Crimson Rebellion

Year: 1025

While Raizo and the other members of Night Raid were sent to Old West Town for their mission, Najenda and Chelsea had made their appearance at the Revolutionary Army headquarters. Upon her arrival, there were armed guards saluting her with respect due to her position as one of the highest-ranking officers in the group; however, an atmosphere of tension was among the soldiers. Picking up on this aura, she casually looked around as one of the soldiers escorted her inside while the others filed in line behind the pair. Chelsea cast her gaze back and forth studying the grounds and wondering why there were so many people working on tents as well as reorganizing the defense structure of the base.

"Something feels off," she commented in a low whisper to her superior. Najenda took the moment to look around noticing the wary expressions that the various personnel carried as they walked past them.

"You're right on that. It feels like something happened here that we don't know about and everyone is on edge as a result," Najenda concurred, "Keep your eyes open for now, we'll see what happens next."

Affirmed with their resolution, the pair of women kept quiet as they were escorted to a particular tent in which one of the other high-ranking officers in the rebel military was located. Inside the tent stood a solitary figure of a man dressed in the dark gray and red colors of the rebel army while concealing his face. As he looked up from his desk, his left arm in a sling, the green-eyed masked individual spoke.

"General Najenda, Miss Chelsea, it's a pleasure to see you both. Please have a seat," the man motioned to the pair in a charismatic voice with his right arm. He would then nod at his guards to leave so that they could speak in private. Upon their departure, Najenda then spoke.

"Commander Fujitora, it's been quite a while since we last spoke. What happened to your arm?"

"It's a long story, one that I'm going to tell you in a few minutes but first, how was your trip? Did you run into any difficulties on your way here?"

"None, just a peaceful ride on a different route as per the usual; however, I can't help but feel like something has happened since the last time I was here. In fact, we haven't really been hearing much from HQ lately so I was beginning to get a little concerned about what has been going on. In addition, why is everyone so on edge? It's like the base suffered an attack or is expecting one of sorts."

"Well, you wouldn't be wrong to feel that way as it did come to pass," Fujitora sighed casting his emerald gaze toward his papers grasping a folder with his good hand and passing it over.

"What do you mean? HQ was attacked? When?" Najenda gasped in shock as she grabbed the folder and began to skim over the reports of the incident as well as other notes that were jotted inside. Chelsea looked over the woman's shoulder to get a grasp on the information that was just presented to them. The lollipop lover could only widen her eyes in shock over what she was reading.

"It was around two weeks ago that it happened. We were not expecting it at all but the base was hit by two assailants, both clearly being teigu users. We lost about 20 to 30 men and women in the attack and they did it without so much as causing a commotion. I was confronted by the pair personally, hence why I have a broken arm but one of them I knew from the past."

Silence covered the room as Fujitora let his story simmer in their minds while Najenda and Chelsea compared what they just heard to what was on record. Though his story was brief, the photographed evidence made the story that much more horrifying. The picture of the headless corpses as well as descriptions of what powers the duo displayed simply begged the question of their identities.

"You said you knew one of them, care to divulge that?" Najenda asked looking up from the documents back to the commander. Chelsea continued to read over the report studying every detail that was listed as much as she could while the two officers conversed.

"Her name is Hestia Arashi and she was the wife of the former leader of the Order of the Blood Wolves," he answered with a heavy sigh. The two women were astonished, not only by the name but also by the fact that the name 'Blood Wolves' was used in the same sentence. Najenda gulped down her nerves realizing the connection to one of her team members.

"You mean…Hestia as in…"

"Yes…she is Raizo's long-lost mother," Fujitora said completing Najenda's thought. It was frankly impossible to think that the woman Raizo had long been searching for was indeed alive and well. The pair both recalled the mission that Raizo took to Old West Town many months ago in search of information after his encounter with Aquilo. After the events that followed, Raizo reported that he found a document stating that she died in captivity but it didn't make sense. She was alive? And she attacked the Revolutionary Army? Was she an ally of the Empire?

"Commander, are you sure that it really was Hestia? Maybe it was some pretender or something," Najenda said denying the possibility that she was alive.

"It was her. And before you begin to speculate anymore, she said that she had her own army that she referred to as the Order of the Sapphire Phoenix. In addition, we received reports that the very same order is responsible for taking out our allies in the west and striking Imperial forces in the north. She is truly waging a war on both sides for the sake of her own vendetta but most importantly, she's looking for her son."

An air of silence shrouded the room once more. Najenda felt a chill crawl down her spine upon hearing those last words. All Raizo wanted to do was find out the fate of his mother and she felt that he achieved closure after the events that transpired those months ago. If the boy were to find out that his mother was indeed alive, there was no telling how he would take it. In addition, one would have to think about what exactly she has been doing in the background since the year of the Blood Wolves' massacre and why she chose to resurface now. Remembering Raizo's record, he wasn't exactly the most cooperative member of the rebels; in fact, he was technically a mercenary that only cooperated with the army for the sake of information regarding Aquilo and that he never truly demonstrated loyalty to the cause until much later.

"In light of this event, I have received approval from the higher-ups to issue this order to you. General Najenda, you are to bring Raizo Arashi back to headquarters to face trial for conspiracy to commit treason in a time of war," Fujitora said, presenting the eye-patched general with a paper that had the seal of approval in regard to the directive that was just given. Najenda and Chelsea nearly leaped out of their seats in anger but only one of them remained composed.

"This is an outrage! How in the hell can you sit here and think that Raizo would commit treason? After all, he has done for this war such as saving the lives of his comrades and taking down the enemy!" Chelsea yelled. Najenda grasped Chelsea's arm trying to tell her to calm down but the girl would not calm down. Memories of that day in the Valley of Ruin occasionally came back to her at night when she nearly lost her life trying to take down Kurome but thankfully, Raizo showed up just in the nick of time to save her life; for that, she was eternally grateful. Since that day, she tried her best to become closer to all of her fellow members in Night Raid so that she would not squander the opportunity to make friends even if they were in a time of war.

"You can make your arguments when you are called to testify at his trial but for now, you and the general are being ordered to bring Raizo here to face his crimes," Fujitora spoke with a hint of animosity in his voice. Najenda breathed a heavy sigh before standing up.

"I'll bring him here but I refuse to make the arrest. If you want it done, you send your own men to apprehend him because I disagree with these accusations; not only as the leader of Night Raid but as a General within the Revolutionary Army."

"As you wish, General, a squadron of troops will go with you to your base and apprehend Raizo but you will hand him over and you will bring all members of your team to the trial as well. If you try to stand in my way, you and your team will be disavowed and you will have both the Empire and the Revolutionary Army as your enemy. Are we clear?" Fujitora threatened.

"Crystal."

PRESENT DAY

He awoke in a dark and somewhat desolate place. His crimson irises cast their gaze up to the ceiling above him staring at what appeared to be cold concrete with a dimly lit lightbulb hanging down overhead. Rubbing the grain away from the corners of his eyes, Raizo began to recall the events that have led to this point. It all happened so fast that time seemed to blur. Just a matter of hours ago, he went from worrying sick about his friends after the fight against the Sapphire Phoenix to being arrested on the grounds of treason. Just what was the cause for this? What reason was there behind it? He didn't understand how he could be accused of such things, especially after all of the battles he fought with Night Raid. This didn't make sense…and he wanted to snap because he didn't have the time or the patience for it but seeing Leone there calling out to him after her injury gave him pause which led to him being taken away.

After that, it was a blur of sorts. They rode on top of one of those giant manta beasts all the way here. He recalled just keeping quiet and dwelling in his thoughts trying to take in everything that was going on all at once but what stuck out to him was that they just had him locked up without a second thought. It was like the rebels thought of him as nothing but a traitor which only upset him even more. No interrogation or any sort of questioning, just a straight lock-up without any words being spoken; however, he recalled that he would be standing trial for these allegations. So that must be the time in which he can argue his integrity, it was the only way to put this sick joke behind him. Suddenly, his cell was being visited by someone…someone he felt he knew just by the aura of the figure alone.

"Well look whom we have here," the voice spoke facing his cell as his charismatic yet hoarse voice reached the blood wolf's ears. Raizo recognized this voice. Turning his head toward the man's general direction, he recognized the individual just by looking into those emerald green eyes.

"Heh, never thought I'd see your suspicious ass again. It's been about a year or so now?" scoffed the prisoner at the man. Though Raizo has never seen his face, the male could tell it was someone he knew by looking deep into the man's eyes. After all, he dealt with the individual for quite a time since Raizo was originally a mercenary hired by the Revolutionary Army. Though they had a professional relationship, they never cared for each other. The Stormbringer felt that the man was too damn cynical for his own good and that he held a hidden motive while the individual standing before him never trusted Raizo from the day he appeared in front of him.

"Raizo Arashi, it's been far too long since our last encounter," he said in a cocky tone.

"You know my full name. It's been a long time since I've had my last name uttered by anyone. I almost forgot it existed to be honest," chuckled the youth as he approached the bars of the cage. "You'll have to forgive me though; I never cared to recall your name."

"It's Fujitora you smug little shit," the man said while gritting his teeth. It was taking quite a bit of restraint from reaching between the bars of the cell to strangle the prisoner within but that would only show that he held a personal vendetta. Fujitora had to hide his motives for this trial for now. After all, the goal of dealing with this child was just to get back at Hestia and show that he wasn't scared of her by making an example out of her son.

"Ah yeah, sorry about that; you have to forgive me but my memory just doesn't seem to care for hanging on to irrelevant bitches."

"Keep it up with that attitude. I can't wait until your trial where I will finally have a chance to just bring you to your knees so everyone in the Revolutionary Army will know just how much of a curse you are."

"A curse? Please, if it wasn't for me, you'd still have to find a way of dealing with Budou as well as Esdeath. In fact, if Night Raid wasn't around, I'm sure this revolution would have gone up in smoke a long time ago."

"Hmph, we'll see if that argument of yours will actually hold water in the courtroom. After all, your trial is just in a matter of hours so I get to bury you sooner than you think."

"So I get arrested, put in jail and I have to go to court on the same day? You must really want me dead. Either that or you were planning this for quite some time and you just have everyone in the back of your pocket. You'd fit in great in the Capital, Fujitora."

"You bastard," Fujitora scowled. Raizo was pressing his buttons. He felt his seething hatred grow more and more by the second by just being around this boy but he had to keep himself composed. If he lost his cool here, then his overall goal would not be achieved. The man took a deep breath before turning away to walk off.

"Your trial is in an hour Stormbringer. I hope you are ready to try and plead for your innocence. Oh, and Night Raid won't be able to save you. After all, they are material witnesses in my case against you. Let's see how you fare alone."

With that, Raizo was left alone inside his cell. He took a deep breath looking down at the concrete floor as he felt the spiraling of an electricity flow within him.

"Oh! I almost forgot Raizo," Fujitora called out from the end of the hallway walking back to stare the boy in the face, "This is my birthday present to you."

The man then laughed loudly and walked off once more. Raizo forgot about how much time passed. It was October 15th already? Yeah, it was considering the cooler temperatures and the turning of leaves signifying the fall season finally taking effect on the wilderness. The blood wolf was so caught up in recent events that he forgot all about his 19th birthday. It was hard to believe that 19 years ago he came into this world. That period of time raced past him seemingly faster than he could comprehend his own running speed. All of the things he's done, perhaps this was his fate.

Time dredged on which led to the appointed hour. In a large tent area that was capable of housing a traveling circus of sorts was the area that was the courtroom where Raizo would stand trial. There were stands that held about 100 to 200 personnel of various ranking soldiers that were allowed in to witness this trial while others were on security detail or buffing the defenses of the fort. A large standing bench was in the back of the area where three of the highest ranking individuals within the army sat standing as the tribunal that would be hearing this trial. To the right of that stand was a booth where the surviving members of Night Raid were seated being the material witnesses in this hearing. On the right side sat a booth of 13 people that seemed to serve as the jury of sorts. In the middle of these three booths on the left side was the podium where Fujitora stood as the prosecution. Raizo was taken to the right side and chained to his podium. The leader in the middle struck the gavel down.

"All rise, court is now in session," spoke the bailiff addressing the courtroom. Everyone did as the man said before he continued, "Please be seated. The Military Tribunal is now in session for the case of Raizo Arashi."

As everyone in the courtroom sat down, the middle judge began to speak, addressing the court. The individual appeared to be the highest-ranking officer among everyone here given all of the adornments on the person's uniform though in reality, Najenda seemed to control most of the influence in the Revolutionary Army. The only reason why she wasn't sitting up there was because of her relationship with Raizo as well as being the leader of Night Raid.

"We've gathered together today to examine the charges brought up against this young man known as Raizo Arashi. He has been charged with conspiracy to commit espionage as well as suspicion of high treason. Will the prosecution please stand and make your opening statements and state your case?" the middle judge spoke. Responding to this, Fujitora stood up and cleared his throat preparing his speech.

"Your Honors, ladies, and gentlemen of the court, Raizo Arashi is nothing short of an enigma. His involvement with us as an army has only been one that was signed as a contract. He is nothing but a mercenary and owes no real loyalty to our cause. To begin, I present the court with Exhibit A," Fujitora says, pulling out a document encased in plastic that looks like some sort of agreement or contract.

"This document here is a signed agreement by the accused proving his temporary allegiance to us. It states the following:

'The Revolutionary Army agrees to employ this assassin--[Raizo Arashi]--as a full-fledged asset to be used in the area of tactical elimination of military or domestic threats of tyranny of the empire to our benefit. In exchange, we shall supply proper payment and information regarding anything the contracted party--[Raizo Arashi]--wishes to have for compensation.'

At the time of this document's signature, the accused wanted any information that the Revolutionary Army could give in regards to the whereabouts and movements of the man that is known as 'The Silver Fox'—Aquilo. Though this document does not specifically say it, once Raizo found his target, the contract would be null and void."

The room got quiet at that moment when Fujitora took a breath. It was then that a murmuring of voices ensued discussing the evidence that was just presented. The judges then turned their faces to Raizo as if asking him if he had anything to say. The young blood wolf then stood up as his shackles rattled against the ground to make his counter-statement.

"I do recall signing that contract about…4 years ago when I first found this very encampment and those were the agreed terms. However, the latter half of the prosecution's argument is nothing but baseless speculation. The contract did not have terms as to how it would end, only that I would lend my skills to this army and would be compensated with proper payment as well as information when my jobs were completed. If anything, this army violated the agreement when I was ordered to join Night Raid but I never said anything about that. Instead, I joined Night Raid knowing that I would eventually get the information myself," Raizo explained, successfully countering Fujitora's claim. He cast his crimson gaze upon the man communicating his determination to get out of this no matter what. Anyone who thought that Raizo was only good at wielding a sword would be surprised. Though he may not look like the type, the youth could create a very effective argument and always solve problems critically even in the heat of battle. He just never thought that he would have to use his intellect in this sort of situation.

The eyes of the courtroom then adjusted back to Fujitora to see what he would say next since Raizo's counterargument was a solid one. Even the commander had to admit that it was a solid move and one that he was not expecting but now came the second volley of weapons in his arsenal. It was now time to make use of Night Raid, not as weapons but as individuals with proper testimonies.

"The prosecution would like to move on examining the testimonies of the members of Night Raid, Your Honor," requested Fujitora. Receiving three curt nods in return, the masked commander walked across the room to the stand where the members of Night Raid were seated. Since this served as a stand for the witnesses, they were already under oath and did not have to leave the area at all. Taking a moment, he turned to the first person in question.

"Akame, as one of the longest-running members of Night Raid, would you please stand and give the testimony of your experience with Raizo?" the man asked. The long, black-haired assassin then stood up. Her face carried the usual emotionless gaze though deep inside, she was in agony seeing her comrade bound in chains by the people she swore allegiance to. She wanted to just draw Murasame and break the chains that bound the male but it would only make matters worse; that, and the simple fact that she didn't have her teigu with her anyway due to obvious security reasons. Taking a breath, she began to speak.

"Raizo is an extraordinary warrior and a close friend. To say that he has been an asset to Night Raid as well as a reliable partner in the heat of battle is an understatement. Despite our initial encounter, we bonded over time and became close allowing a sense of trust to be deeply felt when in the heat of battle as well as just living together as fellow assassins on a regular basis. I trust him with my life," she said.

"Touching, very touching indeed but could you elaborate on the initial encounter that you had with Raizo; specifically, could you tell the court exactly how you first met?" Fujitora asked to make his next move to deface Raizo's character. Akame didn't want to particularly remember that incident but for the sake of justice…she had no choice.

"My first encounter with Raizo was after a mission that I and the other members of Night Raid had carried out. We attacked an estate in which people were indulging themselves with women. These women were all drugged and kidnapped from their homes to be sold into sex slavery. Little did we know the same estate was the location of a particular target—which we eliminated—that held important documents. As it turned out, these documents were the means in which led to the first encounter with Raizo."

"And why did Raizo want these documents?"

"If I recall correctly, Raizo believed that they held information regarding the whereabouts of Aquilo."

"Then what happened?"

"Night Raid had engaged in a hostile encounter with him," Akame confessed, hating that she had to say that. Looking back on it now, it was all a misunderstanding but at that particular point in time it wasn't. The courtroom stirred quietly once again before growing silent to hear more.

"So Raizo wanted the documents and engaged in an encounter with you and the rest of Night Raid. Are those present the ones that fought against Raizo or bore witness to the confrontation?"

"Mostly; at the time, Mein and Lubbock were still alive and operating with the team and Chelsea was not with us yet."

"I see. Bringing in this mission report, it says that you, Leone, Tatsumi, and the two former individuals that are no longer among us engaged Raizo in combat, correct?"

"Yes," Akame began, "But it was mainly Tatsumi, Leone, and I that fought against him. Mein and Lubbock merely provided a perimeter to contain the situation."

"And how did things end up?"

"The battle continued until Najenda showed up, putting a stop to the fight."

The courtroom clamored once more as they listened to Akame. Nodding with this information in mind, Fujitora paced back and forth letting the testimony settle in the minds of the crowd and the jury, not even trying to ask anything else that may enhance Raizo's character.

"You may be seated Akame," he said to the red-eyed female. As she sat down, Fujitora moved on, "I'd like to ask Tatsumi to stand and give his testimony about the accused."

Acknowledging the request, Tatsumi then stood up moving his dark brown bangs away from his green eyes before he would be granted the opportunity to speak. Fujitora stood before the boy staring at him eye to eye thinking of how he could make Tatsumi smear Raizo's image without the boy realizing it.

"Tatsumi, before Raizo was assimilated into the ranks of Night Raid, you were the latest addition. What were your thoughts on the accused after the initial encounter that you and your teammates at the time had with him?"

"Raizo was a formidable foe. Quite frankly, I felt like that day when we were on our way back to base that my life was gonna come to an end if I had to fight him any longer," the boy spoke honestly, staring at Raizo with shame on his face. He didn't want to say all of that but he couldn't lie on the stand, otherwise, it would only complicate the integrity of his story.

"So you fear Raizo then?"

"At the time yes and if I had to face him as an enemy then yes but he's a comrade…a brother-in-arms and I've seen how he has changed over time."

"Indeed, now I've read the reports of how you encountered Aquilo during your time in which you were captured. When you inevitably returned, you had to tell everyone of your ordeal with the Jaegers. Could you tell the court about Raizo's reaction when Aquilo's name was brought up?"

"Raizo had an atmosphere of rage about him," Tatsumi began, "It was like he had a deep seeded surging of emotions whenever Aquilo was mentioned. I wouldn't blame him though considering what the man did to Raizo's family."

"No further questions Tatsumi, you may be seated. I would like Chelsea to stand next," Fujitora stated. As the boy sat down, the girl next to him then stood up gnawing on a lollipop as per the usual.

"Chelsea, as an experienced assassin, you have seen many things and many types of people. When you first read over Raizo's file, you could please tell the court your initial and unabridged judgment of the man?" the prosecutor asked, pacing back and forth in place carefully.

Chelsea sighed heavily. This wasn't something she wanted to discuss when it came to her testimony but in the back of her mind, she felt like she knew it was going to happen. After all, the prosecution is just trying to find as many ways as possible to ruin Raizo's credibility so that Raizo will get the verdict of being guilty. She had a strong feeling that this was exactly the case since they weren't allowed to really stick with the good points that Raizo has shown so far. It was complete trash to her but nevertheless, she had to give her statement.

"When I initially examined Raizo's file and then later met the individual himself, I felt that he was an unpredictable weapon whose blade was only guided by vengeance. In my eyes, he was just a ruthless killer who would stop at nothing and sacrifice anything to achieve his goal. His strict conviction to his own personal vendetta as well as his lack of camaraderie among fellows within the Revolutionary Army appeared as though he would drop his affiliation with the rebellion at any point in time if was to achieve his own goals. If something involved Aquilo, Raizo's character would justify his urge to drop everything and focus on that goal of vengeance he had set for himself," she explained. Once more, the people in the courtroom stirred at this giving Fujitora time to relish in a small victory. However, Chelsea was determined not to let him get away with that.

"I would like to state one more thing for the court record," Chelsea requested, looking at the tribunal of judges for approval. Given the substance of a witness testimony for the sake of influencing jury opinion, they had no reason to deny her and would give her the consent.

"Though my initial diagnosis of Raizo proved to be only marginally true, I have witnessed Raizo's growth firsthand. This man is a hero not for the sake of this rebellion but also to us members of Night Raid. He is especially my hero. In fact, if Raizo had not appeared during our confrontation with the Jaegers in the Valley of Ruin, I would have died. Aquilo was right there and he fought with the man. As opposed to going after him after that bout, he came and saved me."

"That's all well and good and all but what about the mission that he went on to The Archive in Old West Town?" Fujitora asked, suddenly shifting the atmosphere in the room once again. Chelsea bit her lip slightly recalling the events of that mission. It wasn't something that was an official mission on behalf of the rebellion but more of a personal request by the man in question.

"Is it true that Raizo requested to go on a mission that was not assigned by the command to head to The Archive?" Fujitora asked, seizing this moment to gain momentum thus forcing Chelsea into a corner. It was then that the man shifted his gaze to another individual on the stand.

"Perhaps you are the wrong person to ask," he said, motioning her to sit down. Reluctantly, the expert assassin sat down while Fujitora focused his attention elsewhere.

"General Najenda, I shall direct my question to you. Is it true that around the time that command requested Night Raid to deal with the matter involving the Path of Peace, the accused had requested permission to voyage to Old West Town?"

"Yes, that is true," Najenda answered plainly as she stood up trying to remain as calm as possible. This whole situation was a thorn in her side and she felt that it was a waste of time to be dealing with such things when there were more important matters to deal with. Nevertheless, she had a duty as a general to be here, and hopefully, she would be able to put an end to this farce of a trial.

"Could you please explain to the court why Raizo requested to go on such an assignment when there was a pressing matter to deal with instead?"

"Raizo wanted to go on this mission because he felt that there was intelligence pertaining to his mother contained within the vast library."

"How did Raizo know about the existence of this information?"

"Aquilo hinted at it during their encounter at the Valley of Ruin…"

Chatter littered the atmosphere once more. Najenda gritted her teeth in anger because she knew that she had just given more ammo for Fujitora to use in this case. It was insulting to witness this case going his way but if she spoke out of turn, then she would only look bad in front of all of these people and it would damage her reputation. Given her position in this army, it would do more harm than good so she had to keep her composure somehow. It was then that she felt someone touch her forearm. Looking down, she saw Leone staring at her with a firm expression even though she was still recovering. Leone had a strong resolve and she wouldn't let anything stop her when it came to her friends.

"So once again, Raizo shows irrational behavior when it comes to matters that deal with his background. He forsook his duty as a member of Night Raid and requested to go on a mission of personal concern. Here, I have the report of what happened that was filed by the general herself," Fujitora spoke as he went back to his podium and pulled out another document.

"Let this document be Exhibit B in evidence. In this report, it states the following:

"Upon his trip to The Archive with Chelsea and Yuki, Raizo was caught in a trap. The man known as Aquilo set up the entire situation and Yuki wound up betraying Raizo. As a result, Raizo was ambushed and taken captive by the enemy thus being taken to the Capital."

"So as a result of his carelessness, Raizo was taken captive by the enemy and what's more, one of his associates that were also working with us turned out to be a traitor. General Najenda, what were the results of the mission dealing with the Path of Peace?" Fujitora added.

"We lost a member of our team, the teigu known as Susanoo and we had a few members who were injured."

"Do you think that everyone in Night Raid would have come out unscathed if Raizo, Yuki, and Chelsea were present?"

"I cannot speculate on that matter."

"And why is that?"

"The enemy had been waiting for us to arrive which caused us to be caught off guard by the presence of the Jaegers as well as the Four Rakshasa Demons. No matter who would have been present, there were going to be casualties. Yuki was going to betray us at some point in time so in my opinion, it was better for her to turn when she did as opposed to leading the whole group into a trap."

"Fair enough but as a result of Raizo's actions… night Raid led an assault on the capital, correct?"

"Yes, but it was after two of our members were captured, those being Lubbock and Tatsumi."

"Yes but they were captured because they were trying to infiltrate the Imperial Palace to find Raizo. Now here is a report in which detailed the massive battle that took place in the Capital being Exhibit C," Fujitora addressed bringing out yet another report, "To abridge this, Night Raid waged a full-scale assault on the Capital to get back Lubbock, Tatsumi, and Raizo. This was a tactical decision for the sake of morale within the rebel army. As a result of the massive battle that took place, Budou was eliminated but Lubbock and Mein were lost in battle. Is that the correct sum of events?"

"Yes," answered Najenda.

"So would it be safe to say that if Raizo never went to The Archive, then: Yuki would not have betrayed Night Raid at that time; Lubbock and Mein would still be alive; and Night Raid would still be a larger team than it currently is; does that sound about right?"

"It would be impossible to assume that such events would occur given the unpredictable nature of assassination missions as well as battles with other teigu users!"

"True but if Raizo was never captured then you would still have two additional members of your team," Fujitora concluded, "Let it be known to the court that Raizo's actions are reckless and selfish. Raizo did not care about the safety of his comrades nor did he bother to think clearly about the consequences of his actions. Let the record also show that the accused displayed priority of his own objectives over the greater good of the cause and would drop anything so long as he could have a chance at his vengeance!"

"That's bullshit and you know it!" called out Leone jumping up in anger no longer being able to keep herself composed anymore. Najenda turned and grabbed the woman's shoulder trying to make sure she didn't go overboard. Leone gazed at Najenda out of the corner of her eye as the general merely shook her head. Fujitora appeared to be smiling beneath his mask.

"Is it? I mean, so far you all have testified that Raizo was self-absorbed in his own vendetta. Could it be that you are only disagreeing with this information because of your more intimate relationship with the accused?"

"That has nothing to do with this! Who Raizo was back when he first linked up with us is not who he is now. In fact, do you honestly think that this war would be where it is now without his involvement? If it wasn't for him, Esdeath and Budou would have likely wiped us all out that day. He fought and killed that man single-handedly thus crippling the Capital's defenses!" Leone protested vehemently.

"Indeed, Raizo has done quite a lot for us. His battle prowess cannot be denied but that doesn't mean his character is still someone that can be considered a beacon of hope. Exhibit D is this report that one of our field spies brought back upon checking up on the movements of Imperial troops that had been in the field for training exercises," Fujitora addressed bringing a folder to the bench where the judges sat so they could see for themselves what was inside.

"A few weeks ago, we had a team out on patrol monitoring the movement of select regiments that were in the field from the Capital. Although there was a massive ceasefire that prevented the movement of troops from our side due to the city holding its civilians hostages, small espionage missions were carried out here and there.

One such mission involved the surveillance of Esdeath's personal regiment which numbered around 10,000 men. This army was composed of some of the longest-serving men within the imperial military and they were known to be the toughest band of soldiers due to being led by Esdeath herself yet in what was reported as "happening within an instant", all of them were dead. The spies then said that what was comprehensible to the eye was that a blue blur that took the shape of a man wrapped in electricity seemed to be the culprit."

As the atmosphere of the courtroom shifted once more, all eyes were focused on Raizo, especially from Night Raid's side. They knew that a blue blur of electricity had to be his trump card state in which his speed and power were increased exponentially. But what came as a shock was the simple fact that they didn't know Raizo did this because he never told them. Leone recalled that night when he came home smelling of blood. She recalled that he said he was fighting danger beasts but what was just revealed was the truth of events. Raizo sighed heavily affirming his resolve to address the court.

"Those 10,000 soldiers died by my hands. I will admit to that," he confessed. This sent the courtroom into a flurry of chatter in shock. The middle judge had to slam his gavel down to call order in the court. When the room quieted down, Fujitora moved in.

"And why did you disobey direct orders to kill 10,000 imperial soldiers? Surely you had just cause, right? Were they marching in a village or something? Perhaps there were innocent civilians being kept in their camp?" Fujitora prodded knowing that neither was the case.

"They were the same army that annihilated the Blood Wolves 6 years ago…"

Gasps ensued all throughout the room. Raizo gritted his teeth knowing that this would only be used against him even more. He regretted not telling his friends about the whole ordeal but he didn't want to be regarded as a monster by them. In hindsight, perhaps it would have been better to be known as a monster than a liar. As he turned to face them, they each appeared to be distraught in their own way but none of them turned their faces from him. Although, Leone appeared to be hurt the most by this development as it was brought into light. He knew he just hurt her deeply by not trusting her enough with this secret. After all, he looked into her eyes and said that he was out killing danger beasts shutting off his emotions for that one moment to lie. Regret swelled within his heart as that feeling would haunt him for however long he had left in this world.

"Once again, we are given proof that the accused will abide only by his own rules when it comes to his personal vendetta. It only begs the question of why Raizo has even bothered to affiliate himself with us and our cause for as long as he had been with Night Raid. Why do we invest so much trust in someone who will go against every executive decision or direct order for the sake of his own motives? It's a very good question but I realized my answer after the attack that occurred two weeks ago on our very grounds," Fujitora explained. He would then recall the events of how Hestia and Genesis attacked headquarters elaborating on how much damage they did and how many lives were lost that day. This was of course the crafty prosecution's way of evoking emotional response with the jury and other parties present.

"The one thing that Hestia wanted to know before her departure was the location of her son—Raizo Arashi. Now aside from a touching reunion, why would she attack our headquarters? Surely she should have known about Night Raid's existence right? After all, Dr. Stylish discovered Night Raid's headquarters before but she came right to the heart of the rebellion. She is determined to get her son back yet she waited this long to want to do so. It doesn't make sense. If she was alive for all of these years, why wait until now to look for her son? What's the significance of his existence to her now more than ever? Considering Raizo's track history and how his former allies have a habit of turning on their comrades, would it not be too strange that Raizo would turn his back on us for his mother's sake? I say, it's better to cut him off now before he has that chance. If he can slaughter 10,000 soldiers in cold blood because of what they did in the past, what would he do to us for his mother? The prosecution rests."

Silence covered the atmosphere as everyone in the room was left to think intensively over the prosecution's case. Raizo looked around him, seeing that not a single individual could stare at him. Really? Was this all it took to turn an army on someone? This man literally just stood here and batted down every single good thing about him on the basis of carelessness and anger. Did they not understand the pain of losing everything they ever knew? Did he need to remind them? His crimson eyes were cast upon his comrades in Night Raid. Examining their faces, he could sense the pain they were in but was it out of agony for the sake that their comrade had to endure such discomforts? Or was it because they too were swayed by the man's words? He had no choice but to just fight one more fight for himself.

"Well then," Raizo began as he adjusted his stance, "If the prosecution is done running his damn mouth, I'd like to say something on my own behalf."

"Go ahead," spoke one of the three judges.

"I'm not gonna stand here and deny my actions. Yes, I admit that I did not nor have I ever cared for the mission of this rebellion. I only cared about fulfilling my wish for vengeance and my thirst for blood; however, that was then and this is now. After that battle in the Capital, I vowed that I would dedicate every fiber of my being to helping Night Raid and putting an end to the tyranny of the Capital. I don't have any vision or ridiculous idealism for peace or anything like that but I believe that the suffering people have to endure from the empire needs to come to an end.

I have lived my entire life as an assassin. I've taken many lives from the time the Blood Wolves served as the Capital's sword up until now. I don't even recall how many people I've killed in the 18…well now 19 years of living in this world. I'm tired of it. I just want to be able to lay down my blades and find out what it means to live in a world without bloodshed but that is only a pipe dream for I know that one day, I'll wind up paying for the things I've done. However, I do not believe that I should have to die for my actions that have been primarily out of hatred and grief nor should I die for the actions of the woman who birthed me. I didn't even know my mom was alive until just the other day but here I am in chains. You think I'm some reckless form of malice yet in my eyes, you're just looking for someone to blame because a bunch of lives were lost. It's sad, to be honest.

Those men and women didn't deserve to die before seeing this land set free but this is war. People die every day because of it so get over it. Honor their memory and their service; don't just grieve over their passing. Remember them when you fight, not throw a tantrum because they are dead. This is truly the saddest thing that I've ever had to go through in my life and not because of the circumstances but because at the end of the day, I'm just a scapegoat. As far as I'm concerned, I don't want anything to do with this army after this is over. You want me gone? So be it, I'll leave. I won't have anything to do with Night Raid nor any of you ever again but that isn't going to stop me from my original purpose and that is seeing the Capital crumble in flames."

With that, Raizo went quiet leaving everything he said to sink deep into the minds of everyone present. The youth knew that this was going to be the last chance he had at speaking his own peace before he would meet his fate. While the judges and jury were deliberating, Raizo turned to his comrades giving a soft smile. His mouth formed the words "I'm sorry" but each of them shook their heads encouraging him and trying to tell him to stay strong.

"Has the jury reached the verdict?" asked one of the judges, breaking the deliberation. A man stood up representing the foreman preparing to speak.

"We have Your Honor. On the count of espionage, the jury found the accused Not Guilty. On the count of conspiracy to commit treason, the jury remains undecided. On the count of sedition, we the jury find the accused Guilty."

With those words uttered, the jury was of course at an impasse on Raizo's case. The first charge was on grounds that Raizo was a spy for his mother and was secretly working for the third force the entire time. The jury found that he was not guilty of that. With the second charge, the jury was split due to the fact that Raizo has not explicitly intended to betray the Revolutionary Army; however, due to the unpredictability of his actions and past deeds, he has done or is liable to do acts that could be considered treason due to insubordination. This led to the third charge of sedition. Raizo's actions in a time of war in which he displayed time and time again his willingness to forsake orders when faced with the opportunity to settle his vendettas combined with the action of slaying that imperial regiment showed that he was a liability.

"This tribunal and the subsequent hearing were called due to the fact that it was argued that this young man was a threat to our revolution. Though his past actions have shown that can be reckless and ruthless, Raizo has demonstrated his worth as an assassin and as a valuable asset to Night Raid. The deeds of those who had past affiliations with him are not the criterion by which we can judge this boy. However, the justifications for his past behaviors do raise concerns for us. Given the fact that so many people look to Night Raid as a beacon of morale to keep fighting this war, we cannot have someone who will disobey orders and fight unnecessary battles nor can we rely on someone who still has emotional conflicts due to his deep running ties with his enemies. Therefore, we have come to a decision.

Since it would be impossible to dishonorably discharge you from service as well as hold faith that you will not spill any secrets regarding our movements to the enemy, we have no choice but to levy the maximum punishment upon you in a time of war. Raizo Arashi, you are hereby sentenced to be executed for your crimes. It is unfortunate that it must be this way but at this point in time, you are a liability and an unpredictable loose end that must be cut. Out of respect for your service, you will be given tonight to spend with your comrades. At sunrise, you will be sentenced to your fate by firing squad. This court session is over," the judge reported hammering down his gavel one more time. As everyone was dismissed, Fujitora walked over to Raizo's position looking him in the eyes.

"Happy Birthday Stormbringer, they say there is an irony in dying on your birthday. Well, I guess hearing that you have been sentenced to die on your birthday is ironic too. Anyways, good luck in Hell," he chuckled before walking off. The guards came and unchained Raizo about to take him away.

"Wait, I thought I was going to be given one last night with my comrades?" he asked in confusion.

"You will but it will be within a contained area so that you do not escape. The moment you are secure, your friends will be allowed to see you and you will be given the opportunity to have your last meal," one of the guards explained. As he was being led away, Raizo looked over his shoulder seeing the expressions of despair upon the faces of Night Raid.

"If this fate was my curse from the moment I was born, being blessed with you guys as my comrades must have been my destiny," he silently thought.