-- Night Raid Hideout --

 

A group of individuals sat outside in the brisk cold of the evening wind. Tonight, these seemingly harmless children and young adults were going to be officially inducted into a group called Night Raid, an assassination squad part of the Revolutionary Army. Everyone of these people were also told that they were going that certain "preparations" needed to be made in order for them to officially join. What these preparations were, nobody knew; the group was just told to wait outside Night Raid's hideout and wait for instructions. All of them had been waiting for at least ten minutes now...

 

One of these individuals, a young and well built man with tan skin, blue hair, and strangly, an old branding iron strapped to his back with a rope, was actually fine with the wait. He was very interested in joining Night Raid, of course, but just not impatient to join. He preferred to take things slowly anyway.

 

The boy, named Seelo, standing with his hands in his pockets and chewing on the straw in his mouth, looked around the area, eyeing the others that were with him. He wasn't much of a conversationalist, so he really did not have it in himself to start talking to them. Considering their strange wear and looks, Seelo could tell they probably never lived on a farm either, like he did.

 

Man... buncha of colorful characters that I'm hangin' 'round... I wonder what they're like... Seelo thought to himself, his country boy tone deep set in the words he spoke in his head. If anythang, they're probably pretty good at fightin', like I am, 'r else they wouldn't be here lookin' to be a killer for these Night Raid folks...

Edited February 10, 20169 yr by Firaga Sensei

(Actually, it was a reference to the OP Imperial Arms Honest used in the last episode of the anime to break Leone's Imperial Arms. It's a testament to my distaste for that part of the anime and the commitment to follow the manga for our RP's storyline. )

 

Seelo

 

The young country boy couldn't help but feel unnerved by Elektra's casual yet disgusting act of eating an ant. Still, he shook it off and answered the small blue haired girl: "Well, I did mention that I like to box, so I wouldn't mind if could get something that involves hittin' with your firsts, maybe like a pair of gauntlets or somethin'. I only started using this cow iron for self-defense back in the day; my main asset are these two hands," Seelo grinned, holding up his bandaged hands for his team to see.

 

"Considerin' Miss Leone, it shouldn't be a problem if I decide to go with bare knuckle brawlin' over using a sword or somethin'.Besides, I didn't spend all of my time practicin' not to take advantage of my skills," He added, referencing his hours of beating on the old sandbag in his barn, which also sparked the idea of getting a bag for the shed in the back of his mind.

 

"What about you, partner?" Seelo then asked Kotetsu, bringing him into the conversation.

(I'll just ignore that anime-related comment)

 

Kotetsu was a bit shocked when he was suddenly brought into the conversation. To be honest, he was still thinking about the battle they'd had the day before. Of course, after watching Leone battle with her own Imperial Arms, he wanted his own to use. He wasn't entirely sure what he'd want, though. "Uh... Well, I've been using a sword to fight for years now. Something like that would probably suit me well." He responded, unsheathing his katana to show it to the others. "I guess I could adjust to any other type of Imperial Arms, but I think that's what would work best for me." He explained.

Elektra thought about it. What kind of Imperial Arm would she like to have if she was given a choice? "Hm...I'm not very strong, physically. Nor tall. I don't think I'd be able to handle something too heavy. However." Elektra said with a smile. "I think I want something that can move fast with me. That I can be able to run around with and not have it slow me down with any weight, ya know? Something strong but light weight enough for me to be able to use. Oh! Maybe like this super duper knife or something! No, that sounds kind of funny, actually. Would there be an Imperial Arm like that anyways? What if I'm being too picky?!" Elektra said, slowly getting herself lost in thought as part of her worried that she would end up with an Imperial Arm that she would be clumsy with, and that she wouldn't be able to keep up with the rest. But as soon as she tensed up, she easily calmed down. "Maybe if I could just move my hand and have it follow me. That would be nice too." Elektra said as she turned to Seelo, getting closer to him and suddenly grabbing his bandaged fists. "You're strong naturally. Your hands are bigger than two of my own!"

(Come on, you know that was bullshit. Don't deny it.)

 

Seelo / Akame

 

"Really now? Seems reasonable," Seelo said in response to Kotetsu.

 

"Oh! Well thanks, lil' lady," Seelo said in reply to Elektra's compliment, a nervous smile on his face.

 

Moments later, the trio was approached by the two who would be their leaders for the day.

 

"Hello everyone," greeted Akame, flanked by Tatsumi. They were both dressed for combat, hinting at the type of mission they would be going on for the day.

 

"Our mission today is going to be venturing out into the nearby forests and hunting Danger Beasts," Akame said.

 

"Danger Beasts, huh? What, just for sport?" Seelo asked.

 

"No. We'll be preparing them for tonight's dinner instead," Akame said.

 

"Well sho' nuff! I used to do that back on the farm! My pa would spend the whole day ranglin' up those suckers and takin' them home for supper, all thanks to this iron on my back too," Seelo said with glee. "I guess this mission'll be right up my alley, won't it?"

 

"That will be decided when the job is done. Your arrogance may lead you to be killed," Akame said with a blank stare, making Seelo drop his gleefulness in a second and just stare awkwardly back at her.

 

"Oh... uh... s-sorry, I guess..." Seelo said. I guess some of these Night Raid guys aren't really rootin' for us yet...

Edited June 4, 201510 yr by Firaga Sensei

Kotetsu seemed a bit scared by Akame's sudden warning. She's a lot more serious when she's not eating hands... He thought to himself as he listened to the two senior members of Night Raid. "What kinds of Danger Beasts are we going to be hunting for? I've fought a few, but most of them were smaller ones." Kotetsu recounted. He didn't want to sound as cocky as Seelo was, but still wanted the others to know that he was capable of handling the task.

 

After Akame gave her warning, Tatsumi seemed a little worried. It was as though he'd received a similar warning in the past... "You three will find out what we're hunting when we get there." He responded to Kotetsu's question.

Elektra jumped onto her feet. Once she heard the words Danger Beasts, her eyes seemed to lit up in excitement. She'd never seen one before. Only in books where they had drawings and descriptions of a few of them. To think that they would be hunting one down just made Elektra want to jump up and down squealing. "Are we really going to hunt them down? If it's for dinner they have to be pretty big huh?! I've never seen one before!" Elektra said. Seelo and Kotetsu had experienced in fighting at least one. Elektra had none. But that only made her even more excited, because it meant that she would be learning something new. "What are we waiting for then?! Lets go lets go those Danger Beasts won't hunt themselves! Unless they actually do, that would make things so awkward don't you think?" Elektra said. She ran up to Tatsumi and jumped up and down in front of him. "Any tips on how to kill them, or would that depend on the type we encounter?"

Akame / Seelo

 

"Have your weapons ready and don't slow me or Tatsumi down," Akame replied curtly for her teammate.

 

Man, she is just not cutting us any slack right now... Seelo thought as Akame and Tatsumi led the trio into the forest.

 

-- Forest Surrounding The Night Raid HQ --

 

The group of five had been walking for what seemed like hours, and although they were able to pass small wildlife on the way, no Danger Beats made themselves present for the young assassins the whole time.

 

"Uh, MIss Akame, Mister Tatsumi, you wouldn't happen to know the consensus or what have you on the Beasts 'round here, would ya?" Seelo asked, clearly antsy.

 

"In this area, Danger Beasts usually only appear in clear sight when they are scavenging for prey. All we can do is stay alert and wait for the opportunity to strike," Akame said.

 

"Are ya sure we can't just hunt 'em down? I did say I have experience with that after all," Seelo said, thinking his way of doing things might be more efficient for the team, but Akame did was blankly stare off to the side and say with a disconcerting tone: "You're so naive..." which of course made Seelo's confidence drop.

 

I just can't win with her... Seelo thought, swishing his straw around in frustration.

Edited June 23, 201510 yr by Firaga Sensei

Kotetsu remained silent as the group made its way through the forest. He was sure to remain aware of his surroundings, in case the five members of his group were ambushed by any Danger Beasts before they could find any. However, there didn't seem to be any nearby. By the time Seelo asked his question, Kotetsu was about ready to complain as well.

 

"I'm sure we'll come across one soon." Tatsumi explained to Seelo. "Finding them out here is different than what you're used to, though. It's best to listen to what we have to say and stay prepared for when one of them finally shows up."

Elektra was a bit too excited for the hunt. She could be seen barely able to keep her place still, bouncing with energy just ready to explode.Even though she was meant to be quiet...quiet wasn't exactly something she was planning. "How big can danger beasts get? How small can they get? Think we'll encounter more than one? What happens if we encounter more than one and we have to only bring one? Do we kill off the other and bring it with us or run away from it and let it live? Shouldn't we offer it something like pray or some bait to lure the beast out, like fishing or hunting for smaller game? Why don't we build a giant cage and lure it in instead? Oh wow this bush is actually pretty soft. Hey Seelo, how many years can a danger beast live?" Elektra asked, whispering trying to keep her voice low...but her questions coming one...after another...after another...her excitement knew no bounds when trying something new. "Maybe I should be the bait! I can make animal noises to attract the danger beasts! I can try being a piggy or a cat, oink oink, meow meow. Wait, if we find a danger beast Akame might eat it all, won't you Miss Akame?" Elektra asked as she just as suddenly paused, just stopping on her tracks. "...do you hear that too...?"

Seelo / Akame

 

"Yes sir, Mr. Tatsumi," Seelo said in a down-trodden tone. While he could tell that Tatsumi was an alright fellow, especially after the stories that Leone shared with the group, he was still feeling sour from Akame's behavior. It was not helping that Elektra suddenly became super hyper and started asking a bunch of questions, none of which Seelo was in the mood to answer.

 

A question was thrown Akame's way as well, but she ignored it as well. However, both Seelo and Akame snapped to attention when Elektra pointed out the noise, which they indeed heard as well.

 

"It's coming from nearby. Everybody stand at attention," Akame said. She drew Murasame from its sheath and listened in to the surroundings. The noise came again, even louder this time. 

 

Akame and Tatsumi lead the group out of the forest and onto a nearby path. The noise became even louder. Little pieces of rubble and rock shook below.

 

"Well shoot, where is this thing? It's gotta be around here somewhere!" Seelo said, trying his hardest to find out where the Danger Beast was so he could impress the rest of the brigade. He even went as far as to put his ear to the ground to accurately input the vibrations. "Hmm... it feels like it's moving around!"

 

"Keep quiet. We don't know when this creature will strike," Akame commanded, making Seelo sink, but he did not give up.

 

"That's why I'm tryin' to say!" He said, popping up back up onto his feet. "It sounds like it's moving around somewhere, like it knows where we are and is tryin' to get the jump on-"

 

Suddenly, the ground behind the group burst up into cracks and a huge Danger Beast rose up, towering above the group of five.

 

"An Earth Dragon!" Akame called, Mursame now fully raised. "Everyone-" But before Akame could continue, Seelo was already running towards the thing.

 

"I've got this! I'll take it out with one shot!" Seelo said, quickly jumping up towards the Earth Dragon with his iron cocked. However, his obvious attack gave the Earth Dragon the advantage to grab him in its hand. It's giant fingers wrapped around Seelo's body and began to squeeze.

 

"Agh! C-crap!" Seelo cried out in pain. The Earth Dragon, Seelo in hand, made its way towards the other assassins.

Edited July 25, 201510 yr by Firaga Sensei

(Sorry about the late reply...)

 

Kotetsu was tempted to rush in to save Seelo, but knew that would only result in him being caught in the same exact issue as well. "Akame, do you have any ideas to help free Seelo?" He asked the girl, keeping his eyes on the Danger Beast as he did so. It was huge, but he was hoping that would limit its speed. They didn't need any more disadvantages.

Elektra saw the creature tower above, casting a large shadow over them. "...wow." Elektra breathed. So this was a Danger Beast? It was much larger than she expected. No wonder they were called Danger Beasts! However, just as soon as it appeared, Seelo was caught by it, now being held with an iron grip. "We can't let it squish any further, Seelo will end up being all mush." Elektra murmured, reaching back and pulling out the battle axe from its holster. "It's big, but surely it must have a blind spot." Elektra mentioned, glancing from side to side as the Earth Dragon began to walk towards them. "I'm going to try to climb it from behind." She finally decided, and without any other word, she dashed, running to the side of the Earth Dragon, trying to reach to its back. She watched the Earth Dragon follow her movements before throwing a punch with its free hand. Elektra jumped up just in time as the earth shattered beneath the punch, her landing on the arm of the Earth Dragon as she stabbed her axe in to keep her grip. "...bad idea, BAD IDEA!"

(Under normal circumstances, I would tell Stardust to edit her post because she controlled the Danger Beast but... screw it, we don't have time for nitpicking, let's just get this story rolling again. )

 

Akame / Seelo

 

"If we target the correct spot on its body, we should be able to destroy it with ease," Akame explained.

 

After Elektra tried to attack the Beast and wound up sticking to its arm, Akame signaled Tatsumi and Kotetsu to attack the Danger Beast alongside her. She jumped towards the creature and slashed at its front. Bringing its arm up, it defended the slash, but it gave Akame the opportunity to grab hold of the hanging Elektra as they both descended back towards the ground.

Edited July 27, 201510 yr by Firaga Sensei

Kotetsu and Tatsumi both nodded in response to Akame's signal. Kotetsu gripped his katana, while Tatsumi suddenly became cloaked in the enchanted armor known as Incursio. The two both targeted the Earth Dragon's feet, hoping to distract it from below to give the others a shot at getting to Seelo. Kotetsu slashed at the beast's foot, but the scales kept him from doing much damage. Tatsumi seemed to be having a similar issue. Ugh... we're getting nowhere with this... Kotetsu thought. "Akame, where are the weak points on this thing?!"

"Thank you miss Akame." Elektra said, looking up at the Danger Beast once more. At least Seelo was being kept in one place! "Like Kotetsu asked, where exactly is this weakpoint? Unless you don't know exactly, because if so we can just do a trial and error...but I don't think Seelo would appreciate being held up there any much longer." Elektra murmured as she pointed at him. If they could fly like birds it would make things so much easier! "It's all armored up...the only thing I can think of is slicing around its knees in hopes it'll lose balance." Elektra suggested, at a complete loss of how to handle this situation. The last thing she wanted was to end up like Seelo.

Akame / Seelo

 

The Danger Beast took no significant damage from Tatsumi's and Kotetsu's attacks, and instead swung its claws towards the ground, aiming to slash at the pair.

 

"Aim for the upper body!" Akame called, hoping the two would take advantage of countering the large beast's assault.

 

"Aaaagh, come on fellas, before I start puuuukin'!" Seelo called as he was swung around by the Earth Dragon's adjacent hand.

"Got it!" Kotetsu and Tatsumi both shouted in response. They dodged the beast's claws, and took advantage of its lowered arms to climb to a higher position. Kotetsu managed to get close enough to slash at the dragon's stomach, while Tatsumi stabbed at its chest. Tatsumi got down to a safer position after his attack, but Kotetsu stayed where he was to get more hits in on the monster.

"Yes mam!" Elektra called, watching Kotetsu and Tatsumi do their thing, attacking the creature at the most possible vurnable places. Elektra hummed, stepping back and forth as she looked around for an opening. The moment the creature seemed distracted, Elektra ran for it, running upwards and slamming her axe down against the floor, the force helping to push her upwards in the air before she spun and slashed at the chest.

Seelo / Akame

 

The combined force of Tatsumi, Kotetsu, and Elektra was enough to tear the Earth Dragon to ribbons, and thankfully for Seelo, the hand that gripped itself around his hand opened up as it died, allowing him to escape. Not thankfully, however, the farm boy turned assassin did not find enough time to stick his landing and instead fell straight onto his face.

 

Akame drew Murasame back into its sheath. It was lucky for that she had realized that her one-hit kill sword was ineffective against the Earth Dragon's tough skin and that the others were able to defeat the monster without her aid.

 

"Is everyone alright?" She asked the group, as Seelo was recovering from his faceplant.

Kotetsu nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. The thing didn't even get a scratch on me." He told Akame. "If anything, I'd be more worried about Seelo, considering he's the one who was in the most danger here."

Elektra watched the creature fall, trying to catch her breath as she soon regained her posture. She never knew such creatures could be so difficult. Then again it was hard to do much with an old axe that was equally as tall as her. But this was a first beast, and it was an amazing experience...she wanted to go again. "That was so cool!" Elektra finally mustered out, turning to Seelo and walking over to him. "...I thought you said you were a beast expert, mister Seelo."

Seelo / Akame

 

"Ugh..." Seelo groaned as he picked himself off the ground and brushed off the dirt from his clothes. He was struggling not to look any more pathetic in front of the others than he already did.

 

"Well, uh... you know... everybody has their off days. Can't win 'em all!" Seelo chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. But it seemed Akame was not amused... not that she would likely show amusement even if it worked on her. Still, she gave Seelo the same look of distrust and dissapointment she gave him earlier. Seelo shut down his attempt to lighten the mood and frowned.

 

"Er... a-at least we beat that thing, right? Or, I mean, you guys beat that thing. I didn't really do much..." Seelo said, digging the hole deeper.

 

"Let's report in back at headquarters," Akame simply said, leading the group back where they came. Seelo was left behind for a moment as he comtemplated his actions.

 

D-dammit... only the second job and I'm already lookin' like a fool. What's in samhill is the matter with me? Seelo though as his eyes burned into the ground below and his fists clenched tightly.

Kotetsu nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He followed Akame away, though he looked back at Seelo. He could notice how upset Seelo was at his failure, and was about to try to go comfort him, but noticed Tatsumi seemingly go to do the same thing.

 

"Hey, Seelo." Tatsumi got the man's attention. "Don't let her get to you too much... She's stern, but it's only because she wants us to be safe and fight at our best." Tatsumi whispered, trying to explain Akame's reaction. "I'm sure you'll be able to prove yourself to her soon." He smiled.

Seelo / Akame

 

"Well... I hope so. Either way, thanks Tatsumi," Seelo said, cheering himself up a little.

 

As Seelo joined the others in their walk back to HQ, there was another rumbling underneath the ground where they were walking.

 

"There may be another Danger Beast near," Akame said.

 

Seelo could not help but see if he could hear the beast's movements once more. He lowered his ear to the ground and felt the vibrations loud and clear. They were definitely coming towards the group.

 

"I know where it is! It's gonna come up right under us!" Seelo quickly shouted.

 

"Are you sure?" Akame asked.

 

"Yes, I'm sure! We gotta move!" Seelo said. 

 

The Danger Beast quickly started to surface from under the ground below. Akame and the others moved away and got themselves ready for another battle.

 

Seelo quickly ran up to the others with his iron in hand.

 

"What's the plan, ma'am?" He asked, showing no signs of running off on his own.

 

"We attack in the same pattern as last time. Aim for the upper body!" She commanded the group as they all sprang into action.

Edited August 22, 201510 yr by Firaga Sensei

"This one shouldn't be a problem." Kotetsu spoke confidently.

 

Tatsumi nodded. "Yep. Here's your chance, Seelo."

 

Kotetsu and Tatsumi both ran over towards the beast, and while Tatsumi kept it distracted, Kotetsu made his way over towards the beast's chest to get a clear shot at it.