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.

28. Reconciliation, Rekindle and Build Up?

Hello dear readers! Welcome to another exciting chapter of Corruption, Murder and…Redemption?

Thanks for your support in the previous chapter! I'm now here to present another chapter! Hope you enjoy it!

Now on to the chapter!

Chapter 28: Reconciliation, rekindle and…Build up?

Day came to an end, and not long after it was nighttime. It was snowing though, as winter seemed around the corner or just already there. So within the hideout of the infamous group of assassins, most of their members were asleep. However, there was a few still awake.

Tatsumi had been troubled from sleeping. Of course, this was expected considering his best friend had died around that time yesterday. So he felt a lot of uneasiness and chose to head to the kitchen while wearing a black and white coat from his coat. In a way, it brought some nostalgia to him from his days at the village.

"Can't sleep at all…" He muttered. "Maybe some water will help."

Not long after, the teen arrived at the kitchen. However, he wasn't alone. Akame was inside and wearing a winter coat of her own to keep her warm. In her hand was a plate of fried meat as she now stared at the brown haired teen in front of her.

"That meat…" Tatsumi muttered. His eyes widened a bit as he recognized it. "…those are…Ieyasu's favorites."

"Yes." Akame admitted softly. "I recall when Ieyasu was with us that…this was his favorite."

Tatsumi became quiet, but also saddened. If he was correct, he had a feeling what Akame was doing with such.

'An offering to the dead…' Tatsumi thought.

There wasn't really much the brown haired teen could say. He was trying not to let his best friend's death get to him too much. But now, here was a good reminder of the guy he once knew. It was really hard to keep from thinking about him now.

Anyway, Akame continued. 'Since we work in the shadows…Ieyasu's name will never be recorded in the history of the revolutionary army."

Tatsumi tightened his fist in spite. He knew this was true, but he just couldn't accept the fact that his best friend won't be remembered for the heroic thing he had done. However, now wasn't the time to contemplate on the issue. He continued to listen to Akame while masking his feelings.

"I know he was your best friend, but I would like to remember him too." Akame said. Unknown to the brown haired teen, though, her voice was getting quieter and sadder as she continued. "Ieyasu may have been brash and loud, but he exchanged his life for Mine and Sheele so they could live longer with us."

"I understand." Tatsumi replied. He held the collar of his coat and kept his voice down. "To be honest, I was kind of surprised Ieyasu did all that. He was awful when it came to maps and directions and he complained…especially when it came to Mine. But he went ahead and…did what he did. I guess I didn't even know my own best friend in the end…Sometimes I wonder what he would say if he was still here with us."

"I'm sorry." Akame apologized.

"No, it's fine." Tatsumi assured her. His thoughts, however, got the better of him as he continued. "But you're amazing, Akame."

Akame was confused. She didn't know what the teen meant. But then Tatsumi revealed it as his voice became sadder.

"Ieyasu may not have stayed with us for as long as I thought he would, but you keep composed even though one of our comrades has died. I guess you're used to it by now though…But me, I'm still…"

The plate Akame was holding fell to the ground. Of course, the sound of it breaking caught Tatsumi's attention. However, at the same time it surprised him as complete silence filled the air to the point that only the cold wisp from outside could be heard until Akame slowly marched over to Tatsumi with her head down.

"Stayed with us for as long…? Composed…? Used to it…?" Akame muttered, her voice slowly breaking.

"Akame?" Tatsumi questioned, confused. He was oblivious to what the girl was feeling.

But then it happened. Akame gripped his coat's collar and lifted him almost off the ground. Her head was still down, but for some reason she refused to show her face as she continued talking with her voice breaking.

"Sure enough…Ieyasu may have not been with us for as long as we would've wanted…I have seen many of my allies die before my eyes…However…" Tears finally began to build up from the girl's eyes, and so she finally lifted her head at her. Hence, what Tatsumi saw right there was something completely different.

Akame was crying with a lot of sorrow in her voice. It was basically like she was releasing all the emotions she had held back since.

"One of our precious comrades died! No matter whether he was a long time member, he was our friend till the end! So even him dying doesn't make me ever get use to this kind of pain!"

Tatsumi was completely taken aback. He didn't care how much the girl was gripping his coat. In fact, he slowly began to realize something about the female assassin as she continued to cry but with her head down.

"But these feelings will have an impact on our next mission! So I go around acting like I'm just fine with it! We work in the shadows! What would I do if I couldn't flip this switch…?!"

Tatsumi was still frozen on what to say. This was the first time he was hearing so much from Akame. But she continued anyway as her voice seemed to reach out to him more.

"And you…?! He was your best friend! You and Ben feel more pain than the rest of us! So call this composed, but…what am I supposed to feel about his death?! How am I?! I…I just don't know!"

Again, Tatsumi was silent. His ears and mind had absorbed all that had been taken as he stood quiet. However, he wasn't alone in this feeling because at the side of the kitchen's entrance Eunice stood at there with a sympathy look on her face,

'This girl is supposed to be cold and ruthless…?' She questioned in doubt. 'I don't know about you, Azmuth, but…she sounds like someone I once was…A girl who's lost and trying to fit in a confused world.'

Back at Akame and Tatsumi, the both of them were quiet. The snowy wind could be heard from inside despite the closed windows. But with this silence, Tatsumi finally came to a full realization as he stood there seemingly unnerved as Akame cried on his chest.

'To think that Akame was still messed up about Ieyasu's death…That's right she was worried about me when I went for my first mission…What am I doing?! I'm such a fool!?'

Finally, Tatsumi was beginning to understand. It brought him some form of grief though as he gritted his teeth and grabbed his hair with his fist.

'Why am I losing my nerve like this?!' Tatsumi questioned in frustration. 'Nee-san already said it. Moping around won't bring Ieyasu back. I have to face forward like a man!'

With that, he did the unexpected. He stretched out his hand and punched himself in the face with so much force that he almost fell. Of course, his action surprised Akame who watched as he fell to the ground.

'Besides…' Tatsumi continued. '…the reason Ieyasu and I began this dirty work was for the money. Money, so the people back home won't starve…Sayo died for that cause and Ieyasu has gone to rejoin her. We have people who we wanted to make happy…! And so…I'll carry Sayo and Ieyasu's wishes and I'll make sure their sacrifices weren't in vain! That's my promise to them now!'

"Wh-What are you doing?!" Akame cried out. She was surprised by the action Tatsumi had taken upon himself. "Are you okay, Tatsumi?!"

Tatsumi stood up from the ground. His cheek hurt, but he didn't pay attention to it as he just rubbed it with his fist. "I was just flipping the switch. Don't worry about me. Anyway, I want to apologize, Akame. I was thoughtless, so I'll make you too a promise."

The teenage boy felt conviction and dedication burning in his heart. So without hesitation, he stood back on his feet with his fist extended to her.

"I will not die! I'll certainly stay alive! I'll never make you experience this pain!" He stated strongly.

Akame was surprised. She could already feel some tears about to pour out just from hearing Tatsumi strong and encouraging voice. Of course, these weren't tears of sadness, as these were more of happiness as she smiled.

"Tatsumi…" She muttered.

The teenage boy then grinned. "We'll make a new country…where we can always see everyone's happy faces."

"Yeah." Akame smiled and wiped the tears. "That's right."

_(LINE BREAK)_

Eunice walked away from the scene. She had seen enough, especially concerning how the two felt about everything. Now her point of view over Night Raid was completely changed as she clutched the coat she was wearing while in thought.

'Before coming to this world, I just thought Night Raid were a group of merciless assassins…It was even that thought that made me pressure Azmuth to allow me to come here and assist Ben. I didn't want him to be corrupted by the evil…I just wanted him to remain the person I knew all that time long ago…But now that I see that…the way Tatsumi and Akame feel with the loss of their friend, I can't help but understand why Ben's so kind to them. Besides…now that the boy mentioned about being composed, I've seen something else…Ever since that boy, Ieyasu, died, Ben hasn't mentioned or moaned him. In fact…if anything…he seemed to be running away from it. That can't be good for his health. I have to talk to him.'

Eunice soon made her way to Sheele's room. The reason for that was because Ben has been staying in the young woman's room more often than he should. So as she stood there, she raised her knuckle to knock on the door when she then heard footsteps from her left and turned to face it. Tatsumi was the cause of it.

"Tatsumi…?"

"Eunice…?" Tatsumi said back.

A few seconds of silence took over between the two. It wasn't odd nor was it awkward. But then again this was one of the few times the both of them had spoken to each other. Fortunately, Tatsumi was smart enough to pass over that silence as he gestured to the door Eunice was in front of.

"Ben…is he in there?" Tatsumi questioned.

"Yes." Eunice questioned. She then looked to the door with a sad look. "Ever since Sheele got injured he's been so focused on watching her it kind of surprises me."

"Kind of?" Tatsumi questioned. Now that he thought about it, he was actually standing in the presence of a person who knew the teen hero. But he felt awkward as he looked away. "By the way…how's Ben like in his world?"

Eunice turned to Tatsumi as he continued with a subtle voice.

"Ever since Ben's secret got out…I feel like I never knew the guy…but then he's in that room with Sheele and staying by her side. It makes me realize that maybe I did know something about him…His good nature, that is."

Eunice smiled and huffed through her nostrils. She could tell Tatsumi was being honest with himself even with the strife set between him and Ben. So she didn't mind to answer him as she held her hands together.

"Ben's a good person." Eunice said calmly. "Sure, he can be childish and cocky…and in some ways he may act inconsiderate of others feelings, but…from what I've seen, he always pays attention even if it looks like he doesn't. He always carries the weight of responsibility on him even though he shouldn't. I don't think he should, but…when I researched on his past I realized that despite he's seventeen, he's always carried this weight of a hero from the time he was ten years old…Believe me, Ben has gone through a lot of hardships that even I can't bear to say easily."

Tatsumi was quiet for a brief moment. He had heard what the blonde had said and honestly felt conflicted about it. Hence, he spoke.

"But he left us for Aria." He said. He also avoided eye contact as he continued. "With Sayo gone, we needed him more…But he just saved the girl who killed her and left like it was no big deal."

"Are you sure about that, Tatsumi?" Eunice questioned. Her tone, however, sounded rhetorical. "Like I said, Ben acts inconsiderate, but he pays attention even if it doesn't seem like he does. Besides…one other thing about Ben is this hero obligation. It doesn't matter if the person was good or evil; he's always willing to give that person a chance. He has a best friend who was a bad guy. But now they've gotten close. The guy's even dating Ben's cousin."

Tatsumi said nothing back. He still felt some confliction towards Ben. However, with Eunice's explanation, he also obtained some understanding of the teen hero he knew.

But the scene didn't stop there. Tatsumi was still silent, so Eunice decided to take her leave. Hence, she walked past him with a pat on his shoulder. She had one other thing to say before leaving.

"Just so you know, you're not the only one affected by Ieyasu's death. Ben saw it front and center. I wonder how that must have felt to see such an unforgettable scene."

Tatsumi's widened as his mind snapped out. For some reason, Eunice had actually dawned a realization on the teen.

'That's right! Now that I think about it, Ben was actually there when Ieyasu died!'

Now Tatsumi was pissed off. It wasn't at Ben, though, but at himself as he then punched the wall angrily. Eunice was gone now, so it was just him there.

'Why have I been such an inconsiderate idiot?! First it was with Akame and now with Ben! In fact…now that I think about it, Ben hadn't come out of Sheele's room ever since that thing with that Paradox guy! He…He must be holding back the pain just like Akame was!'

_(LINE BREAK)_

Ben let out a yawn as he was seated forward. Ever since he had been in Sheele's room, he had slept little and refused to leave unless it was to get water or some food. Sure, he had played out like nothing was going on with him, but at this point he wouldn't be surprised if Eunice and the others hadn't noticed his recent behavior.

"Men…I could really go for some chili fries." Ben breathed out in slight yearning.

That was another thing that sucked about this world. Besides the horrible tyranny going on this world also lacked any of the delights from his own world: junk food, video games, television. It was a wonder the place was so bad without wonderful things like that for people to enjoy.

Just then, a knock came from the door and got Ben's attention. However, it also surprised him considering what time it was.

'Someone is awake by this time at night? Well…I know I shouldn't think that considering what I'm doing, but…still…' He thought.

The knock came again. It made it obvious that whoever was at the other side was trying to get him to answer. So he went ahead and did that.

"Come in." He said.

The door opened, but with a mild surprise. The person had been knocking wasn't Eunice, Aria or Leone that Ben figured would be worried about him. Instead it was Tatsumi opening and closing the door as he silently went to Ben's side.

'Tatsumi? What's he doing here?' Ben questioned.

For a brief moment, Tatsumi said nothing. He didn't turn to face Ben nor did he even give him any attention. In fact his focus seemed to be at Sheele who was still unconscious and covered in a blanket to protect her from the cold.

"How's she doing?" Tatsumi asked.

Ben was a little bit taken aback by hearing Tatsumi's voice. It had been a long time since the two had talked so peacefully even if the concern was for another person instead.

"She's doing fine…" He said, turning to the unconscious young woman, "She's not awake yet, but nothing out of the ordinary has happened." He said.

"I see…" Tatsumi muttered. For some reason, however, he could feel his chest getting heavy until he sighed to let out the tension. Thus, he continued. "You know, Ben…this reminds me of that time you saved Sayo. You stayed by her side as Heatblast to let her feel warm even though it was obvious you felt some discomfort at first."

Ben was looking at Tatsumi. He didn't say anything as he was lost of what Tatsumi was trying to do. So the young assassin continued with his voice growing disappointed and sad.

"That is why…it was a surprise that night at Aria's mansion that you saved her when she's the reason Sayo is no longer with us." Tatsumi said.

Again, Ben said nothing. However, the fact that he looked down with saddened eyes showed how much of an emotional weight hearing that was. But then Tatsumi continued with his voice becoming straightforward.

"From then I felt…you couldn't be trusted. Heck, when you finally told everyone the truth about yourself, I still felt you couldn't be trusted. All this time…you were someone from another world and you kept it from us. But you know what's funny? Ieyasu didn't seem to care at all. I just thought he and I were on the same page and he hated you…when in reality he was just trying to be there for me."

Tatsumi then tightened his fist. At this point, it was obvious that he was becoming emotional, but not weak. His voice still seemed strong even though it sounded strained as he continued.

"Ieyasu…I feel he might have known he would die one day. I'm pretty sure that he understood what the risk of being a part of Night Raid was far longer than I did. But…what's more astonishing is what Mine told me. He didn't seem scared even when he said he was…In the end he was just thinking about me. His life didn't even seem important to him…He was just thinking about me."

Tatsumi became quiet immediately after. His talk with Akame had been comforting, but this was the first time he was grieving about his friend to someone that also knew that person as well. So even then, Ben understood his pain as he looked away and back at Sheele.

"Tatsumi…" Ben called. His voice was able to reach Tatsumi who finally looked at him. "Did Ieyasu use the Teigu from Zank the Beheader. I mean, it's the one I gave you guys. If so…then I guess I wasn't being delusional."

"Delusional…?" Tatsumi questioned. He thought over what Ben said before realizing what it was. 'Wait…Ieyasu actually spoke to him before his death? Like with telepathy? If so then…no, Ben could be lying, but at the same time he never knew Ieyasu had taken possession of the Teigu before it was destroyed. I wonder…what Ieyasu said to him.'

Ben suddenly answered. It was like he read the teen's mind, though it really wasn't the case. But his heart felt heavy as his voice came out depressed.

"He thanked me for what happened that night…He felt that I gave him a second life to have a good experience with you and Night Raid…'

Now Ben felt like grieving. This was the actual first time he was speaking about that experience with witnessing Ieyasu's death. In fact it was so deeply touching that Ben actually began to leak out small tears as he looked to the ground.

"I just don't get it! He was dying! I failed him! I wouldn't mind if he blamed me the moment he was about to die! So why didn't he just hate me?! Why did he have to thank me?! I…I just don't know whyyyyy!?"

Tatsumi was now taken aback. This wasn't the Ben Tennyson he knew. But then again this might be a side of the teen hero that most people didn't know. Ben was actually feeling pain and this world was actually changing him even if he may act it's not. Now Tatsumi began to realize something about him.

'These tears…This anger…This feeling of pain from him. There's no way he was lying.' Tatsumi thought in realization. From there his mind went back to what Eunice had told him. It made him feel spite and raise his hand at Ben who was still grieving. 'All this time…he was feeling the same pain…Akame was right. But…there's no changing it now…'

With that, the teen did the unexpected. He grabbed Ben's coat by the shoulder and forced him to fall to the ground. Not surprising, it surprised Ben who looked at Tatsumi with tearful but shocked eyes.

"What the heck –"

"Just stop it, Tennyson!" Tatsumi cried out angrily. "Holding this much in you isn't something Ieyasu wanted! Sure, he may have had his regrets, but the fact he stayed with us a bit longer is the reason why he thanked you! He appreciated you and cared for you in the same, so don't spit on his last feelings like that and feel regret!"

"Tatsumi…" Ben said. He was lost for words as he stared at the teen.

"Besides…" Tatsumi said and seemed to calm down. "…I'm at fault too. I failed to realize you were hurting…because I just thought you didn't care. But now I see after all this time that…you really did care for us…whether you were lying or not. So, Ben, can I ask you something…"

The teen hero was surprised at what happened next. Tatsumi had his arm forward at him with his hand open as he had an encouraging smile.

"In a dream I had, Sayo said we should stop fighting…" He said. "I didn't think much on it, but perhaps it was really her spirit trying to reach us for the last time. So for her sake and Ieyasu's sacrifice, let's fix this rift between us and become friends again."

Ben said nothing at first. This was because he was amazed at how Tatsumi was in his presence. In fact, he recalled having a dream similar to the one Ieyasu just mentioned.

'So…you had the same dream too, Tatsumi.' Ben thought.

Now the teen hero felt some peace within him. Tatsumi and he had been friends since the day they had met until that fateful night at Aria's mansion. But now, after a month and few weeks, the two of them were reconciling. So, of course, Ben accepted Tatsumi's offering arm and stood up still holding it.

"Friends." Ben smirked. "To be honest with you, I kind of missed the days I kicked your butt when you offered to spar with me."

Tatsumi chuckled. "Well I'm going to get much better so you better watch out."

Finally, the friendship between two young men had been fixed. It was fascinating as both teenagers were able to know they could rely on one another. No longer were they separated or divided because now they were back together with their friends in heaven happy that the conflict between the two had been resolved.

_(LINE BREAK)_

Ben drank some water from a cup he had been given. Tatsumi was now gone and the teen was staring at the door when he heard it closed. The other teen had gone off to sleep since the mental pressure he previously felt was off his chest. However, Ben wasn't okay with sleeping yet, so he decided to stay a bit longer in Sheele's room.

"Tatsumi sure is something." Ben commented as he walked to a table in the Sheele's room. "We were fighting for so long and now…it's all over. Maybe now I can go and get some actual sleep."

"Ben…?"

The teen hero froze instantly. That voice, he knew who it belonged despite not hearing from it for a long time. In fact, the reality that only he and Sheele were in the room was enough for his heart to sink. As such, he turned to the Sheele's direction and was almost in disbelief when he saw the young woman sitting up.

"Sheele!" Ben shouted in relief.

This feeling the teen hero felt was good. There was Sheele, after a whole day of unconsciousness was finally awake. So it didn't surprise the teen hero that he ran over to her side as she tried to move her lower body.

"I-I can't move my –"

"Hold on, Sheele, take it easy!" Ben said as assuring as he could. He was then quick to hold her by the shoulders and lay her back on the bed. "Take it easy. You took a bullet and have been unconscious for some time now."

"Oh…that's bad, right?" Sheele questioned. Then she sighed roughly and looked away. "I'm sorry. I can be an airhead sometimes."

"No, it's fine." Ben assured her. "Do you want some water and food? You haven't eaten for a long time now."

Sheele paused and looked away with a puzzling look on her face. In her defense, she had just woken up so she didn't really know what to think. So it was a good thing then that she did think of something as she turned back to Ben.

"Food and water would be nice." She mentioned.

"Okay. I'll get right on it." Ben replied.

The teen hero then lifted his Ultimatrix arm to his chest level. But then he paused as he reached to touch the familiar hourglass of the alien device.

'Huh, now that I think about it. I haven't tested out the new Ultimatrix yet.' Ben thought.

The teen hero then went into action. His two fingers touched the face of the circle faceplate which then caused a cycle hologram of his alien faces to appear. He then selected through the playlist until he found the right alien and removed his hand. Hence, what happened then was that the hourglass symbol split apart and let the core of the alien device to pop up.

"Alright! It's hero –I mean, it's food and water services time!" Ben shouted. He did cringe at the messy battle cry though.

So with a slap on the alien device, Ben was engulfed by a flash of green light. He then began to feel his body changing as the transformation took its course. Of course, he was used to it all as his body became slimmer, grew a tail and a wheel under each of his foot. When the light died down, Ben stood as XLR8.

"Alright! I'll be back in a quickie." XLR8 said quickly.

Sheele didn't get all that, though. Maybe it was due to her being an airhead or the fact that she had just woken up from unconsciousness. Anyway, none of that mattered because XLR8 ran out of the room before a word could even be said. Sheele then had to wait a few seconds before the alien hero showed up again but this time holding a tray surprisingly well with his clipper-like hands.

"Alright, I'm back! Sorry, I was a bit late." XLR8 joked.

In response, Sheele just chuckled. She could tell from Ben's tone that he wasn't being serious. Besides, the fact that he had only been gone for a few seconds proved it. But then XLR8 momentarily placed the tray of food aside and quickly moved Sheele to sit up with the pillow under her back, thus giving her a better viewpoint. From there, XLR8 was engulfed by a flash of light before returning the hero back to human form as he picked the tray and placed it on Sheele's lap.

Sheele was surprised. She could see right below her that Ben had prepared some delicious treats for her, especially with the fact that one of it was her favorite treats.

"You can cook?" She questioned with curiosity.

"Well…" Ben said somewhat sheepishly. "…not really. I was just able to use XLR8 to cram what I could from Akame's cook books. Strangely enough, she had a list of you guys' favorite treats, so I just cooked up what I found and added whatever I could. Then I switched XLR8 with…and now I'm getting off topic, aren't I?"

Sheele said nothing, mainly because there was something already in her mouth. But still, Ben could tell by the confused look on her face that she was trying to catch on with what he was saying. Ben guessed that it had to do with the fact that she had just woken up, so even the little of detail shouldn't be given to her all at once.

"Anyway…" Ben said awkwardly. He didn't really know how else to react. So he began to turn away to leave. "I'll be going now. When everyone's up I'll let them know you're awake. They're gonna be so happy. Well goodnight."

The teen hero then made his way to the door. However, though Sheele was enjoying her food, she didn't want the teen to leave. As such, she swallowed what she had eaten and reached her hand out to Ben to stop him.

"Ben, wait –Argh!"

A sharp pain suddenly hit Sheele at the head. She didn't know why but it just happened and hurt so bad. In fact she had to clutch her hand to head out of reflex as Ben rushed over to her with deep concern.

"Sheele, you okay?! Are you hurt?!" Ben questioned quickly.

Sheele began to feel at ease. It seemed like the pain had just been for a moment. However, it did take much from her as she panted in response.

"I'm…fine. It was probably just a headache." Sheele said. Then she took a deep breath and let out a huff of air before smiling. "If Mine was here, she would probably say something like 'Don't get me so worried, Sheele'." Then she turned to the alien hero. "By the way, how are she and Ieyasu? I don't remember much of what happened. I guess I must have messed up back there, huh?"

Ben just made a fake chuckle. It didn't reveal the fact that he was taken aback by the realization that Sheele didn't know that Ieyasu was gone. Hence, the teen didn't focus on that yet. Instead he just smiled and sat back on the chair he previously was on.

"I wouldn't say you messed up. The fact that you care about those two says you're a compatible person to be with." Ben said with assurance. "So for now you just eat and rest. Tomorrow is another day and I'm pretty sure everyone would be happy to know you're okay, including Mine and Ieyasu."

"Right." Sheele smiled back.

_(LINE BREAK)_

A new day began with new activities going on. The secret residence of the nefarious group of assassins, Night Raid, was having their own ways in welcoming the day. So for Leone and Aria, they had something going on as both headed through the same passageway, particular heading to Sheele's room to meet a certain teen hero.

"What do you got there, Aria?" Leone asked. She was referring to a plate of delicious dishes which kind of made her hungry. "Akame just cooked breakfast, but I feel the need to have a taste of one of those."

"Hmph! Well they're not for you!" Aria snubbed her. "These are for Ben! He's been so worried about that lady that he'll probably skip breakfast all together."

"So…I can't have a taste?" Leone pestered.

In response, Aria just perked her head away from the female assassin and walked away from her faster. She didn't care about the young woman's hunger or the fact that her dish appeased her. Her only concern was Ben and his condition.

However, there was one thing about Leone that Aria didn't know. Hence, before the girl knew it, the young woman halted her by grabbing her shoulder while having a creepy smile on her face. Aria was confused and would've questioned her action, but Leone spoke.

"You know, this is the second time I'm talking to you." She said.

"Second time?" Aria was confused. However, for some reason, she could feel this odd dread in her as Leone tightened her grip on her slightly.

"Yup." Leone said. She then creepily lowered her mouth to the girl's ear. "If I remember, it was back when you were rich and crazy. I remember I held that pretty dress of yours just to stop you from running away. But now that I think about it…where were you going to go? If Ben hadn't been there…you wouldn't even be standing here…and I wouldn't be whispering these 'sweet' words to you."

Aria tried not to show her emotions. But she was failing, unfortunately. The way Leone was speaking was terrifying to her, especially as she could feel the young woman's breath so close to her ear.

"So…you're going to kill me now?" Aria questioned.

Leone laughed and let go of the fellow blonde. Then she walked passed Aria and turned to her.

"Let me be honest with you, Aria. I don't like you." Leone said. Then her eyes became cold and heartless as she fully faced the girl. "In fact, I hate your guts. You were part of the rich and psychotic scums that I want nothing more than to break every bone in their body. But you just got lucky."

"B-But I'm one of you guys now…right?"

"One of us?" Leone questioned. For obvious reasons, she then burst out in a short laughter before smiling crookedly. "You're kidding right?! The boss hasn't even approved of you! Besides, have you even thought of how Tatsumi would feel if he has to be teammates with the girl who tortured and killed one of his best friends?! Besides, the terms of Ben and the boss's agreement were that you'll be trained by us, not be a part of us! So just keep what I'm about to tell you in that skull of yours!"

Aria silently complied. She didn't want to, however the fear Leone had struck on her was very clear. Thus, with a serious look that could kill, Leone said. "The moment Ben dumps your ass; you better pray I'm not there…because I'll make sure you won't live to see the next minute after. We never called off the kill on you. So you better be cautious, little girl."

And so, Leone finished what she wanted. Aria was silent as she said nothing except showing that look of fear in her eyes. Hence, Leone turned away from the girl and began walking through the passageway with her hand then flipped at Aria's direction.

"By the way, I'm going to meet Ben first. You can show up after I leave." She said.

Again, Aria said nothing. In fact, by this point she was whimpering as tears fell down her cheeks. Leone had just made her realized something and it scared her. Hence, the plate she had in her hand fell to the ground and broke as she began to feel alone.

_(LINE BREAK)_

Sleeping was nice, especially in the day. Maybe it's just a human thing or just an opinion of a writer working on a story. But still, that didn't change the fact that what Leone saw upon entering Sheele's room put a toothy smile on her face.

"Well…isn't this adorable?" She said slyly.

Right now Ben and Sheele were sleeping. However, the position they were in wasn't something one would consider appropriate. Ben was lying with Sheele on her bed with his head on her busty chest. At the same time, Sheele's arm was on the teen's stomach which was slightly exposed due to his shirt rising up.

For the two sleepers, it was unknown how long they had been in such a position. But Leone said nothing yet as she just snickered at the scene before her. Hence, she watched as Ben moaned sleepily in his sleep and unconsciously raised his hand onto the purple haired girl's other breast.

Now Leone couldn't contain her grin over the moment.

"So you're not just into blondes huh, Benny boy?!" Leone shouted.

Ben sleepily woke up. He was confused, though, as he could only recognize her voice but not interpret what she said at that time. So he turned to her with that sleepy confused look on his face.

"Leone?"

Leone's grinned slyly as she then grabbed her busty chest. "But I got to say, if you really wanted to lie down on something like these, you could've asked."

"Could've asked…? What?"

Then it clicked on the confused superhero. He realized his head was lying on something too soft to be a pillow. As such, he screamed in shock and rolled out of the bed and fell to the ground. Leone laughed in response while Sheele finally woke up as she rubbed her eyes.

"Good morning." She greeted sleepily.

Leone calmed herself and smiled at Sheele. "So you really are awake. I figured with the change of your position that you were okay. Welcome back to the land of the living, Sheele."

"Leone…" Sheele said and smiled. "Yeah, it's nice to be back."

_(LINE BREAK)_

NIGHTR RAID'S TRAINING GROUND

Tatsumi let out a battle cry as he pulled his sword to his side with both hands on it as he headed for Akame. For time now, the both of them had been training as even Eunice had noticed as she sat on the boardwalk, watching the fight going on. It was a first to see, so in a way she enjoyed the skills displayed by both Akame and Tatsumi.

However, there was one thing she saw was at fault. Tatsumi was trying really hard, and even Akame noticed as she sent the teenage boy skidding back with a swing of her katana against the teen's blade.

"Shouldn't you take a short break, Tatsumi?" Akame questioned with concern.

Tatsumi panted, but got back on his feet. It was true that he had kept going despite how much a rest was necessary. But the teen was still determined as he faced her again.

"Why would I want a break?" Tatsumi questioned back rhetorically. "I told you, didn't I?" Come at me as if it's a real life or threat fight."

Eunice objected. "I don't think that's a wise choice, Tatsumi." She said. "Whether you like it or not, Akame could cut you down in seconds if that's the scenario."

"Don't you think I know that?!" Tatsumi yelled at her. He wasn't really being mean to her; Eunice could tell her was just being defensive. "Besides, why are you even here?! I didn't think you would want to be away from Ben for so long!"

"I got bored." Eunice simply shrugged.

Tatsumi just growled in annoyance. He just wanted to be focused on his training. As such, he just scoffed and turned to Akame, unaware of what was to happen next. He was suddenly punched in the face and sent falling to the ground. Eunice was surprised as she saw who had been the cause.

"Bulat?! You hit him!" She shouted.

"Yeah, what the hell, bro!?" Tatsumi yelled from sitting on the ground.

Bulat was calm, which wasn't surprising. As for why he suddenly attacked Tatsumi, he answered it with some coolness in his voice.

"In a fight he should mind his surroundings." Bulat said to Eunice. "After all, you never know where an enemy may attack from, right?"

Eunice paused and gave it a thought. Bulat actually made sense now that she recalled a time where she had been caught off guard by an enemy attack. A flashback to when she had to deal with Spidermonkey's species came to mind.

"Yeah, you're right." She said.

So while the girl was fine with it, Tatsumi wasn't doing so good. Bulat was right about what he just mentioned, but in the end it just seemed to stress the teen a little bit. Fortunately, Bulat had noticed his attitude ever since coming to the training ground.

"You're more fired up than usual, eh? What's up?" He asked coolly.

Tatsumi paused as he got back to his feet. He wasn't going to let a weakness in his little experience in battle hold him back. Thus, he stood back up dirtied but fine and with a determined look on his face.

"Nothing…I just want to hurry and level up my abilities. I made a promise to Akame that I would definitely survive."

Akame was astonished with the same for Eunice. For the both of them, hearing the young teen say that reminded them of what happened last night. It was appreciating so it didn't come as a surprise to any of them that they were almost lost for words.

Meanwhile, Bulat seemed impressed. He could already see a strong future waiting for Tatsumi. However, before he could say anything, Lubbock rushed to the room in haste and with an excited look on his face.

"Everyone! Drop what you're doing and hear this!" Lubbock shouted.

Everyone in the training room did what he said and now had their attention at him. Lubbock can be a perverted idiot, but he was someone who wouldn't drag people's attention unless it was something very important.

"Sheele…She's finally awake!"

Akame, Tatsumi, Eunice and Bulat were surprised to hear this. At the same time, they were happy and relieved to know the good news as seen by their different face expressions. So, not surprising, Akame seethed her Teigu and ran off with Eunice and Lubbock following right after. Tatsumi would've then followed but Bulat caught him by placing his hand on the teen's shoulder.

"Before we go, there's something I want to say." Bulat said to the teen. He then pointed at himself with a cool grin. "If you want to get stronger that badly then come hang out with me later! I'll show you some stuff!"

Tatsumi smirked and nodded in response. "I will…bro."

_(LINE BREAK)_

OUTSIDE NIGHT RAID HIDEOUT

Walking on his, Ben went through the forest with his hands in his pocket. He was no longer wearing his jacket as right then he seemed to be in thought with a small smile on his face.

"I bet everyone is gathering around Sheele right now…" He said fondly. "I probably should have told Eunice and Aria that I'm going to take a ride with the Time Cycle. Oh well, can't change that now."

And so, the teen hero continued walking. He didn't go far from the hideout because what he was looking for was close by. So upon getting to a place where a pond was located, he noticed someone sitting by one of the rocks by the pond with her blonde hair covering her face from his face. But Ben could recognize her just from her dress and body size.

"Aria…is that you?" He asked.

Aria was surprised to hear Ben's voice. In fact it showed on her face as she turned to the teen only to show tearful eyes.

"Ben?!"

Now the teen hero was surprised. From his position, he could see that Aria's eyes were red from crying. But if that wasn't enough, the girl turned away and wiped her eyes quickly as she realized what the boy had seen.

"I'm so sorry! You weren't meant to see that!" She said.

However, Ben didn't take that response well. He became concerned and ran to the girl's side, where he then looked down on her.

"Hey! What happened?! Are you hurt?!" He questioned.

Aria paused and looked away. She didn't want to cry again. At the same time she didn't want to be bothered with such questions.

"Just…let it go." She said.

"Aria, I –"

Aria interrupted him and glared at him angrily. "Just let it go okay?! I don't want to talk about it!"

Ben was surprised and a bit taken aback. Aria had yelled at him before, but that had been a long time ago. Fortunately, he understood her feelings and placed his hands by his sides.

"I…understand. Sorry." He apologized.

"Thank you." Aria replied. She looked back at the pond and then became quiet. Then she spoke with a softer but curious voice. "By the way…I've been wondering if you don't mind. Do you think I'll pay for the crimes I did…because let's face it, they can't be forgiven and you know that. Then there's the fact that you requested Night Raid to train me when it's obvious most of them won't like having me around…It was their job to kill me, after all."

'So that's what this is about.' Ben thought subtly. 'But now that I think about it, Aria would have to pay for her crimes…It's just that the justice system isn't fair enough to give her a good trial. Anyway, I should say something. It's obvious the tension from Night Raid is getting to her.'

"Aria…" The teen hero finally said. "You're right to feel the way you do. But right now…I think you should focus on what you really what to do."

The blonde girl turned to Ben. She was confused on what he meant as she just stared at him.

"What…I want to do?" She questioned.

"Yes." Ben nodded firmly. Then he turned to the girl with his fist raised at her and a determined smirk on his face. "Don't tell me you've forgotten what you promised me back then when you burnt down your old home's shed. You want to take down the empire, right? Then don't feel doubt! Train hard and fight and live up to that promise!"

Aria was astonished. The boy in front of her didn't seem like the Ben Tennyson she knew. In fact, his aura and the brightening light seemingly behind him made him seem different. So it happened then that Aria smiled and let a tear slide down her cheek.

'He really is too good for me huh…' Aria determined already. That wasn't to say she was sad about it, though. If anything she accepted it as she widened that smile on her face. "Yeah…you're right, Ben. Thank you." She said happily.

"Right." Ben nodded.

_(LINE BREAK)_

FEW MINUTES LATER

MILES AWAY FROM THE CAPITAL AND NIGHT RAID HIDEOUT

Somewhere far from the Capital, there was light weather of snow and then there was blood. The road was covered with corpses of men cut in two as the carriage they had escorted was now in the mercy of the famous deadly trio, The Three Beast Warriors.

Besides the men, a young girl named Spear had been the only one to survive. She wore a weather dress with a Russian-like hat on her head. But her condition wasn't good. She escaped death, but a cut was across her stomach. Now she knelt down, clutching wound as the little one of the Three Beasts approached her.

"Not bad, Onee-chan."

Nyau was intrigued by Spear, as well as amused. Hence, he knelt right before her with a smirk and his hand under his chin. "You're pretty skilled to have escaped a killing blow from Darada's attack." He amused.

Then the threat to her life came. The teen pulled out a blade from his coat. "But consider what I'm going to do to you. I'm pretty sure you'll wish you'd been cut in half."

Meanwhile, the former Prime Minister, Spear's father, was in trouble as well. He was thrown out of his carriage by Liver, the oldest but yet very fit, to the ground. Now the former Prime minister was lying on the ground with fear as Liver stood before him.

"Y-You're soldiers and officers of the empire!" The Prime Minister shouted.

"Correct!" Liver then took a bow. "I am a great admirer of your political works, sir."

The former prime minister then pointed at the man with fear in his eyes. "Th-then why are you coming after me?!"

"Because, above all…" The guy answered, touching his own wrist to pull out a blade.

However, something sudden then caught his attention. The same was for Nyau and Darada as they too heard something approaching. But by then they couldn't identify what it was, mainly because of its unknown appearance.

An unknown creature was rolling towards their location in a fast pace. It seemed to have a shell of an armadillo, though the color of it was yellow and black stripes. Also there was the fact that it was about nine feet tall and fast that differ it from an actual armadillo.

Anyway, the presence of this approaching creature seemed to have stalled what seemed to be the inevitable.

"What the hell is that?" Darada questioned. His Teigu, a double-bladed axe, was in his hand as he watched the thing approaching.

"I don't know, but…" Nyau said. Then his eyes widened as he saw it was approaching him. "It's coming for me!"

Darada smirked upon seeing the creature coming close. Nyau was right; the unknown thing was coming for him. However, Darada's curiosity and taste of blood led him to jump and then land between Nyau and the rolling creature.

"Then I guess I'll just have to cut it open!" He shouted with evil intent.

Hence, the member of the Three Beast swung his axe. However, he missed despite being seemingly close to the approaching creature. This was because the rolling being changed direction and headed for Liver who was surprised but quick to jump out of the way. The former prime minister then screamed as he thought he was the target.

But then something surprised the old man. The unknown being made a U-turn away from him and made its way back to Nyau again with intent yet unknown. Nyau didn't like it though, but he felt some spite as he saw the thing coming for him as he stood up. Darada intervened though, as he got between the both and swung his Teigu at the creature.

"I've got you now!" He shouted.

The Three Beast member was right. From their respective positions, there was no way the creature could escape. But then the thing was engulfed by a flash of light which distracted the bulky and muscular men. Hence, the next thing he received was a kick to the face that sent him to the ground while his attacker landed on the ground.

"What the…Who are you?!" Nyau shouted.

The attacker punched him in the face. He didn't seem in the mood to answer at the time. But now that Spear got a good look of him, she could tell who he was as his strange number '10' shirt showed and his half-gauntlet device on his wrist.

'That hourglass symbol…and that face from the wanted posters. I've seen them. He's –'

"The name is Ben Tennyson." Ben said with determination. "And you guys are in for a world of hurt."

Darada chuckled with a devilish grin as he stood up. He knew that name well, as well as his own teammates. Hence, while Nyau was annoyed as he rubbed his face and got up, Liver seemed intrigued as he watched the hero. Ben was cornered by the Three Beast Warrior in a tilted triangle position.

"Ben Tennyson…" Spear finally found the voice to speak.

Liver seemed intrigued. "Ah, so you're the young man I heard." He said. Then his eyes moved to a suspicious way. "Tell me, young man, is it true you fought the great Grand General of the Imperial army?"

"Fought and won." Ben corrected the guy while having his trademark confident smirk.

"Kuku…" Darada said. Now he was feeling excited as he tightened his grip on his axe, ready to battle. "So you're that kid huh? This was a little expected, but I'll admit a part of me wanted to fight you. When you think about it, killing someone such as yourself would earn me a bunch of unbelievable points."

Nyau snarled. He removed his hand from his face and pulled out his Teigu, a flute. "I was about to cut out that cute onee-san's face! I guess you're face would just have to do before I get to her!"

Now it was very much clear. A battle was about to commence between these combatants with a turn-out yet unknown. Spear and her father could only watch and see what would become of their fate because it was now in Ben Tennyson's hands.

"Oh you'll be getting plenty of my face when it becomes the thing that's stuck in your minds after the butt kicking I'm about to dish out on you three dunces." Ben remarked while flexing his fingers for battle.

It was time to show these so called Beasts what a real fighter can do.

_(CHAPTER END)_

The chapter of feels is now over! It is time for Ben to go up against the Three Beasts Warriors! Will he win? Would you prevent more deaths? Read the next chapter to find out!

Originally, this chapter was set to just have the battle with Ben and the Three Beasts. But then I got really into the feel-making scenes you just read. So since that's over with, the next chapter will go back to the manga. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next chapter will have Ben turn into an ultimate, so look forward to that!

By the way, this chapter was a conclusion to a lot of buildup. That includes the relationship between Ben and Tatsumi, Ieyasu's death and the dream Ben, Ieyasu and Tatsumi had. Hoped you enjoyed it! I'm not like some writers who just rush the process. As for those who are still going on about Aria's past, this chapter now addresses it and will be a buildup to something else.

Please be sure to review, and if you haven't favorite and followed then please do that too! I'll get the next chapter up soon! Bye!