"You're sure we're in the right place Akame!?" A voice shouted across the ruined temple causing Akame to turn to see where the blonde was calling over from. Leone was currently seated on a broken column looking over the ruins. They were unsure what exactly the temple was once for but it gave of a feeling of immense dread and foreboding as if no one should step foot there.

"Boss said this is the place." Akame called back as her red eyes surveyed the area, a hand resting gently on the hilt of Murasame. They had no idea what to expect from these ruins and she was defiantly on guard. In truth, she was expecting the entire thing to be a trap. The information had been handed from the Revolution HQ, but it all seemed too good to be true. A Teigu that could change the outcome of the War and information had just suddenly been found for it near the end of the war when everyone's hopes were high? She didn't like the odds that it wasn't a trap but Najenda had given the order for the three remaining members of Night Raid to check it out.

Glancing over to their third member Akame frowned slightly, since Mine had entered her coma he had been displaced, distant. It worried her greatly, the three of them along with Mine and Najenda were all that were left of Night Raid. Not to mention his Teigu, it was causing him great pain and his body was slowing going through metamorphosis. Incursio having evolved so much since Tatsumi's time being it's wielder had started to cause Tatsumi to evolve right along with it. The effects were now always evident in Tatsumi's right eye, it was now a red eye with cross slit pupil at the centre. It had only been a week since Leone and herself had found Tatsumi in a cave near their base, his body having been affected by his last equipping of Incursio.

Upon finding Tatsumi they were both shocked and horrified at his appearance, the right side of his face had become more scaly reptilian in appearance with a massive horn jutting out the top back of his head, with his right hand taking on similar features sporting tusk like finger nails and segmented skin plates. It had taken several days for him to fully return to his normal state but his eye never returned to normal. He had been unusually quiet since then, even Leone's casual teasing didn't get him riled up.

"Tatsumi." Akame spoke bringing the teens attention to her. "We should head inside, see what we can find." Tatsumi took a single glance around the area, having the same feeling about the area as Akame herself did.

"Right." Tatsumi nodded as he began walking towards her she offered a small smile to which he returned however it didn't have the same effect as his old smile once held. Being in Night Raid had truly changed Tatsumi, when Akame had first met him he was a hopeful youth intent on changing the world. Now he was an assassin just like her, waiting for his next mission. Leone jumped down in front of them as the two approached, a grin on her face as her lion ears twitched along with her golden tail.

"Who want's to go down the dark spooky tunnel first?" She questioned thrusting a thumb to the opening that would lead into the depths of the temple.

"We will need torches." Akame suggested searching the present area before finding two pieces of old timbre once used as a support for the creation of a statue that now lay in ruins. Reaching into her pack she pulled out two pieces of flint before setting out to ignite a fire so that they would be able to use the pieces of wood for torches. Leone meanwhile was standing next to Tatsumi, a small smile on her face as she turned to him.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do after all this?" The blonde questioned. "After the war is over I mean. You promised Mine you'd marry her right? I'm totally jealous, I claimed you first after all." Tatsumi rubbed at his neck slightly, oddly enough the same place that Leone had once licked months ago when she 'claimed' him.

"I haven't thought about it much, a lot has been going on that I don't have time to think." Tatsumi stated getting a nod from the blonde in response. "You?"

"Eh, travel the countryside sing songs of our brave heroics." Leone grinned wrapping an arm around Tatsumi's shoulder. "We could do it together, travel the world. It'll be great fun, Akame can come too." Tatsumi smiled softly, it sounded nice.

"I would like to visit your village Tatsumi." Akame stated as she brought the two torches she had lit over to the two handing one to Tatsumi.

"Let's make it that our first stop in our next big adventure is Tatsumi's home village!" Leone grinned. "We have to hold their wedding somewhere right." She laughed heading before Tatsumi and Akame, the dark haired assassin smiling lightly as she saw a small smile on Tatsumi's face. The three of them had to stick together now. The three assassins ventured into the temple, their torches shining brightly in the dark of the underground catacombs. Leone was leading the way, even without a torch her Teigu helped her see in the dark, she had it activated since before arriving at the temple ruins just encase. As the three descended further down into the temple, they felt the feeling of dread and fear grow.

"Did it get even spookier in here or is it just me?" Leone questioned rubbing her bare arms with her hands nervously, all three could feel the increasing anxiety creeping up on them, the temple itself was as if warning them to stay away. "Tatsumi, hold me close I'm scared~" She cooed with a grin on her face as she went to leap on the brown haired assassin however halted as she felt something shift beneath her foot. "Ah nuts." The floor fell out from beneath her, Tatsumi and Akame rushing forward grabbing an arm each to stop her from falling into the darkness below. Both Akame and Tatsumi pulled Leone up onto the ledge, the blonde taking in a heavy breath as she let out a laugh. "Man! Was that close or what!" She laughed.

"No kidding." Tatsumi chuckled. "How deep down do you think it goes?" He questioned as both he and Akame held their torches over the gap in the floor. Akame dropped her torch down into the gap the three following it with their gaze before it clattered to the floor several meters below.

"We're heading down." Akame stated before leaping down into the gap, Tatsumi and Leone following after her. Akame picked up her torch once more and rose it high above her head, they were in a large chamber of some kind in the darkness they couldn't see the walls and were unsure of how large the room actually was.

"What do you think this place was?" Leone questioned as she knelt down picking up a piece of metal with frayed wires jutting out from it, she examined it slightly before simply tossing it into the darkness only for it to hit another piece of metal giving out an echoing clank. She gave a sheepish look to the other two, Tatsumi shaking his head in amusement.

"Search for anything that might be able to give us any information on what we're looking for, we'll move on if we can't find anything." Akame instructed getting nods from both Leone and Tatsumi the two walking into the darkness, Leone without a torch was using her Teigu's ability to see in the dark while Tatsumi was illuminated by a torch. Akame headed off in her own direction, following an assortment of wires on the ground that seemed to lead somewhere. Raising her torch in front of her as she came to a terminal of some kind she frowned slightly, unsure what she was looking at. Lubbock would have been able to tell her instantly but she herself had no idea.

"Guys!" Leone called out. "I think I know what this place was." Akame leaned onto her terminal brushing thick layers of dust from the console, her finger brushing against a switch which flicked making her eyes widened as the terminal came to life. Lights flickered all over the terminal before the lights above their heads flickered to life, some of the bulbs blowing after having years of disuse while a few survived. Now that the room was lit, they could see the majority of what was going on. It was a lab, tanks layered the walls with odd green liquid within, paperwork and wires littered the floor, deserted desks where people once worked.

"It's some kind of lab." Akame stated as she turned back, walking to where Tatsumi was, his attention having been brought to something. Leone walked over to them from the side, holding a folder in her hand a frown on her face.

"This isn't just any lab Akame." Leone explained holding out the folder to her, the dark haired assassin taking it. "It's where the First Emperor created all the Teigu." Akame's eyes widened as she read through the very fundamentals it took to create Murasame, Leone having handed her the very blueprints the creators had used to create her Teigu. A low growl made Akame instantly drop the folder and grip Murasame drawing the cursed blade as Leone raised her fists up. Tatsumi was backing up to them, Incursio already drawn. Leone and Akame's eyes widened as the massive Apeman Danger Beast stood before them, a metal plate drilled into the left side of it's chest while it's entire left arm was obscured by a strange mist.

"I guess some of the test subjects are still alive." Leone muttered. "Wonder how old this guy is."

"It's not just this one." Tatsumi stated. "All the cages were empty, we're surrounded." Leone and Akame looked around to see that Tatsumi was right, there were several danger beasts surrounding them, all having different horrific appearances. Teigu's that had never been completed or had failed test subjects. "They had to use apes, didn't they."

"They're the closest thing to actual human testing." Akame stated raising Murasame. "We'll deal with these Danger Beasts, then we'll burn this place to the ground. The Empire cannot know its location."

"If the Empire gets their hands on this research, they'll have armies of Teigu users." Tatsumi added. "Even if we can't find the Teigu in the report, this place has to go."

"Agreed." Leone nodded.

The three assassin broke up, shooting off in different directions, Akame sweeping through six Danger Beasts in an instant, leaving a single cut on each of the beasts she passed. It was all that was needed, glancing over to Leone to see her having a fist fight with an Ape Man she had to smile, always one to take on a challenge. Tatsumi was easily dealing with another three, letting their large and slow forms be their downfall. Even with half effective Teigu's they were nothing against a group of trained users of completed Teigu's. However a feeling a dread rose up in Akame, an instinctive feeling she hadn't felt since she had been a young girl when it took instinct to survive.

Looking around, nothing seemed to be out of place. What could it be? Her red eyes scanned the area looking for anything out of place, from the empty cages to the tanks aligning the wall to the wire she had followed across the room to the terminal... that was when she noticed it. The wires she had followed to the terminal, they led to a lever across the room away from the terminal. Her eyes detailed on the lever before she realised what it did. The entire back wall of the lab was a massive door that the lever opened. Something was behind that door!

"Tatsumi! Leone! Get out of there!" Akame shouted making both assassins look over to her having just finished of their Danger beasts, that was before the banging started, the metal doors behind Leone and Tatsumi beginning to gain dents as something behind the doors hit it repeatedly. Tatsumi and Leone instantly retreated to Akame's side, all three readying to face what came through the doors. For an instant there was nothing but dead quiet before the doors crashed open revealing the Danger Beast that had been locked away.

The Assassin's eyes widened at what they were seeing, an Ultra Class Dragon Danger Beast, the rarest of the rare and it was free out of captivity after a thousand years. It was hungry, pissed and ready to kill the very things that roused it from it's slumber. It's large form slithered across the ground eyeing the three at the end of the hall, it's eyes darting between the assassins to the Danger Beast corpses that were now littering the lab.

An Apeman Danger Beast scurried across the room, intent on escaping the massive danger beast's gaze, all it took was a split second before a claw reached out snatching the Apeman Danger Beast, the best squealing as it was risen up before the titanic Dragon's open maw. Blood rained down as the Dragon devoured it, letting a victorious roar that shook the laboratory the ceiling crumbling.

When the roar silenced the Dragon set it's next priority, the three assassins. It's blinding speed was not enough to catch the assassin's off guard as the three dodged the Dragon as it's entire body lunging forward, rocking the very foundations of the temple. Leone had leapt upwards while Akame and Tatsumi had jumped either side of the beast. The blonde reared back with her fist using all her might she punched the top of the Dragon's head sending it crashing down to the laboratory floor.

"Leone! Keep on guard, it was here because they were going to use it to create a Teigu! It will have something up it's sleeve!" Akame shouted out rushing down its side before her eyes widened as she noticed the Dragon's scales seemed to follow each and every one of her movements. The scales began to shimmer radiating a blue aura before the detached and were sent flying at her with incredible speeds. Dodging the first three she used Murasame to deflect the forth, her eyes narrowing as she watched the scales regenerate on the Dragon leaving no opportunity for her to strike with Murasame, it's armour was to strong to penetrate with her blade.

"Tatsumi! It's eyes!" Leone shouted as she was thrown from the Dragon's thrashing head where Leone had been pulverising her fists into. Akame turned her attention to the Dragon's head only to watch Tatsumi leap into the air Incursion drawn as he roared, coming crashing down onto the Dragon's eye the fountain of blood covered Tatsumi as the Dragon roared in pain, the assassin being thrown from the Dragon. Taking the opportunity and seeing the eyes the only weakness Akame jumped, landing on the Dragon's back and darted forward with her speed she cleared the distance to the Dragon's thrashing head.

Two of the scales rose up on the dragon's back as if sensing her presence, shimmering just like earlier. They shot forward towards Akame, Leone leaping from the side grabbing both out of the air and driving them into the dragon's back with enough force to break through the Dragon's armour however the scales regenerated right back making Leone scowl as she punched the Dragon in the back in her anger.

"You'll never get to the head with the Dragon in his state, I can't open up a wound that won't heal instantly Tatsumi can." Leone breathed heavily as Akame's eyes widened. "He has too." Akame turned to Tatsumi with wide eyes as he watched them both gripping Incursio tightly.

"Do it!" Akame shouted Tatsumi nodding as he rose Incursio up the armour instantly taking effect making the dragon's fear instinct kick into gear, both girls were thrown from the dragon's back as it began to turn to Tatsumi however the armour wearing assassin was already gone from where he had equipped the armour, appearing high above the Dragon feet pressed against the roof. The twin tassels now attached to Incursio fluttered wildly behind him as he dived downwards the top of the temple exploding outwards from the force of the pressure beneath Tatsumi's legs as he drove downwards the Dragon with Neuntote. The red headed lance pierced the Dragon's scales as if they were butter, blood erupting in a fountain around Tatsumi as he roared.

"AKAME!" The dark haired assassin was already in motion before Tatsumi had left the ceiling, blade raised high up as she dove down, Murasame's cursed blade sinking hilt deep into the Dragon millimetres from Tatsumi's own bladed lance.

"That's enough Tatsumi." Akame said softly as she watched Incursio disperse from the other assassin, the effects already visible on Tatsumi's face scales having already formed as he fell forward. Akame released Murasame to catch him as the dragon beneath writhed in pain as curse marks appeared over it's entire frame before it fell dead. Leone landed next to the two, taking Tatsumi off of Akame's hands leaping off the Danger Beast and laying him on the ground. She glanced over him, the effects of Incursio greater than what they were when they had found him in the cave.

The majority of his face had turned demonic and his shirt had ruptured in several places revealing the scales had ventured down his body also.

"Three more times..." Leone breathed softly as she caressed Tatsumi's scaled face as his breathing was rapid, his chest heaving up and down.

"How is he?" Akame questioned walking over to her.

"He'll be out for a bit." Leone replied softly. "It's getting worse." Akame knelt down beside the two, looking Tatsumi over. "The doctor said if he had enough time for his body to develop to the power Incursio has, then this wouldn't be a problem, he'd be fine. Just like how Bulat handled it."

"We just don't have the luxury of years for Tatsumi to wait until he's capable of fully using Incursio. The revolution is moving and will come to an end soon." Akame growled through gritted teeth clenching her hands into fist. She had lost so many close friends and now Tatsumi was at risk of dying, just three more times equipping Incursio and it would all be over for him. Akame's red eyes picked up movement across from her and she rose her head, tears were welling in Leone eyes as she pulled her knees up to her chest.

"I brought Tatsumi into all of this." Leone bit her lip hard enough for blood to trail down her chin. "He was just some kid down on his luck when I first met him, then I saw his potential at the mansion. Without even thinking of him, I brought him into this world of carnage we live." Raising a hand to her face she gripped several strands of hair. "What the hell was I thinking!" She shouted burying her head into her knees, Akame lowering her head softly never having seen Leone like this before however a small smile came to her face as she watched Tatsumi's clawed hand raise up and lay atop Leone's blonde hair.

"Sis... shut up, I'm trying to sleep." Leone chuckled lightly as she reached up gripping Tatsumi's transformed hand, holding it tightly.

"Rest up Tatsumi, we have a big walk back to base." Tatsumi nodded as Leone picked him up in her arms before resting him against the Dragon in a sitting position, folding his arm so that his hand was resting on his chest, the blonde raising to her feet as she looked around the dead body of the Dragon laying in the sunlight now shining down from where Tatsumi had destroyed the roof. Akame rose to her feet.

"We should continue to look around, we'll leave after an hour or so. Tatsumi should be able to walk by then." Leone nodded her head in agreement going to search the area where the Dragon had come from, while it wasn't a cage it did lead to one where the Dragon had obviously broken out from. There were no other Danger Beasts within the ruins so both Leone and Akame were less on guard. Leone was currently looking over several old parchments a frown on her face, all she could think of was Tatsumi.

"There has to be something, he can't die like this." Clenching a fist tightly she growled, there had to be a way to save Tatsumi and for the revolution to win. Why did his life have to come at the cost of their victory? "Wait..." Her hands moved several parchments away. "This is where they created the Teigu, the geniuses would at least comprehend something like this happening, knowing the Tyrants evolution capabilities? There has to be something here that will help." Leone's eyes frantically searched for anything, hoping and pleading that there would be anything. Finding nothing her anger rose as she kicked the desk away from her, it tumbling across the room. "Damn it."

"Leone, I think I found something." Akame called out making the blonde turn to see Akame walking over to her with a wrapped object. "I think this is the teigu we were sent here to find." Leone's eyes widened slightly. "Come on, let's get back to Tatsumi he'll want to see this." Leone nodded and followed Akame back, the assassin still seated where they had left him beside the Dragon one might almost mistake him for apart of the Dragon with his current state.

"H...Hey guys... time to go already?" Tatsumi questioned raising his head slightly seeing their approach.

"No, Akame here thinks we found what we came here searching for." Tatsumi turned his draconic eyes to the red eyed assassin to see her holding a small bundle in her grip.

"I found a set of cases, each with Teigu names on them, this was in the only case that wasn't opened. It had the name 'Reality Marble'." She stated. "With it being the only unopened case, I figured it was the best bet it was what we were sent here to find." She explained.

"Well, let's get a look at this thing!" Leone grinned making Akame nod as she unbound the cloth that was wrapped around it and sat it down between the three of them. The three assassins simply looked at the unknown teigu, it was barely the size of a fist and it's creamy colour seeming more distorted with each passing moment. Leone leaned in slightly with a curious look. "What's it do-gah!" She shouted surprising the other two.

"What's wrong!?" Akame questioned.

"There was totally something in there!" Leone shouted making Akame lean forward, seeing her own reflection on the marble's surface before she saw it, a single eye rolling into view and looking at her from within. Her eyes widened as her body began to shake, feeling an unknown presence within her mind. Clutching at her head she screamed, memories all passing through her mind from her childhood and onwards, all the blood all the fighting everyone she had lost.

"Akame!" Tatsumi shouted as he grabbed the marble, going to throw it away but as soon as he had it in his grip pain coursed through his entire arm, not because of Incursio but because of the eye in the marble it was completely locked with Tatsumi's gaze, his memories flooding forth from the depths of his mind.

"Tatsumi!" Leone shouted gripping Tatsumi's hand trying to pry his claws from the marble but it had no effect, the moment the marbles eye locked with Leone she had the same reaction as Akame and Tatsumi, feeling the unknown presence in her mind before all her memories were brought to the surface. The three assassin's screamed in their torment, the memories of everything they had done replaying over and over in their mind.

Tatsumi's grip only continued to tighten on the marble until finally it completely shattered in a bright light enveloping the three completely... when the light faded, the remnants of the Reality Marble crumbled to dust, not a single trace of the three assassin's remained.

It was instant, the moment the bright light died down, Tatsumi shot up in a panic not even aware of his current surroundings or caring that they had changed dramatically from the ruined temple he had previously been in. His hand reached back for the hilt of Incursio only making more panic set in when he couldn't find his Teigu.

Leaping from the soft mattress he was now on pain shot through his entire body and he tumbled to the ground with a loud thud and a grunt of pain, both hands coming up to his head as it throbbed in the worst headache he had ever known. His eyes were wide as his body wretched in pain, his vision was blurry and he couldn't focus on a single thing within the dark room.

Gritting his teeth, Tatsumi pulled himself up to his knees ignoring the pain as much as he could for the moment. Using the bed as support he pushed himself up to his feet, standing on shaky legs he moved across the room, his now bare feet sliding through the softness of the carpet beneath. Making his way across the room as pain coursed through his body wasn't easy but Tatsumi made it to the doorway, reaching in his hand fumbling for a second before he hit a switch, the light shining brightly made him cover his face at the sudden brightness.

"Tatsumi?" A muffled tired voice questioned from outside the room making Tatsumi's eyes widen slightly, he had never heard the voice in his entire life before but somehow, he recognised it. "Tatsumi?" The voice came again.

"I'm fine Issei, go back to bed." Tatsumi spoke before he realised what he said, somehow he knew the person's name? What was going on, where was Akame and Leone? Just what the hell was going on!? Looking back into the room, his eyes having adjusted to the light his eyes widened slightly as he stared into the mirror across from him. It was a bathroom that he had stumbled into, his reflection wasn't that much different from when he had last looked, although now he wasn't covered in scales thanks to Incursio but his right eye was still red with a cross slit pupil at the centre.

"What the hell is going on here?" Tatsumi questioned himself as he walked towards the sink gripping the sides staring at his reflection, there wasn't a single draconic scale on his skin. Looking down at what he was wearing, he was surprised he was in pajamas. Gripping the sink, his head throbbed with more pain as unknown memories filled his thoughts. Unable to help himself he vomited into the sink before stumbling back from the bathroom and into the bedroom.

Seeing a window he ran towards it opening it and leaping from the bedroom out into the night, landing on the pavement he ran with no destination in mind. Tatsumi didn't know how long he had been running for but he was now lost and in a park of some kind breathing heavily. Unknown memories kept passing through his mind, nothing of what he lived through but the memories were defiantly there. Falling to his knees he gripped his head in pain as he roared, wishing for the pain to stop.

"Tatsumi!" A voice called his name, a familiar voice this time. Tatsumi's eyes widened as he turned seeing Akame running straight for him, he couldn't even brace himself before she engulfed him in a hug. "It's ok Tatsumi." She told him holding his head to her chest. "It'll pass, just let them in, it'll pass." She kept reassuring him.

"A-Akame?" Tatsumi questioned with wide eyes before seeing a figure behind her making his eyes widen. Standing behind Tatsumi wasn't Leone, however they were blonde and Tatsumi knew him instantly, he would never forget one of the Jaegers. Run was standing in a white button up shirt with a pair of black dress pants a small smile on his face. Pain flooded Tatsumi's mind before he focused on Akame's voice telling him to let the memories in. Relaxing his mind as much as possible he did just that and his life as an Assassin merged with memories of a world Tatsumi didn't know.