Reliable Excavation & Demolition: A Rotten World, and Pure Chaos

The sun blazed high over the battlefield, casting harsh shadows over the smoldering remains of what had once been an Imperial attack force. Smoke curled into the air in thick, dark plumes, the stench of burning flesh and gunpowder still fresh. In the distance, hidden among the dense foliage of a wooded hillside, a small group of scouts from the Revolutionary Army observed in stunned silence. Their mission had been simple—monitor any Imperial movements and assess the threat level—but what they had just witnessed defied their understanding of warfare.

"What in the world..." one of them muttered, lowering his spyglass. His grip trembled slightly, though he did his best to steady himself. The sweat beading on his forehead had nothing to do with the scorching midday sun.

The entire battle had lasted mere minutes. A lone figure had waded through the ranks of the Empire's soldiers, tearing through them with sheer, unrelenting force. There had been no subtlety, no intricate strategy—only raw power and reckless aggression. The Imperial troops, disciplined and armed, had stood no chance. The scouts had watched as armored bodies were sent flying, entire squads shattered before they could mount any real defense. Those unfortunate enough to face the warrior head-on barely had time to react before being cut down with horrifying efficiency. It was not simply a battle—it was an exhibition of destruction, a demonstration of overwhelming dominance.

The aftermath was a grim sight. Blood soaked the earth in uneven streaks, forming grotesque patterns beneath the bodies of the fallen. The metallic scent of it was thick in the air, mixing with the acrid smoke of burnt banners and shattered weapons. Here and there, the occasional survivor coughed weakly, trying to drag themselves away from the carnage. But there was no salvation. The remaining warriors—their enemy—had already departed, victorious, leaving only devastation in their wake.

"That couldn't have been Night Raid," another scout whispered, eyes still locked on the battlefield. "They strike from the shadows. This was something else. Something... brutal."

Their leader, a veteran with years of experience in covert operations, nodded grimly. "It doesn't match Night Raid's usual tactics. Whoever—or whatever—did this, they weren't interested in an assassination. This was a massacre."

The scouts exchanged uneasy glances. If there was another force out there opposing the Empire, it could be either a valuable ally or a dangerous unknown. Either way, they had to report this immediately. 

"We need to report this," the leader finally said, his voice firm. "Najenda needs to hear about this immediately."

Another scout, still shaken, hesitated before speaking. "Do you think... it was a Teigu user? Someone with incredible strength? Or maybe a squad we've never heard of?"

The leader didn't answer right away. His gut told him that whoever was responsible for this was no ordinary warrior. A single person had laid waste to an entire Imperial force. That kind of power was either a blessing or a curse. 

With that, the scouts melted back into the undergrowth, their minds filled with unanswered questions. The battlefield remained eerily silent, save for the occasional groan of the wounded and the flickering of distant flames. Somewhere out there, the force responsible for this destruction remained at large—unseen, unnamed, and undeniably powerful. And worst of all, no one knew whether they were friend or foe.

The meeting room was dimly lit, the air thick with anticipation as Najenda and the members of Night Raid gathered around the large wooden table. A scout from the Revolutionary Army stood before them, his uniform still stained with the dust of his long journey. He held a tattered report in his hands, his expression a mixture of confusion and concern, as if struggling to put into words what he had witnessed.

"A massacre," the scout began, his voice steady but weighted. "An entire Imperial squad wiped out near a small village. The method... it was unlike anything we've seen before. Not precise, not calculated—just pure, overwhelming destruction."

Najenda leaned forward, her lone eye sharp with interest. "Explain."

The scout hesitated, his brows furrowing as he recalled the details. "The enemy force was loud, uncoordinated... yet devastatingly effective. They fought with overwhelming force, charging in without a hint of strategy or subtlety. Explosions, gunfire—completely unlike our methods or even the Empire's. It was almost as if they thrived in chaos. The survivors claimed they saw a single man shouting battle cries while hurling grenades with his bare hands."

Leone raised an eyebrow. "You're saying a bunch of lunatics ran in and wiped out an entire Imperial squad?" She leaned back, folding her arms, her expression teetering between disbelief and intrigue.

The scout nodded. "Lunatics... or something else entirely. Their power was undeniable. Their equipment was strange, far removed from the weapons we've seen in battle. And from what we could gather, they weren't affiliated with the Revolutionary Army or the Empire."

Lubbock scratched his head. "So we've got a new faction running around? That's just great. The last thing we need is another unpredictable element on the battlefield."

A silence settled over the room as the weight of the information sank in. Najenda exhaled, resting her chin on her interlocked fingers. "Unconventional warfare. But to what end?" She studied the report again before glancing at her team. "If they aren't with the Empire, then the question remains—are they friend or foe?" Her voice was measured, but there was an undeniable edge of curiosity.

Akame remained quiet, her gaze flickering to the side. Something about the scout's words unsettled her, though she couldn't place why. It wasn't just the reckless combat style—there was something else nagging at her. A gut feeling told her there was more to this than what was being said. Something wasn't adding up.

Tatsumi, sitting stiffly at the far end of the table, kept his expression neutral. He stared at the report, his hands gripping his knees beneath the table. He said nothing, but deep inside, his mind was already racing. He knew exactly who was responsible, but he couldn't afford to say anything. Not yet. His heartbeat quickened, but he kept his composure, forcing himself to remain calm under Akame's silent scrutiny.

Najenda finally spoke again, breaking the tension. "For now, we stay vigilant. If these warriors cross paths with us, we'll be ready. I want more information. Lubbock, send some of our own scouts to investigate—discreetly. We need to know exactly what we're dealing with."

Akame narrowed her eyes slightly, her instincts tingling. She took another glance at Tatsumi, who had barely moved since the report was presented. There was something off about him. He was too quiet, too tense. And though she couldn't explain why, she found herself watching him more carefully—waiting for the moment he might slip.

After the briefing concluded, the air in the tent grew still. The rest of Night Raid had left, but before Tatsumi could follow, a firm hand clamped onto his shoulder. He froze. That grip was cold. Unyielding. Dangerous.

"Tatsumi," Akame said, her crimson eyes boring into his soul. "Come with me."

Tatsumi swallowed. "Uh... is this about the food stash again? Because I swear, I didn't touch your meat buns this time—"

Akame's expression remained unreadable. Without another word, she pulled him into a nearby tent and let the flap fall shut. Now it was just the two of them, alone in the dim light.

She crossed her arms. "You laughed."

Tatsumi blinked. "I do that sometimes."

Akame stepped closer. "You laughed at the report about the unknown force attacking the Empire's soldiers."

He took a step back. "I mean… it was kinda funny how they described it. 'Unorthodox tactics, screaming battle cries, excessive use of explosives'—sound familiar?"

Akame narrowed her eyes. "You know something."

Tatsumi scratched the back of his head. "Well… yeah. Pretty sure that was the REDs."

Silence.

Akame stared at him, then blinked. "...Those lunatics you used to travel with?"

"Yup. Sounds exactly like them. Soldier's probably responsible for the shouting. Maybe the explosions, too. Or Engineer. Or Spy. Actually, I think all of them love explosions." Tatsumi paused. "Except Sniper. He just likes shooting things."

Akame sighed. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

Tatsumi rubbed his neck. "Because I didn't think it was necessary. Besides, let's be real—if the Revolutionary Army ever decided to go after them, it wouldn't even be a fight. It'd be a massacre. And not in our favor."

Akame blinked again. "...Even against an entire army?"

Tatsumi let out a dry chuckle. "Akame, Heavy can take a cannonball to the face and laugh it off. Medic can literally bring people back from the dead. Spy can be standing behind you right now and we wouldn't know. And Soldier—" He shuddered. "—has tried to wrestle bears for fun."

Akame took a moment to process this information. Then, in a rare moment of uncertainty, she muttered, "We should… avoid antagonizing them."

Tatsumi nodded. "Smart move."

Akame, still trying to fully grasp what she just heard, sat down. "Explain to me how they fight. In detail."

Tatsumi sighed, sat across from her, and started counting on his fingers. "Alright, let's start with Soldier. He fights like a man who was born, raised, and baptized in an explosion. He jumps using rocket blasts, yells about war, and charges into battle without a plan. Actually, that's not true—his plan is usually 'shoot everything and don't die.' The scary part? It works. He once cleared an entire enemy base by screaming about eagles and launching himself into their headquarters. No one knew how to react, so they just… lost."

Akame's expression didn't change, but Tatsumi could tell she was taking mental notes. "And Heavy?"

"Big guy, big gun. Simple, right? No. Heavy is a walking fortress. That gun of his, Sasha, can mow down squads before they can even blink. And if that doesn't work, he punches people so hard they go flying. The worst part? He enjoys it. Like, really enjoys it. One time, he got bored in a fight and started reciting poetry while flattening an entire squad with his fists. He treats war like an afternoon workout."

Akame's grip on her sleeve tightened slightly. "What about the rest?"

"Engineer? Smartest guy in the group. He builds sentries that can rip through enemies before they get close. He doesn't look like much in a fight, but give him a few seconds, and suddenly you're dealing with automated turrets, teleporters, and bulletproof defenses. Oh, and he's got a shotgun. But the scariest thing? He never panics. Ever. The guy could be surrounded, and he'd just take a sip of his drink, say 'Well, that ain't good,' and press a button that turns the battlefield into a deathtrap."

Akame nodded slowly. "And Medic? You said he can bring people back from the dead?"

Tatsumi winced. "Yeah… you don't wanna know how that works. But let's just say he's crazy and his healing gun can make people nearly unkillable. And if he activates what he calls the ÜberCharge, he can make someone literally invincible for a short time. The worst part? He loves experimenting. He once tested his healing by letting Heavy take a ballista shot to the chest. Heavy thought it was hilarious. Medic took notes."

Akame's grip on her sword tightened. "That's… disturbing."

"Yeah, welcome to my life," Tatsumi muttered. "Then there's Sniper. Simple guy. Sits back, picks off targets, never misses. If he sees you, you're probably already dead. He drinks coffee between shots, and sometimes he doesn't even aim. He just… knows. I once saw him shoot a guy through three buildings because he 'felt like it.' And Spy… well, Spy is terrifying. He can disguise as anyone, turn invisible, and kill people instantly with a single stab. He's the reason paranoia exists. One time, we thought he left for a mission, but turns out, he never left. He was just sitting in the same room as us, invisible, for an hour. For fun."

Akame's lips pressed into a thin line. "What about the others?"

"Oh, you mean Pyro? We don't even know what Pyro is. He—or she, or it—just burns things. That's it. Fire everywhere. Happy as can be. We once saw Pyro's perspective of battle, and it looked like a magical dreamland of rainbows and sunshine. Meanwhile, in reality, it was just screaming and fire. Lots of fire."

Akame stared. "That's horrifying."

"Yeah. Then there's Demoman. He drinks more than he breathes and solves every problem with explosives. A locked door? Explosives. An enemy army? Explosives. Out of explosives? He finds more explosives. He once took out a whole castle wall just because someone annoyed him."

Akame exhaled slowly. "And Scout?"

Tatsumi rolled his eyes. "Annoying. Fast. Talks a lot. Hits people with a baseball bat and somehow makes it hurt more than a sword. I have no idea how. He just dodges everything and insults you while doing it. One time, he stole an entire army's rations just to make fun of them."

Akame remained silent for a long time. Finally, she took a deep breath. "We are never fighting them."

Tatsumi grinned. "Smartest thing you've said all day."

Another pause.

"...You really didn't take my meat buns?"

"Akame, I swear—"