Mount Hakuba, Rebel Army Base

Mudi: "The enemy's not coming."

Mudi, Najasho, and Akira were currently in Suzaku's meeting room, the Suzaku sitting in front of them. Najasho seemed to be sewing up a cloak while Akira was sharpening his knife. He didn't know why he does this, but for some reason, it felt right for him. Akira would clench his head in slight pain as he heard voices in his head.

???: "Isn't that dangerous?"

???2: "It'll be fine. It's not like I'll bleed to death, or anything."

Akira: (thoughts) 'Damn...who's voices do they belong to? Why does it hurt every time I try to remember it?'

Najasho: "From what I've seen, this mountain stronghold's defenses are airtight. An invasion from either land or air would be very difficult."

Suzaku: "My men's morale is high, unlike the Empire's."

Mudi: "I miscalculated. I want the assassination unit to come attack us." (looks to Suzaku) "Could you purposely make a hole in your defenses? Just a little one will do."

Suzaku: "No!"

Elsewhere in the base...

Leaning up against a wooden support beam, Mashiro sighed in both content and sadness. She looked down, seeing her shot glass of wine. After staring at it for a moment, she drank it in one gulp.

Mashiro: "Kouga...you left me...why...why did you have to go?"

Mashiro then pours herself another, but she soon drops it, finding herself falling asleep. A few seconds later, she then wakes up, still in the same spot. However, her arms and feet were bound together.

Mashiro: "Wha!?"

Lorris: "Oh, you're awake already?"

Meela: "I knew you'd catch on right away."

Mashiro: (thoughts) 'I can't believe they were able to tie me up without me even sensing it.' "What do you want?"

Meela: "We heard you wanted to avenge your lover, but we were so disappointed to learn it was a man."

Meela and Lorris begin to strip Mashiro, making the silver haired woman blush, but she was disgusted by this. Meela then trailed down to Mashiro's thighs and legs, pulling down her tights and licking her thigh.

Meela: "You must be really messed up if you've fallen for a man. You poor thing."

Mashiro: "You filthy assassins...!"

Meela: "Girls should only fall for girls!"

Lorris: "We'll give you a long thorough lesson on the right way to love."

By now, Lorris started to suck on Mashiro's breasts with Meela caressing the other. But thanks to Mashiro's strength, she was able to rip the binds off of her, reeling her fists back and punching the the twins' heads.

Mashiro: (menacing glare) "You can't restrain me."

Meela: (thoughts) 'I can't believe she slipped her bonds so quickly before we'd even realized.'

Mashiro: "I'll teach you to pull weird shit like that on me!"

Meela and Lorris squeal in terror, now running away with Mashiro on their tail. Below, Najasho, Akira, Mudi, and Suzaku could hear rumbling and thudding noises above.

Najasho: "Sounds like Mashiro and the sisters."

Akira: (sigh) "Those brats..."

Mudi: "Everyone's got more energy than they know what to do with."

Akira: "But we're still at a standstill."

Najasho: "What should we do, shrimp master?"

Mudi: "Guess we'll have to change our plan...from 'intercept' to 'attack.'"

Now outside the base, Mashiro having chase Meela and Lorris down, they come across something odd. Below were a group of people, them hiding to eavesdrop on the conversation.

Man: "I heard that the farther south you went, the more likely an impending war seems...but I wasn't expecting the Rebel Army to have amassed this much strength."

Woman: "They might give us even more trouble than the barbarians to the north."

Meela: "We found the spies!"

The large group of people were alarmed by the sudden voice, looking up. Mashiro, Meela, and Lorris were standing over them, the silver-haired woman having a menacing glare. It turns out, the large group of people below the three are actually Imperial spies.

Lorris: "That's our Mashiro-san! She gets the job done quick."

Man: "Are they...!?"

Mashiro: "The Empire's spies do the same disreputable work as the assassin unit. You helped those we bear grudge against, so you're equally guilty. It'd be most efficient to just finish you off and be done with it."

The spies had quickly took out their guns, ready to fire. Soon, shots were fired off and the spies yelled in pain, some of them looking to their comrades. Some of them had their hands blown off, some had bullet holes in their heads, and some in their stomach areas. Mashiro had quickly jumped down onto the debris below, quickly jumping out of it and taking out her own handgun and unleashing her barrage of bullets. Before anyone else could react, Meela and Lorris jumped down, taking out their knives, brutally murdering them as they chopped some of their limbs off, making them suffer rather than ending their lives quickly.

Meela and Lorris laugh, the girls trying to see which of them can get the most "funny faces" when cutting these people up. Mashiro had no such interest for joining the competition, but she too wanted these people to suffer. So like the twins, Mashiro didn't spare them the liberty of a quick death, shooting them in multiple areas of their bodies, having them suffer and bleed out from their wounds.

Next Day, Elite Seven's Hideout

Gozuki: "Yesterday, our spies were brutally murdered. Their bodies were torn to shreds, and the word 'retaliation' was written across them in blood."

Poney: (deadpan) "Revenge is so wicked." 

Green: "Spies never have enough lives."

Gozuki: "Our orders were to wait on standby in an inn, but that ends today...we believe the enemy has been holed up in a mountain stronghold all this time, and now they're on the offensive. We're going to get back at them. Go into the town of Hakuba and kill the enemy's assassins!"

With their orders given, the groups were split up and they were now exploring the town of Hakuba. The groups were Akame and Gozuki together, so the older man could make sure Akame would take her job seriously.

So the rest of the Elite Seven were put into a group. Green, Poney, and Kurome were walking through the town, scouting out who the suspects could be.

Poney: "Unlike Daddy, it's hard for us to pick out the enemy. But I think I've figured out...which people are suspects."

Green: "They might come at us first. Don't forget that possibility." (turns behind) "After all, we have these guys with us, attracting all kinds of attention."

Behind them was a man and a woman, hauling around a cart. These two were responsible for disposing any bodies that were Imperial spies.

Kurome: "The sooner they come, the more time and effort they'll save us."

Poney: (looking around) "Hmm. Let's see...who looks suspicious...suspicious...huh?

As Poney proceed to look around, one specific person caught her eye. Najasho. Upon seeing him, Poney, Kurome, and Green were shocked, considering the report back on the Gravekeepers mission, Najasho was considered dead.

Poney: "Najasho..."

Green: "Wh-What's he doing here!? Either way, let's keep calm and--ack! Poney's already gone!?"

Poney: "Najasho! I knew it! You're still alive!"

Poney had sped off, clearly excited to see her leader alive and well. But once Najasho looked to Poney's voice, he grew cautious, him turning the other way and speeding off. This made the trio confused, thinking this was odd for their former leader to act that way.

Poney: "Huh? Huh!? Wait, Najasho! It's me, Poney!"

Kurome: "That guy just now--"

Green: "Yep. He went missing in Potulu, but that was definitely our leader!"

Green quickly turned around, thinking this whole thing was a trap. He nodded to the two behind them, signaling them that they were going to tail Najasho. The two understood and nodded back, turning around and they went to look for Gozuki.

Poney and the others followed Najasho for a good while, the blonde teen having led the trio to a secluded and forested area. Soon, Najasho stops at a clearing, Poney and the others following behind.

Poney: "Najasho!"

Green: "Poney, wait. Something's not right about him."

Poney: "I know...! But I'm sensing that there are many others hiding around here...!"

???: "But there are a few."

Coming from the bushes in front of them was Mashiro, Mudi, Lorris, and Meela. Najasho then turns around to look at his former comrades, glaring at them.

Mashiro: "I told you to bring anyone who reacted to your presence, but...I wasn't expecting such a big catch."

Poney: "Who are you!?"

Mudi: (slow claps) "How impressive that you were able to keep up with his speed. You're all from the Empire's assassination unit, aren't you?"

Green: "Those clothes...you were a member of the Gravekeepers.

Meela: "We're surviving members of the Oarburghs."

Lorris: "Do you understand what that means?"

Kurome: "It means you all have a bone to pick with us..."

Poney: "Najasho! Don't you remember us!?"

Najasho: "...I don't. Don't talk to me like you know me, shrimp."

Hearing that leave Najasho's mouth left Poney shocked and heartbroken. She stared at her former leader with disbelief.

Mudi: "He hit his head really hard and lost his memory. You may recall his fall from the collapsed tomb. So we exploited his amnesia to use him for our own purposes...using secret Gravekeeper techniques."

Green: "Most of the time, their abilities involve parasites that control the host..."

Kurome: (grits teeth) "Gravekeepers and insects...I'm sick of them both."

Mashiro: "My lover was killed by you assassins. Now that you understand we're here for revenge...you are all going to die horrible deaths."

Poney: "The one guy doesn't seem that big a deal, but the rest seem pretty skilled."

Kurome: "Agreed."

Green: "I'll keep the chief busy. The rest of you take care of the others in the meantime!"

Mudi: "Oh, that's right. I almost forgot about the other one."

The trio was now confused. There was another member of their group? Mudi snapped his fingers as his grin kept widening.

Soon, a cold chill filled the air, Poney, Green, and Kurome shivering slightly. Two of them knew who this was, but they didn't want to believe it. He was confirmed dead as well. The three turn their heads to their right, their confused looks now changing to ones that had even greater shock in them.

Ice could be heard shattering, the person heading towards them stepping on the path of ice he created. He let out a chilling breath, a cold mist leaving his mouth. His left eye had the same feature as Najasho, but the three could recognize his face, his hair, and his familiar icy blue colored eye. The last member of the Retribution Group had arrived.

Green: "No way..."

Kurome: "Th-That's impossible..."

Poney now began to have tears running out of her eyes. Walking in front of them, heading towards them with killing intent was the former No. 2 of the Elite Seven. Akira.