Delsin leaned against a wall at the Night Raid compound. They'd just held a small service for Bulat, similar to the one they'd held for Sheele a month ago. Delsin hadn't joined them outside. Too much was on his mind now. The Beast was coming. Their heaviest hitter was dead and Tatsumi was forced to pick up the slack. Sure he was willing, but he was still training. Their morale was low. And Delsin was now afraid. The clock was ticking. Delsin shook his head and went out to the cliffside with the others. Akame was the first to see him and rushed over to him. He was met with a hug, tears flowing onto his shoulder. He held her close to him, letting her sob and let everything out. He turned to Tatsumi who was praying for Bulat in front of the grave they dug for him. "There was nothing you could've done, Tatsumi."

"I know," said the rookie assassin. "Doesn't mean I don't blame myself." Delsin clocked him on the cheek.

"Stop it. There's not much you could've done against an Imperial Arm by yourself, and you know it." He grabbed Incursio where it lie on the ground next to him and slammed it into Tatsumi's chest. "But you know what you can do, now? Honor his memory, and his choice of passing Incursio to you. We've still got jobs to do. We have time to grieve right now, and right now only. Then it's back to business."

"Well said, Delsin," said Najenda. Everyone turned to her and saw she was geared up, ready to leave.

"Where are you going, Boss," asked Sayo.

"I'm going to try and see if we can get some backup with the loss of first Sheele, and now Bulat. I'll be gone for a few weeks, so I'm giving you your orders for now." She looked around. "Where's Seryu?"

"Imperial Palace," said Delsin. "She was ordered to attend a meeting headed by General Esdeath herself. She told me that scuttlebutt was talking about other Imperial Arms users being called as well."

"This can't be good."

"We think this is her creating a team to replace the Three Beasts, but until we hear back from her, it's just a theory." Najenda thought for a second.

"I'll let the Revolutionary Army generals know. For now, Akame will handle the jobs while I am gone. Delsin, I hear you were invited to Esdeath's tournament?"

"Personally. Why?"

"Join it. Find out what this tournament is about and what the special reward is."

"I feel like this won't end well."

"Be careful, then. And have Seryu remember to get to the Imperial Medic. If the bomb in her head is what you think it is, don't let it remain active. Understand?"

"We want this thing out of her head more than anyone, Boss. We won't forget."

"Good." Najenda left and Delsin sighed before remembering his gift from home. He went inside and found his bag from Hank before bringing it with him outside.

"Ok, haven't done this without stencils in a long time, but hopefully I still got it." Delsin walked over to the compound's outer wall, faced away from any roads, and began carefully painting Sheele and Bulat using the spray paint from home. After about an hour, he finished and sighed as he examined his work. Delsin had painted portraits of their fallen friends, smiling at the members of Night Raid. Above them were the words 'We love you guys, and we're sure gonna miss you.' Night Raid stared at his painting before Mine broke down and hugged him.

"Thank you. Thank you for bringing her back."

"Mine…"

"You didn't have to. You could've just left her body with the Imperials, but you didn't. You went and brought her back. I didn't say it before, so I'll say it now. Thank you, Delsin." She smiled sadly at him and he sighed.

"You're welcome, Pinkie." He turned to Akame as Mine walked away. "Can we talk?" Akame nodded and followed him inside as everyone said their final goodbyes to Bulat. Delsin sighed as he sat in the dining room. She sat next to him.

"What's on your mind?"

"Kessler contacted me. The same time Tatsumi probably got back with Bulat a few days ago. The Beast has found his way to another world. I don't know how long he's been there, but Kessler thinks it's been long enough that he's destroyed it already."

"In just a few days?"

"For the Beast, it could only be a few days, or it could've been months or years. We don't know for certain. We do know that he can now tell when a rift opens. We need to be ready at all times. Also…" He held up his hand and started emitting smoke. She saw the symbols start creeping up his arm until he drained a nearby torch, making them recede back to his hand. "Now watch." He absorbed a stack of papers he had in his jacket and flared his pages. No markings. "The curse seems to just be on my Smoke abilities for some reason."

"How?"

"Well, it's never been placed on something like me, before I'm guessing." Delsin sighed. "But I need to find a way stop the curse. Preferably where I keep my arm in one piece." He took her hand. "Because it looks like, for the time being, I'm here. My world is safe from the Beast, for now, at least, so I have a second home. This world. And while I'm in this world, I have two people here I know I want to protect. One of those people is you." She turned to him in surprise.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I've given it some thought. I know Seryu told you about what she heard Fetch said, how she'd be ok if I pursued other girls. If you…" Delsin didn't get to finish speaking as Akame pressed her lips to his own. Delsin held her as close as he could, returning the kiss. For Delsin, the emotions of the last month were numbed, lost as he and Akame kissed. They only pulled apart when someone cleared their throat. They breathed heavily for a second before turning to the newcomer. They blushed as they saw Seryu grinning at them.

"And here I was hoping I'd get to kiss you first," she said as Koro hung from her shoulder. "Oh, well. Come on. I've got news for everyone." Delsin nodded and followed after Akame. Seryu stopped him briefly and pulled him into a kiss. Delsin blushed and stuttered slightly, not expecting it as Seryu giggled and followed after Akame. 'That was bolder than she normally is. Wonder what's up.' He followed after his two girlfriends, something that will take time for him to get used to and stood with everyone as Seryu stood next to Najenda's seat. "Where's the boss?"

"You just missed her," said Lubbock. "She's trying to see if they can spare reinforcements for our assassin division, since you heroes haven't lost anyone."

"Sorry about Bulat. I didn't interact with him much, but I knew he was a great guy."

"Don't worry about it," said Tatsumi. "So, what do you have to tell us?"

"Right. Well, it's not good news, but it's something. General Esdeath, with the deaths of her Three Beasts, has created a new group within the Empire. She calls us the Jaegers."

"Us," asked Mine.

"There are six of us in total. Myself, a man from the Incineration Squad, Bols, a guy who seems like the fishing version of Tatsumi."

"You mean trying too hard to impress everyone?"

"Hey," shouted Tatsumi as Mine chuckled.

"More like from the boons, joining the military to send money back home," said Seryu with a grin. "With us is Dr. Stylish, a guy named Run and a name Akame should be familiar with, Kurome." Akame tensed slightly as Delsin turned to Seryu.

"Short black hair, scarlet eyes like Akame, katana and a bag of cookies?"

"You know her," asked Akame.

"Met her, and Dark Squad. Honest wasn't happy when I convinced the Emperor to order him to give up his personal stores and wardrobe to the people in the Slums district. Sent Dark Squad to kill me without any knowledge of what I can do. Kicked all of their asses besides Kurome who sat above us watching the whole thing and eating those weird cookies."

"That's not like her," said Akame.

"Well, one of the first things Dark Squad did was alert me to their presence as one of them tackled me into an alley way. Their melee attacks couldn't hit me so Kurome just watched, trying to see if should could spot any weakness. She just let me walk away after that."

"She's normally not so cautious."

"She normally doesn't face people who can turn into smoke, either."

"How did you get here," asked Sayo. "I'd have thought Esdeath would've kept her new team close."

"I thought that was going to be the case as well," said Seryu. "But General Budo told her I was due for some time off. Don't worry, I made sure I wasn't followed. Even stopped by home to shower and change before using an old tunnel to leave the city and come here."

"That's good," said Delsin. "That way, even if you were followed to your home, unless they know about the tunnel, they'll think you're at home. Me and Sayo will head there soon, you should get back just in case they decide to… give a thorough search of your home."

"Good idea." She kissed him on the lips before smiling. "See you two back home. Come on, Koro!" Koro barked from where he'd been growling at Thor, the Lightning Pup. Thor yipped before running at Delsin and jumping up at him. Delsin grinned as Lubbock stared between him and Seryu.

"Did the rest of us miss something?"

"None of your business, Pervert." Koro barked in agreement before growling at the green haired assassin.

"Speaking of which," said Leone. "Thor's been a good Lubbock repellant, Delsin. Thanks for suggesting we use him as a guard dog."

"Thor's just protecting his pack," said Delsin as he pet the small pup, absorbing the small amount of lightning he was emitting. "And it's better he stays here because Danger Beasts aren't allowed in the Capital, I can't even keep him as a pet for a good reason because no one knows about my lightning." He smiled as Thor jumped into Akame's arms before licking her cheek.

"At least Akame has someone who eats as much meat as she does," said Tatsumi. Delsin grinned as Thor barked. "Anyway, what do you think that tournament thing is about?"

"Don't know man. But there is a cash prize. Both of us should enter, increase the chance of winning. Then, all the money goes to you and Sayo for your village."

"You sure, man?"

"Yeah. I don't need it. You two need it more than I do."

"I don't think both of you should enter," said Lubbock. "One of us is strong enough."

"Then maybe Delsin should do it," said Leone. "He's well known in the Capital. He won't seem out of place."

"Fine with me. After this last month, I need to blow off some steam," said Delsin as his arms sparked slightly. "When is it?"

"Two days," said Sayo. "Seryu has a pamphlet about it in her room at the house."

"Those of us who can enter the Capital will cheer you on, Delsin," said Leone.

"Thanks guys. And with my gear back, this'll be easy."

"Don't jinx yourself, Delsin," said Mine. "Nothing stops you short faster than Karma."

"Karma's on my side!"

(One day later- tournament finals)

"Ahh," shouted out Delsin as he was tossed across the arena and almost out of bounds. "Me and my big mouth…" Delsin rolled to the side and avoided a maul aimed at his chest. He wrapped his chain around the pommel and pulled it away from the guy before kicking his feet out from under him. Delsin Smoke Dashed to where his shield flew off to after an earlier attack and found it out of bounds. "Oh, come on!"

"Rrragh," shouted his opponent as they charged him.

"Come on, Eugene," he heard from the crowd. Glancing up, he spotted Ayumi and some of the off duty guards cheering him on. He knew Night Raid was currently somewhere out of sight of the arena and Seryu was sitting with Esdeath and the Jaegers. Thinking fast, Delsin fired a Cinder Rocket at the shield. The impact sent the shield spinning right towards him, forcing him to duck as it sailed over him and into the stomach of his opponent. Delsin grinned and dropped a Smoke Bomb at his feet and shot into the air for an Orbital Drop as it went off.

Esdeath watched the man she knew as Eugene Simms fought. Each battle had shown her the strength Seryu told her about, and his tactical ability. With each round, Eugene was able to outmaneuver and outthink his opponents. Even when not using his smoke and only relying on his chosen weapons. A shield and, to her confusion, a chain. Both of which he used with the familiarity and skill of a practiced warrior. He'd been able to prove how much strength and skill he had with each win. And now he was at the final fight. Esdeath watched as he used his smoke to blind and stun his opponent before turning into smoke himself.

Instead of maneuvering himself around the man like he did with his other opponents, he launched himself into the air. As he reached his apex, eye level with Esdeath's box, the general saw a carefree smile on his face and blushed darkly as Delsin turned to the ground and shot himself forward. "Everything alright, General," asked her aide, Run.

"Yes. Everything's just fine." She watched Delsin land before standing up. Delsin landed on the ground, knocking his opponent off his feet and across the arena. The man landed out of bounds, knocked out, and in Smoke Restraints. Delsin grinned and gave a thumbs up to the guards as the crowd cheered from his display. He smiled as he egged them on, practically feeling Seryu shake her head in exasperation. He stopped when he heard the cheering dying down behind him. He turned around and spotted Esdeath making her way down to him.

"Guess I should be honored, big lady on top bringing me the reward herself. Thought you guys normally had people for this." Delsin was busy hooking his shield back onto his back to notice the blush on the general's cheeks. "So, what's this special prize you told me about…?" Delsin stopped when he found a collar placed around his neck. "The hell…?!" Esdeath smiled at him, a full blush on her face.

"You get to be with me…"

"Hey, now hold on…" Delsin was about to Smoke Dash out of the collar when she slammed her heel into his gut, knocking the wind out of him. As he keeled over, Esdeath hit him on the back of the neck and knocked him out. Night Raid held themselves back from going to help them, Leone stating it would be suicide. Seryu rushed over to where Esdeath was dragging Delsin behind her.

"Uh… General Esdeath? What exactly are you doing?"

"Making Mr. Simms here my new lover." Seryu stopped short as Esdeath's words hit her. A brief moment of anger sparked in her before she calmed herself. Koro barked in surprise, imagining flames erupt in her eyes before they disappeared. She shook herself before chasing after Esdeath.

"Um… General Esdeath. Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean…"

"What's wrong, Seryu?"

"W-what if he has a girlfriend?"

"Well, I'll put her out of his mind." Koro tapped on her arms as she squeezed in anger as Esdeath walked away. '…Hell no…' Seryu spotted a flash of white out of her peripheral vision and moved towards it. Esdeath turned around to see if Seryu was still following and saw she was gone. "Seryu?"

Seryu went to where she saw the flash of white and aimed her tonfa gun around a corner. "Celia, come out. Now." Celia walked into view, arms in the air.

"Hello… Seryu."

"Stop and listen. Get a message to Night Raid. Delsin is safe, I'll handle it. Don't make a move. Esdeath is too strong for any of them to handle as they are right now."

"She's not too much for me to handle."

"She is. Trust me. Let this play out, and Delsin can get out of his current situation. I'm not about to let the general… have him." Celia gave her a look through her mask before nodding and running away. She put her tonfa gun away and went back over to Esdeath and found she started walking back to find her. "Sorry! Koro had to go!" Koro whined as he rubbed his stomach where Seryu was crushing him. Esdeath looked her over before nodding and turning away. Seryu kept a smile on her face as she followed her general.

Celia 'Saisei' Penderghast Papertrailed to Night Raid's compound and hid above the entrance, waiting for them. They walked in a few minutes later, arguing about what to do next, Akame being the most vocal. "We need to go get him!"

"We can't," said Leone. "Trying to get into the Palace is suicide, and you know it!"

"I agree with Leone," said Mine. "It's Delsin's own fault he's in this mess. Let him dig his way out."

"We're not about to lose another one of our own," said Tatsumi.

"My, my," said Celia. Everyone tensed and turned towards where she was she as she dropped to the ground. "So much turmoil over something so trivial. I have a message from your friend, Seryu. She says don't make any moves on the Palace. She'll handle it. Esdeath is too strong for any of you to handle. She says she'll get Delsin out of whatever situation he's found himself in. Says she won't let her… have him."

"Delsin started dating Seryu and myself," said Akame. "I think Esdeath's made her angry."

"And I think you've made her angry," said Tatsumi. Akame turned to Celia and ducked under a Paper Blade. Celia shot a Paper Spear at her, a manic look in her eyes.

"Delsin is mine!" She tried stabbing Akame with another Paper Blade and found her arm twisted behind her back by Tatsumi in Incursio's armor. She kicked behind her and blocked Murasame as Akame attacked her. Celia kicked her away and sent paper doves into the air around her, blocking the two assassins off from the rest of Night Raid. "I won't let you have him!"

"Celia stop this, I don't want to kill you!"

"Too bad for you I don't feel the same!" Akame blocked a volley of attacks from Celia, who moved manically and crazed, her mind focused on one thing. Kill Akame, then track down Seryu and kill her. She was the only one for Delsin! She slammed Murasame out of Akame's hands and went to stab her when she found her arms restrained to her sides. She looked behind her and saw Tatsumi holding her down, hundreds of cuts littering Incursio from her wall of doves.

"Calm down," said Tatsumi. "From what Delsin told us, Hank wouldn't have wanted you to be this way."

"How do you know what Hank would've wanted?!"

"He was here," said Akame. "He brought gifts for Delsin and news about how getting you two back home is going. He also told Delsin to look out for you before…" Lubbock shook his head, stopping her from saying anything.

"Before what?!"

"Before he encountered the Beast," said Sayo. Celia went wide-eyed. Flashes of a 30 ft tall monster ravaging a city, her adoptive family crushed under rubble as they all tried to avoid falling debris, people falling ill to the Plague all around her while she remained healthy with only her powers helping her. Meeting Brooke, following her through dangerous terrain to get to the safety of her unit. Having guns aimed at her and ready to fight back, only Brooke to cover her in concrete. Meeting Hank, befriending him before being locked in isolation for years while Brooke trained her powers. Her atrocities. Every single act she committed for Augustine before betraying her herself. But her mind kept drawing back to the Beast, her fear and anger before her mind pictured something else. Hank facing the Beast, using his smoke powers to try and harm it, only to be swatted away like a gnat and into a building before the Beast destroyed it, collapsing it on top of him like her parents.

Celia screamed. Her doves started moving erratically, cutting anything they came into contact with. Celia gripped her head as the doves dropped. She removed her mask and the assassins of Night Raid saw she was crying. Fear, anger, shame, regret and sadness all somehow showing on her face all at once. Akame went to the girl and hugged her, trying to calm her down. Celia Penderghast sobbed. Ashamed of what she'd done, afraid about the fate of her friend. Afraid of the being that potentially hurt or even killed him. Celia continued to cry, letting the floodgates go until there was nothing left. After what felt like an hour, Celia fell asleep. Akame picked her up and carried her to a spare room before letting her rest.

(Imperial Palace)

Delsin woke up with a groan and sat up in a bed that definitely wasn't his in the compound or in Seryu's house. He looked around and spotted regal looking decorations on the walls. "What the hell happened?" He reached for the back on his neck and felt the collar. "What the…?" He went to a mirror and saw a spiked collar on his neck. "Ok… Reggie was right. I'd never pull of the biker look." He tried to take off the collar when he felt something press against his back. He turned around and spotted Esdeath smiling at him. He backed away instinctively, feeling uneasy. "Uh… hello again…"

"Good to see you're awake, Mr. Simms. Follow me."

"Uh… ok. Where are we going?"

"To the Jaegers' first mission. We'll be observing from a distance." 'The Jaegers? Dammit. Seryu, be careful.' Delsin followed her to a carriage and spotted another one further ahead. He noticed she was dragging him by a chain and internally groaned. 'Ok, me and Karma, not on good terms!' She brought him to a cliff overlooking a walled off compound a few miles outside the Capital. They'd ridden in the carriages so long; it was already night. He watched as the Jaegers stood just outside the giant gate.

"Is this the bandit fort we've been looking for," asked Wave.

"Uh huh! Our first mission as Jaegers," said Doctor Stylish. "Is tearing this unsightly place apart!"

"How do we go about it," asked Run. Seryu glanced around, uneasily. Ever since Delsin trusted her to be his partner, she'd sworn off killing. Now she found herself in a situation where she either kills, or have her cover blown by the Jaegers. She internally sighed and called up her old behavior and mindset, no matter how much the she was disgusted by it.

"Justice should always be direct," she said with a dangerous smile. "Strike from the front!"

Delsin glanced at Esdeath who chose to sat uncomfortably close to him overlooking the bandit fort. She seemed entirely at peace. "Why exactly am I here," he asked her.

"You're part of the Jaeger reserves," was her reply. "I suggest you watch and learn for future reference." Delsin spotted Seryu and the other Jaegers climbing the stairs to the fort. Even from this distance, Delsin could tell she was feeling uneasy. Ever since he'd redeemed her, she'd expressed how her old mindset disgusted her. How she never wanted to experience that part of her ever again. Delsin swallowed silently, suddenly nervous. 'Seryu, please be careful.' He glanced once more at Esdeath and contemplated trying to run away and get to Seryu when Esdeath grabbed his hand. He heard Seryu shout and Koro growl and knew the fighting had started.

Seryu cringed internally as she ordered Koro to devour whoever was in their way. Koro could feel her discomfort but did as she said, knowing there wasn't any other choice. As she fought a few bandits, she kept track of the others' Imperial Arms. 'Rubicante, Perfector, Grand Chariot, Yatsufusa, Mastema. Watch them, see their strengths, guess their weaknesses. If Night Raid ever has to face these guys, they need to be prepared.'

After a couple of hours, Delsin stood in front of the blazing inferno that was once the bandit fortress. "Whoa…" Delsin had seen destruction before, but nothing like this.

"Eugene," said Esdeath. Delsin turned around to face her as she sat on a rock. "Soon you'll be able to do that too. I know you're already a capable fighter. But I'm going to train you. Refine your skills and give you an Imperial Arm of your own."

"Well, that's generous of you."

"I'm not like all the rumors say I am. To be honest, I haven't been feeling quite like myself lately. I've started to experience… love…" Delsin gulped silently. 'Oh, please don't be going where I think you're going with this.' "And, it feels good." 'I highly doubt it's love she's feeling. Lust, maybe, but not love. Someone as bloodthirsty as she is can't truly know love. But, that's me typecasting. I need to learn more about her, see if she can be a trusted ally against the Beast when he arrives. We'll need all the help we can get.'

A few hours later, Delsin found himself sitting in Esdeath's room as she showered. 'Great… she's planning on seducing me! This has to be the single most torturous thing I've ever done. And I went through high school.' He tried getting off the bed and making his way to the exit when he heard the shower turn off. 'Oh, come on!' Esdeath walked into the bedroom wearing nothing but a revealing white button down shirt. "Where are you going?"

"I was trying to see if I could find a bathroom, considering you were showering, and all."

"Oh, well, I'm done. You can use mine."

"Uh… ok." Delsin moved passed her and into the bathroom and cursed silently. 'Come on. Think, Delsin. Think! You need a way to get out of here and get back to the others. But how?! Wait, she said she was going to give me an Imperial Arm, right? Maybe I should wait this out. Let her show me the vault then get as many available Imperial Arms as I can and bail. Ok, sounds like a plan.' He went back into the bedroom after a few minutes and found Esdeath sitting on her bed, waiting for him. She was blushing like mad as she smiled at him. 'Ok, now if only she weren't somehow scarier like this than how she's portrayed in the rumors.' Delsin sat next to her. "If you don't mind my asking, why am I here?"

"As I said before, I've recently started exploring the concept of love. I've chosen you to be my lover."

"Yeah, no, I get that. Thing is I already have a girlfriend."

"Don't worry about that. Soon, I'll have her put out of your mind."

"You can't be serious. You can't make someone love you. It takes time. Start as friends, work your up as you develop feelings and they start to grow. You can't force this kind of thing. Trying to will only damage your relationship. And you definitely can't force them to forget someone they love. There'd be nothing but resentment after that." Delsin found himself pushed to the bed and Esdeath climbing on top of him.

"Then I'll do just that. I'll make sure we know each other well enough that when I do get her out of your mind, you won't resent me too much."

"Geez, everything has to go your way, huh?" He Smoke Dashed out from under her and to the door. He looked back at her. "Think over what I said, alright? I'm going to sleep in the Guard Barracks. I know the way." He stopped when she spoke up.

"Just so you know, if you're caught wandering the halls or trying to escape, you'll be executed on site."

"Then it's a good thing I know my way around." Delsin was halfway to the barracks when he heard someone call out.

"Intruder, halt!" Delsin paused and turned to the guard with his hands level with his head.

"At ease, guys. I'm a guest of General Esdeath and was about to see if General Budo would allow me to sleep in the barracks."

"No civilians allowed in the Palace after hours. Leave now or be executed where you stand!"

"Now guys, don't start what you can't finish." He emitted smoke from his arms as the guards readied their pikes. "So, who's unlucky customer number one?"

"Men," shouted a loud authoritative voice nearby. Delsin looked down a hall and spotted Budo walking towards them. "What are you doing?!"

"Apprehending this intruder, General!"

"What intruder? All I see is a valuable ally to the Imperial Guard!" For emphasis, he sparked up Adramelech, intimidating the guards in front of Delsin. They saluted before he sent them on their way.

"That's right," said Delsin as he waved them off. "Keep on walking! Thanks for the help, General."

"Mr. Simms. What are you doing here?"

"No doubt you've heard Esdeath dragged me here from that tournament she held. Well apparently she wants me to join that group of hers and to, get this, make me her lover."

"…That is unusual."

"Right?! Anyways, I'm trying to let her down easy and was looking for you to see if I could stay in the barracks, seeing as she most likely ordered the gate guards to kill me if I tried leaving."

"Given the circumstances, I think it would be acceptable."

"Thanks, general. Now I just need to figure out how to let her down without trying to kill me."

"You could always get Seryu to tell her you're dating. Esdeath may be ruthless, but she's reasonable when it comes to her subordinates."

"Yeah, maybe that will work… Wait…" He turned to Budo and saw the ghost of a smirk of victory on his face.

"Get some rest, Simms."

"You're a sneaky man, General." Delsin shook his head as he heard the normally stoic general chuckle before making his way to the barracks. There he spotted Ayumi removing her gauntlets. "Hey, Ayumi."

"Oh, Eugene! What are you doing here?"

"Staying the night while I'm Esdeath's unwilling guest."

"Oh, right. I forgot she dragged you off after the tournament. Why was that, anyways?"

"She's apparently fallen for me and is trying to get me to do the same for her. I'm not about to sleep with crazy, so…"

"You shouldn't call her crazy! the walls have ears…"

"Hey, I call 'em as I see 'em." Delsin turned to her and sighed. "By the way, Eugene is just an alias I've been using while in the country. I made a lot of enemies back home, was trying to make sure none found me here. The name's Delsin. Delsin Rowe. Seryu is already aware of my real name."

"Why wait so long to tell anyone?"

"Saisei. When I got here, I didn't know if anyone from home was here as well. If they were an enemy, an inconspicuous name works better than my own. If they're an ally, they know who to look for and who influenced my choice in names."

"You must've lived an interesting life."

"You could say that." Delsin pulled off his jacket and wrapped it up as one of his gas grenades fell out of his pocket. "Dammit…" He reached for it when Ayumi picked it up.

"Neon? What's that?"

"Special power I've been saving. I don't have it on hand, that's the next best thing." He took the grenade back and stuffed it into its pocket again. He set his jacket next to him and laid down. "See ya in the morning, Ayumi."

"Good night, Delsin." As Delsin slept, dreams of the Beast of Empire City plagued his dreams. He watched as first Fetch was crushed under its feet. Then Eugene swatted out of the sky. Akame and Seryu tried attacking only to be crushed to death. Delsin roared in anger and fired off Cinder Rocket after Cinder Rocket at the Beast. He flew up to the Beast and used an Orbital Drop to try and kill him with his darkened smoke due to his anger, only to be caught by the Beast and crushed. Delsin screamed in pain as the Beast crushed him, black markings appearing on the Beast's arm and flowing down to his body.

"And now you die, like all of your friends, Delsin Rowe." Delsin screamed and woke up, finding the barracks in disarray as his smoke had destroyed everything around him. Several of the guards were standing in defensive postures, weapons aimed at him. He felt arms around him and looked down, seeing Seryu hugging him.

"Delsin… you're safe… I'm safe…" Delsin wrapped an arm around her and calmed his breathing.

"Mr. Simms," asked General Budo as he walked into the room. He looked around at the damage before turning to him. "Is everything alright?"

"Just a nightmare, general… that's all…"

"Both of you report to the medic, now. And someone clean up this mess!" Delsin looked around and saw Ayumi clutching her arm, smoke coming off of a fresh wound.

"Ah, crap… Ayumi, I'm so sorry. Here…" He reached for the wound and she winced away from him slightly. Delsin persisted and used his smoke heal to help her. Seryu helped him up and led him to the medic, Budo not far behind. Delsin spotted Murasame's markings starting to creep on his hand and cursed silently, trying to find a torch. He was lucky to have one right outside the medic's office and absorbed the smoke before releasing a sigh of relief. He turned to the medic and saw them speaking with Budo. He turned to Seryu.

"Hopefully we can get that thing out of your head. If it's what I think it is, we may have dodged a massive bullet."

"What do you…?"

"Alright, Sergeant Ubiquitous," said the medic. "Let's put you under and see if what Mr. Simms claims is true."

"We're keeping this out of Stylish's knowledge, right," asked Delsin.

"We'll try," said Budo. "But somehow that man knows everything going on in the palace, especially when it comes to criminals who aren't high profile." He stood between Delsin and the exit to the room. "Now, care to tell me what exactly happened? I know people react differently to PTSD. And what I just saw was a clear case. We've had a few guards experience it after seeing one too many bad things. So, what's on your mind?"

"It's… personal, General. I'd rather not speak of it… for now, at least. Maybe when I know I can get a handle on this, I will but for now, I need to deal with this alone." Budo stared him down before nodding.

"By the way, General Esdeath summoned you. Wants you to meet her in the Imperial Vault as soon as possible."

"Would you give me directions? I've kept my Palace wanderings to familiar territory for a reason."

"I'll have some guards escort you. You'll forgive them if they seem mistrusting of you right now."

"Hey, I get it. I wouldn't exactly like the guy who went on a night terror rampage either." Delsin was halfway out the door when Budo stopped him with his next words.

"Good luck obtaining an Imperial Arm, Mr. Rowe." Delsin turned around and saw Budo's back to him as he observed the medic. "Corporal Ayumi notified me of your real name just before your incident."

"Right, shoulda figured she would." Delsin left the room and two guardsmen ready to escort him, one of them shaking with nervous energy. The entire walk to the Vault was spent in silence. He found the blonde guy, Run, waiting for him there.

"There you are," said Run. He turned to the guardsmen. "You two may return to your duties." They nodded and left and Delsin turned to Run.

"So, where's your… was a nice way of saying abductor?"

"General Esdeath is down in the Vault. I've been instructed to lead you down. Please follow me." Delsin followed him through a secret doorway and down a large flight of stairs.

"Geez, the First Emperor liked his exercise, huh?"

"Actually the Vault was constructed by the Third Emperor, who deemed the Imperial Arms too dangerous for use."

"I take it the Fourth changed that and that's how a lot of them ended up missing, huh?"

"That and power hungry thieves who would've liked nothing more than to obtain more power." They reached the end of the stairs and Delsin saw the masked one, Bols, waiting for them.

"Oh good, he's here!"

"You're surprisingly cheerful," said Delsin.

"Underneath this scary mask, you'll find a decent family man!"

"I don't doubt it, never judge a book by its cover, after all."

"Where's Seryu," asked Run.

"Medic. I think I accidently hurt her after an… episode I had last night. Night terror." Delsin looked at his hand and sighed before they got to the Vault proper.

"Good," said Esdeath. "You're here. Where is Seryu?"

"Medic. My fault. She tried calming me down after a night terror and… I hurt her…"

"She's a strong woman. I'm sure she's fine. Well, I was hoping to make this a special occasion with everyone here but looks like we'll have to make do with everyone that's currently here. Stylish is in his lab working on a project. Now then, Eugene. Let's see if you're compatible with an Imperial Arm." She led Delsin into the Vault where Kurome and Wave were arranging the few Imperial Arms still without a user. Delsin looked at each weapon and picked up a pair of gauntlets. They were colored black with green designs spiraling around them and two slots jutting from the top of each gauntlet, emitting a strange glow.

"What's this?"

"Thousand Elements Gaea," said Kurome as she munched on her cookies. "Probably the most useless of the Imperial Arms. All it does is manifest one of the natural elements of the world. No one's figured out how they'd be useful."

"Well, no one was like me…" He put the gauntlets on and felt them reach out as they expanded up his arms and down to his palms, leaving a small opening in them. 'It's like they were made for a Conduit…' "Ok, let's see… It can create any natural element, right?"

"That's what the old records say, at least," said Wave. Delsin looked at the gauntlets and felt like they were reading him.

"Hmm… Smoke?" Gaea started emitting smoke from the slots and Delsin grinned before having it fill the room. As everyone, save for Bols, started coughing, Delsin absorbed the smoke and grinned as he looked at his new toys. "Let's try… this!" Delsin covered his arms with smoke and the gauntlets were instantly covered just like his chain and shield. He punched at the stone wall beside him and watched the impact create a cloud of smoke. "Oh, hell yeah!" He chuckled as he started up his Thrusters and rose off the ground. "Man! This feels awesome! It's like the gauntlets were tailor made for me!"

"That's the Imperial Arm adapting to your biology," said Wave. "My Imperial Arm, Grand Chariot, felt the same way for me." Delsin grinned and landed on the ground before crossing his arms.

"Oh, I'm going to have all sorts of fun with these."

"Good," said Esdeath. "Because it's time for the Jaegers to go on their next mission!"


(Revolutionary Army Outpost)

A girl with red hair disguised herself as a corpse as she watched her comrades get cut down. She whimpered slightly as their attacker started advancing on her position, only to stop short and be lifted into the air, struggling to breathe. Peeking out from her hiding spot, she spotted a man covered in metal chocking the assassin before snapping his neck. "Any survivors?!" called the man. She hesitated before coming from hiding and showing herself. The metal man went to her and took her hand. "Come on, we've gotta get moving! I doubt that guy was alone!" They made their way out of the outpost and heard the sounds of rifle fire. The metal man stood between her and their shooter and blocked the bullets. "Get going! I'll be right behind you!" He aimed his hand behind him and shot out several shards of shrapnel at the shooter, hitting the man in the head, killing him as they ran. They got behind a large boulder and stopped to catch their breath. "Got any place to go?"

"R-revolutionary Army Headquarters. It's about a days walk south of here."

"Then lead the way, ma'am."


(Alternate Earth 4)

A rift opened in the clock tower of New Marais; a signal being broadcasted to the citizens below. A few minutes later, a man with a blue shirt, jeans and what seemed to be an oversized tuning fork on his back. "Ok, the signal was coming from here. Now what am I looking… oh a giant whole in the air, that's a new one."

"Things are only about to get stranger, Cole," said Kessler from the rift.

"Kessler?! No, no, no. You're dead!"

"Consider me an echo of the man you knew as Kessler. I've come to ask for your help, Cole."

"Why the hell should I help you?!"

"Because if you don't, then the Beast, my Beast, will find his way to your world and do the same thing he did to mine. You have a new life here, Cole. A loving wife and a child on the way. Are you going to make the same mistake I did all those years ago?" Cole thought for a second before turning to the rift.

"Will I be able to get back?"

"I promise you will."

"…Alright then. What do I need to do?"

"Simply step into the rift, Cole." Cole MacGrath looked behind him, taking in the skyline of New Marais before stepping into the rift. Soon enough, Cole was once again face to face with the man who ruined his life. An alternate version of himself from a ruined future. Cole 'Kessler' MacGrath.

"Alright, Kessler. No games, no bullshit."

"You have my word, Cole."

"Like your word means anything. Where am I going?"

"Another world where the final fight against the Beast will take place. One with impossible monsters, powerful individuals and equally powerful weapons. A man by the name of Delsin Rowe, a Conduit, is already there and needs all the help he can get to prepare for the Beast."

"Please don't tell me it's just the two of us. I could barely handle John by myself."

"You'll have help. For now, get ready for a fall."

"A fall?"

"To make sure no one accidentally wanders into the rifts, I've used what little control I have over them to make the rifts open high above the ground, approximately a mile up."

"At least I don't have to worry about damage."

"Just stay vigilant. The monsters of this world have powers to rival a Conduit's."

"Good to know." Kessler sent Cole through and turned to Delsin's Earth.

"One more should do it… I just hope it's enough…"