Prior...

Before the child Emperor had unleashed Shikoutazer, he was still in the midst of unlocking it. He had put in the key into the hole on the altar, a surge of energy emitting from it.

Already, the power of the supreme Teigu was flowing through his mind. He could see how it was operated, the means to control it. But also... The full power it wielded. Seeing how dangerous it was, the child Emperor turned around to look at Honest with a worried look.

Emperor: "Minister! This weapon will destroy humanity itself! It's too dangerous!"

Honest: "That's why I want you to use your smarts to master it! We cannot let this great Empire that has lasted a thousand years come to an end!"

Despite seeing the power the supreme Teigu held, how dangerous it'd be and how much destruction it could cause if it were to be wielded unruly. And despite this, the child Emperor nodded and continued to let the power flow, opening the gates in front of him as it revealed the supreme Teigu, Shikoutazer.

He then thought of his late mother and father's smiling faces. Gritting his teeth, he continued to press onward.

Emperor: (thoughts) 'Father... Mother... Grant me the power to save our country.'

Unknown to the two, many ethereal figures could be seen watching them above. The figures' main focus was on the child Emperor. Their faces didn't display it, as the area behind their helmets were nothing but a black and blue void, but it was clear that they had looks of disappointment.

No, the child Emperor wasn't saving the country at all.

He was simply unlocking the means of further destroying the Empire already. But what's even worse, even if the boy didn't know, was that the ethereal figure of his father was watching him, the man shaking his head at his son's action, disapproval evident within him.

---

Present Day

The child Emperor had unleashed Shikoutazer upon everyone, the large and towering mechanized armor having overtaken the buildings and walls, including the palace, by a long shot. Within the head of the supreme Teigu was the child Emperor himself, a look of hate on his face as he leaked killing intent. He believed that he was in the right. He believed that by using this Teigu and exterminating the Revolutionary Army, he will save his glorious country, the country that his mother and father loved dearly.

Oh, how wrong he was.

Beginning to charge up a chest beam from the glowing orb on the Teigu's chest, a large beam left it. It shot across the Capital, striking an area and dealing a dent in the Revolutionary Army's forces. It had happened in a mere second. Those that were caught in the blast were merely incinerated, not leaving a single trace of whether they were there or not.

The supreme Teigu had a terrifying power.

Najenda, Tatsumi, and everyone else in the army had their mouths agape. The blast had left a clear and large trail in the ground.

It had eliminated everything in it's path. Nothing was left aside from blood, some strewn out guts, some ash and bone dust, and many other flying body parts as they were then incinerated. Just like that. In mere seconds, a section of their manpower was fully eliminated.

Behind the large Teigu, on the Prime Minister's personal deck was Honest himself. The fat man cackled with glee, joyfully cheering as the opposing soldiers were literally obliterated.

Honest: "This is amazing! It just melted thousands of enemies in one blow! Did you see that!? Behold hell, you Rebel Army scum! This is one of the aces up the Empire's sleeve... The pinnacle from the start... The supreme Teigu!"

With drool going down his mouth, Honest sat down in his chair. It was all posh and regal-like, the man enjoying the display of the current battlefield. The hell that was occurring.

Honest: "A general commands her soldiers to clash with the enemy and put the fate of the country on the line. That style of warfare is outdated."

Emperor: "This is how I fight a war!"

Shikoutazer's chest beam wasn't operational as it had to fully charge up again. So the Emperor's next attack was to use the shoulder openings on the mech armor. From those openings, dozens of rocketing and explosive projectiles were launched out, soaring across the sky. Below, the citizens gazed up at the flying projectiles. While in awe, they were still terrified. They were afraid in getting caught in the midst of the fight.

More explosions and blasts of light appeared beyond the wall. The Minister cackled with glee at how much they were whittling down the enemy. He truly believed that they would in.

On the other side of the wall, everyone watched with horror. Whoever survived the blasts had fatal wounds. Sides of their faces were burnt off or their face was burnt off completely, revealing nothing but the flesh and muscle below. Others were missing a limb or more, and others were completely cut in half by the blast. Either way, the damage that had been done by the supreme Teigu angered the brown-haired teen, Tatsumi turning into the direction of the large Teigu, clenching his hand tightly on the spear he held.

---

Inside the Capital, Akira, Akame, and Leone entered into an archway. From there, they had a clear view of the towering Teigu.

Leone: (grits teeth) "That thing's bad news. It's too darn big...!"

Akira: "If that thing still remains standing, who knows how many of our forces will remain."

Akame: "In any case, we have to hurry! Carrying out our mission to defeat our targets may be linked to stopping that thing!"

Leone: "Akira! Akame! Where do you think that disgusting Saikyuu guy is hiding?"

Akame: "Downstairs."

Akira: "He's the guy who came up with the assassination units in the first place. This is a bit of payback."

Akame: "That, and I have a hunch of what he's up to."

Leone: "I see... I'm still getting a powerful smell from upstairs. It might be the Minister."

Akame: "To ensure that we complete our mission and put our targets to rest in pieces, we were told not to split up our team, but..."

Akira: "Seems like we have no choice."

Leone: "Yeah. If we do split up here, we can kill the remaining targets quicker."

The three went silent for a moment as they analyzed their situation and went through the options. If they still stayed together, chances are that either one of the targets escape. And just letting either of them get away is considered a mission failure as they need them eliminated now.

On the other hand, if they split, they'd have a higher chance of finding them and eliminating both targets. But the question was, who was going to go after who?

However, Leone soon decided that she'd go after the Minister. Dashing off up the stairs, the two watched her as she left. As much as they wanted to help her, they needed to take care of their other target. Akira and Akame would look at each other and nod, Akame taking the lead as she led herself, Akira, and Fenrir down below to Saikyuu's predicted position.

Back on the battlefield, the Revolutionary Army were currently running away from blast zones as Shikoutazer had fired another volley of rockets from it's shoulder openings. Death often frequented the battlefield, soldiers desperately running and fleeing for their lives while others tried to save their comrades, some of them dying in the process. The battlefield was littered with nothing but blood and debris, corpses lying everywhere while the survivors tried to pick up the dead during the oncoming volley of attacks. The Teigu unit of the Revolutionary Army were doing all they could to push and hold back the attacks while the men tried to carry the injured and deceased out, but battle morale seemed to be decreasing.

Atop a white horse, Najenda came galloping in.

Najenda: "Tell all Teigu users on the battlefield to continue protecting our men! If we fall now, it's all over! Stand firm, all of you!"

Those that were able to keep their morale intact nodded and continued, others tried fleeing, but died trying. Najenda gazed into the eyes of the soldiers', some of them still holding onto hope while others sat motionless, having lost all will to fight and continue.

She then gritted her teeth in frustration.

Najenda: (thoughts) 'I can't believe they were hiding such an ace up their sleeves... They exceeded my expectations by a long shot. The Imperial Army had temporarily pulled out. If they'd stayed here, they'd have been obliterated too. ...Where's Tatsumi?'

The silver-haired general glanced all around the battlefield. It wasn't until she looked up, just above the wall, she spotted a figure. A grim look soon made it onto her face, knowing that it was Tatsumi who had moved into the Capital and began heading for Shikoutazer.

Najenda: (thoughts) 'He's going after it... After that weapon of mass destruction...!'

With the brown-haired teen, he was quickly leaping across the roofs of the buildings. He quickly sped off as he tried to move as fast as possible, heading to the giant Teigu so he can quickly dispatch it.

He then closed his eyes, remembering everything that had happened up until now. The moments of his life that he had spent in the past with everyone.

Tatsumi: 'I came to the Capital and lost Sayo and Ieyasu. I found out about the Empire's dark side, and met the team.'

He still remembered the atrocities his friends suffered on that fateful night. But that fateful night was where he met every one of Night Raid, not long after becoming a part of it and becoming a part of the family. So much time had passed, and he was such a naive person back then. He had been fighting, the whole time thinking that the country would change. He had lost comrades...friends... Loved ones. He stained his hands in blood, knowing that he would have to be one of the few people to dirty their hands so others without the will to fight didn't have to.

Tatsumi: (thoughts) 'I'm just one step away...! That's no way for people to die...!'

Up on the comforts of his chair, the Minister was sitting back and relaxing. After the bombings done by the child Emperor, the echoes of death from the Rebel Army and their cries of pain and despair could be heard from where he sat. It was like music to his ears, and he enjoyed it.

Every single second of it.

The fat man then stood up, cupping his mouth as he called out to the child inside the massive Teigu.

Honest: "Your Highness! How's it feel!?"

Emperor: "I'm good. I'm having no trouble operating it! Are my rear and the palace getting enough protection?"

Honest: "Don't you worry! General Esdeath's been assigned to that!"

Emperor: (sigh of relief) "That's a relief. Now I can focus entirely on the offense." (thoughts) 'I need to be careful not to hit my allies... Now, where is the enemy commander? He keeps moving, so I can't get a lock on his location.'

Seeing that the Emperor was being cautious, Honest gritted his teeth angrily and clenched his hand on the stone railing tightly. If anything, he wanted the child Emperor to go all out. He didn't care if their allies were caught in the crossfire or if they died. Honest didn't even care if civilians got caught as well.

The only thing he cared about was whether the Empire lost or won. He only cared if the Revolutionary Army was completely destroyed and annihilated, and as long as standing as Prime Minister remains after this war.

Honest: "Your Highness! Just whittle away the enemy! Please keep firing at will!"

Emperor: "...All right... This time I'll go with..."

Soon rushing up the palace walls at high speed was the familiar brown-haired teen clad in Incursio. He dragged his spear against the wall, leaving a trail of dust and falling rock, soon using it to leap himself high into the air.

The Emperor moved the head of Shikoutazer to look at the Incursio user, the child having a shocked look. Honest mirrored the same.

Tatsumi: "You're not firing anymore!"

Honest: "He's launching himself at the Emperor all on his own!? What a fool!"

The child Emperor was still shocked that Tatsumi decided to come on his own. Seeking to retaliate, the child Emperor begins to ready another attack, firing an energy shot from the mouthpiece. Tatsumi crossed his arms and used his spear to take the brunt of the attack, the brown-haired teen grunting and gritting his teeth as he felt the full force of the attack. Despite Incursio having evolved and been added extra protection, the immense power of the supreme Teigu was pushing him back. But with all his might, Tatsumi swiped his spear upward, deflecting the energy orb attack upward. This furthered angered the child Emperor, letting out a battlecry as he controls Shikoutazer to launch and thrust it's fist forward.

But thanks to his training, Tatsumi was able to avoid the attack, landing on Shikoutazer's arm. He then blasted himself forward, leaping off the arm with great force and rocketed himself forward. The child Emperor could see the defiant look in Tatsumi's eyes, his anger only rising as his rule was being defied. The child saw himself as an omnipotent ruler, being guided by a great advisor. Oh, how blinded he was.

Emperor: "Who are you!?"

Tatsumi: "I'm Night Raid...!"

The child Emperor had no time to reply toward Tatsumi's response. The Incursio user had quickly punched the forehead of the supreme Teigu, creating a dent in it. The child Emperor gasped as he screamed in slight pain, he himself having felt the attack. In order for him to control it, the Emperor had to connect himself, like connecting his nerves to it.

Because he felt the full force of Tatsumi's punch, the Teigu and the child Emperor staggered and nearly fell over. However, the child Emperor was able to stop himself from falling and nearly crushing innocent people. He then looked up at Tatsumi with a defiant stare, trying to play off the stagger like it didn't affect him at all.

Emperor: "The supreme Teigu would never wave from one small fist...!"

As Tatsumi continued on his attack and onslaught, Najenda and the others were watching from beyond the wall. Seeing the damage Tatsumi had done with his fist was small, but it did clue to them that the supreme Teigu was not indestructible. Turning her head to the troops, she used this opportunity of Tatsumi's courage to take on the supreme Teigu in order to rally the troops.

Najenda: "Did you see that!? There is a way to fight that weapon! We will beat it! If we run away in fear, we'll be doing just as the Minister wants! We've made it this far! This final battle is ours to win!"

Hearing the former Imperial general's words of encouragement caused all of them to regain their morale and thrust their fists in the air. Even those that had previously lost their will to fight. Now rallying together, the rest of the troops and the Teigu unit began to charge on into the city to take it and win the war.

Najenda watched with a smile, seeing the fruits of the revolution finally coming together. She had full faith they would win, and one of the factors that helped was one person.

Najenda: (thoughts) 'Rather than shrink from that firepower, you rose to meet it head on. It's thanks to your display of courage that their apprehension has been quelled. Tatsumi...!'

---

From his balcony area, Honest was fuming. He expected for the child Emperor to take a hit from Tatsumi's punch, thinking that the brown-haired teen had sent a measly attack. Surprising him, however, the punch had dealt considerable damage and had done a bit of damage to the child's pride. This had angered him so much that he knocked over a flower pot that was sitting on one of the pillars of the stone railing, the fat man leaning forward to call out to the child.

Honest: "Your Highness! How can you be struggling against that puny fly!? Hurry up and use your Imperial beam to swat him away!" (thoughts) 'Still, this is no time to be sitting comfy. The way the Emperor does things, it's possible he'll be forced to surrender before he can even fire his weapon... We'd better use Qin Shi Huangzer's secret weapon!'

As he thought of his plan with an evil grin, he heard a thudding noise behind him. Honest turned around to investigate it, annoyed by the sudden interruption. However, he soon held his voice and gasped in terror, seeing a blonde woman arrive on the scene. Leone had killed Honest's guard, snapping his neck and letting the body drop to the floor as his armor clanged against the stone flooring, giving the fat man a deadly glare.

Leone: "And now, there's nobody left to protect you."

Honest: (shrieks in terror while falling on rear) "A-A-A-Assassin!? How did you manage to get this far!?" (thoughts) 'That means... Everyone but Saikyuu's been wiped out!?'

Leone: "I've been waiting for this moment." (grabs dead guard's spear) "You will pay for your crimes! Minister!"

Ready to take the source of the corruption down, Leone threw the spear forward, letting it fly through the air. Honest shrieked and screamed in terror, thinking that his end was near. Leone kept a grin on her face, waiting for the spear that she threw to pierce the man's head.

But much to her surprise, Honest had caught the spear, a nonchalant and surprised look on his face.

Honest: "Ah. But I got it."

Leone: "Wha...!?"

Honest: (drooling) "Mmm. I was just getting hungry. Thanks for the grub."

The fat man was eyeing the spear with a hungered look, the one you'd see if you were starving and staring at delicious food. The next thing Honest did, however, shocked her, Leone's mouth going agape as the fat man opened his own mouth and tossed the spear in. Before hand, he snapped the spear into two, then tossing it in his mouth and chewing on it like it was a piece of chewy meat. A gulp was soon heard as Honest had just finished snacking on the weapon, a wide and disgusting grin soon making it's way to his face.

Leone: (thoughts) 'I knew it... This guy's some kind of Teigu user...!'

Honest: "I thought I'd made some new kind of discovery. But it really was quite unfulfilling." (dabs mouth with a napkin) "Now, I'm going to eat you to clear my palate." (licks lips) "Young ladies are so tasty."

With a fiery glint in her eyes, Leone got into a fighting stance.

Leone: "Sorry, but the one who'll be eating is me. You're going down!"

---

Flashback

In previous years, before the creation of the assassination unit, Saikyuu could be seen sitting down with the Prime Minister.

The two were playing chess, Saikyuu using his tactical and cunning mind to easily take control of the board. But then again, Honest wasn't even trying, merely only doing a casual play. The fat man then looked up at Saikyuu, musing at his suggestion.

Honest: "A plan to develop an assassin unit made of 100 members?"

Saikyuu: "Anyone who defies you already knows that they'll be crushed the moment they make themselves known."

Honest: "So you're saying I need a layer of personnel who will dispose of people acting behind the scenes."

Saikyuu: (nods with a small grin) "Yes. Defeating enemies on the battlefield is a soldier's job." (narrowed glare) "The people I want to train are the sort who defeat the darkness from the shadows."

---

That was quite a while back. Saikyuu sighed as he remembered the memory, himself and a group of his bodyguards in the underground passageways as they attempted to escape.

The cunning man wondered if the assassins he trained weren't to come to fruition, he wondered what the state of the Empire would be like now. He wondered if the war would be this close to the Capital and would make him flee. Either way, he had to leave if he wished to live and wanted to continue this chaos should the Emperor and Minister far. Saikyuu had the means of continuing the conflict so long as he lived.

Imperial Guard: "Saikyuu. Now that the supreme Teigu has showed up, there's no need to run away, right?"

Saikyuu: "No matter what the Teigu, unless you are a master of it, you will die. We must leave now if we are to make our escape." (sigh) "His Highness is too kind. Once them Empire has won, then we'll return. And even if we lose, as long as I have this Teigu, I can start all over again somewhere else."

He gestured to the book in his hand.

World Encyclopedia: Rongo Rongo.

As the title implied of the Teigu, the book contained a whole encyclopedia of the entire world. It maps every location, especially the territories controlled by the Empire, and has every full detail from regional products to the geology of the land. Getting near to the end of the book, it predicts about expected massive natural disasters. This Teigu is perfect for those that loved to study, but in Saikyuu's case, it's useful for more diabolical means.

Saikyuu: (thoughts) 'With a revolt as massive as this, I'll live in the shadows and do as I please. That's my philosophy of life.'

???: "You won't get away. Everyone who's caused the people to suffer will be laid to rest in pieces."

Hearing the chilling voice, the group were on high alert. Saikyuu's eyes widened at the appearance of the person.

Her cascading raven black hair that blended in with the darkness of the halls, the only thing illuminating was their torches. Not only that, they were terrified at her dark red eyes coming toward them, her figure soon coming into view as she glared at them darkly, clutching onto Murasame as she began to unsheathe it slowly.

Saikyuu: "Akame!"

???2: "Those that trample over the weak are destined to die. Say your prayers while you still can. Death does not offer mercy to those of the unfortunate, taking advantage of the weak and leeching off of them."

Another chilling voice was soon heard, the effect adding on as the atmosphere grew colder, an icy mist rising up from the ground. Turning around, they see a glowing green scythe pulsating ominously, the illumination of bright blue eyes coming toward them. And next to him were the low growls of a wolf, the light of the torches soon allowing it to come into view as Fenrir got low to the ground, staring at them menacingly as it circled them, preparing to pounce.

Saikyuu: "And you...! You're supposed to be dead!"

Akira: "And yet, here I stand before you. End of the line, Saikyuu. Your journey ends here. Nowhere to run... And nowhere to hide."

Giving the signal, Akame was the first to rush forward. Two guards run at her, terrified, knowing that this was their end. The red-eyed girl swiftly cut them down, the marks of Murasame's poison soon appearing all over them as they dropped to the ground, dead. The third guard tried to run away, like the coward he is. Unfortunately for him, Fenrir had pounced on him and latched onto his lower area, biting down on it as he howled in pain. Afterward, the wolf began to maul him and rip him to pieces, blood and scraps of clothing flying everwhere.

Saikyuu stood frozen in fear.

Saikyuu: (thoughts) 'Right now, a battle that will go down in history is taking place... Yet you two are down in these gloomy underground tunnels, keeping me from getting away...?'

The man then remembered his words from back then.

"The people I want to train are the sort who defeat the darkness from the shadows."

Saikyuu: (thoughts) 'They are in fact the ideal assassin...!'

Akira: "Target: Saikyuu."

Akame: "You will rest in pieces."

The glasses-wearing man then bit on his finger, trying to think of something to say that would allow him to live longer. He figured that there must be some way to bargain with the two.

Saikyuu: "If you spare my life, I'll--"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. A loud crack had filled the air as Akira had punched his face, a tooth leaving his mouth. Saikyuu looked at the boy in disbelief before he felt another jab of pain in his side, Akira kicking it. The icy blue-eyed teen then kicked him in the shins, causing the slick-haired man to fall onto his knees.

Then another crack filled the air. Then another. And another, and another, and another. This went on for a few more minutes, the black-haired teen relentlessly pummeling the man's face in to the point it was unrecognizable. Akira breathed heavily, his fists covered in blood, and Saikyuu's face beaten to a pulp. He was about to reel his fist back for another punch, but Akame soon put a hand on his shoulder. Akira turned around, seeing his girlfriend offering him a sad look.

She knew about the pain Saikyuu had caused them. To everyone that belonged in the assassination unit. If it weren't for him, their circumstances would've been different.

But he could see the look in her eyes, pleading for him to stop. With a sigh, he relented, stepping out of the way for Akame to deal with the finishing blow. And in one final, quick slice, Akame cuts Saikyuu's throat. The man briefly coughed up blood before he succumbed to his wounds. In the past, Akira and Akame received simple instructions when they were killing their opponents.

Show no mercy. And show no openings to be exploited.

That's how they were raised.

With the target now finished, Akame collapsed to the floor onto her knees. Worried, Akira ran up to her, only for him to be pulled down to her level as she buried her face into his chest. He could tell she was silently weeping. He understood, responding by wrapping his arms around her in a comforting manner. It was over. The root of why they suffered in the first place was now dead. The source of their pain. They now felt like they were free, unshackled from the pain of their past, even if it was just for a little bit. But the mission wasn't over yet.

The only person left to eliminate was the Minister.