A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to another new story by yours truly, the Celestial Sky Dragon. This time around, I am trying my hand at the series Akame Ga Kill. Originally, this was gonna be a crossover with Gate: Thus the JSDF fought there, but I was't able to get everything down right. As such, chapter one may have some references to Gate as the original beginning plot points are still there, just ignore this. I'm not sure if I will cross it over in the future, but for now it will remain solely an AGK story.

The main character is based of of Ruby Rose, it will be a lot more apparent as the story goes on. I was actually thinking of crossing this over with RWBY at one point, I thought it would be an interesting premise, but I haven't worked out all the kinks yet. You know what they say, no idea is a bad idea unless you make it a bad idea. So for now this will just remain as an idea, unless someone can make a plot out of it and pitch it to me, no guarantee that I'll be able to write something though.

As always, if you wish to toss me an oc, I'll most likely use them, considering this is Akame Ga Kill, don't get mad if I randomly kill them off...I've already been planning various ways the main cast may die, no one lives forever, as an assassin especially. Also, I will be following the manga story line as best as I can, but throwing my own twists in there. I like the anime, but everything after episode 13 was just...well not good in my opinion. Obviously you couldn't put the Wild Hunt arc in there because of how violent it is, but still I will not be following the anime story at all, because I think it was a bad ending.

So, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter...took me three rewrites before finally getting it right...so I hope you all like it. Tell me what you think and what I should do to make the plot more interesting, there will be unique targets and story arcs as well..let's just say this is a series where I can let my darkside out to play, because I am known to come up with some rather fucked up story ideas. You know what they said, a Man alone with his thoughts can come up with some macabre ideas. Hope you have a good one.

As a side note...I'm sure most of you know that I am in fact Puerto Rican...right now my homeland is in a crisis due to Hurricane Maria. My mother, step father and my little sisters live there, along with various of my aunts and uncles. I've got no communications at all with any of my family, and it is very worrying. I've already donated some money to the cause, so if you could spare a dollar or two, please donate them to charity, not just for them, but for the people of Mexico who not only suffered from one Earthquake but from an Aftershock as well, it would mean a lot if you could show us some kindness and donate to those in need. Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey victims are included too, just...do your best to spread a little kindness to those who need it...thank you all for always being loyal fans, my prayers to those who have friends and family in any of these locations.

Akame ga Kill

Blood Rain

Chapter 1

Kill the Bandits

Bright blue skies fell on a lone figure, making his way toward the Imperial City. The path he was taking was a straight shot to the seat of the Empire, a city that spanned over 200,000 square miles, and was inhabited by more than a million people. The wind was still, not even a breeze could be felt, and it was a bit hot since it was the early spring season. The dusty road was one well traveled, the marks of carriages could be seen ingrained in the dried dirt. The path was lined by thick forest on either side, which was often times filled with various danger beasts. Depending on the species, one could be paid rather well for taking one down.

The young man making his way to the capital was in fact returning from a meeting he had with some friends in the land of the south. There was a Principality that bordered with the Empire, and was mostly on bad terms with them, even though their rulers did try to get along. It was also the location of the Revolutionary Army, which had stations all around the continent, but was mostly located in the Principality, due to them being nobles and traitors of the Empire, wanted by the law for treason. It was much easier to hide behind a border than to walk around freely and risk being spotted.

The boy stopped in the middle of the path, his ear twitching a bit. He heard the sound of a cart approaching from the south. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see it in the distance, swiftly approaching. Four horses were pulling a rather large stage coach, but it seemed as if it was carrying goods rather than people. He would just let them pass, and if he was lucky, score a ride the rest of the way to the capital. He jingled the coins in his pocket, nodding to himself.

He looked to be a young man, with lightly tanned skin, and bright green eyes. The right side of his face was covered by a white mask, which covered the entirety of his cheek, down to his jawline. The mask had been custom made for him, out of the hardest metal alloy he could find, and was designed not to fall of in battle.

He was wearing a crimson colored cloak, one of his signature clothing choices. It was made from a special kind of silk that allowed him to blend into the night, despite its brilliant color. His hood was lined black on the inside, and hid his spiky black locks.

He was wearing long sleeved black tunic, with a crimson leather vest over it. It had been a form of light armor that he had gotten made for him. It had been rather hard for him to get dyed leather, so he took quite a lot of care with it. He wore a pair of black jeans, secured by a leather belt. Around his waist were several pouches, holding various items within.

He wore a pair of black armored boots, held together with thick pieces of crimson leather. He was wearing a pair of leather arm braces on his arms, which helped quite a lot against people with short swords, though not a lot of people were able of causing him damage. The braces were special, as they held a hidden blade, which made it easier to kill people stealthily, something that he did quite often.

He had a couple other weapons on him, that made him a deadly force. He had a lever action 12 gauge shotgun, strapped to his leg. It was a sleek black color, with a wooden grip, which he had made himself from some balsamic wood. The weapon itself wasn't longer than his arm, definitely illegal by his world's standards. It was one of the remaining vestiges to the other side.

Strapped to his left leg and hidden from view was another one of his favorite weapons. A small rifle known as the Honey Badger. It was a sleek and small gun, making it almost hard to see on his person. He had been so proficient with it, that he could draw it and kill a group of people without batting an eye. The weapon was practically weightless to him, and neither impeded his movements, as they had been held onto his legs with a specially designed holster.

The final weapon he had in his possession was his personal favorite one. It was a weapon he had found through mere luck during his exploration of this new land. It was a sleek scythe, known solely by the title it was given. The Crimson Thorn: Crescent Rose. It was a scythe that was created for quick battles, but also meant to be concealed on the holder's person. With a flick of the wrist, the weapon extended outward into its battle form, it was by far his favorite way to battle, and he often walked around with it resting on his shoulder. However he was carrying it in its travel mode, not wanting to attract attention to himself.

He saw the Coach was slowly approaching, and held his hand out, flagging it down. The men slowed down, coming to a stop shortly after. Four stallions pulled the cart, and looked strong and lovely. He had seen many horses in these lands, and they were treated with high honor due to their various uses around the country. He walked up to the driver and his escort, giving them a smile. They looked at him oddly, due to the half mask he was wearing on his face, he had long since learned to ignore those stares.

"You heading to the capital?" he asked.

"Aye, we're carrying some goods from the eastern territories. Something the matter son?" the man asked.

"Not at all, this is a highly dangerous area. A lot of Terrier Moles like to tear the path up. I'm in need of a ride to the city, I'm willing to pay for the ride, in return I can offer my services." he said.

"Hehe, services? Sorry kiddo, we already got an archer with us...the girl is good, ended up loosing her way in the forest." the man said, gesturing over his shoulder.

The boy looked up, seeing the black haired girl who was now looking at him with curious eyes. They were a dark onyx color, something he didn't see often during his travels. She was wearing a black furred poncho over her shoulders. He saw what looked like a kimono underneath it, which was a silky lavender color. He also saw the brown strap of a quiver slung across her shoulder.

"Not to impute on your archery skills my lady, have you fallen a Mole before? Have you even seen one?" he asked.

"I've had my fair share of beastly encounters sir. I believe my skills are sufficient enough to keep us safe." she replied, a firm tone in her voice. The boy chuckled a bit, shaking his head.

"The lady speaks firmly and proudly. I like that in a woman, tell ya what...I'll pay you three Platinum for a ride to the capital." he said.

"What did you say? Three Platinum?" the driver said. The boy reached into his pocket, pulling out the platinum colored coins, emblazoned with the crest of the Royal Capital.

"I haven't seen platinum in years...to hold such a vast amount of money...alright kid, we'll take you the rest of the way to the capital. We'll even make it urgent if you need to."

"Nah, I'm good thanks." the boy said, handing the payment over to the men, who looked it over to make sure it was real. When they saw the stamp on the back of the coins, they quickly grabbed the reigns, waiting for the boy to jump into the coach. It took up off the path.

"So, what's your story?" the girl asked, causing the boy to look up. He had found himself a seat next to some wine barrels. He had half a mind to grab a drink from them.

"There isn't one, I'm afraid. Just a drifter, I go around slaying beasts and what not for money. I was heading to the capital to collect my next payout." he said simply.

"I don't believe you. A person like you, you look my age, maybe a year older." she said, earning a chuckle from the boy. He gave her a smile, leaning forward a bit.

"Girlie, I'm a lot stronger than I look. I ain't from around here, in fact I'm not from this country. I'm from the Principality." he said, causing her to go wide eyed.

"The country to the south? That borders the empire? What are you doing up here then?"

"Stuff...things that little girls shouldn't get involved with." he said, earning a scowl from the girl. She crossed her arms, looking away from him.

"I'm not little, I'm seventeen just so you know. I'm the best archer in my village. Naturally it falls onto my shoulders to secure some sort of payment to help my friends and family out." she said.

"Hmm...in other words, your village is so fucked by the Empire's tax that they're sending kids to the capital. I get ya...I've seen my fair share of bankrupt villages and towns."

"I'll bet...the Principality is so much better off than the Empire. At least you guys aren't doing bad economically." she said.

"Ah, but the civil unrest is all the same my lady. Our villages get pillaged by bandits, our men forced into the army, our women raped and sold as slaves, and our children are bartered and traded as if they were toys. Our fields get salted, our water supplies poisoned, entire cities set aflame. All of it is caused by the Empire's influence." he said. The girl lowered her gaze a bit, a frown on her face. The caught sight of the white flower pinned to her hair. It was a beautiful one, that he had seen in the fields north of the border. He found himself smiling a bit.

"A silk dragon...those flowers are very beautiful. They're often given to maidens who are to be betrothed, you looking for someone in the capital?" he asked. She looked up, flushing a bit.

"Hell no! The village elder gave me this flower as a good luck charm, it's been enchanted so it never dies." she said.

"Enchanted huh? Well wouldn't you know?" he asked, glancing out toward the path.

"So...the Principality isn't that far from here, is it?" she asked.

"Nope, the Principality is a country within another country. They have quite a bit of land, but are are still within the Empire's continent. It is further divided into kingdoms each lead by a different noble family. From here to the border, it would be about five days on horse back, depending on if the weather is good." he said.

"And if it isn't?" she asked, earning a chuckle from him.

"Well then, you might want to start lifting weights and getting some upper body strength, because the climb isn't very fun." he said.

"I don't need to lift weights, I'm a pretty good climber. I used to hide from my friends Tatsumi and Ieyasu in the tallest evergreen trees in our village. It was always fun looking at them from above."

"Hmm...my sister used to do the same. She always drove my parents crazy with her ludicrous hiding places."

The cart suddenly pulled to a stop, the horses bucking a bit. The boy got off the barrel and knelt down a bit, placing a hand on the handle of his weapon. He didn't like using his scythe around people, because he knew if they recognized it, they could probably figure out what it was. It wasn't a normal conventional weapon, but sometimes it was better than wasting the little ammunition he had. He mentally weighed his options.

"If its a group of bandits, I can easily take them out with a short burst. But there's only so much ammo I can carry in that enchanted pouch. I honestly don't feel like buying raw lead and iron just to cast more bullets. It's hard enough making them all from scratch, if I fight here I may not be able to save the shells."

"What's wrong sir?" the girl asked, her wooden bow already in her hand.

"I'm not sure...I think the horses caught wind of something they don't like." the man, trying to calm the beasts down. The ground started rumbling a bit, making the boy close his eyes. His ears twitched a bit, as he was trying to find out the source of the sound.

"A couple moles...no, three maybe. They're about to surface." he said, jumping out of the coach.

"Whoa wait...those things are dangerous aren't they?" the girl cried, following after him. She aimed her bow in all directions, the glint of the arrow head shining in her eyes.

A loud screech was heard a second later. From the ground in front of the cart appeared a large mole like creature, black in color with several bald spots around its body. It's sharpened claws were extended, a sign that it was looking for a quick snack. It looked a lot bigger than he was expecting, so he knew it was a mother. The two others were most likely newborns. The girl was about to shoot it when he put his hand out.

"Don't, that'll just aggravate it...their fur is so thick, regular arrow heads won't pierce it. You'd be better off with bolts at this rate."

"Well I don't have bolts!" she snapped. He tugged on his weapon, pulling it from behind his cloak.

"I know, which is why I got this." he said, walking forward.

The weapon extended outward, creating a bit of a pole arm with what looked like a crimson hammer head on the top. He spun it around, simultaneously pulling a small leaver, which made the top part spring outward, with a loud Shing, the blade extended.

The weapon itself was about a meter and a half in length. The head of the scythe curved outward, and was a bright crimson color. It had two small blades near the top of it, extending downward. The curved blade had a five foot reach, and was sharpened to a razor edge, all the way down to the point, which was black in color. The handle part of the scythe was long and thin, and very durable. It made it very light to carry and spin around. The bottom of the polearm had a dagger on it, which was used for stabbing purposes.

The thing that made this weapon unique was of course the fact that it was part firearm. The boy hadn't been expecting this to be a feature in it, but when he had discovered it, he felt the need to grin. It fired compressed spirit bullets, made from his own magical energy. In fact it was the only reason he bothered practicing magic, to increase his mana enough for him to use the weapon practically.

"You may want to steer clear." he said, glancing back at the black haired girl, who just looked at him oddly. The mole let out another screech, pulling itself out of the ground. The boy ran forward, holding the scythe behind him. He let out a single round, using the recoil to propel himself forward.

Spinning around, he let off another around, using the momentum to slash the mole across the chest. He spun around his heel, twirling the scythe around with ease, blocking the swipes the mole threw at him. He let out a chuckle as he jumped back, aiming his weapon at the ground. Letting off another round, he shot toward the mole, hooking the blade around its neck, spinning around it as if he were swinging from a tree. He planted his foot on the back of its head, and with a firm pull, sliced it clean off. He backflipped off the body, watching as it fell forward, bathing the path with blood.

He let out a breath, jumping back to avoid the two simultaneous slashes from the newborns. They're eyes were open yet, meaning they were relying on their hearing, which made them that much deadlier, if given the chance to return to the ground of course. The boy twirled his scythe above his head, spinning it so fast it looked almost like a blur. He took a firm hold of it, angling the blade.

"Palapon, grant me your strength. Let these souls rest in your eternal haven." he chanted, bringing the scythe down across the mole's torso. It let out a squeak as the top half of its body fell to the ground, a fountain of blood spraying the boy. The other one turned to run, but with a flick of the wrist, was killed by the weapon he had thrown.

He walked over to the creature, pulling the blade free from its skull, looking around the area. The Coach drivers and the girl were all looking at him stunned, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. He was about to say something when a gunshot tore through the silence. The boy's head snapped to the side, a bit of blood falling to the ground. He remained silent for a few seconds, spitting a bullet onto the ground. He rested his scythe on his shoulder, glancing over it into the forest.

"So, it was bandits after all...you spray pheromones on the path? Hoping you could score an easy cart? We're you thinking of killing these men? Raping this girl?" he asked. Several men came out of the forest, all of them aiming onyx colored firearms at him.

Unlike the Principality who had never seen weapons like these before, the Empire had been developing arms that fired lead bullets at people. Harnessing the power of magic and gunpowder, they had developed the first firearms for the empire, and were given only to those who belonged to the Imperial Army. They were called Gunner Squads. He had still been unable to figure out how they had gotten their hands on a design like that, no doubt something they had developed with the help of a person from the other side.

"Put your weapon down, all of you! Get on your knees or we will shoot!" a tall burly man, who he assumed was the leader cried out. The girl growled angrily, her aim still on the man nearest the boy. He fully turned around, causing everyone to aim at him. The saw the hole in his cheek slowly start sealing up, making his grin that much scarier.

"Now what do we have here? A Gunning Squad turned to petty thievery? Naughty naughty." he said.

"Open fire! Kill them all!" the man cried, shouldering his gun. They all opened fire on the boy, only to miss entirely. They heard the sound of his cloak and looked up, seeing him several meters in the air.

He let out a laugh as he spun his scythe around, throwing it at one of the gunmen, killing him instantly. He landed in a roll, reaching for his own rifle, snapping the stock in place. He pulled the trigger, sending his own hail of gunfire at the men. They all cried in pain as the bullets tore through their armor. Some of them ended up running back into the woods, using the trees as cover to avoid his fire. His magazine clicked empty, and he zoomed forward, grabbing a hold of his scythe.

He spun it around, throwing the body that was still impaled on it at one of the men who had taken a shot at him. He let out a cry of pain, stumbling back a bit. He pushed the body off himself and scrambled for his weapon, turning around only to meet the barrel of the boy's shotgun. He gave him a wink, pulling the trigger, splattering his brains all over the grass. He spun on his heel, flicking the gun downward to load the next round in. He rose it, blowing off one of the bandit's legs, with his second shot, he put him down for good.

"What...what the hell is this?" the leader cried out, looking at all of his fallen men. There were only three of them now, all of them shaking in fear from the boy's might.

"This? This is retribution! You wretched whelps think you can do whatever you fucking want, pillaging and taking, stealing and raping, it doesn't work that way. The fires of vengeance boil within this worn vestige. You'll rue the day you've crossed the Oracle of Retribution!" he replied, placing his shotgun back into his special holster.

"Holy shit...I've heard of this guy, he's really famous in the Principality...he's basically hailed as a hero." one man cried out.

"That's right...this guy is a a mercenary. He's Zachary Wayne, the Grim Reaper of Retribution!" the second, more terrified of the three cried.

"Tch...this kid is full of it, open fire dammit!"

"Hell no, I don't want to die!" one of them cried, breaking into a sprint up the path. Zack moved forward, turning into a red blur as he appeared before the man, slicing his legs clean off his body. He let out a scream as he fell to the ground, howling bloody murder.

"Requiescat In Pace." he said softly, slicing the man's head off his shoulders with a twist of his scythe. He flipped his scythe around, using an upward swing to impale the last gunner under the chin, his body twitched as it hung suspended, before the boy tossed it over his shoulder, landing in a heap on the ground.

"P-please...d-don't kill me. I don't want to die!" he cried, falling to his knees.

"You wanted to rape the girl right? I have ears like a hawk, I knew about you before I knew about the coach. I bet you had thoughts about taking her prisoner, forcing her to do your bidding, taking her maidenhood from her and making her your sex slave for the rest of her life, or until you got bored and killed her."

"T-that isn't true! We wanted to steal yes, but we didn't know about girl. Please let me go, I promise we'll never see each other." the man cried hysterically. Zack smiled, licking his lips.

"Sorry, I've already made a promise." he replied. The man let out a scream, and then silence once again filled the area. The top of his head gushed crimson with his blood as he fell back. The top of his head fell off, the sliced part of his brain falling to the ground in a pool of blood.

"Palapon, accept my retribution as an offering. I shall continue invoking my vengeance in your name, great lord of Revenge." he said firmly, bowing his head in prayer. He rose it a second later, flicking the blood off his blade as he returned it to its travel mode, placing it in his holster.

"Y-You killed them all." the driver said as he approached.

"And I didn't get a single drop of blood on my cloak." he said proudly.

"You're a monster! How could you kill like that without any remorse?" the girl cried. He chuckled, tilting his head in curiosity.

"My apologies dear...I didn't think showing remorse to petty thieves was commonplace here. He was going to rape you, and I think his life is much better than your virginity yes?" he asked. She flushed, giving him a nod.

"That man said your a Merc...is that true?" one of the driver's said. Zack gave him a nod.

"Zack Wayne, one of the best in the Principality. Worry not about the lives taken here, all of them are facing retribution in the fires of the underworld. I shall have to ask you to keep this between us. These men, were once soldiers of the Imperial Army...perhaps it would be prudent to arm yourselves against further attacks." he said.

"Y-yeah...I agree. Firearms are hard to come by, perhaps we could salvage the ones here." one of them said.

"A wise choice." Zack said.

He leaned back against the Coach, keeping an eye on the horses as the man grabbed all of the rifles from the ground, along with any spare ammunition the thieves were carrying on them. The black haired girl was leaning against the coach as well, standing a few meters away from him. She was hugging herself a bit, most likely thinking about what could have happened.

"This Empire is poisonous. Unlike the lands I am used to, this place is filled with much more strife. The fight for money drives people to do horrible things. The Imperial Soldiers are forced against their will to fight, leading them to defect. Without the cushy pay, they turn into vagrants, leading to what happened here." he said.

"I know that. I know the dangers of this place...it's not like our village wasn't attacked before...I just never witnessed people being killed before."

"I've had to watch people die, for the last five years, nothing has filled me with as much hatred as the people of this empire. Those that run scared long for a world of freedom, doing nothing to fight against the oppression presented to them. Former Emperor Ryoma ruled with an iron fist, and now his son is being taken advantage of by his Prime Minister. It's no wonder the Revolutionary Army was formed." he said.

"You know...seeing you like this...it makes me believe you are part of them."

"You're too far from the truth my dear... I've got my own reasons for doing what I do. Even my own family wasn't spared from the grief of this Empire and its rule. We sought refuge in the Principality, only to meet the same fate. No matter where you go in this world, you are never free...always remember that." He said.

"Sayo."

"Hmm?" he glanced at her, seeing the bright smile on her face. The breeze had picked up, moving her hair a bit.

"My name...as opposed to dear and my lady? I never really liked that stuff you know, but I guess it's okay. Call me that from now on though." she said firmly.

"Lady Sayo...it's a pleasure to meet you, you may call me Zack. Apologies for the formalities, my mother raised me to be kind to the ladies." he said, giving her a wink.

"We're ready to go, we salvaged a lot of ammunition, if you are in need of some, help yourself." the driver said, placing the two sacks and all of the rifles into the back of the Coach.

"I've got plenty, thank you. I hope this stuff actually does help...let's be on our way." he said, jumping back onto the cart. He held his hand out, helping Sayo climb onto it once more. With a loud whinny, the horses were on their way.

xxx Location: Imperial City, The Empire xxx

"Wow, this place is huge!" Sayo exclaimed, eyes widening in amazement.

The Imperial City was the largest settlement in the country. It was surrounded by large stone walls, spanning hundreds of meters into the air, giving the guards a good view of the surrounding forest. The inner city was divided into many districts. The Imperial Palace was separated by another wall, which surrounded the entirety of the castle grounds. The houses were made of either brick or wood, though wooden houses were more common in lower income areas.

"Well, we've brought you here safe and sound, and thanks to you we've got our full inventory with us." the driver said.

"It was nothing...if there's anything I hate in this world, it's fuckin bandits. I've got a small gift for you two though, get yourself an armored carriage, and some armor for the horses too, so nothing happens on the road." he said, handing them a small bag with more platinum coins.

"Sir, we can't accept this...are you insane? This much Platinum is enough to buy yourself a small villa!" the man said.

"Don't worry about it, I just want you two to be safe whenever you travel. I can tell this is the only thing that keeps your village afloat, and I would hate it if the two of you ended up loosing your wares or worse." he said.

"Thank you sir, we are in your debt...if you ever need a ride anywhere, do not hesitate to seek us." the man said. Zack gave them a wave as they took off toward the western entrance of the city, where the market place was located.

"Hey Zack, do you think you could come with me to the Army Recruiting office?" Sayo asked, causing the boy to frown.

"Even with all of the stuff going on, you're still planning on joining the army?"

"It's the only way to make a steady income. Me and my friends agreed to come here, but we were separated along the way. I was thinking of getting some local work while I wait for them. It's only been two days, so their either already here or really close." she said.

"Well, I gotta go there anyway, so I can collect my payment." he said, earning a nod from her. He started walking into the city, heading through the crowded streets.

Sayo was looking around with a look of wonder, but also remained rather closed to Zack, for obvious reasons. Many young men had tried hitting on her, but one look from him drove them off. The went into another less crowded street, which was a little more open. He spotted the recruitment office, along with the long line outside of it, and walked toward it, standing behind an armored man.

"There's a lot of people here." Sayo said softly, earning a nod from Zack.

"All of them fools for entering this hellhole. The pay may look good, but I would never join this corrupt Empire." he replied, his face firm. Sayo frowned, wanting to say something, but she knew the boy had his reasons...if those bandits from the path were an example, she would hate to see just how bad everything truly was.

The line started moving rather fast, especially because a lot of people kept getting tossed out. It wasn't long before the two had found themselves inside the office. It was a rather small building, filled with a couple Imperial Guards, and a lot of people filling out paperwork. There was a middle aged man sitting behind a desk, wearing a turtle neck, his mustache being well groomed. The black haired teen walked up to him, not bothering to lower his hood.

"Hello, how may I help you today?" he asked, a bored tone in his voice. He reached into his cloak, pulling out three folded papers from within. He handed them to the man, who looked at them over.

"Claiming the Bounty on these three eh?" the man said, placing the papers on the desk. There was a crimson stamp over each one, the words, Kill Confirmed being on their faces, along with the signature of the official where the request had been filed.

"I got these three outside of Italica in the Principality, apparently they thought fleeing the Empire was a good idea...you don't need to see their heads or anything right? Because I didn't bring them."

"No no, we received the message from this official by courier pigeon, so we are already aware of the confirmed kills. Wait here while I get your reward." the man said, standing up from his seat.

"Did you seriously kill three men?" Sayo asked softly.

"Course...these three were worth 1,500 gold coins all together...that's quite a boon for me you know." he said, earning a wide eyed look from the girl. The attendant came back, carrying a medium sized leather pouch filled to the brim with coins. He stamped a small paper, handing him a pen. He scrawled his name on it, accepting the payment.

"Here you are, one Platinum and Five Hundred Gold. Thank you for your service lad, don't spend that all in one place." he said. He stepped aside, allowing Sayo to speak with the man.

"I'd like to join the army...if you have spots of course." she said happily.

"Hmm...do you have what it takes little lady? What's your experience with a sword?" the man asked, looking her over.

"I...don't have one. I'm an archery, I'm the best in my village!"

"That's what they all say. Take the poncho off, I need to assess your body type." the man said. Zack rose a brow, a confused look on his face.

"The hell do you need to do that for?" he asked.

"It's standard protocol sir, there are many female soldiers in our army, but not all of them are the same. Most are rapier users, like our own General Esdeath. The Prime Minister has set out certain requirements for females that wish to join the army." he said simply.

"Whatever, I guess that makes sense. Here Zack, hold these for me." Sayo said, handing him her body and quiver. The boy took a hold of them, slinging the quiver over his shoulder. He looked at the bow, humming to himself.

"Well made bow, durable string made from dried boar entrails, and the wood is made from light wood, but still durable so it doesn't break easily." he thought to himself, giving the string a few firm tugs.

"I don't think you're gonna cut it miss. You look like you can handle simple hunts, but you don't have what it takes to get through the training." the man said. Zack glanced up, seeing the pissed look on Sayo's face.

She was wearing a rather beautiful kimono, woven from the finest silk he had seen in awhile. It had been died a light lavender color, and had white flower prints around the waist area. Around her waist was a royal purple sash, tied tightly around her waist into a bow behind her back. She wore long white stockings and black leather boots. He had seen this outfit a few times, usually worn by village maidens. If Sayo was indeed the maiden of her village, she had a lot of balls for wanting to join the army.

"I'll have you know sir, I can handle myself. I can shoot a flea in the ass from two hundred meters away. My aim with a bow is much better than anyone elses. Ten times better than a person with a sword anyway." she said firmly.

"Young lady, do you know how many people have walked through that door and said the same thing? All of you country bumpkins are the same...hell there was a kid just like you swinging a sword at me yesterday, and I tossed his ass out. So unless you want to meet the same fate, you'll come back here when you can hold a sword. Next!" he called out. Sayo growled angrily, flicking her hair over her shoulder, wrapping the poncho around her shoulders again.

Someone let out a scream, a dull thud filling the area for a split second. They all turned to Zack, who had been standing there with a sheepish grin on his face. There was a single arrow stabbed right into the ceiling. He cleared his throat, holding Sayo's bow behind his back.

"Someone should tell those archers not to use their bows inside. Well, time to go Sayo, thank you for your time." he said, taking the girl's hand, pulling her out of the office.

"Ugh...can you believe the nerve of that guy? He didn't let me join just because I didn't have the right body time. I'm an archer, my strength comes from my arms." she said.

"It was a good thing you didn't get accepted. You would have most likely gone through some horrible training, day in and day out, just so you could have enough to survive. Then you would probably be put on the Military Police, which is the most corrupt part of this empire." he said.

"Yeah, but even a job with the Military Police beats doing nothing...also give me my bow back. Thanks to that little show back there, I'm an arrow short." she said, taking her weapon back from the boy.

"Sorry, I'll buy you some more if we pass by the forge. Maybe get you some bolts too. If anything, you can get yourself some armor and become a bounty hunter...that stuff pays really well." Zack said.

"Tch...I would never kill another human being. No matter how terrible the crime, especially for something as petty as money. The only reason I would kill would be in self defense." she said firmly.

"News flash honey, what do you think the Imperial Army does? They aren't going to other cities to collect butterflies and unicorns. You get deployed and you'll be subjugating other lands. In fact, two of the well known generals in this Empire are currently away, fighting with the rebel armies." he said firmly.

"Right...that man said the name Esdeath...do you know who she is?" Sayo asked. Zack chuckled, glancing back at the black haired girl.

"Someone you don't want to fuck with. You do anything to piss her off, and your dead, no ifs ands or buts about it." he said, continuing his walk into the city.

They arrived at one of the open streets within the capital, an area filled with various bars, restaurants and inns. Sayo started looking around, spotting the entrance to the market place not that far from where they stood. Zack glanced at his pocket watch, seeing it was already half past five in the evening. The sun would start setting soon, and it wouldn't be good to be caught outside during the night.

"Um, Zack...you've been to the city before right? Do you know where I could stay for cheap? I don't have that much money after the first bandits attacked me and my friends." Sayo said, earning a nod from the boy.

"There's an inn around here called Rosemary. They rent rooms for five gold coins a night, ten if you want breakfast included...it's near the entrance to the market place." he said, pointing toward one of the buildings. She sighed, reaching into her pocket, seeing the four golden coins she had left.

"Well, guess it's the streets for me tonight. What a pain in my ass, walked all the way here, got robbed, and had to take a cart the rest of the way. Damn bandits." she hissed. Zack rolled his eyes, reaching into his pouch, withdrawing the platinum coin from within. He handed off the rest of the gold to Sayo, who looked at it with widened eyes.

"What...what are you doing?" she asked.

"It's a loan sweetheart, take this money and use it to get yourself a good room for the night. You should be off for a few days until you can find work...a lot of people have...left their jobs, so there are jobs available."

"Zack I...thank you...this means a lot to me. You saved me out on the road, and now you're giving me this money...I don't know how I'll pay you back." she said, a warm smile on her face. He chuckled, glancing away for a second.

"It's fine...I can't let a pretty girl sleep out in the streets you know. Word of advice though, this city...it isn't as cracked up as it is to be. There's a lot of strife here, and a lot of corruption, trust no one but yourself. You might be facing the sharp end of a broadsword if you don't, and I would hate to see you get hurt. Oh, and if someone offers you lodgings in their house, and it isn't an inn, don't trust them, under any circumstance. Oh, and if you get a job working as a maid somewhere, make your own food." he said firmly.

"Um...alright. You're being overly cautious aren't you?" she asked.

"You have to be...you saw those bandits, willing to kill anyone to steal anything. They were willing to do horrible things to you...if I hadn't been there, I would hate to know what could have happened to you. Sayo, it's been a pleasure...we'll meet again, of this I'm sure." he said, giving her a kiss on the back of her hand. She blushed brightly, looking away from him.

"Sure...stay safe okay?" she said. He nodded, and continued walking away. Sayo sighed, and turned around, heading toward the inn he had pointed out. She had a firm grip on her bow now.

"If he told me to be careful in this place, it's for a reason...I heard a lot of things on the road, about how the Imperial City was a bad place to be. But it's the only way I'll save my village. I'll find a good job, work an honest life and send money back home. If I can't join the army, then I'll just have to work somewhere else. Trust no one but myself, and my friends."

She sighed, looking at the rapidly darkening sky. Her stomach grumbled a bit, and she bit her lip. It had been hours since she had eaten anything. The last snack she had was from the cart she had gotten passage from, and that was an apple and some juice. She glanced at the market place, not far from the inn. She smiled a bit.

"Well, I do have money...I can afford to buy some food. The Village Elder said there was this good place that sold crumpets, and God knows I love those!" she thought cheerfully, walking toward the market with a spring in her step.

Zack continued his walk toward one of the plazas near the main street. It was the place he had agreed to meet one of his friends. It had been awhile since he had seen them due to his trip to his home in the Principality. As it turned out, someone who had stolen some information from the Revolutionary Army had been heading back to the capital to hand it over to the authorities. It had fallen to his shoulders to take him out. He had been expecting someone strong, but not an entire regimen of soldiers. All of them fell to the might of his scythe, and the papers had been disposed of.

The plaza was quite large, and crawling with people. He saw a few members of the Imperial Police doing some rounds, while a few other businessmen went out with their friends for a drink. There were a couple restaurants in this area, though they were mostly confectionaries. He walked toward the large oak tree in the center of the plaza, which had been dedicated so some noble twenty years in the past. The small area around it also acted as a park.

Leaning up against it was a hooded person. Outwardly, one couldn't see a single detail about them due to the cloak they had been wearing. But by the body shape, one could tell it was a young woman. She was wearing a pair of black jeans, and brown leather boots. He glanced around, waiting for the Imperial Police to walk past before making his way over to the tree.

He leaned up against it, the birds that were inside it instantly took off, the flaps of their wings filling the area. It had been over taken by the sound of moving carts, whinnying horses and playing kids overtook it. The young woman glanced over her shoulder slightly, part of her long blonde locks coming from the cloak. Like him, she wore a mask, only it was on the left side of her face. It kept most of her features hidden, though she had done it for aesthetic purposes, Zack had done it for another reason. She let out a small giggle, closing her eyes.

"On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming." she said, earning a smirk from the boy.

"And the lamp-light o'er him streaming

Throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted-Nevermore!"

Zack let out a chuckle, turning his head away, facing the cafe not far from where he stood. The young woman did the same, both of them trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, though to them it didn't matter. There was no officer or captain in sight, and the sun had already fallen below the wall of the capital, the skies still being their beautiful violets and purples.

"Have you had time to scan the area?" Zack asked softly.

"I have, two targets have been located in the old business district. They're lieutenants of a well known bandit ring. They were once Imperials who have turned into criminals, and are now responsible for pushing drugs into the city. I haven't found their suppliers yet." she replied.

"Oh? A bandit ring? Did they have an affinity for guns?" he asked curiously. The woman gave him a slight nod, a playful smirk tugging her lips.

"Did you already run into his buddies? Aw, you should have left one or two of them for me. It sucks that they had to send me ahead of you. But I don't make the shots. The operation is two days, we're to stick around after our mission is complete, to relay our reports to our contact."

"Thanks for the information. I got a couple targets of my own, there's a rapist going around taking advantage of drunken women and little girls who get lost in the city. Anyone else pique your interest?"

"No one as interesting as that. Well then Raven, you ready to go?"

"Ready as I'll ever be Crow. I'll lead the way, try not to get us caught." she said, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Excuse me, I wasn't the one who turned the traitor flag on the Empire. Besides, we wear the masks for a reason." he said firmly. She giggled clenching her fist, the last of the suns light shining on her gauntlet.

"I wear it because we match, it is you who has a reason for it, a reason you haven't told me yet. Let's hurry, and use the cover of night to hide our trail...oh, get those posters for me, while you're at it." she said. He nodded, reaching for the wall as he passed, pulling the wanted posters from the wall. He crumpled them in his hand and tossed them in the nearby trash can. One of them however fell out, unfolding slightly, revealing the mark of a Raven with a crimson colored eye on it.