Chapter 5
Kill the Head-Hunter
It been a few days since the Fire Elementor encounter and ever since then things have been a little bit more hectic around the hideout. It started when the team came back from their mission, and when they did Najenda and Akame then gathered everyone and told them about their encounter with Fire Elementor. When everyone heard this all of Night Raid was shaken up by this, having a hard time believing that something was able to take down Leone easily and be immune to Akame's blade, what was more shocking was when Akame told everyone about Max's past, with he's permission of course and were amazed by how long Max had been doing this hero thing and all that he's face. Ever since then, most of Night Raid got down and trained really hard, so that they could be ready fight this new threat and hopefully end it before it ended them.
It was now bright morning with Max and Steel in Speed mode, doing laps around the training ground while Tatsumi and Bulat were doing their own training, with Tatsumi doing practice swings with a huge sword and Bulat was doing some practice swings as well with a weighted staff. Tatsumi then let the sword fall to the ground as he breathed heavily.
"Hey Bro, I'm beat I don't think I can do anymore" Tatsumi said through breaths
Max then stopped in front of them with Steel detaching from him.
"Oh come on I'm sure you've got a little bit more pep in your step" Steel said making Tatsumi groan
"He's right Tatsumi; you've still got some movement in your muscles" Bulat putting his staff down
Bulat then walked over to him and started to position him, but with way they were doing it made them look…gay.
"Um…do you have to do that?" Max asked uncomfortable
"What? Do you need some help" Bulat asked making Max and Steel back away
"No thank you" Steel said reattaching to Max
"Max!" a voice shouted
Looking over Max saw it was Akame with her hair tied up in a ponytail and wearing a pink apron.
"Oh hey Akame what's up?" Max asked
"Come with me, we need to make breakfast" she said as Steel nodded
"Alright then, see you guys" Max said changing back to base mode and deactivating his helmet, as he followed Akame.
Ever since Max had told Akame he's past, she had actually was a lot friendlier to him now, she didn't give him any dirty looks and was actually concerned for him now. Once they were in the kitchen they found Akame working on something already.
"So, what are making for breakfast?" Max asked
"Were making croquette and rice" she replied making Max and Steel sweat drop at this, well if Steel could that is.
"Croquettes for breakfast?" Max questioned wonder if he heard her right
"Its official this girl is a psycho" Steel said through the link
"Well, let's get busy I guess" Max said and started to peel some potatoes
After a while, Max, Steel and Akame had finished making breakfast with Tatsumi and Leone joining them not to long.
"Ah, that hit the spot" Leone said leaning back in her chair, with a satisfied smile on her face
"Uh, my poor little stomach" Tatsumi groaned rubbing his slightly enlarged stomach
"I'll say that was quite a meal" Max said leaning back in his chair
"Especially with all that rice you ate" Steel said
The others then noticed that a few of the seats were empty, that being Mine and Sheele.
"Are Mine and Sheele still asleep?" Tatsumi asked
"Mhm, they usually sleep this late" Akame said
She then grabbed Sheele's bowl and ate it with extreme speed, until quickly grabbing Mine's and ate it as well with the same speed. Seeing this, the four of them couldn't help but look shocked by what Akame did.
"I just witnessed the true speed of an assassin, no doubt" Tatsumi said
"How do you not have a stomach cramp?" Max asked but Akame didn't answer, instead she merely just stood up from her seat and turned to Max.
"For lunch we will be serving tuna and rice" Akame said of course this was when Sheele walked into the room.
"Watch out, sleepy Sheele behind you" Max said just as Sheele's eye laid eyes on her empty bowl
"What happened to my breakfast?" Sheele asked, tired
"Akame ate it" Steel quickly said, which got a death glare from Akame, "What? It's the truth" he said but got more nervous as Akame then pulled Murasuma from out of nowhere and pointed at Steel.
"Run" she said as Steel flew as fast as he could while Akame chased him.
Watching this everyone just sweat dropped at this, watching Akame swing at Steel as he flew around screaming.
"Oh boy" Max said with a sigh
In another part of the forest, Najenda was kneeling before a wounded solider of sorts and he seemed to be holding a folder of sorts but it didn't seem like he was going to make it.
"You've done well, what about the others?" She asked
"I think I was the only one to make it this far" the solider struggled to say
"I see" she replied
The soldier then reached out and held out a leather bound folder to her.
"Here, this contains the list of everyone in power that swears to help us when we rally" He said as Najenda reached out and took hold of the folder
"It's in my hands now, you can rest easy" she said with a look of sadness in her eye.
"Before I go, there is one more thing you should know" he said gaining Najenda attention
"What is it?" she asked
"When we were on your way here, we were attacked by some sort creature" he said
"A danger beast?" Najenda inquired
"No, this was no danger beast, it was intelligent and much more powerful than anything we've ever seen, what's worse it seemed to control the ground we walk upon" He said coughing up blood as he did
Hearing this Najenda then looked shocked at this, because it almost matched the description of Fire Elementor but with a few differences, like the power of the ground.
"What else do you remember?!" Najenda asked wanting to know for sure what he said was true, but it was too late for the solider had died.
Najenda then clenched her fist, and couldn't help but fear what might be out there right now, but now was not the time worry about that, there was a new mission given to Night Raid and that took priority first.
Night had fallen over the hideout of Night Raid and everyone was standing in the meeting room, with Najenda sitting in her chair.
"Your next target is the serial killer everyone is talking about, he comes by night and decapitates people seemingly at random, how many victims is unknown" Najenda said
Hearing this Max then clenched his fist tightly, already his blood was boiling and his eyes were slightly glowing blue. Leone soon saw this and placed a hand on his shoulder which actually got him to calm down.
"Calm down there Max, we don't want you to blow up the hideout" Leone said trying to lighten the mood
"Yes, that would be bad" Steel said floating by as they focused at the matter at hand
"I think a good third of the people were guards, so he must be strong" Tatsumi said
"No doubt about it, this is definitely Head Hunter Zanku's work" Lubbock added catching Max, Steel and Tatsumi attention
"Okay? So who is this "Zanku"" Steel asked
"Yeah, I've never heard of anyone like that" Tatsumi added
While every expected Max and Steel not to know, some people were a little surprised that Tatsumi never heard of Zanku.
"You don't know? Wow you really are from the sticks" Mine said
"Um excuse me, I don't think I've ever heard of him either" Sheele added which got an eye roll from Mine.
"Really, you probably just forgot Sheele" Mine said making Sheele kind of "deflate" in a way
"Okay so what's so bad this guy anyway" Max asked
"It worse than you think, Zanku was the executioner at the biggest prison in the empire, the minister orders a lot of decapitations" Mine said making Max and Steel feel a little unnerved at this as Mine continued, "Over and over, day in and day out he would chop their heads one by one as they begged for their lives, over the years it became an addiction and now he can't stop" Mine finished giving Max and Steel goosebumps
"That's one spooky bedtime story" Steel commented
"Yeah, something like that would drive anyone insane" Max said as Tatsumi nodded in agreement
"Soon enough prisoners wasn't enough and Zanku took it to the streets" Mine said
"Zanku then disappeared when a subjugation force was organized to capture him, I just never thought he would end up in the city" Bulat added
"Then what are we waiting for let's take this guy out!" Tatsumi shouted until Bulat stopped him by patting him on the head.
"Woah yes there tiger" Bulat said making Tatsumi look up at him
"Yeah but…" Tatsumi started to until Bulat spoke again
"Zanku is also equipped with an Imperial Arms he stole from the warden years ago" Bulat stated until he then grabbed hold of Tatsumi's chin and got in close, "we best travel in teams of two, in case it's a rough ride~~" Bulat said in a flirty voice making Tatsumi look uncomfortable
Seeing this Max and Steel couldn't help but pity Tatsumi for what he had to deal with.
"Boss, do we have any idea what Imperial Arms he's fighting with?" Mine asked which Najenda responded with a shake of her head.
"No were still looking into that" She replied
"Not about to reveal his hand huh, uh that's so annoying" Leone said
"Imperial Arms? You mention that before, what are they that's been nagging at me for a while now" Steel asked with Max thinking the same thing, when Akame then swung her sword in front of their faces startling them.
"It's something like this" Akame said while Steel gave her a deadpan stare
"That doesn't help much you know" Steel said
"Very well then, let get Max, Steel and Tatsumi up to speed" Najenda said
She then went to the story of the Imperial Arms, which were weapons that were built by the first emperor of the capital as a way of protecting his kingdom. She said that they collected materials from so called S-Class Danger Beasts and rare metals. But due to a civil war they were scattered across the land. She then went into details about each of the teams Imperial Arms, Murasume the One Hit Kill sword that causes a deadly poison to enter the body and kill them within seconds, Beast king Lionel, which gives the wearer all the attributes of a raging beast making them faster and stronger, The adventures Bunker Pumpkin which turns mental energy into ammo for it, The Demon armor Incursio which puts such a strain on a person that a normal person would die, The Protean Cross Tail which could become anything and the threads were unbreakable, and finally the Shears of Creation Extase which could cut through anything.
After hearing all this Steel's inner science geek was going wild over there weapons and in no time at all Steel already started asking them questions about their weapons. This of course sort of freaked them out a little until Max stopped him.
"There is one more thing" Najenda added catching there attention, "There is one iron clad rule that all Imperial Arms hold, if two of these weapons were to fight, then one of them will absolutely die" Najenda said causing Max and Steel to looked surprised as well as Tatsumi.
"Geez talk about double edge sword" Steel said
"Yeah no joke" Max added
"Yeah, got it" Tatsumi said freaked out by this news
Then Lubbock came up behind them and had one his threads close to their necks.
"Opps, we've revealed too much now and now we can't let you leave, so unless you want to end up dead I guess you're stuck with us" Lubbock said in a joking tone freaking the three of them out
"Uh yeah sure" Tatsumi nervously said while Max and Steel both nodded at this
"Oh don't worry about, since the Boss told you about this that means she trust you three" She said with a smile
"Oh yeah I'm so feeling the trust" Steel said sarcastically which got a chuckle form Leone and Max
"Yes, although we lack numbers we make up for it in our induvial abilities, I believe we are the heart of the revolution" Najenda said making Max and Steel nodded in agreement, after all with the anount of Turbo Modes they had they had plenty of options to use.
"Wait, don't I get one?" Tatsumi asked
"What? You think we have a weapon we can just give you" Mine replied
"You don't?" Tatsumi asked
"Come on Tatsumi, if they did have another one, don't you think that would have given it to you by now" Max said while Najenda nodded in agreement
"But don't worry Tatsumi, you'll get yours soon enough" Najenda said, she then stood up from her seat, "With nothing else to say, let's go take this creep out" She said while everyone had a determined look on their face.
Night Raid was now in the city, with all of them split into different groups of two and was out searching for Zanku. One of the teams was walking along the road, consisting of Akame and Max with Steel attached to his chest. As they walked through the streets, Max couldn't help but notice the lack of people in the area.
"Geez, where is everyone?" Max asked looking around
"Most likely there hiding from Zanku" Akame replied
"Hey if there was a crazy killer on the loose, I would hide too" Steel said
"Yeah, no kid…" Max started to say until Akame then grabbed him and pulled him against a wall as a group of guards came running by.
"Be careful of guards" Akame said while Max nodded
After the guards left, Max and Akame began there walk through the city, while he was he couldn't help but take a look at the blade in Akame's hand.
"Hey Akame, I have a question?" Max asked
"Don't worry I brought enough food for the both of us" Akame replied making Max sweat drop at this
"Uh, that's not what I was wondering, I just wanted to ask does your sword really kill in one strike?" He asked
"That's what I liked to know" Steel added as Akame stopped in her tracks
"Yes, that's right" Akame replied
Max then thought back to their first fight, and thought about the times that sword struck his armor and couldn't help but shiver at that.
"Oh boy, I'm I glad for armor" Max said
"I've been using Murasuma for years, so it's built quite a reputation as the One Hit Kill Sword" Akame said clenching her blade in her hand.
"Must be unstoppable with a title like that" Max said
"No, there are some drawbacks" Akame added
"Drawbacks? Like what?" Steel asked curious how such a sword could have a flaw
"It's almost impossible to clean, if I cut myself I'm dead" She said causing Max to flinch at this
"Yicks, that does sound bad" Max said
"Also I need to cut into my opponents flesh or the curse won't get in" Akame explained
"I see, so it must be hard to handle someone who has tough armor" Max said thinking about a certain toxic madman
"Or if they have nothing to poison" Steel added referring to their battle with Fire Elementor
"Yes, for me everything relies on one hit kills, so I can't always rely on my Imperial Arms" Akame said
"I hear ah, sometimes there have been moments where I'm stuck in one Turbo Mode, so I have to adapt" Max said thinking about the times he was without Steel
"Like the time you were stuck in Super Mode" Steel added making Max go red in embarrassment while Akame raised an eyebrow at this.
"Super Mode?" Akame asked while Max looked down, embarrassed
"I don't what to talk about" Max said as they moved ahead.
But far above on a bell tower, there stood a large man, wearing a large, gray trench coat, and wore some sort metal ear muffs over his ears, his hair was blond with two tips of it pointing up making them look like antennae and had a green eye on his forehead.
"My, my, what do we have here, what an interesting group we have here tonight? A serial killer, assassins and a little hero, my this city is quite the jungle, how exciting" the man said with a wide toothy smile, "Greetings Night Raid, now who's head shall I go after first" he said with a sadistic smile
Using his eye he then looked at all the members of Night Raid, seeing who to go after first until he spotted Max.
"Oh, this one is most interesting, so much experience behind those eyes" he said until snapping his fingers, "Yes, tonight you will be my first victim" He declared as he looked at the boy down below.
Not to long after Akame and Max were both sitting at a bench, both enjoying a little snack, with Max drinking a soda and Akame eating what looked like a crepe.
"Man, where is this guy, he sure is taking his time" Max said looking reclining on the bench
"He's most likely choosing which target to go after first" Akame replied
"Good point, most guys I fight, just show up to fight" Max said until he felt something, "Excuse me, I have to do something" Max said walking away
"Nature Calls" Akame joked surprising Max
"Did she just crack joke, I didn't think that was possible" Steel said as Max walked to a nearby ally to "relieve himself".
"Ha, that's better" Max said finishing his business
After Max finished he then turned to head back to Akame until, right down the ally, was his mother. She was just standing there with a smile on her face.
"Mom?" Max asked wondering if the woman before him was his mother
"Max, what are you talking about there's nothing there" Steel said not seeing what Max was
But Max wasn't listening, as he saw her mom run down ally, as Max followed.
"Mom, wait?!" Max said running after her
"Max, where are you going?!" Steel shouted in his head as he followed his mother
Not long after Akame walked into the ally to see what was holding Max up.
"How long is this going to take?" she asked but as turned the corner she saw that the ally was empty.
Max then kept running after his mother, hoping it was really her; she finally stopped seeing her just standing there with a smile.
"Mom, is that you, how are here, oh it doesn't matter, I'm just glad you're here" Max said hugging his Mom, or so her thought
"Max, get away, now!" Steel shouted but it was too late for Max had already walked into the trap
"Ah, how sweet, I sure showed you something good didn't I" A male voice said snapping Max from his trance and looked up to see it was not his mom but a tall man with a sadistic grin.
Seeing this Max then jumped away from the man and took a defense stance.
"What the, who are you, where is my mom?!" Max demanded from the man
"I would prefer you would not call me "Mother", you may call me…" he said as he crossed her arms and two large blades came from under his coat, "Head-Hunter Zanku!" He shouted making Max tense
"So you're the infamous head-hunter, I was actually hopping to meet you" Max said as he stood at the ready
"Hmm, Interesting, so you're planning to end this battle quick with that Turbo Strength Mode of yours, a fitting name indeed" He said shocking Max
'Did he just read my mind' Max thought
"Also, "Go Turbo", such a fun little catchphrase" Zanku said again surprising Max again
'How is doing that?' Max thought to himself, until he saw the large green eye on Zanku's forehead, 'That eye must be his Imperial Arms' He thought
"Bingo! It's called Spectator and one of its five abilities allows me to read your mind by gazing at your facial expressions, also it allows me keen observation skills which was how I was able to find you so easily" Zanku said which made Max smirk a little.
"Oh, if that's the case" Max said, he then activated his helmet, which hid his face from Zanku, "Done and Done, no more mind reading for you" He said sounding confident but that smile didn't leave Zanku's face.
"Oh please like a simply mask would work against Spectator" Zanku said confusing Max
"Don't let him get to you Max, just power on through!" Steel said
"Right" Max said and crossed his arms.
"GO TURBO, STRENGTH"
Then in a flash of light, Max then changed into his Strength Mode and got into his stance, while Zanku just smiled at this.
"Oh yes, most fitting indeed" Zanku said
"Glad your impressed, how about doing me favor and shut your trap" Max said
"Oh am afraid I can't do that, you see I always loved a good chit-chat, there's nothing that pleases me more" Zanku said until Max charged him and swung at him but he simply dodged
"Trying to attack me mid-monologue? How pitiful" Zanku said surprising Max but quickly shook it off
"Luck move" Max replied and charged him again
"First, your going to try to hit me with a right hook" Zanku said dodging said attack
"Then you'll try a finisher" Zanku said as Max tried to uppercut him with a Turbo charged fist, only to miss
"Next you'll try a downward smash" Zanku said dodging the next attack
Seeing that none of his attacks weren't hitting, Max then backed up and took a defensive position.
"How you doing that, I thought you needed to see a person's face to read their mind?" Max demanded
"Oh yes that part is true, but of course Spectator has another ability." Zanku said tapping the eye, "You see it also has the ability to see through any object, to show what lies beneath something, such as hidden weapons or you're face behind your mask" Zanku explained
"Ah great, so much for the mask idea" Max said
"So what now, he can still see your face" Steel said
"I think I have another idea, let's hope it works" Max said and crossed his arms
"GO TURBO, SPEED"
Max then quickly changed into his Speed Mode and started to circle Zanku, while Zanku simply stood in the center of the ring.
"Hope your plan isn't to dizzy him to death" Steel said
"Simply really, I bet he can't see my face if I'm going at this speed" Max said to Steel, while Zanku's smile grew
"Oh delightful, since your moving at such a speed you think I can't see your face, I good move yes, but there is one thing I still have" Zanku said
Max then changed direction heading straight for Zanku, fist raised, until to his shock he sidestepped out of the way missing him. Max then came to screeching halt turning around to face him, only to find him almost right on top of him and swung down at him, ready to cut off Max's head off until dodged it and got some distance from him.
"Oh so close, I was only so close to adding your head to my collection" he said pointing his blade at Max, "But now your head is mine!" he shouted rising his blades.
"How did you even know I would do that?" Max asked
"It simply, Spectator's other ability is called Foresight, which allows me to predict your moves just by looking at you" Zanku explained making Max groan
"Man, this guy is almost untouchable, how I'm I suppose to get him?" Max said to himself, until Steel chimed in
"Max, there is a way we can get him" Steel said catching Max's attention
"How? He can predict our moves just by looking at us" Max said
"Yes, by "looking" at us" Steel said emphasing it
Max then thought about until the idea hit him and gained a smirk.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Max asked
"Yep, lets pull a Houdini on this creep" Steel said as Max crossed his arms
"GO TURO, STEALTH"
Blue light then flashed outward, only this time when it died down Max had disappeared from sight, seeing this Zanku then looked a little panicked as looked around the area trying to find Max but couldn't.
"That brat, if I knew he had something like this, I would have killed him right on the spot" Zanku said looking around hoping to find him.
The out of nowhere, Zanku felt a punch impact his left check, he then slashed at the area only to hit nothing. Then another attack came and got him right in jaw as he swung again only to hit nothing again.
"Where are you?!" Zanku shouted into the sky, angry present in his voice
"Right here!" Max shouted and quickly delivered a barrage of punches to Zanku's chest, he then uppercut him sending him into the air and fall on his back with a gasp of pain. As Zanku got back up Max then de-cloaked himself causing the smile to appear on Zanku's face again.
"You should have stayed hidden, because now your thoughts are in open…" Zanku started to say until he noticed something, he's Imperial Arms was gone.
He then frantically looked around for it, but was not seeing it anywhere, until Max then whistled at him getting his attention.
"Looking for this?" Max said showing Spectator in his hand, making Zanku panic at this.
"How did you…" Zanku started to ask until Max beat him too it
"I grabbed it off your forehead, when I landed my last blow" Max said causing Zanku to sheath with rage
"Give it back!" Zanku shouted charging Max
"I don't think so" Max said
Steel then detached himself from Max as he took a hold of him by his arms and raised him to Zanku. Max then charged up Steel until firing a huge beam of Turbo energy at him sending Zanku flying across the clearing, as he landed unconscious.
"And down goes the Head Hunter, high five me Ro-bro!" Max shouted raising his hand
"Back at you Tur-bro" Steel said smacking his hand
"I must say I'm impressed" a voice said behind them
Turning around they saw it was Akame with smile on her face.
"Oh Akame, how long you've been there?" Max asked
"Just when you and Steel took down Zanku" Akame replied
"You bet we did" Steel said which made Max smile
"Yes, you two truly are incredible but the mission isn't over" Akame said changing to a more serious look
Of course Max and Steel knew what this meant.
"Just … make it quick" Max said looking away as well as Steel
Akame merely nodded as she unsheathed her sword and stabbed Zanku in the heart, ending his life.
"It's done, the mission is complete" Akame said looking over at Max
"Right, let's go" Max said as Steel reattached himself to Max as the two of them left Zanku's body behind.
It was now late in the afternoon and Max was sitting near the cliff side of the hideout, with Steel just hovering by.
"Ha, man what an exhausting night" Max said looking over the valley bellow
"Yeah, no kidding who have thought we would fight a guy who can read our minds" Steel said
"I'll say, but now that I think about I wonder what other crazy Imperial Arms there are?" Max said
"Hmm, Your right, we've seen plenty from Night Raid and Zanku, it makes you think what other crazy weapons are out there" Steel said, the scientist in him calling to him.
Of course there train of thought was interrupted when an apron was thrown on their heads. Turning around they found it was Akame who throw the apron at them.
"What are doing, it almost dinner time" Akame said but hearing this made Max roll his eyes as he took the apron off his head
"Alright, I'm coming" Max said standing up until something crossed his mind, "Hey Akame?" Max said getting her attention.
"I wanted to say thanks back there, you know for … completing the mission" Max said but Akame just smiled at them.
"No, you have no need to thank me; I was merely doing what needed to be done. In fact I think I should be thanking you" Akame said catching Max and Steel off guard
"And why is that?" Steel asked
"Because you choice to help us, despite what we are, and no matter what happens you never strayed from your path, that truly makes you strongest ever" Akame said with a smile which surprised Max and Steel by her praise.
"Okay, whatever you say" Max said as he and Steel walked off
But as they left Akame couldn't help but look at the two of them, amazed by the two heroes. Here they were a pair of beings with power that could rival anyone in their world but instead of using their power for personal gain they use it to help people. That there was the strongest will ever and she couldn't help but admire them because of that.
"Max Steel, truly you are one of a kind" Akame said as she followed after them.
Down in a faraway canyon, a group of Revolutionary Solders were escorting a carriage of supplies for the army, and they were taking a shortcut through this canyon to reach the nearby camp.
"Come one lets hurry, the sooner we get these supplies to the base the better" one solider said
"And the quicker the better, I heard that many soldiers were attacked by some sort of creature" another said
"Ah please, it probably just a danger beast or something" a third solider said shrugging it off.
Then the three soldiers and the horses pulling the carriage felt a shacking sensation in the ground, causing the horses to panic.
"What is this?! An earthquake?!" the first solider said then to their horror they say the walls of the canyon suddenly start moving in on each other causing the soldiers to panic.
"Run or we'll be crushed!" the second solider said
The two soldiers then jumped onto the carriage as the third one cracked the reins causing the horses to bolt forward. But as they traveled across the trail, the canyon walls were closing even faster by the second. They then saw the exit to the canyon up ahead, thinking they were going to make it but before they could escape a giant stone wall burst from ground blocking there only exit. The three soldiers then screamed with terror as they watched the walls move in closer, until the entire canyon closed cutting the sound of the soldiers off.
Although not to faraway, a large figure stood on the mountain side looking at the closed canyon and chuckled.
"Looks like the humans went splat" it said as it suddenly burrowed into the ground and disappeared out of sight.
