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.

14. The Slasher, The Hero and The Psychotic?

Hello everyone! Welcome to another chapter of Corruption, Murder and…Redemption?

Thank you very much for your support of the previous chapter. I apologize that it was a longer than it should've been. I'll try to make sure it's not as long as it then.

Anyway, on with the chapter.

Chapter 14: The Slasher, The hero and…The Psychotic?

The time was late at the Imperial Capital. During this time, the people were asleep in their homes, while a few people could be seen around the streets of the stronghold, either as the Imperial guards or just common people going about their business late at night. But lately there's been a rumor that has been going around, as it involved the death of those caused by a supposed serial killer, who right at that moment was at it again.

So currently, a body of a decapitated a young man was on the ground. It hadn't been long since it happened, mainly because it was just a minute when it did happen. And now that it did, the one responsible for it was holding the woman who had accompanied the dead man by the neck, while snickering him.

"Please…Please don't kill me!" The woman cried fearfully.

"Oh come now." The man snickered with a malicious grin. "It's your own fault for walking around at this time of night. After all, didn't your parents warn you about the scary monsters that come out after dark?"

"I'll do anything!" The woman cried out louder. She was a brunet woman and dressed in a fine commoner's dress as she was being held in the air. Along with that, she was holding on the man's arms as her tears went down her cheeks.

"Really?" The man asked maliciously.

"Yes! I will! I'll do it, so please!" The woman begged.

"And if I told you I want to see your head separated from your head? Would you be willing then?" The man asked.

Now, at this point, the woman's fate seemed sealed. The serial killer was just playing with her, messing with her and making her believe she had a chance to live. But if that wasn't obvious, it became that way when he moved his blade swiftly to her neck, ready to decapitate her like her lover.

Fortunately, something unexpected intervened. It came in the form of a green tongue, which stretched out elastically from seemingly nowhere and wrapped itself around the serial killer's arm, just as his blade was inches away from the girl's neck.

"Oh?" The man said with his sadistic smile. He saw the tongue wrapped around his arm and was curious about it. "Well this was unexpected. I guess I'm not the only one out for a good time."

The woman was frightened and confused. At one moment, the serial killer was seemingly willing to let her go, and in another moment she realized then that she would've been dead. But just as it was that way, the serial killer suddenly let go of her neck as she fell to the ground, before turning to his right as the green tongue retracted back to the shadows from which it came.

"I've met a lot of crazies…" said a mysterious deep voice. "But not as much as you."

"Oh, and you are?" The serial killer asked with a malicious grin.

"The name is Bullfrag…" answered the voice. It wasn't longer after that the person walked out of the shadows, revealing himself in the open. "And you are in for a lot of trouble." He added.

"Is that so?" The serial killer asked, now intrigued. The person before him wasn't a man or a Danger Beast. He was someone very special, much to his curiosity now.

The serial killer was right, Bullfrag wasn't human. He was a humanoid frog-like creature with a muscular body and a strange green stripe and black bodysuit. But if that wasn't enough, the creature also had three fingers on his hands, two toes on his leg and wore green sunglasses on his eyes despite that it was currently night time. And then there was the hourglass symbol on his upper chest, which was green as it glowed in the night.

However, none of that mattered to the serial killer. He was very curious and intrigued by Bullfrag that just the thought of it made him snicker a bit as his grin widened. The woman he held captive before was fun, but nothing compared to what he was seeing right before him.

Speaking of the woman, she lay on the ground with her eyes widened. The creature she saw before her was beyond anything she had ever seen in her life. But unlike the serial killer, the creature scared her so much that she could only stay there with fearful wide eyes at it.

The serial killer didn't care though; he was feeling happy at the supposed creature right in front of him.

"I believe introductions are in order then." The serial killer said with his psychotic grin. "They call me Zank the Beheader. As you can tell, I'm an expert in the beautiful art of beheading."

Bullfrag visibly scowled at the serial killer. If this lunatic was like the ones he had dealt with in his world, he would've sent a snarky remark about it then and get right into the fight. But his situation was different. He was in a world with many psychopaths and killers that had made him realize that he should take the murderer before him seriously.

So with that, Bullfrag pointed right at the serial killer with his glaring eyes behind his glasses.

"So you're the rumored psychopath that has been decapitating people huh?" Bullfrag said straightly.

"Indeed I am." Zank said with a 'grateful' tone. "So I'm guessing you're here to stop me? Good. Good. I was expecting to draw attention sooner or later. But then again, I would never have thought I would get the attention of a young man with such a powerful weapon."

"Huh?" Bullfrag questioned, clearly confused.

"HAHAHAHA!" The man laughed loudly. He was feeling excited by the thoughts he had as he stared at the alien hero before him. But if that wasn't enough, he spread out his arms by their sides and continued his laughing. "To think! So many heads I could decapitate from just one boy!"

Bullfrag now realized what Zank meant. He didn't like it, but it put him in the defense, as he then got into a fighting stance.

"So you know?" He asked firmly.

Zank nodded frantically with a crazy grin. He could see clearly right in the mind of the alien hero that he was shocked. So it went without saying that it made him pleased, especially as he puts his arms down and allowed the blades by his hands to slide out.

"You might be wondering how I know." Zank said in his own casual way. But then he suddenly laughed. It wasn't known why it was that way, nor was it revealed right away. However, when he did stop, it was when he rubbed his hand on his face, revealing his psychotic grin once more. "What am I saying? You are wondering it. I can hear it just from here."

'Wait…Does that mean?' Bullfrag asked in mind.

"Yes!" The serial killer said happily. "I can read your mind! But don't worry; I do not want your Omnitrix! I just want that pretty head of yours when you're human again! Luckily for me, you'll 'time-out' and I'll be free to relieve your body of that head of yours."

"Like hell I'll let that happen!" Bullfrag yelled angrily.

Just then, the alien hero literally leapt into action. He was sure to catch the serial killer by surprise, as he saw him standing there. But unknown to him, his action only made the man feel happier when he did approach.

"First you're going to come with a swung punch." Zank said easily.

And indeed, that was when Bullfrag did. He came at the serial killer with a swing punch, only to then find the serial killer move to his right to dodge it.

"Next, you're going to try a swift swing kick to the stomach." Zank stated again.

And, again, that was what Bullfrag did. He quickly switched to his left leg, which he then swung at Zank, who only ended up leaping back to avoid it. But just as that happened, Bullfrag leapt upwards into the air and came down for the serial killer with a foot for him.

"And then you're going to come down on me, only to then…" The serial said and paused.

The moment Bullfrag came down on him, it happened just as he expected. It was then obvious when the alien hero did eventually hit the ground, only to then find the serial killer standing a few feet away, with his feet catching a small crack on the ground.

"Use your elastic tongue to catch me while I'm off guard." The serial killer finished.

And, once again, that was just what Bullfrag did. He shot out his elastic tongue at the serial killer, just as he had said it, only to then be surprised at what happened next. Zank had moved to his right, only to then grab the alien hero's tongue just as it passed him, before tightening his grip on it with a snickering face.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Zank mocked.

However, Bullfrag couldn't say anything back. He tried pulling back to his tongue from the serial killer's grip, only to then find that impossible to do. Apparently, Zank's strength was so much better than Bullfrag that he was able to keep him the way he was now. But just when it seemed it couldn't get any worse for the teen, it did became that way when Zank wrapped his hand around the tongue and tightened his grip on it more.

So before Bullfrag knew it, he was in one of the worse painful moments in his life. Zank held his tongue in his grasp, only to then use his tongue to pull him up, over his head, and slamming his body hard on the ground. But I didn't stop there. In fact, it continued when the serial killer did it again, only this time sending him crashing down on where he once stood.

That didn't mean Zank stopped just like that, though. He was still in possession of Bullfrag's tongue, when he suddenly did the unexpected. By that, he used Bullfrag's tongue to slam his body at two buildings standing at both sides of the streets, before lifting him up in the air and slamming him down on the ground with great force.

Now, Bullfrag couldn't take the pain anymore. The impacts he had made to the ground and the walls repeatedly had brought a strain on him due to the pain. So it wasn't surprising that he groaned in pain before the hourglass symbol on his upper chest began to flash till it engulfed him in a flash of green light that changed him back to his human form, Ben Tennyson.

"Aw…men." Ben groaned. "That…really hurt."

"Ku ku…It doesn't stop there." said Zank.

In the eyes of the serial killer, Ben was defeated. He could see the boy looking beaten on the ground and enjoyed as he tried to get up. But sadly, the teen didn't get to do that, mainly because of Zank, who stood before him and lifted him off the ground by the neck, before raising his blade at the teen's neck.

"Now beg for your life." Zank said with his usual psychotic grin. "Do it and I may consider it."

"Yeah…not happening." Ben groaned. He held on to the serial killer's arm to ease the pain at his neck as he continued. "People like you will never get me to do that."

"Ku ku…Are you sure about that?" Zank asked rhetorically. "To be honest with you, I enjoy the look of fear in one's eye. It's the best part of beheading them, especially the shock they give just a second after I cut their heads off."

"Well…ain't that surprising." Ben said sarcastically. "It's such a shame I won't be a part of them."

"And why not?" The serial killer asked with his psychotic grin. "My Teigu, which you can see right on my head, allows me to predict anyone's move. That means I can know what you're thinking, see right through you and see your body movement. Isn't that great?"

"Nope…I've seen better." Ben answered and smirked.

"Oh…" Zank snickered. He could see right into what Ben was thinking. "Joke as much as you want, but you're not going anywhere. I'll have your head off its body before you can touch the Omnitrix, just like you're thinking."

"Hmph…" Ben said with a smug. "Who said anything about touching the Omnitrix."

Suddenly, the unexpected happened right there. The Omnitrix let out a whining sound and shined brightly, before engulfing its user in a flash of green light. It surprised Zank, who hadn't expected it, as he still held the teen by the neck. But then, he was swift enough to draw his blade back and sent it straight for the teen's neck, hoping to kill him off easily.

Unfortunately for him, he failed his goal. The Omnitrix was able to change Ben's body drastically to the point that when Zank's blade actually cut right through the teen's neck, it really went right through him like air. The reason for that was because, when the green light died down, Ben was in an alien form that could only be described as a ghost.

"Omnitrix failsafe protocol activated." The Omnitrix A.I stated. "Designated form: Ectonurite."

True to its words, Ben was indeed the alien it mentioned. He had a phantom/ghost-like form with a gaseous appearance and claws at his hands, while also possessing grey skin and green chains all over his body. These chains, of courses, were around his neck, and chest, as he had one eye and the Omnitrix symbol on the center chain, which was around his neck.

"Ghostfreak?" Ben questioned with a raspy voice.

Changing into an alien form wasn't the hero's choice. It was obvious by the undetermined surprised look on his face, before he then phased right out of Zank's grip almost immediately. As for the serial killer, he brought his arms back to their sides with his usual psychotic grin on his face.

"No. No. I don't like this form." Zank said in amusement. "Change back. This 'alien' of yours doesn't have a neck to cut off."

"Sure, because I so want to have my head cut off." Ghostfreak said sarcastically. He was over his surprise earlier on his transformation, as he was now facing the serial killer. "NOT!" He added.

Just then, the alien hero did something unexpected. He tightened his right fist and swung it against Zank's face with such force that the serial killer hit the ground on his back.

"I…didn't see it coming?" Zank said in mild surprise.

Ghostfreak's attack right there had happened all of a sudden. It happened before the serial killer could determine his opponents attack and before he could be certain on a way to counteract it. But since it wasn't too for him, he got back on his feet and laughed a bit in mild amusement.

"Impressive. Very impressive." Zank said in amusement. He now had his eyes on the teen hero as he continued. "You were able to catch me off guard. Now prepare to…No way."

Zank's eyes suddenly widened when he realized something. "I can't read your mind…" He said.

"Thanks for the tip, Captain obvious!" Ghostfreak exclaimed.

Just then, the alien hero sprang into action again. He flew over to Zank and delivered a swift right hook punch to the face, before following it up with a left hook punch. Then, before the serial killer knew it, Ghostfreak used both his fists to deliver an uppercut so precise and strong that it launched him a few feet into the air and hitting the ground hard.

"Hmph…" Ghostfreak said with a 'huff'. He could see the serial killer down on the ground, with a few cracks there, as he floated right before him. "Just so you know, Ghostfreak is everything your Teigu cannot predict. I don't have a physical body for you to see my muscle movement, while my mind is well...dead. So if you know what's good for you in that maze of crazy, you'll stand down. This'll be over soon."

"Ku…Ku…" Zank said in amusement. The attacks Ghostfreak had given him were effective, but not enough to keep him down. So upon him hearing the alien hero, he rose from the ground with the usual psychotic grin on his face. "Why should I give up now? I've finally found someone whose head is worth cutting off. Besides…I must meet the female assassin herself…The girl, Akame of Night Raid."

"Akame?" Ghostfreak questioned, with his eye widened. 'I know her. She's one of the girsl that's with Tatsumi and Ieyasu. But what does this psycho want with her?'

"You've met her, haven't you?" Zank asked. He still couldn't read Ghostfreak's mind, but he could determine from the look in his eye that the alien hero had met the assassin. Hence, it brought him a bit of 'joy' as he widened his grin. "Tell me, boy! How was she like? Was she after your life at every second? Did she want to cut you down just as much as I want your head? Tell me!"

Ghostfreak was silent. He had heard the serial killer's words and didn't like them in anyway. However, it got him to think about the time he met the female assassin. He remembered that the girl was indeed after his life, as she always seemed determined to kill him with her katana-based Teigu. Now it made him wonder.

'Akame…Is she really like this guy?' Ghostfreak questioned. 'No…Tatsumi and Ieyasu won't be caught dead working with someone who's close to the kind of crazy as Ogre. Anyway, it doesn't change the fact that I have to end this fight once and for all."

"Don't keep me in suspense!" Zank shouted loud. "I want to know! These voices in my head never shut up, so I always have to talk just to keep them quiet!"

'Voices in his head?' Ghostfreak questioned. 'Is that what is making him act crazy?'

"HAHA!" Zank laughed. "It doesn't matter anyway. I'll just find out myself when I meet her."

"No!" Ghostfreak yelled. He had his eye looking directly at Zank in mild determination. "I won't let you hurt anyone else again!"

Just then, the unexpected happened. Ghostfreak flew directly at Zank, who then slashed his right blade at the alien hero. But rather than been killed, Ghostfreak was able to fly pass the weapon unharmed and enter his body before the serial killer could react properly.

"Wh…What are you doing?" Zank asked. At this point, his eyes widened in mild shock.

Already, the serial killer could already feel something strange happening to his body. He didn't know what it was nor could he figure out what it could be. However, what he did know was that it made his body feel cold and tingly as it not only caused him to drop his psychotic nature, but made a strange green aura to surround his body.

"You said you heard voices, right?" Ghostfreak asked rhetorically. "Well how about I relieve you of that!"

"Huh?!" Zank's eyes widened.

Suddenly, the serial killer was in for the biggest pain of his head. He felt something tingling in his head before it suddenly sent a powerful pain unlike any he had ever felt. Hence, it made him to clutch his head with both his hands and scream, while at the same time moving about to maintain his standing. He didn't know what was going on, nor could he determine what it was. However, he did know that he was in so much pain.

Fortunately for him, the pain didn't last for long. Ghostfreak was done with whatever he did to him, as he could then be seen flying out of Zank's head, with the green aura from earlier disappearing. And since he was done, the serial killer felt a sense of relieve, before falling on his arms and knees from exhaustion.

"What…What did you just do to me?" Zank asked, panting heavily.

"Stop talking and listen." Ghostfreak said.

"Huh?" Zank questioned. He was confused by Ghostfreak's statement, as it led to him looking up at the alien hero. But just as he did that, his eyes widened when it realized what the hero meant right there and then. "The…The voices are…" He said. "They're no longer talking."

"Yup." Ghostfreak said. "I don't like you in the slightest bit, so don't think I did this for you."

"I…I see..." Zank said between panting.

At this point, the serial killer could feel his body weakening. He didn't know if it was due to Ghostfreak or because of what the alien hero did to him. However, he did know one thing and that was to smile as he looked at the alien hero for the last time.

"Thank you…" He said.

And with that, the serial killer lost his consciousness. He had a sense that the alien hero hated him and in a way couldn't blame him. However, it didn't change the fact that he felt eternally grateful to the hero, who could see the smile on his face as he was unconscious.

Now, normally, Ben would've used this chance to leave. He had saved the citizen and stopped the bad guy from causing anymore harm. However, he couldn't take his attention from the device on the serial killer's head, as it remained there on his unconscious body. So, not surprising, the alien hero made his choice. He flew down to the serial killer's body and grabbed on to the device on his head, before then turning it intangible and taking it into his hand.

"I should probably take this for safekeeping." Ghostfreak said to himself. "The last thing I need is for another psycho using this thing for evil again."

So with said, Ghostfreak made up his mind. He eyed the device in his hand for a little bit, before flying off to check on the woman. By now, he would've expected her to have run away, but he was surprised to see her still on the ground and staring at him fearfully.

"Please…Please, don't kill me." The woman whimpered.

Ghostfreak sighed. He may not look at it, but he didn't like the misconception the woman was giving him.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Ghostfreak said assuredly.

However, the woman didn't seem to listen. She was scared and frightened by Ghostfreak, who in her own right was actually very scary to look at and listen. Fortunately, Ghostfreak understood this, even as he watched the woman back away from him and covered her face, before flying off to the shadow that he had come out from.

Now at this point, the alien hero could've just left. He didn't owe the woman anything, nor did he feel that she owed him anything. However, he chose instead to fly back at her and throw a blanket at her, which surprised the woman as it covered most of her body.

"Huh?" She questioned, confused.

For a brief moment, the woman was covered in the darkness caused by the blanket. She didn't know how it was possible, nor could she see anything beyond that. However, she did hear a strange sound, which was then followed by a flash of green light before she was then able to remove the blanket off her face.

Now the woman was surprised and confused. The flash of green light earlier had seemed dim from her position under the blanket since it was just that good. However, now that she had it in her arms, she didn't see the ghost-like figure from before. Instead, right before her eyes, she saw a normal human being walking away from her with a long bag strapped around his shoulder.

"Wait…" The woman called with a soft voice.

The teen did as she said. He had heard her clearly despite how low her voice was. However, he didn't bother turning to her. Instead, he remained that way with his back at her as he then heard what she said then.

"You…You were that frog and the ghost…" The woman determined easily. However, at the same time, it was clear that she was amazed by the teen. "Just who are you? Are you…a part of Night Raid?"

"No." Ben said and smirked. "I'm just a guy who's a hero because it's the right thing to do."

"The…right thing to do?" The woman questioned.

Now at this point, the woman was no longer afraid of him. She wasn't sure why she didn't feel that way; maybe it was because of the teen's action earlier or the way he had spoken. Anyway, it didn't matter that much to her, especially as the teen continued to talk.

"Yes, because that's what heroes do." Ben said confidently. "You wouldn't know that since this world doesn't seem to have that many heroes. But that's just who I am. I fight for justice, fairness and for the good of man, because being a hero isn't about fame, fortune or the publicity. It's about putting other people before yourself or what you want. It's about doing the right just because it's the right thing. It's about making a difference."

The woman was astonished to hear this. Ben Tennyson was beyond anything she had heard about. He didn't seem to be power hungry like the Imperial Arms users she had heard about, nor did he seem void of emotion like some people would be. He sounded fair, honest and likeable, just to the point that it made her wonder just who he was in the face.

Unfortunately for her, the woman didn't get to ask. She still had her eyes on him, when suddenly she and the guy heard the voices of Imperial guards heading their voice. So it wasn't too surprising for her that when she looked back at him, she saw him running off into the street until the darkness of the night covered him to the point that he couldn't be seen.

"A hero." The woman said softly. Then she smiled warmly. "Thank you…hero."

_(LINE BREAK)_

Daytime eventually came at the end of the night, with people wide awake and attending to other things. Usually, this wasn't news to anyone that was human, since it was a part of life. However, news about Zank's capture began to spread all over the Capital just to the point that even Najenda, the boss of Night Raid, had gotten word on it. So it wasn't surprising that she had her subordinates standing right before her in the conference room as she sat on her usual seat.

"Words recently reached that the serial killer has been captured by the empire." Najenda announced, "Before then, late at night, he would suddenly appear and chop off the victim's head. It's unknown how many dozens of people he killed prior to his capture."

"And three of those killed were part of the Imperial guard, right?" Tatsumi asked. "He had to be strong to do that."

"Well there's no mistaking it…" Lubbock suddenly said. "The serial killer has to be Zank the Beheader and the talk of the Capital."

Tatsumi became curious.

"Who's that?" He asked.

"You don't know?" Mine asked, looking at Tatsumi's way. "You really are a country bumpkin, huh?"

"Pardon me." Sheele suddenly said. "I don't know about him either."

Mine turned to her in response. "I think you've just forgotten, Sheele."

Just then, Tatsumi spoke up. He was still curious about the captured serial killer that has been spoken about. So it wasn't surprising that he was straightforward about it.

"So what kind of monster is he?" Tatsumi asked.

Mine smirked a bit in response. She was glad to be the one to explain the background of the serial killer.

"Zank the beheader." She began to explain. "He originally worked at the empire's greatest prison as their executioner. But because of the Prime Minster, there were many people he had the chance to execute. So day after day, again and again, he took the heads of those on their knees, pleading for their lives. It seems that after years of this, these beheadings became a nasty habit of his."

Now Tatsumi understood the background of the guy. He wasn't surprised about it though, nor did he feel anything different about it. In fact, he was almost expressionless when Mine finished her narration.

"Not strange." Tatsumi commented. "He lost a few screws with that job."

Nonetheless, Mine still continued with her explanation.

"So, executing prisoners started not to be enough for him." She said. "So he became a serial killer."

Just then, Bulat spoke up. He was in a position where his back was at the wall, with his arms crossed, when he then spoke then. "He disappeared right around the time that a detainment force was sent out to find him." He said explanatory. "Who would think he'd be in the capital?"

"What a horrible guy!" Tatsumi shouted determinedly. "It's a good thing he was found and got captured. Right, Ieyasu?"

Ieyasu nodded in agreement. He was standing next to the brown haired teen, when he had been called on. But seeing that he couldn't add anything to the conversation, he was quiet like Akame and Leone, who were both in the same room.

"Hold you horses, Tatsumi." Bulat said calmly. He stood before Tatsumi, who was surprised by his action, before he then patted him softly on the head. "Zank stole the warden's Teigu before leaving. And from there he became a serial killer. If you ran into him without a partner…you'd be in big trouble."

Tatsumi was troubled by this. However, it wasn't on what Bulat had told him. It was rather due to the older man, who was staring at Tatsumi with a 'dazzling' look as the both of them made eye contact.

'I get the feeling I'm in another kind of trouble at the moment.' Tatsumi thought to himself.

Fortunately, nothing further happened to him. Najenda had seen her subordinates explain everything to the teen, before using that moment to interject.

"Anyway…" Najenda said almost immediately. She paused for a moment to see her subordinates now looking back at her, before continuing from where she stopped. "The Imperial guard may have captured the serial killer, but the one who defeated him in combat was none other than the young man, Ben Tennyson."

The name got everyone's full attention. It wasn't to say that they weren't listening before though; everyone had been attentive since she started talking. However, the fact that the teen hero was mentioned was something that got some of them surprised.

Akame, on the other hand, didn't seem fazed by the news. It was true that hearing the news was startling, as it was unexpected. However, the female assassin seemed focused as usual as she used that moment to ask a question in mind.

"Does it mean that he has joined the empire?" She asked.

"No." Najenda said calmly. "According to the eyewitness, he didn't claim to be on anyone's side, or express any ulterior motive. However, he did claim he saved the eyewitness and defeat the serial killer because it was the right to do."

"That sounds like Ben, alright." Tatsumi said calmly. "He was always doing things without any pay back in the village."

"That may be true. However, it doesn't change the fact that the young man is a liability." Najenda stated firmly.

"A liability?" Ieyasu questioned.

Just then, Mine spoke up.

"In other words, the guy's a threat." Mine stated clearly. "Think about it. He has no side with the empire or the revolution. But yet, he's a walking powerhouse that stands in the middle of everything. We'll have to eliminate him."

Tatsumi and Ieyasu found that troubling to think about. It was true that Mine had a point about Ben; however, it didn't sit well with them. It also didn't help that at some point they had been willing to fight against the teen hero doing the time he invaded the hideout's area.

Fortunately, some good news came in. It wasn't through Ieyasu or Tatsumi, but in the form of Najenda, who seemed just as focused as usual.

"We won't eliminate him." Najenda said firmly.

Now this got everyone's attention. Mine was surprised, Akame was mildly surprised, Leone was intrigued, Tatsumi and Ieyasu were shocked, Bulat was curious and Sheele was just…Sheele was just Sheele.

"At least, not in what we stand now." Najenda added. She could see the looks her subordinates were giving her, and wasn't surprised. Hence, she continued. "In a span of a few weeks, Ben Tennyson has tipped the scale of things in his favor. He started a spark of hope just yesterday and has been successful in putting the empire's highest authority at an edge even if he doesn't know it yet. So now is as good as a time as ever to recruit him to our cause."

"That sounds easier said than done, boss." Lone said with doubt. "Bulat and Tatsumi tried before and failed. So I doubt the lad would listen to us."

"I'm very much aware of that." Najenda said confidently. "However, this is something we must achieve. Ben Tennyson is a major threat, but in an alliance with us and the revolutionary army, he can not only spark the fighting spirit of millions, but be our trump card against the empire's strongest."

'Esdeath.' Lubbock determined in his mind.

The male assassin wasn't alone though. The rest of Night Raid, apart from Tatsumi and Ieyasu, had been in the assassin job for so long that they knew exactly who Najenda mentioned.

"So it's decided." Najenda stated straightforwardly. "I want to meet the young man in person and recruit him. So the next time you see him, persuade him without force to come to the hideout. It's very important now that we have the young man on our side."

"Yes, boss." Everyone acknowledged.

However, it was easier said than done. The last time most of them had faced Ben was when they ambushed the teen hero and Aria in the forest. So as much as Najenda's idea seemed good, it was a task they had a feeling won't be an easy one.

_(LINE BREAK)_

Within the Imperial capital, the ruler of the vast empire was seated in his throne room. The day seemed to always have surprises for him. One moment, he was dealing with minor matters concerning the empire and the next he was being informed that Zank the Beheader was apprehended. It was good news, to say the least, as it was well known that the serial killer was a major problem in the Capital ever since he arrived there in the first place.

However, that wasn't all that had the Emperor's attention. Zank the beheader was known to be a tough person to catch, considering his brute strength rival that of the normal Imperial Guard. But when it was found that he was found defeated, with a woman close by, the Emperor decided to take matters into his own hands.

So there the Emperor was, seated on his throne chair and looking down at the accused with his staff in hand. The Prime Minister, Honest, was standing right next to him, by his left, while General Budo stood close to the accused, Zank the Beheader, with two highly trained Imperial Guards with huge axes behind the serial killer.

Ever since Zank was captured, he had been on very strong chains. Not surprising, this made it very difficult for the serial killer to escape. The chains were heavy and short, as they made his normal movement restricted in such a way that he couldn't attempt anything on the Emperor's life. It was obvious by the huge lock around his neck, which was heavy, as two chains from both sides were extended to his wrists, which were also locked as well. As for his legs, these were also locked by two huge locks around his ankles, with the chains holding them closely by to restrict his movement.

However, that wasn't the only thing that was going on. Apparently, due to the nature of the beheader, there were a number of the Palace's guards standing by the walls, ready to defend the Emperor in case the beheader did anything unexpected.

"Zank the beheader, former executor in the highest Imperial prison." The Emperor called out boldly. "You stand accused of multiple crimes of murder. You used to terrorize, murder and separate families all in your cruel psychotic games. As such, you shall be executed in a public beheading."

General Budo was a bit taken aback by this. He agreed in some ways that the serial killer deserved such a sentence for all that he had done. However, there was a thought that held him back.

"Your Highness." General Budo called out calmly. He was facing the Emperor as he continued. "I do not wish to question your judgment on this man. However, it is important that he is kept alive, even if barely."

"Hm? Why is that?" The Emperor asked, curiously.

"He knows about the Teigu user we seek." General Budo stated boldly. "He may not have said it during his imprisonment, but he was equipped with the warden's Teigu. And upon that, it's very possible that he saw the Teigu user's true face. It would be a waste if we executed someone with valuable information."

"Oh?" The Prime Minister grinned. He stood next to the Emperor, as mentioned before, as his eyes were now on the general. "General, are you saying that you're not experienced enough to find this Teigu user?"

General Budo shot a glare at him. "No. I am well equipped to find him. However, it is…"

"Then it's already decided." The Prime Minister concluded. He was obviously mocking the general before him, as the sickening grin on his face showed it, especially as he turned to the Emperor. "Your Highness, it is very important that we show the people that we won't work with criminals. Don't you agree?"

"Indeed." The Emperor nodded firmly.

However, that didn't mean General Budo was fine with it. He could see how much the Prime Minister played in the mind of the Emperor, and didn't like it. But there wasn't anything he could do about it. He could only glare at the Prime Minister with a small growl from his throat as he silently obeyed.

But that didn't mean Zank intended to be quiet. In fact, no sooner had the judgment been made, the serial killer laughed out loud and looked up at the Emperor.

"So that's how it is." The serial killer said with a grin. "I see it now. So I wasn't the only one who was a puppet in the hands of the Prime Minister."

The Emperor took offense to that.

"What rubbish are you talking about?!" He asked.

"Oh nothing." The serial killer said calmly. He didn't have the psychotic look he was known for, nor did he hold any evil intent. Instead, he smiled casually and took in a small breathe of air and let it out. "Ah, that's a relief. To think, I would be free from the voices, all because of that young man. Now my mind is open to the truth that is right in front of me."

"So you do know the Teigu user?!" General Budo yelled angrily. He no longer had his glare at the Prime Minister. Instead, he stood right before the serial killer and looked down on him with a deadly look. "Tell us who he is now! You know his name and his face. Don't you?"

"I do." Zank admitted. "But I'm not going to reveal it to you or anyone else. The boy will reveal himself to you and the empire eventually. I can guarantee that."

"Did he say he would?" General Budo asked.

"No." Zank shook his head. "It's just a feeling."

General Budo scowled in response. Here, he thought that he would get some useful information from the serial killer. However, he could see that the man wasn't going to say anything. It was a pain, but there was nothing he could do about it except send a small glare at him and walk back to his original position.

"Take him away." The General ordered.

And so, the Imperial guards did as ordered. Zank was forced to his feet by the two Imperial guards behind him, before being shoved away to the exit door. However, for some reason, he came to a stop, which put the whole guards on edge as they readied their weapon.

"Oh, and by the way, Emperor…" The serial killer grinned as he gave the young emperor one final glance. "Before I face my execution, just know this. It's not too late to turn away from your puppeteer. That young man might just be the one to save you in time."

The Emperor felt a bit troubled by it. He tried to hide it though, by putting up a firm look. However, the Prime Minister could see that the man had an impact on him, and didn't like it.

Fortunately, the serial killer didn't do anything afterwards. The Imperial guards behind him shoved him forward, before he became compliant enough to move forward. But just for security certainty, most of the guards in the throne room followed them until finally the man was out of the large room.

"Prime Minister…" The Emperor called calmly. The thing that Zank said had him troubled, as he was now facing the very round man next to him. "Do you know what he was talking about?"

The Prime Minister sighed and looked calmly. "Do not worry about it, Your Highness. The Teigu user that he speaks of must have tampered further with his psychotic mind. You did a good thing having him executed."

"Understood." The Emperor nodded. He no longer felt a reason to be worried about the serial killer's words.

However, that wasn't to say that General Budo approved about it. He knew the Prime Minister was lying and as such, he didn't like it.

'Psychotic or not, he saw right through you, Honest.' The general thought boldly. 'Now I know I have to see this Teigu user for myself.'

_(LINE BREAK)_

"ACHOO!" Ben sneezed.

Presently, the teen hero was seated on a boulder. He had his satchel strapped to his shoulder, while he scratched his nose and sniffled in response to the sneeze.

"Odd…The weather isn't cold." Ben commented thoughtfully.

Just then, something else caught the teen's attention. It was a scream, which was similar to Aria, as a loud thud then followed it. It didn't alarm the hero though, mainly because the cause of it was happening just at his front left in the form of a training between Aria and a middle-aged man in front of her.

And from the looks of it, the blonde wasn't doing any better. The middle-aged man in front of her seemed to have bested her, as he was now standing before her while holding a wooden sword at her face. As for her own wooden sword, it had been knocked to the ground due to her failure.

"I've told you before, Goodricke." The man stated boldly. "Try to figure out your opponents moves in a fight. Don't rush it."

"Ow…I'm sorry." Aria apologized with a small strain face.

"Hmph!" The man huffed.

In the eyes of the man, he didn't care so much about Aria Goodricke. He had known her long before she had encountered Ben and long enough to know the kind of human being she had been before. However, even though he had seen that she had reformed, he felt some spite for her as he then drew back his sword and looked back at Ben calmly.

"Hey, are you doing okay, kid?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ben answered. He now had his attention on the man. "But for some reason, I've been sneezing for a while there. I hope I'm not getting a cold."

"Hmph!" The man smiled. "Maybe somebody is talking about you."

"What?" Ben questioned with a confused look. "That makes no sense, Satou."

"True." Satou chuckled. "But then again, won't it make sense? You are the talk of the Capital. Everyone by now has heard about the great hero who fought Zank the beheader."

"Yeah…" Ben said. He couldn't help but think of something else though. "By the way, what will happen to that guy?"

"You mean the serial killer?" Satou asked. "I don't know. But it's a safe bet to say that he'll be executed by the empire."

"Hmm…I see." Ben said thoughtfully.

Truth be told, the teen felt some form of sympathy for the serial killer. He had seen the mind of the man back when he had used Ghostfreak and felt sorry for the things he had to go through. However, he knew there was nothing he could do about it now. The serial killer had done many terrible things, so his fate was sealed by the hands of the empire whether he liked it or not.

Now about the man, Satou, who was before him, he could see the man standing by as Aria got back to her feet. And now that he thought about it, he began to have a flashback of the night before.

FLASHBACK

"My name is Satou Hamasaki and I'm the man who paid Night Raid to have the Goodricke family killed."

Aria gasped. The man right before her and Ben (as Swampfire) had just confessed to being the one responsible for that fateful night. It didn't seem he was afraid to do so though, as the look he was giving the blonde girl showed it despite the teen hero shielding her from him.

"So you're the one responsible for that night huh?" Swampfire asked with a straight look. The man, Satou Hamasaki, didn't seem to be lying when he had confessed. Hence, the alien hero felt direct as he continued. "Why did you do it? It's because of you many lives were taken."

"Then I guess Night Raid did their job right." Satou stated boldly. He didn't seem fazed by the fact that a plant-like creature was speaking to him. "The girl won't recognize me now, but I used to work as the chief security of the mansion. So of course I saw the sins of those monsters on a daily basis. At first, I tried not to think too much on it. But…But it became too much. Those young men and women…teenagers for that matter…They thought they were being helped by kind people, when really it was just monsters in human skin."

Aria bowed her head down from the man's glare. She knew very well that what the man said was true. However, it didn't stop the fact that it made her feel very guilty, especially as her chest felt heavy with each word he said.

Meanwhile, there was Swampfire. He had heard everything the man had said and took it well with a protective and straight look on his face. So when the man finished, he found a question on his mind that he knew he had to ask.

"So what made you get Night Raid involved?" The teen hero asked.

"Those two teenagers…" The man said subtly.

From the looks of it, something caused the man to be less his direct in his words. It was odd, but at the same time curious as it got Swampfire's peak attention when he saw the man looked down on the ground with a shadowy look on his face.

"They were so young…and yet I couldn't save them in time." The man continued to say. "I even spoke with them once…they were very funny, especially the one with spiky hair. At first, I wanted nothing to do with them…but as the day went by and I heard their story, I couldn't help but sympathize with them. Sadly, the man of the mansion noticed my wavering emotion and had me sent away on an 'errand' just to keep me away. So by the time I returned, it was too late…The girl, the boy…They were already drugged and tortured beyond saving. However, I still held hope that they could be saved…even if it was for a little bit. So I got a contact with one of Night Raid's informant and told her about them…The rest is history."

Swampfire was silent to respond. In truth, he actually sympathized with the man, even though he didn't know him. So when he saw him become silent, he dropped his guard unintentionally and stared at him with nothing else to say.

However, that didn't mean the man was done speaking. He still had his head facing the ground, when suddenly something snapped in him. Hence, he raised his head right back at the duo standing before him with a glaring look of anger at Aria.

"You're a monster! I hate you!" The man shouted out loud. "So why?! Why the hell are you still alive!? You should've died along with your parents, you wretch!"

"That's enough!" Swampfire yelled angrily.

"No!" Satou shouted back. "What are you anyway?! A monster too?! Well at least you're honest with yourself than that thing next to you! She and her family treated people lesser than them in society like they were cattle! They didn't care what the person's goals or dreams were! They just wanted to ruin it all for their own sick enjoyment!"

Swampfire was lost at what to do. He couldn't attack the man for something that was normal to feel in his condition. However, he refused to drop his guard then, especially as the man continued in his rant.

"Those two teenagers deserved better!" Satou shouted angrily. "All they wanted to do was to find their lost friends and save their village that was being taxed heavily! But they never got to do that thanks to her!"

"What…?" Swampfire questioned with a surprised look. The things Satou said right there caught him a bit off guard. However, he was able to soften up a bit as he stared at the man. "You knew Ieyasu and Sayo?"

"Yes…" Satou admitted. He was then surprised to hear that name, especially as it was from Swampfire. "You know them too?" He asked.

"Yeah…" Swampfire answered, but heavily. Now it was his turn to feel depressed. "The both of them were my friends, along with Tatsumi."

"Wait…" Satou said with widened eyes. "Are you telling me that you're...?"

"Ben." Swampfire interjected. "Yes, I am."

Just then, the Omnitrix symbol timed out. It engulfed the teen hero in a flash of green light as everything about him being a plant returned back to normal. But that wasn't to say Satou was calm about it. In fact, he was even more surprise when he saw a normal teenager with brown hair standing in place of the plant creature he had seen.

"No way…A Teigu user?" The man questioned.

However, Ben didn't specifically answer. Instead, he continued from where he stopped.

"I wish I had gotten to them on time…Maybe they wouldn't have ended the way they did now." Ben said with regret. "Sayo was already gone by the time Tatsumi and I found out, while Ieyasu was already at the edge of death…If I hadn't used one of my transformations to save him before he died, he would've been gone too."

Satou paused for a moment. He could see from his position that the regret on Ben's face and his words were honest. However, something about the whole thing bothered him to the point that he casted a small glare at the teen hero.

"Then why are you with her?" He asked straightforwardly. This time he had his finger pointed at Aria. "She did unspeakable things to your friends. So why haven't you killed her yet? She deserves to die."

"Well…that's because…"

"It's because he's a good man…" Aria interjected. "even when he shouldn't be."

Ben was surprised by her action. For the first time in a while, he turned to her with that look on his face and found her hand on his shoulder as she began to walk away from him.

"Aria, what are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm doing what has to be done." Aria stated boldly.

Before, the girl had been quiet during everything that had transpired. She had heard the man's rant clearly and heard Ben's feelings of the matter concerning that night. So when she felt that it was enough, she decided to intervene by speaking up and walking forward towards the man.

However, that wasn't to say Ben was fine with it. He had been surprised by her intrusion, but not enough to keep him away from doing what he felt was right. Hence, it was no surprise to him then that he grabbed on to Aria's wrist and held her firmly with a direct look on his face.

"Aria, stay away from him. He'll kill you." Ben warned her.

"I'm aware of that." Aria said softly. She didn't turn her face to Ben though, as she continued. "But you have to trust me on this. So let me go or…or else I'll never forgive you for holding me back. I need to do this on my own."

"Aria…" Ben muttered.

The teen hero was surprised by the way Aria was acting. It was true that the blonde girl had become bold for some time now. However, it was never implied to Ben that it would grow to this extent as he watched her standing there.

So as much as he hated to comply, the teen did as he was told. He let go of the blonde girl's wrist and watched her walk towards Satou, who became surprised as he fixed his eyes on her.

"Wh…What are you doing?" He asked.

Aria was silent to respond. She had heard the man perfectly well, but made no attempts to answer him. Instead, she continued her walk towards him until she was directly before him and fell on her knees with her face looking down on the ground.

"You want me dead, right?" The girl calmly asked. "Well here I am."

"What?!" Satou said in surprise.

"Aria, no!" Ben shouted in refusal. "You can't do that! You just can't! I won't allow it!"

However, the teen hero was ignored. Aria chose not to respond to him as she then continued speaking in front of Satou.

"Now that I think about it, I should thank you." Aria said sincerely. "My family and I did terrible things that can't be forgiven. If it weren't for you, I may have actually ended up taking Tatsumi and Ben's life as well."

"Hmm…" Satou said with a glaring look.

For some time now, the man had taken in the girl's words. He was mildly surprised that she had come forward before him, as something like that seemed out of character that he knew her for. However, it didn't stop him from pulling out a gun and pressing the opening of it at her forehead.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Satou said coldly. "I've seen how you and your family play the nice people card. You can't fool me. But while we're at it, do you really think you can atone for your sins by burning your home and the shed? You disgust me."

Ben gritted his teeth in heavy annoyance. The way Satou spoke to Aria really made him want to rush at him and beat him up. However, he could see from Aria's predicament that he was powerless to stop what may be her last end.

Fortunately, Aria didn't seem as suicidal as she appeared. She was aware of the gun being pressed directly at her forehead and was calm about it as she responded to the guy.

"I can never atone for my sins." Aria admitted sincerely. "Also, I won't lie to you. I know that I'm responsible for the lives I tortured and killed, and I'm aware that none of that will change with any good deeds or a fake act of innocence…But if you don't believe me…then fine…I won't blame you. But before you can pull that trigger on him, I just want to say that I'm so sorry for the things we made you go through…and also…if you let me live, I want to do something positive with myself for once before I face the consequences of the crimes I committed. I want to become stronger so people that are like me in those days will never hurt others again."

Now it was decision-making time. Satou Hamasaki was still in possession of his gun, while Aria became silent. He knew he had the perfect chance to eliminate the last of the Goodricke family, as such an act would avenge the innocent lives that were taken. However, for some reason, he didn't pull the trigger. Instead, he removed the gun from Aria's forehead and placed it back into his coat, while still glaring at the girl.

"Come on. Get up." Satou said boldly.

Aria was a bit surprised by this, with the same for Ben. For a moment, the two of them had thought that the blonde girl's life would've been over. But upon seeing the man standing there with no weapon, the teen hero was relieved while Aria stood up and faced him directly with a confused look.

"You're not going to kill me?" Aria questioned.

"For now, no." The man stated. "I'm not entirely convinced about your 'redemption'. However, I have some questions that need to be answered. The Night Raid informant had returned the money I paid her sometime after they did the job. It got me curious and wondering…Anyway, I doubt I'll last a few seconds after with that Teigu user standing right there."

Ben said nothing back to him. He knew Satou was referring to him despite that he wasn't a Teigu user at all. But he was able to put that behind him when he saw the man turn and began to walk away.

"Come with me. You and the young man can stay at my place." Satou said.

At the same time, Ben ran to Aria side and stood right next to her. He could see from his new position that the man was slowly disappearing in the dark, before turning to Aria with a serious look on his face.

"Should we go with you?" He asked.

"Yes." Aria said with certainty.

With that said, their decision was made. Both Ben and Aria glanced at each other one more time, before running to the direction of the man. He hadn't gone off from their sight nor was he exactly walking too fast for them not to see him. As for the burning mansion of the Goodricke family and its former terror filled shed, both places could be seen burning from afar as the smoke from them grew and reached to the nightly skies.

FLASHBACK END

'…And that's how I met your mother.' Ben concluded. But then he realized something wrong and shook his head in response. 'Wait…how the hell did I get to that anyway?'

Indeed, how did the hero get to such a conclusion? He was confused about it all as the look on his face showed it when he thought about it. But seeing as it was nothing, he sighed and brought his satchel to his lap and began searching through it.

'Anyway…after that night, Aria and I stayed in that guy's house.' Ben thought in narrative mind. 'Of course, I didn't trust him…and I still don't trust him now. But he was nice enough to let us stay in his place, partly so he could watch Aria and see if she had even changed. Heck, at one point, he thought Aria was paying me or blackmailing me to keep her alive, Next thing I know he is promising to double the pay - or whatever that was about – if I left her alone. But after a bit of explaining about Aria and myself…without everything about me, of course…he decided to train Aria because he found me interesting. And no, it isn't in a homosexual way. Also…who am I narrating this to?'

Ben was a bit disturbed by the last part. For some reason, he found that he was thinking things that he wouldn't have thought so. But before he could think on the reason for it, he felt a familiar metal object in his satchel and brought it on in his hand.

"There it is." He said.

"Hey, what's that?" asked a familiar male voice.

"This?" Ben questioned and raised the object. The person that had spoken to him was Satou, who was now heading towards him with Aria right behind him.

So with that, Ben revealed the object as he held it in his hand. "This is that serial killer's Teigu." He said.

"Zank the beheader?" Satou questioned. He was mildly surprised by the object in the teen's hand, as it was indeed the headpiece of the known serial killer.

"Yup." Ben said in response.

Just then, an idea came to the teen hero. The Teigu in his hand had been used for evil in ways that he would never had thought. But seeing as he was in possession of it, he looked over to Aria, who was now next to Satou, and threw it over to her.

"Aria, heads up." He said.

"Huh?" Aria responded confused.

The blonde was then surprised at what happened next. She saw the Teigu been thrown over to her, before opening her hands and catching it just in time.

"Uh…why are you giving me this to me?" She asked.

"I want you to try it on." Ben answered casually. "I figured since you want to help me fight against the evil of the empire that it'll benefit us both if you have a Teigu. After all, Night Raid has Teigu users and that General Esdeath is a Teigu user, right?"

"Hmm….you do have a point there." Satou stated with a serious look. "However, I don't approve of her using a Teigu."

"Oh come on." Ben said back at the man. "I know you hate the girl, but –"

"It's not because of that." Satou interjected. He knew very well on what the hero was trying to say, before then turning over to Aria. "A Teigu is dangerous, both to the people around it and the person who tries to wield it. It has to be compatible with a person in order for it to be used or else it might have some…side-effects."

"Wait, what?!" Aria's eyes widened.

"Well that sounds bad." Ben said with a down tone. But then he got down from the boulder and became a bit chirpy all of a sudden. "Now let's give it a try."

''Y-You're kidding, right?" Aria asked with a fearful look.

"Nope." Ben answered easily.

However, that didn't mean the blonde girl was fine with it. At first, she thought about speaking out against it, only to then find that to be too late. Ben had already closed the distance between him and her and had the Teigu strapped around her head.

"Relax, I got this." Ben said assuredly. "If anything happens, I'll pull it right off."

"O-Oh okay." Aria said hesitantly.

Up to this point, the blonde girl had learned to trust Ben. He had been there for her ever since she was still psychotic and had stood for her since the time she changed. However, it didn't ease her any less as she felt the Teigu around her head, with its central part, the huge eyepiece, around her forehead.

"Now calm down, Aria." Ben said softly. "I need you to close your eyes and take a deep breath. Then try to think about the Teigu and what you want it to do."

"Oh…okay, Ben." Aria said softly.

The blonde girl then did most of the things she was told. She closed her eyes and took a few breathing exercises until she found her heartbeat relax. However, a thought then came to her once she accomplished the first part.

"So what should I make the Teigu do?" She asked.

"Hmm." Ben hummed. He paused for a moment to consider what Aria could do until his mind got into something. "Oh yeah." He said brightly. "Try to read my mind. That's what Zank did in our fight."

"Okay…I'll try." Aria said.

So with that, Aria went to work. She began to focus on what Ben told her, while the hero and Satou watched her stand there quietly. Fortunately, some good results came when the eyepiece, which was in the shape of an eye, opened up and glowed.

"It worked." Satou said in mild astonishment. Then he turned to the Omnitrix user. "I didn't think your tip would help out."

"Of course it would." Ben said with a smug. "It's kind of how I used the…creatures in my watch years ago."

"I see." Satou said in mild impressiveness.

However, the moment didn't call for him to focus on that. It instead called on both Ben and Satou facing the blonde girl again as she continued standing there quietly.

"Good work, Aria." Ben said to the girl. "Can you hear what I'm thinking?"

"Uh…no." Aria answered and shook her head.

"Huh." Ben said with mild disappointment. "Well…open your eyes first and concentrate on me. Maybe you'll get something."

"Um…okay." Aria said back.

So with that, the blonde girl did as she was told. She slowly opened her eyes, while keeping her mind focused on the thing Ben said, before witnessing what would then surprise her. It wasn't the thought of reading Ben's mind, but seeing him standing before her in his underwear only.

"Oh…my gosh." Aria said with widened eyes.

"Aria, are you doing okay?" Ben asked her. For some reason, the blonde was acting odd.

There was a good reason for that, though. Aria was normally the one to be self-composed in normal circumstances. However, because of the Teigu's influence, she was seeing the teen hero in nothing but his underwear.

But then there was more to it. Aria could see Ben's closely muscular body and feel her cheeks beginning to heat up. But if that wasn't enough, it made her remember the time she had secretly felt the teen's chest when he was sleeping and think on how hard his chest and stomach had felt.

'No! I can't be thinking of that!' Aria told herself.

And so, Aria did what she could do. She looked away from Ben by turning to her other side with the intention of clearing her mind. However, that was easier said than done when her eyes landed on Satou Hamasaki, who was giving her a small glare as she noticed a difference in him too.

"Hey, what are you looking at?" Satou asked firmly.

However, Aria said nothing. She was staring at the bigger man, who, like Ben, was almost entirely exposed right in front of her. That meant that everything, from his muscular body to his underwear was exposed right in front of the young woman.

"Hey! Aria!" Ben shouted.

At this point now, the teen hero was worried. Aria was acting strange and not listening to him despite how much he tried reaching to her. So when he saw he failed again, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back to him, where he then looked at her directly.

"Aria, speak to me!" He shouted.

However, the only response he got was stammering. Aria was still there, but her mind was on something else. It also didn't help that the moment Ben turned to her that she unintentionally looked down and saw his underwear disappear right before her eyes.

"AAAAHHHHHH!" Aria screamed.

The blonde girl couldn't take it anymore. She had seen something that she never hoped she would see in her current young age. Hence, out of shock and embarrassment, she pushed Ben away from her and walked backwards. But then something weird tingled in her mind and immediately caused her to black out and fall to the ground instantly.

"Aria!" Ben shouted in shock.

_(LINE BREAK)_

Time went on in its usual pace before it became nighttime. The people of the Imperial Capital had done their usual business, be it in poverty or in wealth, while those who just managed the day were able to survive. So when it eventually became sometime to midnight, there weren't that many people to see on the streets, except for two women walking by themselves.

"It's really late huh." said one of the women.

The woman seemed to be in her twenties. She had short brown hair and wore a purple casual dress, while carrying a basket in her hand. She also had her friend, who was also a woman, but with long blonde hair that reached her back. However, unlike her that was calm, the blonde woman was a bit scared, mainly because she was the same woman who had almost been killed by the now executed, Zank the beheader.

"We should get home. I-It's very dangerous to be here." The blonde woman said.

However, the other woman didn't seem to take her advice. She understood why her friend would be nervous though, but nonetheless smirked about it before nudging her friend playfully at the shoulder.

"Relax. My house is just around the corner." She said assuredly. "We already agreed that you'll spend the night with me. Besides, that serial killer is dead now thanks to that hero you keep mentioning."

"Y-You're right." The brunet woman said, though hesitantly.

"Anyway…" The woman continued. "I can't wait for –"

The woman was then suddenly cut off. She was talking like she normally was, when suddenly a small pink energy beam flew right through her stomach from behind. Then, before she or even her friend could react quickly, another pink bullet shot right through the back of her head, sending her to the ground dead.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" The brunet woman screamed.

For a brief moment, that was one of the only two things the woman could do. She could see her friend now lying dead in a rising pool of her own blood, but not with enough time to witness it. Why? It was because she found no one behind her when she looked back.

"No! Not again!" She shouted in total fear.

Suddenly, flashbacks of Zank the Beheader came to mind. The woman didn't know what to make of it nor could she think clearly on it. But she did know she was scared and terrified, especially as she then ran off screaming.

'I don't want to die! I can't die!' The woman thought frantically.

However, there was one problem. The fact that she did run didn't mean that she was paying attention to what was before her. Hence, she accidentally rammed into a young girl in front of her and fell to the ground on her butt.

"You should really watch where you're going." said the girl.

"Huh?" The woman questioned. She was momentarily confused at who said that until her eyes looked up at the girl before her. "You…You have to run. There's a serial killer here!"

"A serial killer?" The girl questioned and titled her head with a confused expression. "I don't see one…unless…"

Just then, the woman felt her heart sank at what she saw next. The young woman before her suddenly changed, as a malicious grin formed on her face and her eyes glowed pink.

"you must be talking about me." The girl added.

"N-No!" The brunet stuttered.

If the woman wasn't afraid before, she certainly was now. The girl who had stood in front of her with so much innocence was now staring at her with malicious intent. She didn't know why that was the case, nor did she want to stick around to stay. Hence, she got up and began to run the other way.

Unfortunately, it would seem the girl wouldn't have that. She could see the woman trying to run for her dear life, but thought nothing else of it. Hence, the moment she snapped her finger, the woman let out a loud scream as her right leg suddenly snapped and she was sent to the ground on her stomach.

"AHHH!" The woman screamed.

Now her fear really began to deepen. There was no way she could run, nor was there a way she could even escape now. But if that wasn't enough, the blonde woman turned around and saw the girl casually approaching her with a grinning face.

"S-Stay back! I-I'm warning you!" The woman shouted in fear.

"Oh really?" The girl mockingly asked.

"Y-Yes, I - AHH!"

At the last part, the woman screamed in pain. This time, however, it was the fact that her right arm snapped by 'itself' that caused her that much pain. But if that wasn't enough, the blonde woman found the girl now squatting over her with her malicious and terrifying grin staring at her face.

"Please…" The woman said with tearful eyes. "Don't kill me. I'll do anything."

"Aw, that's so cute." The girl said with a chirpy smile. "You actually think it would matter if you comply."

The woman's heart sank upon hearing that. She couldn't utter a word, nor could she even think of what to say. The girl before her had clearly stated things that she found more terrifying than what Zank the Beheader had said. But if that wasn't enough, the girl softly rubbed her cheek with her fingers and licked her own lips like she was a delicious meal.

"Oh, and just so you know…I'm not going to kill you." The girl said calmly. "No, I'm going to have fun with you…and then I'll hurt you, like really...really…bad."

The woman's eyes grew wide upon hearing that. She didn't know exactly on the intent of the girl. But it was clear that she won't be making it out of this night the same way she did before encountering her.

However, if the girl's words weren't enough, the thing she did next did. She softly grasped the breast of the blonde woman and encased her entire dress in a pink aura. Then, before the blonde woman knew it, her dress was torn into numerous tiny pieces, thereby leaving her naked on the floor with the psychotic girl right in front of her.

"Thanks for the meal." The girl grinned chirpily.

"NOOOOOO!" The woman screamed.

However, it didn't matter to Sunny, because she was going to have her way with her either way.

_(LINE BREAK)_

Well…that became dark and…fucked up. But then again, what do you expect from Akame ga kill? It always going to fuck you up whether you like it or not.

Now you may be wondering, why did I add such a scene? Well it's pretty obvious. Sunny is going to take over the role of Zank the Beheader, but in her own special way. This means that she'll encounter Tatsumi and fight him, before meeting Akame, just like the manga. Of course, Ieyasu will be involved in it too. After all, it has been long since we saw him in action.

As for my other reason, I wanted to make some things clear. It's supposed to show that Ben won't be around to stop every crime that happened in the manga. I originally didn't want to go the messed up route that you just read, but I felt it was needed to stand this fanfic out from any other fanfic. So in other words, expect things like this to happen in future chapters.

So about the next chapter, expect things there to be a lot of action and a few dark elements (although there won't be intent rape like this chapter). I'm not saying it'll be that way from now on, but I am saying that, with Sunny involved, it'll not be easy for everyone that comes across her. After all, I'm basing her off from two of anime's most psychotic girls. And the fact that she's an Anodite, just doesn't make it any better.

Now about Zank the Beheader, did you like what I did there? Originally, he was going to escape the fight with Ben and meet Tatsumi and fight him like in the manga until Sunny comes in and 'saves' Tatsumi. But then, I decided to have that idea scrapped and have him partially 'redeemed' to prove how much Ben will affect the Akame ga kill world. Besides, I thought Sunny being the central villain in Zank's place would be better.

And to those who may be wondering about Aria, yes she's fine. I was going to extend that scene with her and show her getting better, with Satou explaining his past, but decided to take that to the next chapter. The reason for that is because this chapter is (once again) pretty long (sorry).

Well that's all for now, everyone. Please be sure to favorite, follow and review to show your support. It helps in updating this fanfic. Bye!

P.S. Since Sayo won the poll that I made, I'll get to work on that fanfic sometime later this month. Bye