"I grow tired of this nonsense." Budo said, Gripping Rubies neck tighter.

She could feel the painful choking around her throat. Her limbs started to become even more numb than before.

'...Come on...you dumb...dog...' Ruby thought 'Im... still...here...come on...jump on in already...stupid doggo...'

"GRRRYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

'Finally...' Ruby smirked from under her hood, seeing as the dog finally showed up and as she had hoped, it was charging at nit just her but at the general too without control 'Hope this next one hurts him too...'

*CRASH!*

She gasped in further pain as the monster rammed itself into both her and The general, causing them both to get slammed under a bunch of rubble.

She opened her eyes, and noticed it had launched her into one of the back alleys.

she limped and crawled further behind a box, and sees as Budo yells for the soldiers to search for her and to get the dog under control.

She looked around a little...and saw Cresent Rose had been thrown around too because of the dog. She sneakily reached for it and pulled it behind the box too, and folded it on her back again.

"Ah..." She then gasped in some slight pain as she felt a sharp burning sense of Agony shoot through her side "...Broken ribs...3 ribs? My Auras down, won't heal in time..."

as she thought to herself, she sees the soldiers running by alongside the General himself.

"... Now's my chance..." She said, and manages to somehow sneak through the buildings and rubble toward the gate without being seen this time.


"haah...haah...haah..." She breathed in and out with each painful step, dragging her feet as she walked through the woods...and bled in the process too.

"Grr..." She held her broken ribs again, still not able to reactivate her Aura. She had received too much damage to heal with her Aura right away.

"...Okay...I-I know this terrain... I'm close just..

another...H-Hour of walking and..."

*thud*

she finally fell flat down on the grass in exhaustion.

"...Everything...hurts..." She mumbled "I... can't...move anymore..."

'...That guy was so strong...If I still had Aura he still probably could have killed me with a pinch...' She thought to herself while enduring the pain '...I never felt so scared like that before...If i hadn't thought of Letting that monster catch up and ruin everything for them I'd have died...'

She tried to roll around on her back, a little blood dripping down her mouth too.

'If I at least crawl, I might make it to the hideout...o-or I might even trip one of Lubbocks threads, He must still have them up by now...right?'

*groooowwwwl*

"...Huh?" She looked up...and her eyes went wide open as she sees some kind of short sabretooth like black tiger approaching her, probably attracted to her open wounds.

'...No way... you're kidding me...right?' She thought as the danger beast got closer 'No...oh god no...not like this...not after I survived ALL of THAT...NOT LIKE THIS!'

she tried to think of something. ANYTHING. She didn't have any strength left to unfold Cresent Rose anymore. So she looked around for something else.

she instead found a sharp small rock.

she reached out to it as the black tiger pounced right toward her, only for her to roll out of it's way!

With the rock in her hand too, she sees the riger getting close enough, and finally Bashed the rock right into its face!

The danger beast growled in pain with its eye gouged out, and growled in anger next as it glared at Ruby.

She reached a hand to her right, which was in the tigers blindside now. She picked up a broken branch while the tiger couldn't see it, holding it tight.

The tiger dashed at her again, and she held the branch up which the Tiger rammed itself into! The branch went through its neck, causing it to gurgle and cough blood.

Ruby did her best to keep pushing the branch into it's throat, making sure it dies before kicking it off.

She falls back on her back again, panting in and out in exhaustion. She cried in pain as she held her bloodied hand.

Looking around, she fears that the scent of blood would attract more danger beasts. She did her best to first sit up, and then started moving again with the adrenaline pushing her back to her feet. For now.

She kept clenching her arm, feeling her blood drip down her fingers while she stumbled into one of the trees, but managed to still keep running.

"Haah...haah...I just...gotta...keep going..." She told herself "I'll make it back...the others'll help...everything will be fine...Just...keep...walking...Left foot...right foot...left...r-ri_"

She doesn't get to walk too much until she hears some tree branches snapping in the distance. she looks over and could make out the shape of ANOTHER danger beast. which looked like a cross between a hyaena and a bob-cat.

...but her heart truly dropped when she realized she was surrounded by at least five of these hyaena-bobcat monsters.

"...Why...just...JUST WHY?" Ruby grumbled.

'...I didn't wanna do this...it'll draw too much attention to me in this part of the forest, maybe even bigger danger beasts...but it's the best shot I have now...' She thought...and closed her eyes 'Alright...focus...just like maria told you...'

...she thought back to her friends...her family...her fun times at beacon...her journey though Anima...her time serving as a huntress in Atlas...

...Nothing is happening...

"...What?" Ruby seemed confused, while the danger beasts circle around her "...What's going on?"

...She tried again. She tried thinking and focusing on her good times here in this world with night raid. Sheeles lessons, Akames cooking, Leone and her kicking the crap out of Lubbock for peeping on them, Bulat showing her how to fix up the damaged practice weapons, Both her and Tatsumi laughing at Mine...

...Nothing again.

"It-It can't be...I...I could always do this easily...Even without Aura!"

She thought of EVERYTHING and calmly as she could...

...nothing.

'...No way...Did...did my eyes...lose their power?' She thought, seeing the Danger beasts growling at her 'Why?! is it because I died? Are...their powers drained?! D-did Salem do something to...No I'd know before I...'

She can only watch as the monsters had her fully surrounded...and she couldn't even run...

'...why...does this...always happen to me...' She hopelessly thought, and dropped on her knees in despair 'Am I actually supposed to die here? AGAIN? does EVERY FORCE in even THIS world want me brutally killed today?!'

She knew letting despair into her heart wasn't the best option, but EVERY SINGLE odd was heavily against her. She looked on her vision slowly getting blurry because of her injuries and the blood loss.

'...Why? Am I being punished? for Killing all those soldiers? B-but...If I didn't, They would have killed me! A-And...If I didn't drag their attention to me, They'd gone after Sheele and Mine...So why...' she faced down with her bleeding wounds, feeling the danger beasts preparing to pounce on her and start ripping her apart, and eat her remains like Voltures.

'...damn it...' She thought, closing her eyes as one of the danger beasts jumped right at her '...I guess...I deserve this...'


"I can't promise you that I won't be careless anymore, I'll promise you that I won't end up dead anytime sooner! I promise, I won't let you suffer anymore sadness and agony of losing anyone you care about. Bet on that!"

"...You...Promise? You really mean what you said? You truly promise that?!"

"Of course. I promise."

"...Thanks...this means a lot to me."


Her eyes suddenly were shot wide open, before she dodged a bite aimed at her neck and wrapped her arms around the danger beast tightly.

She felt so much pain because of her wound as she holds the Danger beast in place, but she didn't care. She tightened her grip harder and harder!

*Snap!*

Until she moved it's neck upwards, and breaks it's neck!

The other ones growl at her, as she pushed off the dead monster off of her.

'No way...I'm not dying here...I refuse to die here like this! No I refuse to Die ALL TOGETHER!' She thought before she got up 'I promised her! I WON'T LET HER SUFFER ANYMORE LOSSES!'


...How long was that now? An Hour? She can't even remember how much time had past since she managed to somehow kill all of those Hyaena-bobcat danger beasts with her life still intact.

She even managed to fold out Cresent rose again...only to end up dragging it back with her own good arm as it just gets pulled on the dirt and the grass.

Now along side the bruises and the broken ribs Budo gave her, and the bitten and bloody arm the Black Tiger delivered, She now had more bite marks, scratches, more bruises and even more pain to suffer through.

"haah..ah...aaah...haah...haah..." She breaths in and out shakingly, unable to walk in a straight line too well.

...But then...she saw it...

...The hide out.

"...I...made it..."

She didn't dare herself to finally fall down this time. She tanked though the pain a bit more and walked closer to the base.
She didn't know how or why...but she instead of walking toward the front door, she ended up close to one of the windows.

"...To...tired..." She made her way to the Window...and finally let go of Cresent rose to open the window.

It was locked, so she had no other choice.

"...sorry..." She said, and managed to lean on the edges of the windows frames, and kick it open. The first time didn't work, so she kicked harder with her last remaining energy, and finally opened it up.

She leans her head inside, and sees the kitchen.

"...R-Ruby...?"

...She heard Akames voice. she looked over, and sees her staring at her in shock and horror

"...Hey..." Ruby greeted with a smile, trying to pretend she is fine "...Sorry...about the mess...Heheh...Dang...I got blood on the...cutting board..."

*SPLASH!*

And with a loud splash of blood all over the kitchen floor, she fell down.

"RUBY!" Akame yelled in fear and shock, just as Ruby finally gives into to her injuries and loses consciousness.

Akame held her in her hands on the floor, panicking as she sees so much blood.

"Oh god...no please no NO! R-Ruby!? S-Say something!" Akame gasps as she felt her heart beat becoming faint, scared of losing her right there and then in her arms after she just made it "EVERYONE! SOMEONE PLEASE WAKE UP! HELP!"


...The silence was torture.

It was hard enough to get a hold of 2 of the doctors that work with the revolutionary army and have them come at what felt like an hour before sunrise, as they did their best to tend to Ruby in her own room while they all stay outside.

Finding Ruby, bloodied and battered in Akames arms was one thing, but having to wait on knowing what her fate was to be was far worse.

They all were horrified of how much injuries Ruby had. they could tell half of them were because of Danger Beasts in the wild, attracted to her wounds.

But the 2 doctors, one a middle-aged man and one a younger woman, both exit the room. They all listen in silence and fear.

"...Have no fear." The doctor said "She'll survive. But she's still far too injured. She better not get out of bed until she gets a full recovery."

Everyone sighed in relief at the news.

"Thank you. I'm forever in your debt for this." Najenda said.

"Think nothing of it." The doctor waved it off.

"But you better be more careful with your subordinates." The other doctor warned "We can't afford to lose too many of our best fighters at this point of the war. Specially someone so..."

"Stubborn and Stupid?" Mine asked "Yeah. Been there."

"Thank you again for your help." Najenda thanked again, as the two doctors leave.

"...Can we...see her now?" Sheele asked.

"...Yes." Najenda nodded.

And so, as they all walk inside, they see their friend, bandaged and stitched up on her bed, still unconscious.

"...She said Aura can heal wounds right?" Tatsumi asked "So...How long will it take for her with those injuries?"

"...Her wounds were much more seveare than then ones you had with your fight with Zanku. So I'm sure it'll take a long time for her to heal with her Aura." The boss guessed "...But after killing so many of the capital Guards and Empire soldiers, and not just fighting but also surviving Budo...She's drawn a much greater target on herself than any of us have."

Everyone could only watch Ruby on her bed, everyone beside Najenda and Tatsumi feeling useless and guilty for letting Ruby end up like this without acting sooner.

Specially Leone and Akame. They hated themselves for just standing there and watch Budo pummel and beat ruby up like a ragdoll. they could still remember how she screamed in pain, and how she was seemingly tortured in the forest to survive the danger beasts that attacked her.

"...I'm sure she can make it." Bulat spoke up "She might seem fragile, but I'm sure she's made of sturdier stuff. Roses have thorns you know."

"Y-Yeah. You guys saw her scars from before, right? She probably survived worse." Tatsumi said.

"...It still doesn't change the fact that we all just stood there and watched." Leone harshly said, making everyone feel bad.

"...I suppose its best for all of us to rest now. It's almost sunrise anyway." Najenda said.

"...I'll stay by her side." Akame volunteered.

"M-Me too!" Sheele also stepped up.

"I'm not leaving her this time." Leone said.

"...As you wish. But don't push yourselves too far for this." Najenda said, as everyone walked out.

And so, Leone, Akame and Sheele were left with Ruby still unconscious on her bed.
The sight of her state was painful to watch, but they just wanted to stay by her side for now.

"...Dummy...Picking a fight with the entire capital like that." Leone said as she sat next to her on the bed "Even I'm not that crazy."

"...This is all my fault..." Sheele sobbed.

"No, Sheele you didn't_" Akame tried to lighten sheele up.

"No, It was." Sheele insisted "I-If Me and Mine hadn't listened we could have escaped with her with all 3 of us safe."

"Sheele, she just didn't want you to get hurt." Leone said.

"No! I should have help her when I could! But...but..." Sheele sobbed more "...I was just deadweight..."

That word caused Akame and Leone to gasp.

"Sh-Sheele where did THAT come from?!" Leone angrily asked "You might be clumsy but you're NOT deadweight!"

"She said it herself!" Sheele lashed out.

"What?" Akame gasped.

"...R-ruby said that...I-I know she was just trying to force me to escape but..." Sheele sobbed more, as the tears finally began falling.

"Oh Sheele." Leone sighed and pulled sheele into a hug "She didn't mean it. She just...wanted to keep you safe."

"I-I know...but..." Sheele whispered between tears.

Leone kept comforting Sheele, while Akame sadly looked down at Ruby seeing how far she would go to protect her friends.

She slowly held one of her bandaged hands gently, trying to feel her heartbeat for a bit.

'...She still came back Alive. She kept her promise...' Akame thought '...But I should have done something for her instead of stand back and watch.'


After sleeping over by Rubies side for 2 whole days, the three girls did their best to take care of a still unconscious Ruby.

They managed to somehow gently force her to drink some what to stay hydrated. They changed her blanket too for one time. And stayed by her side and just talked to her hoping she could hear them somehow. Hoping she could hear them apologize.

As Akames turn came, she walks into the room and sits by Ruby on the bed.

"...The capitals talking about you. About what you did and...what you survived and escaped from." She spoke "It's just been two days, and there are already rumors that you'll have a higher bounty than all of us combined. They should be making a wanted poster of you by now but...the lack of a face or clear facial features are really ruining the progress for that."

Ruby only remained silent, which Akame wished she would speak by now.

"...The body count of how many you killed finally was made public. It came down to 132 Guards and 91 Soldiers. which means...more than 200 I guess." Akame said "Everyone in the capital are shaken by what happened...most of all the empire. They want you found and...Well...It's best we don't talk about what they do to the ones who defy the empire inside the imperial palace."

She gently held rubies hand with both her hands.

"...Ruby...Please wake up already...I-I..." She didn't get to finish, she couldn't. The words were stuck in her throat.

She decided to step away for a bit...but then saw the Gun-Sheath Ruby was making for her, left unfinished and still in progress on her table.

She walked over to the table, and saw some blue prints on the table too. She picked them up and reads them, which luckily Ruby used her new found language writing to do so, and...gets a fair enough Idea how the Sheath will operate.

"..O-Okay..." Akame took a deep breath...and careful picked the sheath up. It looked heavy, but surprisingly it felt a little light. She noticed that she needs to properly have her grip around the finger places and the trigger. She placed it next to her hip, and noticed that it actually was JUST at the right size not just for her, but for her Murasame too.

She watches the blue prints, and figures how to...well, reload the sheath. One magazine of those...50 calibur bullets Ruby spoke of, and noticed that she couldn't just place it inside.

"...Is it stuck?" Akame said.

She tried to push it deeper inside. Still didn't work. There was something keeping it out.

She watched te blue prints again...And saw that there was something thick and tight inside the chamber to keep the clip tight in place.

"...Then I need to push it in hard." Akame said, and with a loud clicking sound, she pushed the clip inside.

She then noticed the small butten behind the clip, and pressing it, she managed to pull out the clip.

"...Heh...You were right...It's not that hard I think..." Akame said...Before tears started falling her cheeks and she held the sheath and the clip tightly in her arms in a hugging way and faced Ruby again.

Watching her on the bed kept reminding her how she just stood back and watched Budo torture her without acting. The way he kicked her around, punched her, electrocuted her...it made all the guilt she suppressed for her old friends deaths start to resurface.

"...God I'm so useless..." She sobbed, feeling anger and self-hate "Damn it!"

*Clang!*

And in her anger, she threw the Ammo clip onto the floor hard.

'Why...Can't I ever save my friends when I even have the chance?' She thought '...Specially...for the person I lo_'

"That's no way..." She froze as she heard Rubies voice behind her "...To treat a fully functional 50 cal ammo clip."

She quickly spins around...And there she was, Awake, dazed and trying to sit up straight.

"...Hey." Ruby greeted, smiling "I'm back."

"...Oh god...Ruby..." Akame mumbled, before she quickly placed the sheath on the chair beside the table, and ran to her side "W-Wait! Don't move you need to_"

"I-I'm fine." Ruby assured, and against Akames protests she removed the bandages on her arm...to reveal the bite mark fully healed but the scars still left "Aura, remember? Helps me heal MUCH faster."

"O-Oh..." Akame nodded.

"I thought I taught you that already." Ruby sassily joked.

"...I'm Sorry..." Akame said "I-I should have..."

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked, placing a hand on Akames shoulder.

"I-I should have help you!" Akame finally said it "W-When Budo was...beating you up, Me and some of the others were watching b-but...we couldn't..."

"...You...couldn't get involved. Because...That general would have killed you too, right?" Ruby guessed "I mean...I understand why. I could feel how...deadly he was. Besides My plan worked out somehow."

"Your...plan?" Akame asked...and her eyes were widened in realization "...you were buying time...so that monster would crash in and cause a big enough distraction so you could run?"

"Yeah, I figured it was still rampaging around to find me. So I thought it could rampage around on the General." ruby said as she removed a bandage around her head "After it finally showed up, I ended up in the forest. Then the danger beasts attacked me while I could barely swing around Cresent Rose, then...I...realized that I can't..."

"...You can't...What?" Akame asked.

"...That I...Can't...C-Can't fight danger beasts with just my bare hands, so I..Used a rock and a branch at first." Ruby lied '...She wouldn't believe me if I said My eyes used to be magical anyway.'

"After that I...I...I felt like EVERYTHING in this world just...wanted me to suffer and die." Ruby sadly spoke how she felt back when she was surrounded by the danger beasts

"Ruby that's not true_" Akame tried to comfort her.

"No, It is. That girl and her dog, the guards, the soldiers, the General, that tiger, The Hyaena-cats and...WHATEVER ELSE Attacked me after ALL of those...EVERYTHING in this world is just against me...Like...How it's always been ever since...The start of my life I guess. Even against anyone I care about." Ruby says facing down, feeling helpless dispite being in the hideout with her friends "...You know how it feels like, right? Feeling like everything and everyone is just against you...Wanting you hurt, broken and tortured...and any other fate worse than death?"

"...Yes. I do." Akame nodded "EVERYDAY I feel that way after Most of my friends past or disappeared...and when I couldn't bring my sister with me...and...many MANY more things. Everyone in night raid at least used to feel the same way at some point."

"I just...I just want at least ONE moment where I can be happy with the people I care about. No monsters, no corruption, no psychopaths and murderers just...peace." Ruby said, rubbing her eyes "I just...want a world were everyone can live happily ever after like in fairy tails and stories..."

"Ruby, that's just a fantasy." Akame said.

"I know it is...but it's far better than what the empire is doing to the people." Ruby pointed out.

"...I know...But...that's what we're here. To make it better." Akame said.

"...W-Wait what?" Ruby gasped; a bit surprised that...Akame used her own words that she used long ago.

"To make sure this country has a brighter future. For the people and for us too." Akame explained further "I know it's painful and hurting...but until then, All we can do is survive and fight as best we can. We might not be the heroes in stories, specially me, but this is the best we can do. Even if killing isn't the right thing."

...Ruby felt a small sense of...happiness and warmth from Akames comfort. She only would say words like that when she was still younger but here was Akame, A much more adult girl than she could ever be, speaking those words to her.

"..." Ruby remained silent and only hugged Akame tightly "...Thanks...I needed that."

"Sure." Akame smiled and hugged her back tightly as well.

Their moment lastet for at least a minute, before Akame pulled back but kept her hands around Ruby, and stares into her eyes. those beautiful, bright silver eyes that Even reflected her blood red eyes in them back at her.

"Akame?" Ruby asked.

"...Ruby...There's something I have to tell you..." Akame said "...Knowing that we might not live long in this kind of work...I don't want to have any regrets. So I want you to know this no matter what."

"Know what exactly?" Ruby asked in curiosity.

"...This."

...then...the whole world slowed to a crawl as Akame closed her eyes and closed in on Ruby...And Rubies eyes shot wide open as she felt the contact between her and the other girl.

Rubies mind raced at what was happening right now. It felt unreal. FAR too good to be reality.

And soon, when their lips broke up contact, Akame looks deeply into Rubies eyes.

"...Ruby...I-I...I love you."