Crimson Rebellion

Year: 1024

It was a quiet day. The sun was shining brightly in the blue skies above as the wind gently carried a pleasant breeze in the air rustling the leaves of the surrounding trees. The path leading to the gates of the city was surprisingly bare, not a single traveler in sight as two individuals were headed for some intelligence gathering. Two males around the same age walked side by side with small grins on their faces but with a cautious attitude, no ordinary person would have guessed they were members of Night Raid.

"Never thought we'd be traveling together on the road to the Capital like this, eh Lubbock?" said Tatsumi with a small smirk of disbelief at the current situation. His partner with the iconic lime green hair chuckled in return.

"Yeah, who are you kidding? It's been crazy over this past week hasn't it?" Lubbock asked his fellow companion in a nostalgic sigh.

"Yeah, I'm still trying to accept everything that's happened."

Earlier that week, Night Raid had embarked on a mission to take down a man known as Boric. This individual was a person of significance within the Empire who tried to seize power in the east by taking reign over a religious group known as The Path of Peace. Hearing of his various misdeeds, the Revolutionary Army sent Night Raid the order to take him out. Considering the threat level of the target, it was not an easy mission, not by a long shot. They had to deal with the Four Rakshasa Demons; a syndicate of elite assassins that were able to fight on par with Teigu users without the use of a teigu themselves as well as support from Esdeath's group—The Jaegers.

It was a daunting challenge but as a group, Night Raid was sure to come out on top. Lubbock took down two of the demons on his own while Akame eliminated another. The fourth was incapacitated by Tatsumi. In addition, the Jaegers lost one of their biggest powerhouses—Seryu Ubiquitous. The insane justice maniac was taken out by none other than Mein as she, at last, avenged the death of her former partner Sheele. These were monumental victories for the league of assassins but they wouldn't come without cost. Yes, they did manage to take down Boric but they lost one of their own.

His name was Susanoo. As a last resort to assist in his comrade's full retreat, Susanoo stayed behind holding off General Esdeath herself though he couldn't do it all alone. At the cost of her life force, Najenda activated Susanoo's trump card: Magatama Manifestation a total of three times. The first time was at the Valley of Ruin while the other two times were against the Ice Queen herself. Considering that it was three times, the eye-patched leader should have also met her fate yet she was still alive and kicking to this day. Perhaps it was due to her immense willpower.

Indeed, it had been a taxing tale for the rebel assassins yet they overcame their trials and their grief only to be met with more tragic news. Chelsea had returned to the group about a day or so after they all regrouped at the new headquarters stationed further south. The veteran female had returned from a different mission with two other comrades—Raizo and Yuki—that involved a journey to the fabled Archive located in Old West Town. Though the goal was mostly personal for Raizo's sake, a tragedy occurred there as well.

For starters, Chelsea described that the entirety of the small town was occupied by a garrison of Imperial soldiers. Considering the way they were organized, they had shown up at least a day before her team did. The troubled ginger stated that they played it smart and took their time with the infiltration but were ambushed inside the library. The man known as The Silver Fox, Major General Aquilo, was waiting for them, and worst of all; Yuki had betrayed them. Chelsea escaped bringing all of this information to Night Raid's attention. In response to this, Najenda dispatched Tatsumi and Lubbock to get some intelligence on the situation in the capital so that the assassins could decide whether or not to make their move.

"It's hard to believe it… Raizo gets captured and Yuki turns out to be a traitor and all that. The poor guy has been through so damn much and still fights the way he does. How does he do it?" Lubbock wondered as they neared the rear gates to the city.

"I don't know. Out of every one of us, I feel like he shoulders the greatest of burdens… and then to be betrayed by two of his childhood friends, it's a miracle that he can keep his sanity," Tatsumi added his thoughts to Lubbock's statement.

"Well, how about we ask him the moment we bust his ass out of this hell hole?"

"Sounds good to me!"

The pair arrived at the back gate after their trip down memory lane. It was quiet in the area here as well. Amidst what appeared to be the ruins of a stone temple, the duo looked around like they were expecting someone. The wind continued to blow softly flowing against their faces. Though it was peaceful, it seemed like this was way too quiet even for the Capital. They peered around the area slowly examining the area. An air of tension came over them. They stood back to back in a guarded position as if expecting something to happen right now. They were supposed to meet an informant but there was no one to be found until…

"Who's there?!" Lubbock called out while arching his fingers manipulating the sharp steel wires attached to his fingertips belonging to his teigu, Cross Tail. It was then that a hooded individual emerged from behind one of the stone pillars in the area coughing. The attire was unique to those who worked as spies for the Revolutionary Army. Taking a sigh of relief, Lubbock lowered his guard advancing toward the person's position however, Tatsumi was still on edge.

"Hey, don't scare us like that, you were making us feel like the enemy had…" the youth's voice faded as the cloaked figure uttered one word.

"Run…" the spy coughed before squirts of blood came out the person's mouth. It was then that guards appeared from the bushes fully armed to the teeth from all sides surrounding the pair. A maniacal laughter soon followed as a dark-skinned male walked out revealing himself. He was tall and looked to be in his 20s with short, spiked, bluish-silver hair. His eyes communicated a level of unique insanity that would put him on par with Esdeath herself.

"Well, what do we have here? A couple of shitty-ass brats trying to infiltrate my beloved home! And they are Night Raid members too? Boy, pops is gonna be thrilled to hear this," he said. The man in question was none other than the Onest's son, Syura.

"Shit looks like we're gonna have to fight our way out of here Tatsumi," Lubbock cursed gritting his teeth in frustration.

"I agree with you but what about Raizo?" the green-eyed male asked as he got into position with his blade about to activate his teigu.

"We will just have to take these guys down before any more reinforcements come."

Suddenly, Syura began to laugh as he overheard their conversation a bit. He couldn't help but laugh at their pitiful thinking. Did they think they could win? I mean, did they not see how greatly outnumbered they were right now? Syura was far too arrogant to consider any person a legitimate threat. This was one of his biggest shortcomings hence why he always failed.

"You guys are idiots if you think you can honestly win! As if you'll get a chance to save that unfortunate loser that the shit-eating bastard Aquilo brought back! You won't even have the chance!" he laughed. It was during this rambling of his that Tatsumi shouted out.

"INCURSIO!!" the brunette shouted as a cloud of smoke engulfed the area in that instant and a tower of bright white light flashed in the air for a second. Instantly, Tatsumi was coated in the silver and white armored teigu that his former mentor entrusted him with. Now ready, he takes arms—a long bell-shaped spear—and stands side by side with Lubbock to battle.

"Pfft, yeah right. Alright, gentlemen, take these assholes down," Syura ordered casually sending the guards that were with him essentially to their deaths as they recklessly charged the well-trained pair of assassins.

As the waves of men attacked thrusting their spears and swinging their swords at the pair, Lubbock simply dodged every attack that came toward him ducking low and crossing his arms as though he were weaving something in the air while he maneuvered around the crowd of about 10 soldiers. After he got through them, he tugged the wires and the entire group was shredded to pieces, massive sprays of blood and limbs spraying everywhere. Tatsumi spun his spear around deflecting the oncoming attackers and countered by just chopping the men attacking his side with great ease sending their entrails and hacked-up corpses raining down to the ground.

Their teamwork was in perfect sync with each other. Syura gritted his teeth in frustration not expecting them to be skilled. Once again, this was the evidence of his shortcomings as a leader that would someday catch up to him and seize his life. He kept sending his units in to fight the males but to no real avail, they were just being hacked down like they were lambs being led to slaughter. It was then that the gates opened and a presence of imposing stature came walking through. The fighting ceased as all the remaining individuals in the area turned to see who the person was walking into the fray.

"Hey Tatsumi, this aura feels like…" Lubbock started to say quivering in fear. Tatsumi nodded in agreement with him.

"Yeah, it's just like Esdeath," the armored youth said completing his companion's thoughts. They would be right to assume that the aura was similar to that of the infamous ice-wielding general. As the silhouette came into the light, one could see that the person was a male of imposing stature. His face had mature features and seemed chiseled by stone hardened. He was an older man perhaps in his 40s at least with a strong muscular frame decorated in plated armor and a red cloak. His forearms held mysterious gauntlets on them that held the ship of something akin to engine pistons on them. Complete this with blonde hair and intimidating blue eyes and you have the other person that is revered as one of the strongest in the Capital. Having recognized him, Syura spoke in a criticizing manner.

"General Budou, what brings you out this way?" asked Syura in a rather formal yet condescending tone. Budou was the kind of man who cared only for the protection of the city and he had serious hatred toward the Minister. As such, Syura bore the same resentment toward him. The old man spoke in a calm yet bellowing tone as if his vocal cords beat like battle drums.

"I heard pests were trying to infest my city so I came to exterminate them," he said. As he took a look around the area, he saw that the green field area was showered in crimson from the numerous bodies lying dead on the ground.

"So many soldiers died…their sacrifice will not go in vain; however, you could have easily taken them out Syura. Afraid to get your hands dirty boy?" he spat in a criticizing tone.

"As if I need to soil my hands over a couple of shitty brats like these two bastards old man!" retorted Syura gritting his teeth in anger over the elder's condescending tone.

"It doesn't matter; I've come to take care of this personally. Besides, I could use the warm-up," the mighty figure spoke as he stopped about ten paces from the position in which Tatsumi and Lubbock were stationed. The remaining guards backed away gathering in a large semi-circle that cut off the retreat of the two assassins. Tatsumi held his spear at the ready since he was the most suited to take on the general. Lubbock turned a watchful eye to his partner.

"I can probably punch a hole through the guard formation for us to retreat for now. You think you can take that guy on your own man?" asked the eccentric youth in a low tone.

"Long as Incursio holds out against his attacks, it shouldn't be too much of a problem so I'll leave it to…" Tatsumi began to say but in that instant, a dark shadow had descended upon the both of them. The duo simultaneously craned their necks in the direction the shadow was being cast to see the figure of the man known as Budou standing over them. Upon his face was an expression of calm yet serious nature. An intense, suffocating aura of pure killing intent blazed around him like a raging inferno. No words could be uttered but pure terror shuffled down their spines.

"It seems you two were preparing for something; however, I'd like to take out the trash rather quickly," the man boasted. With a blur, Budou's right hand moved and hit Lubbock on the back of his neck instantly knocking out the youth and rendering him unconscious as his body landed flat on the ground. Horrified, Tatsumi swung his weapon at the general out of desperation but Budou lifted his forearm to block it.

"I see, this user of Incursio isn't completely without skill but…" he critiqued as he thrust his left fist into the body of Tatsumi sending him flying back into one of the columns nearby, "Your attack form severely needs work if you want to truly make use of that armor. I can tell you haven't had it long from the way you tried to attack me just now. Then again, emotions tend to weigh a man's sword in the heat of battle if his close comrade is taken down before him."

Budou had strutted over towards the area in which Tatsumi landed. A small dust cloud engulfed the small zone as cracks shifting through the surface of the pillar were immediately visible. Tatsumi was stunned but not down for the count yet. He pulled himself off the impact zone slowly and recovered himself standing in a two-guarded stance. His legs spread apart as he crouched angling his torso carefully so that he did not leave any openings. Tatsumi waited for the general to come close since the man was walking leisurely but suddenly, he vanished once more.

Sensing the aura, Tatsumi quickly rose the bell-shaped spear in a diagonal guard over his chest but Budou reappeared before him delivering a back-handed left swing straight to the youth's face sending him spiraling toward the wall in which he entered. But that was not all as the general followed suit at impressive speed timing it perfectly in which the armored figure hit the wall again landing a massive right hook into Tatsumi's abdomen. The sheer force paired with the incredible damage taken shattered the armor of Incursio causing the teigu to deactivate leaving the key to fall to the ground and Tatsumi to fall to his face in the dirt as he too was now unconscious.

"Hmph, I was honestly expecting more from the wielder of Incursio. I wasn't even using 10% of my strength," Budou sighed heavily. He leaned down and picked up the seemingly lifeless body of Tatsumi as well as the key of Incursio. He would then turn to the entourage of guards and Syura.

"Grab the other boy and his teigu. We're taking these two to the dungeon at the palace. We'll keep them detained until their execution is decided by the court," ordered the giant. At once, a few guards grabbed Lubbock's body and hauled him away following behind the general. Alone stood an infuriated Syura realizing he blew his chance at earning some sort of extra credit.

"Tatsumi has been captured?!" spoke an excited Esdeath as she was in her office during the time of the skirmish outside the rear gates of the capital. Her otherwise cruel azure hues lit up like a love-stricken schoolgirl when she received the report from Ran. The blonde-haired man with a near angelic demeanor nodded his head in approval as he continued his report.

"Yes, he and what appeared to be another member were taken to the dungeons under the pretense of being affiliated with Night Raid. In addition, their charges are espionage, conspiracy to commit murder, and high treason. Of course, these acts are all punishable by death, they will more than likely be tortured for information about the Revolutionary Army as well as any details on the movements of Night Raid before their immediate execution," Ran continued. Esdeath was caught in her rather tonic dream state of being reunited with the man she loved but came to her senses as the words 'torture' and 'execution' were uttered.

"Leave Tatsumi to my care and let Syura have full reign over the other party. That should mend his interest for the time being since Budou managed to pull a fast one on him," Esdeath chuckled thinking of the foolish son of Minister Onest. She didn't care too much for him either as he thought his personality was flawed. Sure he was sadistic like she was but he fought way too hard to earn his father's approval. In addition, his numerous heinous acts as well as his sexual deviance are merely just things he can only marginally get away with. If it wasn't for Onest, the general probably would have killed him herself a long time ago. However, Esdeath dismissed that notion a long time ago due to not wanting to stain her blade with the blood of a fool.

"Also, it appears that Major General Aquilo is requesting to have an audience with you when you are able. He has returned from his recent mission to Old West Town. He had requested this yesterday but knew you would be busy so he said that if you could meet him today in the dungeons; that would be excellent. To add, he has stated that he has a new member for the Jaegers that has been a spy of his employ for quite some time on the rebels."

"Is that right? I do recall him mentioning that he had a longtime compatriot of his spying on the enemy for several years. It sounds as though he accomplished something with his asset. Very well, I shall depart for the Imperial Prison immediately so that I may assess Tatsumi's condition as well as meet with the Silver Fox. Is that all?"

"Yes ma'am, I shall convey your wishes immediately." As Ran dismissed his presence, Esdeath departed from her office a few minutes headed to the destination she intended with a gracious smirk upon her face.

A few hours later…

In a dark corridor somewhere under the lesser-known regions of the Imperial Palace was a place filled with various cells and numerous torture chambers for some of the vilest and ruthless criminals; in addition, enemies of the state were lodged here until the day they were to be executed. The area was wall-to-wall concrete, dimly lit so that anyone inside would lose any glimmer of hope they may have had. Cold and desolate could not begin to describe this place. Almost every day here, someone was roughed up by the guards for fun or taken to the torture rooms just for kicks hidden under the pretense of "interrogation." This was just one of the many injustices that the capital kept away from the public's eye but even if the people knew about it, no one dared to say anything.

Two individuals were parading about walking to a certain location within the labyrinth. One was a male of a high-ranking officer status with long, silver hair and emerald green eyes while the other was a female with pale, blue hair that brushed over her shoulders and steel-colored eyes. She was dressed in something more provocative, a garb similar to that of a shinobi but it daringly exposed a lot of skin as well as cleavage. She had a seductive air about her but also one that was ruthless. The male was armed with a cloth-covered spear while the female held a bladed bow with a quiver of arrows on her back.

"So Aquilo, do you understand how my Teigu works now?" the female asked casually as she walked side by side with the man that she had a long-time association with.

"It's making sense, yes, but it seems rather complicated. Go over it one more time for me Yuki?" he asked with a wry smile as such details escaped him at times due to his lack of paying attention. The female sighed as she knew she'd have to take it slow now.

"My teigu is known as Resplendent Will. It's a projectile-firing type of Teigu whose overall ability is to respond to the wishes of its master. The arrows that I fire are sort of like wishes. When I fire a bolt at my enemy, the projectile carries my will. For example, if I want to kill my enemy, the arrow will fly in a way that will kill the person it hits so long as it can hit its opponent. It's like a lottery type of deal. If it hits, the wish carried is a jackpot but if my opponent is skilled enough to deflect or stop the bolt without being injured then it is just like a situation where an archer missed his shot to take down an enemy. However, not always will the bolts fired necessarily react to my willpower.

I have to be focused to a certain degree to maximize its effect so I can't always activate the skill while in the heat of battle. I have to be given time to concentrate with a clear sense of purpose toward something I wish to achieve. I can use the arrows like a typical bow and arrow too; the ability isn't always something I have to use. In other words, it's a very situational weapon," she explained.

"I see, so the weapon itself is more of like a gambling type of weapon where it either does what it is intended to do or stopped cold right?"

"Basically, but there are additional stipulations that limit its capability even more believe it or not; like if I were to fight against the Teigu Incursio, my teigu would fail. No matter how strong my will is, there is no way an arrow would ever be able to penetrate armor of that caliber."

"What about a trump card?"

"That's plausible though I've yet to reach that point with it. This is the most action I've seen since I first obtained the weapon itself. While I was with the rebellion, I was mostly assigned to strictly covert ops and intelligence gathering or just assigned to a more observant role. Even during that skirmish in the Valley of Ruin, I doubt I would be able to do much aside from relying on my combat prowess with knives or short swords and some martial arts."

"But the bow itself is bladed, right? You could use it as a combat weapon right?"

"True, assuming someone gets that close. Plus it's good to surprise my opponents who think that I can only use it as a projectile weapon," she chuckled as she said this to her friend while they continued their march through the halls rounding corners to reach their destination.

"Fair enough then," he nodded approvingly then turned to her with a rather serious expression, "You do know that General Esdeath is going to want to know specific details about the rebels and Night Raid when given a chance for a debriefing right?"

"I know I'm prepared for that though she'll be disappointed in what I've found out. The most I'll be able to tell her are the tactics the rebel officers like to use as well as their numbers but the information is a few weeks old. The ranks of the rebels seemingly increase periodically. For all I know, their forces could number in the hundreds of thousands by now."

"I was afraid of such results. Ever since they voiced their open declaration of rebellion, the numerous feats of groups like Night Raid have led many to voice their support for the revolution. Regardless, the fact that you were behind enemy lines gathering intelligence as well as being a Teigu user will guarantee your immediate membership of Esdeath's elite forces. I will vouch for you, don't worry."

It was then that Yuki extended her arm toward Aquilo grabbing his sleeve. The man turned his tall frame toward her raising an eyebrow as he cast his gaze down to her. She stepped close in that instant placing her left hand upon his muscular chest and sliding her digits up to his stern face caressing his cheek lovingly. A fade of pink flushed her cheeks as she looked up at him pressing her body against his. A hint of slightly heavy pants escaped her parted lips as she stood on the tips of her toes contained within her shoes to press her rosy lips against his. In that instant, the pair shared a long overdue kiss. One that Aquilo waited years to receive since they had a sort of relationship that they never really publicized back when they were younger. After a few seconds passed, she backed down and smiled softly.

"I know you will, you've always supported me even back during the days of our part in the clan," she spoke sweetly having that one moment of being a girl once again.

"You are right in that regard my dear. And just think, we'll be able to spend more time together when we aren't on assignment," he responded in a relieved tone signifying a small weight of tension being lifted off his shoulders. The two would not be able to share this romantic moment for long as the sound of heels clacking resonated in the corridors slowly approaching them. Hearing the approaching presence, Yuki backed away from Aquilo to assume a more professional-looking attitude as the silhouette of a woman appeared.

"General Esdeath," Aquilo saluted as the sight of the woman with a dangerous aura about her came into the light. It was yesterday that the youth had sent a request for an audience through Ran to get her to meet with him today. Ran came to inform him about an hour or more ago that she would meet him at the location specified in his report.

She had a somber and somewhat look of dread and regret upon her face though she stowed it away for now. The reason being is that her meeting with Tatsumi did not go as planned. She had offered the young assassin full exoneration from all his charges so long as he denounced his involvement with the Revolutionary Army, relinquish all intelligence he could yield on Night Raid, and swear fealty to the Empire under the direct command of Esdeath herself. Of course, this was just the formal deal she made, the truth of it all was that she would personally clear him of all charges as long as he would give himself to her but the self-righteous young man refused vehemently. As a result, she took it upon herself to execute him personally in two days.

"Welcome back Aquilo, I heard that your mission in Old West Town went exceptionally well?" she spoke in a gentle tone with a slight smile on her face aside from her obvious glum mood. Aquilo was like a younger brother to her though the man himself held affection toward her that he quickly suppressed when she announced her love for Tatsumi. Though he was disappointed and irritated, he did not waver in his respect toward the woman. He owed much of his military career to her too as she trained him and groomed him to become a fast-climbing officer to serve the Empire itself.

"Yes ma'am it did. I was able to reunite with my contact that I had spying on the rebel forces as well as capture my target," he boasted proudly. Nodding in approval, the woman's gaze fell onto the sensual figure of the woman next to him. Taking this moment to present herself, Yuki bowed respectfully to the commanding officer and presented herself.

"It's an honor to meet you, General Esdeath. My name is Yuki and I am the one who has been spying on the Revolutionary Army for a few years as well as observing Night Raid before my reunion with my sponsor at Old West Town," she exuded with a clear tone so as to come off as one who was trustworthy and not deceitful.

"I see; it's a pleasure to meet you, Yuki. As you know, I am Esdeath. I look forward to your cooperation as well as hearing your report on the dealings of the rebel army later on when time allows."

"Yes ma'am, I look forward to working with you as well."

"General, if you follow us, we are going to show you the fruits of the mission," Aquilo interjected casually signaling his superior officer to follow him. Giving a curt nod, Esdeath joined the group marching toward a particular cell that was almost in the center of the facility just before one would reach the torture rooms.

Inside a particular room was a youth with black hair that held a single patch of white follicles along the bangs. His crimson hues were dazed as his battered body was kept chained to a particular corner atop a worn-out cot that was his bed. On the opposite side of the room was a small pot for the purpose of restroom relief, then there was nothing else that he had access to. His weapons were stripped from his possession as well as much of the garb that he wore regularly. The only things covering his body were a shaggy pair of pants and a few bandages from being administered first aid when he was brought here yesterday. Other than that, his caramel torso was exposed to the cold and dank air of the prison.

The name of the young individual was Raizo and he had been lying down on the bed, his face turned toward the wall trying to regain his composure and full sense of awareness from the events of the past week or so. It was a lot to take in, having not one, but two people from the same clan that you held dear betray you. A burning ember of anger and frustration resonated within his soul though he couldn't do anything to vent these feelings. He was restricted by the chains along his feet as well as his wrists plus, his body was still recovering from the effects of the projectile that just stole his energy and nullified his movements.

Betrayed…once again; is there no one in this world I can trust? Or is this just my fate?" he thought.

"Do not despair… You can face everything in your way and rise."

Akaro's voice appeared in his thoughts. It was then that the image of a tall individual with crimson eyes much like his own vividly appeared. The sight of a red scarf dancing in the wind was seen as the aura of hope radiated around him. This person had given the boy a sense of strong familiarity but before he could say anything about it, the sight was gone. Raizo felt confused but he also felt relieved at the same time. He sighed heavily thinking it was just his mind playing tricks against him as he tried to move in order to find comfort.

It was then that the sound of footsteps approached about three people in total. Voices could be heard as well in low mumbling tones. It was the first time he heard voices since he has been here aside from those of guards walking around and occasionally stopping by his cell to give him his rations. So who would he have the pleasure of seeing today?

"We're coming up on the cell right now General," a male voice spoke. His eyes shot open as he recognized the tone. It was Aquilo, the man he vowed to kill. Despite his seething hatred, Raizo took a slow breath to keep calm and just wait to see what would happen next. It was then that the footsteps stopped. They were outside his cell.

"Is this him?" asked a feminine voice of unknown origin. She had been peering inside the cell and then motioned for it to be unlocked so she could have a closer look.

"Yes, his name is Raizo. Are you sure you want to go inside?" Aquilo asked as he reached toward the cell door fiddling with the padlock.

"Of course, I wish to inspect the man who nearly killed you," Esdeath spoke casually as if it was nothing she couldn't handle.

"I'm sure she can take care of herself, Aquilo. Just let her meet him for the first time. After all, from what I've heard about her teigu, she might find a kindred spirit in him," Yuki spoke approving of Esdeath's curiosity.

"Yes, I do find myself intrigued about the one who has Indra's Judgment," stated the high-ranking woman in a devious tone.

It was then that Aquilo unlocked the cell letting his superior step inside. She strolled leisurely observing the physique of the male from behind. He was curled up slightly hugging against the wall but his form could be quite imposing. On his back was a large tattoo of some sort in the shape of wings. She could tell that it mirrored her own mark that was located on her chest just above the cleavage. She stopped right before the bed crossing her arms over under her bust.

"So, you're the one who has been giving my subordinate quite a bit of grief over these past few weeks no?" she asked him casting a dark gaze over his body. As though possessed by a complete wave of vitality, Raizo's figure stirred and rose from his fetal position to turn and face her. His chains rattle as his worn-out body readjusts to him sitting upright as a result. His crimson irises meet with her cerulean ones for the second time; the first being at that martial arts tournament a while back.

"So you're Esdeath, the strongest being in the Capital right?" he asked in a slightly condescending tone as if he wasn't intimidated by her presence at all.

"That's right. And you are Raizo, one of the last surviving members of the Order of the Blood Wolves, son of Raiden correct?"

"In the flesh, General, I see you brought my backstabbing former clansmen but it begs the question of why you are here."

"I was told about you by Aquilo on many occasions so I merely wanted to fulfill my curiosity. You have a good look in those dark rubies you have for eyes, my dear. They burn strong with an indomitable spirit. One that is typical in most heroes yet you are clearly not a hero. No, your eyes are much like my own. That of a monster, one who enjoys killing relishing in the thrill of battle," she spoke in a twisted tone leaning down even further before raising herself upright lifting her leg trying to catch him off guard by delivering a swift kick to the right side of his face. However, Raizo caught the kick in a quick reflex. Aquilo and Yuki reached for their teigu like they were going to attack but Esdeath raised a hand signaling them to stand down.

"Let me tell something to you General, the only time I relish in killing anyone is when it is the death of someone I've wanted to kill. You may have me in this cell for now but I promise you that it won't be for long. I vow that no teigu, no army, no nation will stop me from killing those two traitorous bastards behind you. And anyone who gets in my way will face an end so severe that Death himself will weep. So you can either steer clear of me when that day comes or you and every fucking thing in this so-called Empire can all die screaming in flames alongside those two," he ranted not wavering at all. His enraged gaze pierced her, reaching the depths of her soul so that she could feel every word.

Esdeath went silent in that instant withdrawing her leg and stepping back. Something happened to her right then, an unknown feeling that she had never felt before. She raised one hand and touched her chest checking her heartbeat. Her pulse quickened and her breath seemed to cease. This was something that she had not ever felt. Fear? Is that what they called this feeling? It was unknown to her because she was numb to such things. This male was dangerous, extremely dangerous and if kept alive given the opportunity, the words he uttered would come true. A sick and twisted smile coated her face.

"Now that is something I would like to see you try," Esdeath dared him as she turned and began to walk away. She seemed to have yearned for something after this conversation though. It was like she wanted to have a chance to fight the young man to truly test his mettle. But it was no matter for now. As she exited the cell, Aquilo closed the cell locking it back. The general gazed back at the male bound by chains one more time to give him something to think about for the night.

"I won't have you executed for now because you just struck a level of interest with me. However, maybe you will have a different attitude when I and your two former associates take down every member of Night Raid and hang their bodies on display for you to behold. I can't wait to see your face when you see their battered, lifeless corpses being paraded as a symbol for every single fool who dares raise a rebellious tongue against the strong. Will you still have that same indomitable spirit I wonder?" she asked sadistically.

"Good luck trying," Raizo chuckled lying down once more gazing at the ceiling, "We shall find out soon."

"That we will because we already have two of them in our custody. I cannot wait to see how Night Raid will move now that we have three of their members awaiting execution," she laughed as she walked off down the hall with Aquilo and Yuki following suit.

Hours after that, the news of an execution of members of Night Raid in two days was spread throughout the Capital. The sole purpose of this announcement was to encourage the rebel group's response. Esdeath knew that they wouldn't stay quiet for too long and if they did, they would only be weakening their own ranks for the coming war.

Far away from the borders of the Empire was the base that belonged to Night Raid. They were making a steady recovery from recent events when a spy delivered the news. Lubbock and Tatsumi were captured and an execution date was set. Even though it was set up to be a trap, Najenda knew that this had to be done.

"Gear up everyone; we're going to get our comrades back."