I was just standing in the shadows resting, although I was conserving my strength my senses were still awake. "Someone's coming." I thought.
"It was like the gods were smiling on us, blessing us with such immense talent. He just came into our base one day and signed up. We simply cannot believe what we've obtained. Since Night Raid is specifically targetting the Jaegers, he'll definitely become a worthy member.
"As much as I'd like to sit down and talk, can you introduce me to him? I'm in a hurry." Najenda asked.
"Yes he's in this room." The official opened the door to the room where the main was dormant. Najenda was sweating, he wasn't even leaking bloodlust, yet it made her shook a bit, it was because of her past interactions with Esdese that Najenda was able to keep her calm. This man, definitely reeks of talent and strength, but that's all she can recognize after first impression.
"R-r-raven..." the official blubbered in nervousness.
"It's alright, I'll do the talking."
"The fact that you didn't shit yourself to my presence means you've seen greater fear."
Those eyes, I get it. He's just like one of us. Another victim of the empire's corruption. He had a composed face, but under that facade there were signs of true anger . First impression, no way... he can't be...
"I am the leader of the intelligence squad Night Raid, you must be Raven I presume?" Najenda offers a handshake, but it was futile, the main didn't move a single inch nor spoke a single word.
"Well, let's cut to the chase shall we? We were looking for a skilled assassin to join our group, and you've certainly caught my eyes, I'd like to invite you into our group, our main objective at the moment is to eliminate the Jaegers, who are a group of Teigu users chosen by General Esdese."
Najenda was suddenly cut off by the man. "Esdese? You're not talking about the Empire's strongest? You definitely have my interest, I have a score to settle with that woman, let's cooperate well shall we? Najenda was it? I accept your proposal." Raven finally extends his hand, his drives, dormant for a long time, were finally to start to reawaken.
Night Raid Camp.
It has been a long time I've experienced the winter breeze, although I wouldn't call it cold at all, being raised in cold climate. The full moon illuminating beautifully, a perfect night for assassination. I follow Najenda to Night Raid base. When we finally reached the base it was nothing like a base, instead it was nothing more than a few tents with a blazing fire illuminating at the center, skewing what appears to be a deceased danger beast. They must have been attacked very recently. Next second everybody was armed with Teigu, sensing our presence and apparently aimed towards me. Najenda calls them off as they lower their weapons.
Raven's first expectation of the intelligence group was completely off, infact, it was the opposite, the members all chill, do they not know the current state of the country? They're all victims of the empire's corruption, yet they can smile like this so easily? The blonde, clearly drunk, having the man with brown hair in a headlock on her breast, as if it was a regular thing, blabbering about how she marked the blushing guy as her future man, green haired man and pink haired shorty arguing over each other on top of their lungs, next to them the lady with the headset and orange-brown hair stroking the black hair girls head munching on an oversized piece of meat, telling how she should dress up prettier, with a slight tease of suffocating guy's "lame" attire.
The young man, very average looking with green eyes and brown hair, getting out of the headlock, spoke first. "Ohh, we got a new member, why don't you introduce us to him boss? By the way, the names Tatsumi, nice to meetchya" Tatsumi pulls out his hand in invitation for a handshake, like earlier on, Raven ignores it, leaving Tatsumi slightly confused.
"All right everyone this is Raven, he's a very recent recruit that joined the Revolutionary just a few days ago, but don't underestimate him, looking at him at first sight tells me he's strong."
"Heeeh? He doesn't really look at that special, are you getting senile boss?" Leone mocked in a sarcastic voice.
Najenda showed the slightest signs of anger but grins afterwards. "Hey hey I'm still in my 20s Leone, let's see... Tatsumi go spar him, you can even go all out if you want."
"Are you sure boss? What if I get him killed?" Tatsumi said in shock.
"Then that means he was too weak and is just all talk, Raven, fight him." Everyone gave space for the brawl. Tatsumi assumes a fighting stance, to his shock Raven hasn't even moved an inch.
"He's definitely underestimating me, guess I'll be careful and go all out. Incursio!" Tatsumi activates his Teigu, a giant humanoid entity appears out of nowhere, consuming Tatsumi out of my sight, disappearing shortly afterwards as the man is fully clad in armor. Tatsumi kicks off towards Raven at full speed.
"He isn't weak, but nothing special either." Taking his fighting stance, an upright orthodox fighting stance, waiting for his opponent to strike.
Right. Left. Roundhouse kick. Left feint for an uppercut. BANG! A loud bang echoed the night, everything was still for a moment. The energy that was being displayed suddenly disappeared. Only one man was standing in front of everyone, surprised by what they just witnessed. Another bang occurred just moments later, seeing Tatsumi sent flying despite charging full frontal.
"Uggghh.. W-w-what was that?" Tatsumi muttered to himself in pain. Looking up to see Raven in the exact same stance before he was rocketed out of the camp.
"This guy... he's mocking me, I'll try again!" Tatsumi got up and threw a barrage of punches. None of them were hitting as Raven was just swaying his body out of harms way like grass opposing the wind.
"Not too slow, but too wide." Raven analyses the situation calmly. Right as Tatsumi changed his target to Raven's body, he was overwhelmed by a sudden shockwave, sending him backing away slightly, looking down to see the ground below him cracking under where Raven stomped onto the ground. Not even a second later Raven closed in the distance, delivering an blow to Tatsumi's liver, then throwing his barrage of punches.
Liver. Chest. Body. Temple. Face. Liver. Uppercut to the chin, from a raised position, Raven slams his fist into Tatsumi's skull with a chopping right. Half the observers knew the fight was over, with Tatsumi coughing out blood with his face smashed onto the floor, causing him to lose conscious meanwhile leaving the other half baffled by unexpected show of sheer power and speed.
Rabac dashes to Tatsumi's aid"T-tatsumi? Oi! Are you okay!? Chelsea help me carry him into the tent!" No response... "Chelsea!" Rabac calls her out again, waking her back to her senses, by then Akame already rushed carrying Tatsumi's other arm.
"Oops, uhhh... sorry about that Najenda... Did I go too far?" Raven asked scratching his head realising that he let go a bit.
"Don't worry Tatsumi's only unconscious, he's not in danger thanks to Incursio." "Najenda replies with a serious expression on her face, recalling everything that happened during the brawl from start to finish. Leone, sitting next to her, wore the same expression probably doing the same thing.
"It's not that Tatsumi is weak at all. His body is pretty sturdy and with the added protection of Incursio he could still stand after a few rough beatings." Leone explains to the remaining members.
"That precise accuracy, most attacks aiming at only the vital points which would sap the stamina out of anybody quicker than a punch to anywhere else, with that show of unrestrained superhuman strength, even Tatsumi would be laying down flat on the floor within seconds." Najenda adds.
"That first punch merely served as major psychological shock and slight physical shock as Tatsumi wasn't able to react to that punch, exchanging power for lightening speed blows. Again Tatsumi isn't weak at all, this man simply outclassed him."
"In terms of speed, strength and combat perception along with adaptation, he may be equal to Najen- no, maybe..."
Najenda interrupts, "Don't jump into conclusions Leone it's too dangerous, all we've seen was a glimpse of Raven's abilities, he hasn't even equipped his Teigu, no, he wouldn't use his Teigu against an ally at all. But even so I've calculated that he's atleast at Susanno's level when empowered with my trump card, Magatama Manifestation." Najenda looks at the Teigu wrapped around behind Raven's waist, a pair of sickles which look similar to grim reaper's scythe.
"Who exactly are you Raven?" Najenda finally asks him.
Raven looks at her darkly. "I didn't really want to talk about this, but since I'd have to reveal everything sooner or later I might get it out of the way first. I am the sole survivor of a clan that resides in a unexplored region at the north, or atleast it was unknown until the General Esdese and her army raided my home town. Being the only survivor the local Danger Beast, who our clan are in good relations to, like it taught my clan how to fight, taught me how to fight. I spent the next three years under guidance until I came back to the ruins of my hometown, with the Danger Beast slain. Knowing that the wretch may strike again, the day before she reappeared my master used his own flesh, with the knowledge of blacksmithing shared by my clan to develop the Teigu you see now, entrusting me to seek revenge towards my clan's nemesis.
Raven unwraps the Teigu around his body and raises both scythe looking sickles, he then wraps both wrists with chains connected to the sickles. "Teigu, Death Scythe, very similar to Murasame Akame was it...?, wields. Every wound inflicted by my Teigu saps the energy out of the victim, the larger the wound, the more wounds inflicted, the faster my Teigu leeches energy. But the effects do not kill, when the victim gets leeched long enough, naturally they'd collapse and won't awaken until days later."
"Well, enough of that, we have to see how Tatsumi is doing. I hope I didn't over do it." Raven leaves the two still in thought unequipping his Teigu as he went to check on his new teammate.
Najenda puts her hands under the chin in thought "Teigu's were made a thousand years ago, but to think a weapon that's classified as a Teigu to be created not long ago, if it was a Danger Beast with human intellect it's possible. This is dangerous information to the highest degree, even though the creator of Raven's Teigu is deceased, if this information gets leaked to the empire, it's possible they may seek other Danger Beasts with human intellect only to build an army of Teigu class weapons, which will strengthen the empire a hundred-fold, no, maybe even a thousand-fold."
"We could use this information to overthrow the Empire, but the risk is too great for both sides. Thankfully, after what we've witnessed, it may not be necessary, we may have a fighting chance..." Leone adds.
After Raven finished his discussion with Najenda and Leone, he rushes to Tatsumi's company, worried about the possibility of how he wreckt him too hard. With the same unfazed uninterested expression he wore the whole entire time, he bows down to company.
"I'm very sorry for what I've done to your friend, I already knew he didn't stand a chance, but even so I went too far for him to handle. I may have put us under potential danger, but I will make up for it by keeping an eye out for enemies, until Tatsumi fully recovers."
Akame shakes her head "Don't worry, he won't die, after all until we overthrow the empire he promised me he will always home alive, so I'm not worried about him losing his life at all."
Lifting his head back up, Raven thinks to himself "Tch, ridiculous, guaranteeing his survival over some futile promise. Well, I guess that kind of tenacity may save the guy one day, so it's not all that stupid."
"But gee you're insanely strong, heck you could even match up against Esdese now!" Rabac over exaggerates.
Raven stares at Rabac darkly."Match up? That's nothing but an insult to my capabilities, I will completely destroy her, feed her body to the dogs with her head going straight to the fucking graveyard." He clenches his fists agitated.
"Oh uhh... well... Anyways it's great to have somebody strong within our ranks. We'll try our best to put the workload off your back, but take care of us aye?" Rabac said, although still slightly taken aback by Raven's previous response.
"Just don't get in my way, I'm going to rest. You people should rest too, your friend will be okay by tomorrow." Raven turns away, out of the tent, sprinting up a nearby tree.
"What the hell's his problem? Rabac pouts pissed.
Tatsumi regains consciousness, waking up to the beat feeling of his body still screaming in pain, but tolerable after a nights rest. He yawns, stretching his hands and getting up muttering to himself "Gotta take a piss."
He walks away from the camp, covering his face from the small ray of sunshine as he proceeds to his morning leak. Before turning back to the camp he heard grunts, panting, small cries from the distance. Recognizing it as training sounds, he curiously walks closer to the source of the commotion. At first he was impressed at the impressive physique that reeks of power, Raven was shadow training with his Teigu upper body bare, displaying feats that even Tatsumi couldn't comprehend.
Already knowing that Raven noticed his presence, he greets him good morning. "Training really early today aren't you?" Tatsumi asked.
"Which is how I prepare for the day, I was surprised nobody is awake yet, probably due to lack of sleep. Not good at all, sleeping early and warming up the body early is the best you could do for yourself, if you wish to get stronger you need to change the time you rest and get up to get the most out of it. You guys don't understand the importance of this, it affects how you perform your missions during the day, just an extra ounce of energy can save your life, Tatsumi."
"Is that so? Now that I think about I sometimes have bad mornings where I'm all drowsy and shit."
"It's important to adapt your body to such early days, what if the enemy comes when we are most vulnerable? Our lives are more fragile than you think, Tatsumi."
"Thanks for the advice Raven, say, since I'm all fully awake, mind if I warm up with you?"
"As long as you don't interfere." Raven still doesn't look at Tatsumi in the eye, which was a clear indication of his intense concentration to his training.
Tatsumi takes off his shirt and starts his shadow training, after a while of warming up, Raven stops him.
"When I fought you I noticed your punches were too wide, it won't be just me, your opponents will be able to dodge them too. Everything you throw must be compact, no need to swing too wide, you must consider a perfect balance between speed and the power you put into your attacks. An attack is useless without hitting your target Tatsumi. You shouldn't throw sacrifice speed for power, nor should you sacrifice power for speed. Which is why you focus on increasing your base strength and speed, doing that will allow you to overpower enemies without sacrificing neither."
"Darn you're pretty blunt about it, but I guess you're right, thanks for the guidance Raven."
"I'm only telling you this so to help your chances of surviving, it would weaken Night Raid even further if one of us lost our lives." Raven dismissed his word of thanks as he regained his concentration to what mattered to him now, leaving Tatsumi affronted.
Hi guys, to be honest my first fanfic was the prequel, and this being the sequel, I had a really hard time writing the romance aspect of it, so until I get better and more creative, that prequel might be delayed for who knows how long. Which leads me to this sequel, and I will only be writing it until a point where it requires bits of the prequel which I need to work on. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this sequel. Give me your thoughts on it. I'm confident that I did better setting more context to the story, which is something I lacked in my prequel, so you'll expect the prequel to be updated, nothing will change just extra context to bring more life into the prequel. Now the reason why I made the OC pretty OP, is because I feel that in the manga they're no match for Esdese, I mean, not only did she wreck half the night raid members, she even owned Susanoo in his final form without so much of a scratch. So I gave them a character that can atleast hold his ground against her.