"The Templars cannot have this..."

"This can't be happening…"

"Is there no low you won't sink to?!..."

"Please never lose yourself again…"

"If we're family, then promise to never leave me alone. Not like they did…"

"I'm the only one here who knows what betrayal truly feels like!..."

"You will burn in hell, Diabolos..."

"Jigoku no fuhai…"

The sound of a slash and blood splattering rang out.

A young boy of about 17 abruptly awoke from a deep sleep, breathing heavily. He had bright green eyes, and brown hair curving down with a cowlick on top. He was wearing a wife beater and black shorts. He sighed.

"Another one of those damn dreams."

The boy got out of bed and walked to the other side of the room, rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes. He stopped at a shelf and looked at a wide picture in a frame. It showed himself with eight other people, smiling. He smiled in reminiscence, then walked over to a closet with a serious look. He opened it, then pulled a small gauntlet with metal parts to it out of a drawer.

"It's finally time."

He then grabbed a white duster coat with a hood.

"Ready or not Imperial Capital, here I come."

Time skip a few days:

The brown-haired boy from before was walking through the woods at a steady pace. He was wearing his white trench coat unbuttoned and a black shirt, and had a sheathed katana strapped to his back. He had a hood up, and black mask on his face from the nose down. He had fingerless gloves, black boots with blue straps, and wore a grim look, hands deep in his coat pockets.

"Almost there. I just hope it's not too late."

Further down the main path, a group of armored men were on a horse-drawn cart, when the area started rumbling. Suddenly, out of the ground, a gigantic brown lizard/cockroach-looking creature appeared, roaring. The men panicked.

"It's an Earth Dragon!"

"I thought they didn't appear on the main path!"

"Who cares?! Run!"

The dragon lunged, it's claw posed to kill. The men screamed in panic. Suddenly, there was a loud slashing noise. The men looked up, and saw that the dragon's right arm was now missing from it's body, with blood spouting from the wound. They stood there, both relieved and confused.

"What the- What happened?"

They looked behind the dragon, and there stood the boy from the woods. His katana was unsheathed, blood lining the blade. He turned to the disarmed beast.

"Class 1 Danger Beast. An Earth Dragon. Should make for a good workout." He said dryly.

The dragon turned and lunged at the boy, roaring angrily.

"Hey kid, look out!"

The dragon's claw had hit the ground, making a dust cloud, but the boy had already leapt above the beast.

"Don't be mad."

He started falling towards the beast, sword pulled back.

"I'll take care of you!"

The boy rapidly swung his sword, coming down hard on the dragon. When he landed, he took the sheath off of his back. He spun the sword, flicking off the blood, and slowly placed it back in the scabbard. After the notable 'klink', a bunch of severe wounds appeared on the Danger Beast's body. It fell dead, its large body stirring up a dust cloud.

When the dust settled, the men ran over to the boy.

"Kid, that was incredible! Who are you?"

The boy took down his hood and mask, and looked at the men with a small smile.

"The name's Tatsumi. Just another boy who's skilled with a blade. You guys okay?"

The men bowed in thanks.

"We're fine, thanks to you."

One of them walked back to the cart, then came over with a small bag.

"Here's some money as thanks."

Tatsumi accepted the bag.

"Thanks, but I must ask, how far is the Capital? I have business to attend to there."

The men tensed up.

"L-look kid, you may wanna' turn back now." One of the men stuttered, nervous.

Tatsumi gave a questioning look.

"Why's that?"

"Time to see if what I've heard back home is true."

"You see kid, the Capital isn't some paradise like you've probably heard." One man said, before gesturing to the fallen dragon. "In fact, it's brimming with monsters even more vicious than this Earth Dragon."

Tatsumi gave a smirk.

"A city filled with Danger Beasts?" He joked.

The man shook his head, not catching his tone.

"No kid. I'm talking about the people. Humans, but with the hearts of monsters. The entire damn place is crawling with those bastards."

Tatsumi frowned, then closed his eyes in thought.

"... I know."

The men looked shocked. Appalled, even.

"You know?! Then why would you go?!"

Tatsumi opened his eyes, which gained a darker look.

"Some things are just worth the risk."

The men still looked shocked. One of them sighed, then caved.

"We left about twenty minutes ago. Since you're not carrying too much, you should be there a bit faster."

"Thank you."

Tatsumi bowed, then left. As he walked, he pondered the man's words.

"Monsters in the guise of men."

He clenched his fist.

"Despite all I've said and done, I had hoped I'd be done with this life. But deep down, I knew that I'd never just be able to up and leave."

Tatsumi calmed himself, and continued at a steady pace.

"In the time I'm there, blood will be spilt, perhaps even my own. But this, this is the only way to make amends."

With that thought, Tatsumi continued onwards.

Nothing lasts forever. All people and nations eventually become nothing more than dust and ash in the wind. However, as long as people continue to exist, the war between ideals will never end. Where there is life, there is darkness. Where there is darkness, there is evil. Where evil stands, we will rise, to protect the unarmed and punish those the heavens cannot judge. We fight for absolute freedom. We insure vengeance upon the greedy and amoral. We work in the shadows to serve the light. We, are Assassins.

Nothing is true. Everything is permitted.

Assassin's Creed: Night Raid

Chapter 1: Monsters in Human Skin

About ten minutes later, Tatsumi was in the Imperial Capital. It was bustling with people, and at first glance seemed like a sight for sore eyes.

"This place sure seems nice." He said, gazing at the scenery. "It definitely is good with first impressions."

Then Tatsumi took a closer look at the people themselves. Everyone looked sad, malnourished, or paranoid, some of them all three. Overall, pretty miserable.

"Then again, things look different once you learn to read between the lines."

Tatsumi looked up in thought.

"I've never been to the Capital before, and the Assassins are very few in number here. And if corruption here is as rampant as I've heard, that limits who I can trust, which was already very limited to begin with. What should I do?"

Something in Tatsumi clicked.

"Wait a minute. Eagle Sense, duh!"

Tatsumi used his Eagle Sense, but the second he turned it on, he clutched his head, bent over, and turned it off.

"Holy shit! So much anger, misery, evil! I'm sensing it from every corner of this hellhole!"

He let go of his head and straightened up before people started looking at him weird.

"Even if I was more adept with Eagle Sense like I used to be, there's no way I could've been prepared for all that animosity. I'll have to practice and get used to it again later."

He looked ahead.

"Guess for now I'll just explore."

Little did Tatsumi know, as he was walking around, he was being followed. It was a woman with short blonde hair. She smiled.

"Heh, he looks lost. Maybe I can have some fun with him."

Tatsumi kept going, and eventually made it to the barracks. He walked inside, and saw a few more confident looking men sitting on benches, and a grumpier one writing down notes and checking forms at a desk.

"Might as well get a feel for how things are done here."

He walked up to the desk and rapped on it.

"'Scuse me sir?"

The man looked up, an uninterested frown marring his face.

"What is it brat?"

Tatsumi winced at that.

"Gee, some introduction."

"Sorry to bug you, but i'm new here, and there are some things I'd like to know. For starters, if I were to sign up for the military, how would I be placed?'

The man raised a brow, like he was talking to an idiot.

"You'd fill out a form and start out as a grunt."

Tatsumi raised a brow back.

"That's it? There's no exam? You don't judge their skill before placing them?"

Now the man looked frustrated.

"Look kid, we're in the middle of a depression. We got people ranging from your age to old geezers coming in by the minute. We don't have the time nor care to do a test, so you either put up, or shut up."

Then he put up a snide grin.

"Besides…"

He leaned closer.

"... I doubt a runt like you would get very far anyway." He taunted.

Now Tatsumi was mad. He leaned closer, looking the man dead in the eye.

"Alright then you old fart, why don't you come to the other side of this desk and find out yourself?"

The man glared and stood up.

"You got a death wish, you little punk?"

The man started to reach for his left hip, when Tatsumi grabbed his arm.

"I don't know what the hell you're reaching for, but you better think very carefully about what'll happen next."

They stared each other down for a few seconds.

A minute later, Tatsumi was literally thrown out of the building, but stuck the landing with a picture-perfect ninja roll, and was somehow unscathed. He turned around to glare at the man, who was now standing in the doorway. While Tatsumi was unharmed, the man was sporting a black eye, broken lip, bloody nose, and a slight limp.

"DON'T EVER COME BACK, YOU TINY PIECE OF SHIT!"

He slammed the door. Tatsumi held up a middle finger towards the building.

"YEAH, SCREW YOU TOO!"

He got up, dusting off his shoulders.

"There ain't a man in this world or the next who gets away with pulling a piece on me."

He then pulled out of his coat, said piece that he had swiped.

"At least I got something good out of it." He said before putting the gun away.

Tatsumi was about to walk away, when he heard a voice.

"Hey kid!"

Tatsumi turned around, and gawked at the lady staring back at him. She was quite beautiful, with a smile that was as bright as her hair, but what caught him off guard was her outfit, which was so risque, you could easily make out her body shape, and it was easy to see the size of a certain pair resting on her chest, with it barely being covered by a tube top.

"Hey kid, eyes up here!" She said, snapping her fingers a couple of times. Tatsumi looked up.

"Uh, um, hi there! But, uh, who are you?"

The woman snickered.

"The name's Leone Wylde, and I'm guessing you're new here, correct?"

Tatsumi visibly calmed.

"Uh, how could you tell?" Tatsumi said, struggling to keep his eyes from facing downwards.

"I've been here a good long while, it's just a capability you get. Let me guess, you came to the Capital looking for money and fame correct?"

Tatsumi's eyes narrowed, and he gained a smirk.

"Alright Leone, I'll play along."

"Yeah, fame and fortune would be nice. Why, you got some advice for a poor lil' dude like me?"

"You might say that, and I'll give it to you over lunch, if you treat me!"

Tatsumi was hesitant about it, but he had already had a lot of money, along with the cash he got from the men on the road. Also, he had done some pickpocketing while walking through the streets. Money wasn't really an issue at the moment.

"I guess I could afford to pay for this girl's fill and see what happens."

"Alright, I'll go with this. Lead the way."

"Cool! Oh, and I never got your name!" Leone said, holding out her hand. Tatsumi took it with a smile.

"It's Tatsumi. Tatsumi Diabolos."

Pretty soon, Tatsumi and Leone were inside a bar and grill, and while Tatsumi was enjoying a hot sandwich, Leone had finished two cups of beer, and was nearing her third.

"'Gulp'. Aaaah, that hit the spot!"

Scratch that, she had just finished her third.

"Revealing clothes, and heavy drinking. How the hell is this woman not in jail for public indecency?"

While Leone was in her slightly drunken daze, Tatsumi decided to try his Eagle Sense once more. With less people nearby, it should be easier on his senses.

"Okay, let's try again."

He turned it on, and there was still a strain, though much less severe than before. As for what he could sense from Leone, it was actually a balance between good and bad, though not really in a happy medium sort of way. There was a bit of good nature, but he could also sense some malicious intent, though not specifically towards him. There was also a hint of playfulness, but that was obvious from the get-go.

"A person like this can either be really good, or really bad. I'd say it's time to stop fooling around."

"Alright, you've had your drink, now can we get on with the advice you offered? I don't have all day."

Leone motioned for Tatsumi to come a bit closer. He leaned in.

"I got a buddy who's really high in the military. If I talk to him, he can get you in, though you'll need a lot of dough."

Tatsumi quirked an eyebrow.

"Dough? You mean cash?"

Leone smiled.

"Yup! So show me whatcha' got!"

Though he hid it well, Tatsumi was beyond frustrated.

"What a waste of time. I try to get some info, only to wind up with some blonde bitch trying to scam me. But if she's gonna' attempt to play me, she'll get more than she bargained for."

"Okay then…"

Suddenly, there was a slamming noise, making Leone and Tatsumi jump in their seats. At the entrance to the bar, a group of angry looking men were looking around. When their eyes landed on Leone and Tatsumi, they all grinned.

"Found you."

Leone hung her head.

"Knew this would happen eventually."

Tatsumi looked shocked as he realized what she meant.

"How many poor bastards has this broad conned?!"

The men walked up to the table.

"You got a lot of nerve, showing your mug around here bitch. My brother ain't too happy about that scam you pulled." One of them said.

"You owe me for those drinks!"

"Where's the money I won in that poker game?!"

Tatsumi could feel the anger radiating off of these people. If they didn't get their money here and now, they would definitely hurt, and possibly even kill Leone. He cringed at the thought.

"I'm still a little pissed over her scamming attempt, but I don't want her dead. Just this once, I'll try to talk them out of this".

Tatsumi waved to the men.

"Hey fellas"?

They turned to Tatsumi.

"Yeah, hi there. Look, I understand you may have some difficulties with my friend here, but right now, we're just having a chat over lunch. I'm not sure what issues you may have with her, but could just let us finish eating before you settle anything?" Tatsumi said, hopeful.

The biggest guy leaned over to Tatsumi.

"By the looks of it, she ain't eatin' anything kid, and even so, we've done enough waiting. You should leave, before you get hurt."

Leone leaned closer to Tatsumi.

"He's not joking around. You should get going".

All the playfulness in Leone's voice was gone, replaced with concern, which, given the circumstances, was quite surprising.

"Guess she's not really a bad person. Oh well."

He sighed.

"Alright then. See you around Leone, at least I hope."

Tatsumi got up, and just as he got to the door, one of the thugs decided to throw one more remark.

"Yeah, get your sorry ass out of here, twerp."

Tatsumi gained an angry look.

"That's it. The yahoo's going down."

Instead of walking outside, Tatsumi started twisting the locks of the door, loud enough for the others to hear. They turned towards him again.

"You know, I was gonna' let you go about your business, but then you just had to go and be an asshole."

As he did the last lock, he pulled his katana sheath off of his back. Leone hung her head, pitying the kid.

"You understand what I mean by that, right?"

One of the bigger guys smirked.

"No, you little shit, what?"

Tatsumi grabbed the handle of his sword.

"War, you son of a bitch." He swung his sword, causing the scabbard to fly off and hit the biggest man square in the forehead, knocking him to the floor, dazed. The sheath flew into the air, which Tatsumi effortlessly caught and placed back on his sword.

Leone was shocked.

"What the heck?"

The men stared at Tatsumi as he slowly walked back to them. He had a small smirk, and a devious glint in his eye.

"Now then, are we just gonna' stand around here all day, or are we gonna' fight?"

One of the guys in the back of the group charged with a raised fist, but Tatsumi blocked it with the handle of his sword, and directed towards another guy in the group, knocking him to the floor, and a tooth out of his jaw.

All the men charged Tatsumi at once, and although they had bigger frames, Tatsumi was easily blocking and parrying them, whether it was with his sheathed blade, his arms, or legs. When one of them pulled out a knife, he used his buddy as a meat shield. He broke one man's wrist over the bar counter. He even caused two of the men to smack headfirst into each other.

When Tatsumi had dealt with the rest, the guy he had tossed his scabbard at had gotten up, and taken out a revolver. Noticing this, Tatsumi finally unsheathed his sword, deftly blocking and deflecting each bullet.

"YOU SON OF BITCH, I'LL HAVE YOU BRIMMING WIth lead…"

The man stopped shouting, looking down at his gun as he pulled the trigger again, only to hear a click. He was out of ammo. When he looked back up, Tatsumi was threatening him at swordpoint. Smirking, Tatsumi lifted up the blade, and came down on the man's forehead with the butt of the handle, this time knocking him out well and good.

The bartender watching was quivering. Noticing him, Tatsumi sheathed his katana and placed it on his back. He then reached into his coat, startling the man.

"Hey, hey, hey! Look pal, if I did anything, then I'm sorry! Please, I want no trouble!"

To his shock, instead of a weapon, Tatsumi took out a small bag of money, and tossed it to the quivering man.

"That should cover the damages and then some."

The man looked at the bag in his hands in shock, then nodded towards Tatsumi and went to the back of the bar, perfectly understanding what Tatsumi meant by "and then some."

Leone's jaw was agape as Tatsumi sat down. Tatsumi sighed, took another bite of his sandwich, and flopped back in the chair.

"You know, this sandwich is really good, you should get one."

Leone slammed her hands on the table.

"Screw the sandwich! Where did you learn moves like that?"

Tatsumi took another bite.

"Nowhere near here, that's for sure. By the way, the next time you try to con someone, you may not want to get drunk first."

Leone blushed with a guilty look.

"Oh, you uh, caught that?"

Tatsumi gave Leone an "are you stupid" sort of look.

"Pretty much. I may not be from around here, but I'm not some naïve redneck like you think. A perfect stranger giving the deal of a lifetime in return for cash? Not to be trusted. The second I handed you anything, you'd be out of here, never to be seen again".

He then leaned closer.

"Besides, even if I didn't catch it earlier, the fact that an entire gang of men came in accusing you of playing them was a dead giveaway."

Leone had to acknowledge that this guy was nothing like she had thought.

"Alright, you got me. Sorry kid."

Tatsumi shrugged.

"Whatever. You showed genuine concern for my wellbeing when those guys threatened me, so you can't be all bad."

Leone smirked.

"Kid, if you only knew."

"Besides, you're not the only one who's been lying."

Leone gave a questioning glance.

"What do you mean?"

Tatsumi smiled.

"I lied about my reasons for coming here. I'm not after fame and fortune. I don't really like sticking out. I'm here for reasons a tad bit more, well, personal, than glory."

Leone gave a small smile.

"I don't really understand personal, but I do know a few guys who would."

"Really? Maybe I'll meet them someday."

Leone shrugged.

"I doubt it. They also don't like sticking out."

Tatsumi smirked.

"Can't say the same for you."

They shared a laugh. Tatsumi finished his sandwich and stood up.

"Nice meeting you Leone. Also, I'd suggest you skedaddle before one of these guys wakes up."

They both exited the bar and said their goodbyes.

Later that night, Tatsumi was walking along the road, still not having a place to settle. He eventually found a lamppost to lean on, arms crossed.

"Man, everywhere is too shoddy or expensive. What does it take to find a decent place to sleep at night?"

He opened his coat and looked inside.

"At least I managed to find a holster and more ammo for this gun."

He closed his coat and sat down on a bench.

"There's no turning back now."

Flashback:

"Tatsumi, are you positive about this?"

Tatsumi was sitting in front of a desk, wearing more casual clothes. An older hooded man in an oriental-style black and gray suit was behind the desk.

"Honestly, no I'm not, but I don't think this is something I could walk away from."

The older man rested his chin on his hands.

"You know that most of our allies in the Capital know you only for what you once were. On top of that…"

He leaned closer.

"I can tell you're not completely over it yourself."

Tatsumi grimaced as some bloodier memories surfaced in his mind. He shook his head and looked back at the man.

"That means nothing. Even if I'm not technically one of you anymore, the Assassins are the only family I have left, and currently, those that I'm closest to are in the nastiest part in this God-forsaken country there is. This won't slide."

The man rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"If it were anyone else, I'd have them kicked right out of here. But even if I said no, you probably wouldn't listen anyway."

He leaned back in his chair.

"Go get whatever gear you have left, then get some rest. I'll have everything else you need ready by tomorrow morning."

Tatsumi stood up and bowed. He turned to leave.

Flashback End:

Ending his daydream, Tatsumi wondered if there was any place to stay the night. Then, as if by magic, a horse-drawn carriage was going by. It stopped suddenly, and a young girl with a blue and white dress and short blonde hair came out. She was followed by two guards. She walked up to Tatsumi.

"Hey, are you okay? You look lost."

Tatsumi looked up at her.

"Eh, not exactly. I just don't have a place to stay the night."

The girl looked thoughtful. Then she smiled.

"Well, not to worry!"

She held a hand down to Tatsumi.

"My name's Aria Vernal, and you can stay with me and my family!"

Tatsumi perked up.

"Do you mean it?"

One of the guards walked up.

"It's best to accept her offer. Lady Aria is always doing this."

On the outside, Tatsumi looked eager. But on the inside, he was suspicious.

"This seems a little odd. She's fine with inviting perfect strangers home? I'd use my Eagle Sense, but I've used it too much today around so much negative feelings with too little practice. The pain would be unbearable. But, I guess if this goes to shit, I can fight my way out."

"Sure, I'll join you!"

"Great! Let's go!"

Aria pulled Tatsumi over to the carriage. However, Tatsumi failed to notice an evil smile Aria's face.

At Aria's house, Tatsumi was currently having dinner and chatting with her and her family. The food was delicious, and they were nice people.

"I guess i never really had anything to worry about."

Aria's father, an older man in a brown suit, chuckled.

"You really are an entertaining boy, Tatsumi. I must ask, where are you from?"

Tatsumi took a swig from his cup.

"A long ways away from here Mr. Vernal. I came to the Capital for some personal reasons."

Now the father looked curious.

"Did you come with anyone else?"

He shook his head.

"I came alone. I had actually arrived looking for some people who had come here before me."

Aria's mother, a woman with blonde hair and a white dress, smiled.

"Feel free to stay here until you find your friends and have everything sorted out. We have plenty of money and space to spare."

Tatsumi held up his hand.

"No, I can't just live off your resources for nothing in return. I can make myself useful if you need help. I like to think myself an able-bodied person."

Aria looked thoughtful, then held up a finger.

"Well, if you'd like to help, tomorrow I plan to go shopping in the city. You could provide your services then, pointing out what I may be looking for and carrying some bags every so often."

Tatsumi nodded.

"That will be just fine."

Tatsumi got up from his seat.

"If it's okay, I'd like to go to sleep now."

They all nodded. Aria patted his shoulder.

"Rest well Tatsumi. Goodnight! Oh, and I'm sure you'll meet your friends soon!"

Tatsumi nodded, then left.

Later that night, Tatsumi was lying in bed, contemplating what's happened already.

"I still haven't seen anyone I know yet, but the Vernals seems nice, and I think Leone counts as a friend."

He turned left and looked out the window.

"I've got a lot of work to do."

The next morning, Tatsumi and a few of the guards were accompanying Aria on her shopping trip. Tatsumi was loading a larger box onto the cart, which was already well-packed.

"Man, this girl sure loves her shopping." He said, wiping off his forehead.

One of the guards patted him on the back.

"It's not just her. Every woman wants this. She just has the money for it."

Tatsumi decided to see if he can learn more about his surroundings. He turned to a guard and whispered.

"Hey, I've heard a few nasty rumors about the Capital. I'd just like to clarify, is the Capital really as corrupt as I've been told?"

The guard looked nervous. He looked around to make sure no one was listening, then pointed slightly upwards behind Tatsumi.

"Look up there kid."

Tatsumi looked, and saw what appeared to be a huge castle/fortress, way bigger than any he's ever seen.

"That's the Emperor's palace."

Tatsumi's eyes widened.

"The Emperor? The person who could change this country at the flick of a wrist?"

The guard leaned in so he can whisper.

"Not exactly. See, the Emperor is only a child, so he doesn't know shit about what he's doing. Because of that, he's controlled like a puppet by the Prime Minister. It's because of him that the Capital is a cesspool of corruption."

Now Tatsumi's interest was piqued.

"The Minister?"

"Could he be a Templar, or just a greedy man with power?"

The guard gained a panicked look.

"Be careful how loud you speak, kid. If someone of authority hears us talking about him like this, that'll be our heads."

Tatsumi grimaced.

"Sounds like a real shitfest."

The guard nodded.

"You have no idea. On top of that, there are people like those."

He pointed to a nearby building. On the wall was a set of wanted posters. Below each picture was a title.

Night Raid

"Night Raid?"

"A team of assassins who terrorize the Capital. They usually target higher-ups and authority figures of the elite class. As their name suggests, they usually strike at night."

Tatsumi narrowed his eyes.

"I may have heard of them somewhere. From home maybe?"

"Because of them, we're always on our toes."

The guard then pointed behind Tatsumi.

"But for now, let's just worry about that."

Tatsumi turned and saw Aria skipping over, and trailing behind her were two of her guards, struggling to hold up a giant present box, bigger than the both of them combined. Tatsumi sweatdropped.

"Just great."

Later that night, Mrs. Vernal was wandering through the halls, smiling and holding her diary in her hands.

"Another entry to add to my diary. What an addicting hobby this is!"

Suddenly, for less then a second, she felt a searing pain around her hip area, then everything was upside down. The last thing she saw was the bottom half of her body, and standing behind it was a woman with purple hair, wearing glasses and a cheongsam dress, wielding what appeared to be a giant pair of bloodstained scissors.

"I'm sorry." Was all she said.

Tatsumi, who was lying in bed, suddenly felt a hot wave of killing intent rush through him. He shot up.

"What the hell?"

He turned towards the door to his room with a steeled look.

"Something's wrong."

Tatsumi burst out the door with his gear and ran through the halls, until he saw something suspicious in the windows. He looked outside, and what he saw was a little more than shocking. It was a group of people standing on top of what looked almost like a green spider web, killing intent coming off of them in waves. His eyes narrowed.

"So it's them. Night Raid."

There was a girl in a pink dress and pigtails, wielding what appeared to be a modified sniper rifle, and a girl with black hair and red eyes in a black trench coat, dressed in a black and red student's outfit. There was a man in full body armor wielding a large red spear, and a boy with with green trench coat and hair who seemed to be controlling the threads they were standing on. Finally, there was a blonde-haired woman who seemed to possess several cat-like traits. She had yellow cat ears on top of her head, and her hands were yellow-furred paws with elongated black claws. She even had a tail. She actually looked strangely familiar, though Tatsumi brushed that off.

"What could they be here for? Is it because this family is rich? Or are they here for me? Are they hunting the Assassins?"

His hand clenched.

"If they're the reason why I haven't met any of them yet, there will be hell to pay."

Tatsumi got closer to the window and looked down, and he saw a bunch of guards outside. They were going to confront Night Raid.

The said assassins were communicating.

"Hey Akame, those guards are targets to." The green guy said to the black haired girl.

"I'll eliminate them." The girl now known as Akame said.

Akame jumped, and unsheathed a katana with a red handle with foreign markings on it. She landed gracefully. The man in armor also jumped, landing behind her with a boom. The guards watching them grimaced.

"Listen. Whatever you do, don't let that girl's sword even graze you." One of them said.

The men charged, but it was all for naught. Akame's sword easily slashed through them. The armored man slashed through one, then tossed his polearm, impaling another one.

Then, something strange occurred. Akame slashed at a guard, but only managed to graze his wrist. But strangely, the guard started grasping the minor wound in a panic, and fell dead in seconds.

Tatsumi was shocked at the display.

"One cut killed him? How?"

Something clicked in his head as he remembered the day he left.

Flashback:

Tatsumi was standing in front of a dirt road leading out of a small town, the orientally dressed man standing in front of him.

"Just blades and some bombs?" Tatsumi asked. "I could also use a firearm."

The man shook his head.

"Sorry. That's the best I can do for you in terms of weapons."

Then he walked closer.

"But before you leave, I do have something to let you know."

"Yes sir, what is it?" Tatsumi asked.

The man held out a small brown book to Tatsumi. He grabbed it, looking at the cover. It read "Imperial Arms."

"Imperial Arms? What are those?"

"They are 48 magical weapons said to hold incredible power." The man replied. "They were created by the First Emperor of the Capital, using rare metals and parts from the most powerful Danger Beasts to grace the Earth."

Tatsumi's eyes widened.

"How come I was never told of these before?"

The man grimaced.

"We didn't see it necessary. We haven't heard of or seen them in over a century, so we assumed they were all destroyed, but we were wrong. We have received quite a few reports of wounds and kills that could only have been inflicted by these weapons, and reports of people being seen using them".

Tatsumi skimmed through the book, more impressed with each page. The weapons listed were incredible.

"You're kidding. This shit shouldn't even be possible."

Tatsumi looked up.

"Who uses these?"

The man closed his eyes in thought.

"A group of contract killers in the City. Their skill is on par with ours, though I can't say they're subtle. They tend to leave quite the mess behind."

He put a hand on Tatsumi's shoulder.

"I should warn you my boy, confronting those wielding these could be your worst mistake. The weapons depicted in this book are so powerful, that they have their own rule. The law of Imperial Combat."

Tatsumi was confused.

"Imperial Combat?"

The man nodded.

"You see Tatsumi, these Imperial Arms are so powerful, that when two of them fight, mutual survivability is next to impossible."

Tatsumi looked troubled.

"So one will always die?"

"Yes. Now, imagine the risk if you were to take one on without your own."

Tatsumi grimaced, but didn't relent.

"Thanks, but it won't change my mind."

The man smiled.

"Still stubborn as a wild ass."

Tatsumi smiled back.

"It's part of my charm."

He backed up slightly, and bowed.

"Farewell Mentor."

The Mentor smirked.

"Just make it back alive."

As he walked away, Tatsumi skimmed through the pages once more. The last one he saw depicted an impressive-looking katana, that had a red handle with foreign markings on it.

Flashback End:

Tatsumi looked closer at the weapon in question, and noticed how familiar it was.

Then it hit him.

"That sword. I recognize it from the book the Mentor gave me! It's an Imperial Arms!"

Tatsumi clenched his fist.

"So the rumors about those weapons are true! But what did the book say about that sword?"

Back on the battlefield, one of the guards panicked and attempted to run, but the pink sniper had aimed her gun, and pulled the trigger. Instead of a bullet, a beam of energy was released from the barrel, and got him right through the head.

"Not much of a bodyguard if they're gonna' run off like that." She said.

"I think anyone would have run from something like that." The green-haired guy said.

Tatsumi considered what he was watching.

"I could confront them, but I doubt I could take them all on at once. What do I do?"

He felt another wave of killing intent. He looked back outside, and saw that the cat lady had disappeared. He ran down the hall.

"Dammit, she must be in the hou- Holy shit!"

Tatsumi suddenly stopped, as he had just found the bisected body of Aria's mother. He clenched his fist, angry at his incompetence.

"Godammit. This must have been what I felt earlier."

He closed the eyes on the corpse and inspected the two halves.

"This wound is too smooth. She wasn't ripped, she was cut. This couldn't be that cat lady. Whoever did this knows their way around a blade, and a large one at that."

In another part of the house, the cat lady had found the father. She was holding him up by the throat, her tail twitching in excitement.

"Please let me go! I have a daughter!" He pleaded. The woman grinned evilly.

"Don't worry. You'll be seeing her real soon." The woman said in fake reassurance.

The man's eyes widened.

"What?! Even my daughter?! Have you no mercy?!" The father panicked.

The woman's grin grew bigger.

"Mercy? What's that?"

She squeezed tighter, snapping his neck and killing him. She dropped the body to the floor with a thump, wiped off her brow, and walked to the door.

"Time to finish the- Ngh!"

As she reached for the knob, she felt something sharp go into her abdomen. She looked down, and saw a katana blade piercing through the door and into her belly.

"What the hell?!" She said in a strained voice. She started to reach for the blade. Suddenly, something smashed in the door from the other side, sending it into her. She fell back, the door landing on her. Coming to her senses, she angrily tossed away the broken door, and saw, standing in the entrance, a masked and hooded Tatsumi, green eyes staring her down, holding a sword that had her blood lining the tip.

"First the dragon, then the receptionist, then some assholes in a bar. But this? A deranged cat girl? I gotta' say, the Capital certainly has a way of keeping you entertained."

Said cat girl stood up with a feral grin.

"Congratulations stranger. You just succeeded in making me very pissed off."

Tatsumi flicked the blood off his sword and sheathed it.

"Before we dance, tell me something. Which one of your friends killed the mother? It obviously wasn't you."

The woman got in a position to fight, as did Tatsumi.

"I'd be more worried about myself if I were you. Anyone who gets in Night Raid's way has a tendency to regret it".

The two fighters charged each other. Locked in close quarters combat, both sides were deftly blocking each others strikes. Tatsumi analyzed her fighting style.

"She has the advantage in physical strength, but her strikes are more reckless, and she doesn't seem to be concealing any weapons. I can take her".

Tatsumi ducked underneath her swing and punched her in the gut, then noticed something strange.

"Where's the wound I gave her earlier?"

The girl took advantage of the distraction to push him back and grab him by the neck. Before she could tighten her grip, Tatsumi grabbed her arm with his left hand, and she felt something sharp enter her left arm. Her grip loosened, and to her shock, she saw a hidden blade appear below Tatsumi's right palm, which he swung at her neck. It drew blood, but she ducked back so the wound wouldn't be lethal, then retreated back a few steps.

Tatsumi retracted his hidden blades.

"Nice reflexes. I was aiming for your carotid artery, but I doubt you'll just walk that off."

The lady spit out some blood with a smirk.

"Are you sure about that?"

To Tatsumi's shock, the wounds he inflicted on her arm and even her neck rapidly started to close up.

"Super healing? So that's where the wound I left earlier went. Blades won't be enough. I'll have to get loud."

Tatsumi charged his adversary. Just as she was about to do the same, he pulled out his gun and fired. A lack of practice with the firearm prevented Tatsumi from getting a headshot, but the resulting flinch from hitting the woman's shoulder gave him all the time he needed. He shoulder-charged her, then wrapped his left arm around her torso. Now close up, Tatsumi fired two shots into her knee-caps.

"AGH, FUCKING HELL!" The lady cursed, punching Tatsumi in the solar plexus, temporarily stunning him as she pushed him back. Tatsumi fired again, missing Leone, but hitting the window behind her, causing it to break. Seeing an opportunity to end this, Tatsumi ran up and grabbed the woman's shoulders. He landed a headbutt, then pushed her closer to the broken window. Punching her in the gut, Tatsumi knocked her out of the mansion, plummeting a couple stories below. As the coup de grâce, he took a small grenade out of his coat, pulled the pin, and tossed it out of the window, an explosion occurring after about three seconds. Tatsumi fell on his butt, pulling down his mask and panting heavily.

"Heal from that, bitch."

He felt the area where the woman struck him. Miraculously, nothing was broken, but catching his breath would be an issue for about a minute.

"Son of an asshole, that hurts!"

Regardless, he got up. He walked over to the father, feeling for a pulse. He felt nothing. Sighing, he closed the dead man's eyes, then stood up, putting a hand to his chin.

"I can only assume Night Raid is targeting this family to rob them, but it seems they have no intention of leaving any survivors. With Mr. and Mrs. Vernal gone, Aria's the only one left."

He turned towards the window.

"If I'm gonna' keep these guys from Aria, I can't play it safe any longer. I need to at least keep them busy."

He started to run towards the window, when alarms started going off in his head. He stopped abruptly, as a yellow beam had cut through his field of vision, narrowly missing him.

"Shit! That sniper must have seen me!"

Tatsumi turned around and took off into the halls, trying to find another way out. Meanwhile, back outside, the blonde cat girl was lying on the ground, slowly healing from the wounds inflicted on her, having somehow survived. The other assassins, excluding Akame and the scissor girl, had ran up to her.

"Are you okay?" The green-haired guy asked.

The woman sat up, and cracked her neck.

"I'm fine. But damn, that kid can fight. I haven't been thrown like that in years."

"We should catch up to him." The armored man said, lifting up his spear. The lady held up a hand to stop him.

"Hold on a second. Let me think."

The sniper girl raised a brow.

"Think about what? He's obviously an enemy."

The blonde ignored her, putting a hand on her chin.

"White hooded trench coat, bright green eyes, top-notch fighting skills, and wielding a katana. There's no mistaking it!"

She turned to her allies.

"You guys head back. I'll take care of him."

They all looked appalled.

"Are you shitting me?!" The sniper girl shouted. "After he knocked you out a window and blew you up?!"

"ALMOST. Almost, blew me up." The woman said. "Just trust me on this. Besides, worse come to worst, I'll have Akame backing me up."

She took off before they could argue further.

"Now I understand why that kid said he doesn't like standing out." She thought.

Further away, Aria was being pulled away by one of her guards through the woods. They were headed to a large shed in a clearing.

"We should be safe in there." The guard said.

As they reached the door to the shed, a voice called them.

"Aria! You're okay!"

They turned, and saw Tatsumi had caught up.

"Tatsumi! I was afraid you had been killed." Aria said with relief.

"I can't be killed that easily. I'll keep them at bay."

Aria and the guard nodded, then started to unlock the shed. Tatsumi turned, hood and mask pulled up, bracing himself for the enemy to arrive.

"Come and get me, assholes."

Right on cue, someone had appeared from the woods. Akame, sheathed sword in hand, was walking closer.

"There you are." Tatsumi took out his sword.

Akame unsheathed her sword and seemingly charged Tatsumi, who got in a fighting stance.

"Not a target." She said, almost robotically.

To Tatsumi's shock, instead of confronting him, she leapt above him, and charged Aria and her guard upon landing. The guard took out an SMG and started firing. Amazingly, Akame dodged the shots, got up close, and slashed through the guard's torso, disemboweling him.

Aria stood there in horror her guard was cut down. She fell on her butt, whimpering as Akame moved closer. The assassin pulled back her sword to swing.

"You deserve this."

"Hold it right there, red eyes!"

Akame narrowly blocked Tatsumi's sword swing, then jumped back a few yards. Tatsumi stood in front of Aria, a look of unwavering determination in his eyes.

"I told you, you're not a target." Akame said. "You don't have to die. Leave now."

"And once I leave, you'll kill this girl?" Tatsumi responded.

"Of course. She's my target." She held up her sword.

"Then you should know what my answer is". He held up his sword. "I will not let you kill an innocent."

Akame looked slightly disappointed. "Then you will die tonight."

Both fighters stared each other down.

"Her skill is about equal to mine, and I have more weapons on me. However, I still haven't completely recovered from my earlier fight, and if she takes too long, the rest of Night Raid may come looking for this girl. If I'm to win this, I need to do it as fast as possible."

Both fighters charged each other, rapidly swinging their swords. Sparks were flying as the blades became silver blurs in the air. They suddenly got in close and locked swords, when Akame pushed out Tatsumi's blade to the side. She aimed a slash at his head, but he lifted up his right hand, using the metal part of his gauntlet to block. He let out the hidden blade, and attempted to stab Akame in the face. She leaned back to dodge, then backflipped away.

"She's good. I'll have to keep up the pressure."

Tatsumi reached into his coat, grabbing what looked like a handful of black plastic spheres. He tossed them to the ground, creating a smokescreen. He pulled out his gun, firing a few rounds into the cloud.

"Did I get her?"

He quickly activated his Eagle Sense, and noticed a malignant presence to his left. He quickly raised up his arm, barely blocking a sword swing with his left gauntlet, then landed a kick to his adversary's torso, knocking her away.

"Dammit, I thought I had her."

Both Tatsumi and Akame were standing a distance away, evidently more tired.

"I'll admit it, you've got skills." Tatsumi said. "It's been a while since I've struggled against an opponent."

"I could say the same." Akame responded. "It's actually a shame. You could've been a valuable ally."

"Not likely. I don't associate with those who don't stay their blade from the flesh of the innocent."

After a few seconds, Akame charged once more. As Tatsumi braced himself to fight, someone came up from behind Akame, grabbing the back of her shirt and stopping her from going any further.

"You can stop right there, Akame." They said, now revealed to be the blonde cat lady.

"What are you doing?" Akame said, surprisingly calm.

"Relax Akame. I don't think you need to attack. See, I actually know this kid!"

Tatsumi looked surprised.

"Uh, okay, I'm a little lost here. How the hell are you still alive, and why are you defending me? I tried to blow you up, remember?"

The woman smiled.

"C'mon, Tatsumi! Don't you remember the beautiful big sis from before?"

"Beautiful big sis"?

Then Tatsumi realized just how familiar she looked. Blonde hair, risque clothes, bright and playful smile. There was no doubt about it. Despite her more feline appearance, this was the same woman who tried and failed to con him yesterday.

His jaw dropped.

"Leone?! Is that really you?!"

"You know it Tats!" She said while holding up the "V" symbol.

Tatsumi's face turned red.

"That girl I mutilated was her?!"

Leone walked a little closer, but stopped with a surprised look as Tatsumi pulled out his pistol, an angry look on his face.

"Even if we know each other, you killed Aria's father, and I know you're targeting her. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't put a bullet between your eyes."

He turned off the safety at that moment for emphasis.

"And this time, I won't miss."

Leone just looked at him, then closed her eyes with a smile and held up her hands.

"So you won't let down your guard, even in the face of someone you may have once called a friend. Glad to know you're not naïve."

She opened her eyes and pointed past Tatsumi, at the shed Aria was standing in front of.

"You want your good reason? It's sitting right behind you in that shed."

Tatsumi raised a brow.

"In the shed?"

He turned to look at the shed in question. Akame looked like she wanted to charge while his back was turned, but Leone put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't even think about it Akame. He's not really our enemy, he's just misinformed."

Tatsumi walked over to the shed, Aria still standing in front of it.

"Tatsumi, what are you doing?" She asked, a look of panic in her eyes.

"Please step aside Aria, this'll only take a second."

"Uh, I'd rather you not." She said with a nervous smile.

Now Tatsumi was suspicious.

"Stand aside."

He lightly shoved her aside, not noticing her now immense panic, then walked to the door.

"So what's this 'reason' Leone wants me to see?"

Tatsumi opened the door and stepped inside. When he did, he immediately regretted it.

Corpses. Corpses everywhere. Mutilated, bloody, torn apart dead bodies. There were also a bunch of different torture and execution tools littering the place.

The sight was terrifying, and the smell was making his eyes water. Even worse, several of the bodies were Assassins he had recognized.

"No way. This isn't happening. This has to be a trick."

"Welcome to the Capital, Tatsumi." Leone said from behind him. "This nice, well-meaning family had a hobby of picking poor people off of the streets, usually from out of town, and torturing them to death for their own sick pleasure."

Then Akame cut in.

"The guards were equally guilty for having defended such people, and it's likely you would be next."

As the two assassins spoke, Aria had attempted to sneak away, but was stopped as a certain feline had grabbed the top of her head.

"Oh please. You didn't honestly think we would just let you walk away from all this, did you?"

Tatsumi was still in shock at what he saw.

"The family. They did this?"

"Yup." Leone responded. "The mother, father, even this 'innocent' little girl. The mother even kept a diary detailing what they would do to their victims."

"It's a lie Tatsumi!" Aria said. "I had no idea this place even existed! Who are you gonna' believe?! These murderers, or the one who gave you a home?!"

Tatsumi didn't respond, as he had noticed something else towards the back of the shed. A blue flag, with a broad red cross. The symbol of his sworn enemy.

"Templars." He muttered.

Memories started surfacing in his head. People that he had ripped to shreds in a rage, places desecrated with the mass amount of blood he spilled.

"Monsters in the guise of men."

That familiar phrase rang out in his head.

"Monsters in the guise of men."

"Monsters in the guise of men."

"Monsters in the guise of men!"

"MONSTERS IN THE GUISE OF MEN!"

"MONSTERSINTHEGUISEOFMENMONSTERSINTHEGUISEOFMENMONSTERSINTHEGUISEOFMENMONSTERSINTHEGUISEOFMENMONSTERSINTHEGUISEOFMENMONSTERSINTHEGUISEOFMEN!"

Tatsumi had fallen to his knees, sweating bullets. His hand on his chest, his heart in his throat, his pupils dilated, and his breathing labored.

"TATSUMI! TATSUMI!"

Tatsumi felt someone hug him from behind. A bit of long blonde hair obscured his vision.

"Leone?"

She looked down at him, and gave a reassuring smile.

"Calm down. You're okay."

"I guess he suffers from some sort of PTSD." She thought.

Tatsumi's breathing slowed.

"Leone?"

"Yes Tatsumi?"

He stood up.

"I'm sorry for earlier."

She smiled.

"Water under the bridge."

Tatsumi turned.

"Where's Aria?"

Leone pointed to Akame, who had her on the ground, blade against her throat.

"Let her up." Tatsumi said while walking towards them. Akame obeyed, and let her go. Aria was still sitting on the ground, looking down, her eyes having taken a deranged look.

Tatsumi stood over her, both calm and enraged.

"Why? What reason could you possibly have to make all these people suffer?"

She stood up and looked at him in a crazed anger.

"WHY SHOULD I HAVE A REASON?! YOU'RE ALL JUST PATHETIC HICKS FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE! THE SAME AS CATTLE! I SHOULD BE FREE TO DO WHATEVER I WANT WITH YOU! I CAN STILL REMEMBER SOME OF YOUR ALLIES FROM THE OTHER DAY, SOME GIRL WHO HAD SUCH BEAUTIFULLY SOFT HAIR! HOW DARE SHE BE IN POSSESSION OF SUCH A THING WHEN MINE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SO UNRULY! AND THAT BOY TOY OF HERS THAT DARED TO SHOW LOVE TO HER IN FRONT OF ME! THEY SHOULD BE GRATEFUL ANYONE PAID SO MUCH ATTENTION TO THEM!"

She would have said more, but Tatsumi had lost his temper, and planted his fist square in her face, knocking her back to the ground.

Tatsumi didn't stop there. He straddled her and punched her repeatedly, breaking her nose, jaw, and teeth, warm blood and spittle flying from her face.

Leone looked amazed.

"Wow. As heinous as she is, this is pretty impressive."

Tatsumi placed his left hand on Aria's neck, then held up his right hand and let out his hidden blade. Leone and Akame stood there, waiting for him to deliver the final blow. But amazingly, as Tatsumi seemed to calm down, he hesitated in thrusting the blade. To their shock, he retracted the weapon, and got up off of her.

"Seriously?" Leone asked.

"You still won't kill her?" Akame asked.

Tatsumi turned towards them.

"You misinterpret me."

He grabbed the sadistic girl by the scruff of her neck, lifting her off the ground.

"I could just outright kill you. But, having seen all the murder you've committed, I think it would only be fitting for you to die by one of your own toys."

Tatsumi looked around the shed, and saw what he was looking for.

"Perfect."

He dragged Aria over to the chosen device, a guillotine. He forced her head into it, her screaming the whole time.

"Any last words?" Tatsumi said indifferently. Aria looked at him.

"You'll regret this."

Tatsumi continued to look emotionless.

"I don't give a damn."

He put his hand on the guillotine's lever.

"Head's up."

He dropped the blade, and Aria's head rolled along the floor.

Breathing heavily in barely contained rage and concern, Tatsumi kept his hand on the lever, remembering something Aria spouted during her rant.

"She said that a pair of Assassins, a girl with beautiful hair and her boyfriend were victims of this place. There are only two couples I know that fit that description to the mark."

Tatsumi walked deeper into the shed, looking around at the corpses. To his immense relief, the people he was looking for weren't there. He quickly went back to the entrance, and noticed Aria's disembodied head on the ground. He stared at the pained expression on the head for a few seconds. He wound his leg back, then kicked the head like a soccer ball deeper into the shed.

As he exited, Leone called him.

"Whoo boy, that was really something, Tats!" Leone said.

Tatsumi looked down.

"Yeah. It was".

Akame walked over.

"The mission is complete Leone. Let's head back."

"Wait a second." Tatsumi's voice rang out.

Akame turned, and saw Tatsumi walking over.

"Tell me, is the entire Capital like this?"

They nodded grimly.

"It's people like these that we get hired to take out, and business is booming." Leone said.

Tatsumi got the hint.

"You mind if I tag along?"

Leone grinned.

"You actually wanna' come with us?"

"I see no better option here. I have no place to stay, and no friends to rely on. Besides, you seem to hate the corruption here just as much as I do. I don't know if you guys are capable of ending it all, but it's a start. So when do we leave?"

Leone's grin grew wider.

"Right now if you're serious. But you know, you have no valid reason to trust us."

Tatsumi grinned back.

"And you have no valid reason to trust me Ms. Wylde, so I guess we can call it even."

Leone laughed at his purposefully ridiculous reasoning.

"What's so funny?" Akame asked. Leone patted her head.

"Don't worry about it, let's just get going. Hope you can keep up, Tatsumi!"

Tatsumi followed the two assassins back into the city, and onto the rooftop of a building. There, he saw everyone he spotted from the window. The pink sniper, the green string manipulator, the black swordswoman, the silver knight, the yellow lioness, and a person he hadn't seen yet, the purple scissor-wielding girl who killed the mother.

"Leone, Akame, what took you so long? And who's that?" The sniper said, pointing at Tatsumi.

Leone grinned big.

"This right here is our new friend!"

The sniper looked a little closer. She gained a shocked look.

"Hold on on sec! This is the guy who blew you up!"

She was about to lift up her gun, when Tatsumi held out his hand to keep the barrel from pointing at him.

"First off, I ALMOST blew her up. Second, the only reason we fought was because I thought your group was targeting innocents. Leone cleared that misunderstanding up already."

Said woman put a hand on Tatsumi's shoulder.

"You guys can trust him. He'll soon be a new member!"

Tatsumi looked shocked.

"You're already accepting me?"

Leone patted him on the back.

"Hey, you wanted to join, didn't you? Now let's go!"

The assassins leapt off the roof, and away from the city, Tatsumi following closely.

"I may not have found my old friends, but it seems I've made some new ones. Maybe there's hope after all."

Back at the shed, about an hour after Night Raid and Tatsumi had left:

"There were no survivors sir." A boy with black hair and a sweatband said to a taller man with light blonde hair barely visible under his hood. "Looks like Night Raid beat us to the punch."

He turned towards the shed, a barely contained rage in his eyes.

"I was hoping to get some payback. It's because of them that Sayo is barely hanging on."

The man simply looked at the shed.

"True, but there's something strange Ieyasu. I found the disembodied head of the girl, Aria, in that shed."

Ieyasu raised a brow.

"What's so strange about that?"

The man turned towards the shed.

"Her body was on a guillotine, so that's obviously how the murder was carried out. However, there was a lot of blood and broken areas on the head, so whoever killed her gave her quite the beating first. Also, the head was much further into the shed, so far that it couldn't have just rolled away. It was either thrown or kicked."

Ieyasu crossed his arms.

"What's your point? You know as well as I do that Night Raid isn't exactly subtle."

The man turned towards him, eyes narrowed.

"Night Raid may be messier than us, but they've never carried out a job in this particular fashion. They're not worried about leaving an impression, they simply carry out the hit, and leave. Whoever killed the girl did so with passion. Likely someone who knew one of her victims, or hated the Templars, or even both."

He turned to leave.

"There's another player at this game."

Chapter 2 Preview:

Tatsumi had only just learned of the darkness he faces, and now is being thrown headfirst into its grasp. With something to prove, and a bloody vengeance to motivate him, nothing shall stand in his way.

"Whether I like it or not, this life chose me, and I'm not about to just walk away."

Next time on Assassin's Creed: Night Raid:

Chapter 2: No Hesitation