Kill the Imperial Arms User: Akame 1

"P-Please don't kill me!" A young woman pleaded, as the hand around her throat tightened. On the ground next to the woman, was the decapitated body of her boyfriend; his blood staining the road.

"Such a naughty, naughty girl. It's all your fault for walking around at such a late hour." A malevolent voice said, its owner's fingers digging into the young woman's neck. "Didn't your parents ever warn you of the monsters that come out at night?"

"I-I'll do anything you want! Please...Please just let me live..." The woman begged, as tears freely flowed down her cheeks.

"Oho, you'll really do anything?" The mysterious man asked, causing the young woman to rapidly nod her head. "Well, I oh so love to talk, why don't you entertain me?"

"W-We can talk! I'll talk with you as long as you want!" The woman exclaimed, as she felt the man's grip on her neck loosen ever so slightly. The woman thought she might finally be in the clear...that was until the man asked his first question.

"What's it feel like to have your head chopped off?" The man asked, earning a confused look from the young woman. "Does it hurt? Or do you feel absolutely nothing?" The woman was suddenly snatched from him, by the Thunder God himself, Raiden. "Really?! You can't just let me have my fun?!"

Morning; Training grounds:

Sayo was shooting targets. Ieysayu was chopping wood. I was struggling trying to swing a rather large sword. "That's enough for me, Bro. My arms really hurt."

Bulat was swinging his training spear around—effortlessly as ever—when ith had a lead weight on each end. "Come on; ya' still got a lot of excess movement in those muscles of yours!" I struggled to lift the blade up again—Bulat aided me. "Just concentrate. You have to sharpen your focus; if you can cut out all that extra movement, you'll be able to hang in there twice as long."

I was starting to get the hang of it, "I...got it..."

"You'll be an unstoppable force before you know it. You just need a firm touch."

"Oh!"

Then Akame arrived in her apron. "Tatsumi..."

"Huh?"

"It's time for you to help me make breakfast."

I rushed away from Bulat, because I wanted to avoid another awkward situation.

Kitchen:

Ieysayu, "So, what're we making?"

Akame, "It's croquettes and rice."

Sayo whispered to the former, "Croquettes and rice for breakfast? She really is a psychopath."

Me, "Glad to see you two are at least talking to each other." That was short-lived, as they turned their backs onto each other again. "Spoke too soon."

Later:

We just finished breakfast.

Leone, "Whoo! That hit the spot!"

Ieysayu was bloated, "Oh god, my poor stomach."

Sayo, "Hold on...are Mine and Sheele still in bed?"

Me, "Yeah."

Akame turned to the untouched bowls of croquettes and rice—"They always sleep this late."—and gobbled them both down.

Ieysayu, "Uhhh?!"

Sayo, "I just witnessed the speed of a true assassin! No doubt."

Akame stood up, "Tatsumi, we'll be serving tuna and rice for lunch."

Me, "You might wanna come up with an explanation, because Sheele is right behind you."

Sheele, "Hm? What happened to my breakfast?"

Five Minutes; Night Raid's Meeting Room:

"We have a new target." Najenda said, sinking into her usual chair. "He is a serial killer who's been terrorizing the capital. The killer only appears late at night, and beheads all of his victims. We have no way of knowing how many people he's killed. But by our estimates it's at least over forty people by now."

"I'm pretty sure a third of them were guards." I said, which caused Najenda to nod in response. "So he must be pretty strong."

"There's no doubt then, it's gotta be Headhunter Zanku." Lubbock said, causing me to quirk an eyebrow.

"Are you sure it's him?" Lubbock nodded back to me.

"Headhunter...Zanku...who's he?" Ieysayu asked, which caused Mine and I to groan in annoyance.

"Hey, I don't know who he is either." Sayo pointed out, as she sheepishly raised her hand.

"You both really don't know? Man you both really are from the boonies." Mine said, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm surprised you didn't say anything, Tatsumi."

"Excuse me." Sheele said, getting everyone's attention. "I don't know either."

"Sheele, I think you just forgot." Mine said, as she shook her head.

"Would you just tell us who he is already?" Sayo asked in an annoyed tone, crossing her arms over her chest.

"*Sigh* Like we said, his name is Headhunter Zanku." Mine explained, as she closed her eyes. "He originally worked at the largest prison in the empire...as its executioner. Because of the minister...he was never short of people to execute. All day...everyday...over and over...they say he beheaded all these people who were begging and pleading for their lives. After years of that...beheading became as natural to him as breathing."

"Holy crap..." Sayo breathed out, a sudden chill running down her spine.

"So...beheading for the jail just couldn't satisfy his bloodlust anymore, so he took to the streets." Mine said, as she reopened her eyes.

"As soon as a team was dispatched to find him, he seemingly disappeared." Bulat chimed in, locking eyes with me from across the room. "But...I never imagined he'd show up in the capital."

"So he's a dangerous psychopath." I said, as I tightly clenched my fists. "Then let's take his ass down!"(I didn't remember much about how my fight against him went.)

"Slow your horses, Tatsumi." Bulat said, ruffling my hair; much to the my chagrin. "Zanku stole an Imperial Arms that belonged to the warden a few years ago." My entire face burned red in embarassment when Bulat suddenly cupped my chin. "We have to act in groups of at least two people...or else we could be put in danger."

"I feel in way more danger right now for a whole different reason." I thought, as I saw the glimmer in Bulat's eyes. "Geez, Why'd he hafta say it like that?"

Mine asked Najend, "By the way, do we have any idea which Imperial Arms he might be fighting with?"

"No, we're still looking into that."

Leone, "Not about to reveal his hand then, is he? That's annoying."

Ieysayu asked a dumb question. "So uh, what 'is' an Imperial Arms anyw..."

He was cut off by Akame U sheathing her sword, Murasame. "Something like this."

Me, "That doesn't answer the question for him."

Najenda, "Very well then. Why don't we get them up to speed...A thousand years ago, the emperor who built the great empire was deeply troubled, 'I wish I could defend this nation until the end of time, but someday I will die. However, weaponry and armor can last generation after generation. We will combine our wisdom and create weapons to protect my empire forever!' He gathered materials from S-Class danger beasts and rare metals such as orichalcum. Artisans from around the world were summoned to help him. The emperor's wealth and power allowed him to forge forty-eight weapons; a feat that would be impossible today."

Me, "The Imperial Arms...each one of a kind."

"That's right. Each one is equipped with amazing abilities, and some are able to wipe out entire armies. Ministers, who used the Imperial Arms, were quite successful on the battlefield, but a large civil war five-hundred years ago caused nearly half of the weapons to be scattered across the land. And that's how it all began."

"Everyone here wields an Imperial Arms, I can tell. That includes Akame's sword, and Bro's armor."

"The One-hit killer: Murasame. When someone is cut by this sword, a poisonous curse enters the body and kills within seconds. There is no antidote. Hundred-Beast King Transformation: Lionelle. This belt gives the wearer all the strength and swiftness of a wild animal. It also enhances the sense of smell, making it perfect for recon. The Adventurous Bunker: Pumpkin. A gun that fires mental energy in the form of a shockwave. The more danger its wielder is in, the more deadly it becomes. The Demon Armor: Incursio. A suit of armor with impregnable defense. Wearing it causes such great strain, that any normal person who attempts to put it on will die. The Prodium: Crosstail. A string-based Imperial Arms that can be used to set traps and barriers, as well as attack enemies directly. It's just as versatile and dangerous as the name suggests. The Sheers of Creation: Extase. A giant pair of scissors sharp enough to cut anything in half. They are also strong enough to be used defensively. Some Imperial Arms also have Trump Cards; Incursio maximizes the abilities of the beast used to create it, allowing its user to become temporarily invisible. Most importantly, the Imperial Arms have followed one ironclad rule from time immemorial; These weapons are so incredible, that whenever two of them clash, it always ends in death. Therefore, if two Imperial Arms users fight, one of them will definitely perish. We know Zanku has an Imperial Arms; while mutual death is a possibility, mutual survival is clearly not."

Ieysayu, "Okay, I see..."

Then Lubbock held one his threads near my neck. "Uh-Oh...looks like we've revealed way too much to let you out of here, now. So unless you wanna die, I guess you're just stuck with us for life."

Ieysayu, "What?!"

Leone, "That's a good thing, Tatsumi. It means the Boss considers you three part of the team now."

Najenda resumed, "While it's true that Night Raid is lacking in numbers, we make up for it with our individual abilities. I believe we're the heart of the revolution."

Ieysayu, "Hey, don't I get an Imperial Arms too?!"

Me, "I don't think there's enough here right now."

"If the oppurtunity arises, I'm sure you'll be getting your own, soon enough. Alright, Tatsumi and Akame will be one of the teams." Najenda said, as she lit a cigarette. "The other teams will be Leone and Sheele, and Bulat and Lubbock. Mine, you'll pick a high vantage point, and provide overwatch for all of the teams. If you spot anything suspicious signal them. Sayo, Ieysayu, again I'm sorry, but you're still not ready to participate in missions."

Ieysayu, "What?!"

"I understand boss." Sayo said, nodding her head in agreement. "I know my limits. I'll be ready when I'm ready."

"Good, you all know your teams?" Najenda asked, which earned nods from everyone. "Then get out there and hunt down a serial killer!"

"Yes, Boss!"

Later that Night; Empire's Capital:

"Hmmm..." Akame hummed, as she scanned over a map. Her blood red eyes swept over a large colored in portion. "Looks like we're in charge of this whole area." Tatsumi walked next to Akame, and glanced at the map over her shoulder. "We have the second largest section to cover, so we need to be very thorough."

"I checked; civilians didn't come out on account of the killer..." I said, checking the amount of ammo I had in my pistol. Seeing that I had a full clip, I loaded the weapon and placed it back in its holster. "That should make things..." I stopped mid-sentence when he heard the sounds of numerous approaching footsteps. "Akame..."

"Right. I hear them too." Akame said, as both assassins quickly dove into a nearby alleyway. Peeking around a dumpster, Akame spotted several capital guards run past the alley's entrance. "Damn...we'll have to watch out for the capital guards as well." When Akame sensed that the coast was clear, she motioned for me to follow her out of the alley. "Okay, they're gone for now."

"Hey, Akame, can I ask you something?"

"Not to worry; I made sure to bring enough food for both of us."

"No, not that...Is it true that your sword kills with one strike; is it sharp enough to actually pierce?"

"That's right."

"Oh man...It's a miracle that I'm even alive right now. No it's not."

"I've been using Murasame for a very long time, and over the past few years it's built a reputation as the One-Hit Kill sword."

"Shouldn't that be a secret? Well, even it must have limits."

"Yes, It still has some drawbacks; It's almost impossible to clean."

"If you cut your finger, you're dead in seconds."

"I must cut directly into my opponent's flesh, or the curse won't get into the blood."

"Must be tough to get through thick armor. It also must be a living target for the curse to actually infect it."

"For me, everything depends on one-hit kills. That's why I can't afford to rely on just my Imperial Arms."

Standing atop a clocktower several blocks away, a lone figure surveyed the area surrounding him. The shadowy figure was Night Raid's current target, Zanku. The executioner had a twisted smile on his face, as he used the Imperial Arms on his forehead to observe Akame and me.

"Mmmm, that scene was so sweet I may get a stomach ache." Zanku said, watching the assassins briefly talk. "First there's a killer. Now assassins are on the prowl. This town is one seriously dangerous place, how utterly delightful." Zanku's twisted smile grew as he observed the other assassins in the area. "Now to the fun part, who should I behead first?" He quickly spotted four sets of targets he could attack. "Should I go for the lone sniper who's providing overwatch? Or perhaps the blonde lion and purple-haired scissor user? No..." Zanku began to chuckle like a mad man when he spotted me. "I think I'll go for the tastiest morsel first."

"*Sigh* We should've known he wouldn't just come waltzing up to us." I said, as I took a sip of my soda. "Man, I'm starting to get really bored."

"We'll just have to be patient." Akame said, taking a bite out of her fourth candy bar. "Just keep your guard up."

"Uh...I'll be right back, Akame." I said, as I quickly got up off the bench.

"Going to take a leak?" Akame asked, causing me to blush brightly; despite being embarrassed, I did nod my head.

Finding an alleyway down the street, I walked down it and unzipped my pants. I breathed a sigh of relief as I emptied my full bladder. "Jeez, I'm pretty damn jumpy right now...I can't let Akame see me like this, or she might get nervous again..." Just as I zipped up my fly, I heard footsteps at the other end of the alley. Turning my head, my eyes widened when I saw Mine grinning at me. "...M-Mine?" Before I could say anything else, Mine took off running. "Wait!"

"Hey, what's taking you so long?" Akame asked, as she poked her head into the alleyway. Her eyes widened when she saw that the alley was completely empty. "Dammit, where did he go?!"

"*Pant* I know that's you, Mine." I said, catching up to Mine in the middle of a large plaza. However, my eyes narrowed as I kept my distance from her. Mine stood motionless with a grin still on her face, while I glared at her. Suddenly, I drew my pistol, and fired several shots at Mine. Before the bullets could hit, she was replaced by a large imposing man. Two blades extended from the man's arms, and blocked the shots. "Gotcha..."

"How?!" Zanku asked, as he fiercely glared at me. "You were supposed to see someone you loved! Yet you shot with almost no hesitation!"

"I don't know what the hell that was, but whatever it was made one mistake." I said, loading a fresh magazine into my pistol. "The person I saw is somewhere else. So your petty little trick won't work on me, Zanku."

"Oho, so you know who I am? I oh so do love prey that have at least a little fight in them." Zanku said, as he watched me unsheathe my sword. "It's seems you've been separated from your little partner...should you wait for backup..." my eyes narrowed as Zanku continued to speak. "Or do you have time for that...is what you're thinking, isn't it?"

"Shit! Can he read my mind! That eye thing on his head is his Imperial Arms, Spectator!" I realized, causing a large smirk to spread across Zanku's face.

"Bingo! It's the Imperial Arms, 'Spectator.' One of its five senses is called, insight." Zanku explained, as he tapped the eye on his forehead. "Just by simply looking at your expression, I can know your every thought. It has the ultimate power of perception...I think you deserve a prize for guessing right. How about I make you into a shrunken head for guessing correctly?"

"I gotta say, you sure love to blabber on and on."

"Talking happens to be a hobby of mine." Zanku said, as he smirked at me. "While I'm still at it...the way I found you was the power of, farsight. Whether at night or through the thickest fog...I can see clearly over great distances!" Zanku's smirk widened when he easily sidestepped a sudden attack from me. The executioner attempted to kick me, but I dodged the attack. Zanku's eyes widened when I revealed the pistol I was holding in my other hand. Raising the firearm, I emptied the entire clip. Zanku managed to block most of the shots, but a stray bullet deflected off his blade into his arm. "GAH! You little shit! You thought you could get a sneak attack on me when I was talking...but now it seems you've cleared your mind of all thoughts."

"A little trick Akame taught me." I said, putting some distance between myself and Zanku.

"You're turning out to be quite entertaining. This is utterly delightful!" Zanku exclaimed, as he glanced at the wound on his arm. "You've even managed to injure me! How fun!" Readying myself, I charged forward again; this time with a clear mind. "But it's still no use...I can still read all of your movements." Zanku easily dodged my first slash, and began to taunt me by calling out his moves. "A bold step forward with slash from above...followed by an uppercut...four rapid pistol shots...horizontal slash from the left...then the right...immidiately followed by three more pistol shots...then you go low...for a fake...and strike for the throat..." I jumped back just in time to barely dodge a swipe from one of Zanku's arm blades. The attack missed my stomach by only a few inches; cutting a large hole in my shirt, and barely breaking my skin.

"How? How did you still predict my moves?! I cleared my mind of all thoughts!" I exclaimed, fiercely glaring at Zanku.

"I can see the subtle movement of your muscles, and predict all of your moves." Zanku replied, which caused my eyes to widen.

"I forgot about that...And he's strong..." I thought, tightening my grip on my sword. "He's far stronger than any opponent I've faced. Except...Shinnok; he's a pushover compared to Shinnok."

"The look on people's face when you cut their heads off is unbelievably pleasurable." Zanku said, as a shiver ran down his spine. "Most of them have this blank look on their face...like they have no idea what's happening to them...I'm curious as to what type of face you'll make...how utterly delightful!"

"My neck's not so weak...as to be cut by the likes of you." I said, retaking my fighting stance. "I will not die here! I have to live, and come back to the others! I have to make my future brighter! My story won't end here!"

"Tatsumi..." Akame said, as she sprinted full speed through the capital's deserted streets. "Where the hell did you go!?" Suddenly Akame came to a skidding stop when she heard several loud bangs ring out. "That was Tatsumi's pistol..." Akame's eyes widened when realization struck her. "He must be fighting Zanku!" With fear pulsing through her veins, Akame took off running towards where she had heard the gunfire. "Don't worry Tatsumi, I'm coming!" Akame's grip on her sword tightened. "Please don't die Tatsumi!"

With me and Zanku; Two Minutes Later:

"This has been so fun." Zanku said, taking several swipes at me; which I barely managed to dodge. I had managed to dodge a majority of Zanku's attacks, but I couldn't dodge them all. The executioner had managed to land a few lucky hits, despite my quick evasions, which left several small cuts along my arms and sides. "You know, I like you kid. I think I'll add your shrunken head to my collection." I was starting to get extremely tired, and my dodges were getting sloppy. "You're quite fast, but I can see that you're running out of steam...Looks like I'll have my prize soon enough...how utterly delightful."

"Screw this." I said through clenched teeth, as I applied pressure to the cut on my arm; trying my best to slow the bleeding. "Dammit, I'm really running on fumes here. If I don't get some help soon..."

"I absolutely love when people with such gentle eyes plead for their lives. So I'm going to take my sweet time with you." Zanku said, his twisted and toothy smile returning. "Now...Beg! It might buy you just a enough time for your friend to arrive!"

"As tempting as that sounds, I think I'll pass." I said, as I wiped some sweat from my brow. "I'd never beg for my life from some disgusting scum like you...who's only good at cutting heads off!" I braced myself, and took a fighting stance, while calling on my Edenian abilities. "If he can read my mind and see my muscles movements...I'll keep this simple...I'm going put everything I have...into this one attack!"

"Oh my, what a courageous lad you are." Zanku said, smirking at me. "You're wounds must hurt, and you look awfully tired. I'm somewhat of an expert at beheading, so I can help end your suffering."

"Here..." I exclaimed, as I launched forward; much faster than Zanku was expecting, due to the otherworldly power. "I...Come!" I slashed my sword, and I felt my blade hit flesh. A large cut appeared along most of Zanku's right cheek; blood flowing from the fresh wound. "Heh, I finally gotcha, you bastard." As soon as the words left my mouth, I grunted in pain. Seconds later, I collapsed to the ground with a blood seeping down my back. Zanku had managed to hit me as I passed; slicing a horizontal wound along my back.

"That attack was far faster than any of his previous attacks." Zanku thought, wiping the blood from his cheek. He turned his head to glance at me, who could barely move on the ground. "Tch, this kid is something else..."

"You call yourself an executioner." I taunted, as I struggled to at least get onto my knees. "My ass...You completely missed my neck! You're nothing but a hack!"

"You little shit!" Zanku roared, charging towards me. But when Zanku was a few feet way, a sword impaled into the ground in front of him. A moment later, Akame withdrew her blade from the ground and pointed it at Zanku.

"Nice job, Tatsumi." Akame said, as she turned her head to look at me. "As far as psychological damage goes, you won this battle."

"Akame..." I breathed out, a pained smile spreading across my face. "I knew you'd come."

"I'm so glad I finally found you." Akame said, as she smiled at me. However, Akame's eyes and voice darkened when she saw the numerous injuries on my body. The red-eyed assassin tightened her grip on her sword, and turned to glare at Zanku. "Just give me a moment, Tatsumi. I'll finish this guy off quickly, and then deal with your wounds."

"Oho, it's the infamous Akame and her demon sword Murasame. I've wanted to meet you for some time now." Zanku said, flashing Akame a twisted smirk. "You and the boy looked so cute earlier, it made me want to cry."

"Tch, you stay away from Tatsumi." Akame said, as she clenched her teeth. "I've wanted to meet you as well. After all, I am on a job."

"X-ray vision!" Zanku thought, the eye on his head opening. He scanned over Akame's form, searching for any hidden weapons. "Hmm, she has no hidden weapons on her!"

"Be careful Akame..." I said, as I leaned against a low wall. "That eye of his can read your thoughts, and see your muscles movements."

"Got it." Akame said, her eyes locking onto the Imperial Arms on Zanku's head. "So that's how his Imperial Arms works."

Fight

Taking a deep breath, Akame charged towards Zanku. "Even if he can read my mind and predict my movement, it means nothing if he can't match my moves." Seconds later, Akame and Zanku clashed blades. Sparks flew as Zanku's arm blades and Akame's Murasame grinded against each other. But to Zanku's surprise, Akame was much stronger than she appeared. The red-eyed assassin quickly overpowered Zanku, and sent him flying back; crashing into wall. The executioner barely had time to dodge, before Akame's sword pierced the wall where he had been a moment before.

"Such incredible skills..." Zanku thought, as he came to a skidding stop. "She obviously has countless battles under her belt. She's even faster than that boy, and she has raw power on top of her incredible speed!" From the sidelines, I watched in awe as Zanku and Akame repeatedly clashed blades. Their attacks almost seemed to blur, because of how fast they were moving.

"Damn...So this a battle between Imperial Arms users? I forgot what that was like." I muttered, watching Akame take another calming breath. "She's still so much faster and stronger than me...I still have a long way to go."

"Hmmm, it's seems you've now cleared your mind. You really are the one who taught that boy, aren't you?" Zanku asked, just as Akame rushed forward again. Akame tried to hit Zanku with a powerful overhead slash. But the executioner predicted her move, and easily blocked her attack. However, again, Zanku underestimated Akame's strength. The executioner grunted as the force from Akame's attack pushed him downwards; causing the ground underneath him to crack. Zanku's twisted smirk returned when he saw an opening. Acting quickly, Zanku slashed at Akame with his dual blades. But Akame jumped back just in time, and seemed to be unscathed. But moments later Akame hissed in pain, as blood began run down her arm.

"Akame...actually got hit?" I thought, staring at the blood running down Akame's arm with wide eyes. "I never thought I'd see that again."

"That sword of yours is just simply unfair." Zanku said, as he pointed one his blades at Akame. "One little cut, and it's all over for me."

"You're the one who's reading my mind and movements, you bastard." Akame said, clutching the wound on her arm. "So don't you lecture me on what is and isn't fair."

"Oh? Is that a hint of fear I hear in your voice, Akame?" Zanku taunted, which caused Akame to growl slightly. "Are you afraid I'm going to kill you?" Suddenly, Zanku turned towards me. "Or are you afraid I'm going to kill this boy?"

"Leave Tatsumi out of this. Your fight is with me." Akame growled, her blood red eyes narrowing at Zanku.

"You two do make such an adorable couple." Zanku said, grinning wickedly at Akame. "When I chop off both your heads, I'll be sure to shrink them and keep them together, so that the two of you can be together forever."

"The only who will die tonight is you." Akame said, as she took a defensive stance.

"Before we continue our dance of death, do tell me one thing Akame...How do you deal with the voices?" Zanku asked, causing Akame to quirk an eyebrow in confusion. "Oh come on now, I know you hear them as well...especially when it's quiet and lonely. The shrill screams of all those I've killed...rising up from the deepest, darkest pits of hell. HAHAHA! They hate me so much...and they keep pleading me to join them all in hell."

"This guy is seriously fucked up." Both Akame and I thought simultaneously.

"I started hearing them after I became executioner at the prison." Zanku explained with a twisted smile on his face. "But it's gotten truly bad these days. I try my hardest to drone them out by talking over them. But I'm just curious as to how you manage-"

"I don't hear them." Akame said, causing Zanku's eyes to widen. "I don't know what you're talking about. I hear no voices."

"What?" Zanku asked, as he grit his teeth. "I figured someone who'd killed as much as you...would be able to share my burden..." Zanku's creepy grin returned, when the eye on his head opened once again. "It's truly tragic!" Akame's eyes slowly widened, as Zanku was replaced by a completely different person.

"K-Kurome?" Akame breathed out, completely shocked to see her younger sister standing before her.

"Kurome? Akame's sister?" I thought, just as I remembered how I had seen Mine earlier. "That explains Mine! He must be able to show us people we care deeply about!"

"Oho, it seems you've figured out my little trick." Zanku said darkly, as he began to stalk towards, the still stunned, Akame. "You see, it's all an optical illusion. The person most dear to my victim appears before their very eyes."

"Akame! It's all a dirty trick! Your sister isn't really there!" I shouted, desperately trying to snap Akame out of her trance. "Remember! You can't fall for an enemy's tricks! So snap out of it!"(The reality was that I was just luring Zanku into a false sense of security)

"You're wasting your breath, boy." Zanku said, as his blades extended from his arms. "My illusions may only work on one person at a time, but the effects are absolute...no matter how skilled or disciplined the person may be...there's no way they'll attack someone they love...Now..." Zanku, disguised as Kurome, raised his blade to attack Akame. "Die at the hands of the one you love, Akame!" In the blink of an eye, Akame raised her sword and slashed at Kurome; dispelling the illusion placed upon her. Taken completely off guard by time, Zanku had no time dodge Akame's next attack. With blinding speed, Akame stabbed her sword through Zanku's stomach; his blood staining her blade as Murasame's poison flowed into his body.

"You're the one who was wasting his breath." Akame said, pulling her blade from Zanku's body. "I'd never fall for such a pathetic trick."

"Y-You didn't even hesitate...How?! You were supposed to see someone you love!" Zanku roared, before he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Brutality-Akame Wins

"It's because my love is so great...that I want to be the one to kill her, I want to make it as quick as possible." Akame said, causing Zanku's eyes to widen. Resheathing her sword, Akame looked down at Zanku with a sympathetic look. "This battle is over...Now you won't have to hear the voices anymore."

The headphones on Zanku's head disentegrated.

"She saved me..." I thought, as I smiled at Akame. "But I'm gonna get strong, and then one of these days I'm gonna be the one to save her!"

"She's right...the voices...they've stopped..." Zanku thought, one last twisted smile spreading across his face. "How...utterly delightful...thank you, Akame."

"Let's get you patched up." Akame said, as she helped me onto my feet. I winced, the sudden movement agitating my wounds. "Man, he really did a number on you."

"Thanks for saving me, Akame." I said, hanging my head. "If you hadn't shown up when you did I-"

"Please don't say it, Tatsumi." Akame said, not wanting me to finish my last sentence.

Yeah, not much changes.

Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.