Corruption, Murder and Redemption?

by Man of cartoons

Corruption is said to be a monster that eats the soul of a man. So what if a hero with a pure heart decides to come to a world where the monster has almost taken over? Will he survive? Will he break? And will he get this dumb blond to stop calling him a cattle? Please read to find out. BenXAriaXSheele (Love Triangle). It used to include Leone.

4. Membership, Invaders and An Ambush?

Hey, everyone! Welcome to another chapter of Corruption, murder and…Redemption?

Thank you so much for your support. Your reviews were awesome to read while the favorite and following of this fanfiction was great to see. As for your votes, I have ended the polls and will have the details about it at the end of the chapter so please look forward to it.

Also, I'm very sorry to say this, but the fight between Ben and Night Raid won't happen yet. I know I said that before excitedly, but upon writing this chapter I decided to put that fight till the next chapter. This chapter helps to conclude the chapter two of the manga, so there's some good in this.

Good news, I've decided to keep adapting from the manga. Awesome, right?!

Fun Fact: Those in Akame Ga Kill are still speaking Japanese. However, Ben doesn't know this since the Omnitrix is constantly translating their words and his English to them as Japanese.

So with nothing else to say, on to the chapter.

Chapter 4: Membership, Invaders and…An Ambush?

At the time Ben and Aria were getting used to each other, Ieyasu and Tatsumi had their own thing going on. This happened immediately after Leone took them to the hideout of Night Raid, which was located at the side of a cliff where surprising it hadn't been noticed by anyone else.

So inside the place, the trio went into a room where they found Sheele sitting on a table on her own. She had a book in her hands as she listened to Leone talk while both Tatsumi and Ieyasu were quiet before then speaking.

"Huh, you haven't made up your mind to join yet?" She asked.

"Yeah, Sheele." Leone answered for the two boys. "Shower them with some warm words for me."

Sheele paused as she looked at them a bit spaced out. Her face basically showed how unprepared she was for this, especially as she then let a "mmm" sound before turning to the two boys with the same expression as before.

"In the first place, now that you know the location of our hideout, you'll be killed if you don't become one of us you know?" She just said freely.

"That's so warm it's making me tear up." Tatsumi stated with a visible shudder on his face.

"Yeah…" Ieyasu expressed the same. "What did you just bring me into, Tatsumi."

"What!" Tatsumi shouted, taken aback by his friend's response. It immediately made him turn to him with his finger directed at him. "Don't pin this on me."

"Too late." Ieyasu murmured, looking away.

Just then, Sheele interrupted as she went back to reading her book.

"You should think it over." Sheele stated.

The lady likely said it as a piece of advice from before, like the small bickering between friends were nothing. But now that both Tatsumi and Ieyasu had their eyes on her, they noticed the time of her book and couldn't help but sweat drop. The book was titled '100 ways to fix airheadedness.'

"…So this really is a gathering of weirdoes after all.' Both teens thought simultaneously.

However, both of them would immediately find the book and its reader the least of their worries. The reason for this was because of a certain pink haired girl coming into the room.

"HEEEY!" She shouted with a mild tone of annoyance. She also had eyes locked on the two boys as she pointed her finger at them. "Wait a second, Leone! Why are you letting those two into the hideout?!"

"Because they're one of us." Leone answered happily with a wave of her hand.

"They're not one of us yet, are they?!" She yelled.

"Well, technically, I –" Ieyasu tried to speak.

"Who asked you?!" The girl scorned him.

Ieyasu didn't expect such a response as it startled him a bit. To think that such a petite looking girl would have such fire in her mouth was something he never thought he would see. After all, she was below average height with very long pink hair tied in twin-tails on the right and left sides of her head while possessing pink eyes and a pink outfit.

But now that he did, he scowled in a whisper to Tatsumi. "Bitchy much?"

"Besides…" Mine stated with her attention back at Leone. "They haven't gotten the boss's permission either!"

That was true; the boys weren't officially a part of Night Raid. Leone knew this from the start, but felt positive about them joining despite Mine's objection. But before anyone could say anything, she swiftly turned her head at Tatsumi with a dark looking glare before making eye contact with him in silence with the teen doing the same. Then, she folded her arms across her chest and turned sideways at him without any indication.

"Not qualified." Mine immediately determined. "It doesn't seem like he'll be able to work with professionals like us at all…from looking at his face."

"What!" Tatsumi expressed in shock. His face showed it all as he was taken aback by her action.

Meanwhile, Ieyasu laughed so hard that he held his stomach. "Better luck next time, Tatsumi!"

"You're no better!" Mine shouted back.

Ieyasu froze in shock as he felt the blow from Mine's response. He immediately knew how his best friend felt as the same expression as him came over him as both of them stared at the girl before letting out an outburst.

"WHAT WAS THAT, YOU LITTLE PUNK?!"

Leone giggled in response to this. It had only been a few minutes and already Mine had gotten on their nerves. But she didn't find this as a problem as she played it coolly at the two. "Don't worry about it. Mine's like that to everyone." She said.

"Hmph!" Mine responded.

So after that exchange with the pink haired stuck-up, Leone led them to another side of the hideout. It was a relief to the two boys as both boys couldn't stand being around that girl any longer than she felt the same towards them. Besides, they soon began hearing someone shouting as they approached an opened area which was followed by an unfamiliar person.

"This is the stress release area called the training grounds." Leone introduced. Then she pointed at the person training.

From the looks of it, the person present was working out with a spear which he swung rapidly fast in such a pace that it was amazing to watch. So while Leone continued to speak, Tatsumi and Ieyasu stared at the guy in awe.

"And over there…" She said. "The one who clearly looks like he reeks of sweat is Bulat."

"Amazing…" Tatsumi thought in awe. "What spear-handling."

"Woah…I never knew a spear could be so awesome." Ieyasu thought.

The man named Bulat didn't seem to notice them as he continued his training though. His abs could be seen very visibly as sweat was about all over his body packs while he continued crying out loud from the feel of the exercise. Then when he came to a stop, he took a white towel and cleaned the sweat off before placing it over his shoulder and turning to the direction of Leone and the others.

"Ah, hey it's Leone." He said with a voice of satisfaction. "And those two boys are…those two from before."

"Huh?" Ieyasu was confused. The same was felt with Tatsumi.

"How do you know us?" Tatsumi asked.

Bulat seemed a bit surprised to hear this. But when he gave it a second's thought, he realized why. "Hm? So this is the first time the both of you are seeing me like this?" He asked, though sound rhetorical. "I'm the guy that was covered in armor the first time we met."

And that's when it made sense to the two boys. The person he referred to in armor, himself, was something Tatsumi only experienced the night after he was taken by Night Raid. So while he expressed a bit of shock, Ieyasu was confused as he tilted his head a bit and scratched his head.

"Sorry, but I don't remember –"

"Of course you don't." Leone suddenly interjected. She placed her arm around the boy immediately after before then drawing him closer."You were still unconscious in that shed before I went back to get you, so you never met any of the other members that night."

"She's right." Tatsumi agreed.

Just then, the brown haired teen went over to Bulat and locked into a handshake with him.

"It's Bulat, nice to meet you." Bulat introduced himself.

As the older man among them, he was a tall and muscular man with blue eyes and black hair combed into a heart-shaped pompadour while at the moment wearing no shirt.

"H-Hi!" Tatsumi responded nervously.

"Hey…I'm Ieyasu."

The black haired teen said with a wave of his hand as he felt a bit nervous when he approached Bulat. He was about to raise his hand, but came to a stop when Leone came to him and Tatsumi with a teasing smile on her face.

"Be careful, he's gay." She said.

And so with that was the expected response by the two boys. Ieyasu took a step back while Tatsumi looked sacredly stunned as he stared at Bulat, who smiled at him with a little blush on his cheeks while still looking down at the boy.

"Hey, hey. He'd misunderstand, right?" He said in response to Leone.

However, it didn't help his case either way. Tatsumi just looked a bit scared than before as he eyed the guy with an inner plea. 'Deny it for me please!" Tatsumi thought nervously.

Somewhere a bit far from the hideout, a single man stood by the edge of a cliff with a perverted intention in mind. It wasn't too bad, depending on who a person asks, as he lay down while crawling to the edge until he stood up to see a pond below with a perverted grin on his face.

"It's almost Leone's bath time." He stated with his breathe pouring out of his mouth. "I won't think twice about the danger if it's to see those breasts."

So that was his aim for being at the cliff. The blond busty woman he was speaking about was always a looker no matter how any straight man would try to deny it. But there was one problem with his plan. Leone was right behind him.

"Then how about I break two fingers." The busty blond said without haste. She also immediately struck him at the back, causing him to scream and fall to the ground on his front. Then, before he knew it, she had her leg on his back and his left hand painfully upwards as she put a bit more pressure on both. "You never learn, Lubbock." She said.

"Fuck it! I can still go on!" Lubbock shouted determinedly. But he was also in agonizing pain.

"Then it's one arm next." Leone added.

Meanwhile, Tatsumi and Ieyasu stood a bit stunned with uncertain looks on their faces. They didn't know what else to say about this, nor could they bother to do about it. But whether Leone noticed this was left unknown as she turned to them, still restraining the young man.

"And so…" She said. "This idiot is Lubbock."

Lubbock was someone with shoulder-length green hair, green eyes and red goggles on top of his head. He wore a long green jacket with a fur trimmed hood over a white and red ringer shirt and blue jeans with brown shoes.

So as time went on, nighttime soon arrived over everyone. Tatsumi and Ieyasu were now walking next to Leone with exhausted looks on their faces and their upper body tiredly forward. It was obvious to both teens that, in their own sense, had seen enough of the Night Raid members and wanted to end it. But while none of them said this before, Tatsumi openly admitted it sluggishly.

"I think we've had enough already…"

"I'm with Tatsumi."Ieyasu said in agreement.

However, Leone didn't like to hear about it. In fact, she just laughed as she held both her hands behind her back while looking ever so cheerful."Come on. It's a pretty girl next, so look forward to that."

"A pretty girl?" Ieyasu said, bringing his head upwards.

"Mhm." Leone nodded.

Ieyasu's attention had been gained upon the mention of this as already he tried to picture who this girl was. However, the same couldn't be said about Tatsumi, who just stared at his friend with disappointment. 'Don't get excited, idiot.' He thought.

But there was no stopping it now. Ieyasu seemed more eager as he smiled gleefully next to Leone while Tatsumi looked down as he followed both of them from behind. It wasn't long after that both began to perceive something in the air, with Ieyasu shouting out in a mixed feeling of awe and shock.

"WOAH!"

Ieyasu had his eyes widened as he took in what he was seeing. A girl with long black hair was sitting before a fire which had the head of a known dangerous Danger Beast suspended in the air by a long stick through it, held by two poles at both sides of the fire. But now that Ieyasu was sure he wasn't dreaming, he just stood there with a freaked out look as he continued staring. At the same time, Leone just happily pointed at the girl before the fire.

"See. The one over there is Akame. Isn't she cute?" Leone introduced.

And now it was Tatsumi's turn to be stunned. He didn't share the same stuttering position like his friend though, as he was taken aback at the sight of the the cooked up Danger Beast and Akame turning sideways at them.

"How!" He asked.

But fortunately he snapped out of the daze, better than his friend, before immediately asking a question on his mind.

"Is that an Evilbird she's eating there?"

"I…was about to ask that."Ieyasu stated. He seemed to come out of his own daze as he accepted what he was seeing. But he also seemed drained as he spoke again. "I heard those things destroy villages…but did she kill it or…?"

"Yeah." Leone answered with a chirpy smile. "Akame may look like that, but she grew up in the forest."

"Oh…" Ieyasu paused, a bit fazed by this. He turned over to Tatsumi and gave him a worried expression and a thumbs up. "No worries…this can still work out."

"What are you talking about?" Tatsumi asked, glaring at him.

However, before any of them could say anything, Akame interjected. She didn't mean it towards the two boys though, as she threw a piece of meat at Leone. "You should eat too, Leone." She said.

"Oh thanks." Leone said back. She opened her hands for the coming meat, before allowing it to land on her palms and chewing on it.

Then she turned towards Tatsumi and Ieyasu with a numb expression. It wasn't to say she had anything against them though, as there was a thought in her mind when it came to them. So while she had another big piece of meat in her hand, she precisely turned to Tatsumi.

"Have you decided to become one of us?" She asked with a monotone voice.

"No." Tatsumi simply answered.

"Then I can't give you this meat." She stated directly.

Tatsumi was stunned to hear this in response. 'I don't want any.' He thought back in response.

Just then, the black haired girl turned her attention at Ieyasu. "You." Akame said. "Have you decided to join us?"

"Uh…yeah, but…" Ieyasu answered, startled. But before he could what he was saying, Akame had made up her mind.

"Then I can give you this meat." She said immediately. This was followed with her throwing the meat at the boy, who in the moment startled caught it before glancing at it with a decided tone. Then before Tatsumi could even think of what to say, he took a bit on it and was sucked into a moment of food pleasure.

For an unknown reason, the meat tasted so good in Ieyasu's mouth. He could taste the ingredient placed in the meat wash over his mouth like a wave as it took him into a delighted moment of his life while washing away all his worries into nothingness. In fact, it tasted so good that a wide pleasured grin was on his face as he eagerly chewed on the meat even though his friend was watching.

"Tatsumi, this taste so good." Ieyasu sang the words.

'I…rather not…' Tatsumi thought in his defense. He didn't know for sure to be stunned by his friend's expression or just ignore it. So instead he turned to Akame with skepticism. 'I guess the meat isn't deadly…but…this girl tried to kill me twice. I don't like her.'

"But still…"Leone suddenly spoke up, this time to Akame. "Aren't you being extravagant today?"

Leone's question was for a reason due to Akame's behavior before her. She knew the girl very well for a long time and so in that moment wanted to know what was with her. But whether Akame thought about this was unknown as she turned to another direction with her eyes at a familiar person.

"The boss is back." She announced.

True to her words, the boss she mentioned was sitting not far from them. She was a woman with short silver hair and purple eyes, though wearing an eye patch at her right eye. She also wore a black suit that shows her cleavage and a mechanical right arm as her arm.

"Yo." The boss greeted with a wave of her normal hand.

"Boss!" Leone exclaimed joyfully. She seemed so happy to see her superior as even her presence led her to forget what she asked Akame before raising her hand gleefully at her. "Welcome back, boss. Do you have any souvenirs?" She asked.

"I'm putting that aside, Leone." The boss said calmly. Her reason for doing so was unknown as everyone else watched. But when she moved her mechanical arm, something seemed off as a mild menacing look came over her face as she continued. "In the job three days ago, it seems you went over the mission time, eh?"

Leone suddenly tensed upon hearing this. She knew what the boss meant as her expression earlier dropped to a nervous smile, following by the boss now looking more intimidating.

'Not good.' She thought nervously.

Suddenly, before anyone could say a word, Leone turned around and began to run. Her action surprised Tatsumi and Ieyasu as the lady was off already, only for the boss to send her right hand flying forward at the busty blond with a rope attached to the rest of the arm, surprising the two even more, before it grabbed her and tightened its fingers on her shoulder, causing her to come to a stop.

"It's no good to enjoy fighting with a strong enemy too much…Do something to fix that habit of yours." The boss instructed.

"I got it, so stop that screeching sound!" Leone shouted in pain.

The boss complied with this in response. She released her hold on Leone before turning her attention to both Tatsumi and Ieyasu, now acknowledging their existence. "By the way, who are those young boys?" She asked.

"Oh." Leone said and turned back. She immediately that cheerful smile on her face as she went over to Tatsumi and Ieyasu and forced both to hit each other's side with her breasts pressing on their back before smiling at the boss. "That's right!" She exclaimed. "Boss, I recommend these guys!"

"Hey, would you stop that!" Both boys yelled at Leone.

However, their words didn't seem to matter. In fact, the boss seemed focused on what Leone said as she then spoke. "Do they show promise?" She asked.

"He does." Leone answered and patted Tatsumi's shoulder. "As for this guy…"She paused and patted his shoulder. "He believes he's up for it. But anyway, just give them a try."

"Hey, hold up!" Ieyasu suddenly shouted.

The two boys felt a bit panicked at the moment as they were unsure of what was going on. Leone was basically speaking for them while they were silent on everything else at the moment. But as they broke free of Leone's grip, they faced everyone with that same expression.

"Is this a part-time job?!" Tatsumi asked.

"Is the pay good?!" Ieyasu asked.

"The wage is high." Akame answered.

"What, really?!" Ieyasu questioned, a bit surprised.

"But is this a part-time job?!" Tatsumi asked again.

However, no one seemed to answer his question even though it was so easy. The boss noticed his expression afterwards but paid no response to it as she slung her jacket over her shoulder.

"Akame, gather everyone in the meeting room." The woman instructed immediately. "I want to hear the results of the previous mission in detail, including the two boys."

Akame listened with full attention and nodded.

Some minutes after that event, everyone was gathered in the meeting room in the hideout. The boss sat a hood-looking chair by the wall while every member of Night Raid stood before her and around Tatsumi and Ieyasu, both of whom were before her.

For the pastime, the boss listened to Akame narrate the mission that involved Tatsumi, Ieyasu and their former friend. But before getting to the mysterious teenager, Akame narrated how they disposed of the guards and Aria's parents in detail until getting to what she knew would get the boss's attention; the young man named Ben.

Not surprising, this got the boss's very intrigued with the same going for the rest of Night Raid. They listened as Akame explained everything that happened with the boy's intervention, from him assisting Tatsumi and fighting Akame to the part where he took the rich girl and left, before the boss chose to speak.

"I see." She said in thought. "The mission was incomplete then."

"It appears so." Akame replied.

"I understand." The boss said back calmly.

From what she had been told, she couldn't blame them. The young man known as Ben could not only transform into unknown creatures but he took on Akame, revived Ieyasu and kept Leone, Tatsumi and Akame from killing the rich girl. And though they could've fought him, there was the matter of timing which would've been worse if they prolonged it just to get the rich girl. But there was still more she needed to know.

"Tatsumi…" She called the brown haired teen. "How long have you known him?"

"More than two weeks now…" Tatsumi answered, though he sounded a bit sad. "We met him back in the village Ieyasu and I came from."

"So you have no prior knowledge about him." The boss concluded.

"Yes…" Tatsumi admitted. "My friends and I were suspicious about him, but he saved…my friend back then so it was fine."

"Interesting." The boss commented. Then she turned to Ieyasu. "Tell me, how do you feel about everything that transpired?"

"I'm…not sure." Ieyasu admitted. He had his head casted down as he then tightened his fist while speaking again. "I feel better than before…but Ben…he crossed the line saving that girl."

"Is that so?" The boss asked, feeling a bit intrigued to hear this. "So if you were to meet the girl what will you do?"

"I'll kill her."Ieyasu stated almost immediately. The emotion he held towards that subject revealed itself as he looked up at the boss with determination. "I'll take her down no matter what! She tortured Sayo and I and killed her! The least I can do is to kill her!"

"Ieyasu…" Tatsumi muttered.

It was no secret between the two boys that they held a grudge against Aria. She had not only killed many people but took away the life of one of their friends and splitting them from the other friend because he wanted to save her from them. But when it came to the need to kill her, Ieyasu seemed more resolved to do it without a single thought of hesitation.

"I see." The boss said, taking in the thought.

The determination for vengeance was something the boss was used to seeing from her time of experience. As such, she knew its potential as well as the danger of it if not properly used as it could lead to one's own death. So with nothing else to say, she looked over to Tatsumi and said. "I understand the situation completely. Tatsumi, would you like to join Night Raid?"

"I'm dead if I decline, right?" Tatsumi asked. He felt a bit worried about the idea since it meant he would have to be forced into the group. As for Ieyasu, he turned to his friend with concern.

"No, that's not going to happen."The boss assured them. "But we can't let you go back. Your friend has accepted to join Night Raid, so if you don't wish to be a part of us we'll have you work as a laborer in our workshop. At any rate, you won't die even if you decline. Given that...what do you think?

The decision now rested on Tatsumi's shoulders as it would affect his future. Unlike his friend, he didn't want to jump into the world of assassins just before his dream to save his village was now seemingly in shatters now that he knew the truth about the Imperial Capital. So it came as no surprise that he tightened his fist while having a look of uncertainty.

"I…was planning to go out to the Capital and become successful to save my village from poverty but even the Imperial Capital is rotting."

Just then, Bulat decided to respond to that from his position. He didn't rush it though, as he was presently laid back on the wall with one leg at it and his arms crossed while wearing a black leather jacket on top of a green armor and white pants.

"The countryside's poor and suffering because the center's rotten. Don't' you want to uproot the source of the rot as a man?" He asked. This was then followed with a quick smirk at the two boys.

But it seemed it wasn't Tatsumi or Ieyasu's time to speak again. The reason for it was being the boss, who took that chance to lean forward at them as she explained. "Bulat was originally a skilled Imperial soldier. But he learned of the Empire's corruption and became one of us."

"After all…" Bulat continued from there. "Our work is to eliminate the evildoers in the Capital. It's much better than working under those rotten people."

"Yeah…but…" Tatsumi said. He had a sense of what the group did was right, but was also uncertain about the overall. "Even if you just kill guys little by little, the world won't change greatly, will it? In the end, places in remote regions like my village won't be saved by that."

"I see." The boss replied. She inwardly and openly liked the teenager's open thought as it sounded perfectly to her. Hence, she went forward with her thought and said. "Then Night Raid fits you even more perfectly."

"How come?" Tatsumi asked, surprised to hear this. The same feeling was with his friend as he wondered.

Fortunately, the boss continued as she extended her hand. "Far south of the Capital, there's the hideout of an anti-Imperial force, the Revolutionary Army."

"Revolutionary Army?" Tatsumi and Ieyasu questioned simultaneously.

"Yes." The boss continued. "The Revolutionary Army, which started out small, had grown into a large scale organization by now. Then, inevitably, a unit to handle covert jobs such as assassination and information gathering was created. That's us, Night Raid."

Tatsumi and Ieyasu felt a bit tensed upon hearing this information. It was very new to them, just like their knowledge of the Imperial Capital had been, as it not only distant what they used to think but what they used to know. But whether this was unknown to the boss was left unknown as she continued.

"Right now we're exterminating the Capital's ticks. But in the event that the army takes action, we'll take advantage of the confusion, and the Prime Minister, who is the cause of the corruption, we'll take him out ourselves."

At the last part, the woman clutched her fist to emphasis what she meant. She also seemed strong about this idea as not only did she pause with that end but she stared at Tatsumi and Ieyasu, who were both stunned in shock at what they were hearing.

"Take out…" Tatsumi muttered, surprised.

"The Prime Minister…?!"Ieyasu added, feeling the same.

"That's our goal." The boss said calmly. "There are others, but I'll leave them for now." Just then, she cracked a smile. "Although I can't say anything specific about when they'll rise to action, we've prepared a plan to win. So when that time comes, this country will change for sure."

This new information was more elaborate than Tatsumi and Ieyasu would've ever thought. The boss had concluded everything she intended to leave before staring at the two as were at pause likely taking everything they were told. It was understandable; the information was much to swallow. But fortunately, both were able to handle it as Ieyasu broke the silence.

"In this new country…will people be treated fairly?" He asked.

"Of course." The boss answered.

"That's great." Tatsumi said. He liked the idea of it as wide smirk appeared on his face. "So the killing you're doing now is just targeting bad guys to clean out the trash."

"Yeah!" Ieyasu exclaimed excitedly. He had his fist pumped into the air as he then continued. "That's like being assassins for justice!"

However, the response didn't go well like both boys would've expected. The entire room was silent before everyone besides the boss and Akame burst out laughing, much to the confusion and anger of the two as they looked around them.

"What's this?!" Tatsumi questioned.

"What's so funny?!" Ieyasu asked.

"Tatsumi, Ieyasu." Leone suddenly called them. "No matter how much you dress it up, what we're doing is murder. Your ex-friend probably saw that when we first met."

"There's no way there's any justice in that." Sheele added.

"Every person here could receive their retribution and die at any moment." Bulat added.

Ieyasu gulped down his spit in response to this. 'Damn…I really didn't think this thing through. But still…' He paused and turned back to the boss and then at Tatsumi. 'I'll stay in if he joins.'

Just then, the boss took that time to speak. "Each person has his own reason for fighting, but they're all prepared. Will your opinion still stay the same?"

"Will we get rewarded?" Tatsumi asked.

"Yeah." The boss answered honestly. "If you work properly, you'll probably be able to save a hometown or thereabout."

"Then I'll do it!" Tatsumi stated determinedly. "Let me join Night Raid! If it's a big goal like that, Sayo would have done the same, right Ieyasu?"

"Yes!" Ieyasu nodded, seemingly determined. The doubt he felt before felt instantly swept away as he now had an actual reason to join Night Raid besides Leone's 'persuasion'.

But that wasn't to say it all ended there just like that. The reason being Mine, who took that chance to speak from her position.

"You might be unable to freely return to your village though." She told them subtly.

"That's fine." Ieyasu acknowledged already. "We were willing to save the village in any way possible, so why stop now?"

"Yeah." Tatsumi nodded and smiled at his friend. "As long as everyone in the village can be happy, then we're good."

"Hmph." Mine said back.

"Then it's decided." The boss suddenly spoke up. She extended her hand forward at Tatsumi and Ieyasu, though not as a handshake, as she continued. "Welcome to the path of carnage, Tatsumi and Ieyasu."

Suddenly, something alarmingly got everyone's attention. It started from a device on Lubbock's backhand as the small wheels on it began to spin rapidly before he them turned to the boss with a look of urgency.

"Intruders! Najenda-san!" He shouted.

The outburst of the guy was more than audible enough for everyone to hear. It shifted all focus from before as even the boss aka Najenda looked seriously as she asked. "What're their numbers and locations?"

"According to their reactions from my barrier, it's probably eight people!" He reported."They've infiltrated close to the hideout."

"They're good."Najenda commented. "To sniff out this place means they're probably mercenaries of another race."

The woman was quick to conclude that immediate report as she looked at all her subordinates with a straight look. This was then followed with her using a lighter to start up her cigarette in her mouth before taking charge.

"There's no other way. It's an emergency sortie. Don't let any of them return alive." The woman instantly ordered.

With those words, everything completely changed from the way it was. The members of Night Raid had cold looking expressions on their faces and bodies as each member took in their boss's order without a single doubt. It was even so noticeable that even Tatsumi and Ieyasu felt the intensity as a shudder went down their spine.

'The atmosphere suddenly changed!' Tatsumi took notice.

"Go!" Najenda ordered.

That word of hers appeared to carry authority as it immediately made every member of Night Raid to rush out. However, the same couldn't be said for both Tatsumi and Ieyasu, who just stared at the speed everyone else left until both felt a hard pat on their backs.

"What're both of you spacing out for?" Najenda asked, revealing to be standing behind them. She had a cocky grin on her face as the cigarette in her mouth seemed ever so present. "It's your first battle. Go eliminate them."

An order was an order as long as it was given by the one in charge. It was something Tatsumi and Ieyasu were able to recognize as both rushed out with their own distinct weapons before drawing close to a familiar person who also was running through the forest.

"Bulat-san!" Tatsumi called out.

True to their eyes, the person turned out to be Bulat who was doing the running. It was unknown though, on how long he had been at it as he looked back and smiled when the two boys were able to catch up with him.

"Oh, Tatsumi, Ieyasu." He said back at them. "Do you want to come with me?"

"Yes!" Both answered simultaneously.

"Good. Also call me bro or handsome."

"Okay, bro." Tatsumi said back.

"Sure thing, bro." Ieyasu said as well.

"Yes! Feels great!' Bulat exclaimed with a wide grin. For some reason, hearing those words seemed to excite the man as he continued running before skidding his feet to a stop, sideways at Tatsumi and Ieyasu. "As a reward, I'll show both of you something cool. Stand back a bit!"

Both boys did as told as they immediately came to a stop. They didn't know what the young man had in store for them as he placed a knee on the ground, followed by his hand. But it immediately became revealed as a strong presence was upon him before he then shouted. "INCURSIOOOOOOO!"

Suddenly, the man was engulfed in a silver armor which appeared behind him and it opened before taking him in. It covered his arms, legs, head, chest and just about everywhere as both Tatsumi and Ieyasu watched as it all happened before them until the change was complete. Now instead of the normal man they once saw, both saw man in a silver armor with a cape and yellow eyes.

"WHOOOA!" Both boys exclaimed excitedly.

"That's awesome!" Tatsumi exclaimed again.

"Yeah! That's kind of like Ben!" Ieyasu exclaimed as well.

"Oh, is that so?" Bulat asked, seemingly intrigued. "He sounds like a handsome fellow. Maybe I can meet him sometime."

"Yeah…maybe." Ieyasu murmured. "He has the habit of shouting 'it's hero time' though."

"Huh?" Bulat questioned and titled his head.

"Yeah, I didn't get it either." Ieyasu said and shrugged his shoulders.

"I see." Bulat said. He thought about for a second what the teenager meant by that before knocking his fist at his armor's chest with a proud voice. "This is the Teigu, Incursio!"

"Teigu?" Both boys questioned. They didn't know what that meant since this is the first time they're hearing it. However, both boys also didn't seem to care as they felt very excited about the armor's appearance.

"I don't really get it, but it's getting me pumped up!" Tatsumi exclaimed.

"Me too!" Ieyasu seconded.

"So you understand what's so good about this!" Bulat stated. He liked the boys' enthusiasm as it seemed to make things easier for both of them. So with that, he pointed at them with his index finger while his other hand was at his hip. "Alright! Now I'll tell you both your first job. It's important alright?"

Tatsumi and Ieyasu nodded in unison upon hearing this. They knew to put their trusts on the man as he seemed certain on what he had to do.

Meanwhile, at a riverside, another member of Night Raid was busy. She stood before three intruders, all whom had their chests and stomachs in the open as they smirked wickedly at her, the well-known Akame. Two out of the three had head covers that covered their necks and top heads while the other wore only a scarf around his neck and white pants like the other two.

"The fact that she's here means their hideout is somewhere around here." said one of the intruders. "It was worth searching steadily."

"Still, what a cute girl." said the biggest among them.

"Then it looks like we can still have some fun after we kill her." Another of them stated. "Don't damage her body too..."

Unfortunately for him, he didn't get to finish those words slyly. The reason for that was Akame, who seemed unfazed as she ran through them in unseen speed that she slashed at them with her katana and stood behind them with her back at them.

"…much." The invader finished saying.

All three men found themselves immediately stunned as they felt the outcome of their attack. The girl had slashed against their throats in such blinding speed that there was little time to respond. So while they stood stunned, she still seemed unfazed.

"You guys are too relaxed in enemy territory." Akame said in her monotone voice.

"How could that…" One of them gasped. He could feel his neck open as blood came gushing out.

"She's too fast…" said the other as he felt the same thing like his comrade.

And so, with nothing stopping the evitable, both men fell to the ground dead. The third guy who stood could still feel the blood gushing out as panic took over while he covered the bleeding with one hand.

"Shit!' He cursed out loud. The look of terror, anger and fear was in his eyes as he drew out his sword before charging at Akame. "I'll at least take her down with…me?!"

Unfortunately for him, his goal wasn't achieved. It wasn't because of the injury but his heart suddenly tightening as every part of his body felt numb. This was also obvious as a trickle of black went down his neck to every part of his body before he suddenly realized why.

"A curse from the wound…?" He wondered in his final minutes."Poison?!"

However, he never got the answers that he may have wished for. The poison in his blood took over before he slumped to the ground, dead like his comrades. As for Akame, she sheathed her katana before turning halfway at the dead bodies.

"One slash, one certain kill." She stated calmly.

At another part of the forest, another invader could be seen running through a path. He was dressed like his comrades that Akame killed, as he ran as fast he could with his upper body forward and a huge smile on his face.

'The enemy detected our infiltration. But it's certain the hideout is here!' He thought deviously to himself. 'Even this information by itself has immense value! I'll survive and report it to our client, the empire.'

However, unknown to him, another member of Night Raid had him targeted. The only difference from her friend though, was the fact that she was by a cliff with a huge rifle-like weapon in her hands and an eye piece placed by her left eye that allowed her to see far away.

"He's running very fast." Mine said as she watched him. "I'll have to expose myself like this to be able to hit him."

Suddenly, another invader jumped out of the bush behind her with his sword out. He had a huge grin on his face as he looked forward to slashing his weapon down on the seemingly defenseless member of Night Raid before she could react. But before he could land the kill, Sheele emerged out of seemingly nowhere and clipped her scissors through his torso.

"I'm sorry." Sheele said with no empathy.

"Thanks, Sheele." Mine smiled as she looked back. She could already feel her gun powering up as energy began to fume out of its opening before she turned back forward with a grin on her face. "Nice Pinch. I'll reach just fine with this risk." She commented.

By this point, her weapon was seemingly at full power as she took aim at her target again before letting out a huge energy blast. It went all the way from her position, destroying any tree in its way and vaporizing the invader into nothing just as he had a brief second to see what was coming at him. Then, with a satisfied sigh, Mine slung her weapon over her shoulder with a grin on her face.

"Alright, right on target." She commented."The more of a pinch I'm in, the stronger I get."

Meanwhile, Leone's animal ear perked up as it caught the sound of Mine's weapon going off in the distance. It wasn't a bother to the busty blond though, as she was presently in her animal form which consisted of longer hair, animal ears and teeth, and a tail while she was presently sitting on the dead body of an invader she killed.

"Oh, that was Mine's Pumpkin just now." She said out of thought. "I can't believe she uses such a bothersome Teigu."

Just then she smirked. "As for me, I turn into a beast and beat them to death. Easy to understand."

Meanwhile, in a cave, another member of Night Raid was busy with an invader. The only difference in this though was the fact that it was a girl, currently suspended in the air with her arms up as Lubbock's threads kept her restrained. And from the looks of it, she seemed to be in pain as she could feel the threads digging lightly into her skin.

"Huh, I thought the weight of threads felt light. But it was a girl." Lubbock commented lightly.

Presently, the green haired teenager stood before the invader who was caught in his trap with no way to escape. He also had a bunch of the threads in his hands which he then pulled on, causing the girl more pain.

"Save me please!" The girl cried out. "I'll do anything!"

"Nooope." Lubbock immediately refused. He had a serious look on his face as he said this before pulling on the threads to cut right through her. "I knew a guy who died by getting tricked by seduction."

So with that, the girl's screams echoed through the cave as the threads ripped through her skin. It was sickening to say the least, but nothing that could've been prevented especially after Lubbock released her as he turned back. But before walking away, he looked sideways at her dismembered peaceful body and noticed her beauty before walking out frustrated.

"Ah! What a waste!" He exclaimed loudly. "It's such a painful occupation in times like these!"

Back at Tatsumi and Ieyasu, both boys were in a predicament of their own. But it wasn't as badass as the rest of Night Raid was dealing with the intruders. In fact, they were in what they could likely describe as the most boring moment of their lives.

Sometime had passed since they last met Bulat as they were now in another part of the forest. It was quiet and in total normal looking as no sign of an intruder could be seen from their hiding spot. But what was this spot? It was nothing special at all or anything close to that. Tatsumi and Ieyasu were just lying on the ground between two small plants with bored looks on their faces. There was at first a little rustle in the bush though, but when the source of it popped to reveal itself to be a rabbit, both boys couldn't help but feel dejected.

'A rabbit.' Both boys thought in unison. But with that came the instructions Bulat told them before.

'Listen…' Bulat had instructed them. 'If the enemy were to run away, there's a large possibility they'll come through here. Even slowing them down's okay. Just somehow fight back.'

But from the looks of it, the two teenagers won't be getting much. Some unknown amount of minutes had passed and already nothing had happened.

"Why do I get the feeling Bulat just kept us on the sidelines…" Ieyasu murmured.

"Bro wouldn't do that." Tatsumi said back. But now that he thought about it, he felt some doubt. "He wouldn't…right?"

"Heck, do I know." Ieyasu replied with an uninterested tone. "All I know is that we just landed a newbie role."

Tatsumi sighed in response to this. As much as he hated to admit it, that thought was on his mind. "Yeah…" He agreed. "I'm beginning to think the enemy –"

However, he didn't get to finish what he had to say. The reason for that was because of an intruder, dressed in the same way as his dead comrades, jumping out of the bushes before them. He had a wolf head for a head though, and a huge body as he instantly gained both Tatsumi and Ieyasu's attention before they stood before him with their distinct weapon out. Tatsumi had his sword while his friend had his axe in his hands as well.

"So they even stationed two boys here." The intruder said, sounding not surprised.

"We can't let you pass!" Tatsumi stated boldly. He stood in a fighting stance with his sword gripped tightly as he glared at the enemy determinedly. The same was done by his friend, who nodded in agreement as he too had his eyes on the intruder.

'I have to kill someone I have no resentment against.' Tatsumi thought in an observing manner. 'But if I hesitate here…I'll die. Good thing I have Ieyasu with me.'

'So this is it…' Ieyasu thought as well. 'I have to kill someone I have nothing against. But if I get through this…killing Aria would be a piece of cake. I'll avenge Sayo no matter what.'

From the looks of it, an inevitable fight was about to take place between the teenage boys and the intruder. The guy was big and intimidating as he looked cruelly at them before drawing out his sword without hesitation. "Even though you're boys, I won't hold back." He said instantly.

Both Ieyasu and Tatsumi tensed as they understood what he meant. It wasn't to say they were scared or worried. It just meant they were determined to fight.

So while Tatsumi and Ieyasu were ready for the fight, two Night Raid members were on their own in another area of the forest. Most of the invaders had been eliminated so there was nothing much for them to do. That was obvious as Mine walked across a big abandoned log on the ground with her hands spread out while Sheele stood by watching.

"I wonder if those newcomers died." Mine said freely as she minded what she was doing.

"I think it won't be a problem." Sheele replied.

In response, this surprised Mine a bit as she looked over at her friend."It's rare for you to evaluate someone, Sheele." She said.

"He fought Akame and survived." Sheele added.

"Well that's true." Mine admitted as she sat down on the log.

"Besides…" Sheele continued. "According to Akame, he crossed swords with her."

At that same time, Ieyasu and Tatsumi went into action against the intruder. Ieyasu took the first lead as he let out a loud cry and clashed his against intruder's sword before turning to his friend, who was right behind him.

"Now, Tatsumi!" He shouted.

"Yes!" Tatsumi nodded firmly.

From the current looks of it, both boys had the upper hand against the intruder. Ieyasu let out a loud voice as he used his axe to push the enemy back by his sword before moving aside for Tatsumi to strike. Then, in full view, he watched as Tatsumi swung up across the enemy's chest, causing blood to shoot out of his body.

At the same time, Sheele concluded her observation from Akame by saying. "If Ieyasu is as qualified as Tatsumi, both of them are a cluster of potential. If they keep training, they have the capacity to become general-class."

So with that strike, the enemy fell on his back with a cry of pain. Tatsumi gritted his teeth much as his friend went to his friend, looking as serious as him.

"How's that…" Tatsumi said strongly."With Sayo…and Ieyasu…The three of us…"

"These are the moves we built!" Ieyasu finished with a loud voice.

Both boys had their weapons gripped with both arms as they stated this directly at the fallen enemy. He was still alive though, but at a disadvantage as he was on the ground with a frightened expression on his face.

"Please I beg you! Let me go! If I die, my village-"

Tatsumi snapped in shock and confusion upon hearing this.

'The guy's also fighting for his hometown.' Tatsumi thought. 'But –'

For the moment, Tatsumi was unsure of his action next as the invaders words sank in. But at the same time, he failed to notice the invader reach for sword on the ground until it was almost too late. The invader had fought back against his wound as he sprung back on his feet with his sword ready to strike Tatsumi before letting out a gloat.

"HAHAHA! YOU'RE NAÏVE, YOUNG BOY! I'LL HAVE YOU DIE FOR MY CLAN!"

However, before he could end Tatsumi's life, something sharp struck him in the torso in full force. It wasn't Tatsumi and neither was it Akame, who landed a few feet behind the invader. No, it was Ieyasu with a pissed off look on his face.

"LIKE HELL I'LL LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THAT!" Ieyasu shouted in rage.

The force of the axe was strong as it not only surprised the invader but stoned in against the ground with the torso bleeding as a large cut was present. The only major difference from before was the fact that he was weak and dying as he was losing more blood.

"I-I'm sorry." The invader said in an attempt for his life. He knew then that he couldn't win as even reaching his hand out was a problem. "I beg you to have –"

"Mercy?" Ieyasu questioned. "Sorry, but I'm all out of that."

"Ieyasu." Tatsumi whispered.

The teen didn't know what to make of his friend then other than the fact that he was scary. He didn't have that playful look or determined expression in the start of the fight. No, he just had a dark scary expression that spelt murderer as he looked down on the invader with no sympathy.

"I've seen it all before." Ieyasu said with a dark tone. "You bring out sweet thoughts…try to make us feel safe. But when the time is right…turn against them without an ounce of sympathy. But do you know what's worse of all…you tried to kill my friend…You tried to take away another person close to me. So don't give me crap about mercy…You lost that the moment you met me."

The invader was scared and fearful to hear this. The teenager that had fended him off looked completely different from the person before, even to the point that he was ignoring more of his pleas. So it goes without saying that Ieyasu held his axe up and struck it down on the invader's neck, killing him instantly and spilling his axe with blood.

"You killed him." Akame said in her monotone voice. She had seen everything before her observant eyes as it revealed a certain difference between Ieyasu and Tatsumi. Hence, she went over to Ieyasu, who pulled his axe out of the invader's throat, before placing her hand on his shoulder. "Good job. Next time deliver the kill immediately" She said. Then she turned to Tatsumi. "Take your friend's action as a lesson. Don't waver. You should land the killing blow promptly."

However, that was easier to taken in than what Tatsumi witnessed. He was taken aback by the way his friend acted since it was completely new to him and shocking.

'Without…even batting an eyelash, he-' He thought.

Suddenly, a loud cry was heard followed by a figure landing on the ground from the air. It caught everyone's attention as it revealed itself to be Bulat in his moment of hype.

"The enemy came running over here! Leave the rest to me!" He proclaimed.

"It's over already." Akame told him immediately.

"Huh?" Bulat questioned, feeling confused. He looked before him, precisely at the dead intruder and Ieyasu's bloody axe before a thought came to mind. 'It seems we have a new assassin then.'

Later that night, a celebration was commenced by Night Raid. Bulat was on the table drinking and flexing his muscles while Leone drank to her heart's content with Mine watching and Lubbock doing what he wants by sitting back. But the same couldn't be said for Ieyasu and Tatsumi as they stood before the boss who wanted to speak with them.

"Nice work on your first battle, Tatsumi." Najenda said with a smirk on her face. "And congratulations on your first kill, Ieyasu. You both did well. But hearing Akame's report, there are some things to be uneasy about. In order for you to survive, Tatsumi, I see that you need someone to teach you a lot of things. That is why you'll team up with Akame and learn from her."

"WHAT!?" Tatsumi shouted in shock.

"HAHAHAHA!" Ieyasu laughed. "Better luck next time, Tatsumi."

"That means you too, Ieyasu." Najenda added. "Your trainer will be Bulat. Be ready."

Now it was Tatsumi's turn to laugh. But unlike his friend, he had his hand over his mouth to hold back his laughter as he watched the teen turn to Bulat with a somewhat scared look on his face. It didn't help the teen's situation that Bulat made eye contact with him before sending a wink at him.

'Why me…' He thought, comically stunned.

"So, Akame, you got that?" Najenda asked, turning to the girl.

"Uh huh." Akame answered instantly. She had a cooked meat with the bone sticking out in her hand as she did so.

'Just like that?!' Tatsumi thought, shocked by the girl's swift reply. But it didn't help that the boss went a bit further and darker.

"You can cut him down if he seems he'll get in the way." Najenda said freely.

"Uh huh. Got it." Akame replied swiftly again.

'You got it?!' Tatsumi was taken aback.

Just then, the boss turned back at Tatsumi. "You're lucky to be able to be taught by a cute girl. Do your best so you don't get killed."

However, Tatsumi didn't know how else to reply to that. His mind was still grasping on the idea as he stood there, staring at Akame who just seemed unfazed by it.

'I'm going to team up with this girl from now on?! Whhhyyyy?!'

Just the thought of it was very worrying for the brown haired teen to comprehend. But before any word could be said, Lubbock became alarmed as the wheels on his backhand device began to spin again as it meant one thing.

"Intruder!" He shouted, alarming everyone. He immediately stood up from his seat as he felt pumped by the alarm before then turning to Najenda. "Najenda, we got another one!"

"Is that so?" Najenda questioned, feeling somewhat relaxed. "How many are they this time?"

"It's just…one." Lubbock answered.

This revelation came a bit surprising to everyone as it now had all their attention. Tatsumi and Ieyasu were immediately over the way they were feeling as they too wondered how the number could be that way.

"How could it be one? Didn't we kill them all?" Ieyasu asked.

"Of course we did." Mine answered, though rudely glaring at the teen. "It just means someone is dumb enough to actually come here."

"That may be the case." Najenda said with a skeptic look. She now seemed more serious as she thought about it before standing up and extending her hand out at her subordinates. "For now we don't know who it is. So go! Analysis the threat and eliminate it swiftly!" She ordered.

Once that was said, the atmosphere in the area changed. Every member of Night Raid, including Tatsumi and Ieyasu, became serious as they took in the boss's order before rushing out. Whether this threat was dangerous or not, it has to be taken out immediately.

"I knew it! You got us lost!" shouted a female voice.

"We're not lost!" shouted a male voice back at her. "We just have to follow this river and we'll be there in like a day or two…or longer! Ow!"

It has been a long day since Ben Tennyson had saved Aria from the Apeman Danger Beast. Since then, both of them have been heading through a direction Ben picked while he continuously carried her. There were times they took breaks, but that was only once since Aria didn't want to sit on the ground again because it was dirty.

'Spoilt brat.' Ben thought as he gritted his teeth and rubbed a pained part of his head the girl caused. Aria's ankle was still broken, so he was stuck carrying her until it can be treated. But that wasn't to say the girl was done berating him.

"And what the heck was that about?! You almost tripped and made me fall!"

"Well excuse me." Ben replied sarcastically. "You're heavier than you look after a long walk. Besides, I didn't see that trip wire until I almost tripped from it."

"Trip wire?" Aria questioned, seemingly confused. Her anger at the teen seemed almost gone as she asked. "What's that?"

"A standard trigger to something."

"What?!" Aria shouted in a mix of shock and anger. "And you're playing it off as nothing?"

"Well yeah, I guess." Ben replied with a dull expression. "It didn't activate a weird convoluted trap, so we're good until whoever made it comes to kill us or something. Besides…" A smirk then appeared. "I'm kind of looking forward to kicking some butts."

'You're an idiot." Aria said with spite. "Dumb cattle! I just want to go to the Capital!"

Ben held back any response since he couldn't think of one. He has felt constant pressure to grant the blond girl her wish as she was a pain to him, always yelling and calling him names that weren't needed for a hero like himself. Sure, she had showed some gratitude to him after he saved her from the Danger Beast. But that never meant she changed completely for the better.

However, whether it mattered then was a subject Ben would have to tackle later, depending on if he would live to get to that. The reason for that was because unknown to them, Night Raid was already watching their somewhat peaceful walking.

"So that's him huh?" Mine questioned, seemingly unimpressed.

Her current location was at a cliff again as she wore her eye piece while having her rifle-like Teigu, Pumpkin, pointed at Ben. "It's hard to believe he took on Akame easily when he looks so scrawny." Mine said again.

"But at least we know the threat." Sheele said in observance.

Unlike her friend though, she couldn't see Ben very well for a reason. The reason they were at that location was because it allowed them to be undetected by far eyes while allowing Mine the advantage to kill. It was why she wore her eye piece at her eye to give her a perfect look on Ben and Aria.

"Sure thing." Mine replied. She had her weapon targeted specifically at Ben as her finger was at the trigger. "But for his sake, he better hope Akame takes him out before I make a hole through that head of his."

So while those two were ready, there was another pair watching from the distance. It wasn't Akame, Bulat, Tatsumi or Ieyasu, but Leone sitting on a tree while Lubbock was below her while looking through a pair of binoculars.

"So that's the kid, right?" Lubbock questioned."He's carrying that girl from that mansion. No wonder my threads felt it was just one person."

"Yup." Leone nodded with a smile. She was currently in her Teigu form, which used to see from the distance Ben and Aria. For her own reason, she felt excited about this. "I can't believe I'll finally get to try him out."

"Don't be so sure." Lubbock refuted and smirked. "With Akame and Bulat, that kid's a goner."

"We'll see." Leone replied. The smirk on her face grew as she continued staring. "But just to be safe, make sure there isn't a way they'll escape."

"I'm on it."

Lubbock, currently, didn't see the threat like Leone did. He knew about the power the enemy had, but overall felt at ease despite agreeing to set up the traps. So as he left, Leone looked back at him before looking back at Ben and Aria's direction with her tail wagging excitedly.

"This is going to be good."

Meanwhile, those at the best view had different feelings about this. There was Tatsumi, Ieyasu and Bulat, who were hiding behind bushes and trees by the riverside at a place Ben was about to pass in complete silence.

'Dammit, Ben, why do you have to come here of all places! Are you trying to get killed?!' Tatsumi thought. He felt conflicted as he could see Ben and Aria's figure coming closer while at the same time clutching his sword. But then a focused look came over him. 'No…As much as we were friends in the past that has changed. He saved that girl even knowing she killed Sayo…I have no choice but to avenge her.'

'So this is it…' Ieyasu thought determindedly. 'As much as you saved my life back then, I cannot let Sayo's killer walk away free. So no matter the cause…Aria, you'll be join your sadistic family in hell.'

For some reason, Aria felt a cold shudder down her spine. She didn't think it was the night causing it as the air felt just fine to her. But it did stop her yelling, much to Ben's relief and gratefulness, as a serious and confused look took over.

'Something isn't right…' Aria thought silently. 'The air…the very atmosphere…it all seems off like…a thirst…A thirst for – OH SHIT!'

Immediately, the feeling made sense to the blond girl. It made her eyes widen before she gripped Ben by the neck, causing him to startle and choke as he came to a stop.

"Hey! Are you trying to kill –" Ben said.

But then something unexpected happened right before them. A familiar looking katana came straight down from the air, striking directly at where Ben would've walked into if he hadn't been stopped. Then, within a second later, Akame landed on the ground next to the weapon before pulling it out of the ground and holding it readily at the duo with a focused look on her face.

Now Aria's action made sense to the teen hero. The girl must've sensed the danger before he could, before then reacting in the best way she could while their life was still intact. And though Ben didn't like the choke, he was grateful inwardly as well as outwardly surprised when he saw Akame standing before him.

"Oh come on!" He shouted in mix of shock and mild frustration. "Seriously, you again?!"

"Ben…she's not alone." Aria said with fear in her voice. She had her head turned back at she did this.

"Huh?" Ben questioned, feeling confused. He felt Aria looking back before then seeing what she saw. It was Bulat in Incursio, standing with his red spear out. "Great…she brought a friend." He said and turned forward back at her. "This could not get any –"

Suddenly, Akame charged at him without hesitation.

OOOOHHH SNAAAAPPP, IT'S ABOUT TO GET REAAAALLLL!

I know, cliffhanger right? But at least the chapter was enjoyable. I originally wanted to exclude some scenes from the manga so we can get that fight with Ben, but decided against it so we can get clear insight of Night Raid and their character. So, again, I'm very sorry you didn't get to see the Ben 10 fight just yet. But at least you got to see the direction it's going.

Anyway, now about the votes, I would like to say thankful for those who took their time to vote the pairing they needed. I appreciated them all before deciding to close it with the results below.

BenXLeone – 3

BenXChelsea – 1

BenXKurome - 1

BenXAkame – 1

So yes, the winner is the Ben and Leone pairing! For those who voted that one, congratulations! As for those who picked the others, you have my biggest thanks for that. I do hope you keep reading this fanfiction. After all, I have so much planned.

Also, thank you New Universe Returns for the fanfiction you mentioned. I read the story, the chapter with Aria, and honestly love how she was put. But I prefer she remains as her canon character before developing from that. Nonetheless, it was a great read. I can see why you said it was almost like I did with the character.

Well that's all for now. Thank you so much for your support. Please keep it.