Chapter 7: Esdeath's Tournament
"Welcome, one and all to Esdeath's Recruiting Tournament!" Wave announced as the large crowd of students around him cheered and shouted. "For this tournament, only first year students, who are not involved in any dorms may participate. Our very own Martial Arts club will also be participating to make things a little more exciting!"
The crowd gave another thunderous roar of excitement as several strong looking students appeared on the large stadium Wave was standing on. Each one was about the same height with the same muscle complexion as the other but all had on different masks. Starting from the left to the right, the masks went: bunny, wolf, tiger and dragon.
Up in the stands, was a large, specially built area for staff only. A large staircase led from the stadium up to the area. Sitting inside the special area, Esdeath quietly sat in her chair with Run standing by her side. A bored expression had grown on her face as Run began to describe his thoughts of how the tournament would turn out.
"Say, Run?" Esdeath interrupted the young man.
"Yes ma'am?" Run asked.
"Do you have a copy of all the students who will be participating today?" She asked. "There is one student in particular I would like to keep an eye on."
"I'm sorry Ms. Esdeath." Run bowed. "But I do not have the sheet. Allow me to go fetch one."
"That won't be necessary." Esdeath halted his attempt towards the door. "This makes it even more interesting on whether or not he will show."
Run gave an uneasy look at Esdeath before focusing his attention back onto the stadium. Wave had just begun the first fight with a small girl with short blonde hair with an orange raincoat and matching boots taking down a large boy. She was quick on her feet and managed to trip the boy; knocking him down and winning the fight.
"And the winner is Fal!" Wave announced after the big guy couldn't get up.
"That b-bitch!" The boy said as he was ready to strike the girl. However, Wave quickly stopped him and threw him off the ring.
"Don't you have any dignity?" Wave asked, scaring the boy away.
"Alright next up is…"
Wave continued to read off the list of student's names who were forced to participate and even the four martial arts members; all winning their fight in less than 30 seconds.
Up in the stands, Leone and Lubbock happily watched the fights go on, with Leone getting drunk and Lubbock sneakily getting peeks at girl's chests with his binoculars he brought.
"When will Tatsumi be up next?" Leone whined. "I never get to see him!"
"Maybe you should stop drinking now." Lubbock said, still looking through his binoculars.
"Well maybe you should quit being a huge pervert!" Leone shouted, catching a few ears, as she grabbed the binoculars from Lubbock. "Hey look everyone! This guy's a pervert!" She announced.
"Idiot!" Lubbock said. "We're supposed to be sober for this."
Lubbock turned to see Leone fast asleep, sitting up. Drool was slightly coming out of her mouth while a huge snot bubble formed from her nose.
"She really fell asleep...didn't she?" Lubbock told himself as he sighed.
Looking back through the binoculars, he grabbed from Leone's hand, Lubbock could tell that the tournament was nearly at an end.
"Last up!" Wave announced. "We have the Raging Bull vs. Tatsumi!"
On one corner of the arena, a large man, wearing a bull's mask, walked onto the stage waving his hands in the air. He was welcoming the cheering audience and flexing his massive muscles for everyone to see. On the opposite end, Tatsumi casually walked onto the arena towards Wave and his opponent. He didn't seem to care much for the audience's cheer as he tried to concentrate on the challenge ahead of him.
"Alright, without further ado, let the battle begin!" Wave shouted before jumping back, getting farther from Tatsumi and the Raging Bull.
"Heh, a little pipsqueak like you thinks he can take me?" The Bull snorted. "Let's just see how long you last."
"This guy seems like nothing compared to Bulat's and Leone's training." Tatsumi thought to himself. "If I'm to take him down, it'd be best to do it quick."
Wasting no time, the Bull raised both his fist in the air before slamming them down on top of Tatsumi. However, the young man dodged the attack in time and began his counter by circling his leg around before landing it on top of his opponents head. He then landed on both of his hands and quickly swung his legs, tripping the large man onto the ground before delivering the final blow with his elbow on his opponents chest.
"You...little…" The Bull struggled to speak before collapsing from exhaustion.
The crowd went wild as Wave walked over to ensure Tatsumi had won before raising his hand.
"The winner is Tatsumi!"
"Oh my, he seems like a good candidate." Run mentioned.
"So, this is your strength Tatsumi?" Esdeath smiled. "Let's see how you fare against our martial arts club."
Esdeath raised her hand, signaling the martial arts club members to start their surprise attack.
The two wearing the bunny and wolf masks quickly rushed straight for Tatsumi, nearly catching him off guard as he missed their fists only to find the tiger ready to land a blow from above. Unable to move in time, Tatsumi took the full blow to his head, knocking him to the ground; however, he quickly rolled over as the dragon landed his attack, shattering the ground where Tatsumi once was.
"Are you guys crazy?!" Tatsumi shouted. "Four-on-One is not fair!"
"We do what we were ordered to do." The dragon replied. "If you have a problem then surrender and admit defeat."
"Unless you think you can take us...hot shot!" The tiger mocked.
Tatsumi slowly got up and prepared to fight the four members. He examined each individual, trying to find some sort of weakness to them.
"Think, their masks must represent something about them." Tatsumi told himself. "The rabbit could possibly mean speed while the Tiger could be stealth. If I want to take either one of them out, it would have to be the Wolf first since he's clearly the alpha. But the Dragon is probably the top fighter in their group. Argh...what should I do?"
Unable to think in time, Tatsumi prepared to defend himself as the Rabbit zigzagged her way towards him, making it harder to predict where she would strike. Meanwhile, the Tiger had made his way behind Tatsumi, nearly masking his presence if Tatsumi hadn't noticed him missing from the group.
"That's it!" Tatsumi thought as the two fighters closed in on him and swung their fists.
Ducking last minute, the two fighters both knocked each other out in one blow. Tatsumi took a deep breath before standing back up and rushing the Wolf and Dragon.
The Wolf wasted no time in charging straight for Tatsumi, blocking his punch and countering with several jabs to Tatsumi's rib cage. The Night Raid member fell to the ground but used the opportunity to trip the Wolf and grab his neck, slamming his face into the ground before knocking him out.
"I'm surprised you managed to take out all three in a matter of minutes." The Dragon said as Tatsumi prepared for his final fight.
"Well, I figured I'd take out the first two by having them knock each other out." Tatsumi said. "Basic way of attacking an outnumbered opponent. As for the Wolf, I'd say he's not much for dodging rather than blocking and attacking."
The Dragon chuckled. "It seems someone's taught you well." He commended. "However, I won't be easy. I am the strongest one of the group." He said as he stood in his fighter's stance. "Now then boy, come!"
Tatsumi began sprinting straight for the Dragon as his opponent shifted his stance and evasively dodged Tatsumi's punch and jabbed his fingers into his rib cage. Tatsumi could feel the bones cracking and jumped back only to find the Dragon close up and headbutted the young man.
Feeling dizzy, Tatsumi wasn't able to respond to the Dragon's combo consisting of a series of punches to his knees and legs, knocking him on the ground.
"Did I not tell you boy?" Dragon asked. "I'm the top of our group." He looked down at a broken Tatsumi.
"Heh, that may be so, but I've found your weakness." Tatsumi chuckled.
"What do you mean?" Peaking Dragon's curiosity.
"When you attack, you use only two fingers which means you're skilled in accurate attacks. You could even crush my windpipe and kill me if you wanted too." Tatsumi explained with Dragon's nod of approval. "However, that also means your punches will be weak since they require you to place your strength in your fists."
Tatsumi struggled to stand up but feel back down onto his knees. The Dragon began to laugh, as did most of the audience.
"You think you're in any position to assume stuff like that?" He asked.
"No…"Tatsumi said before smiling at him. "But I've got you wide open now."
The Dragon immediately looked down to see Tatsumi strike a crushing blow to the Dragon's crotch. The Dragon soon let out an ear shattering scream, even causing Esdeath to close her ears. Tatsumi then proceeded to punch both of Dragon's knee caps in, knocking him on the ground in utter defeat.
"I knew you weren't weak at fighting aggressively." Tatsumi said, looking down at the defeated boy. "But you're weak in finishing fights."
"And...and the winner is Tatsumi!" Wave declared after snapping himself out of the surprise everyone had just witnessed.
"Oh, not bad." Run commented.
Esdeath carefully looked at Tatsumi who was stunned to have beaten four opponents by himself. Feeling a little prideful, he let out a huge, happy smile for all to see. His cheeks rosy red and teeth shining white.
Esdeath's face soon blushed, causing her to immediately get out of her chair and make her way down the steps.
"He's the one." She whispered to herself.
As the crowd continued to cheer, Tatsumi noticed Esdeath making her way towards him. Her long blue hair flowing behind her as her white boots take a single step at a time. He even began to feel a little embarrassed, noticing the size of her chest as she neared him.
"I kinda wished Leone hadn't placed my face in hers now." He thought to himself. "Just seeing Esdeath's is just reminding me of hers."
Esdeath soon arrived near Tatsumi and placed her hands on her hips.
"Congratulations." She said. "I never expected anyone to beat one of the Four Animals let alone all of them."
"Eh heh...thanks." Tatsumi awkwardly smiled, scratching the back of his head.
"Now, as promised, you will become a member of my dorm and also…" She began as she pulled out a collar and placed it around Tatsumi's neck. "My lover." She whispered into his ear.
"Wait...what?!" Tatsumi exclaimed.
Even Lubbock and Leone, now sober, were surprised as they continued to watch Tatsumi struggle to break free from Esdeath's collar.
"Wait there must be some sort of mistake!" Tatsumi pleaded. "I'm just here to be a member. Couldn't you pay me instead of being your lover?"
"You're right." Esdeath slammed his fist into her hand, realizing her error. "You certainly will be paid." She said, punching Tatsumi and knocking him out. "In my room."
"Shoot, this is a problem." Lubbock said.
"No kidding." Leone agreed. "Tatsumi is supposed to be with me!" She cried.
"That's not it." Lubbock shook his head. "I wanted Esdeath to notice me!"
"Oh, so you're into that kind of stuff?" Leone chuckled. "How do you like this?" She asked, bending Lubbock's fingers back.
"Stopstopstopstopstop!" He begged before Leone released him. "Anyway, we should inform everyone else."
Night Raid Dorm
"Tatsumi's her what!?" Mine questioned, unsure if he heard the two properly.
"He's her lover now…" Leone sighed. "Our little Tatsumi...growing up."
"That runt had one job!" Mine argued as she grabbed her teigu with her uninjured arm. "When I see him I'm going to put 100 bullets in the back of his spine." She mumbled.
"Be as that may," Bulat interrupted, stopping Mine. "He's doing the task we had him set to do."
"So what are we supposed to do now?" Leone asked.
"We wait." Akame stated.
"For what?" Lubbock asked.
"I think we all know the answer to that." Chelsea smiled, giving Lubbock a wink.
Esdeath's Room
"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" Tatsumi repeated in his head. "I was just supposed to join and get Sheele's teigu, plain and simple. But now I have to be someone's lover?! What the hell were those guys thinking?!"
Tatsumi could hear Esdeath softly humming a sweet tune in the bathroom where she was showering. Just the thought of her possibly coming out naked was enough to put him on edge. Not to mention her specific instructions to stay right where he was and not move couldn't have been more terrifying.
"Don't move unless you want the severe punishment I hand out." He recalled.
"Now what?!" He thought as he heard the shower water turning off.
A few minutes soon passed before the door to Esdeath's bathroom. Esdeath slowly walked out, wearing nothing but a large t-shirt that couldn't even keep her chest inside.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting." She smiled, her arms behind her back.
"Err...s-so this is an interesting room you have here." Tatsumi tried to make the situation less awkward.
However, nothing around the room was interesting. Basic items such as tables and paintings were around. Esdeath's bed was centered in the middle of the room facing the door that led out into the hallway of the Jaegers dorm.
"I'm surprise you think something as dull as this room is interesting." She remarked, sitting on the bed next to him. "It makes you that much more...interesting."
Tatsumi could feel his hair standing straight up as Esdeath placed her hand on his lap.
"Um...so I assume you like me?" Tatsumi asked before feeling Esdeath's make contact with his.
"If I did, then you wouldn't be here." She said. "My father always taught me never to bring boys you didn't like into your room."
"Well your dad sounds like a very smart guy." Tatsumi said, trying to recover from the surprise kiss.
"Well, for a dead man anyway." Esdeath mentioned, scaring Tatsumi even more. "Now then, I suppose we should just start then." She said, lying Tatsumi on the bed and placing herself over him.
"And what is it that we're starting?" Tatsumi asked.
"What do you mean?" Esdeath looked at him confused. "I'm talking about sex of course."
Tatsumi's face immediately exploded red as steam escaped from his ears. His eyes were nearly all white before he took a few deep breathes and cleared his throat.
"Don't you think we should get to know each other first?" Tatsumi suggested.
"What's there to know?" Esdeath asked. "I've read your file...all of it."
"Oh god, I hope that doesn't include the time I wet my pants for the examines to get in this school." He hoped.
"Even the time you wet yourself." She added, not making it any better for Tatsumi.
"But, I don't know anything about you!" Tatsumi stated. "Why would I have sex with a complete stranger? Why would I have sex with anyone from the start to being with?!" He thought.
"Hmm…"Esdeath thought placing a finger on her chin. "You do have a point."
She slowly got off of him, allowing Tatsumi to relax a bit.
"Alright then!" She exclaimed, pointing at him. "You will learn everything about me and next week from tomorrow we will have sex!"
"That's not supposed to be a goal!" Tatsumi argued.
"Anyway, let's get to bed." Esdeath said lying back down next to him. "You have training tomorrow."
"Right…" Tatsumi said getting up. "I'll just sleep in the guest-"
"You will sleep here with me!" Esdeath ordered. "Don't worry, I won't do anything to you….yet."
"That doesn't make it any better!" Tatsumi thought as Esdeath dragged him back into the bed.
"So, are we all training well for SBB?" Aria asked.
"Yes ma'am!" The two hooded figures bowed.
"How about you, Zank?" She asked as a large man walked into the room with a small orb on his forehead.
"Of course. After all, we need to be ready to clean the competition." He smiled evilly. "Oh and I wish you both would stop thinking rude things about me."
"How can we not?" One replied. "Your teigu is creepy. I don't even enjoy changing in the same house as you."
"Ah, that's not very nice." Zank laughed.
"Yeah." The other hooded person agreed. "If I was him, I'd want to check out your hot-"
The first hooded person slammed their fist on the others, knocking them on the ground.
"Anyway…" Aria continued. "Once this event starts, I want Zank to take out Night Raid; specifically Akame. You two are to retrieve Tatsumi."
"Yes ma'am."
"What of the others?" Zank asked.
"The Jaegers will help take them on but I've managed to convince someone to aid our cause." She smiled, looking behind her.
Behind Aria stood a man in a white lab coat with gloves on. He wore glasses and had spiky black hair with a white patch in it.
"Are your clones nearly ready, Dr. Stylish?" Aria asked.
"Of course." Dr. Stylish replied. "However, if Esdeath were to discover this, she would have all our heads."
"That's why you are to stay quiet about all of this!" Aria hissed. "Meeting adjourned!"
Hope you all liked the new chapter. Be sure to favorite or follow and leave a review. See ya later!