Kill the Mad Scientist

I had already told everyone about the Jaegers, but they temporarily shook it off for my homecoming party. That resulted in many of us becoming drunk. I, on the other hand, decided to take Mine, Akame, and Sheele to their rooms, to put them in bed. Once that was done, I went to hit the sack, myself. As soon as I was deep asleep, Leone came to from her drunken state on the couch, "Oh, ugh! We may have celebrated a little too hard last night for Tatsumi's return. Guess we all crashed out here." She walked past Ieysayu—who was knocked out on the floor—to make her way to the pond. Leone kneeled down at the edge of the bath, and was prepared to splash some hot water on her face. But she was surprised to see something hazy below the water's surface. Curiosity getting the best of her, Leone leaned in closer to get a better look. The blonde's golden eyes shot open when a sinister looking face appeared in the water below her. Leone barely had time to gasp, before a small blade suddenly rocketed toward her face. With a wet thud the blade impacted, and Leone fell face first into the water.

"Haha! I've done it, master Stylish..." One of Stylish's creations said, as he crawled out of the bath, "...your trusty assistant, Trooma, has done it!"

"Good work, now let's continue the mission. He got the first one, Doctor Stylish." Ears reported, which caused a small smirk to spread across Stylish's face.

"Marvelous!" Stylish said, crossing his arms over his chest, "That's my little knight-in-shining armor; flying straight into enemy headquarters." Stylish gave a signal with his arm, and hundreds of his creations burst out of the treeline and made there way towards Night Raid's base, "Alright, go beautiful team Stylish! The capper offensive is officially underway!" Stylish had a twisted smile on his face, as he watched his soldiers run by.

Stylish never noticed that thirty were missing; Slaughtered by none other than Nightmare, "You dared to lay your inferior hands on the boy, Stylish! Death...is certain! Souls...come unto me. Souls...GIVE ME STRENGTH!

At the same time; In my room:

With a sudden start, I shot up in my bed. I was breathing heavily and covered in a cold sweat. I got out of bed, got dressed, and grabbed Incursio and Soul Calibur before rushing out of my room, and entering the living room.

"You felt it too?" I turned around to see Viola sitting in a chair behind me, "Something bad is happening."

"Yeah...I felt it." I replied, "I also can't shake the feeling that Leone is in trouble."

"That's right..." Viola muttered, as she gazed into her orb, "She's been incapacitated."

"Leone is tough, I know she can handle herself." Ieysayu said, grabbing Belvaak, "But that doesn't stop anyone from worrying about her."

"Then let's get out there and protect our friends!" Z.W.E.I. exclaimed, as he drew his arming sword, the blade shining in pale moonlight.

"Right..." I said, Incursio covering my body.

When Sayo nodded her head in agreement, Z.W.E.I. punched his fist into his palm, "Now let's kick some ass!"

Back outside:

"The soldiers have made their way into Night Raid's base."

"Let the show begin! I'm tingling with anticipation."

Inside:

"Holy crap!" Lubbock exclaimed, as he sprinted down a seemingly endless hallway; the wires he had spread throughout the base going off like crazy, "Where'd they all come from all of the sudden?!" Lubbock came to a skidding stop when he felt the wires closest to him start to go off, " They're already on top of us!" Lubbock gasped in surprise when someone burst down from the ceiling in front of him him. "So you assholes are already inside the base?"

"Enemy..." The intruder snarled in a twisted voice "Must eliminate..." With incredible speed, the attacker rushed at Lubbock, swiping at him with razor-sharp claws.

"Too slow!" Lubbock taunted, easily dodging the intruder's attack. With a flex of his fingers, a series of wires wrapped tightly around the enemy's next. Then with grunt Lubbock pulled the wires, snapping the intruder's neck, "This is bad! I need to find the rest of the team now!" However, Lubbock's eyes widened when the enemy's neck suddenly snapped back into place. Before Lubbock could react, the intruder slashed with its claws, striking the green-haired assassin across the chest and stomach.

Back with Dr. Stylish:

"It sounds like they got one!" Ears reported, as a slight grin spread across her face.

"Well, my enhanced fighters are more resilient than humans." Stylish said with a smirk, flipping some hair out of his eyes, "It takes SERIOUS finesse to put even a scratch on them!" Before Stylish could gloat more, he noticed that Ears had suddenly stiffened, "Is there some kind of problem?"

"Not really." Ears replied, as her eyes narrowed, "But they seem pretty resilient themselves."

Back with Night Raid:

"Holy shit!" Lubbock yelled with a cocky grin, revealing an armor-like mesh of threads wrapped around his stomach and chest, "You'd be amazed how many awesome tricks I can do with this little bit of string. Check this out!" Lubbock's grin widened when the threads around his chest and stomach began to unravel, then with a series of hand motions from the green-haired assassin, began to reform into a spear, "All I hafta do is bind them together, and viola!" With a powerful throw, Lubbock hurled the spear of threads straight through the intruder's chest, killing it.

"So...creative..."

"Saw that in a manga one time." Lubbock casually dusted off his hands, cocky grin still plastered on his face, "You wouldn't believe it, but those crazy things are full of ideas on how to manipulate string." Lubbock tensed when he sensed another intruder behind him, "Another one?!" A sudden chill ran down his spine when he saw over a dozen more enemies join with the one he had sensed, "No, more than one." Chuckling nervously, Lubbock scratched his cheek, "Uh, sorry, I'm not so good with groups. I think I'm just gonna pass on you guys, if that's cool." He took off in an extremely comical manner, "Uwaaaahh!" Lubbock squeaked in surprise when he briefly turned around, and saw that the intruders were quickly gaining on him, "You don't have to be so fast!"

Before the intruders could catch up with him, Lubbock's savior came leaping over the large crowd of enemy's. Lubbock felt a wave of relief wash over him when he saw Akame come to a skidding stop next to him, Murasame in her hand, "Get behind me!" she exclaimed, as she stood defensively in front of the green-haired assassin

"Akame!" Lubbock shouted, visibly relaxing with the red-eyed assassin's presence. And perverted thought went through his head, "Oh, nice! She didn't have time to change."

like an angel of death, Akame slashed her way through the mob of enemies, easily hacking off heads and limbs as she moved like a blur. She was done in barely five seconds, and the hallway now littered with mutilated bodies, and the walls were covered in a fresh coat of blood. With a flick of her wrist, Akame flung off all the blood that had coated Murasame. She resheathed the blade, releasing a light sigh.

Lubbock whistled, admiring the sheer devastation that surrounded Akame.

"For being the enemy..." A new voice caused Akame and Lubbock to whip around. That was when three more came—The leader of the three newcomers was a tall, lean man with dark hair and glasses. He was flanked on both sides by two hulking men, "I stand in awe of your ability."

"They've got backup!" Lubbock complained, huffing in annoyance.

"He's strong..." Akame thought, her eyes narrowing as she locked gazes with the pack's leader. Unconsciously Akame's hands began to drift towards Murasame's hilt.

"You may call me 'Toby.'" The leader said, as he rushed towards Akame, extending axe blades from his arms. Leaping into the air, another blade sprang from Toby's foot. Akame quickly ducked underneath hids attack. Before Toby could even land, Akame unsheathed Murasame and slashed him across the back. However, her eyes narrowed when she didn't feel her blade bite flesh.

"That feeling; this one's different from the rest."Akame thought, turning to face Toby, who had a smirk on his face, "Has his whole body been turned into a machine?"

"Akame!" Lubbock exclaimed, as he ran towards the red-eyed assassin, but he was stopped when the two large men escorting Toby stepped in front of him, "Shit...I wanna help Akame...but..." Lubbock grit his teeth in irritation, as his wires sprang to life around him, "These guys...are in the way...!"

Same Time; Opposite Side of Night Raid's Base:

"Let's do this, Z.W.E.I.!" I exclaimed, as we burst out of a wall and landed in a clearing a short distance from the base.

"I've got your back! RAGGHHHHH!" Z.W.E.I. roared, as he charged into a massive group of Stylish's soldiers.

Equipping Neuntote, I slaughtered any enemy in my path without hesitation. Incursio's blood-red spear slashed and pierced the enemies like a hot knife through butter, quickly staining the clearing in their blood. As I stopped momentarily to catch my breath, more of Stylish's soldiers surrounded me and Z.W.E.I., "So these guys are Stylish's enhanced soldiers? They're not so tough, there's just a shitload of them!"

"Keep your head in the game, Tatsumi!" Z.W.E.I. exclaimed, slashing at several more soldiers, "You'll get swarmed if you let your guard down for a second!"

"Thanks for the assist Z.W.E.I.!" I yelled over the raging combat, as the werewolf grabbed one of Stylish's soldiers, and slammed it onto his knee, instantly shattering its spine.

"Hey...you two in the tin can and leather!" A new, gruff voice exclaimed. All the fighting seemed to halt temporarily, as Z.W.E.I. and I turned to face the newcomer. We spotted a massive man standing amongst Stylish's troops, but what really caught our eye was the giant pair of scissors strapped to the man's back, "Hey there, little armored boy and wolfman. My name is Kaku, I guess you'll be taking me on."

"That Imperial Arms..." both of us breathed out, as our eyes widened in both sadness and rage.

"HAHA!" Kaku boisterously laughed, grabbing the scissor-shaped weapon off his back, "Nice ain't it? The Sheers of Creation: Extase. I just happened to pick these up."

"They don't belong to you..." I muttered, as I tightly balled my fists, my anger reaching the boiling point.

"What'd you say little boy?" the man asked, raising a hand to his ear, "I didn't quite hear you."

"He said..." Z.W.E.I. exclaimed, as he aimed his arming sword at Kaku's head, "Give those back...They don't belong to you!" Z.W.E.I. launched himself at Kaku and slashed, but to his shock the large man used Extase to block his blow. Before Z.W.E.I. could try a follow-up shot, Stylish's soldiers began to attack him, "Back the fuck off!" the wolf's anger was slowly rising, as he mowed down the ever-growing group of soldiers that surrounded him, "I have to kill that son of a bitch! I won't let him dirty Sheele's Imperial Arms before we return them to her!"

"I'll take care of this bastard, Z.W.E.I.!" I roared, rocketing towards Kaku with Neuntote at the ready. When Kaku deflected my attack, I growled in anger.

"You may try to cut flesh." Kaku laughed, his muscles bulging to grotesque levels. "But I break bones." I hissed in pain when Extase grazed my wrist, causing blood to spurt from the wound before Soul Calibur froze it, "Not a bad response; I was about take your whole arm off. And that happened even after you put on that tough armor...you poor thing." With a twisted grin, Kaku ran his hand down Extase's blade, "These scissors of mine cut through anything in the world. They ignore all types of defense."

"I thought I said..." I snarled, as I applied pressure to my wound.

Back with Dr. Stylish:

"Sounds like we have the upper hand against Murasame, and Incursio." Ears said, listening to the raging battles.

"Exactly how I planned." Stylish said in cocky tone, as he adjusted his glasses.

"But still, we've already lost quite a few soldiers." Ears said, hearing pawns die left and right, "There's too much noise in the area for me to determine the exact number, but the death count is extremely high."

"Oh dear, what a tragedy..."Stylish said with a frown, as he rested his head on his hand, "Those poor, tragic souls..." Ears never noticed the evil smile that soon spread across Stylish's face, "Just kidding! Those silly pawns are wonderfully dispensable. They're just criminals, anyway. Poor adults are always happy to cut with me, if they think it'll shorten their sentence; little do they know, they're nothing but fancy fodder waiting to die!"

Back with Night Raid:

Demonic energy seemed to flow off me, as I let out a fierce roar. Despite my injury, I raced towards Kaku, taking down any pawn that dared to stand in the way, "Give those..." I snarled as I slammed a pawn's face into the ground, turning its head to mush, "BACK!" Kaku's eyes widened when I burst through the last group of pawns, and grabbed ahold of Extase's handle, "Those belong to Sheele! Give them to me now, you son of a bitch!"

Huh?!" Kaku muttered, as he kicked me in the chest, sending the me skidding back, "Who the hell is Sheele?!" I fell onto one knee, as I clutched my stomach. Pain racked my entire body, and I struggled to catch my breath. Still recovering from the previous attack, I could only watch as Kaku stalked closer, "If you really want to die that badly," He was taunting me, "I'll chop you up as much as you like!"

Off to the right, Z.W.E.I. continued to fight off the pawns that had encircled him. Amidst the blood and carnage, he took a moment to glance over at me. His eyes widened when he saw that I was injured and at Kaku's mercy, and two pawns were creeping behind me at the same time. Z.W.E.I. quickly took aim, and threw his arming sword like a boomerang at the pawns closest to me, hoping to give me some breathing room. But by doing this, Z.W.E.I. allowed the pawns that were attacking him to close the gap. Before he had a chance to catch his sword, a pawn lunged at him, claws ready to tear into his flesh. But Z.W.E.I.'s quick reflexes allowed him to duck underneath the attack. The black-and silver haired man then grabbed a small dagger that was sheathed on the back of his belt, and stabbed the pawn through the temple region of its skull; the small blade piercing into its brain. When Z.W.E.I. retracted the dagger and caught his sword, he turned back to me; his heart stopped momentarily when he saw that Kaku was close enough to finish me, "TATSUMI!" Z.W.E.I. yelled in alarm.

"What, are you having a hard time out here?" A new voice asked. It was Mine, "You're as undisciplined as ever!"

"Mine!" Z.W.E.I. and I exclaimed in unison.

She was shocked when she saw Kaku was holding Extase, "Shoot. So the small fry couldn't keep them busy inside, eh? Didn't they all converge in there?"

"I'll take care of this one. Seeing Extase in the hands of the enemy," Mine wasn't pleased by the slightest, "just makes me sick!"

"'Take care of,' you say?!" Kaku exclaimed in a cocky tone, "Hey, think about your situation and try saying that again, sweetie! Your hideout has been discovered. Enemies are inside it as we speak. And you yourself are about to be attacked!"

The ice encasing my arm shattered, and I stood back up, "And you shouldn't take your eyes off of your opponent so soon." I swiftly unsheathed Soul Calibur—blade glowing blue—and slashed upwards, diagonally; creating an already lethal wound on Kaku's back, and launching him into the air.

As a last-ditch attempt at offing at least one of us, Kaku prepared to throw Extase at Mine. Before he had the chance, however, the pinkette pointed Pumpkin at him, and fired away; completely obliterating the man, and tossing away the giant pair of scissors for Sheele(Who had come out of her room)to catch them.

"The more intense the fight," Mine said, lowering her rifle, "The more intense the weapons. You should NOT have underestimated us."

Then, Ieysayu and Viola came rushing out, "Whoa! What happened?!" The former exclaimed, already holding Belvaak at the ready.

"You're a little late, guys." Z.W.E.I. joked before turning to the busty, purple-haired woman, "Welcome back, Sheele." He said to her with a smile on his face.

Back with Dr. Stylish:

"Kaku is dead...There are very few infantry still living." Ears reported, as a chill ran down her spine, while she listened to Kaku scream in agony.

"Oh poo...I guess I was mistaken..." Stylish said in a mock sad tone, releasing a heavy sigh, "I suppose there's no other choice, huh. We'll have to retr-"

"In the sky...!" Ears exclaiming, as she turned around, "Something's coming!"

"Huh?" Stylish said, quirking an eyebrow in confusion, "What do you mean, someth-" Stylish was cut off when a massive creature soared above his head, creating small shockwaves as it flew past. When Stylish looked up, he was quite surprised to see a large danger beast flying over them, "That must be danger beast, air manta!"

"Someone's riding it." Eyes said, as he spotted figures onto top of the Air Manta. However, he was shocked when he recognized one of the people riding atop the danger beast, "Ah...It's her! Ex-general Najenda! And others...! I see two other figures riding with her!"

"Ooh! Delightfully dramatic; valiantly riding on a danger beast she tamed herself!" The twisted doctor exclaimed, letting out a boisterous laugh, "Now, don't get yourself all warmed up!"

"Headquarters was proud of their fortune-telling arms," Najenda muttered, as she crossed her arms over her chest, "It predicted trouble near the hideout, and it came to pass. Glad I flew back as soon as I found out." Najenda grimaced when she saw smoke billowing from several spots around the base. She then turned to the two hooded figures behind her, "This is your shot, recruits; time to show me what you're made of!"

"Well, isn't this a fun surprise!" Stylish laughed hysterically, giving off a creepy aura that sent chills down his soldier's spines, "It actually works out great, for me!" Snapping his fingers, a twisted smirk spread across Stylish's face, "Every one of you is going to become a test subject for my experiment! It's time to unveil my trump card!"

Inside of Night Raid's Base; With Akame and Lubbock:

Akame softly grunted as she used Murasame to deflect another one of Toby's attacks. Leaping into the air, Toby tried to kick Akame, a blade extending from the bottom of his foot. But the red-eyed assassin easily dodged the attack. Akame quickly slide to the right, and slashed her blade upward, slicing Toby's right arm clean off. Toby hissed as blood sprayed from his wound, his severed arm dropping to the ground with a dull thud, "If I can't finish you in a single hit,"Akame said, sliding into her fighting stance and readying Murasame, the blade seeming to glow in the pale moonlight, "Then I'll have to chop you into pieces, and it's gonna hurt. You better get ready."

However, Toby didn't seem to feel anything; he only scoffed, "That's where you're mistaken," Toby muttered, as a small smile spread across his face, "Given my condition, I can't feel pain anymore." Akame's grip on Murasame tightened when a blade suddenly sprouted from where Toby's right arm had been. Without another word, Toby charged towards Akame, ready to cut her down with his new blade arm. The red-eyed assassin locked blades with Toby, and struggled to overpower him. As Akame fought to push Toby back, her eyes widened as Toby's mouth opened, and a small pistol sprung out, "I have to act fast!" Akame thought, darting her head to the left just as Toby fired. The red-eyed assassin's incredible speed and reaction time paid off, as the bullet whizzed past her ear, hitting some of her hair as it blew past, "Now's the time to finish this!"

"What amazing reaction speed." Toby thought, as he stared at his opponent in awe. Akame took advantage of him being distracted, and sliced his other arm off. Toby grit his teeth as he whipped around, another pistol appearing where his left arm had been. But Toby was surprised to see that Akame wasn't where he'd thought she'd be. Realizing his mistake, Toby quickly lowered his gaze, and spotted Akame crouched low to the ground, "From below!?" Akame attacked before Toby had a chance to even aim his weapon. Lunging forward, Akame cut Toby's left leg off, her blade easily slicing straight through flesh and bone, but Toby kept balance, and pointed the gun at her again. In the nick of time, Sayo shot an arrow through Toby's chest, impaling his heart; This time, it actually did hurt, as well as cripple him, "Damn you." Toby struggled to say, as he coughed up a mouthful of blood, "This wasn't even your fight."

"My home and all of my friends are in danger!" Sayo said, angrily, "Do you really expect me to just sit back and watch?!"

"Well...as it was going," Toby said, as he lowered his and released a light sigh, "I would've lost that battle, anyway. Even if she hadn't interfered." Toby muttered, as blood dripped from the corners of his mouth, "Akame, please tell me," Toby raised his head and locked eyes with Akame, "Why was it impossible for me to win against you?"

"Your fighting style was extremely aggressive..." Akame replied, slowly walking towards Toby, "But you left me too many openings...obviously."

"Ehehehe." Toby lowered his head in defeat, "I should have focused more on defense, right." He said, accepting the truth, "A sense of pain is quite the useful luxury, after all." In one swift motion Akame decapitated Toby with one clean swipe of Murasame. Akame's slice was so fast and precise that no blood had stained her blade. When Toby's headless corpse collapsed to the ground, Akame released a light sigh and resheathed Murasame.

Outside Night Raid's Base; With me, Viola, Z.W.E.I., Ieysayu, Mine, and Sheele:

"Hey, guys..." Ieysayu said, getting our attention, as he pointed towards the large danger beast flying in the sky above us, "What is that thing?"

"What is that, more enemies?!" Z.W.E.I. exclaimed when we spotted Air Manta looming overhead.

"Hang on, I'll check." Mine said, opening a hidden compartment near Pumpkin's stock. Pulling out a high-tech scouter, Mine zeroed in on the danger beast. However, Mine's eyes shot open when she saw who was riding atop the Air Manta, "Whaddya know, it's the boss!"

"Sweet! Perfect timing!" Z.W.E.I. exclaimed.

"Wait, that's not fair!" Ieysayu exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance.

"What's not fair?" Mine asked, as she quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

"How come they get to ride on a giant flying fish?!" he replied, letting out an irritated grunt, "I wanna ride a giant fish!"

"Uh..." Mine was left dumbfounded.

"I'm not sure how to respond to that." Viola groaned, as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I am..." I said, "Do you realize how idiotic you sound, Ieysayu?!"

I heard rustling, "Hehuhuhuhu!" Trooma thought with a twisted grin, as he leered at Mine and Viola, "Oh, the adorable ladies!" Sliding a knife out of both his sleeves, Trooma lunged towards both girls, "You seem to have left yourselves wiiide open!"

Trauma's maniacal grin widened as he neared Sayo and Mine. But, just before Trauma's blades could strike flesh, he was hit in the face by a flying kicking from a very pissed off blonde assassin, "You've really caught me off guard, didn't you?!" Leone, who had transformed into her Lionelle form, roared, driving her heel into Trooma's cheek. The surprise attack sent Trooma flying across the clearing, getting everyone else's attention, "I was passed out and hungover, and you throw a knife at me?! That's grounds for serious ass-kicking, my friend!" without hesitation, Leone pounced on Trooma, lifting him into the air by the throat.

The rest of us had deadpanned looks on our faces at the sight.

"Put me down!" Trooma choked out, as Leone's claws dug deepef into his throat.

"Word of advice; I'm a huge fan of surprise attacks—but if there's one thing I hate about them, it's when they happen to me!" Leone snarled, her golden eyes full of fiery rage, "Your body looks like it's been enhanced, but I wouldn't expect that to make your death come any easier!" A low growl rumbled in Leone's throat, as she tightened her grip on the man's throat, cutting off his breathing.

As Leone continued to choke Trooma, she was surprised when a grin suddenly spread across his face. Hearing a strange sound, Leone looked down and saw that a blade had extended from Trooma's shoe. Using the last of his strength, he attempted to stab Leone in the face with the hidden blade. But, to his shock, the blonde assassin caught the blade between her teeth, snapping the blade to pieces with her fangs, "Well, she's just filled with surprises, isn't she?!"

Trooma was cut off when Leone wrapped both hands around his throat, easily snapping his neck like a twig. Then, with a ferocious growl, Leone grabbed Trooma by the face, and slammed his head into the ground, crushing the back of his skull. Letting out a quick sigh, Leone released her grip on Trooma and stood over his corpse, "Aw man! He did manage to get in a good one, and man does it hurt!" She then looked back down at Trooma, and just realized he was dead, "Whoops! Aw crap, I think I killed him!"

"Uh...Sis..." I sheepishly asked with a sweatdrop, "You're okay now, right?"

"Yup, no sweat!" the blonde exclaimed, as she flexed her arm, "I can regenerate when I'm in my beast form, so I'm just fine!"

"But..." I thought, as the vision of Leone dying in a pool of her own blood repeated in my head, my fists balling tightly, "I can't help but worry about you...especially after everything we've been through together."

"Is everybody okay?!" A familiar voice snapped me out my thoughts. Turning around, I spotted Akame, Sayo and Lubbock jogging towards us, "We managed to clear all those creeps out of our hideout!"

"Good," Mine said, "I think we're all here!"

"Well that's good..." I thought, feeling a wave of relief washing over me, "Looks like Akame and Sayo managed to reach Lubbock in time...I guess it's not time to start worrying about him yet. But I'll still have to keep my eyes open. I still have no idea when everyone is going to be in danger." However, I was pulled from my thoughts when a large group of Stylish's soldiers surrounded the Night Raid assassins.

Ieysayu raised Belvaak, "Damn, there's still a lot of these guys left."

Sayo prepared spreader arrows, "Looks like we've still got some work to do!" Z.W.E.I. said in a serious tone.

"This doesn't make sense!" Lubbock said, as he retracted his wires, "How'd they get in without setting off my traps?!"

Leone tried using her enhanced senses, "I'm not picking up anyone else's smell, either."

"It seems like Dr. Stylish is the only one who came after us...if that's the case then we can definitely do this!" I thought, as I tightly balled my fists, "Whatever," I held Soul Calibur at the ready, my sudden shout got all my comrades' attention, "We're all here, so let's knock these bastards out!"

"Sounds good to me!" Leone exclaimed, baring her fangs and cracking her knuckles.

"Heh, who the hell put you in charge?" Mine teased with a smirk, as she readied Pumpkin.

"We've got your back, Tatsumi." Akame said, unsheathing Murasame and moving closer to me.

"Alright, let's do-" I stopped when all my comrades suddenly collapsed to the ground around me, except for Z.W.E.I. and Ieysayu. Filled with panic, I immidiately ran up to Akame and Leone, "Akame?!" I exclaimed in alarm.

"What's wrong with you guys?!" Ieysayu exclaimed in an alarmed manner.

"I c-can't move my body!" Mine struggled to say, her breathing heavy and labored.

"What's going on?!" Z.W.E.I. exclaimed.

"I don't know..." I replied to the werewolf, "This is just like back on the ship."

"Hypnosis?!"

"N-No...this is...poison..." Akame said weakly, as she fought as hard as she could to stay standing.

Back with Dr. Stylish:

"Seems to be working perfectly on all targets," Eyes reported to Stylish, "Except for the ones wielding Belvaak; and wearing leather, and Incursio."

"Hehehehe!" Stylish chuckled, "That's the effect of my trump card; a fast-acting paralysis agent I made all by my stylish self!"

"Wha?!" Nose exclaimed, "But won't our allies be poisoned too?!"

"Obviously, the good doctor remembered to treat them with the antidote, moron." Ears replied in an annoyed tone.

I swear, those three freaks are major suck-ups, "Ooh, Master Stylish, you're like a super-genius!"

"It's not like I intended to try out my latest concoction on such promising subjects, you know. See?" Stylish said, flipping his hair, "It's a very valuable creation, I went through great lengths to make it!" Stylish then mock-cried, "But I had no other option; they were wiping out my lovely cohort so quickly!"

Back with Night Raid:

"We're holding up better than the others." I thought, as I clenched and unclenched my fist.

By now, with Z.W.E.I.'s help, Leone and Akame had managed to stand back onto their feet, but they had to struggle with every movement, "I guess it's up to US now!"

"If you wait too long, you'll start to be effected as well."

"I got it..." I thought, tightly balling my fist and equipping Soul Calibur. I walked in front of my incapacitated comrades, "No matter what, we have to protect everyone!"

"Uh, it would seem that you won't be the only ones."

"What are you-" I was snapped from my thoughts when something crashed in the middle of the horde of Stylish's pawns; kicking up a large wall of dust and debris, "What the hell was that?!"

"Your reinforcements have finally arrived."

When the dust began to clear, my eyes widened when I spotted a massive, horned, blue-haired man standing on top of one of Stylish's soldiers; his large staff shattering the pawn's skull.

"Who...is that guy?" Sayo asked, eyeing the newcomer warily.

"An ally...Right..." Leone asked.

Najenda was still in the air, "It seems dangerous for me or Chelsea to drop down." Najenda said, as she turned to the other hooded figure that was still on the Air Manta, "For now, I'll give orders from here."

"Roooger." The other hooded figure, Chelsea, responded with a salute.

"Now, exterminate the enemies before you!" The boss ordered the man, "'Susanoo'!"

Even from that distance, he received those orders from Najenda clearly, "Understood." Susanoo replied, as he charged towards the waves of pawns before him, rapidly spinning blades extending from then end of his staff. Charging into the crowd of pawns, Susanoo thrust his staff forward. The whirling blades shredded everything they touched; hacking off limbs and painting the clearing with a fresh coat of blood. Another group of pawns tried to surround him, but one swipe of his staff reduced them to bloody chunks.

"So...So strong..." I thought, staring at the carnage Susanoo created in awe; the clearing now filled with dozens of bodies, "He's just like Bro."

Back with Dr. Stylish:

"Wha...! It can't be!" Eyes exclaimed, as he watched a newcomer tear through their forces, "A new guy is sweeping through all of our infantry! As long as they're an organism, there's no way the poison doesn't work!"

"...I don't know." Stylish hummed, rubbing his chin as he thought, "It may be an unknown Imperial Arms." Seeing no other options, Stylish grabbed a small device from his pocket, "If that's so, I don't need any material for experiments and, like this." Pressing the red button on the device, Stylish smirked when a large explosion echoed out in the distance, "Human bombs for special situations." Stylish lit up, "With this, it's finished."

Back with Night Raid:

After the smoke cleared, we watched in stunned silence as the man known as Susanoo stood before us, with his left arm blown off and dozens of other wounds across his body. But what shocked everyone the most was that Susanoo appeared to be in no pain whatsoever, "What's with this-" my thoughts were interrupted when I saw all of Susanoo's wounds begin to bubble and smoke, "What's happening to him?"

"This...This is..." Sheele muttered in shock, as she watched Susanoo's arm slowly begin to regenerate, "I...I don't believe it..."

"It's just like with that Seryu girl and her Imperial Arms." Sayo breathed out, watching as Susanoo clenched his newly formed fist.

"That ally...an organic-type Imperial Arms..." Mine said in awe, as she stared at Susanoo in shock, "A HUMAN IMPERIAL ARMS!"

I kneeled down to fix Mine's hair, which was messed up by the explosion.

Susanoo then walked over to Sayo with a menacing look, "Wh-What are you..."

She was interrupted when Susanoo then reached his hands out onto her hair and fixed it, "Better." He said.

Sayo was left dumbfounded, "H-Huh?" She awkwardly stuttered out in confusion, staring up at Susanoo, "Wait, What?!"

"He's a neat freak?" I thought, as I raised an eyebrow, "That's...unexpected."

Flying high up above her assassins, Najenda began to scan the surrounding area. The Boss pulled out a high-tech pair of binoculars, and gazed out at the cliffs that surrounded their base, "It'd have to be a good place to observe Akame and everyone else..." Najenda thought, as her good eye narrowed, "And if we're upwind from where poison the was dispersed then..." Najenda turned her gaze toward the southwestern cliffs, "If someone is commanding these bastards, they'd definitely be around here somewhere..." A smirk spread across Najenda's face when she spotted four figures standing near the cliffs edge, "Bingo!" Putting the binoculars away, Najenda gave Susanoo his new orders, "Susanoo! The enemy's leader is cowering in the cliffs to the southwest! Go there and destroy them! Leave no survivors!"

"Understood!" Susanoo exclaimed, sprinting towards where Stylish was located.

"I'll back you up!" Z.W.E.I. called out, as he ran after Susanoo.

"Wait up!" Ieysayu lagged behind.

"That idiot, " Sayo said under her breath, gritting her teeth in irritation, "Does he ever use his head?"

Back with Dr. Stylish:

Those four enemies were panicking.

"We've been spotted!"

"There's no choice! We're retreating, no need to try the impossible here!" Stylish yelled, as he booked it for the nearby treeline, "Poison won't work against an organic-type! I need to either destroy the core, or do something about the user..." However, Stylish and his soldiers were stopped when the Air Manta did an extremely low pass overhead, knocking them all off their feet. Groaning in pain, Stylish rubbed his head, "My, she's even more tenacious than I thought." Just as Stylish and his men were getting back onto their feet, Susanoo and the other two had finally caught up.

"You take his guards..." Z.W.E.I. said, pointing his arming sword at Stylish, "I'll take Stylish down, myself."

"I could have handled this by myself." Susanoo said, as he slammed his staff into the ground, "But I welcome the assistance."

"Don't worry Dr. Stylish!" Eyes exclaimed, standing protectively in front of Stylish.

"In the game of chess, we could be Rook and Bishop!" Nose said, as he slid into a rather sloppy fighting stance, "We'll protect you at all costs!"

"Oh, please..." Stylish said in an annoyed huff, "I designed you three for RECON." He then turned to look at what Z.W.E.I. and Ieysayu had on their faces, "They're wearing filtered masks?! Bad...This is unfair!" Reaching into his pocket, Stylish pulled out a syringe full of a hazy green liquid, "When it comes to this...prepare yourself for the worst!" Grinning hysterically, Stylish slammed the needle into his arm and pressed the plunger, "Trump Card number two, Danger Beast, one dose! This is all I've got!" Stylish yelled, as he laughed hysterically. The doctor's lower body had transformed into that of a hideous monster, that towered over the treeline. The upper portion of Stylish's body still remained human, and rested atop the grotesque and muscular body.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Ieysayu muttered, as he took a cautious step back. The young assassin felt a chill run down his spine, as he watched Stylish's body hideously morph and change.

"As do I." Susanoo said, readying his staff, "Be prepared for anything."

"Here it issssss! This is the ultimate in stylishness! By becoming a danger beast myself! I'll blow all of you away!"

"Ohh, beautiful...!"

"As expected of Master Stylish...!"

With a crazed smile, Stylish grabbed ahold of Eyes and Nose. Stylish's soldiers began to panic when a large mouth opened in the middle of Stylish's danger beast body, "You are my precious nutrients! Time for us to us become oneee!" Z.W.E.I. and Ieysayu watched in horror, as Stylish devoured the two men; his danger beast body transforming as it absorbed them. Ears was frozen in terror, her entire body shaking violently, "You're next my dear! I need your delicious nutrients!" He did the same with her, as well, "Wonderful! A hearty meal of nutritious meat, and I level up!"

Back with Night Raid:

"What is that thing?" Sayo asked, watching as a large figure rose above the treeline.

"That thing's gross..." Mine said, as she managed to sit on her knees; by now a good amount of the poison had exited her system, "It's just like a monster."

"I should head over there and help them." I said, turning towards the cliffs to the southwest.

"Wait!" Akame called out, as she grabbed ahold of my cape, "If you're heading back there, take me with you!"

"Can you move?" I asked, kneeling down next to Akame, "Because I don't want you to fight if the poison is still affecting you."

"I don't have full control of my legs yet, but I can fight." Akame said, her eyes full of determination.

"Alright, let's get going." I said, allowing Akame to climb onto my back.

"Hold up!" Mine exclaimed, as she slowly walked up to me, "I can help to." Mine then pointed to the Air Manta circling above them, "Just get me up there and I can provide sniper support."

"Okay, but I hope you're not afraid of heights." I sighed, picking up Mine bridal style, causing the pink-haired sniper to squeak in surprise, "Leone, you keep the others safe."

"Gotcha!" Leone said with a grin, as she gave me a thumbs-up.

"Alright you two! Hold on tight!" I exclaimed, leaping into the air towards the Air Manta.

Five Minutes Later; Woods Approaching the Southwest Cliffs:

"HAHAHA!" Stylish laughed crazily, as he swung at Susanoo, who easily dodged the attack, "What's the matter with you three!? You've been stalling this entire time! You can more aggressive if you want!" It was then that Stylish had spotted that Akame and I had arrived on the scene.

"I was awaiting my backup." Susanoo said, finally going on the offensive and knocking Stylish back with his staff.

"What's this, a piggyback ride?" Stylish asked with a smirk, as he noticed how exhausted Akame looked, "You two look pretty unsteady on your feet." The danger beast Stylish slammed his enormous left hand down, "Let me squish you!" However, Stylish was stopped when a powerful shot from Pumpkin slammed into him.

"Stay the hell away from them!" Mine yelled, firing another shot at Stylish, which caused the monstrous man to topple over.

"Nice shot Mine!" I exclaimed, as I gave Mine a quick thumbs up, "This is game over for you! Dr. Stylish." I exclaimed, leaping into the air above Stylish. The crazed doctor tried to attack me while I was airborne, but Z.W.E.I. jumped into the fray and blocked Stylish's attack.

"Not yet!" Stylish roared, as dozen of spear-like tentacles formed out of his body and rocketed towards Akame and me.

"Akame! Go for it!" I exclaimed, using all my strength to throw Akame towards the human portion of Stylish's body.

However, a large sword had hit one of Stylish's transformed arms, and had completely severed the appendage, sending it soaring off into the distance.

"Holy shit..." I breathed out, as I watched Stylish howl in pain, blood erupting from where his arm used to be, before turning my attention to the one who used the sword; Nightmare.

"You failed already...Dr. Stylish..." Nightmare growled, walking towards the human half of the already downed Stylish, "You have already proven yourself useless...you are weak...I grant death...FOR THE WEAK!" Nightmare held Soul Edge upside-down, and thrusted it downwards, hitting Stylish square in the chest. This incredibly powerful attack stopped all of Stylish's attempts to hit Akame, giving her a clear opening to attack.

"Rest in pieces!" Akame exclaimed, slicing Stylish's human half across the chest with Murasame; the demonic poison instantly flooding his body, along with hellfire.

"...I..."Stylish stuttered out, as he toppled over; Murasame's poison reaching his heart, "I still wanted to do...all kinds of human experiments...wh...why do I have to be...so unfortunate."

"I got you!" I exclaimed, catching Akame before she hit the ground.

At that moment—in a vortex of fire—Nightmare vanished, but not without sending a telepathic message to me, first, "One day...Boy...Your body...shall be mine...one day..."

"You should consider yourself quite lucky..." Akame said, as she turned to Stylish when I set her down, "You died a quick death."

Later:

"Excellent job everyone." Najenda said, as the Air Manta landed next to everyone. Night Raid's boss hopped off the danger beast, along with Mine and the other hooded figure, "You all did well defending our base." Najenda turned to Dr. Stylish and released a heavy sigh, "Once we've collected Stylish's Imperial Arms, we can head to a secluded spot to lie low for a while."

"Uh Boss." I said sheepishly, walking up to Najenda.

"What is it Tatsumi?" Najenda asked, as she lit a cigarette.

"Once we arrive at our hiding spot, can I speak with you in private?" I asked, dispelling Incursio's armor.

"Oh, if you don't mind me asking, what is it that you want to talk about?" Najenda replied, as she took a quick drag of her cigarette.

"It's about Esdeath." I explained, causing Najenda's one good eye to widen in shock, "I might have a way to convince her to join our side."

"Tatsumi, you must be-" Najenda was about to ask if I was joking, but she stopped when she saw the determination and fire in my eyes. So after releasing a heavy sigh, Najenda stomped out her cigarette, "Alright, I'll hear you out. If you have a way to make Esdeath switch sides, I'm all ears. But know this Tatsumi, if Esdeath does decide to help the revolutionary army, you're responsible for her and any trouble she might cause."

"I understand Boss...and I'm willing to take full responsibility for her actions." I said in a determined voice, causing a small smirk to spread across Najenda's face.

"You're quite odd aren't you, Tatsumi?" Najenda said, as she chuckled lightly, "But you're a damn fine assassin, and I'm glad Leone dragged you and your friends here a few months back."

"Thank you Boss, I can't imagine my life without Night Raid anymore." I said with a small smile.

Najenda then turned to the nearby treeline, "How long are you gonna hide behind that tree and eavesdrop? Since you're Night Raid's newest member, come out and introduce yourself, Chelsea." I felt a tingle run down my spine when I heard that name. It was almost as if I had heard that name somewhere before. Just then the second hooded figure walked out from behind a nearby tree.

"Shoot, I guess you caught me." A teasing feminine voice said from behind the hood, as the girl took a lollipop out of her mouth, "And I thought I was being stealthy too." The girl grabbed her hood and pulled it down. When I saw the girl's face and red hair, my eyes shot open, my eyes filling with horrifying images, "The name's Chelsea." The red-haired girl's voice was sweet, as she offered her hand to me. However, I just stood there and stared at Chelsea in shock, "What's wrong with you, man?" Chelsea quirked an eyebrow and waved her hand in front of my face, "It's like you've seen a ghost or something."

"It's her..." I thought, as visions of Chelsea's head impaled on spike flooded my mind. I didn't bother bringing up Nightmare at that moment; and to be honest, we WERE in a hurry.

Yeah, you expected this one.

Quite honestly, the biggest challenge was finding a place to put Nightmare.

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