A/N:

Sorry for the long wait tonight. I was actually gonna post this chapter earlier, but I got distracted watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory...this movie is such a classic and it had been so long since I've seen it. I would like to say this is one of my favorites, even if I like the 2005 version slightly better. Rest in Peace Gene Wilder, the first Willy Wonka, and a wonderful actor who made the dreams of millions a reality.

Now, onto the new chapter...this chapter is quite a lengthy one, and will have quite a lot of emotional stuff near the end. First I would like to say that I do not tolerate Child abuse of any kind, that of course includes sexual abuse. I don't condone it at all, so I would like to say, if you ever feel like you are being abused, mentally, physically or sexually, please ask for help. Don't be scared to seek help from anyone. If you are being bullied, cyberbullied or anything else, seek help from your parents, principles, the police, anyone you think can help you. Abuse is never a good thing, whether that's Domestic Abuse, Substance Abuse, Child Abuse, any and all kinds of abuse is wrong.

Regardless, I shall not leave you with this chapter. Nothing of the sort happens, but there are mentions of it. Akame Ga Kill is a dark fantasy story and it has quite a lot of fucked up shit that goes down. Including a lot of Child Abuse, Slavery and Human Trafficking, all of it is disgusting, but it also highlights just how bad of a place the Empire truly is...a place where you can do whatever you want and have no repercussions, all because of one man in charge. It's a scary thought, seeing what a single man can do to a nation. Again, I leave you with this new chapter, as always, leave a review if you liked it, or hated it...I don't care...just please, don't call me a bitch, those are naughty words, so never use them...

Akame ga Kill

Blood Rain

Chapter 7

Kill the Antagonism

xxx Night Raid Training Grounds xxx

It was mid morning at the Night Raid base, just after breakfast in fact, when all of the members were gathered at the training ground. Zack was standing on the left side of it, stretching his arms a bit as he started warming himself up. He was wearing a white sleeveless shirt, with a pair of black pants and his boots. Across from him stood his opponent for the day, his partner Cornelia, who was wearing a black tank top and short jean shorts, with a pair of sneakers. The two of them hadn't said a word to each other, not at breakfast and not anywhere else.

Zack of course had told Najenda about his bet, so he could have someone referee the match. She of course let it slip to the other members of Night Raid, which was why they were all outside. No one had picked teams, but Bulat was obviously cheering for his bro Zack. Mine looked indifferent, while Sayo and Tatsumi had worried looks on their faces. Leone was sitting down on the ground cross legged, a mug of sake beside her, along with a bucket filled with gold coins. She was holding a bet, to see who would win, so far, three had bet for Zack winning, and three had voted against him winning. Two were indifferent and chosen not to sink their money into the pot.

Cornelia smirked, punching the air a few times as she shifted her weight around. She was of course doing this as an intimidation tactic, but Zack wasn't having any of it. He had been on so many missions with her that he didn't even bat an eye. He just continued doing his exercises, warming himself up for the no doubt long and grueling fight that was ahead of him.

"Alright then, this fight is going to be a one on one match between Zack and Cornelia. The first person to be pinned loses...let it be known that this will be a fist fight only, no weapons will be allowed and if any weapon is pulled, it will be grounds for instant disqualifications. There will be no time limit, so go at it until you bleed. But try not to hurt each other too much, we do have a mission after all."

"You got it boss!" both teens said. Bulat rung the nearby bell, starting the fight up. Zack and Cornelia walked toward the center of their makeshift ring, bumping fists before squaring up.

"You're going down Reaper boy, you know you can't beat me in a fist fight." she said, a smirk on her face.

"We'll see about that Raven, we'll see." he said, throwing a fake out punch at her ribs. She easily caught his fist, only to be hit square in the face. She stumbled back a few feet, wiping her lip.

"That was good, but not good enough." she said, springing forward.

She threw an uppercut at his chin which he easily avoided. The blonde stepped forward, throwing a series of high punches, making him raise his arms in defense. With the new opening, she slammed her leg into his side, finishing her combo with a haymaker to the ribs.

Zack hissed a bit, rubbing his side as he shifted his weight around, trying not to focus on the pain. His regeneration would heal whatever bruises happened, but he knew that would take quite a lot of time for it to happen. He took a step forward, causing Cornelia to back up a bit. He took this initiative to throw a heavy punch at her face, which she instinctively block, using her right arm. This gave him an opening right in the center of her chest, causing her to fall to the ground. He pounced on her a second later.

"Come on Zack, you got this shit! Pin her down!" Lubbock cried, clapping his hands.

"Cornelia, I swear if you fucking lose I'm gonna kick your ass!" Leone cried out, earning a chuckle from her fellow blonde.

She slammed her forehead into Zack's nose, a torrent of blood rushing right out. She grabbed his arms and placed her feet onto his chest, kicking him through the air. He slammed onto his back, quickly rising to his feet a second later. Even though he was winded, he knew if he didn't attack he would just get pinned. So he ran forward, throwing a series of jabs at the blonde in front of him.

"You're slowing down boy, what's wrong? Can't fight straight because I'm a girl?" she asked. The boy threw another fake out, allowing him to punch her right in the gut. He slammed his fist under her chin, making her fall back onto the ground.

"You talk too much Nelly, and that's your problem!" the boy said, jumping onto the fallen girl again. He took a hold of her arms, placing his knee on her back.

"Gah...fuck! Zack I swear to god, when I get out of this I'm gonna beat your face in!" she cried, howling in pain as he pulled harder. She pulled her arms as hard as she could, his grasp on one of her hands loosening it. She yanked it out and reached behind her, pinching his skin rather hard.

"Ow! That's cheating!" he cried, jumping away from her. She let out a cry, throwing a roundhouse kick to his head, which he easily caught.

"Alls fair in love and war." she said, a cheeky grin on her face. She stomped on his foot with her free leg, causing him to let go. She side kicked him in the chest, sending him through a basket of wooden swords.

"Oh, he's gonna have splinters for awhile." Bulat said, cringing a bit. He glanced at Sheele who had lost interest in the fight, reading a book instead. She did have a little flag in her hands with Zack's name on it, and was waving it around every other second.

Zack brushed all of the broken bits of wood off his skin, glaring at Cornelia who still had a cheeky grin on her face. He cracked his knuckles, holding his fists up. The girl rolled her eyes and moved forward, throwing a few punches which he easily blocked. He threw a punch to her face, eliciting a pained grunt from her. She countered his punch with one of her own, punching his already bruised nose.

She threw together three speedy punches right to his chest, which pushed the boy back a few feet. He tried catching his breath, but the blonde wouldn't let him. He jumped back a few times, trying to avoid her punches and kicks, until he tripped on a discarded practice sword. Cornelia seized her chance and pounced on him, pulling his arm behind his back, driving his face onto the dirt.

"Come on, say uncle, I know you want to." she said. He tried to break free of her hold, but she was pinning his waist down with her legs, making it almost impossible for him to move. She pulled on his arm again, cracking his shoulder.

"Gah...you bitch! I'll get out of this, you'll see."

"1...2...3...4." Najenda started, making the boy grit his teeth.

"Goddamn it!" he muttered. He used his free arm as leverage, managing to push the blonde off himself. He quickly jumped onto her, pinning her arms above her head.

"Go ahead, do your worst." he said, giving her a grin. Cornelia smirked as she hocked a glob of spit right into his eyes, making him sigh angrily. He just continued holding her in place, listening in as Najenda started counting.

"You can't win Zack! I won't let you!" the girl snapped.

"Oh yeah, you'll have to do something other than spitting in my eye. You'll never..." the boy paused as Cornelia spat right in his mouth, causing him to let her go. He started spitting on the ground, unable to avoid the punch to his forehead. He fell back onto the ground, dazed from the hit.

"Technical Knockout!" Najenda cried.

"No! I'm still good!" the boy said, forcing himself to his feet. The blonde wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling against him tightly. He dug his fingers into her skin as hard as he could, hoping for her to let go.

"Come on...pass out already!" she cried. The boy grit his teeth, slowly becoming limp. He felt his eyes close, the woman finally letting him go. She let out a sigh.

"Finally, thought he would never give in." she said. Zack let out a chuckle, wrapping his arm around her leg, pulling her down to the ground. He pulled the blonde into a leg lock, holding her arm tightly with both of his own.

"Cry uncle!" he cried.

"Never!"

"These two are really going at it...what was the bet again?" Tatsumi asked.

"No one knows...all we know is that there was a bet between them and neither were willing to share. Which reminds me, anyone want to up the ante? We sit at one hundred coins each for Zack and Cornelia...do I hear two hundred?" Leone asked, causing Lubbock and Akame to throw in some money into the pot.

"Two hundred on Zack." the green haired boy said.

"Two hundred on Cornelia." Akame added, earning a nod from Leone.

"Anyone else? Come on...you know you want too." she said, trying to bait the others.

Cornelia had somehow managed to break free of Zack's hold, causing the two of them to back away from each other. They had been fighting for ten minutes now, and had both started wearing out. They knew the fight didn't have much longer, and both were trying to get each other out in any way possible. Zack already knew the only way to do that was to knockout his opponent...but Cornelia was definitely a strong woman. She had taken her ripped shirt off, choosing to remain in her black sports bra, a few bruises had already appeared on her chest.

"Come on, you want to win so badly you can taste it...hurry up, knock my ass out."

"The same could be said for you...you ain't shit Nelly, that's why you can't knock me out." he said, causing her to growl. She ran at him, throwing another high kick at him, which he easily blocked.

He backed away, watching her leg movements closely, as she kept throwing fake outs at him, aiming for his head. He jumped back, watching her attempt a spinning axe kick, only he was able to grab her leg, sweeping her to the ground with ease. He grabbed a hold of her bra, about to punch her in the face when she took a hold of his arm, vaulting him over herself. He sprung to his feet, aiming another punch to her face.

"They're getting serious!" Sayo said.

"Just so you know, Bulat taught those two personally. All of those techniques are derived from the military style the both of us were taught while in the Empire. Those two are the best hand to hand fighters on the team, right after the main man himself." Najenda said.

"You praise me too much, I was just passing on my wisdom." the man said, blushing a bit from the praise.

Zack growled as he tried to land a solid hit on the elusive blonde. She had started giggling after awhile, as if taunting him for not landing a hit. It seemed as if she had gotten faster at dodging hits, no doubt as a way to improve her agility. He threw a punch at her belly, which she dodged with a back flip. He smirked, rapidly throwing a kick to her back, sending her sprawling to the ground. He wrapped his arm around her neck, slipping his leg through her own while grabbing a hold of one, pulling her into another lock.

"Come on motherfucker! You ain't shit!" he shouted angrily. He let out a scream of pain as Cornelia bit into his arm, growling almost like a feral wolf as she drew blood. He let go of the woman, who easily kicked him away from her.

"Jesus H, you fucking bit me." he said, watching the bite mark slowly fade from his skin.

"Duh, Bulat rule number nine. If you find yourself in a sticky situation, do whatever you can to break free, even if it means resorting to primal instincts to get away." she said firmly.

"I'm so proud of her." Bulat said, wiping a tear from his eye.

"What the hell bro! You're supposed to be on my side!" Zack cried out, dodging a punch to his jaw. Cornelia uppercutted his abdomen, the air in his lungs exploding from within. She smirked, grabbing a hold of his shoulders, her leg twitching a bit. The boy quickly swept her arms away, throwing a punch directly at one of her breasts.

"Ow! You fucking asshole, that hurts like shit!" she cried, rubbing her injured breast.

"Bulat Rule Number 12: Even if it's messed up, use whatever way you can to win, no matter how dirty. An assassin doesn't play to win, he plays to kill." he said, a smirk on his face.

"Seriously?" Tatsumi asked, glancing at the muscular man.

"What? I didn't make the rules!" he said.

"They have your name on them dumb ass!" Lubbock cried, earning a chuckle from the man, who started whistling while fixing his pompadour.

"Well, if you want me to follow the rules, then I'll definitely follow them." Cornelia said. She slammed her foot right into Zack's groin, causing the boy to scream in pain, falling to his knees. The blonde woman walked up behind him, wrapping her arm around his neck, pulling him back.

"Hehe yes, your boobs feel nice on my back!" he said through grit teeth, waves of pain flowing from his lower regions through his body.

"This fight is finished! Give up!" the blonde cried.

"1...2...3...4...5!"

Zack continued to struggled, reaching behind his back, taking a hold of Cornelia's hair, trying to get her to let go. He bit into her arm, causing her stream in pain, from both the hair pulling and the bite. The loud chime of the bell rung through the area, and the boy was dropped to the ground. Najenda walked over to Cornelia, lifting her arm high into the air.

"Winner, Cornelia! Nice job Zack, I'm impressed with your abilities." she said. The boy spat a glob of blood onto the grass, a frown on his face.

"I suppose she did win. Fine, to the winner go the spoils." he said, handing the blonde the three Platinum coins.

"Hehe yes! I can finally buy myself those new boots I wanted, thanks a lot for the fight Zack, it was good to let out some steam." the girl said, clapping his shoulder.

"Oh sure, whatever...not like I wanted to go on that date or anything." he said, brushing her hand off as he grabbed his tunic and cloak, walking toward the showers. Cornelia shrugged it off, shoving the coins in her pocket.

"Well, I'm gonna hit the bath house, want to join me Sayo? We haven't hung out since I came back from the mission in Shamo."

"Sure Cornelia, I actually wanted to talk to you about that shampoo you use." the ravenette said, following the blonde out of the training ground.

"I feel bad for Zack, poor guy doesn't catch a break." Lubbock said, frowning as he was forced to hand over his money to the winners. Sheele hadn't moved, too focused on her book to say anything.

"What do you mean by that?" Tatsumi asked, glancing at the green haired man, who frowned at his now empty coin bag.

"He challenged Cornelia to a fight to score a date with her. It's kind of obvious that he likes her, but she doesn't see it that way. He must be suffering something worse than rejection right now." he said.

"Heh, that kid is an idiot for falling in love with that blonde bimbo. She's too dense to even realize his emotions are getting hurt. He deserves someone better." Mine said, flicking a strand of hair over her shoulder. She headed to the Shooting Range before anyone could reply.

Zack frowned as he started getting dressed. He had decided to break out a new outfit for himself, after three successful missions in a row. He grabbed a new pair of brownish black pants, slipping them onto his legs. He grabbed his leather belt and slipped it through the loops, securing it firmly with his buckle. He grabbed a pair of black and red leather boots and slipped them on, trying the red laces. He started humming to himself, as he put on a sleeveless black shirt, followed by his long sleeved over shirt, which fit snugly over his muscular frame. He put on a black and red sleeveless vest, with a tall color, laced in crimson, the edges being a matching crimson as well.

The vest was one he had bought in Versailles from one of his friends. It had been enchanted to provide some protection against sword attacks. Of course it couldn't prevent all attacks, but it would help him out with some of his fights. He secured the black belts across it, buckling them into place. He grabbed his new leather belt, wrapping it around his waist, securing it on.

He walked over to his desk, grabbing some shotgun shells, slipping them into the special holders. He attached his three enchanted pouches to special clips on them, filling them up with ammo. He grabbed his new gun holster and placed it around his leg, securing it tightly onto it, placing his Silverballer into it. He checked his shotgun over and placed it into the special holster at his leg. The final weapon he grabbed was Crescent Rose, which he attached to his belt, slipping it through the special loops until they had been perfectly secured. He looked himself over, smiling brightly.

"You look killer, ready to fight...ah wait, not yet." he said, grabbing his new crimson cloak from his bed. He flicked it out a bit as he slipped it over his shoulders, securing it around his neck. The last thing he grabbed was his mask, which he secured onto his face, making sure it wouldn't slip off. Once he was done, he walked toward the door, leaving his bedroom.

"Whoa...new outfit?" Tatsumi asked, catching the boy by surprise. He looked himself over, giving him a nod.

"I decided to get some new threads after getting promoted to Master Assassin. My new hidden blade won't be finished for awhile, so this is how I define myself. Besides, some people in Marina saw my old outfit, so I needed to ditch it." he said.

"Makes sense, keeping the outfits different would throw the trail off, if only for a bit. Perhaps I should get something myself, the whole sweater and jeans thing is starting to get old." he said, looking himself over. Zack chuckled, shaking his head.

"So, how was training with Sheele, it was her turn today." he said.

"Ugh...it was total fucking hell...she had me swimming through the river with a full set of armor."

"Really? That's nothing, that's basic training for us back in Versailles. Trust me, all of this builds endurance, it will make you run faster with armor if for some reason you need to wear it. Once she's done teaching you what she knows...then you'll be with me. I'll be teaching you how to handle a spear, so get ready for that." Zack said, brushing past the boy.

"Thanks Zack, you've been a real friend to us since we joined. It makes me feel real comfortable here." the boy said.

"No problem bro...Bulat Rule Number 1: Treat your fellow comrades as nothing more than best friends and family. We are all family, even if we are rejected by the world, we can all be rejects together." he said, disappearing down the hallway.

Xxx Location: Imperial Palace: Throne Room xxx

"Domestic Administrator Shouji, you have disapproved of my policies and are charged with delaying government duties. Therefore I sentence you to dismemberment by bulls!" Emperor Makoto said, causing the man before him to swallow hard. The other senators and administrators all put on poker faces, not wanting to say anything. The little boy smiled, glancing over his shoulder.

"Is this good Honest?"

"Why of course! It's thanks to him that our policies didn't go through. I believe this punishment is very fair." he said, taking a bite from his meat, causing the boy to sigh.

"Meat again? Where do you even get all of that meat?" he asked.

"Oh you know, it's best to eat it while it's fresh!" the man said, growling as he pulled on his steak.

"Emperor Makoto! I have done nothing wrong, you on the other hand are being fooled by the Minister! Lend an ear to the woes of your people, that man is using you, turning you into his puppet! He is doing as he pleases while you sit back and do nothing!" Shouji screamed, his voice echoing through the room. The little boy frowned, looking at his minister.

"Why is he saying that?" he asked curiously.

"He's obviously lost his mind. He's gone insane due to being charged and sentenced." the man said, a frown on his face. He glanced back at the administrator, a smirk on his face.

"Esteemed Shouji, what a sad goodbye this is."

"Your Majesty! The Empire's 1000 year glory is only going to end! If rotten people like this man here continue to stay in power, our Empire will crumble to dust!" Shouji shouted, as he was being hoisted up by the two guards.

"Don't worry Administrator, you just leave that beautiful wife of yours to me...I'll make sure she's well taken care of." Honest said, licking his lips. Shouji let out a feral scream, trying to break free.

"He can't get away with this! Someone kill this disgusting monster!" he shouted, his echoing voice being ignored by everyone.

"That was handled most excellently, your majesty. However, I do bring some terrible news. It seems some our distant contacts have been killed. Senator Frolo was assassinated in Marina, the Wicked Wench was hijacked by unknown Pirates, the Sheriff of Shamo Village along with two esteemed officers were also taken care of. Finally, nobleman Franklin R. Den was also assassinated. All of these crimes point to Night Raid." Honest said.

"Those guys again! They're making my Empire a horrible place to live! We need to take care of them as quickly as possible." Makoto said, slamming his fist against his throne.

"If I may make a suggestion, we should wait for a bit. The only regrettable loss we've had is the Wicked Wench, but a ship like her can be rebuilt easily. It is a shame that Senator Frolo is not with us anymore, but he was getting old and senile. We can fill his and Shouji's seats easily. Let Night Raid play for now, they will meet their end soon enough." Honest said, surprising the boy.

"If you say so...but if there are anymore kills attributed to them, they shall be taken care of. Have you heard of that tribe you sent after them?"

"No, I believe they were killed back in chapter 4, none of them have reported back in." Honest said.

"Huh? Never mind, perhaps we should sent more people after them...once Night Raid is gone, my empire will continue blooming. Everyone is dismissed...we wouldn't want to miss the execution of a former friend now would we?" the boy said, earning bows from the remaining senators, who all filed out of the room. Honest couldn't help but grin.

xxx Location: Imperial City: Unknown xxx

"Your target this time around is a distant relative of Minister Honest, a man named Iokal. He uses the Minister's name to exert and abuse women. His guards are also guilty of this crime...so go on Night Raid, rid us of this thorn in our side."

Najenda's words rung through his head as he ran through the forest, with his partner Cornelia by his side. It had been quite awhile since they had worked together, the blonde being excited to have her partner back instead of the other members of Night Raid. Her long hair flew behind her as she ran, ducking and weaving through the tree branches, avoiding rocks and stumps in her way. She didn't even look winded from all of the energy she was excreting. It made the boy smile a bit, but also reminded him of the humiliating loss he had that morning.

They came to a stop at the top of a hill, seeing a large olden style mansion sitting at the top of a tall cliff, a long stone stairway extending toward it. It was a beautiful mansion, painted a bright crimson in color with traditional paper lanterns. The sound of music could be heard, along with some distant voices. Zack pulled out his telescope and flicked it outward, looking through it. He saw several women walking around the second and third floors of the house, wearing kimonos of various colors.

"We found the place...Mine and Tatsumi should be in position...our job is to fight against the Imperial Fist soldiers that protect Iokal." Cornelia said, earning a nod from Zack.

"I'll be glad when this scumbag is taken care of. The last thing I need is a fucker beating women...maybe if I get lucky, my sister will be here." he said, peeking through his scope.

"Why would you even say that? That would be a horrible fate for her!" Cornelia said.

"I'm being realistic. I did a background check on Iokal, he likes accusing women with crimes they didn't commit, abusing Honest's name, then he turns them into his personal maids, and beats them for entertainment. I'm not saying it would be ideal, but I can keep my hopes up." he said, the frown on his face deepening a bit.

"Hey, about earlier...I wanted to apologize...you were about to win, but I had to low blow you in order to get the win myself. I felt really bad, so I want you to have your money back." the blonde said.

"You won that fair and square...nothing wrong with using a low blow to win, after all...our enemies don't play by the rules either." he said firmly, reaching for his handgun. He looked it over, screwing the suppressor onto the end of the barrel.

"Still, I shouldn't have resorted to that...we can still have that date if you want." she said, glancing away from him, a light blush on her cheeks.

"Work before the mission sweetheart, always remember that." he said, scowling a bit. He wasn't exactly in the mood for a pity date. Cornelia must have realized that, and remained silent, glancing around for any signs of her friends. She heard a loud gunshot nearby, seeing a glowing beam of light heading straight toward the mansion. The sounds of screaming filled the area.

"We're on!" Zack said, a grin on his face as he ran forward, sliding down the steep him. Cornelia did the same, jumping down the ledges and grabbing onto branches to slow herself down. They landed at the foot of the ravine, hiding among the trees.

"GO! We mustn't let the assassins that killed Iokal Go! Kill them all!" a voice shouted. Zack rose his gun, pointing through the trees. One of them burst through the trees, taking a gunshot right through the forehead.

Cornelia ran forward, slamming her foot right into a second man, slamming him into a nearby tree. She threw a punch to his chest, uppercutting his chin with Crushing King, causing his neck to snap violently. She turned in time to grab the third attacker, his head snapping to the side from the silent gunshot he had taken to the head. She and Zack kept moving forward, staying hidden within the woods.

"Do you know how many more we have to face?" Zack asked as quietly as he could.

"I'm not sure...all I know is that they're all men who trained at the temple of the Imperial Fist. So they aren't to be taken lightly." she said firmly, earning a chuckle from him.

"Yet we took three out rather easily...makes me think the temple is skipping out on their training."

"Be serious! These guys don't play around!" she said.

"Night Raid! I knew it was you!" a man cried, running right at Cornelia. She rose her arms to guard the attack, only for the man to side step her, running straight for Zack. He threw a palm strike at him, which he easily dodged.

Zack threw a hard punch right to his face, hissing a bit in pain from hitting the hard mask. The man smirked as he moved forward, throwing a series of speedy punches. The assassin's head moved to and fro as he backed away from the man. Cornelia let out a cry, aiming a punch to the man's head, only he blocked it, grabbing a hold of her hand. He slammed his knee into her gut, sending her sprawling to the ground. Zack took his chance, pulling out his gun, shooting the man in the head, only the bullet bounced off his mask.

"What the hell?" he muttered, earning a chuckle from the man.

"I'm not stupid...my mask is bullet proof, so you won't be able to kill me that easily. And don't even bother shooting me anywhere else, due to my training, I am capable of tensing my muscles enough to block bullets!" he said.

"So...that means you want us to go all out, fine by me then...I have no qualms with granting your wish." Cornelia said, brushing the dirt off her white cloak. Zack placed his gun back in his holster, reaching for his short sword, drawing it from Crescent Rose's holster.

"Just so you know, I am a Sixth Degree Black belt at the temple of the Imperial Fist, I am not to be taken lightly!"

"Fuck you and your Imperial Fist!" Zack cried, running at the man, taking a wide slash at him. The man jumped back, avoiding a kick from Cornelia. He smirked, jumping at the girl, slamming his palms into her chest, sending her flying back.

Zack ran forward, catching Cornelia with ease, using the momentum, he swung the girl around as hard as he could. She drove her leg into the man's jaw, the loud ding from the metal mask filling the air. The two assassins hissed, running at the man, throwing various attacks at him, all of them being dodged or deflected by him.

"This guy is good. I guess the Temple wasn't slacking off after all." he thought to himself. He spun his sword around spinning on his heel as he slashed the man's chest, sending a bit of blood through the air. Even then, the gash wasn't deadly. The man started laughing loudly.

"I told you, by tensing my muscles, you can't do damage to me at all!" he said.

"Maybe not to you, but I can still do damage to the ground!" Cornelia said, jumping into the air. Her Shingu glowed a brilliant white as she slammed it into the ground, causing it to shake violently. The man jumped back, using the rocks rising out of the ground to dodge the quake. Zack raced forward, pulling out Crescent Rose.

"That isn't going to work on me!" he said, slashing right through the rock. With his blade, he was able to send the giant chunk toward the man, who broke it apart instantly.

Zack cut through some trees, sending the logs at the man who used them as platforms to dodge Cornelia's attacks. The boy shifted his scythe into its rifle form, raising it to his shoulder as the barrel slowly extended. He pulled the bolt back, a smirk on his face. He pulled the trigger, firing a .50 caliber round right through the man's side, making it fly right through him. He let out a scream, only to be punched into the ground by Cornelia.

The two of them walked toward the man, watching him pant in pain as blood rushed from the bullet holes, a large chunk of flesh was missing due to the exit wound. He growled angrily, his mask cracked from the blonde's punch. She pulled it right off his face, bright blue eyes staring back at them.

"You...won't get...away with this...Night Raid!" he exclaimed. Zack pointed the barrel of his rifle to his chin, an emotionless look on his face.

"Consider your debt to the underworld settled!" the two assassin's said in unison, a loud bang echoing through the quiet woods. They nodded to each other, heading toward the rendezvous location.

"That guy was something else...he held his own against you." Zack said, sheathing his teigu.

"Duh, I'm the best of the best when it comes to hand to hand. You should know that better than anyone else." she said, giving him a wink. He growled, choosing to ignore her. They made it back to the giant tree, only to find the rest of their team staring at Mine and Tatsumi who were in a rather boisterous argument. Zack noticed the bald spot on the brunette's head, already knowing what had happened. He let out a chuckle, shaking his head. It was going to be a rather lively night for all of them on their walk home.

xxx Location: Imperial City xxx

"I fucking hate surprise missions." Mine muttered, as she walked through the city with Tatsumi and Zack in tow. They had been trying not to raise attention to themselves, though they were in some of the shady parts of the city, so to them it didn't matter.

"I get what you mean. We did handle that Iokal guy, I just wasn't expecting HQ to radio in and give us another assignment, a day later." Tatsumi added, reaching for his sword which was at his waist, behind his back. The black haired boy chuckled, shaking his head.

"Come on, surprise missions are the spice of life. Besides this one is one we need to take care of. I can't believe a Nobleman is giving drugs to children." he said, growling angrily.

The mission they had been given was one from a scout in the city. Apparently, there was a Noble that had connections all around the city. He provided funds for various illicit things within the city, by selling drugs to the citizens. Not only that, his main way of selling drugs was to use children, and dress them as Boy Scouts of Girl Scouts...they had even heard some of the code words that had been developed so they wouldn't get caught. It was even worse knowing he was masking the operation behind an orphanage.

"Where was this place located?" Tatsumi asked again, stopping to look around for a few seconds. Zack glanced around, walking toward one of the nearby alleyways. He paused for a second, glancing at one of the wanted posters.

"Be on your guard, red cloaked scythe wielding individual is on the prowl, thought to be an assassin from Night Raid. No image has been provided, but be vigilant. This man is wanted dead or alive for his crimes against the crown...pfft...they couldn't even get my handsome face drawn in." he said.

"That's a good thing...the last thing we need is you being on a wanted poster." Mine said, ripping the paper off the wall, tearing it to shreds. They continued walking through the alleyway, making sure to keep their eyes open.

It wasn't long before they found the large green house they had been looking for. It was panted with bright attractive colors, and had a large courtyard with an added playground. The word Orphanage was written on the large sign. Despite it being the location of a drug lord, it was a pretty clean place. There were a few people walking around this plaza, which was otherwise closed off from the public, but it was obvious what they were there for.

"This is it...be on your guard." Zack muttered, walking firmly toward the house. There was a guy standing next to the sign, who held his hand out to him, stopping him from proceeding forward.

"Whoa there kiddo...what are you doing? The Orphanage is closed for the night." the man said.

"Hmm? Oh my mistake...I was just looking for come Mint Chocolate Cream. Figured you guys were open, we'll come back tomorrow." he said, turning around, nodding to his friends.

"Wait...I'm sure we have some to spare...go ahead in, the Headmaster will meet you." he said, letting them go through. The other man at the door nodded, opening the door for them.

The foyer of the building looked rather normal. It was clean and amicable, and very luxurious. There was a round rug in the center of the tiled floor, which was a dark silver color, the middle being black. The walls were painted beige, with drawings of butterflies, dogs, cats and various other animals. Zack didn't see a single kid walking around, and that was a worrying thought.

"Hello, is there something I can help you with? The orphanage is closed you know." a woman said, earning a smile from Zack.

"Yes, me and my friends here were looking for some Mint Chocolate Cream. We just lost our friend, who was slain by that Zank guy...we just want to take the edge off...maybe have some fun." he said, gesturing to Mine, who had a smile on her face.

"Oh...of course, follow me...I can get everything sorted out. The Headmaster is quite busy upstairs, so I'll be able to help you. You have payment correct?" the woman asked, leading them down the left hallway.

"Of course we do...but it's...well it's a little hard to explain. You see, my friend Jason here isn't keen on letting me have fun with his girlfriend, so...well you might call me crazy but...I'm looking for someone to share those cookies with, if you catch my drift." the boy said.

"Hmm...well we do offer that service as well...we have some rather delectable cookies for you to choose from. Would you like to pick some out first?" the woman asked, earning a nod from Zack. They entered another room, which was a bit darkened.

There was nothing but a glass window in this room, some men were sitting in chairs, reading some books or something. The woman nodded to the two men who rapidly stood up, disappearing through another door. Zack stood in the center of the room, with Tatsumi and Mine behind him. The boy gave a subtle nod to his friend, who stood next to the door, a hand on his sword, which was hidden by his cloak. Mine was doing the same, using her cloak to hide the fact she was holding a rifle in her hands.

"Do you have any preference?" the woman asked. Zack shrugged.

"Not really, anyone will do." he said, giving her a perverted smile.

"Oh...then I'll have to bring out the best. You have payment correct? This service is extra you know." she said. Zack pulled out a platinum coin, handing it to the woman, who looked at it wide eyed.

"I want your best girls, ages twelve to seventeen, and make sure the fifteen through seventeen year olds have some meat on their bones." he said firmly. She nodded, pocketing the coin as she walked over to the panel, pressing a button.

"Girls A-J, bring out ages twelve through seventeen, the best ones we've got." she said.

It wasn't long before fourteen girls were brought out into the room behind the glass. All of them looked frightened and scared. Zack couldn't help but feel bile rising in his throat. All of the girls had been forced to wear swimsuits, some were even topless as they were brought out, chains holding their arms and legs together so they wouldn't run. They all turned to face the boy, as he looked at every girl.

"See one you like? Or more?" she asked.

"Hmm...I like number four, but I don't think she'll do me justice." he said.

"Alright then, she's a potential one then."

"Sorry boss, one of the girls didn't want to get in, we brought here in for you." a voice said through the speaker. A final girl was pushed through the door.

She was clearly distraught, and was attempting to pound the door, trying her hardest to claw her way out. One of the men inside the room punched her in the face, throwing her against another girl who did nothing but let her fall to the ground. He forcefully grabbed her by her hair, forcing her to stand up. She grit her teeth, tears running down her face. Zack's breath hitched in his throat, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He saw the fleur-de-lis on her arm, confirming his suspicions. The woman smirked, licking her lips.

"Ah...so she's taken your fancy? I'll let you know, she's one of our most requested girls, we always get different prices for her. You have no idea how hard it's been for us to keep her a virgin. Our buyers have done everything to her but take her virginity. I hear a lot of men would pay a lot of platinum for something like that." the woman said. She turned her head to face Zack, only to see the barrel of a gun pressed to her face.

"Fuck you!" he said, pulling the trigger. Her body dropped to the ground like a sack of bricks, blood splattering all over the glass window beside her.

Zack said nothing as he walked into the other room, one of the men had been waiting next to the other door. As soon as he saw the firearm in the boy's hand, he rose his own gun, only for his brains to splatter against the white door behind him. He kicked the door open right after, causing all of the girls to scream in surprise.

"What the?"

"Shut up!" Zack shouted, pulling the trigger of his gun. He emptied the magazine into the man, slamming his foot against his head, crushing it with ease. All of the girls looked at him in shock, backing away from the boy.

"Get away from me!" the brunette cried, scrambling away from the man. Zack knelt down in front of her, wiping his tears away as he wrapped his arms around her frame.

"Hilda...I've finally found you." he said softly. The girl gasped in shock, her lip quivering a bit. She pushed herself away from him, looking at the boy closely.

"Z-Zack?" she asked softly. He nodded, reaching for the keyring strapped to the dead guard's waist. He found the master key and slipped it into the cuffs, letting the girl go.

"It's me sis, I've searched all over for you. You have no idea what I've done to find you! And now I finally have!" he said, hugging the girl tightly. She wrapped her arms around his frame, breaking into sobs.

"Zack, big brother I've missed you so fucking much!" she cried.

"It's okay, it'll all be okay, I'll get you out of here okay? I'll get all of you out of here!" he said.

"Hey, I'm sure this is a heartfelt reunion, but we're deep in enemy territory, we've got a fucking target to handle!" Mine said, glancing into the doorway.

"Just give me a second alright?" he asked, setting the other girls free.

"Zack, I've been around this place hundreds of times. I need you to take me to my room so I can get dressed. We're not the only girls here, there's thirty five of us total, and twenty boys." Hilda said, earning a nod from the boy.

"Fine, but we need to make it snappy. How many people usually hang around here?" he said, wiping the last tears away from his eyes.

"There are at least thirty, all of them being security, some staff members and four are personal guards to the son of a bitch who runs this joint." she replied.

"Okay then, let's get out of here." he said. He grabbed the discarded gun, handing it to Hilda as he reloaded his own, placing it in his holster.

"Zack, there's so much you need to know." Hilda said, earning a nod from the boy.

"All in due time, we need to get you and these girls out of here first." he said, leading her toward the other room. He knelt down in front of the woman he had killed, taking back his Platinum coin. Hilda didn't seem bothered by the body, but the other girls clearly weren't ready to see that.

"We're taking too long here, they'll most likely think we're doing something else." Tatsumi said.

"Then we'll just have to hurry it up. I think this would count as a pinch right?" he asked, earning a nod from Mine.

"Definitely...but we have to kill the guards out front, they've already seen our faces so we need to get rid of them." she said.

"If I may interject, when I was captured two years ago, the Head security guard took my teigu, if I can get it back I can fight." Hilda said.

"A teigu? What kind was it?" Tatsumi asked curiously.

"It was a ring. The Telekinetic Ring of the Pharaoh: Ramses. It allows me to use telekinetic powers which I can control with my mind." the brunette said.

"Well...I didn't peg you to wear jewelry...how did you even find that?" Zack asked.

"It was given to me by my captain. I'm part of the Revolutionary Army after all." she said, earning a wide eyed look from the assassins.