Maximus Ga Kill

by domgk115

Two years after tragedy took away his family. Maximus returned to his village, to his Cousin Tatsumi. But... what he saw that day continues to haunt him, the flames of his past are on his tail, and soon Tatsumi and their friends wish to head to the Imperial Capital. Max knows the truth, and he WON'T lose anyone else, especially the ruby-eyed swordswoman he falls in love with.

1. Kill the Darkness

Maximus Ga Kill!

Chapter 1: Kill The Darkness

"It's hugeeeee…." I muttered, not paying attention to the crowd of people who bumped into me as I stood gawking. A flash of worry ran over me. "Gah… how am I supposed to find Tatsumi in all of this?"

I still couldn't believe between me, him, Sayo and Ieyusa we couldn't handle a simple group of bandits. It was almost embarrassing, but then I remembered Ieyusa had suggested a night of drinking to celebrate almost making it to the Capital before we had been attacked. Thinking about it that way only embarrassed me more, I normally considered myself the rational one of the group. Sighing, I ran my fingers through my choppy black hair, before pulling tighter on the straps of my pack, readjusting my bow. The three of them were tough, they'd make it here.

It's just a matter of me finding them… I hope Tatsumi hasn't gotten himself into trouble like he tends to do, I thought, now I tried to at least dodge some of the people crowding the streets as I moved down the street. Even growing up, Tatsumi was always the rambunctious one, my aunt normally relied on me to keep him in check before she had died. He was my cousin, but he was my brother, we were basically raised like it. Him, Sayo, Ieyusa, at first, I hadn't wanted to come to the Capital with them, but in the end I knew I had to come and keep an eye on the three, I also knew they all knew next to nothing about healing and what mushrooms would kill you on the road, so I couldn't leave them alone.

I fiddled with the feather of an arrow from the quiver across my lower back that was sticking out under my pack. The Capital smelled even worse than I expected it too, and it was starting to get late, the moon starting to rise already. If I was going to find Tatsumi before the light was completely gone, I was going to need to move fast.

The only problem was… that Tatsumi had grabbed all our money when we escaped the bandits, so now I had nothing except my pack with medical supplies and cooking pots, and my bow. Normally it would be all I needed, but I had a feeling in the Capital money would talk, and unfortunately, I was going to be silent right now.

"Well… may as well start here," I said, stopping in front of what I assumed was a bar, from the smell and half-drunk patrons. "Um… excuse me!"

"We're closing up! Gotta come back tomorrow," The barkeep yelled, as I had to dodge out of the way of two drunk men singing as they exited.

I gagged at the horrible smell of booze that reeked off them, and took another step into the bar. The barkeeper was skinny many with a bushy mustache, who clearly had just finished working a very long and taxing shift. There was no chance I wanted to annoy him anymore then drunk townsfolk probably already did.

I held my hands up and shook my head. "No, I… I'm sorry for the intrusion! I'm just looking for someone you see; I was wondering if he stopped by today!"

I knew at first, Tatsumi probably would have gone to sign up for the army. However, as much as I loved him, he lacked a certain… tack in conversations like that, I knew better. It wouldn't surprise me if he somehow had ended up at a bar.

"Gonna have to be more specific," He said, trying to clean what I could only assume was vomit off one of his counters. "I see a lot of people in here nowadays."

Crap, he's got a point, quite being so nervous Max! I stammered naturally after thinking that to myself and bowed. "I'm sorry! He's my cousin, his name is Tatsumi, brown hair, probably carrying a sword and large pack?"

"Country hick like you?" The man said without even looking up from the vomit.

I sighed and felt my embarrassment rise. "Yes… country hick like me."

"Was here yesterday actually, you're a day late," the barkeep said, finally looking up from the vomit with a tired, annoyed look on his face. "Got scammed by some blonde woman with big tits."

"Huh?!" I said, before sighing and shaking my head. "For god's sake Tatsumi… I warned you not to be too trusting. Especially here…."

I knew the Capital was no good, I had suggested to Tatsumi and the others going literally anywhere else to make money for the village. The further away from the Capital, further away from the Empire, the better off we were going to be. I could feel the scars on my chest throbbing. Every glance, every suspicious look, every soldier I passed, all of it made my chest tingle. I hadn't been able to convince Tatsumi, Sayo and Ieyusa not to go, and it was partly my fault for never talking about that day, so I had to settle for coming with them to try and keep them safe, keep them alive.

First though… I need to find Tatsumi, Sayo and Ieyusa, I thought, steeling myself and bowing to the bartender again.

"I'm sorry to be a bother but," I said, looking up to meet his eyes, "do you have any idea where he went after that?"

He scoffed and seemed to give up on the vomit. "Didn't see where he went but… you may be in luck. That's the woman he talked too out there, ran off with all his coin saying she'd be right back."

My eyes widened and I turned, just fast enough to see where he was pointing. Sure enough, a woman was walking by, a smug smile on her face. Long blonde hair and… large assets. Sighing, I even felt my own face get a little red. Well… maybe I can see why Tatsumi got so distracted.

Still, I knew I needed to do something, the woman walked by the inn within seconds, and I turned back to the barkeep with a bow.

"Thank you, sir!" I shouted, before bolting out the door, and down the street.

The pots hanging off my bag bounced around as I ran, but luckily for me the woman I was chasing was very distinct. She was taller, and her blonde hair stuck out, I spotted her a few feet ahead of me down the street. I danced around a few more people, thankfully I had spent so long looking for Tatsumi all day, the sun now was down, the full moon taking its place, that had cleared up the streets.

Finally, after running and seeming like I was going to catch up to the woman, she turned sharply down an alley. Groaning from the sudden movement, and being extremely tired myself, a part of me just wanted to leave her be. However, I knew I needed to, since she not only could tell me where Tatsumi was, but she also could still have all of our money, which I would need to get myself at least a room for the night as I tried to track down Tatsumi and my friends. I had all intentions of storming down the alley, since I was exhausted, sweating and starving, the last few days I had alone were starting to catch up to me.

However, I stopped when I heard the woman start talking.

"Ha," Her voice laughed. "I can't believe you of all people were so clumsy. You'd think Sheele was the one they sent to check up on me."

"It was an unfortunate mistake," Another voice, much softer and calmer said. "But I found you, that's the important part. You missed the rendezvous time; we began to worry."

"Ehhh you all worry too much," The first voice said in a cooing voice. "But it's sweet of you all to worry. Now, are you sure you're, okay?"

"It is just a scratch, the roof was particularly slippery," the calmer voice said. "We must move now, we're already late, the targets should be back at their residence within the hour."

That made me sweat even more, targets? Target could mean many things, a target for assassination, for robbery. Considering the one woman had scammed Tatsumi, I couldn't take any chances. I hadn't even gotten a look at who the woman I tailed was talking too, however, all I knew was I couldn't afford to get mixed up in any trouble after only being in the Capital for a day.

Yes, I had plans one day I wanted to exact in this place, but Tatsumi, Sayo and Ieyasu were my main priority. I may not have been much of a fighter, it wasn't that I couldn't, I simply liked to avoid it when I could. If I started fighting, the other side of me would come out, the side I'd buried deep, deeply away within myself, a side very few knew about, none of whom was alive today. No, I couldn't get mixed up in anything now, it was probably some robbery the two were planning. I'd find Tatsumi another way.

"Aye, alright!" The excited woman's voice said, just as I got up off the wall to leave. "Let's get going then, wouldn't want to keep other's waiting."

I had only taken a step when the calmer voice spoke. "First, we have to deal with another problem."

At first, I didn't pay attention to the words, however when I heard the whistling of the wind behind me, instincts took over. My bag dropped off my back, and I unslung my bow, an arrow came next as I tried to knock it, but before I could, I managed to see the hilt of a sword coming for my stomach. It was too close quarters for a bow, so I dropped it, and rolled to the side, grabbing the hilt of the sword myself and throwing whoever it was that attacked to the side.

I scrambled to try and get the bow back, but whoever attacked had amazing balance and agility. I saw a flash of silver, and just got my bow off the ground. I raised it just in time to have it cut in half by a katana. It split in half, and instinctively I dropped to my knee as like I expected the hilt of the sword came for me again. At least whoever it is, isn't trying to kill me.

Still, I needed to run. I grabbed a fistful of dirt from the ground, and tossed it upwards towards the hooded attackers eyes.

"Gah!" I heard them yell, and I realized with start, it was a woman, the woman who had spoken in the calm voice.

After being floored for a moment, I turned to try and grab my bag to run, but she was on me again in seconds. I felt my legs kicked out from under me as I fell, I heard the sword coming towards my body again, and I reached behind my waist to the quiver of arrows. I grabbed one and rolled to the left, coming upwards towards her body, and I stopped just as the arrow in my hand poked against a spot just under her chest near her ribcage.

I stopped because I didn't want to kill anyone, but also, because I could see the glint of her katana right near the back of my neck.

The hooded woman looked down at me, and I saw a pair or bright ruby eyes looking back at me.

"You are not my target, so I will not slay you," She said from under her hood. I could see black bits of long black hair falling out of her cloak as her katana was dangerously close to my neck. "However, you will tell me how much you heard."

"Move the sword away from my neck and then we can talk," I said, poking my arrow against her stomach. "I don't want to hurt you."

"One cut from my sword will be enough to slay you," She said, as I her eyes reflected the moonlight that streamed down to make her ruby eyes even brighter under her hood. "You will not survive being cut."

"Of course, I won't, it's at my neck."

"That's not what I meant," She said, her voice still calm. "Now, you will tell me how much you heard. Your arrow will not have the time to strike me, even if it does, I will survive."

"Wouldn't be too sure about that," I said, poking the point of the arrow into her stomach again. "See this is a particularly large cluster of veins that connect to your heart. One little poke here, they're severed, and you die. I don't want it to come to that."

This made her eyes narrow, a small bit of terror ran through me, but I managed to push it away. I'd looked true evil in the eyes, faced real terror a year ago, this was nothing. If I died, I died, it was simply how it was, but first, I'd make sure Tatsumi was okay.

"Ohhh, looks like we have a peeping tom over here," A voice said behind me, and I saw the woman I had been following came over in front of me. She smirked and crossed her arms. "So, what was it kid? Were you hoping we were undressing back there?"

My eyes widened, and that made me flustered. "What?! Why would I follow to watch you get undressed in the street? I… I wouldn't even, I wouldn't even want-."

"You wouldn't want too?" She said, smirking looking at the woman with her sword still near the back of my neck. "You hear that? He wouldn't wanna see us. Hey kid, if you swing that way, I'm not one to judge, I got a friend who's-."

"Huh?! That's not what I meant!" I said, looking from the girl with ruby eyes, to the blonde woman who I had been following. "I was following you, because I heard from a barkeeper you scammed my cousin yesterday!"

"Huh?" She said, finger to her chin as she thought. "I scam a lot of people; you need to be more specific."

I groaned and looked at the girl with a sword at my neck. "Do you mind letting me go? Pull your sword back, I'll pull my arrow back?"

"What if you were to run?" She said, her eyes not leaving me. "You overheard our plans. Letting you go could present a risk to me and those I hold dear."

I scoffed. "Well, you cut my bow in half. My only other weapon is in my bag," I said, lying through my teeth. I would never use it again, not if I could help it. "I wouldn't be able to pick it up before I ran, so if I tried, you'd catch me first. Like I said, I don't want to kill you. I couldn't give less of a damn if you rob some fat upperclassman's family, or whoever your target is, so long as they're not innocent."

"Ehh, let him go Akame," The other woman said. "We'll catch him if he runs."

Akame? I thought, looking at the woman with a sword against my neck. A cold feeling ran through my body, so this is a member of Night Raid… I was hoping we'd avoid them. And I thought Tatsumi was the one who always got into trouble, yet here I am.

Tatsumi, Sayo and Ieyesu had been so eager to leave for the Capital, they hadn't done much research about it. Other then what I had learned… last year, during those long months, I didn't know nearly enough for my liking either. So, I made sure on our way, I made it a point to learn as much as I could at each stop, we made along the way. I already knew about the rampant corruption, before the trip, I tried to warn Tatsumi and the others, but they hadn't listened. So, when they said they were going, I did what I could to learn even more to prepare.

I didn't know much about Night Raid, other then they were a group of assassins who killed members of the upper class. I didn't know if they were innocent or guilty people they killed, so I hadn't passed any judgement in my mind, but still, a group of killers was always dangerous. I liked to meet people before forming opinions, and not let what other people say of them cloud my judgment. There was a real possibility Night Raid were doing good, but at the present moment I didn't care.

All I cared about was finding Tatsumi, and if I had to deal with Night Raid to do it, I would. We should never have come Tatsumi, Sayo, Ieyesu… don't worry, I'll get us back.

Just like I promised I would.

Akame, who was the most wanted of all the members of Night Raid I could remember, seemed to live up to her reputation. Of course, I caught her off guard, she probably hadn't expected me to fight back like I did, she'd probably really could kill me in seconds if she wanted. I assumed the other woman was a member of Night Raid as well, so if I wanted to make it out of the situation alive, I needed to be careful.

To show I really didn't mean any harm, I pulled my arrow slowly back, holding up my hands.

"So you're Akame? Heard about you and Night Raid," I said, looking behind her to the other blonde woman. "Guessing you're with them too?"

The blonde scoffed. "You bet! So, I'm guessing you heard all about the stories, we're vicious blood thirsty monster!"

I laughed. "Ha, I'm not exactly clean myself, don't gotta worry about me judging you."

She laughed back. "Haha, you're how old kid? And you're talking like that?"

"I'm old enough, believe me," I said, finally able to get to my feet. I looked at Akame, who still had her sword at my neck. "Don't have to worry about me turning you in. Don't really care what you do, so long as you're not a threat to me or the ones I care about."

"Are you, or the ones you care about," Akame said, her sword slowly leaving my neck, "corrupted? Have you slain, or taken advantage of innocents?"

"Like I said… I'm not clean, but that's my story, and was a different time for me," I said, my eyes falling to my feet. "But my cousin? My friends who I traveled with? No, they're not."

The blonde laughed again. "HA, you're as serious as the boss. Wonder if you make bad puns like her. So, you said I scammed your cousin?"

Finally remembering how I ended up in this situation I darted my eyes over at the blonde woman. "Yes, his names Tatsumi, had a sword and large pack, probably went to the barracks first, he and my friends came to join the Imperial Army, to make money to send back to my village."

"And you?" Akame asked. "What was your purpose here, to join the army as well?"

"Over my dead body," I said, far darker than I intended. "But they were determined, so i came to look after them. We may be the same age, but Tatsumi he… he and my friends, they haven't seen what I've seen."

Akame stared at me with those ruby eyes, an evaluating look to them. It was like she had recognized something in me. Whatever it was, I had no idea, but her eyes on me gave me an uneasy feeling.

Night had fallen in earnest now, the streets were clear, if I had to try and fight again, I'd stand no chance, and no help would come.

"Huh, you do seem… experienced? I think that's the right word," The blonde said, a smile on her face as she looked at me. "And you're right about your cousin, all I did was tell him I had a contact in the army who needed money, and then they could make him a captain."

I groaned, dammit Tatsumi….

I rolled my eyes, the woman, whatever her name was, seemed to find it hilarious. "Well, I don't suppose you can find it in your kind assassin heart to give it back? We've been saving that money for the last six months."

"Six months and that's all you got?" She laughed, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Well since you're cute and pretty clever, I would love to give it back."

"Really?" I said skeptically.

"No," She said, which made her laugh and me groan. "Unfortunately, we're going to need that money of yours for official Night Raid business!"

This is getting me nowhere…I thought, looking between the two. The blonde still didn't seem bothered, finding the entire situation hilarious. Akame meanwhile, rubbed her stomach and pulled out what looked like a cookie from her back pocket before munching on it aimlessly. So… these are the deadly assassins of Night Raid?

I shook the thoughts from my head, as eccentric as they may have seemed, Mio had always taught me never to underestimate an opponent, and like with most things, she had been right most of the time.

"Fine, I don't really care too much about it," I said. "But I don't suppose you know where he is now? Him, and my two friends, they'd probably stand out as well. They'll look like fish out of water here."

The blonde shrugged. "Sorry kid, I try to make it a habit of not following the people I scam."

Sighing with annoyance, I squeezed my fist together and shook my head. "I see… well, thanks for at least answering. Are either of you going to try and kill me when I leave?"

"It's as I said, you are not a target, we will not slay you," Akame said, finishing off a cookie, before she wiped her hand on her black robe.

I scoffed. "But I assume one of you, or another one of your group, will tail me for a time to see if I tell anyone anything."

"HA, you are good!" The blonde said, laughing next to Akame. "You got a background in our kind of work?"

"It's like I said…" I told them, turning around as my fists shook. "I'm not clean myself. You can tail me if you want, but it's a waste of your time, I won't say anything, what you do doesn't concern me."

I took a few steps to see if they were going to follow me, and luckily, they didn't. It had been my intention to head off to try and find Tatsumi, or somewhere to sleep for a life, but I heard something behind me. It was a small groan of pain, and I realized it was from Akame from the voice. I sighed, as my medical instincts took over.

Dammit father, you made me this way… I thought, turning around just before the two assassins could leap towards the rooftops.

"Wait," I said, getting them both to stop and turn to me just outside the alley.

The blonde smirked. "Ah, I thought you'd do this. You want hush money? Now you see, we can pay you that, or you we could just-."

"I don't want hush money; besides you'd just chase me down and get it back anyway," I said, walking straight up to the two, Akame in particular and kneeling. "You're bleeding."

I saw the tiny splotches of blood near her feet when we had been talking and noticed her movements had appeared a bit sluggish during out tussle. It was another reason that I she hadn't taken me down right away.

"What are you doing?" Akame asked, sounding curious, but not moving to try and stop me as I ran my fingers over the blood splotches on the ground. "It's like I said to Leone, I'm fine, it's not a serious injury."

"It probably isn't," I said, rubbing the blood between my fingers and pulling open my flap and sifting through the vials of ointment I had. "However, your bloods bright red, could be a sign an infection's setting in. Tiny cuts like this often led to them. Do you mind if I wrap it for you?"

"Why?" She asked, her ruby colored eyes looking down at me. "We fought not long ago; you don't have any obligation."

"You're injured, and I know how to fix it," I said, pulling the stopped out of one vial and smelling it. Recognizing it as the right cream, I dabbed a bit on my fingers. "It doesn't matter who it is, if you have the knowledge or skill to help a person, you should, it's the duty I carry with the knowledge I have," I said, recalling the words I learned my whole life. "Besides, I was eavesdropping, you retaliated, I may have done the same. So, will you let me treat this? It'll only take a minute or so."

"Ha looks like we got a physician on our hands," The blonde-who I assumed was named Leone from Akame's words- said with a smile.

"I'm not officially one, but my father was, I studied under him," I told them, digging through my bag for bandages and looking back up at Akame. "So? Can you show me where you got cut?"

It took her a minute, as we all awkwardly sat there, blood slowly dripping from a wound I couldn't see on Akame's leg. I thought I was going to have to ask again, however, eventually, Akame nodded, and lifted the hem of her black robe, to her lower thigh. Normally, I assumed any man would have been flustered at a pretty girl pulling up her skirts at him, but my father always said a good doctor put all things from his mind except a patient's health.

Still…her skin is… pale, smooth… GAH, stop it Max, I cursed at myself in my head.

Finally, I saw the wound. I clicked my tongue and rubbed the ointment together on my fingers.

"What is it?" Akame asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing bad, you said you slipped off a roof, right?"

"Yes, I cut my inner thigh on the edge of the stone," She told me. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I've seen a lot worse, believe me," I told her, looking up and meeting her eyes. "I made this myself, it'll sting for a few seconds, but it should stop any infection."

"Ohhh aren't you a lucky boy," Leone purred, coming to stand next to me. "Bet you didn't think you'd be rubbing the inside of some cuties thigh when you came to the big city did you?"

I narrowed my eyes and tried in vain to keep my face from getting red. "Shut your mouth! And stop calling me 'boy', my names Max."

"Thank you, Max," Akame said suddenly in her calming voice.

I looked up, the slightest hint of a smile was on her face, I finally didn't see any suspicion in her eyes. Despite the fact I did my best, that didn't do anything except make my face redder as I nodded. After that, I finally gently smeared the white ointment over the cut across her pale inner thigh with two fingers. It wasn't a deep cut, but a long one, still one that should be treated.

I heard the smallest wince from the assassin as the ointment set in. After that, like my mother had taught me, I ripped off a length of bandages, and wrapped it around her leg.

"Well aren't you just the sweetest," Leone said, sounding genuine. "I almost feel bad for scamming your cousin. Thanks for the help, Maxy!"

"Please, don't call me Maxy, it's embarrassing," I said with an annoyed roll of my eyes. "But it's fine, I don't suppose you can pay me back by helping me find my cousin, can you?"

"You really care about him, and those friends of yours, don't you?" Leone said, her tone softer now.

I finished wrapping Akame's leg and stood. "They mean everything… they're all I have left, my family. I'll do anything for them."

Yes… anything, even become that person I used to be again if I have too, I thought, a cold feeling rushing to my fingertips.

"You, your cousin and friends," Akame suddenly said, just as it seemed Leone was about to say something else. "You said that you came from the country, to seek your fortune in the city, correct?"

My chest suddenly felt heavy. "Well, they did… I came to supervise. We wanted to earn enough money to send back to help our village, it's starving."

Akame nodded, her ruby eyes falling from my blue ones. "As thanks for your kindness… allow me to do you one in return."

I shook my head. "Like I said, don't need to pay me back… but if you're offering what is it?"

Akame looked to Leone. "If they are from the country, I believe it is a possibility that our targets could have captured them… don't you think?"

My chest dropped to my stomach when I saw a look of realization appear on Leone's face. I remembered them talking about targets, at first I hadn't thought anything of it… but after learning what organization they belonged too, it made sense now.

"You and your group…" I said slowly, looking between them. "You're out on an assassination mission tonight, aren't you? What's that have to do with my cousin and friends?!"

With each passing second, I felt it growing inside me. That fear, and the fear eventually led to anger, anger at myself, for not sticking to my conviction of not wanting us all to go to the Capital, angry at the Capital, at the government who forced us to come here for the village. The more the anger came… the more the other version of myself came out.

I could almost feel my bag pulsating, I heard a loud thumping in the back of my head. Along with screams.

Leone looked sorrowful as she nodded at Akame. "You may be right," she turned to me next. "You see kid, our targets tonight are depraved. It's a wealthy family in the western market district, a man, woman, and their daughter. We got hired to take them out because… they've been abducting country folk who've come into the Capital."

"Abducting them…" I said in a low voice, flashes or red fire appearing in my eyes, the rattling of chains echoing against my ears. "And… and doing what?"

"Torturing them," Akame said, her hand on the hilt of her katana. She looked sorrowful as well, the words clearly disturbing her as well. "The daughter normally takes country folk, or foreigners off the streets with promises of a bed and food. The family then promises to help them… before they bring them to a shed on their property… before torturing them to death."

"Our groups taking out the family tonight," Leone told me, shaking her head. "The guards all know about it, making them just as guilty. If... if your cousin and friends arrived before you then-."

"You said the western market district?" I said, my voice low, my eyes on the ground as I packed up my bag and pulled it onto my shoulders.

"Yes," Akame said, her ruby eyes trained on me. "I will not slay anyone who is not my target. If your loved ones are-."

"Hey! Wait where are you going?!" Leone yelled, as Akame didn't finish her sentence.

I had already started running west, I could feel my aura blaring around me, my body temperature rising. The pots and pans attached to my bag nearly fell off from how fast I ran, and the thumping, the beckoning in my ears got louder with each step I took.

But I didn't stop.

Ieyesu, Sayo… Tatsumi, I'm coming!

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"TATSUMI?! TATSUMI, YELL IF YOU CAN HEAR ME!" I screamed, as I leapt towards the fence, pulling myself up and over. I fell to the ground and groaned as I rolled back up to my feet. "TATSUMI?!"

The large mansion had been easy enough to find, and un-surprisingly, there hadn't been any guards around the gate after I leapt over. I could already hear the distant sounds of fighting, screams of men dying, and the firing of guns as the full moon was my only source of light. I cursed under my breath; Night Raid is already here… they move fast.

Had Leone and Akame already gotten here ahead of me? If they had, they must be even better then I had initially thought. I wasn't worried about them harming Tatsumi or the others, if they were here, they wouldn't be dressed as guards, and Akame had said she owed me, also saying she wouldn't kill a non-target. For some strange reason I believed her, she didn't seem like a person from my limited interaction with her, that would break her word.

But she doesn't know what Tatsumi looks like, I thought frantically, huffing and puffing as quick, stabbing breaths left me, and if he doesn't know what this family's done, if they really took him in, he'll help defend them, and if he does, they'll kill him!

Of course, I didn't know myself if Akame and Leone had told the truth about the family. It very well could be true, but it also couldn't. At the moment, I didn't care.

"Tatsumi…" I huffed, nearly stumbling forward when I saw a massive flash of yellow from a gun, more than likely a sniper shoot from the side of the mansion, followed by a group of black specs leaping through the night sky.

I will admit… Night Raid's got style, I thought, rushing towards the back of the mansion. If they really did have a torture shed or something like Akame and Leone had said, I assumed it'd be at the back the house. My breathing got heavier with each step, and I cursed myself for being so out of shape. I had the occasionally training session with Tatsumi, Ieyesu and Sayo, and of course I shot my bow regularly… but since I had finally gotten back a year ago my main focus had been learning to cook and heal, instead of kill.

Still, I'd admit that I could have added a few more morning runs to my routine as I labored my way through the massive green property. The sound of gunfire and screams died down, as I finally hear more yelling up ahead of me, and I could see a clearing coming up. Grinding my teeth, I reached down to the side of my calf where I always kept a knife strapped and yanked it out. My bow had been reduced to splinters by Akame, so other then the source of my headache that sat at the bottom of my bag, I had no weapon.

And I won't draw it again… never again. I had no idea why I hadn't chucked it away, chucked it into a lake after I had returned a year ago, the cause of so much death, the deaths of those I loved… why hadn't I gotten rid of it?

I knew the answer, because deep within me I knew I wanted to unleash that power upon those who had committed the atrocities I saw… but more importantly, I wanted that power to protect the ones I had left. Still… I hadn't used it since that day. That day I had lost control.

But if Tatsumi is in danger…I thought, chewing at my lip, as I saw a clearing come into view, and finally I heard voices.

"You're really going to try and attack a young girl?!" A voice yelled, and when I recognized it, I yelled.

"TATSUMI!" I barreled through a bush as I saw the clearing get closer.

"Yes," A calm, unbothered voice responded. "If you get in my way, I'll kill you too."

I cursed and tried to pick up my pace when I recognized Akame's voice, but the minute I did, a crater that had been created by a blast from a gun tripped me up. I fell and rolled forward just as I heard the clash of swords.

"Tatsumi…." I groaned, getting back up to my feet, just as I heard whistling behind me.

"It's not like Akame to not be finished yet," Another familiar voice said, and I spun around to see a head of blonde hair, a large chest and surprised face. "You! There you are, Akame and I tried yelling for you. You know, we would've just brought you here with us if we-."

"Akame's trying to kill my cousin!" I cut Leone off, meeting her eyes as I could hear the desperation in my voice. "He doesn't know what's going on, we gotta stop them!"

Leone looked from me out towards the clearing I had just been about to charge into. I looked with her, and sure enough there was Tatsumi. My cousin clashed swords with Akame, but as much skill as I knew Tatsumi had, Akame was simply better. Behind Tatsumi near the shed, I saw a young terrified looking girl with frizzy blonde hair, I assumed that had to be the daughter of the family, one who supposedly tortured people.

It was like I had guessed, Tatsumi was too kind for his own good at times to be suspicious.

"You're right," Leone said, yanking me along with her. "Come on, we can tell her-."

"NO!" I screamed, when I saw Akame's katana flash again, sinking a few inches deep into Tatsumi's shoulder.

Akame yanked her sword out, and Tatsumi fell back to the ground, and my chest erupted.

"TATSUMI!" I yelled, finally rushing out ahead into the clearing. Akame turned with her sword raised, but her eyes widened when she saw me.

"Max…" She said, seeming to remember my name. I fell to my knees next to Tatsumi, and I saw Akame's ruby eyes go wide, a hint of horror in them. "Is… is this…"

I ignored her and grabbed Tatsumi's shoulder, rolling him over on his back and pulling him up. "Tatsumi! Tatsumi wake up you moron!"

I went to feel for where I saw Akame's sword stab near his shoulder, expecting the worst, but when I pulled my hand back, there was no blood, and I had felt something hard.

"My… my sword," Akame's voice said behind me, and I swirled back head back up to her, my eyes wide and stinging near tears. "I didn't feel it hit flesh… is he."

"Tatsumi!" I said, shaking his shoulders. "Come on, wake up this isn't funny! If you don't wake up right now, I swear I'll-."

A groan came from him. "Ugh… my head… M… Max?"

"Tatsumi!" I said, letting out a breath. "Are you okay? I saw her sword hit you!"

"Ha… no need to worry," He said, as I scrambled to my feet as he tried to get up himself. I yanked him by the hand up, and I saw him smirk as he reached into his sweater. "Looks like the village was protecting me the whole time."

My legs nearly gave out as I breathed in relief, when is saw the wooden idle the chief had given to Tatsumi before we left. I let go of his shoulders, and he was still smirking like a mad man.

"Yeah… looks like it," I said, smiling as I met his eyes, relief washing over me, before it was replace by annoyance.

So, I did what I'd been doing since we were kids, and punched the top of his head.

"OW! What the hell was that for?!" He yelled, rubbing the new lump on his head.

"That's for giving all your money to the first chick you saw with a giant rack you idiot!" I scolded him, rolling my eyes and rubbing my knuckles. "Honestly, if a pretty girl told you jumping off a mountain could make you live longer, you'd leap right off!"

"How did you know about that…?!" He said flustered, shaking his head. "That doesn't matter now! When did you get here, have you found Sayo and-."

"Max, my apologies," Akame's voice said, and I turned with a nervous looking Tatsumi to see the black-haired assassin give me a small bow. "If I had known this was your cousin, I would not have struck."

I shook my head, noticing the bottom of the wrap I'd put around her leg as the hem of her skirt flapped up in the wind. Tatsumi next to me went for his sword, but I held my hand out to stop him.

"Its no problem Akame, you didn't know," I said, turning back to Tatsumi who looked at me absolutely floored. "Tatsumi come on, were getting out of here, they won't hurt us, we're not their target."

"Huh?! What are you talking about Max?!" He exclaimed, shaking his head and screaming at me now. "We've been here less then two days and you're buddy buddy with Night Raid, they're a group of murderers!"

I sighed, and turned to see Akame looking at us both, her ruby eyes meeting mine, I could tell she was giving me a silent promise. Leave. Tatsumi and I wouldn't be harmed if we did.

"Look Tatsumi, I'll explain things later," I hissed at him, grabbing his wrist and trying to drag him away. "For now, let's get out of here and out of there way-."

"No! No please," The young blonde girl from behind us yelled, grabbing mine and Tatsumi's arms and looking between us both. "You can't leave and let them kill me!"

"She's right Max!" Tatsumi said, looking at me and trying to pull his arm away. "We can't just let them kill an innocent girl!"

"He's right!" The girl pleaded, looking at me now. "Please, I saved your cousin off the street, don't let them kill me! I can pay-."

"Ugh get off me!" I snapped at the girl, shoving her off the both of us.

'The daughter normally takes foreigners or country-folk off the street. The family then makes them false promises to help… before torturing them.' Akame's words rang through my head as I saw the girl cowering with wide eyes on the ground. It was surely the daughter of the house, one of their targets I knew that for a fact now.

I had no proof of what Akame, and Leone had told me. However, Akame had told me because I healed her, she said she was returning my kindness… and for a reason unknown to me, her calm, sorrowful tone, the way she had spoke… it made me take head of her words. I looked up at the shed a few meters ahead of us, and felt my stomach begin to churn.

We still hadn't found Sayo or Ieyesu.

'Thump.' 'Thump'. 'Thump. 'Thump'.

No… no, no not now! Get out of my head! I thought, a tingling going up my arms, as if tiny hot pincers were grabbing and yanking at every inch of my skin. I wanted to rip my gloves off, tear off my sleeves, my entire shirt as the longer I stood there, the more I looked at that shed, the more it was like they were melting into my skin.

But I couldn't take them off, I didn't want to see the scars, see the burns, my marred skin. I gripped both my arms in a vice as the shaking got worse, the heat got worse, it was as if they would burst into flames at any minute.

'THUMP', 'THUMP', 'THUMP', 'THUMP', 'THUMP'.

"Maximus… release me, destroy the wickedness you see before you."

"SHUT UP!" I hissed back at the voice inside my head, tearing my eyes away from the shed and back to Tatsumi.

"Max…?!" He questioned, grabbing my arm. "What's wrong with you? You're pale and-."

"Max," I heard Akame say behind me. I turned to see her ruby eyes still on me, her glinting steel sword drawn, before she pointed it towards us. "Please, remove yourself and your cousin. I don't wish for either of you to be accidentally hurt."

"Wait, come on, is this about the money?!" Tatsumi yelled, as I still felt my hands shaking, felt them burning beneath my gloves. "Because if it is, we can just-."

"Let's go Tatsumi!" I said, grabbing his arm again, trying not to leave any room for argument, but I wasn't any bigger or taller then Tatsumi, so he broke free.

"What's gotten into you Max?!" Tatsumi said, getting angry himself and stepping towards the blonde girl again. "This isn't like you! You and Cousin Jean always did what was right, no matter what!"

At the sound of my brother's name, the thumping started again. 'THUMP', 'THUMP', 'THUMP', 'THUMP', 'THUMP'!

"You're here Maximus, the ones responsible for his death… for all their deaths, are finally within your reach," The voice said. It was just as I remembered it. Deep, old, wizened… yet powerfully overwhelming. "Unleash me… unleash my power and destroy the wicked ones who caused you and this land so much pain."

"I told you before…" I said back to the voice in my head. "I was the one responsible… all of that death, all of that blood… is on me. I will never unleash you again, now begone!"

"A weapon… power is not born inherently good, or evil," the voice said, fading as it spoke again, it's voice nearly a whisper. "It is the intent… and will of the wielder which determines that."

The voice was gone. The burning of my arms was gone, only the cold breeze of the night remained. I don't know how much time passed, but I turned back towards Tatsumi, my eyes still on my feet.

"Jean is dead," I said, my voice final. "And we will be too, come on we need-."

"I'm sorry Max, but I have a time limit," Akame suddenly said, and it turned to see an apologetic look in her eyes, as she raised her sword and dashed forward. "I won't harm either of you, I swear, only my target!"

I saw something snap in her eyes, they narrowed, and those ruby orbs narrowed in behind Tatsumi and me. It scared me for a moment, those were the eyes of a trained killer, one who had been at it for a long time. I recognized them. Mio had eyes just like them before Jean and I saved her.

"Move Tatsumi!" I yelled, trying to grab him, but it was as I already knew, he was still just as strong as me.

"No! I don't know what's gotten into you Max, but we can't leave!" He said, before turning back to Akame, who had started sprinting towards the girl behind us. She tried to go around, but Tatsumi stepped in her way. "Look lady, you can't do this! If it's about the money-."

"You cousin did me a kindness!" Akame yelled, her eyes narrowed at Tatsumi. "I won't harm you as thanks to him, but you will move-."

"Woahhhh, hold up!" A voice said just before I could go intervene. In a quick flash of blonde, I saw a pawed hand reach out and grab Akame and yank her back.

My eyes widened, and I nearly choked from the shock when I saw… "Leone?!"

She was even taller than she had been before. Her muscles were massive, ears like a lion were sprouting from the top of her head, and the hand that had grabbed Akame… was a giant lion's paw.

I… I can't believe it, that's really her, I thought, having leapt back to Tatsumi's side. It without a doubt was Leone, her blonde hair, outfit, it was all the same. How could she be… oh shit… that's just what I needed…. She has an Imperial Arms!

Around her waist I saw the belt she wore. It looked like a normal belt, but in the middle, I could see the green gem. It was exactly like the Imperial Arms I saw in the book Mio had given me to study after Jean and I had escaped with her, the beast belt that transformed the wearers body.

Imperial Arms… that was my worst fear of returning to the Capital, having to deal with those instruments of death again.

But just like everything in this trip so far, that had been turned upside-down.

"Leone," Akame said, looking up and back at Leone, her calm look coming back to her. "What are you doing?"

Leone smirked and looked over at Tatsumi and me. "We still have time, trust me. Besides, you owe Maxy over here, and I owe this kid. What do you say we pay them back?"

I sighed out in relief, before looking and narrowing my eyes at her. "I said… please don't call me Maxy."

"Ha, whatever you say Maxy," She teased, before winking at us both. "You sure have tendency to run off, if you had waited a few more seconds i would have come with you."

"My cousin had just been stabbed," I said. "Sorry for being a little worried."

Tatsumi looked at me floor again. "Huh?! Max you… you know-. Hey! You're that big boobed-."

"Yup! I'm that pretty lady from before!" Leone said with a wink.

He didn't finish, as his face went red, and he laughed nervously looking at me. "So… I'm guessing that you-."

"Yes, fantastic job losing all our money," I sighed, shaking my head. "I told you this whole trip was a bad idea…"

'Thump', 'Thump', 'Thump'.

My body started shaking again, I could feel the hot prickling coming back.

Sayo and Ieyesu… I slowly turned back to the shed, seeing the blonde haired daughter scramble behind me when I looked down at her.

Tatsumi seemed to remember what was happening and stepped in front of her. "Stop Max, you're scaring her! We need to get her-."

"Kid…" Leone said, and I saw her walk past me, Akame following, past the daughter on the ground, who I noticed tensed as Leone got to the door. "You were afraid we were killing an innocent little girl, right? And you're wondering so hard if we told you the truth, a hole's practically burning in your head, right Maxy?"

'Thump,' 'Thump', 'Thump'…. 'Thump.'

She stepped to the door of the shed, and with each step she took, my bag got heavy, the thumping reverberating throughout my body. I didn't want her to open it… because I knew what would be behind it. I wasn't like Tatsumi… I knew what it would be like the minute we all left the village.

And I still didn't stop them… couldn't stop them.

"Well…" Leone said, before sweeping her massive paw across the locked shed. "I wonder if you'll be able to say the same after you see this…. Take a good look, this is the dark side of the Capital."

Oh… I know, I know very well, I thought, as the thumping intensified in my mind, the weight of my bag became almost unbearable, and my skin started burning again. It… it's just like a year ago… the corpses… the experiments… the death… the smell.

The smell of burnt, rotting flesh hadn't changed in the past year, and I still hadn't gotten used to it.

Rows upon rows of bodies were strung across the shed. Heads, hands, feet, fingers, noses, all sorts of body parts were floating in jars, blood smeared the walls. Dismembered, shriveled corpses were strewn about, rot and maggots settling in. Bloody knives, cleavers and medical instruments hung from the walls, I smelled different poisons that I recognized from the years my father trained Jean and I in them so we could treat them.

Moaning could be heard from my left, I saw bodies infected with Ruboka, Lubola and other diseases, spots and markings from their organs being crushed or liquified from poisons or other sicknesses. The physician in me cried, the person in me cried, I wanted to shed tears, I wanted to be like Tatsumi was now, wide eyed, slack-jawed, looking on in horror.

But it was hard to do, when you had lived in a place of horror such as this before… you felt like I did then. Numb.

I ignored the thumping, my eyes dazed as I looked up at the hanging corpses… and it was only when I saw the purple flower in a familiar head of black hair that I inhaled sharply, and felt blood dropping on my palms under my gloves.

"Wh… what…" Tatsumi said, taking a small step into the new hell. "What the hell is this?!"

"The truth…" I said under my breath, my knees starting to buckle, as the weight of my bag, the heat of the skin on my arms became almost unbearable.

"They invited unidentified folk from the country in with sweet offers," Leone said from next to me, an angry, beast like look in her eye. "After that, they play with them… by torturing them to death. This… is the true nature of the people who live in this house."

After that… Tatsumi finally saw her too. "S… Sayo? Come on… Say… Sayo!"

Tatsumi had always loved Sayo, just like she did him, after her crush on Jean had finally disappeared when Jean got married. Her leg had been brutally chopped off, her head hung limp, as blood covered her body… but the flower remained.

"M…Max…" Tatsumi said, turning back to me, his eyes still wide. "You… you can fix anything, how… what… what can-."

"E…even I can't do anything… T…Tatsumi," I said, telling myself the hard truth. No, nothing I could do could save Sayo now… not even the secrets I had buried deep away.

"So… she was one of your two friends," Leone said, looking at Tatsumi and I. I noticed Akame had come up behind her, Leone shook her head. "I'm… sorry. Nobody-."

She stopped, and spun with more speed than I had expected, dashing back out of the shed. "Whoa now! You're asking for too much, if you think you can run away now… little missy."

I rushed forward, and ended up next to Akame, to see that Leone had grabbed the daughter of the house by the hair and yanked her back when she had tried to escape. I tensed when I saw the look in the girls' eyes. She was horrified.

Horrified, because she had been caught in a lie. I had seen that look in too many people before.

"I'm sorry…" I heard a whisper say, and I shakily turned to realize, it had been Akame. "About your friends. I'm sorry… that we didn't arrive for this job sooner."

"No… don't apologize," I said in a quiet voice, as I watched Leone drag the girl back towards the three of them. "You told me where to go, so I was able to save my cousin."

"Still," She said again, our eyes not meeting. "I'm sorry this happened to you. I know what it's like."

"I'm sure you do…" I said honestly, my stomach falling again, the thumping still in the back of my mind. "I… I knew it was like this here… and I didn't do more to stop them from coming. This… this place… it's taken everything from me…"

Akame didn't say anything, but I saw her hand tighten around the red sheath that held her sword.

It seemed we had more in common than I thought.

Mother, Father, Mio…Jean, I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough, I thought… a new feeling starting to rise in my chest.

"But… you can be… if you unleash me…." The voice said, distant in my head.

This time… I didn't force the voice out.

"That… that family did this?" Tatsumi said, still in the doorway to the shed, as Leone dragged and tossed the kicking girl in between them.

"That's right," Leone said, her anger rising. "And their guards kept silent about it, so they're just as guilty."

Thump… Thump… Thump…. "Unleash… unleash Maximus."

I finally had to let my bag drop from my shoulders, the weight becoming unbearable. I almost fell as I did, but Akame was the only one who seemed to notice, as she looked down at me slowly getting back to my feet.

"Sh… she's lying! I never knew this place existed!" The girl screamed from the ground, looking over at Tatsumi now. I would give it to her… she sounded convincing. "Are you going to believe me, who saved you, or them, Tatsumi?!"

Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump. "UNLEASH ME!"

I almost stumbled, as I could still hear the thumping coming from my bag, and the voice trying to pierce into my mind. Akame looked at me again, and it seemed like she was going to try and help me not fall… but then, I snapped back to reality when I heard a new voice.

"Ta…tsumi," It croaked first. "M…Max… It… is you guys… isn't it?"

I turned, and I saw the emaciated, talking corpse reach through the bars. Tatsumi's knees buckled as he turned.

"I…Ieyasu!?" My cousin yelled, as I rushed past him to cage our friend was in.

"Ieyasu! Come on!" I yelled, rushing and yanking on the already bent bars of his prison cell. I supposed the family knew victims would be too weak to escape. "I got you! Come on, I got stuff in my bag, I'll find something!"

I felt the iron bars pull, but not nearly enough. Ieyasu coughed, and shook his head, his eyes trained on Tatsumi… and on the daughter.

"I… I learned enough from you and... and Jean Max I… I know when I'm done," He said, pointing his bony finger through the bars. "Th… that girls, she approached Sayo and I… and… and we passed out after having a meal she offered us and… and we woke up her. Th…THAT GIRL TORTURED SAYO TO DEATH!"

"UNLEASH ME MAXIMUS!" This time the voice did make me stumble, back towards the door of the shed, just as I heard the girl start screaming.

"AND WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT?!" She yelled, and I used the wall to pull me back up, as I saw she broke away from Leone, and stood with her teeth bared and eyes wide while she screamed. "YOU GUYS ARE JUST USELESS COUNTRY BUMPKINS! I CAN TREAT YOU HOWEVER I WANT!"

She spun and ripped at her hair. "And for a farm animal that girl had beautiful straight hair and too much attitude! While I have to suffer with this kinked hair of mine! SO I MADE HER PAY FOR IT! YOU SHOULD BE THANKING ME FOR HOW THOROUGH I WAS WITH HER!

"From now on, all residents of this town, and the ones who came with you, besides you four are nothing but live-stock," I heard the words in my head again like they were said yesterday. "I will have no problems adding your family to that pen of live-stock Dr. Coyansu, you have two healthy young boys, and a pretty wife, they would make excellent test-subjects. I may treat you however I want, you should all be thanking me for being so merciful."

I… I will find and kill that man one day, I thought, all up and down my arms beginning to burn as if covered in white hot fire. And I will kill the ones who ordered him, and the ones who ordered them, EVEN THAT GENERAL, THEY'LL ALL BE DEAD!

"YES! UNELASH ME MAXIMUS! UNLEASH ME AND PROTECT THE ONES YOU HAVE LEFT!"

"Max?" I heard a voice say, and with my hand covering my one eye, I looked and saw Akame looking over at me. "Are you alright?"

I ignored her, the thumping pinging in my head like thunder, I walked over to the bag I had worn, that I had dropped next to her. I had just opened it, when the girl screamed again.

"I ONLY DID WHAT I WAS ENTITLED TO! I WON'T APOLOGIZE FOR SLAUGHTERING MY OWN LIVESTOCK!" She screamed, looking more like a rabid animal now. "AFTER MORE GUARDS GET HERE YOU'LL ALL-."

"Hate to interrupt your rant sweetheart," Leone cut her off, the angry look in her eyes only growing as she sneered. "But we're running out of time. Sorry I stopped you Akame."

Akame stepped away from me, drawing her sword. "She's going down…"

"Wait."

I had almost grabbed it… when Tatsumi's voice stopped me. I spun, and saw him turn from Ieyasu. As I saw his eyes, I shook, and fell backwards, my hand coming out of the bag.

Wh… what did I do?! I… I almost took it out, I almost let it loose again, what the hell is wrong with me?! I thought, scrambling to my feet and kicking the bag a short distance away, the pots and pans clunking. Nobody had noticed me thankfully, and I shakily pulled the knife out of the sheath on my calf again, gripping it reversed just in case.

I watched Tatsumi step between Akame and Leone.

Leone scoffed. "Don't tell me you're still going to stand up for her?!"

"No…" Tatsumi said, his hand shooting up to his sword. "I'll be the one to kill her."

And with one swift stroke, with all of his power, Tatsumi spilled the girls gut over the ground. I heard her gargle on her own blood, before it pooled out of her stomach onto the cold grass. She fell back, and without an ounce of remorse, only anger in his eyes, Tatsumi sheathed his sword to his back.

"Tatsumi…" I said breathlessly, my knees buckling as I looked down at my gloved and sleeved hands and arms. "Th… thank you…"

I whispered the last part. He had no idea, what he had just saved me from doing.

But one thing I did notice, was Leone. After he walked away, I noticed she looked at my cousin, hand to her chin, an interested look in her eye. I didn't want to know what she was thinking, but I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

"Heh… tha…that's my Tatsumi," I heard Ieyasu croak from the cage. "The both of you… that… that's a refreshing sight."

"Huh?! Ieyasu!" Tatsumi yelled, turning to me. "Max, you can help him, can't you?!"

"Come on, lets get him out!" I said, and we both rushed to the cage.

Leone came to help us after a moment of struggling. Ieyasu was coughing, and all thoughts of what I had almost unleashed, the thumping, the voice, it was all gone. I noticed him covered in dark red blotches and my mind started racing.

Blotches on the skin, could mean infections in the blood, Father's voice rang in my head, as Tatsumi and I laid Ieyasu down just outside the shed. Akame and Leone watched, as I scrambled to grab my bag, and pulled it open, grabbing the box inside that had all my vials of different potions and ointment. If the patients coughing up blood, be sure to lay them on their side, so they don't choke on it as they cough.

"Roll him on his side!" I told Tatsumi, as I heard him Ieyasu cough again, his blood mixing with the dead girls in the grass.

I pulled open my box, and saw the different vials of potions and other medicine I'd made. I tried to grab one, trying to find a soothing mixture I remembered making… but with each vial I picked up, my hands started to shake uncontrollably. My scribbled handwriting on all the labels became blurry, and I saw two of each leaf and ingredient in the box.

"Max! His breathing!" Tatsumi yelled, as Ieyasu starting hacking again.

Continued coughing and loss of more blood is dangerous, father's voice said. If the red splotches continue to grow… it could be Rubola disease.

"Dammit… dammit!" I cursed, the image of Sayo's hanging corpse in my mind. "Urgh, what the hell?!"

"Max…" A familiar soft voice said behind me. "He's in the final stages of Rubola disease."

"I know!" I snapped at her, picking up another tiny vial of pink liquid. "I… I have to have something! Something I can mix, anything that can buy me more time! I'll-."

"The wife… she enjoyed administering drugs to people and recording their symptoms," Akame said, her shadow lingering over me, Leone's not far away. "There's no saving him… I'm sorry."

Rubola disease… there is no cure, Father's voice said again. Remember boys, the best we can offer someone with this disease is a painless death, administer a lethal, but painless mixture, perhaps Rhubarb to ease their passing.

"I… I know," I said, my shaky hands grabbing a small vial with a clear liquid in it.

'Rhubarb', the label read… it was actually sweet tasting, but shut down your internal organs in minutes.

And also remember… Rubola disease is manmade, Father had said. If you find a case, it was injected into a person intentionally, alert the proper authorities if you ever treat someone with it, so they can find the murderer. It is the only other thing we can do for people with this sickness.

Except… I couldn't. Just like I couldn't do anything for Sayo who hung in the shed, beaten, defiled, missing a leg.

"You can do something about it… protect the ones who are left… Maximus…" The voice said in my head again.

I ignored it, moving over to Ieyasu, to Tatsumi who had his head in his lap, small tear droplets were coming down my cousin's face.

"H…here Ieyasu," I said, tipping up the back of his head. "This… this is going to make you feel better."

He didn't argue, the coughing was gone… and I knew what that meant. With the last bit of light in his eyes, Ieyasu smiled and downed the contents of the vial.

"Ha… you… you and Dr… Dr. Coyansu… always made the best tasting medicine," He croaked, looking between us… and like Ieyasu often did, he was smiling. "S… Sayo…. She… she never gave into that bitch. You… you both should have seen her! I… I bet J…Jean he… he would have loved it too."

Tatsumi's eyes were watery, he didn't say anything. He may have held himself together… but I couldn't. My first tears fell onto my friend body.

"Yeah… yeah I bet he would have," I said, grabbing one of Ieyasu's hands. "He… he would have been proud of… of all four of us."

He smiled again. "I… I hope. I… I wanna be… be a badass like Sayo was… up… up until my last moment to… to make you both proud… make Jean… Jean proud too. M… Max… you… you're the… the smartest guy I know… Can… can I ask you something?"

It was coming back. My arms stared to get hot, and the thumping, it was distant, but I could hear it in the bag next to me. My arms started shaking, as Tatsumi looked down at Ieyasu, and thankfully not up at me.

"Yeah… what is it?" I asked him, knowing the poison was working, I could see his eyes slowly beginning to close.

"Do… do you think that…. That I… I'll see Sayo and… and Jean? You… you know when… when I…" He said, his smile still there, his eyes opening and closing.

I smiled, and nodded at him, ignoring the blistering feeling going up and down my arms now. "Yeah… you will Ieyasu. Do… do me a favor and… and tell Jean that… that…"

I had noticed his eyes already closed, but I whispered anyway. "Tell him… tell him that I won't give up… I'll find them… both of them."

"He… he didn't feel any pain at the end… right?" Tatsumi said from across me. "That… that was what you gave him?"

"Yeah," I said softly, unable to look up at him.

We sat in silence for a few moments, and I looked at Ieyasu's face. It looked… oddly at peace. At least… I accomplished that. I… I came to protect the three of them… at least I still have Tatsumi.

The only problem was… I had no idea what we'd do next, or what I'd do about the ticking explosive I could feel within myself then. I wanted to cry because I was upset, I wanted to scream because I was frustrated… but most of all, I wanted to destroy the ones who had taken everything, before they took the little, I had left.

"Protect what is yours Maximus… protect what you have left," The voice said, as I could feel it and thumping get louder.

"It was his sheer will power keeping him alive this long," I heard Akame say, and I had almost forgotten about the two assassins behind us. I turned and saw her ruby eyes trained on me, they were soft… and I found them oddly comforting. She bowed. "I'm sorry for your losses."

"What… what happened," Tatsumi said, as I looked and saw him slowly stand, his watery eyes looking at me. "You… you knew Max. You knew and we didn't listen. Why… why didn't we listen?!

Thump… thump… thump… thump…

"GAH!" I finally yelled, as I felt the shooting, burning pain travel up my arms. My knees buckled and I fell to one knee, right next to my bag, which had been blown over by a gust of wind.

"Max!" Tatsumi yelled, rushing over to me. I looked and saw Akame, while she didn't move to help, she looked at me curiously, Leone doing the same not far away.

My cousin grabbed onto my arm to steady me. "Max! What's wrong, are you-."

"Don't touch me!" I said, his touch sending a shooting pain up my arm, and I fell to the side. My bag got knocked over, food, pots and pans, other provisions all spilled out.

And then… I saw it. It hadn't left my bag since our trip began all those weeks ago, it hadn't left the chest in my room back in the village for four months before that.

It wasn't long, a thick piece of black metal perhaps a foot long, curved like the middle of a bow. I looked down at it, and froze, my entire body shaking as I saw nothing but flames, buildings set alight, people burning and rushing past me. In the middle of the black piece of metal, was a small half-circle with wing like protrusions where one would hold it.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP! "MAXIMUS!"

"M…Max?" Tatsumi said carefully, looking where I was. "Wh…what is that? Hey man, come on, snap out of it, are you-."

Mio had taught me, that our senses heightened when we were frightened, and it allowed me to hear the click of the gun before any light moved.

"GET DOWN!" I screamed, pushing Tatsumi forward, as a massive shot from what had to be a heavy piece of artillery shot past us with a bright yellow glow. I noticed Akame and Leone both leaping out the opposite way, but the shot smashed into the wall of the shed, and left a smoking hole.

My body smashed into the ground, and I screamed for a minute as in that moment it felt like my arms had really caught on fire. I blinked and saw smoke clear, my vision which had been blurry finally cleared. I saw Ieyasu's body had been flung aside, as around us, the brush began to move.

"Night Raid!" A loud voice shouted, and I saw a tall, lumbering man in a white uniform emerge from the woods. In two hands, he carried a long cannon like weapon, smoking from the barrel as a group of soldiers-at least ten strong-emerged around him, guns all pointed towards the four of us. "SURRENDER! YOU HAVE THIRTY SECONDS TO COMPLY!"

"M… Max!" Tatsumi said, rubbing his eyes and shooting to his feet. "We gotta go!"

"He's right!" I hear from my right. I looked over and saw Akame, who had drawn her sword next to a very pissed off looking Leone. "You should flee, they will all soon meet their end if they interfere. Save yourselves."

"They have made a big mistake," Leone said, punching a fist into her hand.

Tatsumi grabbed my arm. "Come on Max, let's get-."

"No…" I said, yanking my arm from him.

I spotted it, a few feet ahead from me. Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

"Yes… gather your strength Maximus, gather it, and protect them!" The voice followed soon after.

Under my gloves, under my sleeves, I could feel flames like I felt that day, I could feel them being pressed onto my skin. The feeling traveled from my arms, to my back, up the sides of my neck, and it didn't take long before I the anticipation, the sensation I knew I'd feel in my eyes, made them tingle with anticipation.

I passed Ieyasu's body. Ieyasu… Sayo… mother, father… Mio… Jean… I promise, I'll protect what I have left… and I'll make sure nobody, had everything taken from them again.

My stomach, exploded as I reached it, just as the commander shouted again.

"NIGHT RAID! Take aim! Fire on my command!" He yelled, and I heard the cocking and loading of rifles, all of them pointed towards me. "You have one chance to surrender Night Raid! Hand yourself-."

"Shut your mouth jackass!" I yelled over to them, not even bothering to lift my head. As all I did was look down at the twelve-inch piece of black metal beneath me.

"Max! Are you crazy?!" I heard Tatsumi yell.

"He's right, get the hell out of there kid!" Leone followed.

After that I heard Akame. "You can't fight them all, what do you plan on-."

"YOUR HEAD WILL BE ON A SPIKE BY NIGHTS END!" The commander yelled, cutting the assassin off, as I could hear the venom in his voice. "YOU HAVE FIFTEEN SECONDS LEFT TO COMPLY BEFORE WE FIRE UPON YOU!"

Thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump. It became fast, incessant, yearning, as I reached my hand down towards it.

Once my hand touched the smooth, cold metal, I heard the voice again, this time as if someone was standing right next to me. "Ahhhhh… yes, go… go on Maximus! Unleash the power I know is inside of your heart!"

"You know… you corrupt Capital shit-bags are really starting to piss me off" I said, still looking down as I rose with the piece of metal in my hand, settling my grip and running my thumb along it. "And… I'm finally sick of it."

I found the button, it was well hidden, but I still remembered where to find it. My clothes felt like they were sinking into my body now, settling like lava turning into rock on my flesh.

I didn't care… I wanted them dead. Eleven in total, big commander in the middle, five on either side of me as far as ninety degrees to my left and right…

"Yes… crush them, crush the ones who would harm those you love," It said, and I could hear its excitement as my thumb ran over the button.

"MAX! GET OUT OF THERE!" I heard Tatsumi yell, and I spun when I heard him start running.

"BACK OFF TATSUMI!" I said, and however I looked, it made him stop.

"M…Max, your… your eyes!" He said, pointing a shaking finger towards me.

I felt the pressure on my eyes, and realized they were probably bloodshot, turning almost completely red from their normal blue color. My sweaty black hair stuck to my forehead, and when Tatsumi stopped, I noticed Leone looking at me wide-eyed, and then I saw Akame… looking at me differently. More in awe, or questioningly then the others.

"TEN SECONDS!" The commander yelled, making me turn back to him. "TEN SECONDS AND WE WILL SHOOT NIGHT RAID! TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN-."

"You bastards… all of you," I said, finally pressing the button, and shaking my head. "You took everything, this Capital. They're starving my home… they took my mother, my father… my brother, and now, you tried to take my cousin. You all made a really big mistake… do you want to know what that is? You let me grab this weapon."

I saw the commander stop counting when he saw what happened. After pressing the button, the piece of metal in my hands sprung to life. It shot out from end to end, growing at least as long I was tall. I felt it out, as the bow grew black wings near the center, its edges forming sharp black points. At my waist, I knew I only had a single arrow left, many having fallen in my mad dash to find Tatsumi after climbing the fences.

As the bow grew, I could feel its heat increase. The heat traveled up my arms, up the side of my neck, into my skull, behind my eyes. It was a sensation I hadn't felt in months…and I forgot how amazing it had felt.

"Wh… what is that?!" I heard a man yell out, as I could see the red veins of the bow start to show, they metal finally finishing its construction, growing to its full length.

"Woah… Max, when… how," Tatsumi said, barely able to form words.

"Woah… Akame," Leone said behind me as well. "Isn't… isn't that…"

"I believe it is…" Akame said, her voice mystified.

"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT HIS WEAPON IS!" The commander shouted, even scoffing, as I saw the smoke start steaming off the metal of my weapon. "He's only carrying a bow, it's WEAK! PREPARE TO BLOW HIM AWAY!"

Those words made me laugh, didn't these idiots have any idea what they were looking at?

"Weak? Well, me and this weak weapon," I said, my eyes shooting open, as I gripped the bow in a vice, screaming as the anger surged in me, "ARE ABOUT TO SEND YOU ALL STRAIGHT TO HELL! IMPERIAL ARMS, BOW OF THE IMMORTAL FIRE PHEONIX!"

"An Imperial Arms?!" I had time to hear Leone yell, before I slammed the bow into the ground. Right away the flames exploded.

And when I did, I felt its power race up my arms. "Yes… yes Maximus, the two of us… we are going to get back what you lost and protect others from losing the same. Despite your hatred of me… I will lend you my strength, UNLEASH IT"

I screamed, as I felt the armor begin to slowly form over my arms. "IGNATIOOOONNN!"

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Akame.

"Come on kid you can spill it, tell me!" Leone asked of the boy besides them, who had fallen backwards at the sight, as the fire began to rage. "How the hell did your cousin get his hands on an Imperial Arms!"

"I told you I don't know! I don't even know what Imperial Arms are!" The kid shot back, and I could hear the sincerity in his voice. "I… I've never seen this before! We need to do something, he's on fire!"

"He'll be fine kid… it's really an Imperial Arms," Leone said with a scoff. "This mission just got interesting…. Akame, ever seen that one before?"

"No, I haven't," I told her, my eyes unable to leave Max as the flames raged. "But it seems to be an armor type Imperial Arms, like Incursio. That bow was the key, look."

"Max!" The boy said, I remembered Max calling him Tatsumi.

Leone held her hand out to top him. "Woah, easy there kid. Like I said, Maxy should be fine, especially if he knows how to use that thing."

"He doesn't like being called Maxy…" Tatsumi said, shaking his head before glaring at Leone and I both. "And how the hell do you even know him?!"

"We'll explain later," Leone said with a wave of her hand. "One thing's for sure… you both should-. Woah! That's actually pretty sick, isn't it Akame?"

"It is…" I said, my eyes widening at the sight. "It's like Incursio… but different. It seems however, he hasn't mastered it yet, only part of the armor is showing up."

"Well, still doesn't look like he'll have a problem," Leone said, next to me with her arms crossed. "Boss is gonna have a fit we went over our time… but I think we have a good reason. We definitely should take them both with us, right? He's an Arms user, and this kid over here's pretty brave, he even held his own against you."

"Huh?! What the hell are you talking about?!" Tatsumi argued, till on the ground.

I nodded, still not looking away from the Imperial Arms. "Yes, we also more then likely won't get Max to come without his cousin. Take him while the enemy is distracted to the others. I'll follow with Max in a short while."

"Wait hold on!" Tatsumi argued again, shooting to his feet. "I can't leave Max, and what makes you think I'd join you, I don't wanna be a murderer-. HEY! Put me down!"

"Got it, finish up as quick as you can Akame," Leone said with a wink, as she'd already tossed Tatsumi over her shoulder. The boy was strong, but Leone didn't let him budge as she dashed through the woods, despite his protests.

"Hey they're getting away!" One soldier yelled, but the commander with the larger piece of weaponry screamed right after.

"FORGET THEM, FOCUS ON THE TARGET! TAKE AIM!"

I looked over at Max again, and the flames still consumed him. After slamming his bow into the earth and shouting the name of his Imperial Arms, fire had exploded from the bow, and from his skin. It traveled up his arms but stopped at just his upper body. I'd seen armor type Imperial Arms before, more then just Bulat's Incursio. Unless the person mastered it, it would only partially work.

Still, the part he had mastered, seemed more then enough for Max to terrify the guards. Black metal armor had covered up the length of his arms, up his shoulders and neck. I saw it stopped just below his shoulder blades, but no helmet covered his head. His black hair blew back in the fierce wind, and after the fire finally subsided, my own eyes widened.

His eyes were blood red, darker then even my own. A black cross from the top to bottom and left to right dominated his eye, and soon formed what looked like a crosshair if you were looking through a sniper's scope. He radiated heat like camp-fire, and it mesmerized me.

'I'm not clean myself, won't worry about me judging you.' That had been what he told Leone and I when we met him before… minutes before offering to heal my injury. I still felt the medicine he'd applied tingling on my inner thigh. I hadn't known at first when I saw him, after we had fought what had made me so interested. It was far more then just the powerful aura he exhumed that I could feel.

It was those eyes. They had been blue before, very pleasant to look at. I could remember they had been kind when he offered to heal me, wondering when he had been asking Leone and I questions… but most of all protective when speaking of his cousins, and his friends.

His eyes also hold a cold truth, he was much more like me then I would have initially thought. They… they're eyes filled with deep regret, but also even greater determination to right those wrongs.

I had closed many eyes in my life, sent more people to rest then I cared to admit. After so many years of it, you could recognize many things in people's eyes.

"Enough of this! FIRE AT WILL!" The commander yelled, the large gun he carried beginning to smoke again.

What are you doing Akame? You're in the middle of a battle, focus! I scolded myself, before pulling Murasame from its sheath.

"Max!" I said, trying to get his attention as he hadn't yet moved. Smoke rose from his arms as the flames subsided, his head still down as the black bow stuck in the ground.

My plan had been to push him out of the way, before taking on the guards myself, but the minute I moved, the guns fired. I almost yelled out to him again, but as the barrage came, a burst of flames shot from his arms, and he finally moved.

I froze watching him. "Wh… what? How is he doing that?"

I rolled away from stray bullets and came back up with Murasame in hand. The commander fired his massive cannon, and it shot towards Max at blinding speed. It should have been impossible for anyone other than me and select few others to dodge.

But Max stepped to the side, and the blast shot past him. He didn't just dodge the large blast from the commander, the guards unleashed a hail of gunfire upon him. All I could do was stand and watch as he moved and weaved through the gunfire. Like a dancer or a skater, he glided, moving his head and body so none of the bullets hit him, it was as if they were moving in slow motion to him. He moved his head to the side as a barrage came, and then fell to the ground with the black bow still in hand. His pants were intake, but his sweater had been burnt off, as the armor stopped at his shoulders, but a small black strip still ran up the sides of his neck to his eyes.

It's his eyes… they must be allowing him to see things slower then I can, I realized, as a plume of smoke went up and the commander had reloaded. With a scream, another massive blast came for him, but Max stepped to the side to avoid it, spinning to avoid one last bullet.

I had seen him maneuvering a bow when I had briefly fought him, but of course it had been so short I couldn't see his full skill. Bows were very rarely if ever seen in combat nowadays, why use a bow when you could use a gun, or something like Mine's Pumpkin? They were mainly used by small villages for hunting.

But it didn't seem Max thought that.

He rolled to the side to avoid one last shot, and when he came up he reached to the quiver on his waist, and faster then I had ever seen someone load a bow he pulled back the string. It looked like a normal arrow at first, but the minute it hit the bows string, Max screamed, and flames incase the arrow, and started exhuming from the black bow.

"BLAZING PHEONIX!" He yelled, and as the arrow flew, I could hear a loud whistle like a bomb was coming to hit earth. The guards scrambled as it soared through the air, and with the massive cannon the commander was carrying, he didn't have anytime to avoid the flames coming towards him.

I stood there with Murasame in hand, looking at Max as the arrow smashed into the commander's chest. A massive torrent of flames erupted in an explosion, sending all the guards sprawling away. My hands felt numb…was that his trump card?

I had no idea, it certainly seemed like it could be, but I had never seen a bow Imperial Arms before. The only one who could know more was Najenda, all the more reason besides the ones nibbling at the back of my mind, I needed to bring Max back to base with me.

He turned his back from the blaze, his hand gripped around the black bow, the armor around his arms and shoulder smoking. He grinded his teeth, and I stepped forward when I could see that he was clearly in pain.

"Max… are you alright?" I asked him. When I was a few steps away, I realized he had to be the same age as me… so young, and he had eyes like those, even before his Imperial Arms activated.

He carried the heavy weight of burdens like I did, burdens of the dead.

"M…Mio… J…Jean…" He said, his dark red and black eyes glossed over. It seemed like he couldn't even see me, despite the fact I was in front of him. "J…Jean… Jean… Mio…"

I wonder who those people could be… I wondered, re-sheathing Murasame.

"Max, Leone took your cousin to the rest of our group," I told him, speaking slowly to see if he could hear me. "Will you come back with us?"

"I… I'll kill them Jean… kill them," He said softly, his knees buckling. "For… for you… for what… what they did… I'll kill them."

"Max!" I said, almost falling backwards when he fell forward. He fell to his knees, and I caught him under one arm. He grabbed onto the sides of my cloak, as if he struggled to keep himself upright.

He did manage to look up at me, tears falling from the corner of his eyes…and then he smiled. "M…Mio? Mio is… is that you? I… I'm doing it, I'm living the life you gave back to me! I… I'm sorry… Mio…"

I kept hold of him, and couldn't move for a moment, only listening to the sound of the new fire devastating the property. I blinked, looking at his smiling face, those blood red eyes with crosshairs. He… seemed to be in pain, so much pain, but he smiled still.

Mio? I wonder who that is… and why he thinks I'm her, and… and why have I not moved yet? What was it about this boy, I thought, kneeling to keep him steady. Yes, I didn't know why I accepted his aid, it could have been because the cut on my thigh truly hurt, or because his eyes looked so similar to mine… but I still didn't know.

Either way, I knew I needed to get him back to the base. The stress of using some Imperial Arms without practice, especially armor-types, when you weren't prepared took its toll on people. Max's Imperial Arms was clearly powerful, but it was also clear he hadn't used it often.

I managed a smile at him. "Yes… it's me. Come on, let's get you somewhere safer."

"Mio… Mio…" He said, his head falling forward, as tears fell.

I know it was cruel to lie like that, but I needed him to get him away, I could see he was delusional. It would go smoother if he were calm.

"Come on," I said, helping him to his feet and steadying him. He shakily picked up the bow, and I nodded towards it. "You're talented with that. We'll fix things elsewhere, come on-."

"ATTACK, GO, GO!" The bushes practically yelled, followed by footsteps and yelling. I heard the gunfire and spun, rolling out of the way I looked to Max, who had done the same.

"Max! Come on," I said to him, realizing the surviving guards were charging. "We should retreat and-."

"DAMN YOU ALL!" Max yelled, just as the guards smashed into us with side-swords out in their hands now.

I knocked away weapons and sent two of them to rest, before I heard a yell behind me, and recognized it as Max's. I yelled and cut away one last guard, before ducking another sword and cutting through the attacker before I finally turned.

Max had yelled, but he wasn't in danger. He swung his bow like it was a spear, and even the three guards couldn't take him down. The bow burned with flames and knocked away weapons with expert precision. He moved so quickly that even I had a hard time keeping up. Again, it seemed that the armor of his Imperial Arms augmented his vision to let him see things at a different speed then others, and it allowed him to move with more speed then he normally could. I could dodge gunfire with my quickness, and it seemed that he could as well, along with using it to great effect in combat.

One man came screaming for an overhead attack. Max stepped to the side just avoiding the sword and smacked the black metal bow into the man's arm with so much force, I heard a crack. His attacked stumbled forward, his sword dipping to the ground and Max stepped on it, before slamming the bow into the side of the mans head.

I started rushing towards him as the last two men attacked him at once, but I stopped, stunned at what I saw. He moved his bow with such speed, precision and purpose, that I had a hard time keeping up at first… but I saw he eventually slowed.

He knocked a sword away, ducking low and smacking the bow hard into one guards stomach. I heard a sick crunching sound, as Max spun up around his back and knocked the bow into the side of his head, killing the man in an instant. One more guard rushed him to stab him in the back, but Max turned and knocked the man forward. He went for the final blow… but then he screamed.

"GAHHHH! ARGHHHHH NO, NO, NO!" He yelled, dropping the bow and grabbing onto his hand. The bow disappeared as he fell to his knees, his head falling to the ground.

"Max!" I said, rushing towards him again, as I saw the final guard recover.

"GAHHHH, IT BURNS IT'S BURNING!" He yelled, and as I was running, I noticed that that the armor had disappeared from around him. His bright blue eyes were back, but they were bloodshot, his arms and chest now bare.

His eyes were open for a moment, and he saw me rushing towards him. I saw fear flash before them, before he fell face first to the ground.

"DIE!" The guard yelled, but just before he could stab his sword down into Max, Murasame cut through his neck.

He fell, and I spun back around, falling to my knees. "Max!"

The boy who had healed me, now looked to be in even worse shape. I dropped Murasame and pushed him onto his back. My mouth fell open when I saw the state of him. I remembered he had been wearing a light sweater, outer jacket and gloves when I first met him, but now all he had on were his pants and boots. He was very physically fit, but that was besides the point. I placed my ear near his chest.

I sighed in relief when I heard a heartbeat, along with small breaths coming from his mouth. A small smile came to my face, I hadn't known him for long, but I despite how small it may have seemed, he was kind to me, despite knowing I was a killer.

My eyes fell to his arms. The entirety of his right and left arm were covered in dark red burn marks, and they traveled up to his shoulders, across the top of his chest, and in small straight lines up the side of his neck. The exact same spots that the armor had been. I breathed out in relief again when I finally noticed his chest start to rise and fall, his breathing returning to normal… but still, I knew he'd need medical attention.

I looked over to just out of the reach of his right hand… and it was a long foot long piece of curved black metal. It had been what he picked up before using his Imperial Arms, so I was able to assume it was the key. I reached over to grab it, and the moment I did, a jolt of pain shot through my hand, making me drop it.

The metal had been hot to the touch, like I had just put my hand out over a fire.

I cursed and rubbed at it, looking between the Imperial Arms, and Max.

His cousin didn't know Max had an Imperial Arms… Leone was correct, I thought, gingerly picking up the weapon again. Like I had expected, it was warm, but not scolding hot anymore. This mission did get much more interesting. We'll have to see what the boss says.

I pocketed Max's Imperial Arms into my robe, and grabbed Murasame, before grunting and pulling Max's arm over my shoulder. I knew I wouldn't need to walk far, or wait longer before the others came to me, they'd help me carry him.

I wonder who those people he mentioned are… and if my meeting this boy is a blessing or a curse for the revolution and Night Raid…

For now, I'd remain cautiously optimistic

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to the world of Akame Ga Kill! Today i'm bringing you all my own original character based fanfic for the world of this beautiful anime 'Maximus Ga Kill!'. Our main character for this fic is going to be Maximus, and i am very VERY excited to bring you all his story and the story of the characters i love. So the obvious question you're all thinking... i know what it is and i'll answer it. YES, things are going to change with Max in the fold, and that is all i'll say for now haha

I also have some other OC charcaters, including DeCastro, who is a villain i created, you'll see more of him later on ;)

Finally, i have NOT read the manga for Akame Ga Kill yet. So, that is why in this they are called 'Imperial Arms'. I'll read it as i write this and will change things accordingly as we go on. SO, with that being said, i can't wait for you all to read! I hope you enjoy!