It hurts...

It hurts...

It hurts...

It hurts...

It hurts...

It hurts...

It hurts...

It hurts...

It hurts...

It hurts...

It hurts...

There was nothing else Akame could think about.

There was nothing else for her to think about.

All that filled her mind was nightmarish pain that run throughout her body.

She could see blood-red sky, filled with black clouds above her as her naked body drifted in a sea of blood. Her eyes were blank, skin deathly pale. She made no move, just floated on the surface like doll with cut strings. If anyone saw her like that they would no doubt think she is dead, and to be honest, she would struggle to deny it. It really did feel like she was dead and stuck in some forgotten corner of hell. The blood she was in seemed to never end. No matter where she would look she saw nothing but more of it.

It was falling from the sky, erupting from below and flowing from her body.

Yes, she could feel it. Open wounds on her body, missing pieces of flesh and most importantly a giant hole in her chest where her heart was suppose to be. All of those wounds kept bleeding, and no matter how much they hurt, it would simply not stop, no matter how much time passed.

And how much of it did pass? She didn't know. She knew it hurt, and that was all she could think about. Not even rotting hands emerging from the see of blood all around her registered in her mind. All she noticed was that when they pulled her down into the blood, it started to hurt even more.


Akame... Tatsumi squeezed her hand. He quickly noticed her breath getting heavy, slight twitches of her body and tears forming in her eyes. Faster then others in the room. Putting Akame to sleep was not a solution at all. All it really did was make sure she won't kill herself, and that is not what Tatsumi is aiming for. He's going to save her. And he's done wasting time. He turned his head towards the others in the room. "Boss." Be spoke up, getting up and facing her directly.

Nejenda released a puff of smoke through the open window before turning towards him as well. She's burnt through more cigarettes in that single night then he's ever seen her or anyone else do. After he woke up from his... 'shock' endued sleep after having Leone shove his face into her naked breasts he saw boss actually crying while she hugged the cat women. Those were only a couple of tears, but that was the first time he's seen her cry since he's joined the Night Raid. And Leone's expression made it clear that it was the same for her.

It's not like anyone could blame her really. After a victory at a cost like that, what commander wouldn't want to cry if they found out they won't have to bury another friend. "What is it Tatsumi?"

"I know how do help Akame." He stated. There was no time to play with building up to that point. Every second that they waste means more pain for Akame. Nejenda immediately focused on the boy upon hearing that. So did Leone and the doctor. He especially was surprised to hear Tatsumi say that, after all he is one of, if not the best Teigu expert in the world and he's completely powerless when it comes to treating Akame. Hearing a boy half his age suddenly state he knows how to treat her was surprising to say the least. Still, he wasn't nearly arrogant enough to refuse help, especially when the situation is looking so grim.

"What do you mean?" He said.

"I'm going to take Akame to the place where Murasame's root grows. There is an old Ultra-Class Danger Beast that leaves there. And it has a cure for Akame's condition. I'm going to kill it and inject the cure into Akame's body. That's the only way to help her."

Leone raised her eyebrow. "Ultra-Class?"

"Oh, right. Tyrant was classified as an Ultra-Class Danger Beast instead of Super-Class back when it was alive, but since then all Ultra-Class Danger Beasts were killed, mostly turned into Teigus. Now that classification level is simply not used because no known Danger Beast fits it anymore."

"That's some plan you have there Tatsumi..." Nejenda said, puffing out another cloud of smoke. "But I need some explanations first. How do you know this in the first place would be a good start." A quiet groan formed in Tatsumi's throat. Too quiet for anyone but Leone to hear it. He was not enthusiastic about getting questioned now and wasting even more time, but... It was Boss. She of all people deserves answers about what her subordinates are planning.

"After I fused with Incursio I gained access to Tyrant's memories, at least some of them. And... Well, that Danger Beast I was talking about... its Tyrant's father." Something inside of him screamed in anger as he said that, filling him with sudden lust for blood. And that didn't escape Leone's attention either. "I know it's still there. The air around Murasame's root is poisonous, but that Beast survived it for so long, it's body mutated. By now it can no longer live without that poison in it's blood. And that blood is what I will use to save Akame. That Beast is constantly injecting itself with a countermeasure against the poison's effects. If I can get my hands on that, Akame will live."

With all that said, Tatsumi got up and headed towards the exit. Determination that filled every word that came out of his mouth was enough to momentarily stun everyone in the room. "Wait!" The doctor managed to get himself together just in time to stop Tatsumi before he left. He pressed his hand against the boy's chest, but he didn't even seem to acknowledge it as a form of resistance. He did react to his voice though. "Tatsumi, where are you going!?"

"To the Imperial Archive under the palace. There is a book there with information I need. Specifically where Murasame's root is located. Tyrant's memories didn't include that bit."

"And what? You're just going to drag that girl all the way there? It's a known fact that Murasame's root is somewhere beyond the Great Eastern Sea. The journey there will take months. She won't make it there alive!"

"Then what do you suggest? Kill her now and put her out of her misery? I won't let that happen!" He pushed doctor's hand away, just barely managing to not break it. He was ready to move on, but then another hand pushed against his chest. This time harder. Much harder. Hard enough to form a shockwave that threw Nejenda's cigarette out of the window. His gaze fell on the hand that stopped him. Following it, he soon realized that it was Leone's. Her eyes were filled with the kind of sisterly concern that almost made him want nothing more then to hug her and cry all of his sorrows into her shoulder. Almost.

She was wearing a brown cloak now, to hide her... everything. Nejenda tried to coax her into putting some actual cloths on, but Leone kept refusing, saying they're uncomfortable. "Calm down Tatsumi. You're not going push through everything like that." Here eyes stared him down, forming thin slits. "We all want to help Akame, but you heard what doc said. Crossing the Great Sea will take months even with the fastest ship Empire has to offer. And Akame has one at most. Even if we find a way to go around that..." She turned her eyes towards Akame, urging Tatsumi to do the same. "... Tell me, Tatsumi. What do you think she will be by the time she receives your help?

". . ."

A wreck. An empty shell of who she was... That's what she will be. He knew it. He remembered it. Proud warriors reduced to crying dolls unable to find it in them to do anything but try ending their own existence. Wisest generals turned into screaming lunatics. Loyal soldiers giving into insanity. That's what Akame would become within days. And after months of that? He was honestly afraid to even imagine it.

"But what else do we have left? Putting her in a coma doesn't achieve anything. In fact it might be making things worse for her mind." He pointed his claw at the doctor. "He doesn't know what to do as well. You tell me Leone, what other option is there left?"

She didn't know. She honestly had no idea. Just like him, she wanted nothing more then to help Akame, but she didn't know how. And how could she? Even the best doctor they have had no idea what to do. Tatsumi's plan was admittably the best they have. For the simple reason that it was the only one, as much as she hated to admit it.

And luckily, she didn't have to tell him that. "If doctor doesn't know how to help, then how about we see what others that tried to cure that curse came up with?" Everyone in the room focused their attention on Nejenda, who just finished lighting another cigarette. "You brats owe me a damn cig..." She muttered under her nose. "Form what I understand, Tyrant had memories of other Murasame users touched by that curse, right? And they were no doubt who tried to help them. All medical records of their attempts and any progress they made must have been stored in the Imperial Archive."

Leone looked back at Tatsumi with a smile, removing her hand from his chest and instead placing it on her hip. "See? There might be a way after all. Come on, I'll go with you. We'll make a milk run to the Imperial Archive!" Before anything else could be said, she swiftly tucked him under her shoulder and hugged close to her body. Ignoring his embarrassment, she headed towards the exit.

"Not so fast lady!" Doctor stopped them. "You're not going anywhere until I'm done with you!"

She raised her eyebrow at that. "And why's that?" A smirk suddenly appeared on her face. The kind of smirk both Tatsumi and Nejenda knew all too well. "Don't tell me you still didn't get a good enough look at my body... But I guess if that's the case I have no choice but-!"

"I assure you that won't be necessary..." He raised his hand, stopping her just before she threw away her cloak. This was probably the first time any of them saw as much as a blush on doctor's stoic face. "Your body is still undergoing rapid changes the likes of which I've never seen before. Putting yourself in any state of prolonged physical activity at a time like that is can be extremely dangerous."

"Oh, come on! I can handle it! And it's not like I feel anything's wrong with me anyways! I feel better then ever!"

"There's nothing to worry about doctor." Tatsumi cut in. "I've- Tyrant's seen that kind of transformation happen before under worse conditions then what was going on with Leone yesterday. The changes you're talking about are all connected to Lionell settling inside of Leone's body. The actual transformation was over by the time you and Boss run in here last night."

There wasn't much room for doctor to argue. As much as he hated to admit it, Tatsumi knew more about the transformations his and Leone's bodies underwent then anyone in the room, and most likely the whole world. With nothing more to say, he sighed in defeat and got out of the way. "There is one other problem though." Nejeda spoke up. "Well, quite a few of those actually. The whole Archive was under lock-down for years. We got the gate to the main chamber open this morning, but the place is full of traps and there are danger beasts guarding each of the archive blocks. We've lost 4 people already from traps alone and another 3 because of Danger Beasts. I've ordered everyone to pull back from the archive and guard the exit until support arrives."

"Then I guess we are the support then. Come on Leone." He squeezed himself from under her arm and went ahead.

"All right! I'm so itching to give that new bod a test run!"


The celebrations after the fall of the Empire were still going on. People were singing and dancing on streets; many were drinking and feasting with their families and friends. Tatsumi soon realized that this was the first time he really felt like the Capital was a living city. No one had to fear that they will be dragged away and executed by the police for seemingly no reason. No one had that lifeless vibe in their moves anymore. They were truly happy, and filled with hope for a brighter future.

But it couldn't be like that for everyone. Overthrowing a whole country -especially one as large and corrupted as the Empire- is not something that can happen without a lot of bloodshed. As someone said once "Revolutions require blood" and this one was never going to be an exception. A lot of people died the previous day. A lot of families were torn apart. A lot of innocent blood was spilled. And none of that could be avoided. All that could be done was to make sure none of that sacrifice goes to waste. Or at least, that's what Tatsumi thought.

As he and Leone run through the streets, they could already see guillotines being set up. Waiting for the corrupted nobles and captured Imperial war-criminals to meet their end. The revolutionary army had a very long list of people to be executed, even after Night Raid killed so many. The nobles were trying to run away in mass since the revolution ended, but only a few would manage. The whole 'Higher City' as the nobles called it, was cut off from the rest of the capital by the revolutionaries and the common people. If any of them were to try leaving, they would be either arrested on the spot, or ripped to shreds by an angry mob.

The blood shed yesterday was just the tip of the iceberg.

Even the Emperor was not spared from the wrath of the people. He is already awaiting his execution in prison. Tatsumi found it hard to feel strongly about that in either way. On one hand, this was just a kid. One horribly manipulated by a true mastermind that caused more suffering to this country and it's people then anyone ever thought possible. But despite that, Tatsumi could feel just how far gone that kid was when he fought him. He knew there was no rescue for him, no way for him to fully turn away from Honest's 'teachings'. Even if he realizes what lies he was being fed his whole life, he has already been built out of those lies. The very foundation of his person was warped by Honest to the point of no return.

To Tatsumi, killing him before guilt reaches him seemed like the kinder thing to do.

"Hey, Leone!" Tatsumi screamed. The air was rushing past him so fast it made it hard for either of them to understand one another. They were running fast, jumping from one rooftop to another. Still, Leone's ears were easily able to pick up on Tatsumi's words, at least as long as she focused on them. She turned her face to him, occasionally glancing back at the rooftops ahead to aim another jump. "How did Honest die!?" That was a question he's been asking himself ever since he woke up. One of many. The pubic still didn't know that he was killed, and they were hoping for a public execution. One that would go down in the history books. They were in for a disappointment.

"I smashed his head into pieces! Why are you asking!?" She yelled back.

"I was thinking if we should hang his corpse somewhere! You know, to let people know he's dead!"

"Sounds good to me! But let's run it with Boss first! You never know if she has anything planned!"

"Alright, let's snatch his body when we'll be on out way back!"

They were already at the base of the palace. Or at least what was left of it. After the Supreme Taigu's rampage, only the first block was still intact, at least mostly. The revolutionaries that were sent to the archive had to dig to get inside, as all entrances were completely ruined.

With a single jump, they've made it all the way to the top. "Phiew! That was fast!" Leone exclaimed, stretching her back, and showing Tatsumi a bit of her naked body. Whether that was intentional or not would remain a mystery to anyone but Leone. "I'm starting to like that transformation! Hey Tatsumi, are there any catches I should know about?"

He coughed in response, trying to get his blush under control. "You're asking that now? Should have done that before." He sighed as he started to approach the entrance revolutionaries dug up. "The only thing I can think of are even stronger animal urges than what normal transformations would do to you and the inability to transform back. You're going to be like this until you die. You don't really need that belt anymore. It will fix itself with time to be used by someone else and Lionell's soul will return to it in time."

"So no changing back, huh? Not much of a problem for me. Honestly, I always felt more myself when using my Teigu anyways. And that stronger urges… I guess I can feel those. I mean..." She pressed herself against his back, giving his neck a long, slow lick "My body is just trembling whenever I'm with you~"

"L-L-LEONE!?"

"Ahahahahahahhaha!" She slapped his butt as she walked past him, a little stronger then she intended. "Don't worry Tatsumi! I know you and Akame are a thing, so don't expect any interruptions from me!" They continued to walk forward in silence, until Leone lowered her mouth right next to Tatsumi's ear. "Unless you guys want me to join in~" She bit it. "Nom." Immediately, Tatsumi jumped away with a blush so deep his face almost melted into a puddle. "Oh, come on, don't be like that. It was just a suggestion. Now come on. Let's check out that archive!" She jumped down the hall revolutionaries dug up, ignoring the ladder placed there.

Tatsumi followed close behind, but keeping a noticeably larger distance from his furred friend. She playfully ruffled his hair for a while, smiling like an idiot all the while. Am I overdoing things? Nah, doesn't matter. I'm too happy to stop just like that. Despite that, her smile suddenly disappeared from her face.

"Leone? Did something happen?" Anger started to dominate her features as she stared at the floor. More precisely, on the giant puddle of dried blood on it. No body was around though.

"That was here..." She said, a dark vibe clearly recognizable in her voice. "He was here… Honest was here damn it!"

"Didn't they just take him away? Revolutionaries must have seen that bastard's body right?"

Leone shook her head. "They didn't see it..." He eyes turned to the corridor on their left. "That damn piece of shit… He's still fucking alive!" Tatsumi's eyes snapped wide open. He could feel it too. The stink only the likes of Honest could give off. The trail was leading straight down that corridor. "Tatsumi, you go to those Archives. I have some unfinished business to deal with."


"Ghh... Curse that women!" Heavy footsteps rang through dark, empty hallways as he run. The former Prime Minister held onto a torch for his dear life, even though it was almost burned out. Ever since his body regenerated from that brutish women's assault he's been running almost non stop, struggling to find any exit in the darkness. It was a miracle I survived this... If it wasn't for that alchemist's augments I would be done for. A smile appeared on his face, one that not even mother couldn't love. Ancient alchemist my ass, she tasted like a little girl. Just how I like it.

With all the augments done to his body to make sure he survives nearly anything, he is far more durable then most, and on top of that he can fully regenerate all parts of his body, save one - his brain. That's why that assassin came so close to killing him. Had she punched him just a bit harder, his brain would be done for and unable to mold back together. Even though he survived, he still could feel that there is some long lasting damage. He had problems recalling some memories, his left eye wasn't working properly, and most importantly, every so often he would feel pain spread through his head. The kind of pain that makes you want to tear your skull open.

But that meant nothing now.

He was still alive and with a plan. The Empire was done for, unfortunately, but he has prepared more then enough backup plans for that outcome. He had secret mansions all over The Empire, all filled with brainwashed servants. Even with his currant failure, he will still be able to have a fairy comfortable life. Maybe not on the same level as what he had as the Prime Minister, but good enough.

The servants will take care of everything for him, and whenever he feels like having something special for dinner, he can have them kidnap some people from nearby villages.

Or maybe even make them have children themselves. It will be a while before the little ones grow into the right age, but he will be able to stock up on them with time. Yes, yes... That sounds like a great plan~ His smile widened, a wicked snicker sounded from between his teeth.

The tunnel that led all the way to the closest one of his mansions was near, right around the corner. Being so close to the Capital might not be safest thing to do though. He'll have to move further away once his headaches stop. There are sure to be search parties sent after him once those cursed revolutionaries realize that his body is gone. Hopefully once he is already long gone.

He picked up his pace as he closed in to the wall that hid the secret entrance into the tunnel. His hand reached for the small button between the stone bricks, opening the tunnel. His smile started to get wider again as the stone wall started to move up. It grew and grew along with the malice in his eyes. It kept growing until it revealed the grinning cat behind the wall. "Hi there. Missed me?


It wasn't hard for Tatsumi to find his way around the Palace. The walls might have not even been there and it would make little difference to him. Not only did Tyrant's memories prove to be an excellent guide, but also its senses gave him more then enough spatial awareness to swiftly run through all the twists and turns of the Palace. He could even hear the voices of the revolutionaries that were sent down into the archive. They weren't talking much, mostly remaining focused on the archive itself and not letting anything out of it. It's not like he could make out much of what they were saying anyways.

Tatsumi made sure that his steps were loud enough for them to hear before he even entered their line of sight. They were no doubt on edge. "Who's there!?" One of them yelled out just as Tatsumi was about to make the final turn. From the low, stern voice alone Tatsumi could tell the man was old and experienced. Or a very heavy smoker. Possibly both.

"General Nejenda sent me. I'm Tatsumi." He heard the man grab his rifle. "I'm coming out with my hands up. I would appreciate not getting shot." Not that it would do much. The boy did as he said, however as soon as he stepped out of the corner, the man's partner - a middle aged women - smacked his hand with a karate-chop, making him drop his weapon and followed that up with another karate-chop, this time to the head.

"The hell are you doing, dad? General has sent us a word that there will be support coming, right?" She said, leaning over the man, who was actually the smaller one out of the two. By far. The women was easily over two meters tall, with muscular build akin to Leone's, though not with nearly as impressive breasts. Her hair was blue, tied in a ponytail that reached between her shoulder blades. She had her rifle on her back and a saber by her side.

"But sweetie, you never know if there is an enemy lurking around. He might be part of the Empire's remnants!"

"Yeah, and what's the likelihood of that? What's left of the Empire has been pushed out of the capital, and whoever is still here knows better then to stick their heads under the chopping block. And just look at him, he's just a kid- WOAH!?" She jumped back as soon as she saw Tatsumi's mutated body. "Damn, general mentioned that you guys look strange, but that's a little beyond what I imagined... But general mentioned there will be two of you coming." She pointed at a radio on the floor. Amazing what technology Empire's been holding back on. "Where's the other one?"

Tatsumi lowered his arms. "My friend got held up by some unfinished business. She'll join us soon." They shook hands as soon as he made his way to her. "Like I said before, my name is Tatsumi. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Asako, sergeant Asako. And that old geezer is my father - private Kazuto." She smirked as her father turned away with his arms crossed in response to her mocking.

"Nice to meet you as well, sir. But sergeant, why are there only two of you here? Shouldn't there be more?"

She sharpened her gaze. "There were more of us 10 minutes ago..." With a sigh she crossed her arms. There were no bodies around and Tatsumi couldn't smell blood around here, there were no signs of fighting either. It didn't seem like anything bad happened here. "Most of my unit got torn to shreds and we have two MIAs. On top of that the researchers we were escorting along with the other unit that was with us decided they're done waiting and went back there."

Great... Because it just couldn't be easy. "What about those two MIAs? How do you know they're not dead?"

"I don't. I can only hope..." It didn't escape Tatsumi's attention that she started rubbing her thumb against a ring that decorated her finger. "Are we waiting for your friend, or should we go ahead?" It didn't take Danger Beast level of perception to see she wants to start the search as soon as possible. For a moment Tatsumi focused his entire attention on his hearing, trying to listen in on what Leone was doing. And once he achieved that, a smile appeared on his face.

"No need. Now that I think about it, it might take her a while. She will catch up with us, so let's go."


Oh boy, am I happy right now...Catching up to the shit's fart was easy enough, the idiot was making so much noise with that fat ass of his she could have heard him from miles away. It wasn't long before she figured out he has some kind of secret escape route, and she wouldn't be herself if she didn't use that to make a grand entrance.

And searching for that tunnel was so worth it. The look on his face was priceless. That moment when his disgustingly happy grin gave way to utter despair was something she would remember for a long time. And she was going to enjoy making his despair grow even further. "W-What the-!?" Before he finished, her fist smashed into his stomach, sending the former minister flying towards the stone wall behind him with enough strength to form a crack on it.

"Oh, sorry for that. I wasn't going to punch that hard, but I'm having problems with controlling my strength right now. Hope you can forgive me~" She approached him as he struggled to get back on his feet, cracking her fingers. She was about to reach her hand to grab Honest's head, but suddenly, he pulled his gun out of his pocket, just as he did before. And just as he did then, he fired, hitting Leone square on the head. Upon impact, her head shot back, halting her moves.

"Gah... That hurts..." He spat a curse out along with his blood. Struggling, he got up, holding his hand over his stomach. "Damn this women, how dare she touch me like-!?" He bit his tongue in horror, suddenly realized something. The women he shot, was still standing.

Leone slowly started to straighten her head back up, only making Honest's terror grow further. The bullet he fired was placed right between her teeth, and she was more then happy to show it to him along with her sinister grin. Not waiting too long. She spat the bullet out towards Honest's hand with enough force to rip his thumb out, forcing him to drop his weapon. "AAAAAAAAAGH!" He held his other hand over the wound, immediately attempting to run away.

"Oh~ Leaving already?" He was running fast for someone so fat, but to Leoen's eyes, he was moving at a snail's pace. With one dash she was already right behind him, with her leg hooked over his. The second he tried to move further ahead, he tripped, smacking his chin against the floor. This didn't stop him though. He still tried to crawl away. Can't have that~ She leaned over casually and grabbed his fat leg, happily listening to his begging screams. Screams that only got louder and more desperate when she tightened her grip on his appendage, just enough to hear his bone crack. "Oh, come on, don't be a baby, crying over something like this..." She flipped him on his back and placed her leg on his knee. "THIS is what you can cry over!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAA! AAAAAGH! WHYYYYY!?" His scream rang across the entire palace as Leone broke his knee in, twisting it afterwards until his lower leg was hanging only on his skin and muscles.

"Why? You ask WHY!?" She lifted him by the throat, glaring a hole in his skull. "For every life that was lost because of you!" She smashed him into the wall. "For every child left with no parents!" She punched his teeth out. "For every family you tore apart!" She smashed her fist into his chest, breaking his ribs. "For every soldier forced to serve you! For everyone who your sick henchmen killed and tortured! For every village that struggles to survive because of you! For everyone who had to die to stop this insanity! For Sheele! For Blaut! For Chelsea! For Lubbock! For Mine! For Akame! For Night Raid!" With each sentence she would hit his fat stomach again and again, each time stronger then before.

Soon she stopped bothering to find reasons to hit him. She would just do it for her own amusement. She would break his bones, crush his organs, rip his muscles apart… All because she could.

And because he deserved it all and then some.

She eventually smacked his stomach so hard, she forced everything that was in there out. Including a small, half digested hand. One that could only belong to a child. A very young child. Seeing that, Leone dropped him on the ground and stared at the hand. He tried to move, but couldn't. With no bone in his body left intact, he could only lay there and wait, while Leone stood there still, trying to figure out what else can she break to make him suffer even more.

And that's when the answer came to her. Her keen eyes noticed his body slowly healing. His shattered bones were forming themselves back, organs and muscles returned to their original shapes, missing skin would grow back. "Oh..." She smiled. "Did your Teigu copy abilities of mine? Some body modifications maybe? Well, I don't care how you do it, but you're going to be cursing that ability of yours for a looong time." She returned to ripping and tearing at his body.

But she wouldn't kill him. Oh no… She was only one person with a score to settle with him. There were others waiting in the line. And what a long line it was...


Asking Alexandria - Where Did It Go?