Hey guys, I'm back with the next chapter for this story! I'm glad to see that you all seemed to enjoy the last chapter because I had a ton of fun writing it! This chapter will pick up where the previous one left off and will continue Night Raid's intense fight against the remaining members of Wild Hunt. So, I hope you're all looking forward to that.

**Also, I know it'll annoy some of you that I'm mentioning this again, but I'm gonna keep plugging it whenever I can lmao. If you haven't already ready please check out my P atreon at p atreon com/JTZ29Fanfiction (just remove the space after 'p' and add a '.' before 'com') and consider supporting me and my writing. If you do, you'll be able to get updates on what I'm writing, see previews from upcoming chapters, and vote in exclusive polls that will help influence more stories (the first poll is already live, helping pick where Ash and his group will go next in my Pokemon story)! I hope that you'll consider supporting me, every little bit helps!**

Well, that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic!

"Speech"

"Thoughts"

"Incursio"

Teigu

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or any of its characters.

"So...that's the teigu Murasame..." Izou said as he intently gazed at Akame's blade, visualizing the immense bloodlust oozing off the katana. "Ah...I see...it's quite beautiful in an eerie way. But..." Reaching down, Izou smirked as he unsheathed Kousetsu. "It pales in comparison to the luster of my own Kousetsu!" Akame silently analyzed Izou's every movement as he slid into a fighting stance. "Please, allow me to demonstrate." Suddenly, Izou paused for several moments, seeming to fall into some type of trance that caused Akame to quirk an eyebrow. "Yes...I know, Kousetsu. It seems that you Night Raid assassins have special blood. Kousetsu missed out on drinking it when we encountered that green-haired punk in the palace. So, she's grown anxious to taste all of your blood."

"What a joke..." Akame muttered, her blood-red eyes intensely glaring at Izou as she readied Murasame. "Rest in pieces."

A gentle breeze blew through the clearing as both swordsmen stared each other down, waiting for the other to make the first move. After a particularly strong gust of wind kicked up a large cluster of leaves, Akame dashed forward. As Akame drew closer, a cocky smirk spread across Izou's face as he envisioned the red-eyed assassin's every possible move, with him coming out victorious in every instance. However, when Akame was only a few steps away and still hadn't raised Murasame to attack, Izou began to panic, not foreseeing this outcome. With his eyes wide in surprise, Izou tried to hit Akame with a wild overhead slash.

But with her incredible speed and reflexes, Akame managed to duck underneath Izou's strike by lunging forward. Dropping to the ground, Akame's momentum carried forward as she slid between Izou's legs. Then, before Izou could recover from his swing and react, Akame sprang up from the ground. With a spinning slash, Murasame sliced into Izou's back, blood spraying from the massive laceration. Izou roared in pain as he immediately collapsed to the ground, crimson blood continuing to gush from his back. A chill ran down Izou's spine as he watched black runes begin to crawl up his arms, Murasame's poison flowing through his veins.

"Y-You used...my own predictions...against me..." Izou struggled to say as he gazed up at Akame, the red-eyed assassin giving him a cold glare as she stood over him. Reaching down with a shaky arm, Izou used his remaining strength to grab Kousetsu and push it toward Akame. "I implore you...take it...with your skills...you will feed even more blood to Kousetsu." Without saying a word, Akame stabbed Murasame through Izou's heart, causing him to gasp in misery. Extracting her blade, Akame flicked the blood off and resheathed her teigu. "Geh...y-you...d-do not...a-appreciate...the s-spirit...of a f-fellow...swordsman..."

"I'm no swordsman..." Akame replied, before crouching down and grabbing Kousetsu. Izou's vision began to grow dark as he watched Akame examine the teigu. After a few moments, Akame shook her head in disdain and strapped Kousetsu to her back. "This teigu...it gives off a disgusting aura. I'll give it to the revolutionary army and have them destroy it." Izou's eyes widened in a panic and it looked like he was about to protest. But with a final gasping breath, Izou began to foam at the mouth and finally succumbed to Murasame's poison. "Alright, I should go and help-"

Before Akame could even consider her next move, she was stopped when four figures landed in front of her. The newcomers were all the size of Bulat and just as muscular. Each of them brandished jet-black armor that covered their upper body and had a vaguely insect-like appearance. Akame's eyes narrowed slightly as her new opponents growled and pulled out katanas.

"These guys...they look kind of like those monsters that were rampaging across the capital a few months ago." Akame thought as she closely studied the combatant, quickly noticing that these ones weren't nearly as grotesque and monstrous as the ones that had terrorized the capital. Resting her hand on Murasame's hilt, Akame prepared to fight once again. "No...they're a little different...I'll have to be more cautious."

(Same Time: With Leone and Sayo)

"Man, it really sucks that you two are my opponents..." Dorothea taunted, locking eyes with Leone, but at the same time tracking Sayo's movements through the trees. "Your blood probably reeks like an animal's...and that other girl hasn't quite ripened yet."

"Yeah...it is too bad..." Leone said with barely contained annoyance as cracked her knuckles, a vein bulging on her forehead. "You may look like a little kid...but I promise that I won't go easy on you at all." Crouching down on all fours, Leone's feet dug into the ground as she readied to charge forward. "NOW! Here I come your chibi brat!"

"Bring it on!" Dorothea heckled with a smirk, holding her arms out wide and locking eyes with Leone. "I'm not going to move from this spot." Suddenly, Dorothea snapped her head toward where Sayo was positioned, causing the assassin to jump in surprise. "That goes for you too, little Miss Archer! Try to hit me, I won't move an inch!"

"This chibi bitch!" Leone thought as an animalistic snarl rumbled in her throat, her claws digging into the earth. Wanting to wipe that smug look off Dorothea's face, Leone launched toward her at an incredible speed, closing the distance between them in barely a second. Cocking her fist back, Leone was hellbent on making Dorothea eat dirt. Using as much power as she could muster, Leone's fist rocketed toward Dorothea's smirking face. However, Leone's eyes widened in utter shock when Dorothea caught her punch as if it were nothing. "What the fuck!?"

"See?" Dorothea said in a teasing, yet menacing tone, effortlessly holding back Leone's attack. Suddenly, Dorothea leaned her head back, just as an arrow zipped past the tip of her nose. Letting out an amused cackle, Dorothea gazed at where the arrow had come from, unknowingly locking eyes with Sayo. "An alchemist doesn't lie." Tightening her grip on Leone's fist, the busty blonde assassin howled in pain as she felt some of the bones in her hand start to crack. "I'm the strongest member of Wild Hunt. Don't let my cute appearance fool you." Hissing through grit teeth, Leone glared at Dorothea, a hint of panic in her golden eyes. "Heh heh, that's the look I was waiting for. Scared now, aren't you?" Showcasing her frightening strength, Dorothea used a single arm to lift Leone off the ground. Before Leone could even respond, she was slammed into the ground, cratering the earth as all the air from her lungs. "Now, now, let's not end our fun too early. Stick around and watch me kill your friends."

"Get the hell away from her!" Sayo exclaimed as she dashed out of the treeline, firing arrows as she charged toward Dorothea. However, none of Sayo's shots connected, with Dorothea dodging all of them. Grabbing a particular arrow from her quiver, Sayo racked it and came to a skidding stop. Taking careful aim this time, Sayo let her arrow fly. "I'm getting real sick of your shit!"

"I could say the same for you." Dorothea said in a bored tone, snatching the arrow out of the air as if it were the easiest thing ever. "Your games are growing tire-" Dorothea was cut off when the arrow in her hand suddenly began to flash rapidly. "Oh, you clever bitch." With a deafening bang and blinding flash of light, the arrow exploded in Dorothea's hand. Stumbling back, Dorothea screamed in agony and shielded her face. "RAGH! MY EYES! I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE FOR THAT!"

"I only two off these flashbang arrows, but it bought me an opening! I have to take this opportunity and cut her down!" Sayo thought, grabbing Extase off her back and sprinting toward Dorothea. Closing the distance in the blink of an eye, Sayo opened Extase's scissor blades, preparing to cut Dorothea in two. However, Sayo was stunned when Dorothea suddenly unleashed a furious roar and extended her arms out, stopping Extase's blades with her bare hands. While Sayo was sure she had pierced flesh, evidenced by the drop flowing from Dorothea's palms, she wasn't able to cut through any further. "What the hell is up with this bitch?! How is she stopping Extase's blades!?"

"I...did NOT like that..." Dorothea growled as she glared at Sayo, tears streaming from her bloodshot eyes. With a grunt, Sayo forced Extase fully open and stepped away from the blades. Suddenly slamming Extase shut, Dorothea grabbed the teigu and yanked Sayo closer. Launching her fist forward, Dorothea hit Sayo in the gut with a devastating punch. Immediately gasping for air, Sayo collapsed onto her knees, hugging her throbbing stomach. With blurred vision, Sayo watched as Dorothea walked closer, before grunting in pain as her face was slammed into the ground. "I'll kill you nice and slowly for doing that to me. But before that..." Sayo hissed as Dorothea yanked her hair, forcing her to watch Akame fight against four new, unknown opponents. "Akame may have defeated Izou, but she's dead meat against my soldiers. Witness her get ripped to threads."

(Back with Akame)

"What's with these guys!?" Akame thought, slicing one of the soldiers across the chest with Murasame. However, instead of cutting flesh, Akame felt her blade hit something resembling mud. The soldier's sludge-like skin wrapped around Mursame's blade, the poisoned runes spreading across its skin. With a grunt, Akame tried to pull Murasame free, but it was stuck within the soldier's skin. "Their body is sticky and soft, like slime. I can't pull Murasame free, it's getting pulled in deeper!"

Seeing the three other soldiers charging toward her, Akame made the difficult decision to abandon Murasame and back off. Leaping back to put some distance between herself and her opponents, Akame soon found herself encircled by the three remaining soldiers. As the soldiers inched closer, Akame noticed that the fourth had collapsed, likely being killed by Murasame's poison. Doing her best to stay calm, Akame's eyes narrowed as her mind raced to analyze the situation.

"It looks like the first guy was just a meatshield to take my sword away...their plan from the start was to separate me from Murasame..." Akame thought as she noticed a gap between the soldiers with a clear path directly toward Murasame. However, just as Akame was about to make a break for her sword, she stopped herself. "Wait a minute...if their plan was to take Murasame away from me, then why would they allow me to get it back so easily...unless it's a trap?" Making her mind, Akame punched her fist in her palm and slid into a fighting stance. "I'll take these guys with hand-to-hand combat. All my training with Leone, Tatsumi, and Esdeath should hopefully pay off."

Crouching low to the ground, Akame shot toward the nearest soldier, watching its every movement. As Dorothea's soldier reared back to swing its sword at Akame, the red-eyed assassin spotted her opening and dashed in. After a quick lunge, Akame gripped the soldier's wrist, preventing him from swinging his blade. Then, while the soldier struggled to shake Akame's grip, she cocked her fist back and unleashed a devastating punch. A sickening crack was heard as the soldier's helmet dented. As the soldier stumbled backward, Akame rushed forward and leaped into the air, firing off a powerful kick. With a thud, the soldier collapsed to the ground, dropping its sword as it hit the ground.

Spotting the fallen blade, Akame made a move for it, noticing that the other two soldiers were preparing to attack her. In one fluid motion, Akame snatched the sword off the ground, before slicing off the collapsed soldier's head. Hearing the other two soldier's footsteps only a few feet away, Akame crouched down and sprang backward, flipping behind the closest enemy. Seeing that the second soldier was directly beneath her, Akame landed directly on its shoulders, wrapping her thighs around its head. Then, with a violent, jerking motion, Akame snapped the soldier's neck and slammed its corpse into the ground. Akame performed a rapid roll as soon as she hit the ground, springing toward the final soldier with blinding speed. With a single slash of her pilfered sword, Akame bisected the soldier, cut it in two from the waist.

However, Akame barely had a moment to catch her breath as two more of Dorothea's soldiers suddenly landed in front of her. Releasing a frustrated huff, Akame readied her sword and sprinted toward the final two soldiers, neither of them carrying any weapons. Just as both soldiers dove toward her, Akame unleashed a flurry of lightning-fast slashes. Akame came to a skidding stop behind the soldiers, their bodies falling into bloody pieces in her wake. Letting out a light sigh, Akame, without even looking, threw her sword at the bisected soldier, who was desperately trying to crawl toward her, piercing it right between the eyes.

"It's still not over..." Akame muttered, glancing at the ground and nearby treeline, her blood-red eyes narrowing slightly. "There are still more of them lurking nearby, waiting for an opening to attack. It doesn't matter how many are left, I will send them all to rest in pieces."

(Back with Leone and Sayo)

"Akame...realized that she had been getting too reliant on using Murasame...so she's been training her other offensive capabilities..." Leone explained with a smirk as she got up onto one knee, taking joy in seeing Dorothea's stunned face. "She's always targeted her opponent's vital spots in a fight, just in case she ever loses her blade. Even without her teigu...Akame is insanely lethal." Taking advantage of Dorothea being distracted, Leone suddenly lunged forward and lashed out with her claws. Leone's attack didn't land, but she forced Dorothea to leap away and release Sayo. "The same goes for me too. I'm really confident in my tenacity."

"Thanks for that...Leone..." Sayo said, grabbing Extase and getting back onto her feet, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth. After spitting out a mouthful of blood, Sayo wiped her lips. "I was getting worried for a second there."

"Don't mention it..." Leone said with a grin as she got down onto all-fours, taking an animalistic stance as she glared at Dorothea. "Thanks for being cocky enough to give me a chance to recover. I love it when bad guys need to take extra time to gloat."

"Heh, you both are quite resilient..." Dorothea said with a smug smile, punching her fist into her palm. "You have good bodies to experiment on!"

"Alright, it's time for round two!" Leone exclaimed, charging toward Dorothea like a lion chasing its prey. "Cover me, Sayo!"

"Right!" Sayo called out as she strapped Extase to her back and grabbed her bow. Pulling an arrow from her quiver, Sayo inhaled deeply and took aim. "After all the times we've hunted danger beasts together, we're totally in sync when we fight. You know what to do, Leone."

"Even after I beat you both once, you're back to the same old tricks?" Dorothea asked in a taunting tone, watching as Leone quickly closed the gap between them. "Is that really all you've got? Once I grab you, victory is-" Dorothea stopped mid-sentence when she saw Leone suddenly dash to the right. Dorothea's eyes widened in surprise when she saw two arrows suddenly flying toward her, from where Leone had been standing just a second earlier. With a gasp, Dorothea snatched both arrows out of the air just before they hit her in the chest. "That bitch used her friend as cover so that I wouldn't see her firing arrows!"

"You may have explosive, instantaneous strength..." Leone said as she sprang forward just as Dorothea caught Sayo's arrows. Slashing with claws, Leone managed to clip both of Dorothea's arms as just she jumped away. Hissing pain, Dorothea's arms were shaking as blood flowed from Leone's lacerations. "But Sayo and I definitely win when it comes to speed!"

"I'll kill them both! I'll deal with this big-titted cow first!" Dorothea thought in a rage, taking a cue from Leone and charging toward the busty blond assassin. With rapid swipes, Dorothea desperately tried to grab Leone. But between the blonde assassin's quick movements, and being forced to avoid Sayo's arrows, Dorothea was having a hard time landing any grapples. "Damn it! If I could just get a grip on-" Dorothea was pulled from her thoughts when Leone suddenly lunged forward, instead of dodging her grab. Caught off guard by this changeup, Dorothea grunted in pain as she was hit in the stomach by a devastating punch from Leone. Coughing up a mouthful of blood, Dorothea was sent skidding back several feet. Clutching her stomach, Dorothea crumpled onto her knees. "GAH! These two are seriously getting on my damn nerves!"

"It doesn't matter how strong you are, you've got more brains than battle sense." Leone said as she approached Dorothea, her blood-stained claws flexing as they prepared to go in for the kill. "You're more cut out for sideline support. You messed up when you thought you could fight on the frontlines."

"Damn it..." Dorothea cursed, slowly getting back onto her feet, her legs trembling slightly. "I shouldn't have assumed you were all weaklings, aside from Akame." Noticing that Sayo was readying another arrow out of the corner of her eye, Dorothea decided to use her trump card. "This call for..." Reaching underneath her skirt, Leone and Sayo's eyes widened in shock when Dorothea suddenly pulled out a glass canister full of a strange purple liquid. "A demonstration of what happens when an alchemist means business!" Dorothea slammed the canister onto the ground, instantly unleashing a thick cloud of gas that quickly spread throughout the clearing. "Breathe deep, you wretches!"

"Damn it, I can't see Leone anymore!" Sayo thought as she quickly leaped back several times, putting some distance between her and the mysterious gas. Racking another arrow, Sayo's eyes squinted as she peered into the gas, looking out for any sudden movements or shadowy figures. "I can't just blindly fire arrows, I'll risk hitting Leone. Come on, give me some type of opening!"

"I was wondering what the hell this stuff was...so it was poison..." Leone thought, using her arm to shield her mouth and nose as the gas spread all around her. "I can't breathe this stuff in and Sayo probably can't cover me anymore." Able to clearly see Dorothea only a few feet away, Leone decided to rush in and attack while she still had the chance. "I need to end this now!"

"You don't know what this stuff is, and you certainly don't have a tolerance built up against it, not the brightest idea to charge into it." Dorothea said with a smirk as she watched Leone cock her arm back, preparing to unleash a devastating punch. However, the blonde assassin grunted as her movements suddenly began to slow to a crawl. Feeling an aching pain radiating from her hands and feet, Leone's eyes widened in shock when she saw her body quickly becoming encased in stone. "I know a lot of people made the assumption you did...but this isn't poison."

"What...the fuck!?" Leone growled, struggling to move her limbs, but her struggles were in vain as she didn't move an inch. "What is this Medusa shit!?"

"I'll only turn you to stone for a brief moment, but that's all the time I need." Dorothea said as she approached Leone, standing up on her toes and wrapping her arms around the blonde assassin's neck. Lunging forward, Dorothea sank her teeth into Leone's neck. "Fang Teigu! Blood Collecting Absorbdex!" Leone howled in agony as she felt all the strength being sapped from her body. Within seconds, Leone's skin began to shrivel and her muscles shrank. As Dorothea extracted her fangs, Leone was gasping for air, her body resembling that of a withered mummy. With her legs now so weak that they couldn't support her, Leone collapsed to the ground. "You see that? That's the power of an alchemist with a teigu."

"All my strength...it's been...I can't even lift my arms..." Leone thought, her vision starting to blur as her claws dug into the dirt. Leone wanted nothing more than to stand back up and keep fighting, but her body simply wouldn't move. "Everything...everything's getting dark..."

"What's going on in there..." Sayo thought as she gazed into the dissipating gas, noticing two faint shadows. Once the gas cleared enough for Sayo to see what was happening, her eyes widened in shock. "Leone!? What the hell did that bitch do to her!?" However, before Sayo's anger could cloud her judgment, she paused when she noticed Leone make a slight hand signal. Recognizing what Leone wanted, Sayo held back from engaging Dorothea. "Okay, that's how you want to play it Leone...let's hope this works."

"It had a gamey flavor...but your blood was actually pretty tasty." Dorothea said with a smirk, wiping the blood from the corners of her mouth. A faint golden aura began to radiate off Dorothea and she cackled maniacally. "I'm overflowing with vitality now. I wonder if my pet has finished dealing with Tatsumi and Cosmina? I'll finish that damned archer then team up with my pet to take down Akame."

However, before Dorothea could contemplate her next move, she was stunned to see her pet coming crashing through a nearby treeline. Dorothea's danger beast howled in pain as it skidded across the ground, blood spraying from its mouth. Hearing a defiant yell, Dorothea watched as Tatsumi launched himself toward her creation. Then, unleashing a blinding fast swing from Neuntote, sliced off one of the monster's arms. Rearing its head back, the monster let out a deafening roar, sending out a sonic blast. However, the beast's attack was countered by a burst of sound waves from Cosmina.

"Ah, ah, those types of attacks aren't allowed." Cosmina taunted with a smile as she tapped her microphone to her chin. Letting out a boisterous laugh, Cosmina ducked underneath a wild swipe from one of the monster's claws. "Oh, she's getting feisty, Tatsumi! We've really pissed her off!"

"Stay focused, Cosmina! This isn't a game!" Tatsumi exclaimed, before rushing forward and slashing the monster's face with his spear, a fountain of blood gushing from the wound. Swapping to his Akuma Raifuru, Tatsumi fired four rapid shots, all of them hitting the same spot on the monster's armored exterior. Dorothea's danger beasts howled in pain as the final javelin pierced through its thick armor, causing it to stumble backward. "Yes! I knew hitting the same spot repeatedly would let me pierce that damn armor! Good thing someone with armor and weapons like mine is fighting this thing, it's seriously dangerous and has a crazy amount of specialized attacks. Cosmina's been a big help too, keeping this damn thing stunned with her sound wave attacks."

"Damn that those two! I had no idea they'd be so powerful together!" Dorothea cursed as she grit her teeth in frustration, watching as Cosmina used her sound waves to snap off one of her pet's legs. "If we had just a little bit more time, my pet would have been able to grow so much larger with the extra nourishment!" However, Dorothea's eyes suddenly widened when she remembered her pet's final trump card. "Ah, that's right...my pet does have one last trick! And it'll be enough to pierce through that pesky armor!"

"What the hell is it doing now?" Tatsumi thought, watching as dozens of razor-sharp tendrils suddenly emerged from the monster's back. Then, in the blink of an eye, the danger let out a ferocious roar and its tendrils lashed out. But they weren't aimed at Tatsumi, instead, heading straight toward Cosmina. "Cosmina! Look out!"

Without any hesitation, Tatsumi dove in front of Cosmina and used his own body to shield her. Rapidly spinning Neuntote, Tatsumi managed to slice and deflect a majority of the tendrils. But several of them managed to get past his defenses and strike him. Tatsumi hissed in pain as four tendrils pierced his thighs and arms, stabbing directly through Incursio's armor. Taking a wobbly step back, Tatsumi still stood protectively in front of Cosmina, despite his bleeding injuries.

"And that's it! One hit and it's all over for you!" Dorothea laughed as she crossed her arms over her chest, watching as Tatsumi's stance wavered slightly. "Those tendrils will inject a deadly dose of poison directly into your body!"

However, Dorothea was stunned to see Tatsumi take a defiant step forward. Then, seemingly unfazed by her pet's poison, Tatsumi belted out a fierce roar as he charged forward. As Tatsumi closed the distance between himself and Dorothea's monster, Cosmina unleashed a particularly powerful sound wave from Heavy Pressure. The sound wave slammed into the monster and sent it skidding back, stunned by the debilitating attack. Leaping into the air, Tatsumi stabbed Neuntote into the monster's chest, causing a massive spray of blood. As the monster howled in pain, Tatsumi pulled out his spear and shoved his Doragon no Kokyū into its gaping wound. When Tatsumi pulled the trigger, Dorothea gazed on in disbelief as a massive chunk was blasted out of her pet's chest in an explosion of blood, flesh, and fire.

"The poison...it had no effect on him...and those weapons...there's insanely powerful..." Dorothea said, tightly balling her fists in frustration. "It simply can't be...how can his poison resistance be so high? This should be impossible...unless his body merged with his teigu." Seeing that Tatsumi was preparing to unleash another attack, Dorothea began to rush over, intent on joining the fight. "That is a seriously bad match-up. I'll have to forget out that archer for now and provide back-"

"Don't forget about us!" Leone exclaimed as she suddenly launched forward and hit Dorothea in the face with a flying kick. Dorothea recoiled from Leone's attack and collapsed to the ground, hiding her face in her hands. "Damn, I wanted to take your head clean off...did drinking my blood really make you that much stronger?"

"I should be saying that to you!" Dorothea roared in a furious tone, a growl rumbling in her throat. "You cunt! How the fuck are you still alive!?"

"My, my, you get quite the potty mouth when you're upset. But I do a pretty good job at playing dead, don't I?" Leone taunted with a smirk as an image of Lubbock flashed through her mind. "I learned from the best."

"How can you still be so lively after I drained your blood?!" Dorothea asked, glaring at Leone through her spread fingers. "You looked like a fucking mummy a minute ago!"

"I told you that I'm confident in my tenacity, right? That's what my teigu is all about." Leone explained as she crossed her arms underneath her massive breasts. With her devious smirk widening, slid into a fighting stance and bared her claws. "Never underestimate my healing abilities, losing some blood is no problem for me! Right now, I'm a lion and I see a delicious herbivore standing before me!" However, right as Leone was about to pounce, a black, sludge-like material erupted from the ground underneath Dorothea. The mass of what appeared to be flesh kept growing and expanding, sprouting numerous eyes, mouths, and various other appendages. But Leone wasn't worried about the grotesque monster forming around Dorothea, instead, she merely smirked. "You got my back, Sayo?"

"I got you..." Sayo muttered, crouching in a tree nearly fifty yards away. Taking aim with her bow, Sayo unleashed a rapid barrage of explosive arrows, just as Dorothea's new monster lashed out at Leone. The arrows buried themselves into the monster's flesh, blowing it to chunks a split second later. Dorothea looked on in stunned silence as she watched pieces of her creation shower all around her. "You're all good, Leone! Finish this!"

"Already on it!" Leone exclaimed as she charged toward Dorothea, intent on finally finishing this fight. As Leone drew closer, Dorothea panicked and pulled out a pistol that was hidden within her dress. But just as she fired, Leone leaped into the air and dodged the shot. Now directly above the vampiric alchemist, Leone reached down and with one swift motion snapped Dorothea's neck. With a sickening snap, Dorothea's head violently did a 180 as she coughed up a mouthful of blood, collapsing to the ground in an unmoving heap. Safely landing on the ground, Leone reached up and gripped the spot where Dorothea had drained her blood. "Tatsumi is the only one who gets to bite me."

"It...it can't be...is this...really how I end?" Dorothea thought, struggling to breathe as she stared up at the starry night sky. "What about...my pet? What...happened to her?" Dorothea's question was immediately answered as she watched her monster suddenly crash into the clearing. The danger beast crashed to the ground in a bloody pile, most of its limbs missing and dozens of chunks blasted out of its body. Tatsumi walked up to Dorothea's fallen danger beast as it weakly attempted to claw at him with one of its missing arms. Without any remorse, Tatsumi pressed his Doragon no Kokyū against the monster's head and pulled the trigger, blowing its skull wide open. "No...it can't be..."

"Oh, man..." Sayo breathed out as she walked up next to Leone, gazing at Tatsumi's brutal display in a mixture of shock and admiration. "Looks like Tatsumi and Cosmina really fucked that thing up."

"Damn it...looks like I'll have to take a page from that blonde bimbo's book and play dead..." Dorothea thought, remaining as still as possible in an attempt to wait Night Raid out and escape alive. "With the vitality that I drained...I'm confident that I can heal from this. With my pet and Izou both dead, I have no other choice than to bide my time. In a few day's time, I'll fully recover and be back for ven-"

"You know, after everything this bitch has pulled, I want to make sure she's really dead." Sayo said as she grabbed Extase off her back and opened its blades, placing them around Dorothea's neck. Dorothea's eyes instantly shot open in a panic as she felt metal press against her skin. "Just to be safe, I'll cut her head clean off."

"WAIT!" Dorothea screamed, raising her head and sitting up on her elbows which caused both Leone and Sayo to let out a startled yelp and leap back. "HOLD ON A SECOND!"

"JESUS CHRIST! I knew she wasn't really dead!" Sayo yelled as she started to close Extase's blades, blood flowing from Dorothea's neck as her skin was pierced. "I'm killing her for good!"

"No! Don't do that! Killing me would be a waste for all of mankind!" Dorothea desperately pleaded, gazing up at Sayo and Leone with begging eyes. "I know! I've got it! I'll join the revolutionary army! I'm actually in the middle of some incredible research! Even if it's impossible to attain true immortality...if you steal energy from others, you can live a whole lot longer! I'm sure that's got your interest! Right!?"

"Tch, this is some seriously pathetic groveling..." Leone said with a scowl as she crouched down and flicked Dorothea's forehead. "Just end it, Sayo. I'm sick hearing this pathetic worm's voice."

"N-NO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" Dorothea wailed, tears streaming from her eyes as she began to violently thrash around on the ground. "THERE'S STILL SO MUCH MORE I HAVE TO LEARN! I CAN BECOME SO MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL!"

"Yeah, and I'm sure none of the people you killed and experimented on wanted to die either." Sayo said in a cold tone as her grip on Extase's handles tightened. Just as Dorothea was about to continue her begging, Sayo slammed Extase's blades shut, slicing the alchemist's head clean off. After flicking Dorothea's blood off the blades, strapped Extase onto her back. "Rot in hell."

"Nice work, Sayo. Fighting her would have been a lot tougher without you." Leone said with a smile, patting her fellow Night Raid member on the shoulder. Crouching down, Leone picked up Dorothea's severed head. After staring at the decapitated head for several moments, Leone eventually opened Dorothea's mouth and proceeded to yank out her Blood Collecting Absorbdex. Gazing down at the Fang Teigu, Leone handed them over to Sayo. "We definitely can't let these things fall into the wrong hands. We'll send them to the revolutionary army, they'll either lock them away or destroy them."

"I really hope they destroy these things..." Sayo said as she slipped the teigu into her pocket. "They seriously creep me out."

"GUYS!" Sayo and Leone immediately perked up when they heard someone call out to them. Spinning around, they saw Cosmina and Akame running toward them. Cosmina seemed to be the one who had yelled as she frantically waved her arms to get their attention. "We've got a problem!"

"What's wrong?" Leone asked, quirking an eyebrow as she rested her hands on her fists. However, it didn't take Leone long to realize what the problem was. "Hey...where's Tatsumi?"

"That's the problem." Akame replied in an uncharacteristically worried tone as she locked eyes with Leone. "Apparently he ran off as soon as he beat that monster."

"I tried to stop him, but he's way too fast!" Cosmina exclaimed, nervously hopping from foot to foot as her gaze darted around the forest. "We need you two to help us find him since you're our best trackers!"

"Okay, okay, calm down...he couldn't have gone too far." Sayo said as she did her best to stay collected, despite her heart racing with fear for her best friend's safety. "Which direction did he run off in? That's the best place to start."

"It was west!" Cosmina instantly shouted, repeatedly jabbing her finger in the direction she had specified. "We need to go, like now! Tatsumi looked like he was in serious pain before he took off!"

"Let's get moving then, we need to find him fast!" Leone exclaimed as she took off running west, with the rest of her teammates following right behind her. "Sayo, you look for tracks and I'll try to pick up Tatsumi's scent!"

(Same Time: With Tatsumi)

"GUH...RAGH!" Tatsumi yelled in discomfort, clutching his chest as his heart raced and sweat dripped off his forehead. Feeling a sudden wave of nausea, Tatsumi dry heaved several times before he finally vomited. Tatsumi suddenly felt an intense wave of pain that sent him collapsing to the ground, curling up into the fetal position. "AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Tatsumi could feel tears welling in his eyes as he experienced the most intense pain he had ever felt. "Incursio...what the hell is going on!? When is this pain going to end!?"

"I'm sorry partner, it will be over soon. I've been trying to slow the merging process, but with how much you used my armor and weapons today...there's only so much I can do. This will only continue to get worse the more you use my power."

"Is there...any way you can stop this!?" Tatsumi grunted through grit teeth as attempted to sit upright, leaning against the wall of the cave he had hidden in. "This pain...it's unbearable! It feels like my body...is being torn apart!"

"I have been working on a solution...but it's not quite ready yet...and if you want to continue using my power, you'll want to wait until after we've won this war."

"Ugh...damn it..." Tatsumi said, releasing a heavy sigh as he felt the debilitating pain finally start to subside. "We need your power to win this war...if this pain is the price I'll have to pay...I can endure it."

"Partner...I must ask...why did you flee from your mates? I'm sure you've worried them by running off like this."

"I know it was a shitty thing to do..." Tatsumi muttered as he stared down at his hand, noticing that it had grown scales and claws. Turning his gaze to a nearby puddle, Tatsumi noticed in his reflection that the right side of his face had taken on a draconic appearance. "But I didn't want them to see me in pain like this...and you know that I trust Incursio, but I couldn't risk myself going on a possible rampage and hurting them...I'd never be able to forgive myself."

"Ah, I understand your feelings. If you do ever lose control partner, I'll do everything in my power to stop you before you can hurt any of your comrades."

"Thanks, Incursio...I knew you'd have my back." Tatsumi said with a small smile, before grabbing Incursio's blade and staring into the red gemstone. "I don't think I could have asked for a better partner."

"The sentiment is the same for me, partner. Now, try to make yourself presentable, I sense your friend's presence at the cave's entrance."

"Guys, he's down here!" Tatsumi immediately perked up when he heard Leone's voice echo throughout the cave. Less than ten seconds later, Akame, Leone, Cosmina, and Sayo had rushed through the cave and were now standing in front of him. "We found him."

"Hey, girlOOF" Tatsumi was cut off when the four girls suddenly hugged him. Letting out a short exhale, Tatsumi smiled softly and did his best to return his teammate's embrace. "Sorry, if I worried you all."

"We were worried!" Akame exclaimed as she gazed into Tatsumi's eyes, looking like she was on the verge of tears. "Why would you run off like that?!"

"Isn't it obvious..." Tatsumi said, turning his head so that the four girls could see his draconic face. All of the girls gasped, shocked by Tatsumi's sudden transformation. "I couldn't risk going berserk...so I got away from you all."

"I was following the scent of danger..." Leone said with a frown as she reached up and stroked Tatsumi's transformed cheek, feeling the hard scales against her skin. "But this is worse than I expected."

"You're really starting to merge with Incursio..." Cosmina said, seemingly unfazed by Tatsumi's appearance as she leaned against his chest. "Is there anything we can do? What about Incursio? Can he help?"

"No, I don't think there's anything you guys can do..." Tatsumi replied as he released a heavy sigh, slowly shaking his head. "And Incursio said that he was working on a solution...but that I should wait until the war is over to use it. If I don't, I won't be able to use his power." Letting out a long exhale, Tatsumi stared down at his draconic hand. "The doctor said that I could use Incursio's armor four more times at most...but I've only used it once since then and look what happened to me. I know Incursio isn't doing this on purpose...but it feels like my body is being devoured from the inside out!"

"It's going to be okay, Tatsumi." Sayo said with a comforting smile, placing a reassuring hand on her best friend's shoulder. "Everyone in Night Raid is here for you."

"I know that you get anxious when you're alone, Tatsumi." Leone said as she hugged Tatsumi's head against her breasts, the familiar warmth instantly making him feel at ease. "So, don't ever feel like you have to go through this by yourself."

"Akame...Leone...Cosmina...Sayo..." Tatsumi sniffled, quickly wiping away his tears as they started to form. "Thank you all...I don't know what I'd do without you guys."

"You'd be totally lost without us." Sayo said with a teasing smirk as she playfully punched Tatsumi's arm. "Now, let's head back to base. If we were worried about you, I'm sure both Mine and Chelsea are freaking out right about now."

"I knew you all wouldn't push me away..." Tatsumi thought, allowing Akame and Leone to help him back onto his feet. "But I still hate showing you guys my weak and pathetic side. I need to show everyone that I can hold it together, at least until the war is over!"

(The Following Afternoon: Night Raid's Hidden Base)

"Looks like you're returning to normal now that you've started to calm down." Mine said as she sat down on the couch next to Tatsumi, hugging his right arm. "From what Akame and Leone described, your transformation this time was a lot more severe."

"I'm just glad you're cute face is still intact." Chelsea joked, chuckling to herself as she sat down on Tatsumi's other side and hugged his left arm. "I wish I could go out and help you guys fight. But the higher-ups have been keeping me busy with missions infiltrating the capital to disrupt military operations."

"Yeah...thanks guys." Tatsumi said with a smile as a faint blush spread across his face, allowing both of his lovers to embrace him. Glancing around the room, Tatsumi felt a comforting warmth being surrounded by all of his friends and lovers, minus Lubbock who was still recovering from his injuries. "I'm feeling a lot better now."

"It's good to see you smiling." Akame said, leaning forward in her seat and gazing happily at Tatsumi. "You looked a little-"

"Akame and Chelsea!" Everyone's heads snapped toward the doorway as Najenda stormed into the room. "I've got new jobs for you two." Seeing the other members of Night Raid looking at her expectantly, Najenda quickly dashed their expectations. "Just as a heads up, Tatsumi and Leone will be sitting this one out. They still need to recover from this last fight. Sayo and Cosmina, I want you to stay here and keep training. I'll need you all in top condition for our final assault against the capital."

"Boo, I wanted to do something more exciting..." Cosmina groaned, leaning her head back and staring up at the ceiling. After a few moments, Cosmina turned her head and smirked at Sayo. "I guess you and I are gonna do some sparring...maybe you can teach me how to use that fancy bow of yours."

"Sure, if you're willing to learn, I'll teach you." Sayo said as she shrugged her shoulders, a smirk of her own forming on her face. "But trust me, I won't go easy on you. I'll drill how to use a bow into your head."

"Did you really get hurt that badly in your fight against Dorothea?" Tatsumi asked in a concerned tone, gazing over at Leone. He examined her body and didn't notice any visible injuries. "You didn't seem to be too hurt when we left the battlefield."

"I know I talk big...but having my blood drained like that really messed me up bad." Leone said as she released a heavy sigh and sunk deeper into the seat she was sitting in. Seeing Tatsumi's worried look, Leone flashed him a bright, toothy grin. "But I'm already getting better, so you don't have to worry about me. One thing I don't joke about is how tough I am." With a long groan, Leone rested the back of her head against her seat. "Maaaan...why do I get fucked up whenever I join a fight."

"It's because you're really reckless when you fight..." Tatsumi thought with a chuckle, scratching his cheek as he continued to gaze at Leone. "I've already changed Sayo, Chelsea, Lubbock, and Mine's futures...but Leone's hasn't happened yet...I'll have to keep my on her."

(Ten Minutes Later: Outside of Night Raid's Base)

"The full force of the anti-imperial armies will be gathered around the capital soon." Najenda said as she sat down on a large rock, taking a long drag from her cigarette. "Our forces grow larger by the day."

"The final battle is close." Akame said, resting her hands on her hips as a gentle breeze blew through the area. "Hopefully we'll finally see some semblance of peace once this war is over."

"Bah, as long as there are corrupt assholes in power, there will never be peace." Chelsea said as she rolled the sucker in her mouth around her tongue. "I have a feeling there will always be a need for units Night Raid. Doing all the dirty work from the shadows."

"I hate to admit, but you're probably right, Chelsea. I don't doubt that some vile rats will worm their way into power once the new government takes over after the empire is overthrown. But we'll do our best to stomp them out before they can do any real damage." Najenda said, tapping the ashes off the end of her cigarette. After sticking her cigarette back into her mouth, Najenda pulled out two manilla folders and handed them to Akame and Chelsea. "But before we can even think about that, we need to finish this final fight. When that final battle comes, I'd like as many obstacles removed as possible. I just gave you two lists of generals and lance corporals who have been assisting the minister. Infiltrate the capital, take advantage of the confusion as they prep for war...and clear as many names off that list as you can. But most importantly...make sure you both come back alive."

"What about the palace?" Chelsea asked as she scanned through the list of targets, memorizing as much information about each of them as she could. "That would likely be a target-rich environment."

"There's no need to go there." Najenda replied, slowly shaking her head as she let out a puff of smoke. "Just focus on these outside targets. Like I said...I need you both to come back alive. It'd be far too risky to attack any targets within the palace."

"Are our forces prepared for any counter-assassination attempts?" Akame asked as she slipped her target list into one of her pouches. "Losing one of our generals would be devastating...and we don't want them to discover that Esdeath is still alive either."

"You've all been following your orders splendidly..." Najenda said with a small smile, stamping out her cigarette butt before lighting up a fresh one. "Thanks to that, there shouldn't be any major casualties."

"Thanks for keeping Tatsumi and Leone out of duty for a bit." Akame said as she brushed some hair out of her eyes, before gazing back at their hideout. "They both need more time to recover...especially Tatsumi."

"No problem." Najenda said, taking a brief drag of her cigarette and blowing out a puff of smoke. "I think they're worried about you too, Akame. You've been taking a lot of missions recently...and you're going out solo more and more."

"I know...but I'll be okay." Akame said as she rested her hand on Murasame's hilt. "I'll send the enemy to rest in pieces. Once my switch has been flipped, I can kill at a moment's notice."

"Ooh, scary..." Chelsea teased, seeing the deadly serious look in Akame's blood-red eyes. "I'd hate to be one of your enemies."

"Good, I'm glad you both are ready to go." Najenda said with a slight grunt as she stood back up, her cigarette loosely hanging from her lips. "Our spy teams will help you both enter the capital." After taking one last, long drag of her cigarette, Najenda stomped it out and gazed at her assassins. "Now, get out there and spill some blood."

And done! Wild Hunt has officially been wiped out! The final battle against the empire is drawing ever closer. With this chapter, I've officially entered the last three volumes of the manga, so we're getting extremely close to the end of this story. If I had to guess, there are more than likey ten or fewer chapters left to finish this story. I'll be taking a break from this story for a little bit to work on my other stories. But please be patient and new chapters will be out eventually.

Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed/PLEASE REVIEW (I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK!), PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING MY P ATREON (EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS AND I'LL BE POSTING A NEW POLL ON MY P ATREON TO HELP INFLUENCE THIS STORY WHEN THIS CHAPTER IS POSTED!), check out my profile and other stories if you haven't already, and PM me any ideas you might have for my stories. So until next time, I'm outta here!