All men must die and so to must nations crumble into ash. This Empire has reigned for over a thousand years and corruption is beginning to plague the once mighty nation. However in the shadows two ancient organizations tug at the puppet strings. One seeks to liberate the masses the other seeks to control. Now both of these groups are ready to go head to head to see who will rule in this empire.

Alamut Village

Imperial Year 1024


Duh, Duh, Duh. Tatsumi awoke to the loud noise at his door, "Tatsumi wake up, Mentor wants to speak to you!"

"Alright Ieyasu." Tatsumi rolled out of his bed and grabbed robe, "Tell him I'll be there in five minutes." He quickly dressed himself and slipped both of his pistols into his robe, attached his hidden blade, grabbed his crossbow, and slipped his sword into their sheathes on his back, finally he then put his belt on. Before he left he made sure to do the check list.

Ammunition, Check

Rope Darts, Check

Throwing Knives, Check

Bolts, Check

Coin Purse, God Damnit Sayo

He walked out of his house and into the coldness that he and his brothers were more than familiar with. The Assassin's had been using this village for over a thousand years since the Templar ruled empire had driven them underground. The locals who were not members of the order also enjoyed the arrangement too. The region was known for its risk species population, or rather lack thereof. Tatsumi then looked up at the center of all of the Brotherhood's operations, Alamut. The great fortress had been built when the people of the village and Assassins made the agreement to share the village.

He made his way through the great fortress bumping into several of his brothers before coming to the heart of everything, the Mentor's Chambers. "Tatsumi sit please." His mentor said to him who was looking outside of the window. Tatsumi sat a the chair in front of the desk his mentor not yet looking back at him. "I have received word that our brothers and our bureau in the Capital have been destroyed."

Tatsumi was shocked by the news, the Capital held one of the largest branches of the order. That was also where an old childhood friend was training under his uncle. Tatsumi could bear to think of what had come of him.

His mentor said to him as he finally turned around to face him. "The council and I have decided to send a group of seasoned Assassins to rebuild the order there. I have chosen to send you, Sayo, and Ieyasu along with the Assassins."

"Mentor, if I may?" Tatsumi waited for the Mentor's response. The black cloaked man nodded signalling for him to continue. "I don't think that you should send us along with the Assassins. I've only just reached the rank of Assassin, Sayo and Ieyasu have just become Disciples."

His mentor shook his head, "Tatsumi, you are the youngest of our order to reach the rank of Assassin. While it would probably be wiser to keep you at Alamut, it would be a waste to not use your skills for something greater." He walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Remember our creed and remember our tenets." Tatsumi nodded his head and left to prepare for the next coming day.

Tatsumi was walking down the road that he was informed was the Imperial Highway. He had been separated from the other two and lost his horse the other day. It did give him the chance to meditate with his thoughts, but couldn't stop himself from worrying about his friends.

"AHHHHH!" He heard a loud scream and rushed towards the location of it. He saw two men in a carriage rushing as fast as they could physically could go while being chased by an Earth Dragon. "It'll get us! Go faster!"

Tatsumi quickly climbed a nearby tree and started to run along towards the beast taking care not to get caught. Soon he came close enough to attack. He leaped out of the tree and drew his sword aiming for the monster's arm as it raised it to smash the wagon. However before it could destroy the men and the wagon he swept his blade through the weak point in their arm. He landed on the ground and looked back, "Class one danger beast. This'll be fun."

The massive beast lunged at him mindlessly. Tatsumi quickly dodged the attack and landed multiple critical strikes on the beast. So after his attack the Earth Dragon fell apart. Tatsumi returned his sword to its sheathe of the deed had been wrapped up.

"Th-That was amazing!" The men ran up to him with awe on their faces. "You killed a class one Danger Beast by yourself!"

Tatsumi smiled at the comment, "No worries it was nothing."

"At least let us repay you!" The second man said excitedly much to the others dismay.

"Is that cart going towards the capital?" They both nodded their heads, "If you could I would enjoy riding the rest of the way."

"We can take you there if you would like."

He smiled, "I appreciate it very much." He climbed into the back of the wagon and made himself comfortable.


The Capital


Tatsumi climbed out of the wagon and waved the men goodbye. When they believed he was finally out of earshot one of the men leaned over to the other. "We need to hurry to the rendezvous. Lubbock is waiting for us."

Tatsumi began to walk into the largest city in the known world. He was amazed at the scale he had done a few missions in the cities nearby Alamut and the village. This though, this was on a totally different level. He wondered around for nearly an hour before he reached the pigeon pen. He was surprised to find over 50 notices and jobs on mostly dead or sickly birds. He picked one of the healthier birds and let it go after taking the message. He read the information on the targets

Manfred Von Kleid, silk merchant known templar. Uses his wealth and income to help finance Grandmaster Honest. The target's assassination will slow Honest down for around a week. This target's death is of the utmost importance for our continued operations in the capital.

Officer Jonáš Križ, customs officer suspected templar. Skims large percentages of the trade tariffs off for unknown purposes and steal much needed income from the Empire. Although he is strongly connected to several known templars so it's highly probable that he uses the money for financing their order.

The Badcoke Family, Noble Family that is kidnapping innocent country people and torturing and murdering them. According to reports it seems that the father is a templar that is helping his order plot a purge against the local branch of Assassins.

Tatsumi put the three contracts into his pocket, "Well I should get started shouldn't I." He began to walk down the road past a popular cafe where a blonde wearing a very revealing black breast strap. 'A country boy, hah. I guess he's a good enough to get conned.'

"Hey!" Tatsumi heard a woman's voice from behind him and he turned around to see what it was. He was greeted by a large pair of breasts which he couldn't stop from staring at. He quickly felt blood rush to his face and….other areas. "Stay focused here kid." He heard the voice say to him. He looked up to her face, "So I bet you want to join the imperial army don't you?"

Tatsumi wasn't sure what she was talking about however he decided to play along with it. "H-How'd you know that?" He said still staring at her large...assets.

"I've lived here along time I know the type of new person when they enter town." She then looked at him with a sly look, "I know how you could move straight up to captain."

He was immediately suspicious of her statement but might as well hear her out. "Could you share this secret?"

"Buy me a drink and I'll tell you!"

As they were walking through the streets on their way to the bar. He keep constantly seeing the same four wanted posters. They had very good artist sketches of the criminal and the names Akame, Bulat, Najenda, and Sheele. On the posters were their various descriptions and 'Night Raid, Dead or Alive.'

He turned the the blonde, "What are those posters?"

"They're those Night Raid bastards. Some group of Assassins that like sticking it to Nobles and the Prime Minister or something."

'These Night Raiders from this woman's report could be in some form an ally. That has remained to be seen yet. I should first however begin to reestablish the brotherhood in the Capital.'

He and the woman he found were sitting a small table in a large tavern. She had already put away five flagons of ale. "So what's this secret?" He said purposefully sounding impatient.

She looked at him with a small hint of red in her cheeks, "I have a friend in the higher ups with quite a bit of pull he could set you up. But, well you'll need give him a bit of money, kid." He wasn't shocked really he figured out she was most likely trying to rip him off.

He grabbed his pouch of pyrite coins, "Would this be enough?" He set the large coin purse on the table while watching her face light up and the face of the tavern owner look frustrated.

The women grabbed the purse, "More than enough! You know this has been a very educational experience, captain." 'That was easy.'

After she left the tavern Tatsumi turned to the owner, "How much is my tab?" The owner looked at him oddly. "I know she was trying to rip me off so I gave her a bag of pyrite coins." The owner laughed at the comment before saying "Eleven coins." Tatsumi walked up and placed a handful of coins on the counter amounting to twenty-three. The owner looked at the hooded man as he walked out into the street with a smile at the tip he had gotten.

Von Kleid Estate 4:12 p.m.

Tatsumi jumped from the tree planting the Rope Dart into the ground lifting the noose that had target on the end. He turned around seeing two legs kicking while the target's hands were trying to loosen the rope around his neck. He watched as the target failed around for another minute before he stopped moving and his hands dropped down. "May your god watch over you as you pass from this world." He said as he walked away from the body that had was swinging from the tree.

Križ Household 7:47 p.m.

"No! No! Please! I have a family! A Wife and a newborn son! I don't want to die!" The man who was slashed across his chest said crawling across floor of his office.

Tatsumi knelled down to look him in the eyes with hood covering the upper half of his face. "Maybe you should have thought of them before siding with the Templars."

"You want money! Take it I have more than enough! Women! I can get tho…" he was interrupted by Tatsumi's hidden blade sinking into his chest. Blood began to bubble out of his mouth as Tatsumi leaned into his ear, "May your god watch over you as you pass from this world." The man's body collapsed as he began coughing up blood. Tatsumi looked at the body for a second before walking away.

Tatsumi slouched back against a building as he put his hood down. 'I guess I'll have to deal with those nobles tomorrow. I think I should find a place to sleep for the night.' He started to meditate on the three tenets and the three ironies. A routine that both his father and the mentor had drilled into him at an early age.

At that time a gilded carriage was passing, "Stop!"

The driver looked back, "Are we seriously doing this again, Lady Aria?" He opened one eye and looked at the girl and the driver. The sigil on the Carriage was definitely that of his mark and the girl bore a resemblance to his daughter.

"I can't help it. It's my nature." She started to walk over to him. "If you need a place to stay you could stay at my house."

He smiled, "I would enjoy that." He stood up and shook her hand, "Thank you."

The driver shook his head, 'If you knew what was heading your way you'd run like hell kid.'

The Badcoke Estate 9:21 pm

Tatsumi, Aria, and both her parents were sitting in the living room talking. "Ha Ha Ha." Aria's father was laughing so hard Tatsumi thought he could see a tear forming in his eye. It really was a shame that he'd have to kill him he really was a fun person be around. "So you wish to join the army?" He had switched to a more serious voice.

"Yes. I need to send money back to the village." He brilliantly spun the lie he had made the day before. "Although I was separated from two friends on the way here."

"Hmmm." He brought his hand and rubbed his face as if thinking. "I have a friend who maybe able to help you. He's in the army and if your friends have already enlisted he'll be able to find them."

Tatsumi smiled, "Thank you I would appreciate that."

Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.

The group looked at the clock that was on the wall. "It's already 11:00 'o'clock. I should be getting ready for bed." Tatsumi stood up and bow respectfully and began to walk down the hall to his appointed bedroom. "I have a great feeling that you'll be meeting your friends very soon." Aria cried out as he was walking down the hall. He looked back and flashed a smile and thanking her. However as he was walking down the hall his face turned to a one of anger. 'I'm going to need to finish the operation tonight so I can end their acts.'

Later that Night- 12:04 pm

Tatsumi had gotten out of his bed and reequipped his gear and began to leave as he put his hood up. He found himself inside the master bedroom. He crept over toward the bed but only found Lord Badcoke. He pulled his arm back, retracting his hidden blade and forced it down in his targets chest. His target awoke feeling the blade in his chest. "Ass-Assas-in!" He weakly tried to yell out before dying.

He walked out into the hallway noticing Lady Badcoke walking towards the door. He hid himself in the shadows as she got ever closer. "What an interesting hobby I guess I have another journal entry." Suddenly she saw a flash of white and the feeling of flying. She looked down to see her legs slouched on the ground and then everything went black.

Tatsumi flicked his sword to try and remove as much blood as possible before sheathing it. He started walking towards Aria's room. When he passed a nearby window he noticed out of the corner of his eye people were standing on something in the sky. When he focused on it and noticed Akame and Sheele, the two girls from the Night Raid posters and several others.

"Must be Night Raid that means they're here to kill this family, guess I'll have to hurry." He was about to continue towards Aria's room before noticing the family's four guards and Aria running from the Mansion. "Dammit!"

"Akame those guards are on the hit list too." Lubbock stated.

"Then I'll eliminate." She said about to jump from the platform he had built.

CRASH!

They looked at the window on the third floor as it shattered and a hooded man jumped out of it. He fell down landing on one of the guards. Two of the guards grabbed their machine guns and opened fire. The figure grabbed the body of the recently deceased guard and held it up to block the storm of bullets.

After firing for nearly a full minute they ran out of ammunition and quickly attempted to reload. The man took the chance and threw two knives at them. The guards dropped with the knives in their throats and he looked at the fourth guard and Aria who were trying to get out of there as fast a possible. He brought his pistol to bear on the guard and fired inflicting a fatal wound.

"Akame, who the hell is he?" Bulat asked marveled at the speed and effectiveness of the Assassin.

Akame shook her head, "I don't know but we need to find out. If he's a threat then I 'll eliminate him." She answered in a cool and calm voice.

Tatsumi had finally run Lady Aria down at the shed near the corner of the property. "Tatsumi why I saved you!"

He looked at the girl with cold eyes, "No you invited an Assassin into your home." He withdrew his revolver from his right holster. Aria quickly tried to cover herself, "May your God watch over you as you pass from this world." Tatsumi pulled the trigger on the pistol. The bullet hit the girl in the side of the head killing her instantly, a quick painless death.

He reholstered his pistol just in time to hear something land on the ground behind him. He turned to meet whatever had landed there, what he saw was a girl with raven black hair and red eyes. She didn't look that much older than him. Tatsumi had seen a picture of her before when the chick with the boobs and him went to get lunch. "You're that Akame aren't you?"

She didn't respond to him for a while, "Who are you?"

"I can't tell you that." Tatsumi said not trying to give away the fact that he was a member of the brotherhood, or that it even existed.

"Why not?"

Seeing that the girl wouldn't give up until he gave her something. "Let's just say that my friends and I don't really like really like to be in the public eye as much as you guys do."

"You're an Assassin?" She asked.

"I am." He replied.

"Then," she rushed towards him, "Eliminate!" She brought her katana up to strike at him though he easily sidestepped it and kicked Akame in the side. She got up soon after and rushed the Assassin again. This time she tried to send an even strike to cut him in half. He brought his hand down as if it was a desperate attempt to block it. Although when Murasame connected with his arm she heard the sound of metal connecting with metal.

She backed off for the moment and tried to focused on her next attack but was interrupted by the assassin launching a massive and sudden series of attacks. His attacks were seemingly random and he back off to avoid a counter attack before attacking from another angle. She had to admit he was really good with a sword even enough to match her.

Leone had started to walk to the shed deep in thought, 'That was strange the bastard was already dead and Akame usually doesn't take this long.' She walked in the clearing just in time to see a hooded figure scratch Akame's arm with a sword. She recognised him, he was that damn kid who made her look like an idiot. Although Leone was surprised that he had managed not only to stand this long but also land a slight scratch her.

Akame was getting ready to launch a new attack when she felt something grab her arm. She looked back to see Leone, "What are you doing?"

"We got time, why don't we talk to him?" Leone let go of Akame and she sheathed her sword. "It appears you were here to assassinate this family. So why are you come to this house?"

Tatsumi put his own blade away, "I was given a contract so I had to come here." Leone and Akame were horrified that he was only here for what they assumed was money.

"So is money your only motive?" Akame asked clenching her fists together out of anger.

"No. I don't even get paid for my contracts. The reason for this contract was to destroy a treat to my order." Akame and Leone appeared to lighten up just a little bit. Tatsumi turned towards the shed. "Now I assume this is where they committed their acts." Tatsumi thought out loud. He opened the door to the shed. The scene was far worse than he believed.

There were several mutilated bodies lying on the ground or hanging from ropes or chains. A bodiless head hung from a hook. He recognized the head as one of the Assassins he left Alamut with, Richard. He was the one the Mentor tasked with rebuilding the Capital branch. Over on one of the shelves there were at least ten or fifteen bloody assassin robes. Amongst the dead were many of his brothers that he left Alamut alongside. But the body that hung in the center of the horrific scene was what attracted the foremost of his attention. "SAYO!" He saw the girl's naked body hanging before him severely mutilated, he stood before with his anger building up inside of him.

"Tat-Tatsumi." Tatsumi turned his gaze towards a cage were a sickly looking man was lying on the floor. He ran over to him quickly and unlocked the lock to let him out. The man looked at the young girl still lying on the ground, "That girl, tortured Sayo to death! She led us in like sheep to the slaughter!"

Tatsumi could hear the pain in his voice, "Ieyasu, please, tell me where are the rest of our brothers are. Surely they didn't all get captured."

"No, everyone else was cut down in that ambush. Everyone else was captured except you, when we didn't see you we thought you had been killed. I guess you were fortunate enough to get away." Ieyasu said progressively weaker.

"Hey, hey don't talk like that! We're going to get you patched up." Tatsumi said trying to help his friend.

"Sorry but he's beginning to show the latter stages of Arsenic poisoning. There's nothing we can do for him." Akame said in the background.

His friend reached up and touched his shoulder, "I would ask you do one more thing for me but the Creed would not allow it."

Tatsumi's face grew dark, "What the Mentor does not know won't hurt us." He put his hand near his heart. "May your god watch over you as you pass from this world." He then stabbed his friend into the heart much to Akame's and Leone's shock.

He stood up and began to leave with a heavy face. Leone looked at him, 'He's quite skilled and doesn't hesitate when faced with a target. He does seem to have what it takes.' She quickly ran up and grabbed him much to his dismay. "Hey, so I was thinking that you might want to talk to our boss ."

"About what?" He cautiously asked.

"About being our new member!" She said excitedly throwing her hands up the grabbing him again and starting to drag him to the rest of the rest of the group.