" ": You talking

' ': You thinking

* *: Narrator/Voice-off

3rd Person POV:

Emperor: Thanks to the Jaegers, criminal activity in and around the capital has been swept away. Perhaps fearing you, General, Night Raid hasn't done anything in the last two months. What splendid results

Esdeath: yes. As soon as we find Night Raid, we will quickly cut hunt them down as well.

Emperor: Yes. That's good and all, but... I apologize, for I have not found any men for you that meet your specifications. So if the Minister is no good, then how about his son ? I think that he would be rather promising.

Honest: ... ... ... ... ...

Esdeath: Your majesty. As I have reported before, I have already found someone on my own. It is all right.

Emperor: But that man disappeared, did he not ? You cannot be in love that way.

Esdeath: I burn with the passion to once again have him... I think that this is also love...

Emperor: ... ... ... How deep !

Honest: I don't really think so, but... ...

Honest: perhaps it's that he's been influenced by you, but it seems that His Majesty also has some interest in love. If he grows a little more, then we can send him on a corruption course of alcohol, women, and gourmet food. Nufufufu...

Esdeath: And that way, you can keep using him as a puppet is what you're saying.

Honest: His majesty shall have some sweet, sweeeeeeeet experiences.

Esdeath: ... Don't give him any adult diseases, now.

Honest: So... I still have something to ask of you, General.

Esdeath: What might that be ?

Honest: The new species of danger beast that has started appearing around the capital. I wash for you to defeat and capture it.

Esdeath: That case... We've also been investigating that. At first, it only appeared in dense forests and mines, but a few days ago, it broke into village houses and ate the occupants.

Honesty: Exactly. Like how it looks similar to a human... Don't you think that it could be an interesting toy ? Great General Budo has ordered to destroy it, but... I wish to examine it, by all means.

Esdeath: All right. I had wanted to try hunting it, after hearing that it was a ferocious Danger beast. I'll bring two or three of them back alive. Send the rewards to the rest of my troops stationed in the North.

Honest: As always, you're so kind to your subordinates.

Esdeath: The more you adore them, the more the soldiers will be frugal with their lives when they fight. It's one of the reasons as to why my unit is said to have the strongest offensive ability.

Honest: How reliable. I'm relying on you to bring back some very lively specimens.

Coachman: Hurry... Let's get to the capital while it's still light out ! We're saying goodbye to this danger zone...

Coachman: It... It... IT'S HERE !!

Bols: I made it in time... ! With this... I'll bring them down, for sure !

Bols: ... You're all right now, everyone !

Coachman: H... Hiiiiiiiih !!

Bols: Um... I've defeated the danger beasts, so... There's no need to be scared !

Coachman: AWAAAWAWA !!

Seryu: It's all right now. The flames of justice have destroyed the evil.

Coachman: Ye... yeah. So you're soldiers from the Capital ! Thank god !

Wave: Um... How do I say it, don't mind it, Bols.

Bols: These people... It looks like they've calmed down. Thank god !

Wave: ... Bols...

Esdeath: As scheduled... I've incapacitated the ones who ran away. Capture complete.

Esdeath: ... ... I see. This is truly a type I've never sen before.

Kurome: ... ... ... ...

Esdeath: Do not eat it.

Kurome: Ah !

Bols: Wave, Kurome, the tea is ready.

Wave: Th- Thank you for always doing this.

Bols: It's fine, it's fine; I'm doing this because I want to.

Wave: ... ... ... ... ...

Bols: What's wrong, Wave ?

Wave: I'm... Kinda angry. Even though you're such a good person, Bols... Everyone, like those merchants just now, they judge you based on how you look...

Kurome: ... Do you have the right to say that ?

Wave: Ugh ! That's right !

Bols: Wave. I know I've said this already, but I'm not a kind person... There have been times when I've reduced whole villages infected by plague to ashes, and I've also burned to death people that claimed their innocence to the very end... That's why I'm sure... That I've earned grudges from more people than I can possibly count...

Wave: But that was under orders, as a soldier... !

Bols: Even if you say it was something that someone had to do, sins are sins. I feel that getting a reaction like that from the people I save, is also... A punishment...

Wave: Bols... That's too cruel. If you want, you can speak to me about everything from now...

*Knock knock*

Wife: Oh, deaaar~.

Daughter: Papaaa !

Bols: Huuhhh ?! Why are you two here ?!

Wife: Dearie, you forgot the lunchbox that we made together~.

Bols: Oh, whoops !

Daughter: Papa, you silly !

Wife: Since it's a tough job, you have to fully recharge, body and soul !

Bols: Yeah ! I'll be careful.

Daughter: Papa, hold me !

Bols: There there, who's a good girl ? My wife and daughter know about everything that I do. And what's more, they've supported me through it all ! That's why even when things get touch for me, As long as I have my family, I'm completely fine.

Wave: 'It... It's blinding... THIS IS LOVE ?! And... This means I'm useless again !'

*A point 15 KM Northeast of the Capital.*

"You know... This really doesn't feel like a new hideout at all..."

Akame: When you keep escape options and ease of discovery in mind, it naturally ends up similar to the old one.

Mine: It's nice that we have a hos spring again.

Leone: After we're done, let's have some drinks there.

Chelsea: Sounds good~.

Tatsumi: '... It'll be cut of...'

Lubbock: Ms.Najenda, I've finished laying down a barrier around the base.

Najenda: Good.

Susanoo: I've also finished digging a hole for emergency escape.

Najenda: Oh, that was fast. As expected of you, Susanoo. With this, our base is fully operational.

Lubbock: ... ... ... ... Don't think you've won with this !!

Susanoo: What are you talking about ?

Tatsumi: ... A new base, huh.

Najenda: Now that we've returned, without delay, the targets this time are the aforementioned new species of danger beast. There have been many cases of them mobilizing in groups, and despite it being rudimentary, they display signs of intelligence. Individually they have strong physical ability, and even martial art masters have challenged them to test their abilities and lost.

Najenda: Even now they lurk in mines and woods to the south of the capital. They greedily feed upon people and livestock. The Jaegers and Imperial army exterminate them daily, but it seems they're numerous and there are still many left.

"So, since even they are struggling... I doubt it would be a trap. They're not that desperate to get to us... Yet."

Najenda: You might call it helping the Empire, but... That's fine, right ?

Tatsumi: Of course ! It's just circumstantial this time !

Akame: As far as we've heard, they need to be promptly exterminated.

Leone: I wouldn't want to run into any soldiers, though.

Najenda: ... ... We are Night raid. We can just move at night, when the Empire is resting.

Leone: Ah, right. That's right, that's the kinda group we are.

"Are... Are you for real right here... ?"

Chelsea: Hmmm, we're going to go beast hunting, accepting such a risk... It's fine if we leave it to the Jaegers. Like I said, you'll all soft...

Tatsumi: ... We understand what you want to say. But even now, these guys might be attacking someone. We might be killers, but we're allies of the people. Even if it's just to save one more person, we want to speed up the extermination !

Chelsea: Well... I thought you would say that. I get it, I get it.

Susanoo: ... Tatsumi... I have something I want to tell you.

Tatsumi: ... Suu ?

Susanoo: The zipper on your pants is undone. It bothers me, so close it.

"... Gotta say, that speech of yours looses quite a bit when you add that parameter."

Lubbock: Hey, hey, how do you feel ? How do you feel ?

Mine: That's what you get for trying to be cool !

Tatsumi: SH... SHUT UP !!

Akame: i'm sorry, Tatsumi... I had noticed, but I thought it was a fashion statement or something.

Tatsumi: I'm not that much of an open and liberal person, alright ?!

Akame: ... from now on, I'll pay attention and look every now and then.

Tatsumi: No... DON'T DO THAT !!

Lubbock: "I want to save the people, with my fly wide open"...

Tatsumi: Hagh, I'll kill you, Lubbock !!

Leone: Don't worry about it so much. Your fly was open for the sake of the people, right ?

"... ... I mean. It's not my habit to go out of my way just to help people... But i'm glad to be back closer to the Capital. Going all the way there was a chore."

Najenda: That's when you disappeared for three weeks ? What even happened ?

"A lot of things."

Wave: T- Tao ?! Is that you ?!

"Urkh- L- Look, man... Just... Okay, follow me."

Wave: Where have you been ? Why did you run away ?! I mean, I can see why you did it, but come on ! Do you have any idea how hard I got it after that ?!

"Look, I'm sorry about that. I just can't deal with this kind of shit. And in fact, I think i'm quite lucky you were the only one I stumbled upon here... You're alone here, right ?"

Wave: Yeah, it's just me... But why didn't you tell anyone you were okay ? Didn't you run into that Snow-cloaked death or something ?

"Don't remind me, please, my neck's still stiff from that. Three millimeters deeper, and that was my carotid on the ground. Listen... This is just not something I'm suited for. So please, don't tell anyone you saw me here. I just need to ties a couple loose ends in the Capital, then I'll be on my way."

Wave: ... I get you, man... I really get you... My mouth is shut.

"Thanks... wait, on second thought... in the case Esdeath asks you about that... Tell her you saw me board a boat going to the West. She'll understand."

Wave: I... I can, I guess...

Esdeath: ... Ran, I'll tell you this. Those danger beasts... It seems that, according to the Minister's research, they were originally human.

Ran: I knew it... I was thinking that the physical characteristics were similar.

Esdeath: Changing humans into danger beasts... Doing something like that is probably limited to a Teigu user... It might be that those danger beasts are the product of the Doctor's experiments. Since they were sighted a while after he disappeared. Any other reasons ?

Ran: When I searched his lab... I thought it was far too plain. Even though he was supposed to have been researched a wide variety of things, I only saw the results of tamer research.

Esdeath: So he may have a different, secret laboratory somewhere.

Ran: yes. It may be that something ha had secured there had escaped. there's also the possibility of a third party's teigu, but... It's far too chaotic for that.

Esdeath: ... 'He has the same thoughts as I. So Ran can be useful outside of battle too.'

Ran: if that's the case, it wasn't that the doctor encountered enemies while searching for Tao, but rather, after he had found the enemy base... the theory that he attacked them, seeking to use them as experiment materials, and was erased becomes more probable.

Esdeath: ... It may have been that he was much more twisted than I thought...

Ran: But there should be a limit to even the danger beasts. Even now, Seryu and the others should be exterminating...

Esdeath: This problem won't end like that. In the first place, did they escape on their own... ? Or perhaps someone else set them free ?

Ran: ... I understand. This case, I will also look into it.

Esdeath: I'm leaving it to you. It might be a problem with deeper implications.

Ran: Anyways, it sure is rare to see you admiring flowers, Captain.

Esdeath: Hm... Ah. When you apply these flowers to open wounds, its components cause the victim to experience extreme pain. You can use it for some light torture.

Ran: ... ... ... How enlightening.

Lubbock: Seriously, why did I get paired with a guy ?

"Because Najenda knows you can't keep your hands to yourself around girls. Is my company so horrendous to you ?"

Lubbock: Don't make me answer that question. There aren't any soldiers camping here, right ?

"They withdraw for the night, don't you remember ? Stop being such a pansy."

Lubbock: ... ... You know. Timidity is something indispensable for us killers to survive. Even Ms.Najenda said that. Remember that, all right ?

"... Why do you refer to her as 'Ms.Najenda' ?"

Lubbock: ... We... Well, you see, her and I... We've known each other since the Imperial army days.

*... I was the fourth son of a big merchant in the region. Well, I never was deprived of objects since I was a kid. I could do anything skillfully, and I was bored of the world.*

"Why do I feel the urgent need to slap you ?"

Lubbock: It's the tear jerker from here so listen !!

*During that time, Ms.Najenda moved to the region where I lived.*

*It was love at first sight. So then I volunteered as a soldier, using my own skillfulness, I climbed to a position where I could serve at her side.*

"Oh, so that's how you got into Night Raid ?"

Lubbock: yeah, because of my love for her... I guess... ? When we escaped the Empire, I wrote us both dead in the records. I'm gallant, aren't I... But I haven't been rewarded. It's saddening... A real tear jerker, right ?

"... Why do you keep peeking at every single girl in the bath then, dumbass ?!"

Lubbock: Huh ?! There's a difference in desires between having a girl you like and watching a cute girl, isn't there ?! What the hell are you saying ?!

"... Why are we even arguing on that. It's because of that kind of mindset you're still unrewarded to this day."

Lubbock: Tch, just watch. I'll make her fall for me someday.

"Yeah, keep on dreaming pal. If that ever happens, I'll be the first one to cry. Look, we'll be attracting too much attention if we stay together. Since we're here, let's split and try to locate the enemy. First one to find them alert the other so we take them on at two."

Esdeath: I might've called it a night patrol, but to think I would go for a stroll because the moonlight is pretty... It's something completely out of character for me. 'The way I've become a little odd like this... Is your fault too, Tao...'

Esdeath: Hm ? A silhouette... A danger beast ? Hmph... if that's the case, what an unlucky fellow. I'M IN A BAD MOOD FROM FEELING DEPRESSED !

*SCHBROOOOM*

"What the- ?!"

Esdeath: i'm your opponent... I'll try out some new torture techniques on... On... Huh... Ta... Tao...

'... G... God dammit... Why is she here ?! Did Wave snitch on me ?! No, wait... She seems just as surprised as I am... Fate, what have I done to you to deserve that ?!'

'An opportunity ! Thank you, fate-'

'... ... ... Nevermind... God damn it...'

Beast: Gi...

*SPROTCH*

Esdeath: Don't hinder me...

Beast: GYAAAAAAAAHHH !!

Esdeath: ... So it isn't a dream...

'No, it's a nightmare !!'

Esdeath: I've been looking forward to the day, when we could meet again. Tao~...

'... Please... I feel like it was safer with the Danger beasts...'