Hey guys, I'm back with another update for this story! I'm glad you all seemed to enjoy the last chapter, this new one will start the next arc for this story. After this chapter, I'll be working on my Spider-Man fic, and then my other stories after that, so the next chapter after this one won't be out for a little while. But please just be patient and it will be out eventually.

**Please Read** After seeing this pop up in several reviews and PMs recently, I just want to address something now. Some of you may be upset about what I'm about to say, but it's something that is starting to irritate me with how frequently I'm seeing it. Please. Please. PLEASE! Stop asking me to put Sayo in Tatsumi's harem! Every time I see someone ask me that now, it just frustrates me and makes me want to do it less and less. I want to make one thing absolutely, crystal clear right now. As of this moment, I have no plans at all of adding Sayo into Tatsumi's harem, and I never planned to add her when I first started this story. I want Sayo to stay as someone who is like a sister to Tatsumi and one of his closest friends, I have no intentions or desire to make her one of his lovers. Who knows, maybe, and this is a huge maybe, in the future I might change my mind on this matter. But as of right now Sayo will not be joining Tatsumi's harem. So please stop asking me to add her because every time you do you're actually hurting her chances of ever joining. Again, I understand some of you might not like hearing this, but please try and understand, I started this story with no intention of having Sayo join Tatsumi's harem and that hasn't changed since then.

*Also Important* This is actually my first time reading through anything regarding Wild Hunt, so this entire stretch of the story is largely new to me. After doing some research on all the members of Wild Hunt, I can safely say that I don't want to spare any of them, aside from maybe Cosmina. I would say Izou too, but he's kinda important in matters regarding Lubbock later in the story. I have a few ideas on how to change Cosmina's character a little and have her spared. I only bring this up, because I would like to know your thoughts on this matter. Cosmina surviving is in no way set in stone and I'd like to know your thoughts on the idea. Feel free to leave your thoughts in a review or PM me. Fuck me, I am NOT looking forward to writing any of Champ's scenes, pray for me guys.

P.S. I apologize if some of Wild Hunt's names seem odd or different, I'm just using the names that are in the manga volumes I have.

Well with that out of the way, that's everything I want to say, so let's get to the fic!

"Speech"

"Thoughts"

"Incursio"

Teigu

Disclaimer: I don't own Akame ga Kill or any of its characters.

(Three Months Later: Capital's Palace)

In the aftermath of Bolic's death, a faction within the Way of Peace had risen up and urged the religious organization to stage an armed revolt against the empire. They believed that fighting back against the government responsible for such great amounts of suffering was the right thing to do. Over the course of several weeks, they attacked warehouses belonging to government officials and viceroys who had taxed them heavily. The religion's leader wanted to avoid all the bloodshed, but he eventually began to listen to the convincing arguments made by his executive team. With the Way of Peace's rapid expansion, they would need increased land and provisions to feed their entire flock. In the wake of this new turmoil, many of the country's oppressed citizens joined in on the chaos. This caused the scope of the revolt to spread to every corner of the empire. At the same time, after waiting for the perfect moment to strike, the western tribes united and launched a massive invasion. The empire's soldiers were unprepared and had been demoralized greatly by the death of General Esdeath, which lead to a series of defeats, allowing the invaders to pour into the country. The country's ruling powers grew concerned over the empire's state, both internally and externally.

"Hey, minister..." The emperor muttered as he stared down at the partially pond in front of him, his breath visible in the air as snow softly fell to the ground. "I'm hearing some rumors...that our army has once again lost to the western invaders...are we...are we going to be okay? The enemy is just so powerful."

"Now, now. Who told you all these things, your highness?" Honest asked with a fake smile, standing next to the young emperor. "Looks like I may have to do some culling of the herd."

"Seigi, the administrator of domestic affairs." The emperor replied as he turned his head to look back at the minister. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing..." Honest said, clasping his hands behind his back, a dark look in his eyes. "I'll have to speak with Seigi, it seems to me that he may be shirking his duties."

"What do you mean?" The emperor asked in a confused tone as he cocked his head slightly.

"Seigi is responsible for combating the uprising plaguing our empire right now. He appears to be feeding you baseless lies about the invaders. Please trust me, you don't have to worry about our enemies." Honest said with a smile, patting the emperor's head as he kept up his cheerful facade. "I've already summoned General Budo and his unit."

"OH! In that case, I feel much better!" The emperor said with a bright smile as he tossed a small stone into the pond.

"Yes, I can see it now, General Budo will drive back the invaders..." Honest said, gazing down at the small pond as several ripples spread out from the stone the emperor had dropped. "There numbers are of no concern." Taking a quick breath, Honest turned his gaze towards the gray sky overhead. "When an empire has existed as long as ours has, things like this are bound to happen. But you have nothing to worry about. Just keep doing as you always do and keep a calm composure that will reassure our people."

"I understand!" The emperor said as he suddenly stood upright, looking up to Honest. "A leader must never show weakness, or else his country can't stand tall. Thanks, minister! You're always such a big help!"

(Later that Night: With Honest and Syura)

"*Sigh* Damn...keeping up that damn act all day when I'm around the brat is really tiring..." Honest grumbled in an exhausted tone, releasing another heavy sigh before taking a massive bite out of a large cut of meat. "And all these damn rebellions and invasions lately have been a huge pain in the ass...all the stress has caused me to start gaining weight again."

"Heh, I think that's just because you eat too much pops!" Shula laughed before he leaned back in his chair, staring down at the lavish spread of food on the table. "I know you like to indulge, but this is a little ridiculous..."

"Tch, I send my darling son on a trip...even out of the country, but..." Honest muttered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took another large bit of meat. "You returned home better than ever. I couldn't be more pleased with your progress, Shula."

"I've done my rounds..." Shula said with a smirk as he took a sip of wine. "Been to every corner of the world too..." Leaning back forward, Shula gazed out a nearby window. "I'd always knew this, but the empire is damned advanced. The archipelago to the south and tundra to the north are so rural in comparison. They don't even have guns, it's so strange." Turning away from the window, Shula began to idly pick at the food on his plate. "The second-largest civilization after our empire...would have to be the kingdom to the west, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, they seem to utilize alchemy and have a unique culture..." Honest replied, finishing off the last bite of his meat, before helping himself to another large portion. "Despite being borderline savages, they are quite fascinating."

"The one regret I have from my trip..." Shula said as he released a light sigh and set his fork back down. "Is that we never got to investigate the island nation to the east. I heard rumors that it's a very underdeveloped place."

"Well, the farthest reaches of the eastern ocean are still uncharted territory..." Honest said, before pausing his feast for a moment to wipe his face. "So it can't be helped. Maybe once this damn rebellion has been crushed, we can send some people to explore that region." An evil smirk spread across Honest's face as he used a knife to pick his teeth. "It could prove to be a very...profitable conquest."

"By the way..." Shula said as he clasped his hands on top of the table. "That little assignment you gave me, to 'gather anyone talented who could be of use.' I think it's safe to say that I fulfilled that task."

"Well, well. This surely is a joyous occasion. Our ranks could use some bolstering after our recent losses." Honest said, his smirk widening as a devious look flashed in his eyes. "I'd love for you to show them to me."

(Five Minutes Later: Palace's Training Area)

"W-What the hell did they gather us all for?"

"Why were we given weapons too?"

"Whatever stupid stunt they're pulling, I just want it to be over with, my execution date is tomorrow and I'm fucking sick of the constant abuse and torture."

"Hey, you guys!" Shula called out from the stands overlooking the training area, with Honest sitting down beside him. "Since you're all on death row, that means all that awaits you is a date with the hangman's noose! So, I have a great idea! We're gonna play a little game, sound fun!?" All the prisoners spun around when a gate on the other side of the arena opened up and five hooded figures entered. "Whoever manages to defeat these five people will be pardoned of their crimes and even be given an award! Feel free to work together and gang up on them! I have no problems with that, in fact it will make things more fun!"

"H-Hey, we really gonna do this..."

"Hell yeah!"

"We're dead either way, so might as well give it a shot!"

"*Sigh* Whatever gets us out of here quicker..."

"Oho, so they are game for this..." Shula said with a smirk as he leaned forward in his seat. "Good thinking father...tempting criminals with a pardon to get them to fight..."

"It's a fairly common tactic when training assassins..." Honest said, taking a large bite out of a piece of meat he had brought out with him. "It's a great way to assess their actual skills and is a fantastic source of entertainment."

Letting out a fierce roar, a large group of the prisoners all simultaneously charged the five hooded newcomers. Letting out a deep breath, one of the newcomers tossed off their coat. The man was tall with black hair worn in a top ponytail. He wore clothing resembling that of a samurai, with eyes that had black sclerae and red irides. He even had a small twig in his mouth. Hanging off his felt was a large katana, his hand resting on its hilt. With a calm stride in his step, the man approached the desperate prisoners.

"As was decided by our game of rock-paper-scissors, I will go first..." The dark-haired samurai said in a stoic tone.

"Bah, there ain't nothin' we can do to stop you." One of the shorter cloaked figures said in a slightly irritated tone.

"Ah, yes..." The samurai said as he tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade. "My beloved Kousetsu. You shall soon feed on a delicious meal." In the blink of an eye, the samurai had dashed forward, unleashing a flurry of slashes with his sword that were impossible to track. When the samurai appeared behind the prisoners, several of their bodies were falling to literal pieces behind him.

"That Izou." Shula said, gesturing towards the dark-haired samurai, who was currently sheathing his blade. "He's a swordsman who loves his sword more than anything else and is constantly feeding it blood."

Back in the arena, the prisoners who had survived Izou's attack backed away in fear, many of proclaiming that he was a monster before bolting towards the arena's exit. However, they were stopped when another one of the hooded figures stepped out in front of them. With one fluid motion, the figure threw off their hooded jacket. Underneath the coat was a young woman with a bob-style haircut and bunny ears accessory on top of her head. She wore a mini-dress, with a collar and matching wristbands, heeled boots and a pair of glasses.

"My, oh my! You guys really shouldn't try to run away!" The girl said in a cheerful tone as she pulled out what appeared to be a microphone, the top of which was in the shape of a cute cat's head. "How about I sing you all a soothing song...it will guide you to your graves!" With those final words, a shockwave burst out from behind the woman and hit the fleeing prisoners. For a few moments they appeared to be unharmed, but suddenly they all began to scream in agony, blood pouring from their mouths. It turns out that the shockwave the woman's voice had sent out had shattered all of the prisoner's bones. It didn't take long for all the prisoners to collapse to the ground in bloody, unmoving heaps.

"That girl is Cosmina." Shula pointed out, watching as the girl took a slight bow, a small smile on her face. "She is a songstress, who was convicted of being a witch in the west."

"Yay! Got them all in one shot!" Cosmina cheered as she pumped a fist in the air. "It's a shame they couldn't hear more of my song though!"

"Stop doing that, you stupid bitch!" Another one of the cloaked figures exclaimed in an irritated tone, literally kicking Cosmina in the ass. "Don't just go killing everyone! Save some for me!"

"Oh, calm down..." Cosmina said in a lust-filled tone, positioning herself so that the cloaked figure got a good view of her panties. "I'll give you a 'private' show later."

"Bah! I don't want anything like that from you!" The still-cloaked figure said as they turned their head away, discreetly stealing glances at Cosmina. "It'd be bad for my health!"

"Tch, you guys are utterly hopeless..." The smallest cloaked figure said, walking over to the group of prisoners Cosmina had attacked. Stopping next to one of the prisoners, the cloaked figure was surprised to see that they were still alive. "Hey, you didn't get all of them. This guy is still kicking." Letting out a fright-filled scream, the prisoner desperately tried to crawl away from the cloaked figure, despite his shattered bones. Growling in frustration, the small cloaked figure grabbed the man by the collar and threw him into the air. "Oh shut the hell up!" The figure threw off their jacket, revealing a young-looking woman of small height with blonde hair. She wore a turquoise dress with a white apron and a ribbon on her head, giving her a rather innocent appearance. Leaping into the air, the girl grabbed ahold of the prisoner. "You should feel blessed! Being killed by me...is the best thing you could ask for!" After saying this, the girl bit down into the prisoner's shoulder, surprising him. However, that surprise instantly turned to sheer panic as he felt his skin begin to stretch and strain. Then in one blood-curdling scream, all the prisoner's skin was cleanly removed from his body, disappearing into the small girl's mouth. With a graceful landing, the girl wiped her mouth clean. "Hmm, not bad!"

"That's Dorothea" Shula explained as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his seat. "She's an alchemist who can convert flesh into...all sorts of things. To be honest I don't really want to know what she does with it." Shula then turned his attention towards the final two figures, who had both tossed off their hooded jackets. The first one was a lean, muscular man with black hair styled in a triangular bob-like cut and small light-colored eyes. He wore a black outfit that revealed his chest and light-colored pants with a sash. He also appeared to have a habit of sticking out his long tongue. "That's Enshin. He's a pirate who was causing chaos in the archipelago to the south." Next, Shula pointed towards the final newcomer, who was an overweight, dark-skinned man with puffs of dark curly hair above his ears; he was also wearing clown makeup and clothing, as well as a small baseball hat with a smiley face on it. "And that fat bastard huffing and puffing over there is Champ. He's a serial killer clown, with some rather...disturbing habits."

"Tch, I'm just raring to kill something!" Enshin said in an irritated tone, resting his hands on his hips and glaring at all the dead bodies around him. "I'm about ready to burst!"

"Doesn't look like there are any little kids here..." Champ thought as he scanned his surroundings, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I could care less about what's going on here."

"I see...I see..." Honest muttered, stroking his beard as he stared down into the arena below. "You've brought together a fine group. But..." Honest's eyes narrowed slightly, gazing at the various equipment that the five newcomers possessed. "It looks like they're all equipped with a teigu."

"Yes, my other mission was to gather teigu that had been scattered outside the country, remember?" Shula said as he stood up from his seat. "I say, let them use them if they want. After all, these guys are on another level, aren't they? Those Four Rakshasa were nothing in comparison to them."

"Oho, now that's an interesting challenge." Honest said with a smirk, chuckling in amusement.

"It's no challenge, father." Shula said with a twisted smile as he gestured towards the five people he had gathered together. "And to prove it to you...we'll kill that troublesome Seigi fellow for you."

"Oh dear, you don't have to trouble yourself with that." Honest said, his smirk twisting into something evil as a dangerous glint flashed through is his eyes. "With the country all riled up like it is, now is the perfect opportunity to expose those who have been pretending to support me. I'll find all those worms who oppose me...and execute them one by one. Heh heh, we'll make up some crimes and pin it on them."

"That's stereotypical evil for you..." Shula thought as he turned away from his father, staring down at his new pawns. "Just like I thought, it's gonna be a pain in the ass to take out my old man." A devious grin soon spread across Shula's face. "Well it's no matter...for now...I'd like to have some fun. We have plenty of toys to amuse us now."

(Same Time: Streets of the Capital)

"Hmm, despite everything that has been happening lately, the city still feels pretty peaceful..." Wave said, watching people walk by as he took a sip of his tea. Setting down his cup, Wave saw that Kurome was staring down at her lap, a depressed look on her face. "Hey Kurome, are you okay?"

"Yeah...I'm fine..." Kurome muttered in an unconvincing tone as she clasped her hands, twiddling her thumbs.

"Just how long are you gonna stay down in the dumps, Kurome?" Wave asked, releasing a light sigh before he gave Kurome a sympathetic look. "Come on Kurome, talk to me."

"I...I just can't help it..." Kurome replied quietly as she continued to keep her head lowered. "I was completely useless during the most important part of our last mission."

"Yeah, it's true that we failed our mission..." Wave said, before taking another quick sip of tea. "But that's why General Budo said it's not the defeat of the invaders we have to worry about, but protecting the capital." With a small smile, Wave pushed his slice of cake towards Kurome. "Here, I know this will cheer you up! Have my slice of cake!"

"Heh, I guess you're right..." Kurome said as she perked up a bit, raising her head to smile at Wave. "Thanks, Wave." Picking up her fork, Kurome cut herself a small piece of cake. "You were blown away by the enemy twice but still got back onto your feet, so I should be able to as well!"

"T-That's right..." Wave muttered, chuckling to himself as he hung his head in shame. "I know I'm trying to cheer her up right now, but damn that hurt my pride..."

"I need to fuel up if I want to bounce back at full strength!" Kurome said as she ate the piece of cake she had cut, her face lighting up because of how delicious it was. "Mmmmm, so good!"

"Heh, it was worth it after all..." Wave thought, a soft blush spreading across his face as he stared at Kurome. "I feel much better when Kurome is smiling like this." However, Wave's gaze was soon drawn towards something behind Kurome. Across the street stood Run, their teammate appeared to be staring at a man dressed as a clown performing for a small crowd. Excusing himself, Wave walked across the street towards his fellow Jaeger. "Yo, what's up Run? You like street performers or something?" Wave immediately regretted that last question when he saw how intensely Run was glaring at the street clown. "I...I guess not..." Releasing a light sigh, Wave walked up next to Run and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Oi, Run! You're seriously zoning out man and it's starting to creep me out!"

"Wave..." Run said in a semi-dazed tone as he tore his piercing gaze away from the clown. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Wave replied, resting his hands on his hips and shooting Run a suspicious look. "You looked pretty creepy a second ago. Is something going on?"

"No..." Run said with a warm smile as he walked passed Wave, patting him on the back as he passed. "It's nothing at all...just some...unpleasant memories..."

(Same Time: 250 km South of the Capital)

Akame and the rest of Night Raid were on guard against possible attacks as they made their way back to their base. The deliberately took a longer route that went around the capital's southern side. Currently, they had stopped to rest for the day, establishing a small camp.

"How's your injury Akame?" Najenda asked, staring up at the red-eyes assassin as she rested next to a small fire. "You took quite the beating in our last mission."

"It's gotten a lot better...but it'll still be a couple more weeks before it's fully healed..." Akame said as her cheeks suddenly tinted red and a small smile spread across her face. "Tatsumi has done a great job tending to my...all of our injuries...it's been such a huge help the past few months..."

"Yeah, thanks to his care I'm all healed up!" Leone cheered with a bright grin, flexing her biceps to show her fully healed body. "I feel good as new!"

"Even with your healing abilities I still have a hard time believing that..." Akame muttered as she stared down at her own bandaged body, feeling the slight aches and pains. "I mean almost every bone in your body was broken."

"Heh heh, you're so cute when you're worried, Akame!" Akame exclaimed, lunging forward and hugging the red-eyed assassin between her massive breasts. "Well, you don't have to worry about me!"

"Save this for Tatsumi..." Akame said as she tried to break free of the busty blonde's grasp. Eventually, Akame managed to escape and returned to Najenda's side. "By the way boss, how is Susanoo doing?"

"He's...stable..." Najenda replied, tilting her head to stare at the motionless biological teigu, who was lying on the other side of the tent. "I haven't gotten any type of response from him since his core was damaged. But...his wounds seem to have healed, so that's a good sign. Hopefully, when we get back to headquarters, someone with the revolutionary army can fix his damaged core." Releasing a heavy sigh, Najenda stared up at the tent's ceiling, clenching her mechanical fist. "Akame and Lubbock broke so many bones, it'll be a few more months before they're back at full strength...and if Esdeath hadn't shown up when she did, we may have lost Susanoo...as for me...I can feel Magatama Manifest starting to take its toll...but until this revolution is finished I have to stay alive and watch over my men."

"It's okay, Najenda." Akame said with a soft smile as she placed her hand on top of Najenda's. "I can sense your inner tenacity. I'm sure you'll stay alive and continue to watch over us for a long time."

"Thanks, Akame..." Najenda said, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. "Hearing that makes me feel at ease and give me strength."

"Speaking of strength..." Akame said as she perked up, her mouth starting to water slightly. "We all need some food!"

"Well, all we can do is wait for the hunting party to return." Leone said, parting open the tent's flaps and peering out. "They sure are taking their time...but with who we sent out there should be a big haul."

(Same Time: Half Mile West of Night Raid's Camp)

"Damn! This big bastard put up a real fight!" Tatsumi exclaimed as he used Incursio's blade to slit the throat of a massive bear. "But he does look good! I think Akame will be happy, don't you?"

"Yes, we should have enough meat to last us a few weeks." Esdeath said, pulling a sled full of smaller beasts she and Sayo had killed. "I can use my ice to keep it fresh." Turning around, Esdeath flashed Sayo a small smile. "I must say, you are a skilled hunter, Sayo. Your tracking skills are some of the best I've ever seen, and your bow skills are top-notch."

"Thanks, you were pretty impressive too." Sayo said as she pulled her arrows out of the creatures she had killed, salvaging whatever she could. "But...you may have gotten a little to it."

"It has been some time since I was on a proper hunt...I got a tad bit too excited..." Esdeath said with a sly smirk, grabbing a cloth and cleaning the blood off her rapier.

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again..." Sayo said as she shook her head and began to inspect their haul.

"I'm glad that everyone is slowly starting to get along now. They were all so hesitant of Esdeath when she first arrived, but now it looks like everyone is getting used to having her around. It even seems like Esdeath and Akame have formed some sort of friendly rivalry, and Leone has stopped glaring at her all the time. Hell, with the way boss and Esdeath act around each other now, you'd think they were great friends." Tatsumi thought with a smile, chuckling a little as he watched Esdeath tease Sayo, starting a playful argument between the two of them. The young assassin was pulled from his thoughts when he felt someone tapping his shoulder. Turning around, Tatsumi saw Mine staring up at him, a slight blush on her face as she held out a small pouch. "What's up, Mine?"

"How'd I do?" Mine asked as she opened up the pouch, revealing that it was filled with several birds she had managed to hunt. "I know it's as much as those two, but..."

"You did great Mine." Tatsumi said with a smile, patting his pink-haired lover on the head, knowing from experience that she wanted him to give her some praise. "I'm sure we'll be able to cook these up into something delicious."

"O-Of course!" Mine said with a large grin before she wrapped her arms around Tatsumi's neck and stood up on her toes, giving him a short, but passionate, kiss. When Mine broke the liplock, she stepped away from Tatsumi and practically skipped away. "Thanks, Tatsumi!"

"Mmmm, that girl sure craves your attention." Esdeath purred into Tatsumi's ear, sending a shiver down his spine. Suddenly Esdeath stepped in front of Tatsumi and grabbed ahold of his jacket, pulling him in for a deep kiss. After almost a full minute Esdeath broke the kiss, leaving Tatsumi somewhat dazed. With a satisfied smile, Esdeath gently stroked Tatsumi's cheek. "And so do I."

"Alright, that's enough!" Sayo exclaimed in a mildly annoyed tone as she stepped in between Tatsumi and Esdeath, pushing them apart. Esdeath stared at Sayo for few moments, before chuckling and walking back towards the sled full of prey. "We need to head back to camp, so could you please save all the face sucking for when we get back!?"

"Sayo is right, we really should be getting back..." Tatsumi said, regaining his composure. Transforming into his Incursio armor, Tatsumi picked up the large bear he had killed. "Now, let's head back to camp."

(One Week Later: Umathora Theater in the Capital)

"OI!" Shula exclaimed as he kicked open the theater's front doors, startling a group of practicing performers. Behind Shula stood the five people he had gathered from around the continent. "We're the secret police, Wild Hunt! Ever hear of us!?"

"Wild Hunt...I heard rumors they were brought in to replace all the Jaegers that have been dying lately..." The theater's director thought, audibly gulping as he slowly approached Wild Hunt's members. "Y-Yes...what can we do for you this fine evening?"

"Heh, we heard that you guys perform plays that criticize the empire." Shula said with a smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at the director. "So we came to check it out."

"T-That's simply untrue!" The director pleaded, feeling a strong sense of dread wash over him. "Of course we'd never do something like that!"

"Well, we'll never know unless we do a little investigation..." Shula said as he scanned around the room, appearing to be looking for anything out of place.

"E-Excuse me..." The director said, handing Shula a small pouch full of coins. "I know it's not much but-"

"I don't need your money." Shula said without hesitation as he tossed away the bag of coins. "Kill him." In the blink of an eye, Dorothea launched forward and sank her teeth into the director's neck. Before anyone else in the play even had a chance to react, the director's skin had cleanly peeled off and fell to the ground in an unmoving heap. Shula turned towards the other members of the play, an evil smirk on his face when he saw that some of them looked like they might try to fight back. "Just to let you all know, I'm the minister of state's son. Resisting me means disobeying the orders of Minister Honest. If you're fine with that, then come at me." Shula's smirking face soon turned to disappoint when all the play members seemed to back down. "Pathetic! What a bunch of cowards!"

"BOO! I was hoping to have some fun!" Cosmina pouted, puffing out her cheeks and sticking out her tongue.

"That settles it." Shula said in a menacing tone as loomed over the cowering play members. "It's our turn to perform a thorough search."

"Oh my! Typical theatrical company!" Enshin said with a twisted smile, licking his lips as he leered at the female cast members. "Just look at all these cuties, I can't get enough! I'm gonna have you all!" Turning his head, Enshin was surprised to see that Cosmina was still pouting and appeared to be rather disappointed. "What about you Cosmina? You gonna join in the fun? There's plenty of cute boys."

"Nah, I'll pass..." Cosmina said as she clasped her hands behind her back, spinning on her heels and walking away. "None of them really suit my tastes." Humming to herself, Cosmina stepped out of the theater and stared up at the falling snow. "I want a man who's cute and gentle, but can also kick some serious ass..." A perverted smile spread across Cosmina's face as she pressed a finger to her lips. "I wonder if I'll ever find my, Mr. Right."

Back within the theater, Enshin was busy assaulting a group of performers. Behind Enshin stood Champ, the massive clown towering over all the cowering performers. The clown had a disgusted look on his face as he scanned through the crowd. However, he instantly perked up when he spotted a young boy trying to hide near the back.

"AHHHHH! There's a little boy! What luck!" Champ cheered, racing towards the young boy, who frantically tried to back away in terror. But it was no use, Champ quickly caught up and crouched down next to the child, creepily stroking the young boy's chin. "Oooooh yes, you're such a pure angel. I'm about to burst, it's just too much to take." With a disturbing smile, Champ roughly shoved the child to the ground, causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood. "Heh heh! Does that hurt...don't worry...I'll lick you all better."

"P-Please stop!" An older member of the cast exclaimed as she grabbed ahold of Champ's arm. "I won't let you hurt that child!"

"Huh?" Champ said in a terrifying tone, slowly turning to face the woman, using his full height to loom over her. "Don't you dare talk to me, you filthy bitch! You reek!" Before the woman could even scream in horror, Champ lashed out and punched her in the face. The young boy watched in utter horror as Champ repeatedly punched the woman in the face, completely caving it in. "God damn, now my hands are all dirty! You fucking old hag! Don't fuck with me, you lowlife scum!" Huffing and puffing, Champ eventually stopped beating the woman. "There will be more interruptions if I stay out here." The young boy gasped in fear, when Champ turned to face him again, a bloody smile on his face. "Let's go someplace where we can be...alone."

Outside the theater, a group of performers had managed to escape and were trying to get away from Wild Hunt's members. However, they were stopped when Izou stepped in their path.

"To think some of you would try and flee during an inspection..." Izou said as he grabbed ahold of Kousetsu's hilt. "That's something that can be punished by death." Drawing his blade, Izou slowly advanced towards the performers. "Don't worry Kousetsu, I have a fresh meal of blood for you!" Dashing forward, Izou sliced through the performers like a hot knife through butter, their bodies falling to pieces behind him. Releasing a satisfied sigh, Izou stared up at the sky, revealing that his eyes had black sclerae and red irides "I have to say, this country is amazing. I can kill as much as I want. I'm so glad I decided to follow Master Shula."

Hidden near the back of the theater was Shula, who was busy raping one of the female performers. The girl desperately tried to fight back, but Shula was tightly gripping her throat, cutting off her air supply. With a twisted smile, Shula continued to thrust into the poor girl.

"Oh, very nice...so tight and firm!" Shula said, his grip on the girl's throat tightening even further, causing her gasp for air she couldn't get. "This is so great! I'll have to further investigate the other cast members too!" After hearing a few more strangled breaths, Shula realized that the girl's entire body had gone limp. "Really? Did she break already?" Releasing a frustrated sigh, Shula kicked the girl's lifeless body to the side. "Humans really do make the best toys. I love seeing all their reactions when I play with them. There be plenty more fun to be had in the capital."

(Later That Night: Imperial Palace)

"Man, being in the secret police sure is the best." Shula said with a grin as he walked beside his father through the palace's halls. "I really am enjoying myself, pops."

"I don't care how many civilians you kill, but..." Honest said in a frustrated tone, shooting his son a slight glare. "Your main objective is to wipe out Night Raid, don't forget that. They managed to take out Bolic, so be extra careful."

"I know. I know." Shula said as he clasped his hands behind his head. "We're totally ready for the worst, so just leave things to me, pops! More importantly, what are we going to do about the rebel army to the south? We're handling the west fine right now, but they're starting to push through our southern defenses. If they reach the capital, we'll intercept them, but...we're really short on troops."

"Please, there's no need to worry about that." Honest said with a chuckle, stroking his beard. "We'll have that straight-laced square lead the imperial guards the front lines."

"Who the fuck are you calling square?" A menacing voice growled from behind Honest and Shula. Turning around, both men were surprised to see General Budo glaring fiercely at them.

"My, my. It's rare to see you away from your Jaegers." Honest said with a smirk, earning him another annoyed growl from Budo. "Things must be pretty dire then. You are currently the highest-ranking soldier in the imperial army, General Budo."

"Shut the hell up, minister." Budo said, barely holding back his anger as he glared a hole through Honest. "I assure you, that I'll snuff out these rebels and crush Night Raid. But once I'm done, I'm doing some major cleaning up right here in the capital, starting from the very top." Walking over, Budo easily towered over Shula and Honest. "And you better keep your slimy mitts of MY Jaegers. If I find out you fucked with them in any way..." Gauntlets crackling with electricity, Budo jabbed his finger into Honest's chest. "You'll be hearing from me personally." With that final threat, Budo stormed down the hall past Honest and Shula, pissed off look on his face. "When this damn war is over, that bastard is the first person I'm killing!"

And done! I know this is a shorter chapter, but it's mostly a filler/introductory chapter before the next arc really gets underway. But the next chapter will pick up immediately where this one left off and will really get this arc going, so look forward to that! I'll be updating my Spider-Man story next, so you'll have to be patient and wait for the next chapter to come out. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and happy holidays, consider this my present to all of you! Remember to Follow/Favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK), check out my other stories and profile if you haven't already, and PM me any ideas you might have for any of my fics. Also, if you have any thoughts on Cosmina, please leave them in your review or PM! So until next time, I'm outta here!