Chapter I
Greetings and salutations to all my readers! I come to you with yet another reboot/new story, part of both. The title of this one, as I am sure you saw, is An Assassin's Second Chance, a crossover of Akame ga Kill and Brave Frontier (Kinda). Really the story's main focus is AGK, and the only BF character is the main character, Sergio. Now, to explain things, the Legends of Chaos series, which starred Kazuma Soryu, is gone. Those stories will instead be integrated and neatened up into this new version of the series, which is also being fused with Miasma Saga, both series receiving a fresh new start, with ASC serving as the jump start to the whole thing. So like in Fairy Tail's Demon King the main character is Sergio, and everything revealed about him in that story is still mostly true in this version combined with Kazuma's history. As always, Bakuto Masaki is along for the journey with me as my coauthor. Is anyone surprised? Anyway, my rambling done, time to start the story. Here we go!
A man with long, dark brown hair, dark blue eyes, and wearing a black outfit with a long blue coat sat in a chair within a small clinic, looking over several papers, when the door to his office opened. He glanced over and saw a young woman with long black hair, dark red eyes, and form-fitting clothing with a pleated skirt, armor along the sides, and a long red sword. He blinked curiously at the young beauty. "Can I help you?"
"Are you a doctor?" she asked calmly, though he could see the tiredness in her eyes.
"I am one part-time. Why? You have a name?"
"Akame. I need your help."
"Right. You can call me Sergio. So, what do you need, beautiful?"
Akame responded by beginning to unbutton her top.
"Whoa, whoa! Slow down beautiful! I don't have sex with woman I just met!" After a moment of thought he put a hand on his chin. "Though when they rape me I guess that's different."
Akame tilted her head to the side as she pulled her top open, showing a large series of dark-colored runes covering her upper torso. "Is that what it takes to rid this curse?"
Sergio frowned and then sighed deeply. "… No. I thought you were trying to have sex with me when you were removing your clothes."
She blinked in thought before continuing. "I see. These runes are –"
"You're not even going to respond to that?" he interrupted.
"Respond to what?"
His face went flat in disbelief. "… Nothing. Continue."
She nodded in understanding. "These runes are a representation of the curse I bear."
Sergio looked them over and then nodded. "I see. Come back here with me."
Shortly, the two walked into one of the building's private rooms as Sergio looked Akame, now fully disrobed from the waist up, over in thought before sighing. "Let me guess… The curse grants you immortality, incredible power, and unending pain. And the thing that cursed you is a sword."
She blinked in surprise and nodded. "Yes. Precisely."
Sergio rolled up one of his sleeves as a softly glowing black mark appeared. "Join the club. Because I'm immortal to. And also the bastard that made the sword."
Akame looked at him in surprise, then the sword, then him again. "You're the First Emperor?"
Sergio raised an eyebrow and then shrugged as he sat down. "I guess you could say that, beautiful. So, unfortunately, I can't get rid of that curse. After all, every attempt I've made has resulted in failure. Especially your sword. It ended up the biggest one."
"I see…" she mumbled in despair.
"Yeah… Thought if I was able to remove the curse from my body and into an object, I would be free from it. After shoving a spike into my skull after doing so, I discovered I accomplished nothing except make another weapon that was supposed to, but failed, to kill me."
Akame's shoulders slumped as she lowered her head.
"So… how long have you been alive?"
"After I was cursed it has been roughly one hundred years."
"So, a hundred years of loneliness huh? Most painful thing anyone can experience. Drives most insane."
"I was raised to handle such things. Even the pain is something I don't worry about anymore."
Sergio frowned with concern as he looked the girl over. "I see… Do you wish to continue being alone?"
Akame finally raised her head with a shake and answered, "My only goal is to rid the curse and leave this world behind."
"Unfortunately, that is not going to happen I'm afraid."
Akame's soft lips curled subtly before she looked down for several moments. "I see. Then… I suppose my goal is to find a purpose."
Sergio chuckled lightly as he sat straight. "Ah. So, you're one of those types huh?"
"Pardon?"
"Nothing kid. But if you want a purpose I can give you one. One where you're never alone again."
"What is it?"
"Live with me and become my assistant."
"So be it," she answered plainly.
Sergio frowned slightly at her lack of resistance before sighing with a shrug. "Good. Wouldn't be right for a girl like you to suffer in loneliness and sadness, right?"
"If that's how you see it."
Sergio's frown deepened. "Let me guess… You don't think you deserve happiness. Failed friends I take it? Family? Lover?"
Akame shook her head in denial. "I've never had a lover. Only my sister. I never had friends, comrades perhaps."
Sergio sighed and folded his arms. "I see… Did you care for your comrades and they you?"
"I did, though I tried not to. Getting too attached made their deaths difficult. Whether they cared for me or not I'm uncertain."
"I bet they did. And you seek death hoping to meet them again in the afterlife. Don't you?"
Again, she denied him. "I don't believe such a thing exists, I merely have no purpose beyond ridding this curse."
"And why is that other then so you can rejoin them and your sister? Or do you fear that they'll hate you?" He noticed her muscles tense silently. "Tell me… if you could go to another world where they are all alive… would you?"
Her eyes widened slightly with surprise before her composure almost immediately returned. "I…"
"Would go through and save them. Wouldn't you?"
She contemplated for several moments. "That may only lead them to more suffering."
"Or you to saving them."
Yet again, she was silent.
"If you want, I could lead you to a dimension that they are all still alive. You just need to kill that dimension's you first so nothing bad happens."
She looked at him incredulously before deciding to humor his recommendation. "I see."
"So, what will you do?"
Akame sighed and then stood up, putting her top back on and turning to leave.
He put a hand on her shoulder before she left. "And where are you going?"
She shrugged his hand off. "I am going to continue my search."
"No. You aren't, you're staying here. After all, it's pointless to do so."
"It would be equally pointless to stay here doing nothing."
Sergio sighed heavily. "So, you just want to stop living? Letting the memory of those you cared for be forever lost?"
Her fingers curled tightly into a fist. "… The memories make it worse."
"The memories make you know they were real. And that they cared. Trust a guy that knows." Without another word, he put his arms around her slim shoulders gently. "Okay? Besides, with me you'll never be alone. And I will make sure you don't suffer anymore."
She remained silent and unmoving.
"Now… You hungry? Because, I am. And you look like the kind of woman that eats a lot of meat." He chuckled lightly as he noticed a lock of her on her forehead perk up. "Let's go to the dining room then. After all, don't want you to starve."
"That would be impossible," she retorted bluntly as she followed behind him.
As they walked, Sergio changed the subject. "So Akame… what where your friends like?"
She glanced at him in confusion.
"Your friends from back when you were mortal. What were they like? Seeing as how you're determined to find a way back to them through death."
Akame raised an eyebrow but began thinking deeply. "They were… all different. Leone was kind, if blunt. She loved to tease Tatsumi."
"So, a flirty big sis?"
"Yes, I suppose. She also wielded Lionel."
"Lionel?"
"An Imperial Arm that gave her the abilities of a lion."
"Ah. That's the Nekoization Belt. I designed it to allow women to become Nekomata."
"Nekomata? Ah, you must mean those half-human half-cat creatures."
"The proper name is Youkai."
"I see."
"Right, who else was in this group of friends of yours?"
"There was Mein, she used Pumpkin. She was… temperamental, and easy to embarrass. She died after a battle with one of the Generals."
"So a Tsundere wielding that old multipurpose rifle."
Akame tilted her head curiously. "I suppose. Then there was Sheele."
He raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Sheele?"
"She was a kind woman. She wielded the giant scissors, Extase. She was rather clumsy but always did her best to help."
"I see. Interesting. Though why people keep changing the names I give my weapons is beyond me."
"Oh? What did you name Extase?"
"Grand Snippers," he declared proudly.
Akame merely flattened her brow silently.
"What? They were large, unbreakable scissors that could snip through anything."
"After her was Najenda, or Boss, Night Raid's leader," she answered, ignoring his comment.
"Ah. Good to know."
"For a while I didn't know what her Imperial Arm was, I had always thought it was her mechanical arm."
"I never made an Automail weapon. I don't think."
"I see. Her weapon was one of our replacement members, Susanowo."
Sergio stiffened and paled before raising a hand. "… In my defense, I was drunk and high from a mixture of Moonlight and Moonsugar when I made that… thing."
Akame trembled slightly with a held snicker at his expression.
Sergio smiled in return. "Huh, so you can laugh."
Akame stiffened and looked away from him. "I didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"I did not."
"Did too."
"Did not."
"Did too."
"Did not."
"Did not."
"Did t –" Akame stopped herself before answering, twitched an eyebrow, and then stuck her tongue out at him childishly.
Sergio snickered lightly. "See? You're enjoying this."
"That's… not impossible…"
"Right. So, anyone else?"
Akame, with a minute smile on her lips, nodded and continued. "Lubbock, he was –"
"Not interesting."
"… I see. Bulat was –"
"Male. Next."
Akame looked at him suspiciously but shrugged. "After Sheele's death, Chelsea arrived to replace her."
Sergio frowned slightly as he listened. "Oh?"
"She was… different. Her Imperial Arm was Gaia Foundation, allowing her to change her appearance entirely, even her size."
Twitching an eyebrow, he added, "… That's not what I named it."
"I figured."
"Yeah. I named it the Doppelganger Powdercase."
Akame flattened her brow at him. Sighing, she redirected the conversation. "There was also Tatsumi, he was the last man of the group by the end before he died in combat with the Empire's strongest weapon. He wielded Incursio after Bulat's death. He was kind, warm, passionate, and strong."
Sergio gave a small smile. "Sounds like you were in love with him."
Akame furrowed her brow in thought. "… I don't know. Love is something I never experienced."
"I see… what would you do if you could go back? Back to the day you first met him?"
"I would tell him not to join Night Raid and return to his village," she answered immediately.
"And the rest of your comrades?"
She shook her head in response. "Many of them were in Night Raid before I had joined."
"I mean what would you do. Would you save them? Or let history keep its course and let them die?"
"If I saved them they would still die later."
Sergio nodded but argued, "But you'd have them for longer. Especially if they fully bond with those weapons."
"I see."
Sergio sighed and scratched his head in frustration. "You're pretty tough to read. You clearly do love your friends when you talk about them, but don't want to save them from their fate. Do you fear that you'll fail to save them?"
"There is very little I can do."
"Only if you think like that. After all, you have power now. And those with power can do many things. And you have knowledge. And those with knowledge know what to do to make the best changes."
"May I ask what your point is?" she retorted with growing frustration.
"The point is that you will basically give up when you go back after telling the one you love to go back home. Sounds to me like you wouldn't care if all your friends were slain before your very eyes. Even when you can stop it easily now."
"We were Night Raid, our mission was to overthrow the Empire, death was inevitable."
"Only if you give up. So, what's to say all your friends couldn't if you ensured it?"
Akame sighed as she sat on a nearby chair. "If I agree with you will this conversation end?"
Sergio shrugged with a small smirk. "If you agree to go back? Yes."
She narrowed her eyes incredulously. "You speak as if such things are possible."
"You're immortal from stabbing yourself in the heart with a cursed blade, your love interest turned into a dragon, and you're conversing with a fellow immortal. And you're thinking time travel is beyond the realm of reason?"
"Yes," she answered bluntly.
"Then you're a fool."
"Perhaps."
"Because it is possible."
"I see." After a moment of consideration, she frowned in thought. "Why?"
Smiling, he replied. "Because you deserve happiness. And to ensure it I will go back with you. After all, you're a fellow immortal. I'm not going to let you go alone. And I'll ensure your friends no, your family survives."
"I see…" she muttered in suspicious confusion.
"So, Akame," he paused as he pulled a large black orb from his pocket, its surface blacker than the clearest night with glittering specs dotting its surface and infinitely within, "ready to save them all? You'll only get one shot at it."
"What is that?" she asked as she looked at the object.
"Answer my question first."
Akame stared at the object in deep thought, considering all of the possible results of agreeing, both fantastical and realistic. Deciding she had more to gain than to lose, even if it was all a lie, she gave her answer. "Yes."
Sergio nodded with a smile. "Good. And to answer your question, this is a gift I got from a Goddess long ago after I killed a God. Good for only one use but it will send us back."
"I see." She then looked at him with total confusion and doubt. "Then why use it on me? We just met."
He shrugged softly. "Because I've never really had a use for it before. But, now I do. To ensure the happiness of another."
"I see…"
"Now, place your hand on it and think back to the time when you first met Tatsumi. I'll handle the rest."
Akame nodded and then put her hand on the object, thinking to a time when she and her comrades raided a large mansion, the time when she met her friend Tatsumi, and within the blink of an eye they were no longer in Sergio's practice.
Sergio looked around as they stood atop a massive mansion within a moderate forest, obviously the absurdly-sized property of the owners. "Hmm… how interesting. So what were you all here for?"
Akame looked around in disbelief.
"Akame? Akame, I need you to focus."
She stiffened and shook her head before looking at him. "Y – Yes?"
"For now, focus. We can reunite with your friends later. Tell me, why were you here?"
"The family that owns this mansion have a practice of taking in lost travelers, the homeless, or anyone they see as a suitable victim, and subject them to the deepest recesses of cruelty before killing them."
"Right. So I've got my job." He glanced down and saw a group of people, one of which was a second Akame, heading towards the mansion. "Time to get started."
"What do we do now?"
"Simple. When they split up you take out the past you and then replace her. While I go loot the mansion and ensure your friend goes home."
She motioned to a large barn on the edge of the property. "He also has friends in that shed. Though at this time, it's unlikely they're still alive."
"Ah." In a flurry of light, a second Sergio appeared and raced towards the shed, shocking Akame. "Then I've got two jobs to do. Now, go kill the other you while I deal with this."
Akame frowned in confusion but nodded before disappearing.
Sergio walked through the darkened mansion, taking just about anything that looked valuable and stuffing it into his coat, knocking out any guards he came across, and moving towards the building's central room. As he approached, he looked inside and saw a young man with short, messy brown hair, an old man, a woman with long, dark blonde hair, and a girl with short, bright blonde hair all sitting around a table chatting and eating. He then decided to have some fun and knocked on the door.
The boy blinked in confusion. "One of the servants, Aria?"
The girl, Aria, nodded before standing. "Just wait here, Tatsumi." Walking up to the door she asked loudly, "Yes? Have you brought our meal?"
Suddenly, the door blasted open and was sent shattering in splinters through the room. Sergio, a cold scowl on his face, declared, "No, I've come for mine. After all, corrupt souls are so tasty."
Tatsumi instantly stood up and drew his sword.
Sergio waved a hand dismissively at the teen. "Stand down, boy, you've no reason to defend bottom-feeders."
The older woman stood with indignation. "You watch your tone, you brigand. And how'd you even get in here?! Guards!"
Sergio snickered as his shadow expanded before long, sharp, black tendrils covered in eyes and mouths appeared around him. "No guards will save your wretched souls."
The old man growled before standing. "Alright, that's enough out of you! What do you want? If you just want to talk then –!"
He was cut off as one of the black tendrils lashed out and slashed the man's jaw off. "Oh shut up. I said I'm sending you three to hell and that's that. I don't need you bitching about it."
"Why are you doing this?!" Tatsumi hollered angrily.
Sergio sighed in exasperation. "Boy, leave or I'll make you as I send these last two wretches to hell for their crimes."
"What crimes?! They're just trying to –!"
"Kill you," he interrupted.
At that moment, the second Sergio appeared from a swirling vortex in the wall, carrying the bodies of a young man and a young woman with long black hair.
"Like they did your friends."
Aria's face went pale in fear. "H – He's lying! H – He did that to them!"
Tatsumi turned in disbelief and saw the bodies, withered and desiccated, almost unrecognizable. "No… Ieyasu… Sayo… You bastard!" Tatsumi screamed before lunging at the other Sergio.
"Ah crap," Sergio groaned before swiftly intercepting Tatsumi. 'Really need to think these things out better… Oh well, plan B.' Suddenly, his blue eyes shifted to red with three black marks around the pupil. 'Mindwipe the fuck out of him and have him go home.'
Tatsumi stiffened before collapsing, Sergio catching him and setting him on the floor before turning to Aria and her mother. "Right, now to deal with you two."
"A – Aria, run!" the woman exclaimed, the girl immediately fleeing out the destroyed door.
"Guess she'll die tired," Sergio shrugged before looking at his copy, his eyes shifting once more to red with a series of black streaks curling out from the center before a swirling vortex appeared, the second Sergio, Tatsumi, and the bodies of his friends disappearing into it. He then turned his attention to Aria's mother, who stood still with a large knife in her hand. "Right, I'll deal with you first." He snapped his fingers before a black portal appeared behind her.
She screamed in horror as huge, grotesque, purple worm emerged from within. "Wh – What are y –?" she asked in horror before a tentacle emerged from its maw and forced itself into her mouth, silencing her.
"Now, be sure to play nice," Sergio taunted as more tentacles emerged from the beast, pulling her into its maw entirely. "I'd do it myself but I don't want my tentacles to rot off." Smiling pleasantly as she disappeared into its mouth, he added, "So be sure to bloat 'til you blow." After it had fully swallowed her the beast disappeared back into the portal before Sergio left the room and began looking for Aria.
Aria gasped as she sprinted through the house before stopping cold as she saw the other Akame strike down two of her guards before turning towards her. She turned to flee but paled when she noticed Akame approaching her.
Akame immediately rushed past Aria and grabbed the other Akame from behind and slashed at her throat with her blade.
The other Akame's eyes went wide in disbelief as glowing symbols spread over her body before she went limp.
Akame sighed weakly. "Forgive me. But this is the only way we can save them." She then dragged her other self's body into the shadows.
"Wh – What the…?" Aria stumbled back in disbelief before turning to run away, only to be confronted by a smiling Sergio.
Sergio's smile turned wicked as he put a hand on Aria's head. "Hey there! Ready to die?" Hoisting her into the air, his hand began to glow. "Here, it's called Cruel Empathy."
"Wh – Wha –?" Aria stammered before her eyes went cold and she shrieked in agony.
"It's the pain of everyone you've ever hurt in one moment. The more you've hurt the worse it is."
Aria's body trembled and twitched for several seconds before going limp.
"Guess she couldn't take it." He moved his hand aside as two shadows and looked into her eyes, completely devoid of activity. "Yep. Her mind is completely blank. Hmm…" Another vortex opened before he tossed her corpse in. "Guess I can always find a pure soul to inhabit it."
Akame appeared from the shadows wearing the clothing of the other Akame, the chest of the blouse bulging slight as she tugged at it uncomfortably. "These are tighter than I remember…"
Sergio chuckled lightly. "Well your bust has obviously grown since then. So, where you put your body?"
Akame pointed to a group of dogs gathered around something nearby.
Sergio frowned sadly. "You really don't care about yourself, do you?" Sighing he scratched his head in frustration. "You at least deserved a proper burial instead of that."
"How it's disposed of changes nothing."
"She, not it. You are human after all. Or, the you, you killed was. A young woman who kills for those she cares for. Ah, forget it. So, when do your fri –?" he asked before being cut off as a pair of giant scissors decapitated him.
A beautiful young woman with long purple hair, matching violet eyes, plain glasses, and a form-fitting eastern dress, which gripped tightly around her bulging cleavage, blinked in surprise as she noticed Akame. "Akame?"
Akame attempted to hide her excitement behind a simple smile. "Sheele…"
"That was seriously rude!" Sergio, his head rolling on the floor, shouted. "I was in the middle of a conversation you know!"
Sheele blinked in confusion as his body stumbled forward towards his head. "That's an odd ability," she remarked calmly before raising her weapon, Extase.
Sergio twitched an eyebrow. "Drop Grand Scissors and help me get back on my body, Beautiful. Before my body hurts you and makes Akame cry."
Sheele blinked before Akame put Sergio's head back on his body. "He's a friend."
Sergio flexed his neck and groaned as the wound sealed with crackles of red electricity. "Thank you Akame. Now, who's your beautiful purplette friend here?"
"Sheele."
Sheele looked at Sergio in thought. "Who's this?"
Sergio smirked and bowed to the bespectacled beauty. "Sergio Kresnik. An old friend of Akame's."
Sheele tilted her head in confusion. "I thought all of her old comrades were dead."
Sergio waved a finger in denial. "Not comrade, friend. Think of me as someone that helped her find her path after an incident."
"Hm… I see.
"Yep. So, why are you girls here?" he asked before ducking a humanoid hand clad in golden fur with large claws swiped at him.
"To kill the family here," Akame explained, though he already knew that.
Sergio answered calmly as he continued ducking and bending around more strikes. "Ah. What a coincidence. Me too. In fact, the last member should have her belly explode violently any minute now. Also, who's the pussy cat that's clawing at me?"
"Stand still dammit!" a young woman with long, wild blonde hair, a simple tube top around her generous bosom, and scant clothing otherwise, with feline ears atop her head, a cat-like tail just above her round ass, and her hands covered in fur, growled as she swiped at him.
"Leone," Akame answered plainly.
Sergio chuckled as he continued dodging. "Ah. Well she's certainly a feisty feline." He twisted around another of her strikes to behind her, grabbed the hefty belt around her waist, and deftly pulled it off, her feline features vanishing and her hair growing shorter.
"H – Hey!" Leone sputtered in disbelief.
Sergio chuckled lightly as he twirled the belt around his hand. "Yes, Beautiful?"
"How…?"
"Skill," Akame interjected.
Leone glanced at Akame and then noticed her bust, which was significantly larger than that of the other Akame. "What…?"
"My bindings snapped," she answered swiftly.
"Oh…" Leone mumbled, too confused and surprised to have many arguments.
"Now, if that is all I'm going to go see if that bitch has popped and then loot the rest of the place," Sergio noted.
"Hey, give me back Lionel!" Leone shouted, snapping back to the moment.
"Sure," he said as he walked past her, slipping it easily around her waist. "Though you look just as beautiful without the Neko features as with."
Leone blinked in confusion, raised an eyebrow, and then smirked as Sergio walked away. "I like him."
Akame then ran up to Sergio without another word to Leone.
"Akame?" Sergio commented in surprise.
"Tatsumi?" she asked with concern.
He nodded with a smile and patted her head softly. "Out of the city and on his way home. No memory of anything here. I'll have my Thought Projection try to revive his friends. At aby rate is there anyone else I sho –?" he began to ask before a beam of energy shot through his head. "Oh come on!"
"Mein."
Sergio grumbled as the hole in his head sealed. "I figured! The damn beam shot cued me in! Fuck! Can I loot this place without something ramming into me?!"
Mein, a slightly short, petite girl with long, bright pink hair tied in twintails holding a large rifle, walked up to the group, looking at Sergio in annoyance. "Akame? What're you doing with this creep?"
"He's a friend," Akame answered plainly.
"I see…"
"Oh? And who's this handsome man?" a tall, extremely muscular man with green armor and a heart-shaped pompadour questioned.
Sergio leapt up to the ceiling in fear. "Sweet Maxwell! What the hell is that?!"
Akame plainly answered, "Bulat, he likes men."
Bulat laughed lightly. "Oh, come on, don't make it sound so bad."
Sergio twitched an eyebrow. "Well you're not denying it! And I like women just so you know! Women like Akame, Sheele Leone and Mein!"
Bulat nodded with a chuckle. "I figured, that's fine."
Mein's face turned bright red as she shot at Sergio, knocking him back to the ground. "H – Hah!?"
Sergio grumbled as he stood up with yet another hole in his head that sealed up quickly. "Ow! Why you shoot me in the face?! Oh right, Tsundere. Forgot tha –" he remarked before stopping when he heard a loud pop followed by a splash.
Mein cringed in disgust at the sound. "Ew, what was that?"
"The mother of the family belly exploding from being filled 'til she burst."
Leone sniffed the air before frowning. "What's that stench…?"
"The stuff that was forced in to her until she popped."
Leone frowned in disgust. "… If she wasn't an evil bitch I'd kill you right now."
Sergio huffed. "I only allow that to happen to evil. I'm quite creative when it comes to killing wretched and despicable beings. So don't worry, I would never force that upon someone undeserving, or unwilling should that be the case."
"Right…" Leone muttered unsurely.
Sergio folded his arms curiously. "So… now what?"
"Well, you know who we are, so you have two choices –"
"Come with you or die, right?" he interrupted, causing Leone to twitch an eyebrow in irritation.
A young man with green hair and red gloves walked up to the group with a groan. "Geez, you guys always leave me out of the – who's this weirdo?" he sputtered when he noticed Sergio.
"Who's the perverted nerd?"
"Hey! I'm not a nerd!"
"That's the part you object to?" Mein rebuffed bluntly.
"Lubbock," Akame explained simply.
Sergio nodded appreciatively. "Thanks, Akame-Chan."
Lubbock stiffened with indignation. "Ch – Chan!? Hey! You can't be so formal with them all of a sudden!"
"Akame and I are friends. Besides, she doesn't mind at all."
Leone tilted her head curiously. "Friends? How come we've never met this friend of yours?"
Sergio answered deftly, "I live far away. I only recently decided to take a trip here. And due to my need for money I decided to scout around and see who was wealthy as well as a complete menace, and take them out while filling my pockets."
"So, you're a petty thief," Mein commented bluntly.
Sergio huff. "Petty? Please. I am a Master Thief, Master Assassin, unparalleled Doctor, and many other things."
Leone frowned in confusion. "If you're really such a great doctor and assassin, would you really need to go around nicking rich people's stuff?"
"Nope. Just love hoarding shiny things. Besides, most of my patients I tend not to charge."
"So you're an idiot."
"So if you became infertile you'd rather pay me to fix the damage to your womb instead of doing it for free?"
Leone stiffened in realization.
Mein frowned in frustration. "You've got a really creepy way of thinking."
Sergio shook his head in denial. "I just have clear view of the way the world works. Besides, there are enough disgusting, rich people that I get along fine. So, let's get going!"
"R – Right…" Leone stumbled.
"He seems like fun," Sheele stated with a smile.
Sergio looked around the entrance to a large cave inside of a cliff within a deep forest. "Hmm… nice base entrance."
Mein frowned in confusion. "You know, most people would be more worried about going with a group of assassins."
"You haven't shown me hostility and all of you together couldn't take me, so I'm not worried. Besides, I've been in the company of things more dangerous than you, Cutie."
Mein gained a tic mark on her head angrily and snarled at him. "Why you…!"
"Cute," Sergio chuckled.
As the group approached the entry, Leone remarked, "Well this is Night Raid's base."
Sergio remained silent for a moment before snickering. "… Night Raid? Who came up with that kinda name? Panty Raid already taken?"
"Probably," Leone answered with a smirk.
Sergio smiled as he noticed a small smile on Akame's face before turning to Leone. "Thought as much. So, who will I room with? Akame? You? Sheele and Mein?"
Mein responded instantly by shooting him in the chest. "Stay away from Sheele."
"Oh? She your lover I assume?"
Mein stiffened as her face turned bright red before she fired over and over after which she walked away angrily.
Sergio raised an eyebrow as the holes in his body closed. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."
Lubbock gaped in disbelief. "Is no one going to address the fact that Mein just shot him eight times and he's fine?"
Leone shrugged deeply in defeat. "With all the weird shit he's done so far I've stopped questioning it."
Sergio nodded in agreement. "Sheele took my head off when we first met."
Sheele nodded. "And Akame just put it back on like it was nothing."
Lubbock's jaw fell. "How come you never mentioned you knew someone who can't die?"
"I didn't think it was worth mentioning," Akame commented plainly.
Lubbock remained silent in disbelief.
"Well I'm certainly not complaining," Bulat added with a smile.
"Can it fop," Sergio snapped.
Akame frowned slightly before tapping Sergio's shoulder, causing him to lean down to her. "He's not bad, he won't try anything," she whispered. "He's a good friend."
"Right…"
Akame pouted in worry. "Please, don't be rude to him."
Sergio sighed in defeat. "Fine, I won't."
"Let's head inside," Leone urged.
Soon they entered what appeared to be a grand mausoleum.
"It's big," Sergio commented before glancing at Akame, noticing a small, nostalgic smile. "So… where do we go next?"
"You should pick your room," Leone answered.
Sergio nodded in understanding. "Okay. You or Akame willin' to share?" Before she could respond, Akame grabbed his arm. "Akame it is."
"Wow…" Leone noted in shock, Lubbock grinding his teeth with rage.
Sheele blinked in surprise.
Sergio stood behind Akame as the two entered what was her old room, Akame smiling warmly as she looked around.
"Well, you're happy," Sergio commented with a smile.
Akame stiffened slightly before retorting, "I'm only here to rescue them."
Sergio sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "Doesn't mean you can't enjoy your second chance."
"… I see. Tatsumi's room is next door, between my room and Sheele's."
Sergio nodded in comprehension. "Guess that will be mine then. Have a good night's sleep, Beautiful. And if you need me come right in."
Akame nodded as he left.
The next morning, as Sergio left his room, he saw Leone walking up to him. "Yo, Sergy!"
"Hmm? What's up beautiful?" Sergio asked as she walked up to him.
"Have you met everyone yet?"
"I saw them but I didn't –" he began before she interrupted him.
"Perfect! Follow me!"
"Okay?" he answered in mild surprise, following her.
"This is the dining hall."
"Nice."
Mein sat silently at the extremely long table, eating vegetables as she looked at Sergio suspiciously.
"Hey cutie. How was your night?"
She merely hissed at him.
Sergio laughed lightly as he turned to Leone. "I get the feeling she doesn't like me."
Leone shrugged and replied, "She doesn't like most guys."
"Ah. She prefers Sheele eating her out, huh?"
"Yep!" Leone answered with a snicker, causing Mein to spit her food in surprise and annoyance.
"Shaddup!"
Sergio grinned with amusement. "Gotta love Tsuns. So, how is she in bed?"
"Ask Sheele," Leone rebutted.
"I said shut it!" Mein hissed, her face turning increasingly red.
"I was asking Mein how Sheele is," Sergio corrected, resulting in Mein throwing a plate at him, though he didn't react as it shattered on his face.
"Go to hell!"
"Been there. It's cold this time of year."
Mein grumbled angrily. "Why are you such a pain in the ass?!"
"Because if I wasn't I'd be bored not seeing your cute reactions. So, vegetarian huh?"
"No, I just haven't had any in a – hey!" she began to say before snapping.
"What?"
"Don't change the subject!"
"Why? I thought the other one was over. So, you eat veggies when your girlfriend isn't pleasing you?"
Mein ignored him as she walked into the kitchen to prepare more food.
"If you want I can cook. Or talk to your girlfriend if something's wrong."
"I said shut up," she snapped coldly.
Sergio frowned suspiciously. "Okay…"
"L – Let's move on," Leone urged uneasily.
"Right…"
Following on from that, Leone showed Sergio to a wide-open area behind the main building, where Bulat stood lifting immense dumbbells, dropping them with a rumble.
"This is the backyard training area."
"Right," Sergio remarked as he looked around.
Bulat smiled as he walked towards the two, stopping partway. "Nice to meet you again. Though I'll keep my distance this time."
"Much appreciated, Bulat."
Leone laughed weakly before pointing away. "Right, moving on!"
Leone next took him to a secluded area with a warm spring. "These are the hot springs. Hm?" she hummed as she noticed Lubbock crawling along the ground in the bushes towards the spring.
"Almost… there…" he strained as he tried to quietly approach the springs, shrieking in pain and leaping up as Sergio kicked a pebble right at his pants.
Leone then grabbed the teen by the head with an angry grin, causing him to pale. "Unfortunately, I'm not there, just so you know."
"Mommy," he winced.
Sergio pulled out an old, worn, rusted dagger. "Wanna borrow my rusty knife to castrate him?"
Leone turned him down. "Nah, we need him alive and able to fight," she explained before sending Lubbock flying with a kick between the legs.
"Ah. A shame."
"Right, moving on."
Soon, they stood in a tall room with a large chair at the back and several inset tables along the wall, Sheele silently reading a book at one of said tables.
"This is the meeting room, where we have group and mission briefings," Leone explained, though to deaf ears as Sergio approached the reading purplette.
"Hmm? Watch ya reading beautiful?" Sergio questioned.
It took Sheele a moment to register his question before she looked up at him, her mind still enthralled in the book. "An old story."
"Oh? What about?"
"A man who loved a goddess and became a demon to save her."
"Ah. First Volume of the Demon King saga huh?"
Sheele's full attention was now on Sergio with surprise in her eyes. "You know it?"
"Yeah. It's definitely an… interesting story in my opinion."
"Yes. It is," she answered with a minute smile.
"Yeah. Reading it to better please Mein at night?"
Sheele's expression instantly dropped as she looked back at her novel. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Sergio frowned with worried suspicion. "There's nothing wrong with you and Mein being in a relationship Sheele."
"I don't know what you mean," she answered robotically, turning the page as she read.
Leone laughed unconvincingly as she tapped on Sergio's shoulder. "We should probably go…"
"Don't you love her?" Sergio pushed, Sheele remaining silent.
Leone tugged on his arm forcefully. "Let's… go…!"
"Fine," he answered with disappointment, following behind her.
Leone sighed heavily as she walked with Sergio. "Geez… why do you always keep pushing people like that?"
Sergio retorted, "If I don't they'll ignore the issue and end up hurt."
"Right… Anyway, this is the river outside the base, and we often come down here to take a bit of a break or –" she began before stopping when saw a small camp with fire set up alongside the river.
"Let me guess… that campfire shouldn't be there."
"No…" she answered as she narrowed her eyes and snuck towards it quietly, Sergio following behind.
"There's no point in hiding, Leone," a silver-haired woman with a large, green, mechanical arm, wearing an eyepatch over one eye, and a tight, black suit that formed tightly around her generous bust. She raised an eyebrow curiously. "Oh? And it seems there's someone new with you."
Sergio and Leone stood up and approached her. "Hmm? And who's this lovely lady?"
Leone blinked in surprise. "This is our commander, Najenda. We just call her Boss."
Najenda looked at Leone with an annoyed smile. "Speaking of, Leone, what have I told you about allowing new members without consulting me?"
Leone stiffened in worry. "H – Hey! This one's not my fault! It's Akame's!"
Sergio shrugged with a chuckle. "True. Though, the fact I'm a sexy man helped sway Leone here, Babe."
"Then I'll be sure to have a talk with Akame afterward."
"If you're the leader, perhaps you can tell me why two of your subordinates are having relationship issues."
Najenda frowned in annoyance. "Are they still moping about that?"
"Apparently. One's stuffing her face over it and the other is reading tasteful porn."
Najenda groaned heavily. "For the love of God. I told them to break it off and get over it."
Sergio narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "And you expect it to happen just like that? You obviously have no experience concerning love."
"I have plenty. And love in a group like this only leads to ruin."
"You're wrong. Love is something that keeps you sane. Keeps you focused. Keeps you alive. Keeps you from burning the world."
Leone began trembling in fear.
"It can also stop you from killing liars."
Sergio frowned and argued more. "Oh? And how does it do that? Love doesn't get directed towards things one hates after all. But if one's love is in danger it will make you work smarter to ensure you save them and kill the one endangering them. Besides, with the way those two are I think you have something else to worry about."
Najenda retorted, "There are times those you come to love turn out to be different than you expected, and thus you must kill them, which love prevents you from doing."
Sergio's frown deepened. "And do you really expect that of Mein or Sheele? Are you willing to crush their happiness because your ex forced you into using an Automail Weapon Arm?"
"I expect everyone here to act as though everyone else is trying to kill them."
"In other words, as nothing more than murderous cutthroats instead of true Assassins."
"You speak like there's a difference."
Leone gulped in worry. 'This is bad, he's pissing off Boss…'
Sergio nodded in response. "There is but I doubt you'd recognize so let's drop it for now. Leone is looking scared after all."
Leone sighed in relief.
Najenda frowned in frustration. "Your tongue seems sharp, I wonder about your skills."
Sergio raised an eyebrow. "Wanna test them out yourself babe?"
"Maybe some other time. I need to have a meeting with the others."
"Sure babe. Maybe I'll upgrade that arm of yours later too."
"We'll see," she answered sourly.
Sergio stood in the meeting hall with the entire group, and looked around them. "Hm… This is it? The only one among you that seems an actual Assassin is Akame."
"Oh shut it you pervert," Mein growled.
"Just saying."
Najenda put up a hand and asked, "So I assume you have all met this new person? Your thoughts?"
"Friend," Akame answered.
"Pervert," Mein snapped.
"Interesting," Sheele said.
"Handsome," Bulat said.
"Jerk," Lubbock snarled.
"Fun," Leone snickered.
"Thank you all for your positive input," Sergio snickered.
Najenda interjected, "So, now it's up to you, will you join us?"
"If I don't you'll kill me, so I don't think there's much choice involved. So yep, I will. After all, you'll need every bit of help you can get."
"Do you know Night Raid's goal?"
"Not exactly, but more than likely cleaning this city of the filth in it."
"This entire country. The Empire rules it with twisted evil and we intend uproot it. By killing each and every person who stands in our way."
Sergio flattened his brow incredulously as a bead of sweat fell down his face. "Do you not know what an Assassin is?"
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Najenda snapped.
"Assassins don't just go in and kill everyone making their presence known. They are masters of the shadows, infiltrating and bypassing the target's defenses, and then kill the target and leave without letting anyone see how they died."
"Which is how we handle our contracted kills."
"It's how you should handle all of them."
Leone laughed weakly. "It's kinda hard when the Empire knows most of our faces."
"Did you even think of hiding your faces at least? Or wearing something to keep your identity a secret?"
Akame showed him one of the many wanted posters of the group, this one showing an image of Leone.
"… Was that before or after she joined?"
Akame then pointed to the line that read "Member of Night Raid".
"So after. Meaning she didn't think to cover herself up while on the job."
Leone flinched at the comment. "… To be fair none of us were trained as assassins except Akame."
Sergio groaned heavily as he scratched his head in thought. "Just great. So you're a group of assassins who don't know a thing about being assassins. I'm starting to see why this whole thing went tits up. Better start getting to work fixing this mess."
"What?" Najenda hissed.
"If I'm going to start working with you, I want you all to be powerful, stealthy, and know how to be actual assassins. Not running around like kids shanking people with scissors."
Sheele gained a cloud of disappointment over her head.
Sergio waved a hand dismissively. "You're fine, Beautiful, I didn't even sense you coming. Basically, Akame and you are pretty much the only ones that can pass for actual assassins."
Najenda narrowed her eye annoyed. "I'm offering for you to work with us, not take command."
"That may be so, but you seem to be running things pretty shoddy. How many members have you lost doing things the current way?"
Najenda huffed dismissively. "That's not important. All that matters is accomplishing our goal of ridding the Empire of its tyrants."
Sergio's frown yet again deepened. "I would think it is. After all, you want to stay alive to see it and ensure another tyrant doesn't take control correct?"
"I merely want to bring that goal closer, if it costs our lives, so be it."
"And if it brings a new dictator or destroys the Empire completely?"
"That second result doesn't seem so bad, personally. As for the first, new revolutionaries will rise up."
"And thus, continuing the bloodshed. Which brings up a very important thing. Who here knows the definition of insanity?"
Akame raised a hand to answer.
"You don't count."
Akame lowered her hand.
Sheele then raised hers.
"Ah, the bespectacled beauty. Let's hear it."
Sheele nodded and then responded, "Doing the same thing over and over again hoping for a different result."
The others, minus Akame, remained silent at the implications.
Sergio noticed their reactions and smiled. "Bingo. And what you're doing, one-eyed beauty, is the very definition of it," he stated bluntly, causing Najenda to frown in displeasure. "Which is why I think you should all do your best to survive. That way you don't drag on the insanity."
Najenda remained deathly silent for several moments.
Sergio blinked in confusion. "… I think I broke her."
Leone tilted her head and walked up to Najenda, waving a hand in front of her face, resulting in Najenda punching her in the torso with her robotic arm so hard Leone embedded into the wall.
"Don't worry Leone! I'll fix your ribs for checking her."
"Th – They'll heal on their own…" Leone groaned before flopping out of the wall and onto the ground.
"Oh right. Regenerative properties of a Nekomata."
Najenda sighed and then demanded angrily, "Give me one good reason I should just blindly hand control of Night Raid to you."
Sergio shook his head in response. "I'm not asking you to hand it over. I'm asking you to take my advice and do things differently."
Najenda remained silent for several moments before sighing heavily. "… Fine. I'll consider your suggestions. If Akame considers you someone worth breaking the rules over then I'll at least hear you out."
"Good. So… What's on the hit list today?"
"Seeing what skills you actually have."
Sergio grinned darkly. "Goodie. All you against me."
Najenda responded with a no. "No, not in a fight. We need to see if you have practical skills useful to us first."
"Oh," he said plainly, disappointed. "Kitchen first, then."
The others gathered around him as he stirred several pots and mixed ingredients with intense speed, Akame and Leone drooling at the sight and smell, Mein remaining indifferent as she watched. Once it was finished he turned to the group with a smile. "Now, who's hungry?"
"Me!" Leone and Akame exclaimed in unison as Sheele raised a hand.
"Right then," he chuckled as he served out the food.
As Leone took a large bite of the beef and vegetables in broth, a shiver went up her spine. "So… ggoooodd…!"
Mein sat silently, looking at the plate of food and disturbed by Leone's reaction.
Najenda took a large bite as well and slapped a hand over her mouth to prevent whatever sound was about to escape.
Bulat was also about to speak but Sergio cut him off. "Whatever you have to say, keep it to yourself. Okay?"
Bulat merely nodded quietly and continued eating.
"Thank you."
"Che. Prick," Lubbock hissed.
"Akame and Leone get your share."
Lubbock attempted to swiftly down his, but Akame grabbed it right from under him and practically inhaled it. "Gah! Hey!" he growled.
"Don't insult the cook and you eat."
Lubbock's eyebrows twitched furiously.
Mein sighed and then took a small bite from her fork and blinked several times in surprise. "It's delicious…" she said quietly.
"Of course it is. Cooking is one of my specialties."
Sheele ate silently before handing her now empty bowl to him.
Sergio nodded with a smile and ladled more food into the bowl.
Najenda continued eating from hers and then looked at Sergio in thought. "So what kind of meat is this?"
"Hm?"
"What's in it?"
"It's Wyvern Meat Stew," he answered, causing the group to become stiff as the dead, Leone and Akame eating without a care. Sergio noticed the reaction and frowned in concern. "Is something wrong? Was the shredded Malboro root not fresh enough?" Yet again, Akame and Leone did not care as the others began turning blue. "Or is it too little Teagle bone marrow in the broth?" Sergio sighed as they all turned green with disgust, Akame and Leone still not concerned. "I knew it, I shouldn't have added the salt."
"That's seriously not the problem!" the others shrieked.
"Really?"
"They don't like the meats," Akame explained.
Sergio was even more confused. "But earlier they said they liked the taste."
Sheele added, "It's the psychological aspect of such strange ingredients," as she continued eating from her bowl. "It is a bit strange but it tastes fine."
"You aren't bothered by this!?" Mein exclaimed in horror.
Sheele raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why should we be? I have eaten much worse."
Akame nodded in agreement.
Mein groaned in mild disgust.
Sergio simply shrugged. "I guess I just won't cook for them then."
The others became stiff as the contemplated their options.
"You should still be the one to cook," Najenda explained after a long pause.
Sergio raised an eyebrow in thought. "You sure? I'll keep using the same ingredients."
"Yes!"
Mein simply sat silently looking at the dish.
Najenda sighed as the others finished their food with worry. "Well we've seen your cooking. And as… unique as it may be, it's good. I wonder how you are with other duties."
Sergio shrugged. "I can do just about everything. I could patch you up. Fix you up. Start a business to get us extra money. Neuter Lubbock."
"How does that fit with the rest!?" Lubbock hollered.
Phew! That was a helluva start. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it. Be sure to leave a review letting me know if you did, or if you were confused, unsure, or just had questions about anything. If you do I will do what I can to address your concerns. If you did not enjoy the story... sorry? Post a review if you must, but rather than just saying it sucks, a little sense would be appreciated. So, with all that said, until the next time, bye-bye!