"Speech"
"Thoughts"
Teigu
"Incursio"
Disclaimer: I don't own Akame ga Kill, or any of its characters.
(Inside of Night Raid's Base: With Akame and Lubbock)
Akame softly grunted as she used Murasame to deflect another one of Toby's attacks. Leaping into the air, Toby tried to kick Akame, a blade extending from the bottom of his heel. But the red-eyed assassin easily dodged the attack. Akame quickly slid to the right, and slashed her blade upward, slicing Toby's right arm clean off. Toby hissed as blood sprayed from his wound, his severed arm dropping to the ground with a dull thud.
"Tch, damn it." Toby cursed, as he landed back on the ground, blood pooling at his feet.
"Hmm, it looks like one cut won't be enough to bury you..." Akame said, sliding into her fighting stance and readying Murasame, the blade seeming to glow in the pale moonlight that filled the hall. "Then I'll have to cut you down piece-by-piece. But I must warn you, it's going to hurt quite a lot, so I hope you've prepared yourself."
"Heh, it's going to 'hurt' you say?" Toby muttered, as a small smile spread across his face. Akame's grip on Murasame tightened when a blade suddenly sprouted from where Toby's right arm had been. "I don't even know what pain feels like anymore." Without another word, Toby charged towards Akame, ready to cut her down with his new blade arm. The red-eyed assassin locked blades with Toby, and struggled to overpower him. As Akame fought to push Toby back, her eyes widened when Toby's mouth opened and a small pistol sprang out.
"I have to act fast!" Akame thought, darting her head to the left just as Toby fired. The red-eyed assassin's incredible speed and reaction time paid off, as the bullet whizzed past her ear, hitting some of her hair as it blew past. "Now's the time to finish this!"
"What amazing reaction speed." Toby thought, as he stared at his opponent in awe. Akame took advantage of Toby being distracted and sliced his other arm off. Toby grit his teeth as he whipped around, another pistol appearing where his left arm had been. But Toby was surprised to see that Akame wasn't where he'd thought she'd be. Realizing his mistake, Toby quickly lowered his gaze, and spotted Akame crouched low to the ground. "From below!?" Akame attacked before Toby had a chance to even aim his weapon. Lunging forward, Akame cut Toby's left leg off, her blade easily slicing straight through flesh and bone.
"Now Lubbock!" Akame called out, noticing that the green-haired assassin had finally finished off the two larger goons. Lubbock once again quickly arranged his threads into the form of a spear and hurled the weapon, piercing straight through Toby's chest.
"You little..." Toby struggled to say, as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. "You know it's rude to interrupt someone's fight..."
"Yeah, and it was rude of you bastards to just storm into our hideout uninvited." Lubbock said with a cocky smirk, shrugging his shoulders and shoving his hands into his pockets. "I mean you guys didn't even give us a chance to tidy the place up; put out the fine china and good silverware, ya know? Besides..." Lubbock's smirk changed into a grin, as he turned to Akame. "I couldn't just sit back and watch while my friend fights."
"...Well even if we had continued fighting one-on-one..." Toby said, as he lowered his head and released a light sigh. "I probably still would have lost..." Toby then raised his head and locked eyes with Akame. "Please tell me...Akame...how was I inferior to you?"
"Your attacks were quite fierce, but..." Akame replied, slowly walking towards Toby. "You left yourself quite exposed whenever you attacked..."
"Heh...so my defense was too weak?" Toby muttered, as blood dripped from the corners of his mouth. "I suppose not feeling pain made me feel sort of invincible..." Toby lowered his head in defeat. "Well you have bested me Akame...so I will admit defeat...and allow you to finish me off."
"If only you had joined the revolutionary army..." Akame said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "You could have been a such a valuable asset...and fought for a righteous cause." Then in one swift motion Akame decapitated Toby with a clean swipe of Murasame. Akame's slice was so fast and precise that no blood had stained her blade. When Toby's headless corpse collapsed to the ground, Akame released a light sigh and resheathed Murasame. She then turned around to face Lubbock. "I suppose we should head outside and help the others."
"Yeah, that would probably be the best move." Lubbock said, as he eyed the body-ridden corridor. "We don't want to keep everyone waiting."
"Just give me a moment." Akame said, heading back down the hall towards Tatsumi's room. "I need to go get changed real quick."
"Okay, but don't take too long." Lubbock said, as he shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against a nearby wall; one that wasn't coated in blood. However, as Lubbock leaned against the wall, he finally realized where Akame was heading. The green-haired assassin's eyes widened when he saw Akame quickly duck into Tatsumi's bedroom. "Awww God damn it!" Lubbock began to stomp his foot on the ground in anger. "Why the hell is Tatsumi the one getting laid all the time?!"
(Outside Night Raid's Base: With Tatsumi, Mine, and Sayo)
"Hey you two..." Tatsumi said, getting Mine and Sayo's attention, as he pointed towards the large danger beast flying in the sky above them. "What is that thing?"
"Is it an enemy?" Sayo asked, as she instinctively grabbed an arrow from her quiver. "If it is, I might be able to hit it with my last explosive arrow."
"Hold on a second Sayo, I'll check it out." Mine said, opening a hidden compartment near Pumpkin's stock. Pulling out a high-tech scouter, Mine zeroed in on the danger beast. However, Mine's eyes shot open a moment later when she saw who was riding atop the Air Manta. "Hey! It's the boss! And it looks like she brought some reinforcements too!"
"Damn, that's some good timing." Sayo said with a smirk, as she put back her explosive arrow. "Now we definitely have the upper hand in this fight."
"Aw, but that's no fair!" Tatsumi explained, crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance.
"How so?" Mine asked, as she quirked an eyebrow in confusion.
"Well she's making her grand entrance on that sweet danger beast, right?" Tatsumi replied, letting out an irritated grunt. "I wanted to ride it too damn it!"
"God, will you ever grow up?" Sayo groaned, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Turning her head, Sayo hid the small smile that spread across her face. "Well I guess that's what makes Tatsumi, Tatsumi. He can go from being a total badass to complete dork in the blink of an eye."
"This isn't the time to be worrying about looking cool." Mine said, her brow twitching slightly. "So focus damn it!"
"R-Right..." Tatsumi muttered, as he rubbed his arm in embarassment. "Sorry Mine..."
"It's fine." Mine said, a slight blush dusting across her cheeks. "We can't afford to be getting distracted right now..." Mine's voice suddenly softened and she muttered the last part under her breath. "I don't want you getting hurt."
"God, will she just kiss him already." Sayo thought, as she rolled her eyes. "I don't think she could be making it more obvious that she likes him...but with Tatsumi being as dense as he is, she'll have to literally spell it out for him. Plus I think Mine is just being stubborn too, and won't admit that she likes Tatsumi." Sayo couldn't help but feel slightly confused, as she gazed at Tatsumi. "What's happened to him? When did he start to change so much? I don't remember him being this popular with girls back in the village. Sure, I remember one or two girls saying they thought he was cute, but Tatsumi never really knew how to handle girls. I was the only girl he ever seemed really comfortable around. Then after he saved me from that hellhole in the capital, and brought me to Night Raid, he suddenly has girls falling head over heels for him and he seems to have no problem talking with them anymore. I mean Leone is constantly flirting with him, and Akame has been clinging to him lately. Back when Sheele...was alive...I'm pretty sure she had a little crush on Tatsumi; she would ask me all kinds of questions about him whenever we were alone together. Then there's this Esdeath woman..." Sayo suddenly clutched a hand over her heart. "When did Tatsumi change from a child into such a strong and reliable man?"
As Sayo was lost in thought, she never noticed the ominous presence lurking in the forest behind her and the others. "Oh? What do we have here?" Trauma thought with a twisted grin, as he leered at Mine and Sayo. "Heh heh...They're both so cute!" Sliding a knife out of both his sleeves, Trauma lunged towards both girls. "Young ladies, your backs are wide open!" Trauma's maniacal grin widened as he neared Sayo and Mine. But, just before Trauma's blades could strike flesh, he was hit in the face by a flying kick from a very pissed off blonde assassin.
"Now you've gone and done it!" Leone, who had transformed into her Lionel form, roared, driving her heel into Trauma's cheek. "You shit head!" Leone's surprise attack sent Trauma flying across the clearing, getting everyone else's attention. Without hesitation, Leone pounced on Trauma, lifting him into the air by the throat. "I've got ya now, ya bastard!"
"Guh!" Trauma chocked out, as Leone's claws dug into his throat. "It hurts...someone help me..."
"You know..." Leone snarled, her golden eyes full of fiery rage. "I love doing sneak attacks, but I utterly haaaaate being a victim of them!" A low growl rumbled in Leone's throat, as she tightened her grip on Trauma's neck, cutting off his breathing. "Looks like you've been toughened up, but don't think you'll die painlessly because of that." As Leone continued to chock Trauma, she was surprised when a grin suddenly spread across his face. Hearing a strange sound, Leone looked down and saw that a blade had extended from Trauma's shoe. Using the last of his strength, Trauma attempted to stab Leone with the hidden blade. But to his shock, the blonde assassin caught the blade between her teeth, snapping the knife to pieces with her fangs. "That ain't gonna work a second time ya bastard!"
"S-She...caught it with her-" Trauma was cut off when Leone wrapped both hands around his throat, easily snapping his neck life a twig. Then with a ferocious growl, Leone grabbed Trauma by the face and slammed his head into the ground, crushing the back of his skull. Letting out a quick sigh, Leone released her grip on Trauma and stood over his corpse. "Damn it..." Leone huffed and rested her fists on her hips. "I didn't mean to kill him in one hit...I wanted to make him suffer a little more."
"Leone..." Tatsumi said, as he walked up to his busty blonde lover. "Are you really alright? You said this guy attacked you earlier, right?"
"Aw, I'm so happy that you're worried about me." Leone replied with a grin, rubbing the back of her head. "But you don't need to worry about me Tatsumi. My healing abilities are greatly enhanced while I'm using Lionel. So I can take a good thrashing and still get back up."
"But..." Tatsumi thought, as he saw a flash of Leone dying in a pool of her own blood, his fists balling tightly. "I can't help but worry about you...especially after everything we've been through together."
"I'm so glad you're all safe!" A familiar voice snapped Tatsumi out his thoughts. Turning around, Tatsumi spotted both Akame and Lubbock jogging towards them. "We managed to clear all those creeps out of our hideout!"
"Well that's good..." Tatsumi thought, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. "Looks like Akame managed to reach Lubbock in time...I guess it's not time to start worrying about him yet. But I'll still have to keep my eyes open. I still have no idea when everyone is going to be in danger." However, Tatsumi was pulled from his thoughts when a large group of Stylish's soldiers surrounded the Night Raid assassins. "Damn, there's still a lot of these guys left."
"The good news is, I'm not picking anymore up on my wires." Lubbock said, as he retracted his threads. "This should hopefully be the last of them."
"Yeah, I'm not smelling anymore of these creeps either." Leone said with a feral grin, punching her palm. "Now let's go wild!"
"It seems like Dr. Stylish is the only one who came after us...if that's the case then we can definitely do this!" Tatsumi thought, as he tightly balled his fists. "Alright everyone!" Tatsumi's sudden shout got all his comrade's attention. "Now that we're all together, let's teach these bastards a lesson! You don't fuck with Night Raid!"
"Sounds good to me!" Leone exclaimed, baring her fangs and cracking her knuckles. "I've still got some pent up aggression to let out."
"Heh, who the hell put you in charge?" Mine teased with a smirk, as she readied Pumpkin. "But I guess these assholes did barge into our home unannounced."
"We've got your back Tatsumi." Akame said, unsheathing Murasame and moving closer to Tatsumi.
"Lend me your strength, Sheele." Sayo thought, as she put away her bow and grabbed Extase.
"Alright, let's do-" Tatsumi stopped mid-sentence when all his comrades suddenly collapsed to the ground around him. Filled with panic, Tatsumi immidiately ran up to Akame and Leone. "Huh!? What's going on you guys?! Are you all okay?!"
"M-My body..." Mine struggled to say, her breathing heavy and labored. "It feels so numb...I can't move...at all."
"What...the hell...is happening?" Sayo muttered, as she used Extase to prop herself up. "My whole body...feels so heavy..."
"This seems like what happened back on that ship..." Tatsumi said, standing back onto his feet, his mind racing. "Is this some type of hypnotism?"
"N-No...this is...poison..." Akame said weakly, as she fought as hard as she could to stay conscious.
(Cliffs Overlooking Night Raid's Base: With Dr. Stylish)
"It seems that apart from Incursio the poison is having an immediate effect, Dr. Stylish." Eyes reported, as he watched most of Night Raid's members fall to the ground.
"Haha...that was the first ace hidden up my sleeve." Stylish said with a smirk, adjusting his glasses. "It's an extremely potent paralyzing drug that I invented some time ago. I figured that normal poison wouldn't work on those assassins. So I used the most powerful one I had in one spray." Stylish's smirk widened slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "But it would seem Incursio's armor is negating the poison's effects. But it's only a matter of time before he falls as well."
"Ah!" Nose suddenly exclaimed, as a realization struck him. "Stylish-sama, aren't our own men in danger as well?"
"We already administered an antidote to all of our men." Ears replied, brushing some of her hair to the side. "Dr. Stylish thought of everything ahead of time."
"That's right." Stylish said, as he winked at Nose. "You're also resistant to it, Nose." Stylish suddenly blushed slightly and scratched his cheek. "I didn't want to use my most powerful drug on those strong and healthy Night Raid guinea pigs...and, well...creating this one sample batch took such a long time, it's quite precious to me..." Stylish then fell onto one knee and spoke in a overly-dramatic voice. "But you see I had no choice! They were killing all of my precious little pawns!" Stylish's display caused everyone around him to gush.
"That's our Stylish-sama!"
"He's too kind!"
"Such a great man!"
"Heh, they're all such fools." Stylish thought with a hidden evil smirk. "I could care less about any of you. Once you become worthless to me, I'll throw all of you to the side."
(Back With Night Raid)
"I can...move more than everyone else?" Tatsumi thought, as he clenched and unclenched his fist. By now, with Tatsumi's help, Leone and Akame had managed to stand back onto their feet, but they had to struggle with every movement. "Is this your doing Incursio?"
"Yes, the helmet you're wearing is currently filtering out most of the toxins in the air. But you must hurry partner, I can't block out all of the poison. If you wait too long, you'll start to be effected as well."
"I got it..." Tatsumi thought, tightly balling his fist and equipping Neuntote into his right hand. The young assassin walked in front of his incapacitated comrades. "I have to protect everyone!"
"Ah, it would seem that you won't be the only one."
"What are you-" Tatsumi was snapped from his thoughts when something crashed in the middle of the horde of Stylish's pawns; kicking up a large wall of dust and debris. "What the hell was that?!"
"Your reinforcements have finally arrived."
When the dust began to clear, Tatsumi's eyes widened when he spotted a massive horned, blue-haired man standing on top of one of Stylish's soldiers; his large staff shattering the pawn's skull.
"Who...is that guy?" Sayo asked, eyeing the newcomer warily.
"Is he with the enemy?" Leone asked, as she slid into a fighting stance.
"No." Tatsumi replied, holding out his arm to block Leone. "He's on our side."
(In the Air Above Night Raid's Base: With Najenda)
"If you and I go down there now, I feel like it could get dangerous, Chelsea." Najenda said, as she turned to the other hooded figure that was still on the Air Manta.
"Roger boss." Chelsea said, saluting to Najenda.
"Now!" Najenda exclaimed, as she turned to the large man who had landed in the middle of the battlefield. "Drive away all the enemies you see before you, and keep my men safe! Susanoo!"
"Understood." Susanoo replied, as he charged towards the waves of pawns before him, rapidly spinning blades extending from then end of his staff. Charging headlong into the crowd of pawns, Susanoo thrust his staff forward. The whirling blades shredded everything they touched; hacking off limbs and painting the clearing with a fresh coat of blood. Another group of pawns tried to surround Susanoo, but one swipe of his staff reduced them to bloody chunks.
"So...So strong..." Tatsumi thought, staring at the carnage Susanoo created in awe; the clearing now filled with dozens of bodies. "He's just like Bro."
(Back with Dr. Stylish)
"What the hell!? It's not possible!" Eyes exclaimed, as he watched a newcomer tear through their forces. "That new guy is tearing through our infantry like paper! If he's living, then why didn't the poison affect him?!"
"Hmm, I don't get it..." Stylish hummed, rubbing his chin as he thought. "Perhaps he wields a teigu I'm not familiar with." Seeing no other options, Stylish grabbed a small device from his pocket. "In that case...I'll sacrifice my experimental materials...with this." Pressing the red trigger on the device, Stylish smirked when a large explosion echoed out in the distance. "Haha...those pawns were all packed with specially designed human explosives. Now there's no way he survived that."
(Back with Night Raid)
Tatsumi watched in stunned silence as the man known as Susanoo stood before him, with his left arm blown off and dozens of other wounds across his body. But what shocked Tatsumi the most was that Susanoo appeared to be in no pain whatsoever. "What's with this-" Tatsumi's thoughts were interrupted when he saw all of Susanoo's wounds begin to bubble and smoke. "What's happening to him?"
"This...This is..." Mine muttered in shock, as she watched Susanoo's arm slowly begin to regenerate. "I...I don't believe it..."
"It's just like with that Seryu chick and her teigu." Sayo breathed out, watching as Susanoo clenched his newly formed fist.
"It's a biological teigu..." Mine said in awe, as stared at Susanoo in shock. "A human teigu!" Mine quirked a pink eyebrow when she saw that Susanoo was now staring directly at her. "W-What do you want?" Mine felt rather nervous when Susanoo rushed over and kneeled down next to her, reaching out to touch her.
"Oi-" Tatsumi exclaimed, preparing to rush over and stop the humanoid teigu if he tried something fishy. However, he was quite confused as he watched Susanoo fix Mine's disheveled hair. "Huh?"
"There!" Susanoo cheered, as he stood back onto his feet. "All better!"
"H-Huh?" Mine awkwardly stuttered out in confusion, staring up at Susanoo. "What's all better?"
"He's a neat freak?" Tatsumi thought, as he raised an eyebrow. "That's...unexpected."
Flying high up above her assassins, Najenda began to scan the surrounding area. Night Raid's leader pulled out a high-tech pair of binoculars, and gazed out at the cliffs that surrounded their base. "It'd have to be a good place to observe Akame and everyone else..." Najenda thought, as her good eye narrowed. "And if we're upwind from where poison the was dispersed then..." Najenda turned her gaze toward the southwestern cliffs. "If someone is commanding these bastards, they'd definitely be around here somewhere..." A smirk spread across Najenda's face when she spotted four figures standing near the cliffs edge. "Bingo!" Putting the binoculars away, Najenda gave Susanoo his new orders. "Susanoo! The enemy's leader is cowering in the cliffs to the southwest! Go there and destroy them! Leave no survivors!"
"Understood!" Susanoo exclaimed, sprinting towards where Stylish was located.
"Wait up man!" Tatsumi called out, as he ran after Susanoo. "I'll back you up!"
"Tatsumi! Wait!" Akame and Leone yelled simultaneously in a worried tone.
"That idiot, does he ever use his head?" Sayo said under her breath, gritting her teeth in irritation. "Why does he always have to put himself in danger?"
"You better stay safe, Tatsumi." Mine thought, as she watched Tatsumi disappear into the treeline. "I'll never forgive you if you get hurt."
(Cliffs to the Southwest: With Dr. Stylish)
"We've been discovered!" Ears shouted, after hearing Najenda's exclamation. "There's at least two targets rapidly approaching our position!"
"Oh well!" Stylish yelled, as he booked it for the nearby treeline. "No point sticking around now! Let's get out of here!" However, Stylish and his soldiers were stopped when the Air Manta did an extremely low pass overhead, knocking them all off their feet. Groaning in pain, Stylish rubbed his head. "That wench...They're not gonna let use get away, no matter what." Just as Stylish and his men were getting back onto their feet, Susanoo and Tatsumi had finally caught up with them.
"You take his guards..." Tatsumi said, Neuntote appearing in his outstretched hand. "I'll take Stylish down myself."
"I could have handled this by myself." Susanoo said, as he slammed his staff into the ground. "But I welcome the assistance and I'll follow your command."
"Don't worry Dr. Stylish!" Eyes exclaimed, standing protectively in front of Stylish.
"In the game of chess, we're your most powerful pieces!" Nose said, as he slid into a rather sloppy fighting stance. "We'll protect you at all costs!"
"No...No, it's not possible in this situation...you fools are only useful for reconnaissance. You can't fight to at all!" Stylish thought, gritting his teeth in irritation. "After all, even my experimental poison didn't work on that humanoid teigu and the Incursio user. They're simply cheating now!" Reaching into his pocket, Stylish pulled out a syringe full of a hazy green liquid. "It's finally come down to this...and I'm prepared to do my worst!" Grinning hysterically, Stylish slammed the needle into his arm and pressed the plunger. "This is the second ace up my sleeve! A condensed serum of several danger beast's DNA! It's the only way now!"
"I've got a bad feeling about this." Tatsumi muttered, as he took a cautious step back. The young assassin felt a chill run down his spine, as he watched Stylish's body hideously morph and change.
"As do I." Susanoo said, readying his staff. "Be prepared for anything."
"It's here! It's here! It's hereeeeeee!" Stylish yelled, as he laughed hysterically. The doctor's lower body had transformed into that of a hideous monster, that towered over the treeline. The upper portion of Stylish's body still remained human, and rested atop the grotesque and muscular body. "This is the ultimate form of stylishness! I will become a danger beast myself! And blow everyone away!" With a crazed smile, Stylish grabbed ahold of Eyes and Nose. Stylish's soldiers began to panic when a large mouth opened in the middle of Stylish's danger beast body. "You all are my precious nutrition! Let us become one!" Tatsumi watched in horror, as Stylish devoured the two men; his danger beast body transforming as it absorbed them. Ears was frozen in terror, her entire body shaking violently. "You're next my dear! I need your delicious nutrients!"
"I have to do something!" Tatsumi thought, rushing forward without a second thought.
"NOOOOO!" Ears screamed, as one of Stylish's arms reached out to snatch her, so she could be absorbed as well.
"Get the hell away from her!" Tatsumi roared, using Neuntote to slice through the disgusting mass of flesh that was trying to steal Ears.
"RAGH! Stylish screamed in pain, as he recoiled backwards, blood spraying from his wound. "You little bastard!"
"Let's get you out of here!" Tatsumi exclaimed, picking up Ears bridal style.
"Why are you-"
"No time for talking!" Tatsumi yelled, as he barely dodged a sudden attack from Stylish; the missed blow creating a large crater in the ground. "I'm getting you out of here now! Then we're gonna take this ugly bastard down!" Before Tatsumi reached the treeline, he turned back to the humanoid teigu behind him. "Susanoo! Keep the doctor at bay! I'll be back in a minute to help you out!"
"Understood." Susanoo said, watching Tatsumi leap towards where the rest of Night Raid's members were.
"Get back here with my fuel!" Stylish roared, as he tried to chase after to Tatsumi. But the human, danger beast hybrid was stopped when Susanoo slammed his staff into Stylish's chest.
"Hmm, you're body has begun to harden." Susanoo said to himself, striking Stylish once again, sending the crazed doctor skidding back.
"Fine! If I can't have her, I'll just have to take you in instead!" Stylish yelled in a crazed voice, as he charged towards Susanoo.
(Back with Night Raid)
"What is that thing?" Sayo asked, watching as a large figure rose above the treeline.
"Whatever it is, it's disgusting..." Mine said, as she managed to sit on her knees; by now a good amount of the poison had exited her system. "It's just like a monster."
"And Tatsumi is over there..." Akame muttered, clutching a hand over her racing heart.
"Don't worry about Tatsumi." Leone said, as she placed a comforting hand on Akame's shoulder. "He promised us that he'd always come back, remember?"
"I know, but I can't help-" Akame was cut short when a rustling sound was heard from the treeline ahead of everyone. Leone and Akame prepared to pounce on whoever it was, and Mine had Pumpkin ready to fire. But to everyone's surprise Tatsumi burst from the forest, carrying a very frightened girl in his arms. Akame's eyes lit up when she saw her lover, and she lowered her blade. "Tatsumi! Thank God you're okay!"
"Who is that girl?" Leone asked, as Tatsumi gently put Ears on the ground.
"She's one of Stylish's soldiers." Tatsumi replied, immidiately putting everyone back on edge.
"Then why is she here!?" Mine exclaimed, as she aimed Pumpkin at Ear's head. "She's an enemy, so we should take her out!"
"I saved her, because Stylish was going to absorb her and become more powerful!" Tatsumi yelled, stepping protectively in front of Ears, who was cowering behind him. "Plus...I managed to find something out when Esdeath captured me...I tried to do some digging around and I overheard Stylish talking with someone..." Tatsumi turned around and crouched down, placing a comforting hand on the frightened girl's shoulder. "All of his soldiers were once death row inmates...they thought they had no other options...so they let Stylish perform horrible experiments on them..."
"And we all know how much the minister likes throwing innocent people in prison." Sayo finished, as she slowly walked over to Tatsumi and kneeled down next to him. When she next spoke, her voice was soft and caring. "What's your name?"
"I...I don't remember..." Ears replied, beginning to slightly calm down. "I think...I think it's Mary...but I'm not too sure. All I remember before the experiments started was spending day after day in a cold, dark cell...waiting to die."
"Mary, that's a cute name." Sayo said with a warm smile. "Well you won't have to worry about working for Stylish anymore."
"R-Really?" Mary asked in shock, as tears formed in her eyes. "I-I'm free now?"
"Here." Tatsumi said, taking out a small pouch of money and handing it to the stunned Mary. "This is some money that I've been saving up..." Tatsumi then turned to his red-eyed lover. "Akame." Nodding in understanding, Akame handed Tatsumi the small medical pouch she always carried with her. "Take these. Patch yourself up and use the money to head South." Mary simply stood in stunned silence and numbly took what Tatsumi was giving her. "There's a revolutionary army camp hidden in a small village about ten miles South of here. Head there and tell them that Night Raid sent you, they should help you out. There might even be a doctor there who can possibly reverse your condition. Especially if we send over Stylish's teigu."
"Why?" Mary muttered under hear breath, as tears fell down her cheeks. "Why are you helping me? I helped Dr. Stylish find your base. I put all your friends in danger."
"Well we're all okay, and none of us are hurt that badly." Tatsumi said, rubbing the back of his head in embarassment. "Also...I couldn't just leave a scared girl behind to die." Tatsumi's response caused a bright blush to spread across Mary's face. Before Mary could respond, a large explosion rang out in the distance. "You better get going. Remember to head South, okay?"
"A-Alright..." Mary said quietly, as she began to walk away. But, she had only taken a few steps before she stopped. "What's...what's your name?"
"Me?" Tatsumi asked, pointing to himself, which earned a quick nod from Mary. "I'm Tatsumi." The young assassin was caught off guard when Mary suddenly ran back and tightly hugged him. "M-Mary?"
"Thank you...Thank you...Thank you..." Mary repeated several time, as she cried into Tatsumi's chest. "No one's ever been this kind to me."
"Mary..." Tatsumi said softly, gently pushing the girl away. "You need to get going now, or you're gonna be in danger again."
"But-"
"If you want to thank me, come find me after this war is over." Tatsumi said, as he took of his helmet and locked eye's with Mary. The large-eared girl's blush greatly intensified when Tatsumi flashed her a bright smile. "You can treat me to dinner or something, okay?."
"Yes...Yes, that sounds great." Mary said with a small smile, turning to to leave. "So you better survive Tatsumi. I will thank you properly some day." With those final words, Mary began to make her way South.
"Do you think think that was a good idea?" Mine asked, as she watched Mary run off. "She could easily take the information you just told her and give it to the empire."
"She won't do that." Tatsumi said, putting his helmet back on. "I could see it in her eyes. She hates the empire just as much as we do, and now that she's free from Stylish, she won't be going back there."
"If you say so." Mine said, as she released a light sigh. "But this better not come back to bite us in the ass later."
"Oh have a little faith Mine." Leone said with a grin, playfully slapping Mine on the back. "If we're gonna trust Tatsumi to bring Esdeath over to our side, I think we can trust him to handle something like this."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Mine muttered, as a slight blush spread across her cheeks. "I guess Tatsumi hasn't really let us down yet." Just then another explosion echoed out from where Susanoo and Stylish were. "Sounds like things are getting pretty rough over there."
"I should head back over there and help Susanoo." Tatsumi said, turning towards the cliffs to the southwest.
"Wait!" Akame called out, as she grabbed ahold of Tatsumi's cape. "If you're heading back there, take me with you!"
"Can you move?" Tatsumi asked, kneeling down next to Akame. "Because I don't want you to fight if the poison is still affecting you."
"I don't have full control of my legs yet, but I can fight." Akame said, her eyes full of determination.
"Alright, let's get going." Tatsumi said, allowing Akame to climb onto his back. "I know it's not a good idea to argue with you."
"Hold up!" Mine exclaimed, as she slowly walked up to Tatsumi. "I can help to." Mine then pointed to the Air Manta circling above them. "Just get me up there and I can provide sniper support."
"Okay, but I hope you're not afraid of heights." Tatsumi teased, picking up Mine bridal style, causing the pink-haired sniper to squeak in surprise. "Leone, you keep Sayo and Lubbock safe."
"Gotcha!" Leone said with a grin, as she gave Tatsumi a thumbs-up.
"Alright you two! Hold on tight!" Tatsumi cheered, leaping into the air towards the Air Manta. "Let's do this!"
(Five Minutes Later: Woods Approaching the Southwest Cliffs)
"I still can't believe you threw Mine onto that Air Manta." Akame said, as she tried, and failed, to suppress her giggles. "I've never heard her scream that loud before."
"Yeah, Mine's gonna have my ass later for that one." Tatsumi said, chuckling lightly as he ducked underneath a tree branch. "And the look on the Boss' face when Mine came flying in was priceless."
"Well at least we'll have some long range support now." Akame said, just as the Air Manta passed overhead, a shot from Pumpkin echoing out across the forest.
"Hey partner, do you have a minute?"
"Yeah, but make it quick. We're gonna catch up to Stylish and Susanoo in a minute." Tatsumi thought, hearing the sounds of battle quickly approaching.
"I've noticed that you've become quite proficient with firearms, so ever since you acquired me from Bulat, I've been working on creating a long range weapon that you can use alongside Neuntote."
"Really?!" Tatsumi thought, feeling a rush of excitement. "You can do stuff like that?! What's it called!?"
"I don't know how often I'll be able to do it, because it took a great amount of time and effort. But yes, I can occasionally create new weapons for you to use. As for what it's called, I've dubbed it the Akuma Raifuru."
"The Demon Rifle, eh? Sounds pretty badass!" Tatsumi thought, as a grin spread across his face. "How do I summon it?"
"The same way you summon Neuntote. Focus all of your energy into your hands, but this time envision yourself holding a rifle."
"Alright..." Tatsumi thought, focusing all of his energy into his hands. But instead of imagining a staff, Tatsumi pictured himself holding a rifle instead. Suddenly a bright light filled Tatsumi's palms, before the weapon appeared in his hands. The new rifle resembled Pumpkin when it was in sniper rifle mode, but instead of being silver, the rifle was jet black with blood red accents along the barrel, scope, and stock. "It...looks a lot like Pumpkin."
"I won't lie, I did base the design off the pink-haired sniper's teigu. But instead of firing your spiritual energy, the Akuma Raifuru uses my demonic energy to shoot large javelins."
"Will...shooting this thing hurt you in any way? Since it uses your power." Tatsumi asked, feeling quite concerned about the sentient teigu.
"I should feel a slight tug when you fire it, but unless you use it continuously over a long period of time, I will be fine."
"Alright, thanks for this Incursio." Tatsumi thought, just as Stylish's grotesque form came into view ahead.
"There is no need for thanks, partner. I'm simply doing everything I can to ensure that you survive the trials that are to come. Well you best prepare yourself, you will need to use that weapon very soon."
"Tatsumi, what is that thing?" Akame asked, gazing at the strange looking weapon in Tatsumi's hands. The weapon seemed to exude a demonic aura, just like her Murasame. "Bulat never used something like that."
"I guess when Incursio evolved to fight me, it created a weapon to suit my skill with guns." Tatsumi lied, feeling a pang of guilt. "I'll tell her and Leone about Incursio soon, but now isn't the time."
"HAHAHA!" Stylish laughed crazily, as he swung at Susanoo, who easily dodged the attack. "What's the matter biological teigu!? You've been stalling this entire time! You can more aggressive if you want!" It was then that Stylish had spotted that Tatsumi and Akame had arrived on the scene.
"I was awaiting my reinforcements." Susanoo said, finally going on the offensive and knocking Stylish back with his staff.
"Is this supposed to be some sort of 'back up' routine?" Stylish asked with a smirk, as he noticed how exhausted Akame looked. "You guys don't look so good there." With a twisted grin, Stylish swung at Tatsumi and Akame. "So I'll just crush you two right now!" However, Stylish was stopped when a powerful shot from Pumpkin slammed into him.
"Stay the hell away from them!" Mine yelled, firing another shot at Stylish, which caused the monstrous man to topple over.
"Nice shot Mine!" Tatsumi exclaimed, as he gave Mine a quick thumbs up.
"I'm still pissed at you!" Mine shouted, glaring at Tatsumi as she flew past.
"Now's our chance Tatsumi." Akame said, as the young assassin nodded in agreement.
"This is game over for you! Dr. Stylish." Tatsumi exclaimed, leaping into the air above Stylish. The crazed doctor tried to attack Tatsumi while he was in the air, but Susanoo jumped into the fray and blocked Stylish's attack.
"It's not over yet!" Stylish roared, as a dozen spear-like tentacles formed out of his body and rocketed towards Akame and Tatsumi.
"You're in range now! Go Akame!" Tatsumi exclaimed, using all his strength to throw Akame towards the human portion of Stylish's body. "Time to try this thing out!" Tatsumi barely managed to dodge the spear-like appendages, and took aim with his Akuma Raifuru.
"Partner, I should warn you that, that weapon will-"
But Incursio's warning came just a moment too late, because Tatsumi had already fired the weapon. A sound as loud as a thunderclap rang out when Tatsumi shot Akuma Raifuru. However, Tatsumi was not prepared for the weapon's incredible recoil, which almost sent him toppling over in the air. "What the hell is with that recoil!?"
"I tried to warn you, but you were too eager to play with your new toy. But it would seem that the weapon is quite effective."
Tatsumi was shocked by the power of the Akuma Raifuru. The weapon had done exactly as Incursio had described, firing a large javelin of demonic energy. However, the javelin had hit one of Stylish's transformed arms, and had completely severed the appendage, sending it soaring off into the distance.
"Holy shit..." Tatsumi breathed out, as he watched Stylish howl in pain, blood erupting from where his arm used to be. "This thing kicks ass!" Lining up another shot, this time prepared for the recoil, Tatsumi fired and hit Stylish square in the chest. This incredibly powerful attack stopped all of Stylish's attempts to hit Akame, giving her a clear opening to attack.
"Rest in pieces!" Akame exclaimed, slicing Stylish's human half across the chest with Murasame; the demonic poison instantly flooding his body.
"But...there were still so many..." Stylish stuttered out, as he toppled over; Murasame's poison reaching his heart. "Human experiments...I wanted to do...Why did I...deserve...this back luck?" With a ground shaking crash, Stylish fell to the ground dead.
"I got you!" Tatsumi exclaimed, catching Akame before she hit the ground. "Great work Akame."
"You should consider yourself quite lucky..." Akame said, as she turned to Stylish when Tatsumi set her down. "You died a quick death."
"Great work you two!" Leone cheered, appearing from the treeline, as she supported both Sayo and Lubbock. "We saw everything on our way over here!"
"Yeah, that new gun is so badass Tatsumi!" Lubbock exclaimed, as he eyed the rifle in Tatsumi's hands. "Why can't I get anything cool like that?!"
"I'm just glad you're both safe." Sayo said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Excellent job everyone." Najenda said, as the Air Manta touched down next to everyone. Night Raid's boss hopped off the danger beast, along with Mine and the other hooded figure. "You all did well defending our base." Najenda turned to Dr. Stylish and released a heavy sigh. "Once we've collected Stylish's teigu, we can head to a secluded spot to lie low for a while."
"Uh Boss." Tatsumi said sheepishly, walking up to Najenda.
"What is it Tatsumi?" Najenda asked, as she lit a cigarette.
"Once we arrive at our hiding spot, can I speak with you in private?" Tatsumi asked, dispelling Incursio's armor.
"Oh, if you don't mind me asking, what is it that you want to talk about?" Najenda replied, as she took a quick drag of her cigarette.
"It's about Esdeath." Tatsumi explained, causing Najenda's one good eye to widen in shock. "I might have a way to convince her to join our side."
"Tatsumi, you must be-" Najenda was about to ask if Tatsumi was joking, but she stopped when she saw the determination and fire in his eyes. So after releasing a heavy sigh, Najenda stomped out her cigarette. "Alright, I'll hear you out. If you have a way to make Esdeath switch sides, I'm all ears. But know this Tatsumi, if Esdeath does decide to help the revolutionary army, you're responsible for her and any trouble she might cause."
"I understand Boss...and I'm willing to take full responsibility for her actions." Tatsumi said in a determined voice, causing a small smirk to spread across Najenda's face.
"You're quite odd aren't you, Tatsumi?" Najenda said, as she chuckled lightly. "But you're a damn fine assassin, and I'm glad Leone dragged you and Sayo here a few months back."
"Thank you Boss, I can't imagine my life without Night Raid anymore." Tatsumi said with a small smile, just as he remembered one more thing he needed to ask Najenda. "Um Boss, can I ask you one more thing?"
"Go right ahead, Tatsumi." Najenda said, as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Dr. Stylish's teigu...do you think we could send it to the revolutionary army camp south of here?" Tatsumi asked, nervously rubbing the back of his head.
"Why do you want to send it there specifically?" Najenda asked, as she quirked an eyebrow in confusion. It was then, that Tatsumi explained what had happened with Mary. "*Sigh* You kids give me such a headache sometimes." Najenda groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine, but you took an awfully big risk Tatsumi. We'll send the teigu to that camp, but I'm informing HQ about that girl and have them monitor her. If she tries anything funny, they will kill her."
"I'm sure she won't try anything boss, but I understand your concern." Tatsumi said, bowing slightly in thanks. "Anyways, thank you for accepting my request."
"It's fine Tatsumi..." Najenda said, as she turned to the nearby treeline. "How long are you gonna hide behind that tree and eavesdrop? Since you're Night Raid's newest member, come out and introduce yourself Chelsea." Tatsumi felt a tingle run down his spine when he heard that name. It was almost as if he had heard it somewhere before. Just then the second hooded figure emerged from behind a nearby tree.
"Shoot, I guess you caught me." A teasing feminine voice said from behind the hood, as the girl took a lollipop out of her mouth. "And I thought I was being stealthy too." The girl grabbed her hood and pulled it down. When Tatsumi saw the girls face and auburn hair his eyes shot open, his eyes filling with horrifying images. "The name's Chelsea." The auburn-haired girl's voice was sweet, as she offered her hand to Tatsumi. However, Tatsumi just stood there and stared at Chelsea in shock. "What's wrong with you man?" Chelsea quirked an eyebrow and waved her hand in front of Tatsumi's face. "It's like you've seen a ghost or something."
"It's her..." Tastumi thought, as visions of Chelsea's head impaled on spike flooded his mind.