It feels that life is always against me. Tons of classwork, people needing my assistance, injuries not healing properly.
Sorry for the delay. All of my stories might be left cold with the universities starting up again.
Pardon my grammar.
Akame ga Kill - Akame & Tatsumi vs Zank
"This world takes place in a declining empire. An empire now racked with decadences. The people of this world may not possess aura or semblance, but they are a force to be reckoned with. Death and bloodshed will be shown. You have been warned."
"Yes, yes. The world is full of corruption, let's get on with it. I'm sure everyone here can stomach this considering some of our previous viewings." Every society and government have their own shady backhands dealing. Something Roman is very well aware of.
"This will be interesting to watch." Raven huffed.
The lights in the theater started to dim.
Mercury slunk into his chair and put his legs on the seat's footrest. "It's starting."
The scene spans out to a sleepy city.
Dark blue skies and fluffy clouds decorated the darkening skies as night begins to descend upon the city. Light sources were plentiful, streetlamps and few house lights kept the city bright, though not many citizens dare venture out at night. The only people out and about in the night are the city guards and a few unsavory people.
But it isn't just that. The Empire is horribly corrupt with authorities turning a blind eye to crime and in some cases, be a part of it. And a serial killer who is known as Zank the Beheader has been prowling the city.
Oobleck rubbed his chin. "Hm. Their buildings bare some similarity to Mistralian architecture."
"Quite a lovely down." Port complimented.
"Say, Akame. Can I ask you something?"
"Don't worry. I've brought emergency rations."
It was an odd sight. Two teenagers, Akame and Tatsumi, walked through the lit streets, patrolling the city for the serial killer.
Akame is a raven-haired girl with red eyes, dressed in a sleeveless black uniform and red tie.
"It's a mini Raven." Qrow smirked, "Eye, hair, dress… Even her armlet and weapon."
"She does look like her." Tai nodded, "A sibling of yours?"
"No."
"I don't think I can stand looking after a younger sister if she's anything like Raven." He shuddered at the thought of two Ravens tormenting him.
Raven rolled her eyes.
Tatsumi is a brown-haired boy with bright green eyes and dressed in casual clothing along with a knee-length jacket.
"… That's isn't what I meant." Tatsumi found Akame's obsession with food amusing and perplexing at times. The two of them paused on the street. "Even the slightest scratch from that blade is fatal, right?"
"What is he talking about?" Jaune quietly asked no one in particular.
"Her sword must be poisonous or something." Vernal gave her thoughts on it. "Not entirely a common thing since poison doesn't work well on Grimm. Unless you're hunting people, in which case it's another story."
Ruby crossed her arms at that. "That's bad."
"There's no rule against it."
He was referring to Akame's Teigu or Imperial Arm that's named Murasame. A red handle katana that's protectively sheathed by a red scabbard.
Akame glanced down at her weapon. "That's right."
Vernal smirked. "Called it."
A brief flashback of Akame stabbing Tatsumi squared in the chest comes back to their mind. Fortunately, Tatsumi was protected by the idol he had hidden on him that took the attack for him.
Tatsumi turned pale, making a funny face. "I'm amazed I'm still alive."
"I am guessing that's the first time they met." Fox chuckled a bit. "She must have made an impression on him."
"I'll say." Coco slapped him on the shoulder.
"And a close brush with death," Blake added.
"I've had this blade for some time now," Akame explained to her partner. "It's become quite infamous as the 'One Cut Killer.'"
Qrow raised an eyebrow. "What's her poison?"
"Nice one." Yang gave her uncle a thumbs up for the alcohol pun.
"Thanks…"
"Isn't it bad for you if people know that? Not that there are any weaknesses they could use against you."
"Actually, this sword does have a weakness."
He leaned closer. "Like what?"
Akame lifted her katana to her face. "Maintaining it is nerve-racking." A brief glimpse of her carefully cleaning her katana appeared on-screen. "If you so much nick your fingers, you're dead."
Tatsumi seemed disturbed by that. "Right."
"A double-edged sword." Cinder remarked, "I wonder what kind of poison she uses. It sounds extremely potent."
"Especially if she doesn't have any aura to protect herself." Yang frowned at the usage of poisoned weapons. If she can recount some of her uncle's stories, people who poisoned their weapons are often geared towards killing people than Grimm. "She looks like she's around our age. I wonder why she needs something like that."
Mercury shrugged, "Gotta protect yourself. Didn't our Hosts say that the place they're living in is horribly corrupted? And she seems to have a title associated with her weapon."
"And unless you actually cut your opponent's skin, the curse won't take effect."
The image of an armored figure came up to Tatsumi's mind.
Penny hummed, "There's something off about that armor. I am uncertain about my reasoning."
"Really?"
"Oh yes. It feels alive somehow. How odd."
"So, someone totally covered in armor like Bro might pose a problem."
"In this world, one cut usually kills, poison or not." She continued, staring intently at her weapon. "I try not to rely too heavily on the power of my Imperial Arm."
Glynda nodded, "You shouldn't always rely on your weapons. It's your training and skills that matter the most."
"A single cut usually kills… That's an interesting philosophy." Raven etched that in her head. Getting cut in a fight to the death normally means your chances of getting killed has been amplified.
"Imperial Arms? Oh yeah! The Hosts said something about that! What are they?" Ruby asked the Hosts, eyes glimmering with excitement. "They sound cool."
"Imperial Arms are powerful relics that can only be wielded by the strongest warriors. Or those that the relics themselves see fit to wield them. They were created by the Empire with the greatest thinkers, scientists, and many other intellects."
"Whoa."
"That sounds interesting." Ozpin mused.
Ironwood wrote something down in his notes.
Tatsumi silently watched her. "She must be around my age." He thought to himself. "I wonder how much bloodshed Akame has endured until now."
The two ceased their conversation and continued their patrol.
"She must have an unpleasant past," Winter noted.
Qrow took a sig out of his flask. "That's a given considering what her overpowered weapon is called. How did she get her hands on one in the first place? Something to think about."
The scene shifts to a figure standing atop a tall building. This person is the serial killer, Zank the Beheader.
The large glistering green eyepiece that's mounted on Zank's forehead reflected the two teenage assassins walking down the streets. Eyes hidden in the shadow, part of Zank's face was illuminated by the streetlights, shrouding his murderous expression in the darkness.
Seeing the two young teenagers, his lips draw into a wide slasher grin.
"Stranger danger!" Nora pointed at the screen. "Crazy danger!"
"I think she's the crazy one here," Roman muttered under his breath.
Jaune looked concerned for the Akame and Tatsumi. "I got a bad feeling about this."
"Looks like some assassins are here to join in the killing," Zank said. "What a violent city. Splendid. Simply splendid." The green eyepiece, known as Spectator, surveyed the assassin group known as Night Raid. "Night Raid? I wonder whose head I'll take first."
"Assassins? Night Raid?" Mercury became slightly invested when Zank mentioned assassins. "Night Raid must be their group name, and those guys are the assassins?"
"Correct."
He flickered through the pairs of Night Raid's members before settling on a young man with green eyes and brown hair, Tatsumi. "Oh! Look at those eyes filled with passion and a sense of duty. Admirable. Absolutely admirable." Zank snapped his gloved fingers. "That settles it! I'll have the most delicious one first!"
Zank covered Spectator with a crazed, grinning expression. His eyes shone brightly in the darkening sky as he planned his next move.
"A psychopath," Winter grumbled, already getting slight chills from the serial killer. "And a dangerous one if my instincts were to go by. Who is that?"
"Zank the Beheader, or Executioner, depending on what they call him. He is a dangerous serial killer who has claimed numerous victims."
"How atrocious."
"…"
"Something wrong, General?"
"Nothing, it reminds me of an incident. Several in fact." That incident involved a serial killer named Tyrian Callows. A crazed scorpion faunus that went missing when the prison convoy was attacked by Grimm.
Cinder mentally nodded at Ironwood's remark. This crazed murderer on-screen also reminded her of Tyrian.
/-/
Akame and Tatsumi sat on a wooden bench outside a restaurant. The night had dragged on and the serial killer hasn't made a move. If he did, they certainly weren't aware of it.
The two assassins absentmindedly enjoyed their drink and food.
"Seems he won't show himself so easily." Tatsumi looked bored. "I guess we'll just have to be patient." He set down his drink. "Excuse me for a minute."
"I was wondering what these kids were doing out at night with no one around." Tai found it rather suspicious that two young adults were roaming the near-empty street unless it was a secret date or something of that matter. "Given that it's been confirmed that they are assassins, they must be searching for their target."
"Who's the unlucky fellow?" Neo grinned, holding up her sign.
He got up from the bench and began searching for the nearest alleyway.
"Going to the bathroom?" Akame asked.
Tatsumi awkwardly paused.
Coco chuckled, "Got called out on it, but no shame in that."
/-/
The scene skips to a steaming gutter and the sound of running liquid.
"That's disgusting!" Weiss blanched. "Is that the public lavatory? Out in the alleyway?!"
Oobleck pushed up his glasses, "I can't say for certain, but it seems he's simply relieving himself at a convenient location rather than the public utilities."
"Still…!"
Tatsumi sighed as he zipped up his trousers. "My nerves are killing me." Just when he was about to leave, he heard shuffling sounds behind him. Turning around, he saw a familiar smiling girl with dark hair decorated with a pink ribbon. "Sayo…" Tatsumi looked shocked. The girl turned and began running down the alleyway. "Ah! W-wait!"
He chased after her.
Yang gulped, "I've seen enough slasher films to know where this is going."
"You would think that he'll be smart enough to know something is off." Glynda gave her blunt assessment.
"That girl must mean a lot to him," Qrow observed, wondering how he and Tai would react if it was Summer. "Still, acting on emotions isn't always a good thing. You hear that kiddos?"
"Yes, we heard that uncle Qrow."
"You're late, Tatsumi." Akame appeared around the corner, pausing when she saw that Tatsumi was missing. Only an empty alley.
Akame narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Something's not right.
/-/
Tatsumi chased Sayo into a wide-open city square. An area that is infamous for the public to witness the public execution of dissidents, along with any unfortunate individuals the Empire felt like killing.
The city square was pale blue, but the moon above shone a pale crimson.
Zank the Beheader stood before Tatsumi, leading him out into the execution ground where the man would claim his victim.
However, from Tatsumi's perspective, the person in front of him was his childhood friend, Sayo.
"He can't see him?" Oscar felt his anxiety levels rising. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Ruby's hand hovering nearby, ready to cover his eyes.
"The girl he is seeing must be an illusion." Glynda clenched her hands, but not too tightly. "He must have an ability where he can pass himself off as another person."
Neo, Emerald, and their associates smirked at that.
"No doubt about it. It's Sayo." Catching his breath, Tatsumi edged closer towards the illusion with his arms open wide. "What the heck? You were alive after all?" He gently wrapped his arms around the illusion, looking relieved. "Well, I'm glad to see you again."
"I can't watch." Ruby covered her eyes instead.
Mercury rolled his eyes at Ruby's sacredly cat tendencies. 'What a baby.'
The illusionary Sayo vanished, replacing her with a towering Zank.
The serial killer viciously grinned. "I could feel the love in the air." Tatsumi opened his eyes in alarm, aware that he's not alone with Sayo. "Looks like I showed you something rather special." Zank's soon to be victim slowly glanced up. Zank grinned at Tatsumi, the crimson moon gleamed overhead. "Good evening."
Tatsumi released Zank and recoiled in disgust. "Sayo turned into an old weirdo!"
Mercury laughed a bit at that. "That's a mood killer right there."
"He didn't go for the kill." Neo's sign read.
"I don't think this guy is right in his mind, Neo. Just look at his expression." Roman knows an unstable person when he sees one. "His mind isn't there."
"I have a name, you know." Zank raised both of his arms. "A friendly nickname, if you will." Two blades shot out from his sleeves. "Zank the Beheader!"
Gritting his teeth, Tatsumi drew his sword with angry vigor. "You're… Zank the Beheader!"
The number of murders this man had committed cannot be ignored and he'll be damned if he let Zank get away.
Neo shook her head and lifted her sign. "No duh."
"Thank you, captain obvious." Vernal flatly said.
"Hmm… You could try to hold out until your partner turn up, but do you stand a chance against this foe?" Zank pointed his blade at Tatsumi, grinning. "That's what you thought, isn't it?"
The young assassin looked shocked.
Pyrrha frowned, "He can read minds?"
"It looks like it." Ren calmly watched the screen.
"What?! Did he read my thoughts?" He suddenly noticed a green eyeball headpiece that's attached to Zank's forehead. "Is that eye an Imperial Arms?"
"Bingo!" Zank cheerfully chimed. "The Imperial Arms Spectator! One of its five visionary powers, Perceptive Sight. I can tell my opponent's thoughts just by looking at their expression!" He continued listing out his Imperial Arms capabilities. "My observations are sharp to the ultimate degree. Want a shrunken head as a reward?"
"Like hell! But man, you sure talk a lot."
"Wait, so that's the thing that allows him to read minds?" Jaune pointed at the device latched onto Zank's head. "Does that mean the illusion earlier is also from that Imperial Arm thing?"
"That would be a reasonable deduction." Pyrrha shared his concerned look.
"That aside, the kid's right." Qrow set aside his drink. "This man talks a lot." He narrowed his eyes. "But seeing what this Imperial Arm of his is capable of, talking can get a lot out of his opponent."
"Especially when they don't have to talk. Merely think." It would be a crafty method, but Raven could respect that.
"Well, my hobby is to talk." Zank continued his rambling. "By the way, I found you with the power of my Far Sight." While he droned on, Tatsumi tensed up, ready to strike. "Even at night or in fog," Tatsumi dashed towards Zank. "I can see through things extremely far away!"
Tatsumi's blade flashed, missing Zank a few inches. Rocks and dust kicked up into the air as Tatsumi sunk his hand into the floor to stop his momentum.
"This is splendid!" Zank whooped. "You thought if you attacked while I was talking, something would come of it?" He tapped on his Imperial Arm. "Impossible… Impossible. I can see everything within your heart."
"Unconventional but justified." Ironwood scowled, "Illusions, mind reading… He's well covered enough to not worried about any surprise attacks."
"If he was sane enough, he would have ended it right there." Qrow felt his colleagues staring at him. "Err, just my thoughts on it. A habit."
"How interesting." Cinder remembered how Salem is able to create her glove that she used to absorbed half of the Fall Maiden's power. Could the Queen of Grimm create an item similar to this? If not, can Watts? She may despise the man, but if she can get him interested in developing such a powerful tool…
Letting out a roar, Tatsumi charged towards his opponent, raising his sword over his head.
Zank grinned and charged forth as well. "You'll take a huge step, then swing from above…" He dodged the overhead swing at the last second. "Then strike up," Zank's blades crossed, blocking the heavy strike that sent showers of orange sparks into the air. "which was a fake, to aim for my throat!" Time slowed as Tatsumi thrust his sword at Zank's throat, only for the serial killer to duck and slashed at his abdomen. "That's what you thought, wasn't it?"
Blood sputtered through the air and coated the ground while Tatsumi had an astonished and pained look. Sinking to the ground, Tatsumi clutched his wound. A large quantity of blood spilled from the gash Zank inflicted upon him.
Ruby, Jaune, and Weiss paled considerably at the sight of blood being spilled.
"He read all of his attacks." Tai made a grave expression, disliking how much of edge these Imperial Arms give to their users. "And the lad is wounded. That looks deep."
Ozpin nodded. "The odds are stack against him."
Tatsumi reevaluated his dire situation while Zank stood over him, looking ecstatic. "He's far stronger than others I've fought."
"The expression on the person's face when you chop their head off is irresistibly amazing!" Zank can't help but talk, it's a coping mechanism. However, it gives his opponents time to plan out their actions, not that it always helps them. "The most common is the blank stare and they always say, 'Eh?'"
Yang snarled, "This sicko."
Neo rapped her armrest, tapping another with her sign. "You get those here and there."
"He's giving too much information away." Raven narrowed her eyes, "But I don't know if he's telling the truth or trying for an angle where it'll be in his favor; seeing what that eye thing can do."
"Any thoughts his opponents have will be read." Tai scowled, "If anything, he's trying to gauge how they'll adjust in response to this information he dropped. If he can read their minds, he'll be covering any weaknesses the maniac hasn't considered. Countering the counter."
"No fair," Ruby whispered.
Tatsumi gritted his teeth, his eyes harden with anger and determination.
"I wonder what kind of expression you'll have. Splendid, splendid!" Zank towered over his victim, looking extremely terrifying and daunting.
Everyone felt a chill run down their spine just by looking at Zank's monstrous expression. Even Neo froze for a brief second.
"This… This man is a monster." Glynda hissed.
Qrow gripped his armrest. "His expression certainly didn't make things any better. Props to the kid who's standing his ground."
"My neck isn't so weak that you'll be able to cut it!" Tatsumi took up his sword and pointed it at Zank, unwavering.
Distances away, Akame felt the surge of killing intent in the air. She turned around, looking up at the crimson moon.
"Tatsumi…"
"Hurry. Go, help him." Jaune bit on his nails nervously.
"I hope she can make it to him on time." Blake's ears were on high alert. "He might have a chance with his opponent purposely toying with him."
"Let's hope that comes back to bite him." Said Yang.
Glints of silver steel streaked towards Zank, hardly nicking his neck. With Spectator reading Tatsumi's every move, Zank effortlessly dodged every single attack the assassin could throw.
"Wonderful! Youths are so straightforward!" He taunted. "I'm liking you even more! I'll add you to my shrunken heads collection!"
Zank went on the offense, his coat rippled from the blistering speed of his attack. Countless sparks and gleams of silver pierced the air. Tatsumi could do nothing but hold his ground while he tries his best to defend himself.
"He's fast." Winter gasped, "On par with my Time Dilation Glyphs!"
"It's difficult for me to keep up." Velvet grimaced, setting her camera to its best setting. Most of the viewings with formidable fighting scenes are difficult for Velvet to mimic. Her semblance may allow her to copy anybody's fighting style, but there are limitations to how she can push her body.
It was nice of the Hosts to allow Velvet to retain her semblance here, seeing no harm in it.
"Fast and strong." Port furrowed his brows. "The only thing that's keeping this lad alive is his skills and his opponent's habit of prolonging the fight."
"Gahaha! Splendid, splendid!"
The intensity of each strike broke Tatsumi's guard, wounding him multiple times. Zank watched with glee as Tatsumi's arms slumped due to his injuries, his sword hitting the solid ground with a metallic clang.
"Oh no." Ruby whimpered.
"That looks bad. Very, very bad." Jaune gulped.
"He's outmatched." Mercury said grimly, "Old dude is better than him in everything. Imperial thing or not. Even without it, you can tell he's a better fighter. No, a better killer."
"A magnificent wound I've inflicted upon you if I do say so myself."
Tatsumi trembled in pain. "What?"
"When people with wonderful eyes like yours beg for their lives, it's very comforting. So, I'm taking my time." They looked at each other in the eyes; Tatsumi glaring at him. Zank's grin widened, looking more derange with each second. "Now, beg… If you do, it might buy some time for your friends to arrive."
"Sadistic bastard." Maria spat, remembering that crocodile faunus who slashed her eyes and tried to make her beg for her life. She gave that faunus what she deserved, decapitating her head. "Why don't you have your head taken for a change?"
Coco looked amused by Maria's outburst. "This old lady has no chill."
Silence descended upon the city square. The crimson moon stood still in the darkened skies, waiting…
"He's really looking for a fight." Yang rubbed her arms, frowning.
"I would say that he's stupid, but then I remember that he's just crazy." Raven leaned forth, interested in seeing what happens next.
A splotch of blood was spat out onto the floor.
"Don't be ridiculous." Tatsumi spat. "I would never beg for my life from a rotten rat like you… Who only knows how to behead people!" He violently retorted his last sentence, offended by Zank's offer.
He wasn't the only one looking offended. Zank himself appeared to be affronted by his victim's refusal to beg.
"That's the spirit." Mercury chuckled, "This guy has the guts and balls."
Neo let a small smile crawl on her face, swinging her sign around. "They both look offended."
Everyone went quiet as they anticipate Tatsumi's next move.
Tatsumi stabilized himself and swung his sword. "He's looking into my heart, so I'll keep it simple…" Aiming the blade at Zank, he hovered his other hand over the handle of his sword and crouched. "I'm putting everything on the line…" The air rippled around him as Tatsumi made his stance. "With one strike!"
"Well, that's very valiant of you." Zank darkly chuckled and put his hands in the air like he was shrugging. "I'm sure your wounds hurt. I, the master of executions, shall relieve you from that."
It was all or nothing. Something that Tatsumi was willing to take.
"Here I go!" Tatsumi appeared in front of Zank, swinging his sword over his shoulder.
It was at this moment Zank realized that his opponent was no longer meters away from him, but inches. He let out a raspy gasp, his grin drawn down into a frightened frown. Tatsumi let out a cry and swung his sword across Zank's face. He zipped past Zank, before skittering to a halt.
Streams of blood sputtered out of Zank's cheek; his expression was that of shock.
"His attack was much faster than I anticipated. He's…"
"Whoa." Half of the student body uttered in awe.
"That was like, teleportation!" Sun's tail swayed excitedly.
Ozpin agreed. "Very impressive. Even if his opponent can keep track of his movement, that doesn't mean he can react to it on time."
"Heh. I got a strike in." Tatsumi smiled, mentally cheering over this minor victory. A gush of blood suddenly burst out from his backside, making him fall over. Despite this, he can't help but taunt his opponent over this. "Master of executions, my ass." He managed to turn his body as he fell to the floor. "You totally missed my neck! Don't make me laugh, you dumbass."
The smug expression on Tatsumi's face combined with his ridiculing set Zank off.
"Silence!" Zank roared, barreling towards Tatsumi at unbelievable speed.
Several of the audience members reeled back at the speed in which Zank was going by. It wasn't just that, they could feel the anger and malice that Zank was emitting.
Ironwood bit back a sneer of disgust. "I can see why they're trying to put this man down. He's too dangerous and unstable."
A lone katana fell from the sky, embedding itself into the solid ground in front of the surging Zank. He came to a sudden halt and glanced up into the sky.
High above the city square, Akame acrobatically flipped through the skies, letting the bloody moon illuminated her shadowy figure. She descended into the battlefield, snatching up her katana and taking her combat stance in one swift motion.
The speed in which she exerted scattered the wind around, kicking up dust in the process. A beautiful and terrifying entrance.
"Awesome." Neptune's eyes showcased awe and respect.
Weiss numbly nodded. "I agree. That was a beautiful display."
"How did she get up so high?" Leave it to Jaune to ask the trivial questions.
Raven was munching on a bag of popcorn. It's been a while since she had any. "I'm curious to see how this girl fares in her fight."
"Well done on the insults." Akame complimented. "Mentally, you've won this fight."
"She's right on that part." Tai nodded, "There are many ways to give your allies an advantage."
"It's still preferable if you can survive."
Tatsumi felt relieved when he saw her. "Akame!"
"I've finally found you." She smiled at him. "Just wait. I'll end this quickly and tend to your wounds."
A snort could be heard from Zank. He pulled on his trench coat and tossed it aside. He'll need to go all out against the well-known assassin, Akame.
"He's not holding back anymore," Fox noted. He hates to admit it, but Fox is mostly invested in Zank for this fight. Zank's weapons are similar to his, and it seems that the serial killer possesses a great number of skills and prowess. He could learn a thing or two. Not the crazy and murderous part, of course.
"Things are about to get interesting." Neo grinned widely.
"The infamous Akame and her enchanted sword, Murasame." He grinned. "Splendid… Splendid. I've been wanting to meet you."
"That must be the name of her sword." Raven hummed.
"I wanted to meet you as well. Because it's my mission."
Zank gave her a deranged smile and activated his Imperial Arm.
"Transparent Sight!"
The headpiece on his forehead opened its eye, allowing Zank to see through Akame's clothing, though not through her undergarments.
"Results… No signs of any hidden weapons."
"Creep! Fucking creep!" All the females and some males hugged themselves at the sight of Zank x-ray visions.
"That is so wrong! Why can he do that?!"
"Pervert!"
"Oscar, cover your eyes!"
"You're already covering them…" Oscar bashfully replied.
Yang viciously hissed. "I'm hating this guy more and more."
"Be careful, Akame… He can read your thoughts with that eye!"
"I see." Akame coolly evaluated her opponent. "So that's the power of that Imperial Arm." She gripped her weapon firmly. "But even if you can read thoughts if you can't counter the actions," She put most of her body weight on her foot. "there's no point!"
She took off, shattering the ground as she flitted.
"She's very nimble." Glynda observed, "And strong."
Zank brought up one blade and blocked her attack, sending sparks everywhere.
"Her opponent is as well." Ironwood crossed his arms; his expression was dark.
Their blades flowed like ghastly apparitions, solidifying upon contacting their opponent's weapon. Metallic screeching sang throughout their lethal blade dance, which increased intensity as neither combatant backed down from their relentless assault.
"He's used to this. He's seen quite a few battles." Akame thought to herself, unfazed by the number of sparks flying near her eyes.
"She doesn't only have speed. She has arm strength as well." Zank noted, retaining his slasher grin.
Velvet furiously pressed on her camera's shutter button repeatedly, trying to capture every single moment while observing their fighting techniques. As for the students, they were mesmerized by the deadly blade dance between the two killers; both of whom are definitely out of their leagues.
"Look at them go." Pyrrha's eyes were wide.
"Indeed." Ozpin was probably the only person in the room that could barely keep up with their attacks. "The two of them are more than just experienced fighters. They fought for their livelihood and still do."
Suddenly, Akame spun back and delivered a fierce back kick that blew Zank back. The ground underneath him was scarred by his feet dragging through the ground.
"Nice kick." Mercury nodded in approval. "Gotta love a kick chick."
Emerald, Cinder, and Roman rolled their eyes.
"F-fast!" Tatsumi looked on in awe. "So, this is a fight between Imperial Arms users?"
Akame controlled her breathing and calmly assess her current situation. "With him reading my heart, we're evenly matched." She closed her eyes. "Then…"
Her surroundings darkened, leaving only her and Zank in the center of it all. She had cleared her mind of any thoughts.
"What's happening?" Jaune tilted his head in confusion.
Pyrrha made an educated guess. "She must be clearing her mind of any thoughts."
Glynda nodded, "A reasonable choice if you consider her opponent's ability to read minds. It'll be difficult to pull off for inexperienced fighters, and I doubt she is anything but inexperienced."
"Oh? You've arrived at a state of nothingness." It was pointless. His Imperial Arm can do more than just read one's heart. "But this Spectator has the Future Sight. Judging by your muscles, your next move will be –"
Akame struck out, seemingly teleporting towards him. In spite of her sudden assault, Zank was able to defend himself by crossing his wrist blades in front of him.
"I see it!" Zank's eyes renewed its bloodthirsty gleam.
He retaliated, crushing the ground where she would have been standing were it not for her lifetime of training. He laughed madly, clearly enjoying this.
Akame slid back from the counterattack and winced slightly. A small cut has appeared on her leg.
"Th-that was instantaneous." Jaune paled.
"They're on a different level." Ren gulped, trying to comprehend that they are this powerful despite not having any aura. "I can't imagine what they are like if they have aura."
"Nigh unstoppable." Qrow was bouncing his knees, releasing his tension. "Not something I would like to think about seeing how crazy strong they are."
"Pair that with aura and his Imperial Arm, and you'll get a monster that can pose a huge threat to a team of professional huntsmen." Ironwood got chills by thinking about such a person existing. A threat that's potentially second only to Salem.
Cinder smiled softly to herself. 'Wouldn't that be nice?'
This was the first time Tatsumi has seen her get injured before.
"The fact that Akame took an attack…"
"Good grief." Zank sighed and pointed at her weapon. "It's rather unfair that sword is so unforgiving with even the slightest scratch, right?"
"My moves and thoughts are being read, so I think we're even."
"She has a point." Sun said, "They're both unfairly overpowered. So, they're both on equal ground."
"There's no such thing as fairness in life. If you're a huntsman out on a mission, anyone you encounter might have an advantage over you whether it's semblance, weapon, training, whatever." Qrow waved his hand haphazardly. "You gotta play to your strength and their weakness. And no one is going to telling you what it is. Most of the time."
"Get that in your mind." Read Neo's sign.
Zank lowered his arm. "Say, Akame. How do you deal with the voices?"
This took her by surprise. "Voices?"
Oscar frowned slightly, "Voices?"
"He's schizophrenic?"
"Way to assume, Ice Queen."
"It was an educated guess."
"Quiet. Both of you." Glynda barked.
The world around Zank turned into a dark shade of red.
"You know, the ones you hear when you get really quiet." Behind and beneath Zank, a deep pit with ghostly figures were reaching out to him, constantly whispering. "The voices of everyone you've killed, groaning from the depths of hell." He grinned. "They hold a grudge against me, and they tell me to hurry and join them!"
"Scary." Jaune shivered.
Nora growled angrily. "Then why does he keep killing people?"
"There's something more to it." Ren quietly replied.
A flashback of Zank slumping against a wall, covering his ears. Next to him sat a blood saber and tossed away was a bottle of alcohol.
"When I was cutting off heads every day at the jail, I started hearing them. But lately, it's gotten worse."
"So, he wasn't always like this." Ozpin shook his head sadly, "If their government is this corrupt, I assume that the effects of their misdeeds have started his dark path as a murderer?"
"Correct. Originally Zank was nothing more than a prison guard following orders. As the Empire grew more corrupt, they began executing people in mass and on a daily basis. Zank was forced to carried out their orders and eventually succumbed to his guilt and madness, turning him into a person who has a lust for beheading."
Winter looked mortified. "Daily executions?"
Nora sadly looked down. "That's… Sad."
"Ruined lives by high up lives." Roman sneered, "That sounds about right."
"A monster bore from another," Oobleck mumbled. "How tragic."
The flashback ends. "I talk to deal with it, but how do you –"
"I don't hear them." Akame flatly responded. Zank was taken aback by that. "I don't hear voices like that."
"Just like many others who kill people who don't hear voices." Raven shrugged and resumed eating her popcorn.
Glynda fixed her a glare, "It sounds like you know from experience."
"This is surprising…" There was a hint of disappointment in his tone. "I thought I'd be able to discuss this with an assassin of your caliber." The eye of Spectator slowly opened. "How depressing!"
He activated Spectator, inflicting the same illusionary ability he used on Tatsumi. This time, his target is Akame.
Akame's eyes widen with shock. Standing in front of her is a younger girl around her age, bearing striking similarities to her appearance. Even down to the black uniform and skirt.
A series of flashbacks from her younger days as an assassin came flooding back to her mind. Among those memories, the young girl… Her younger sister…
"Kurome…"
"That looks like her younger sister. The similarity is very striking." Penny gave her thoughts on the details.
Emerald leaned on her arm, "I wonder how his illusions work. Surely she knows that the person in front of her isn't real."
"Wh-what's wrong? Akame! Akame!" Tatsumi tried to snap Akame out of her trance, but the girl remained rooted on the spot. Her eyes dilated. Mouth slightly agape.
Zank triumphantly grinned. "Illusion Sight. The person she values the most appeared before her. She's in her memories right now, reunited with the one most precious to her."
"That's a low blow. Very low blow." Yang growled, "Fairness be damned uncle Qrow."
"Language, firecracker…" Tai half-heartily retorted.
Qrow raised both of his hands, "I'm just stating the facts. If anyone has this sort of semblance back in Remnant, they will use it to their advantage. Just saying."
Of course, even Qrow and Raven would waver a bit if Summer Rose were to appear in front of them like that. Especially Tai. Though, just thinking about someone using Summer's face to their advantage made the former members of Team STRQ's blood boil.
And for Ruby and Yang. They'll be the ones most affected by it. Ruby might even falter completely against a person wearing the face of her mother.
"So that's what Sayo was." A brief look of distress crossed his face, but it was vanquished by unrelenting stubbornness. "Akame!" He called out to her. "You're seeing an illusion! Don't be fooled!"
"It's no use." Zank mocked his attempt. "It only works on one at a time, but the hypnosis is strong." The serial killer readied his blades, taking a step forward to go in for the kill. "And no matter how experienced one may be," The illusionary Kurome's footstep echoed his before breaking into a full sprint. "it is impossible for one to kill those they love most!"
The world switched to Akame's perspective; her younger sister is charging towards her with her katana out.
"Snap out of it, girl!" Nora slammed her fist on the armrest.
Jaune wanted to cover his eyes. "Oh man, oh man."
"Die looking at the illusion of the one you love, Akame!" Zank lunged towards her, blades outreached.
Akame saw her sister trying to kill her. Just like how the real Kurome would do. Akame's long raven-hair shadowed her eyes. Her red pupils lost its luster as Akame wordlessly killed the illusion with a single swing.
Mercury felt his entire body stiffen. "That's the face of a professional killer."
Arcs of blood sputtered from the fake Kurome's wound, quickly vanishing as her sight returned to reality.
Zank was at a complete loss for words, barely able to defend himself from her single stroke attack.
"She…!" The impact sent him sliding back several meters. "She didn't even falter!"
"She snapped out of it." Pyrrha breathed a sigh of relief.
"At the last second as well." Maria nodded, "Caught the creep off guard!"
"That must have been hard." Jaune scratched his cheeks, wondering how he would have done if he was in her shoe.
Raven snorted but didn't say anything.
Akame regained the life in her eyes, looking peeved by what had happened.
"Why?!" Zank went on to have a miniature breakdown. "You should have seen the one you love most!"
"It's because I loved her most…" Her expression was that of a cold professional killer. "that I wanted to kill her as swiftly as possible."
The pupil of Zank's eyes shrunk greatly. The serial killer was shaken up by this revelation, letting a small gasp escape his lip. "What did she…?"
Raven raised her eyebrow. "That's interesting."
Qrow obviously disagreed with Raven. "That's cold."
"She… What?" Yang gasped. Ruby means a lot to the blond brawler and she could never imagine hurting her on purpose, much less kill her.
"An assassin's mindset." Mercury looked a bit awestruck. "I like her."
Emerald scoffed. "Right."
"She could just mean mercy killing." Said Roman.
"This settles the battle." Akame coldly said.
On cue, one of Zank's blade started cracking. He looked down in horror at his near crippled weapon. "No good. It's going to break."
"All her attacks struck the same spot on his weapon; in case you haven't noticed." Ozpin may have a difficult time keeping track of all their strikes, but his accumulated training was able to pick out that small detail. "I believe she had it planned from the start."
"You can see through all of that in their first clash, professor?" Blake asked her headmaster.
"Just enough for that little detail." He nodded.
"That's very impressive." By impressive, Pyrrha meant both the headmaster's ability to keep track and Akame's precision.
Akame lunged towards him. "First, I'll destroy your weapon!"
"Raaagh! I won't die!" He stabbed at her with his good wrist blade, connecting pointedly with her katana.
"He's going berserk." Velvet worriedly said, readying her camera.
"That's what fighting for survival will do to you." Raven had her full attention on the screen for the upcoming fight.
The air around them flashed silvery, blowing away every single loose object around them.
It was a fierce dance of blades. Afterimages and sparks erupted with each movement that they made. A ferocious storm of silver that's accompanied by bright orange flares as their blades tear at one another.
"I'll kill you first!" His mind was in complete chaos. His fear got the better of him and it was amplified by the fact he was losing ground trying to keep up with the young assassin. "I have the advantage because I can see your future motion! She can't kill me immediately!"
Everything became a blur as they increased the speed and strength of their attack. The silvery blades morphed into deadly shining snakes, viciously clashing against the opposing blade.
"Good Monty Oum!" Glynda gasped at the speed in which they were going.
"They're unbelievably fast." Winter's hand showed signs of faint quivering. "Even without aura strengthening them."
"It's like their arms are teleporting!" Pyrrha said in awe, "You can't see the blades even when it makes contact!"
"… I wonder what kind of training or experiences they went through to achieve this level of power." Raven felt an immense dread and respect for the fighters.
Meanwhile, Velvet was numbly having understood that her camera wasn't going to get much out of this. Chances are, she wouldn't be able to replicate their movements and even with her photographic memory in full use. The speed they are going is impossible to replicate without severely harming herself.
"Before you strike, my blade will –"
Both of Zank's blades shattered, sending glimmering shards into the air. He let out an unintelligible noise as he watched Akame shifted her weapon over her shoulder, imitating an iaijutsu style strike.
"It's over." Raven's eyes glistered, forever remembering the killing stance Akame took to put an end to Zank the Beheader. "He's done."
Akame's eyes were cold and firmed. "Eliminate."
Her Imperial Arm flashed, slashing across Zank's throat. Tons of blood exploded from the large gash on his neck.
Zank spat out a large amount of blood and fell over onto his backside gurgling.
Oscar flinched at the sight. He may have seen animals being butcher before, but butchering humans is an entirely different story.
Several of the students felt their blood drain from their faces at the finishing strike. Weiss, in particular, placed a hand over her mouth. Her complexion was much paler than normal.
"I understand that this may be too much for some of you." Glynda's word was directed to her students. "However, there may come a day where you'll be forced to take a life or witness it. Huntsmen and huntresses should not falter, no matter how appalling the situation may be."
"We did it!" Tatsumi looked relieved and happy at the demise of the serial killer, but this incident made him reflect on some things. "She saved me this time, but… I need to become stronger."
"He has a long way to go." Tai could admire the bravery of the boy while lamenting the horrific scene his daughters have witnessed. "Everyone has to start from somewhere."
Qrow could read his thoughts. "Just like your daughters, Tai."
It wasn't completely over yet.
Akame stood over her dying opponent. Her face, unreadable.
"Zank, I'm sure you can't hear the groaning anymore."
The earphone that covered Zank's ears shattered. His eyes quickly lost its light, but he looked at peace while his life slowly slips away.
Realization dawned on Ironwood why Zank was wearing those in the first place. It was obvious! "That earpiece… He was wearing them to stop hearing the voices. I can't really say if I pity the man."
"A poor man tormented by the deeds he had done." Ozpin sighed. "Perhaps death is a sweet release to him. Or the beginning."
The same could be said for him and Salem.
"The noises… Have stopped." He couldn't help but put out his infamous grin. "S-splendid, splendid." As Akame removed all the blood from her katana with a flick, Zank thanked her for setting him free. "Thank you, Akame…"
"… We'll stop there for now."
"This one was much bloodier than that Dark Tournament one." Said Vernal, "Actual blood I mean."
"I can't feel my hands." Velvet groaned upon realizing how much she had strained herself earlier. "Somehow my camera is still intact."
"Are you alright?" Yatsuhashi asked his partner.
"I'm quickly recovering." She assured him.
"Can we get something not as awful as this?" Weiss tenderly asked the Hosts.
"Your next viewing will be comedic in nature. You can be at ease in the next screening."
Jaune looked relieved. "Thank god."
"I feel that it's been a while since we watched something funny." Ruby pouted, needing something to get that awful bloody images and negative thoughts out of her head. The cookies, great as they were, aren't helping.
Oscar rubbed his neck. "No kidding."
NEXT: Monty Python - Firing Squad
Pardon my grammar. Updates will be a bit slow from here on out for everything.
