Chapter Two: Vanish

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Shura was many things. The son of the Prime Minister. A murderer. A rapist. A disgusting excuse of a man. At his core, Shura was a fighter. Traveling for so long, he had learned many things. Many techniques.

As he looked at the body of water before him, he took several controlled breaths, making what seemed to be sparks fly off his boots. He took a step forward... and the soles made contact with the surface of the lake. While most other beings eould have sunk in, he did not. He moved his other foot forward, and it too made contact with the liquid's surface.

Shura grinned to himself. All that Ripple training was, at long last, paying off.

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The trio looked down at the swirling mass that swallowed D'Arby before sealing itself and returning the floor to normal.

Akame wasn't convinced. "We haven't seen the last of him."

Leone was quick to respond. "Duh. C'mon." She walked in. "If they already know we're here, might as well use the invite."

On and on they walked, the stretching hallways seemingly leading them nowhere, but Leone's enhanced nose led them to their destination, and their target. Eventually, they made it to a massive, torch-lit room of stone with columns all throughout it.

Leone sniffed the air. "Someone is here..." she followed her nose, walking around the room while her comrades readied themselves for a fight.

Akame's eyes quickly scanned the chamber, but she found nothing.

Leone, however, casually drove her claws into one of the pillars. The concrete gave way, revealing that she had punctured the neck of a man with pointy ears and a short stature.

He gasped for breath, choking on his own blood. The lioness of Night Raid removed her hand from him, and he went limp. Instantly the room they were in began to change. In a matter of seconds, it seemed to have decreased in size and was well lit.

"What, was it all an illusion?" Tatsumi wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure." Akame looked around. "Everything felt solid." Her eyes drifted until she found writing on the wall.

It read, The moment you turn around, you will die.

The words struck Akame. This was not a place to make idle threats.

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Unbeknownst to the three, they were being observed. The vampire was enjoying a glass of wine, whilst his butler was in the midst of constructing a new doll to add to his collection.

DIO took the whole situation in with mild interest, while D'Arby's attention was mostly on the armored male.

That voice, he thought to himself. It's distorted... yet I cannot help but feel I've heard it before.

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Akame did not look away from the written warning. "Leone. Is anybody else here?"

The blonde used each of her enhanced senses. "No, why?" She looked to her friend... and was horrified. Behind the wielder of Murasame was what seemed to be a skeletal head wearing an executioner's hood with... something protruding from its mouth. It was only there for a moment before vanishing.

Leone began running towards her with an outstretched arm. "AKAME!"

In an instant, the swordswoman was gone. It was as if she had suddenly become invisible.

The next second, a gaping hole appeared in the floor in front of the two other Night Raiders.

Tatsumi grabbed the confused Leone. "We need to move!"

"But... but where did she go?!"

The armored youth managed to pry her from her spot as another hole appeared where she had been standing; it was as if an unseen wrecking ball was swinging around. They sprinted for the door, only for the mysterious presence to strike the wall next to the archway, making them stop.

The air in front of them began to distort and crackle, and then that bony face appeared once more. Its teeth parted, and in its maw was another face. A man with a serious expression and long brown hair.

Leone bared her teeth and pointed at him. "What have you done with Akame?!"

The man looked at them with an unchanging veneer. "To put it in terms you can comprehend, she's gone. For good. Even I don't know where the things I send away end up. And at the moment, I don't care."

Tatsumi brought his arm back and threw his spear at the man. Just like Akame, it vanished as it approached him. Tatsumi did not know what he expected, but he had answered one of his questions. Anything that got near this guy sighed its death certificate. And since he and Leone were both physical fighters...

"Run!"

He grabbed Leone's shoulder, turning her towards the way they had come in.

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"Lord DIO." D'Arby focused on his master. "I think I know who is in the armor."

DIO looked at him. "Oh?"

"Yes. Not too long ago, my brother and I went to a certain combat tournament..."

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"I never got why people would want to throw their fists at each other to make a living," Daniel D'Arby, the elder brother said as he and his younger sibling watched the spectacle, General Esdeath seated above them.

"I suppose it has something to do with adrenaline," D'Arby responded. The two made for friendly conversation as the two current combatants did not fit the reason they were there; to find any Stand users to join Lord DIO.

Daniel looked down at the fighters occupying the ring, and pulled a small pouch of gold from his vest. "This says the green-eyed country boy wins the whole thing."

D'Arby glanced at his elder brother. Sure, he always made bets when possible, but this seemed rather... broad for his modus operandi. Wagering the kid would win one match, sure. But the entire tournament? Had Daniel paid off all the others to take falls? Did he currently have bets with several others, favoring the country native?

"I'll pass, Daniel."

The older brother shrugged and returned the money to his pocket.

They watched the fights go on, occasionally sharing a joke about the losers. Eventually, D'Arby Younger found that he had been wise to not bet. The young man Daniel had shown interest in emerged as the victor. He gave a confident, proud smile and proclaimed, "I did it!"

Daniel stood up. "Well, our job is done. Nothing." He walked away. His brother started to follow him, but he stopped and briefly returned his attention to the arena. The winner and Esdeath were exchanging words. The General had a strange look on her face. She snapped a collar around the boy and knocked him out before dragging him off.

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DIO took in D'Arby's recollection... and grinned wickedly. "So, the good General's missing property has seemed to have run away and joined Night Raid." He thought about the Red Stone of Aja for a moment. "What good fortune. The perfect bargaining chip has waltzed right into our door."