain steadfast against the overwhelming force he now faced.

"Ah that's the name. Kimiko Hanate, right? I knew her abilities being similar to my own were no coincidence," Hikari calmly remarked with a smirk now stamped across her lips.

"So you're her counterpart in this world?" Akaro observed. He looked to be quite surprised at this turn of events, something that didn't happen all too often.

"Perhaps...but most curious of all why are you here, Akaro? I can sense the danger that unbeknownst to all looms over creation. If Team AKARA doesn't act now The Architect will attain dominance over the fate of our world," the Devil Queen declared before returning her piercing gaze down to Raizo causing the boy to subtly take a step back.

"W-Why are you looking at me like that?" he questioned unsure of what to think.

"You've forgotten about me...how cruel, Raizo," she spoke before closing her eyes and letting out a deep sigh. It was almost as if the Queen of Neveir was disappointed in the young man who feared her every move.

"No matter, when the time comes you'll remember what you've done. You'll come to see me out of an irrational sense of responsibility abandoning everything for a chance to fight me. When you first set foot under the snow of my kingdom, I shall take away your pride, your dignity, and lastly your life."

The power contained within each word she uttered was comparable to the pain of being in the receiving end of Raizo's and Akaro's crimson lightning bolts. Needless to say the Stormbringer felt as if every atom that composed his mortal body was being pierced and torn asunder by the Devil Queen's mere presence. Never before had the youth bore witness to such insurmountable murderous intent oozing from just one person, not even the likes of Esdeath or Arayashiki could compare.

"What was it that you Blood Wolves used to spout out with all the unyielding pretentiousness in the world? Oh yes; 'Blood is the currency the wolf uses to repay corruption' heh...such a pathetic catchphrase, but even so it shall prove itself to be your undoing next time we meet," Hikari quite ominously proclaimed before turning her back to the young Stormbringer. The sound of her footsteps echoed across the Imperial Pantheon leaving all parties present stunned as they watched her head for the exit. Her scarlet cloak swiftly danced behind her emphasizing the young girl's beauty.

Aware that she'd have to follow the Queen of Neveir, Arayashiki sighed before turning her eyes to her counterpart.

"I hope you enjoy having your beloved by your side...that happiness won't last forever. When enough time has passed you'll regret being with him," she spoke before finally taking her leave with Hikari. Before she walked out however all she got in return from Akame was an all too iconic deadpan stare.

Kizuna, Kanto, and now Hikari alongside Arayashiki had abandoned the meeting proposed by the former Prime Minister and mock emperor who silently stood by throughout the whole ordeal hoping for the death of at least one of his dreaded enemies. Now that it was all over and no one had been killed, the silence present quickly grew in awkwardness. Esdeath for some reason couldn't stop herself from staring at the Red-Eyed Hero as if her life depended on it while Raizo had calmed down but still showed a glaring sense of confusion brought upon by Hikari's words. Lastly Akaro and Akame remained close to each other with their hands intertwined.

Meanwhile, the only ones acting normally were Adena and Princess Inari who unbeknownst to the groups present had been looking at each other from head to toe for the last minute or so. It was odd; by the time Raizo and the others caught wind of this, the two females had already gone ahead and performed what could most accurately be described as a friendly fist bump. Although casual, the gesture still shook the entire building.

"Never thought I'd see you again, Benihime," Inari spoke with a deep sense of nostalgia present in her voice.

"Yeah well, a lot happened. Y'know like...I helped save all of creation from an overdramatic edgelord and his group of followers which consisted of an old man that had an ego so large he didn't even need Viagra to get going and a cannibalistic girl who went on to later transform herself into a demonic babe that came very close to again almost destroying everything. Oh yeah and I saw my sister again...she's still very angry at life."

"Wait what?" Mercury's princess asked in confusion. Akaro couldn't help but crack a smile at her reaction.

"Oh I'm sure you'll hear lots of tales about the Pandora War and various different versions of the events being told everywhere. Long story short we're a big deal around here. Anyway obvious question here but...you guys know each other?" he inquired out of curiosity.

"Yeah Big Bro, she's the one I told you about...y'know the one Zephy and I did eh...things with one night at a hot spring," the vermilion-haired female clarified. Out of the corner of her vision she caught her boyfriend raising an eyebrow.

"Oi, I see you questioning things over there, Mister Raizo Mercer," she spouted out in a calm tone, "It was just a one-time deal way back in the day."

"So this is the infamous Crimson Harbinger of Death huh?" Inari made an observation before walking up to Raizo in order to see him eye to eye.

"What the hell is wrong with his hair?" she immediately observed.

""This is what happens when you mix the genes of a Primordial Demigod with a woman born with natural bukkake hair,"" both Akaro and Adena let out the same joke simultaneously before sharing yet another fist bump.

"Oh god they're making synchronized punchlines again," the Red-Eyed Killer finally broke her silence before sighing.

"Tch you guys are terrible," the Stormbringer said. This little conversation was quite remarkable in Inari's eyes. After all this time it appeared that her redheaded friend had finally found a family.

"I'm proud of you, Benihime," Inari remarked while making her way to the exit without as much as saying goodbye. Had it been anyone else that attitude would've been perceived as rude, but both Adena and the rest of her team knew better.

Turning to face both the members of Night Raid and Esdeath alongside Onest, Akaro and the present members of Team AKARA found themselves at a conversational deadlock. Esdeath was still frozen with her eyes unable to ignore Akaro's face even for a split second, Onest now did his best to hide his obese body behind the female, and finally Tatsumi carried a badly injured Leone on his back while Chelsea stood by his side.

"Thanks for saving us again, Akaro" she gracefully spoke.

"You too, Akame...thanks for showing up," Tatsumi followed up with his own thoughts on the matter, "I don't know what you're up to nowadays and I'm sure it's important, but still, I appreciate the save."

"You're welcome, now go."

Those were the last words exchanged before both Tatsumi and the rest of Night Raid took off. They would probably be back at their base in just under a few hours; at least there the group would be safe and Leone would hopefully be able to heal herself back to health. In the end all who remained in this large Pantheon was a corrupt old man and his ice-wielding underling; both now looked up at the larger than life heroes present before them.

In a moment's notice Akaro brought his attention to Esdeath, the Red-Eyed Hero smiled for a moment. An eternity had passed since he last saw the ice queen, but then again it wasn't this particular incarnation of Esdeath that he saw when he looked at her.

"Yo, quit staring at me Eschest, I'm married," he jokingly said. In response the female very clearly took a step back as her heart began to race; whether because of fear or some other emotion she couldn't tell.

"Have we...met before?" the lone commanding officer questioned as she saw the group of legendary killers turn to take their leave in order to continue the fight against whoever it was that needed to be stopped.

"You'll find out the answer to that question centuries from now...partner," Akaro's words echoed into Esdeath's ears as she watched the group in front of herself vanish in a blinding flash of crimson lightning followed by numerous thunderous roars. Night Raid was safe and the Queen of Neveir had trusted the fight against The Architect to Team AKARA's hands. Now all that remains was the final battle that grew ever closer.