Voices. An argument. That was what one person could hear, as she struggled to wake up. She didn't understand what was being said. However, she thought she heard Natsu and Najenda's voices arguing about an action the man had done without his superior's permission. Finally, as other voices were heard, Wendy finally opened her eyes.

At first weakly, she was able to open her eyelids, little by little, allowing her to realize that she was in the middle of the forest. She was no longer at all in the capital, where she had fought against Wild Hunt.

" Where am I? "

Suddenly appearing before her, the small silhouette of Koro made its appearance. Seeming to be standing on Wendy's belly, the animal then began to gesticulate in all directions, in order to show his rejoicing.

"I... Koro?"

She too, hurt on all sides, Seryu, sitting not far from Wendy, immediately turned her head towards her, before rejoicing.

"Wendy! Are you okay?"

"Seryu?" The girl wondered, struggling to straighten up. "But where…?"

" WENDY ! "

Grabbing the girl, while smiling, Natsu and Happy now surrounded Wendy, who was surprised to see them.

"You're awake! That's great."

" Natsu ? " Wendy wondered.

Then turning her gaze all around her, she was surprised to see two enemy groups present, facing each other.

On one side, Night Raid was composed of all the members Wendy had ever met, except Bulat and Sheele. To replace them, there was, instead, a girl with a lollipop in her mouth. Lying down, Tatsumi could only turn his gaze towards her a little, while his injuries prevented him from doing more.

As for the other group, it consisted of Wave... Kurome... Run... Seryu and Koro... as well as Bols and his family.

Sitting or standing, each was mainly watching over the enemies of the other group to make sure that no one was going to attack them by surprise. Mine had her gun in hand... Wave seemed to be cleaning his big sword, while being certain that he could use it immediately, in case of trouble... Chelsea and Lubbock both seemed very calm, but, it was obvious that their hands, hidden in their pockets, were hiding threads or needles. Despite the fact that Seryu was now completely undecided on whether to consider Night Raid as allies or enemies, Koro began to growl, while he recognized Mine's scent.

To be clear, the current situation was quite tense. It was like being in a room filled with explosives, with a match in your hand. As for Wendy, she was completely lost. She didn't know why all these people were gathered here, when they were supposed to be fighting each other.

Seeing her as if she were disoriented, Run dared to take a step towards her, before affirming.

"Glad to see you awake, Wendy."

" R … Run ? "

"Nevertheless, I must confess to you, that in the meantime, we were able to learn which side you were really on! You're part of Night Raid, aren't you?"

At this news, Wendy could only be stunned. Judging from his face, Run did not seem furious with her. However, it was obvious from his voice that the boy was disappointed. But the worst thing for Wendy was to meet Wave's gaze, who had immediately lowered his own. At that very moment, Wave had felt betrayed by one of the people he had trusted the most.

"I… I…" Wendy began, not knowing what to say.

Suddenly, a slap could be heard.

"Idiot!" Kije said, her gaze lowered as she stood before Bols.

"Kije..." Bols could only say, not seeming to be hurt by the slap he had just received.

"Idiot!" his wife repeated, starting to pound his chest. "Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!"

Then, finally, stopping, she ended up sobbing, before tightening her arms around her husband's waist, and burying her face against his abdomen.

"Don't you ever do that to me again," she ordered him. "I thought you were really dead, you idiot! I thought I'd never get to see you again."

"Kije…" the man repeated.

"Bols…" Kije stopped him. "Don't abandon me! Without you, I would be unhappy."

Frozen then, Bols seemed to be transformed into a statue, while searching for the words to construct his next sentence was difficult for him. However, finally, he ended up hugging Kije in turn, before affirming.

"I promise you."

Watching the scene, while staying close to Wendy, Natsu couldn't suppress a small smile on his face. Then, turning to Najenda, he wanted to know.

"What do we do now, Boss?"

"What's the point of asking me when you constantly refuse to obey my orders?" Najenda asked, still having a cigarette in her mouth! "You really have a knack for wearing me out."

Then, finally, exhaling smoke, she turned to the Jaegers and finally asked.

"Have you understood who the real evil of the empire is?"

"Huh?" Wave said, noticing that she was addressing him and his comrades.

"The empire only hired you to protect its interests! The Prime Minister doesn't care about the safety of the people of this country! All he wants is power! The only person you were supposed to protect at the risk of your life... was him."

"Grrr! Shut up!" Wave ordered her. "Why are you telling us this? Now that we know we've been tricked, you dare lecture us, is that it?"

"I'm just trying to figure out which side you're on." Najenda retorted.

"We're not on any side anymore," Wave said. "Neither the empire's nor Night Raid's! You're no better than those guys, so don't try to manipulate us."

However, eventually directing his gaze to Bols, he finally asked.

"Why did you allow him to join us on the battlefield?"

"Ask that to that idiot." Najenda advised him, pointing at Natsu. "He's the one who got him out of his prison without my permission."

"Why didn't you kill him when you had the chance?"

"Ask Natsu that too."

"Why make us believe that you are the good?"

"We are not good." Najenda retorted, starting to get annoyed by his questions. "We never will be! However, we do not want the empire to continue to represent evil! Just like you, as Night Raid, we fight our opponents, following our convictions! You and we wanted to help the people! However, we did not have the same targets to take down."

"Night Raid only kills." Run suddenly remarked. "I don't want to be a hypocrite, but you could have at least given all those people you murdered a chance."

"They weren't humans." Lubbock retorted. " Those people, as you call them, had killed hundreds of others! They were monsters."

"Also, don't think that we kill everyone who might pose a threat to the empire." Najenda said. "Before accepting any mission, we always make sure to conduct an investigation! And it is after this that we decide whether or not to accept the mission."

"You're no better," Wave retorted. "You've done nothing but kill, too, you bunch of bastards."

Before he, or any of his comrades could move, Leone managed to grab him by the neck, before violently slamming him against a tree.

" Argh ! "

"You hypocrite!" the girl growled. "You Jaegers did exactly what we did! We know every single one of your actions, and even more so Esdeath's! She killed more people than all of us combined! So don't come and talk to us about justice lightly."

Then, seeing the other Jaegers start to surround her, and ready to attack her if she persisted in strangling Wave, Leone finally let the boy fall, while affirming.

"Ultimately, excluding Esdeath, there aren't many differences between your group and ours."

"It's true that we've eliminated a good number of murderers." Gajeel asserted. "And then? What's the problem? If one life killed saves a hundred, isn't that what you want?"

"Grrr!" Wave said, standing up. "So you have no regrets?"

As if annoyed, the boy then ended up turning to Wendy.

"Wendy, tell me this is a joke! There's no way you could be part of this group."

" Wave, I … "

"You were always the first to refuse to hurt people, and to be disgusted when it came to killing them! What is a child like you doing with these barbarians? They forced you, right? A child like you would never have wanted to join the army on her own without some pressure."

" Wave … ! "

"Tell me the truth, damn it!" the boy shouted. "Tell me you're not our enemy."

Eventually clenching her fist, Wendy then ended up screaming.

"I'm no one's enemy, Wave! At least, I don't consider any of you my enemy! Despite the murders it causes, I understand Night Raid's actions... I admire your bravery, you Jaegers... and, no matter what, I will always be a member of Fairy Tail! I don't want to be an enemy of any of you! On the contrary, I want everyone to be able to form a real group that fights true evil! Is that really complicated to ask and understand?"

"No." Bols suddenly assured, sitting down on the ground. "Besides, from now on, I'm joining Night Raid."

"What?" Wave, Kurome, and Seryu wondered.

"Bols?" Kije wondered.

"Sorry, but I promised." The man admitted, looking at Natsu. "That boy allowed me to save you, and in exchange, I was tasked with coming back here and working on behalf of Night Raid! I'm only a man of my word! And after what I've seen in town, I'd much rather trust them, starting now."

"Bols…" Run began. "I'm probably in no position to give you advice, since I don't have any family, but isn't it dangerous for them?"

"Kije… Logue… " The man said, grabbing each of their arms and hugging them tightly. " They tried to kill them, taking advantage of my absence! I could never forgive them! Leaving them in the hands of the empire, that's dangerous."

Realizing that he had made a decision, Akame walked towards the person he was interested in.

"And you, Kurome? What do you decide?"

Sitting with her legs folded up to her chin, Kurome had remained silent, as well as thoughtful since they arrived here. And it was precisely this question that she was thinking about so much.

"Sister… I … am I a bad person?"

" Why this question ? "

"Even though my presence among the Jaegers was to find you, I thought… I really thought I was doing good around me! But, in fact,… everything I did… it's just… "

Looking at her sister then, Kurome wanted to know.

"Sister... what do you think I've become?"

"I can't be in your head." Akame retorted. "Depending on each person's character, we can say that they are more or less different! It's up to you to ask yourself these kinds of questions! If you think you did the right thing, then so be it! However, if you think you did wrong, and you want to make amends, my offer is still valid."

" Your offer ? "

"Yes, the offer to join us."

"Hey, wait." Chelsea said, looking less than pleased with the situation. "What's with you guys wanting to be allies with the Jaegers? Just because we have the same enemy doesn't mean we can trust them! Right, boss?"

Seeming hesitant, Najenda simply watched the discussion in silence. Of course, she knew that Chelsea had her reasons to be worried. However, on the other hand, there was a chance for the Night Raid boss to collect five teigus as well as five experienced fighters. And that would perhaps allow her to complete what she lacked so that her army could compete with Esdeath's power.

However, not giving her time to say a word, Mine suddenly passed her, before pointing the end of Pumpkin at someone's forehead.

"NO WAY!" she roared. "There's no way we're trusting these guys! Especially that girl."

Unable to only back up slightly, Seryu tried to appear calm, but had to exert some strength in her arms, in order to hold back Koro, who was becoming more and more agitated.

"You monster!" Mine roared. "I hope you haven't forgotten me! I could never forgive you for what you did to Sheele."

"The scissor girl…" Seryu understood. "I thought you told me she was alive."

"Ever since you smashed her against the ground, she's been in a deep coma." Mine roared, pushing the tip of his weapon deeper and deeper into Seryu's forehead. "She hasn't woken up since that fight."

With her finger on the trigger, she roared.

"What? After everything you did against Night Raid, how could I trust you? You're nothing but a bloodthirsty murderer! A psychopath of justice who only manages to do evil around her! I refuse to let someone like you join us."

Knowing Seryu's temper all too well, Wendy was going to rush to make Mine back down, before things could get out of hand. However, to her surprise, she suddenly saw the former soldier bend down. Thus, crouching down in front of Mine, Seryu could hear different voices in her head.

These weren't voices that were urging her to kill. No, these were the voices of the people she had always loved.

" Hey, Onee-san is here! Onee-san, are you playing with us, with Koro? "

"Children..."

" Good morning, Seryu! It's cold today! Wrap up warm while you're on patrol, okay? "

" … father Mory … "

" What I want is to be free! Even if I am nothing but a poor woman, I too want to do justice with you."

" … Caruma ! "

Then, gritting her teeth, she could only be furious, remembering the mocking faces of Wild Hunt, towards their crimes. Yet, what made her the most angry, was the fact of not having been able to do anything, against them, except to be miserably beaten.

" No… I have to stop them. "

Eventually, she straightened up, on her knees, in front of Mine, and cried out.

"I'm sorry! I sincerely regret what I did."

" Huh? "

Surprised by such behavior, Mine had lowered her gaze, while she had the greatest difficulty understanding what was happening. For her, it was impossible for Seryu to react like this.

"Night Raid is not my enemy! He never was! I'm the one at fault in this whole thing! I know I don't deserve it, but…"

Raising her head, she pleaded.

"I need your help! I need your help to avenge the people I loved! I beg you."

"Our help…?" Mine repeated.

Suddenly feeling a violent surge of rage, the sniper ended up grabbing Seryu by her collar, before forcing her to get up.

"Why would I do this to you? Why? You just deserve to die."

"In that case, kill me! I won't resist."

" What ? "

"But... just swear to me one thing! Get rid of Wild Hunt."

Sobbing then, the former soldier affirmed.

"I was blind! Pathetic! Miserable! If only... If only I could have seen the truth before... maybe... maybe they would still be alive... the people I loved! I want to avenge them."

A punch ended up hitting her right in the face. Falling backwards, Seryu groaned in pain, while Koro pretended to transform in order to protect her. However, he was stopped by Mine who roared.

"You have a lot of nerve asking for help avenging your own people! What I want most in the world is to avenge Sheele! Just give me one good reason to spare you."

Afraid that it would escalate further, Wendy prepared to step between Mine and Seryu. However, putting an arm in front of her, Natsu stopped her.

" Natsu ? "

"Let Mine be." Natsu advised. "I probably don't know Seryu as well as you do! However, I know that she needs to express what she thinks and feels herself if she wants to have a chance of being accepted here."

"So?" Mine insisted. "Why would I spare you?"

"True justice." Seryu suddenly muttered.

" Huh ? "

Suddenly kneeling down in front of Mine, Seryu implored her.

"Please... let me have a chance to live, so that I can know and exercise true justice! I don't want to kill an innocent person for the slightest crime! I want to learn to establish peace, not fear! I want to learn to know the difference between right and wrong! I want..."

Suddenly raising her head, she affirmed.

"I want to know what it's like to live in a country where peace thrives."

Gritting her teeth, Mine showed that she didn't like his answer. However, she eventually lowered her weapon, all the while grumbling.

"Damn it, why didn't you come out with your usual speech about wanting to kill me in the name of justice? That would have made me want to kill you even more."

"Huh?" Seryu wondered.

Suddenly, Mine couldn't help but hit her with the tip of her weapon, knocking her back.

"Seryu!" Wave roared, getting into position with Run.

"Know that I'm not going to forgive you anytime soon," Mine said, glaring at Seryu. "You may want to change, but that won't erase the murders you've already committed."

Pretending to move away from her afterwards, she added nonetheless.

"However, even though I am furious with you, I can't help but think that the empire may be the cause of your behavior! If you want to change, prove it to me! But if not…"

Pointing at Pumpkin, she swore.

"I'll show you how I use my teigu."

Seeing that, despite the threat, she gave her her approval, Seryu thanked her, bowing.

"Thank you! Thank you very much! I will prove myself worthy of it, I swear."

" What… What are they all doing? " Wave wanted to know. " Why are they suddenly deciding to be part of Night Raid? I… They're not the vigilante group I want to be a part of. "

Suddenly sighing, Run finally sat up, noticing.

"It seems our comrades have already made up their minds! Perhaps we'd better follow suit."

"What?" Wave shouted. "Run, not you too."

"We don't really have a choice now." The boy retorted, raising his fingers before lowering them. " We can't run away without the guards chasing us, nor can we return to the empire hoping that someone will catch us, and even less can we fight the empire! Even if we included Wendy, the six of us would have a hard time defeating Wild Hunt! So with Esdeath and Budo, it's not even worth thinking about! When you think about it, maybe allying ourselves with Night Raid for a while wouldn't be such a bad idea."

"I disagree. " Wave retorted. " They may, indeed, be less evil than we think! However, that doesn't mean they're trustworthy people."

"And why?" Gajeel asked. "After all, if I remember correctly, I allowed you to stop a huge network of slave traders, just a month ago! Instead of setting a trap against you, I preferred to show you who we were fighting against."

"Grrr, shut-up!" Wave roared. "I don't want to hear anything anymore! I… I…"

"You are free to leave." Najenda suddenly told him. "If you want to leave to escape, do as you wish."

"Huh?" The boy wondered.

"However, if you want to go alone and then fight the empire, tell yourself that you can only end up in defeat! We ourselves know that, between us, our chances of winning the final victory are close to zero."

"So why? Why do this when you know it will surely only result in defeat?"

"Because the people are counting on us," Najenda answered simply. "And I refuse to disappoint them further."

Widening his eyes at this answer, Wave didn't really know what to say to that. Finally, looking down, he affirmed.

"The people should rely on the police! Yet, they are the ones who are corrupt."

Gritting his teeth, the boy wanted to know.

"If I help you, will it allow the people to live in peace?"

"I can't promise anything! It will all depend on what each of us does! However, the more of us there are, the greater our chances of success will be! It's up to you to decide."

Seeming lost then, Wave didn't know what decision to make. Seeing him like this, Natsu took a few steps forward, before brandishing his fist in front of him.

"I think it's time to establish an alliance."

"An alliance?"

"Yes, as a mage, I declare to represent Fairy Tail in this alliance."

Sighing then, Najenda only shook her head. However, eventually joining Natsu, she mumbled.

"If you insist! I declare to represent Night Raid in this alliance."

Then, seeing that all eyes were on him, Wave felt himself put under pressure, to the point that his brain overheated. Weighing the pros and cons several times, the boy remembered everything he had seen and experienced, since his integration among the Jaegers.

Finally, opening his eyes, the boy displayed a serious look, before walking towards the two comrades.

Staring at them for a few moments, he finally imitated them, and raised his fist in front of him.

"I, Wave, declare to represent the Jaegers in this alliance."