Disclaimer: I do not own Akame Ga Kill or any of its characters.

A/N: Answering to Reviews

Ryuujin96: Thank you for pointing out my error at Chapter 4 regarding the names. Don't worry, I've fixed that up now. Glad you like the story so far!

Guest: Thanks for the advice. I guess I'm just accustomed to using ' instead of " in dialogue but I'll change that now. I will probably go back to the previous chapters after I post this one and change from ' to " so it looks cleaner.

226663331114444: I'm happy you enjoy the story so far, and thanks for the encouragement! Thanks for your offer as well, I'm not sure if I need a beta reader for the time being but I'll keep you in mind.

Alright, let's get on with today's chapter!

(Zanku)

"No please, spare me!" a teary-eyed woman pleaded as she tried desperately to pry his thick fingers from his neck. Unfortunately, he was just too strong and her attempts at freeing herself were useless.

"Such a naughty girl." The large man cackled. 'Didn't your parents ever tell you to not walk the streets alone at night? There could be monsters that are ready to eat you up."

"Pl-Please, spare me. I'll do anything that you want!"

"Anything, huh. Then, could you talk with me for a bit?" the large man asked.

The woman's face lightened up considerably. "Yes, I'm fine with talking with you. We can talk all you want."

The man grinned in an unnerving manner. "Then, can you tell me," his hands tightened around her neck, "what it feels like to get your head chopped off?" His sadistic expression reflected in her watery eyes.

The woman made a feeble gasp before she got chucked to the ground. As the man advanced towards her with his large blade outstretched in front of him, she tried to ward him away with her hands.

"Please, don't…"

Her pleas were lost to the man who slashed her head clean off with his sword and sighed in disappointment. "I guess you don't know, what a shame." His disappointed frown turned into a menacing smile. "Well, it's time to get on to my next victim." He laughed before walking away.

(Night Raid)

"Everyone, we have a new target" Najenda said, sinking into her usual chair. "He is a serial killer who's been terrorizing the Capital lately. He predominantly goes out hunting at night, making it difficult to find him. We have no way of finding out how many people he has killed, but according to our sources, he has killed about forty people by now."

"How were they killed?" Lubbock asked.

"All of the victims were reported to have been decapitated, their head separated from their body completely."

"Then there's no doubt about it. I'm pretty confident that the killer must be Zanku the Executioner." Lubbock said.

Sheele made a confused noise when she heard that name. "Zanku…the Executioner. Who is that again?"

Mine sighed. "I'm pretty sure you just forgot Sheele, but I'll refresh your memory." The pinkette closed her eyes. "Zanku used to work at the largest prison in the Empire… as the executioner. Courtesy of the corrupt prime minister, he was never short of people to kill. He would constantly behead people because it was his execution method, it was horribly brutal. After a while, beheading people at the jail became something that wasn't enough for him, so he took to the streets," Mine opened her eyes as she finished the story.

"As soon as a team was dispatched to find him, he disappeared from the public." Bulat added. "Although I never thought he would show his face back in the Capital."

Najenda nodded at the information that Bulat and Mine had divulged. "Now that you've all refreshed your memory about this killer, I should let you know that Zanku stole a teigu that belonged to the prison head in the Capital which makes him very dangerous. I've decided to pair you guys up into teams for this assignment. It will be the same team as last time, Akame and Leone, Bulat and Lubbock, and Mine and Sheele. I also hope you guys remember what to do if you meet Tatsumi. Should you encounter him, try your best to persuade him to join us. As we have mentioned before, his skills will be a valuable asset to Night Raid."

Najenda looked around at everyone in the room and was pleased to see that they were all serious and had confident expressions on their faces. She grinned. "Very well, now go! Hunt down this serial killer and make him pay for his crimes!"

(That night; Empire's Capital)

Leone whistled a short tune as she sauntered beside Akame; the raven-haired girl was gazing over a map of the Capital. "Looks like we have to cover this part, which is the second largest area in the Capital. We have to be extremely careful about our every move, the executioner could strike from anywhere." Akame cautiously warned her friend.

"Yeah, yeah. I know Akame." Leone light-heartedly replied. "Don't worry, with our skills, we'll easily crush this guy. I can't wait to bash his head in when I find him."

Akame sighed. "Leone, I think you ought to be more careful. I mean, we don't even know what teigu Zanku has. Jumping in carelessly will get us killed." She said as she took out a snack bar and munched on it.

"Aw, come on Akame! I know we need to be careful but look at the teigus that we have. We'll be fin…" Leone suddenly stopped talking when she spotted a brightly-lit bar. "Whew, looks like today's my lucky day. I could really use a beer." She said happily and rushed towards it quickly before Akame could stop her.

Akame face-palmed at the fact that Leone didn't even take her advice seriously for one minute. But then, a smile made a way onto her face. "I guess that's what makes Leone who she is, I wonder if I can act that normal one day too."

Akame was about to follow Leone and get her back on duty when suddenly, she felt an ominous pressure and a sense of bloodlust from the west direction. She briefly contemplated getting Leone to come with her but since she figured she was drunk and didn't want to risk her safety, she drew her sword and followed that bloodlust by herself.

(A few minutes ago)

Tatsumi was walking in the streets and trying to gather intel on who his next target should be, when he heard two men whispering quietly amongst themselves. He got curious and decided to listen, so he sneaked close enough to put them in hearing range.

"Have you heard of the monster at night?" one of the men shivered in fear.

"Monster? You've must have banged your head on a wall and gone crazy lad." The other one guffawed at his statement.

"Trust me, it's no joke. Haven't you heard what the guards say? About somebody who takes his victims at night. They say…" he lowered his voice.

"That his goal is to take people's heads, which is why he always severs them."

Tatsumi had to admit, that remark about a monster who liked to take people's heads kind of freaked him out a bit. "Someone who hunts at night huh? Sounds like an assassin to me. No matter, I guess this matter could be investigated into a bit." Tatsumi was about to walk away from the two men when he spotted a figure draped in a hood, who looked very suspicious. The figure turned around and briefly met Tatsumi's eyes, black eyes meeting green. Something about this person's eyes registered a sense of familiarity in Tatsumi's mind, but he couldn't think about what was familiar about him. Suddenly, he saw the hooded person walking away.

Tatsumi didn't know why but this person had sparked an interest in him, and he wanted to find out more about him. So, against his better judgement, he followed him. Tatsumi saw the figure disappear into an alley so he quickly followed suit.

He finally caught up to this person in the middle of a large plaza, who was just standing ominously there, with his back turned to him.

"Who are you?" Tatsumi asked carefully.

Suddenly, he felt bloodlust directed at him and instantly reached for his sword.

(Present time)

Right then, a peculiar sight occurred. The tall, slim figure was suddenly replaced by a large, imposing man. The man wore a suit with a tie, a mechanical eye that was stuck on his forehead which was secured by wraps, and he was holding two large blades.

Looks like I have caught a juicy prey today." The man gave a creepy smile. "Are you a member of Night Raid? You don't seem like a normal civilian, and you give off the vibe that you are an experienced killer."

"Sorry to disappoint you. I'm a swordsman who eliminates corrupt individuals in the Empire, but I'm not a part of Night Raid."

"I see, I knew you were special the moment I laid my eyes on you. Judging from the rumours in the Capital and what you just said, you must be the shadow assassin, correct?" the imposing man asked the boy in front of him.

Tatsumi said nothing, which the man took as a sign that he had hit the mark, spot-on.

"Ah! Where are my manners? I'm Zanku, more commonly referred to as 'Zanku the Executioner,' perhaps you know of me?"

"I've never heard your name before, but…" Tatsumi suddenly unsheathed his sword. "You're finished!" He leapt at Zanku with incredible speed.

Zanku gave a knowing smirk then blocked Tatsumi's sword with his own with ease. Tatsumi gave a slightly shocked expression before Zanku thrusted upwards with his other sword, forcing Tatsumi to retreat backwards before his throat was slit.

"Hahaha! I see you're wondering how I was able to block you attack with ease. It's because I knew beforehand what you were thinking." Zanku grinned in delight.

Tatsumi's eyes widened in realisation. "It must be his…"

"Teigu's ability, right? Bingo! This is the teigu, Spectator. One of its five senses is called Insight. Zanku explained, tapping the weird looking eye on his forehead. "Just by looking at your expression, I can tell your thoughts. It has the ultimate ability of perception! I might as well add that another ability it has is called Foresight, which allows me to see what you're going to do next by your muscle movements."

Tatsumi's eyes narrowed. "You sure talk a lot."

Zanku shrugged. "Talking is a habit of mine. It kept me from going insane when I constantly had to behead people back at the prison, I was at. While I'm at it, I'll let you know that the way I found you was the power of, Farsight. It gives me the ability to see long distances."

Zanku's smirk suddenly vanished and he sidestepped to avoid an attack from Tatsumi. "You sure are a fool, you give off information too carelessly." Tatsumi launched a flurry of thrusts and slashes at Zanku, the executioner trying his best to block with his two blades, but it was inevitable that a few would get through and cut him.

"What the hell is going on?" Zanku thought as Tatsumi's sword grazed his cheek, making a slit on the skin. "I can read his thoughts and muscle movements, but his actions are too fast for me to react to!"

With anger, Zanku launched an overhead swipe at Tatsumi but instead of cracking open his skull, Tatsumi dodged and the blade met open air and cracked the ground where Tatsumi had previously been standing on. In that split opening, Tatsumi delivered a slash through Zanku's right arm, blood spilling down his wrist. "Arrgh you bastard" Zanku tried to thrust his other sword into Tatsumi's chest but the assassin quickly retreated out of range before the blow could land.

Zanku was breathing heavily, perspiration gathering on his forehead and he was covering the wound on his arm.

"It's over Zanku" Tatsumi stated. "Your movements are far too slow to compete with mine. I think it's time to end this." Tatsumi's sword began swirling with dark energy and wind forces whipped around the two figures in the plaza, showing how strong the attack was.

"N-NO!" Zanku knew that his teigu gave him the ability to know what Tatsumi was planning next but he knew that the destructive power of the attack and the speed at which it would travel would be difficult to dodge and would most likely take off a few limbs of his at the very least.

"Farewell Zanku." Tatsumi solemnly said as he raised his blade above his head.

Suddenly, Zanku had a great idea form in his mind. He transformed into the same hooded figure that Tatsumi had seen earlier using the power of his teigu.

Tatsumi noted Zanku's sudden transformation but didn't think much of it. "Getsuga Ten-" he began, intending to finish the executioner off.

Zanku quickly tore the hood off, the cloak falling off as a result of his fast movement, which was carried off by the wind. This allowed for his features to be shown. Or rather, her.

What happened next was totally unexpected.

Tatsumi's eyes widened in disbelief, the remaining words of his attack hanging on his tongue disappeared and the gathering of energy around his blade stopped. He lowered his sword, gazing at the figure before him.

"No, no. It can't be." Tatsumi tried desperately to remember that this was an illusion but couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes off the person in front of him.

"Sayo?" the words came out in a whisper. She retained the same appearance that he remembered her the last time he had seen her. She had long black hair and the same black eyes, which bored into his soul. She was dressed in a plain cream-coloured robe with the same iconic flower hair accessory.

"This is another of my teigu's abilities: Illusion Sight. It allows me to transform into the person my target loves the most." Zanku grinned, his smile replicated on the girl's face. He confidentially made his way to Tatsumi. "This is my trump card, since nobody can bear to hurt their loved one."

Tatsumi just stood there, wide in shock as memories he didn't want to remember came back to him in flashes.

"Hide in the cupboard." His mother planting a kiss on his forehead and his parents going out, the only sounds that were heard were shouting and crashing noises.

The village was ingulfed in fire, screams of pain and death were natural, buildings collapsing to the ground. The sound of soldiers marching, shouts were heard everywhere.

"Tatsumi, you must keep this imperial arm away from the empire. Do not let them get their hands on it." The elder warned the young boy.

"Ieyasu!" Tatsumi cried as he stood over his best friend; holes and cuts covering his body, his dull eyes staring blindly into his.

"Run, Tatsumi. Far away, where they'll never find you." Sayo smiled at him before she was incased in ice.

"AAAHHH!" Tatsumi screamed, many hurtful memories that he had locked deep within his mind, many raw emotions that he couldn't handle embedded in his heart, all resurfaced at once. Tatsumi dropped his sword and collapsed, his legs suddenly losing all strength. Streaks of tears leaked out of his eyes, his face full of sorrow.

Zanku was really surprised when the formidable opponent he was facing, who had almost ended his life had torn down in front of him and was in such a vulnerable position. Zanku screamed his victory into the night sky, this was so fitting, the boy who had caused him so much pain and would not die for it. Zanku reached the boy and he raised his blade, intent on beheading the boy in one strike.

Suddenly, before he could achieve his victory, a sword impaled into the ground in front of him. A few seconds later, Akame appeared and withdrew her blade from the ground to point it at Zanku.

Akame was staring at Zanku while simultaneously looking back at the boy she had been so curious about, curled up in a fetal position. She wondered what the executioner had done to get him like this, but she would think about it later. She turned her attention back to Zanku.

"Well, well, if it isn't the infamous Akame and her demon sword Murasame." Zanku grinned, he was already itching for battle with the female assassin. "I've wanted to meet you for quite some time now."

Akame narrowed her eyes and prepared to charge at him when she heard Tatsumi softly mutter, "his teigu's ability allows him to read your thoughts and your muscle movements. Be careful."

Akame widened her eyes for a few minutes at the information before subtly nodding thanks and leapt and Zanku. "Even if you can read my thoughts, it's nothing against my moves." She calmly said before she and Zanku crossed blades. But to Zanku's surprise, Akame was much stronger than he'd thought, and she quickly broke the bladelock, instantly following up with a thrust to the chest.

Zanku just managed to block Akame's sword from piercing him, but suddenly Akame followed up with another slash that caused him to use his other blade to support him against Akame's strength. Again, Akame overpowered Zanku's strength, causing him to lose the bladelock they were in and retreat.

"You're strong alright. Strong as that boy." Zanku grinned, he was smiling since he still had his secret trump card. "When I chop off you head, I'll make sure to put it beside the boys so that I can take pride in my two greatest victories of all time."

"The only one who is dying tonight is you," Akame said, taking a defensive stance.

"Actually, before we continue our battle, there's something I've been meaning to ask you, Akame. How do you deal with the voices?" Zanku asked, causing Akame to quirk an eyebrow in confusion.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me you don't hear them too. The voices in my head, of the people that I've killed, screaming for me to join them in hell." Zanku's gleefully exclaimed. "It got so bad that I make a habit of talking to drown out their voices."

"This guy has some serious problems." Akame and Tatsumi simultaneously thought at the same time.

"I don't hear them." Akame responded, which led Zanku 's eyes to widen. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't hear any voices."

Zanku stood motionless and unresponsive for a few seconds before speaking. "I don't understand, I thought someone like you who has killed as much as me would be able to understand my situation! Ho-How tragic!" The eye on his forehead opened and suddenly, he was replaced by a completely different person.

"Ku-Kurome?" Akame asked in shock.

Tatsumi having regained sense of his surroundings, noted the girl's appearance and how similar it was to Akame. "Is that her sister? No matter, I've to warn her about Zanku's ability."

"Akame!" Tatsumi screamed. "It's all a dirty trick! Your sisters not actually here! Don't fall for his lies."

"You're wasting your breath, boy." Zanku said. "This optical illusion only works at one person a time, but no one can attack the person they love! Just like you." Zanku stopped a few feet away from Akame. "Now then, die at the hands of the person you love, Akame!"

In the blink of an eye, Akame slashed through Zanku's stomach, blood and entrails spilling out as he stared at her, shocked and in disbelief. After a few minutes, his body responded and he began falling, so he stabbed the blades into the ground to keep himself upright.

"It's because I love her the most" Akame said ominously. "That I'm the one who wants to kill her the most." She stared at Zanku with cold eyes.

"She-She can't possibly be human! Zanku thought in despair as the poison coursed through his body and weakened him with every passing moment. This led him to fall onto his back, his blades discarded on the ground.

"She was willing to kill someone she loved?" Tatsumi was dumbfounded because he didn't know how that was possible. "She saved me this time, looks like I have to get stronger so this doesn't happen again."

"These voices" Akame said as she sheathed her sword. "won't bother you anymore." She finished as she looked at the fallen executioner.

"She's right…the voices have stopped… thank you." A peaceful smile spread across Zanku's face as he died.

"So, that leaves you." Akame turned to the injured boy behind her, the one she had been eager to meet.

Akame wanted desperately to ask him about joining Night Raid there and then but knew he needed treatment first.

"Let's get you patched up." Akame said, as she helped Tatsumi to his feet. "We can talk after."

Tatsumi was surprised by her kind actions but then decided to accept it, seeing as she had already saved him from death.

(An hour later; Night Raid's Base)

After Tatsumi had gotten patched up by Akame, she had asked him to come with her to Night Raid's base and to her relief, he had agreed.

Now, the two of them were in Night Raid's base with the other members surrounding them and Najenda sitting in her usual chair.

"Well, it's great to finally meet you, Tatsumi." Najenda nodded to the brown-haired boy. "I believe you've been introduced to the other members of Night Raid already, with me being the exception. I'm Night Raid's leader, Najenda."

Tatsumi quirked an eyebrow in confusion when he saw a figure in the room that he didn't recognise.

"Wait a second, who's that? I don't recognise him." Tatsumi said, pointing to a tall, muscular young man with blue eyes and black hair that was combed up in a pompadour style.

"Oh, that's right. Of course you wouldn't recognise me, I had my armour on when we met for the first time." The tall man apologised. "I'm Bulat."

Realisation dawned in Tatsumi's eyes as he remembered the armoured guy who had referred to himself as Bulat, at Aria's mansion. "That makes sense, I recognise your name from before." With that little miscommunication cleared up, Tatsumi returned his focus to the silver-haired woman, sitting in front of him.

"I believe you already know why you're here, right?" Najenda asked.

Tatsumi already knew the reason from his last encounter with Akame so he just said, "you want me to join Night Raid, I presume?"

Najenda nodded. "We've discussed this a number of times and we think your skills would be invaluable to joining Night Raid. We know you assassinate corrupt nobles of the empire just like us, so our motives are the same. You would be a perfect addition to the team. What do you say?"

Tatsumi looked around at the members of the room, most of them had sort-of neutral expressions. The exceptions being Leone winking at him and Mine looking away when he tried looking into her eyes.

"I will be killed if I refuse to join right?" Tatsumi asked as he turned his focus back to the leader of Night Raid.

"You won't be killed if you decline. However, we will have to make you work in our workshop since we can't have you tell anyone the location of our base." Najenda gave a small smile to the boy.

After a few moments, Tatsumi came to a decision. "I had already contemplated this a few times beforehand and I do agree that it would be in my interests and yours to join Night Raid. Plus, Akame healed me so I appreciate that."

Najenda grinned. "Then it's settled, welcome to our path of carnage, Tatsumi."

A/N: There we go, the long awaited moment of Tatsumi joining Night Raid has finally happened! Now, things will get more interesting. I just want you guys to note that after I post this chapter, I'll be going back to the last few chapters and editing them.

Don't worry, I'm not changing the story or any events but some grammatical and other minor mistakes I realised I had made, while I was writing this chapter. As usual, please leave a review on your thoughts. Goodbye for now!