"Approximately two weeks ago, a little girl and her entire family were killed in their mansion."
Esdeath sipped from her wine glass, studying the sketches River had laid on the table.
"No witnesses were left, none of the guards survived the onslaught," River continued. "But autopsies on the bodies showed wounds that matched the destructive power of the teigus confirmed to be possessed by Night Raid. As a result, it has been decided that the perpetrators were Night Raid."
Her authority dominated the room. It seemed once her heavy presence left the small wooden quarters, the ceiling would collapse from the sudden lack of tension.
"Excellent work, River. Has there been any known activity from Night Raid after the killings?"
"Not that we know of, Lady Esdeath. The Department of Research and I have failed to find any proof of further activity."
"Good. They may have decided to lay low. But it should be expected that they strike again soon, laying low for more than two weeks is unlike them."
Esdeath held up one of the sketches.
"This girl... it is surprising to know they killed such a young face... her name was..." she glanced at the image. "I see...Aria."
A loud bang erupted next to them. Neither reacted, except for a quiet sigh from River.
"Did you need to bang your axe on the floor like that?" whined a boy.
"I wanna say something" proclaimed a gruff voice.
River sighed again.
"Say it, Daidara."
"You all know I wanna get as much fighting experience as I can. I say we find Night Raid and kill 'em. And let me do all th' killin'. 'Cus like I said, I want all that fighting experience."
Her icy blues stared blankly to the right.
"Your insight is appreciated. But our plan is to gather as much evidence of their motives and location as possible first, Daidara, since past experience has taught us that Night Raid's base of operations is near impossible to find."
Daidara sunk back to the wall, his head low.
"Fine, be that way" he grumbled.
Her eyes made their way back to River's.
"Are the research teams still working at the scene?"
"Yes, Lady Esdeath."
"Good. I am going to be on a patrol with the Jaegers tomorrow at noon, so any further information that is not urgent enough for me to be told in person you will write in a report. I want it on my desk by tomorrow night."
"Understood, Lady Esdeath."
...
Tatsumi dreamt of a cavern. The stalactites hung ominously over him, loud moaning echoing through the wide cave. An instrument strummed at the edge of his hearing. A balalaika, weaving in and out of the limits of his senses. The instrument he heard often in his village. Now that he thought about it, wasn't Sayo's mother exceptional at the balalaika-
"Found you" sang a girl's voice.
The cavern was long gone, he was now in a bright hallway.
"Come here daddy."
No, it was two naked little girls. They stood motionless at the end of the hall, despite how their faces were blurred, he knew they were staring at him.
"Help us daddy."
He stepped closer, wondering where their parents were.
"We want our daddy."
He pondered where their arms could have gone. They really needed some bandages for those stumps.
"We want our daddy."
How they were speaking with their heads gone, he didn't know.
"Daddy, come back."
Now their legs were missing. Tatsumi thought Esdeath would punish him for all the blood on the stone floor.
"Daddy..."
The walls were deep red, convulsing as if made of live flesh.
"Love us daddy."
Great. Now he had to clean both the floor and the walls.
"Enjoy us daddy."
Large spines grew in all directions from their torsos, reminding him of two porcupines.
"Find us daddy."
Their heads shot from their necks, protruding in front of his face by their spinal cords. They bled from black eyes, faces no longer blurred.
"Kill us daddy."
"Kill us daddy."
"Kill us me."
"Killisme."
"Killtsumi."
"Tatsumi."
Esdeath's bold voice intruded into his consciousness.
"You need to get up. We have work to do."
He gave a faint chuckle. An image often accompanied his thoughts of her. A snow-white Lynx, stalking through the cold pine forest, fangs bared to kill. A moose would appear, only to become another hollowed carcass among a bloodied army of dead creatures. The image was so different from her loving treatment, it almost made him uneasy.
"You will follow me out in two hours" she ordered. She watched Tatsumi raise his bare body from the bed, her mighty aura dissipating to ravenous hunger. Her eyes bored into his scarred back, fantasizing the misty appendages of his teigu protruding once again. Water in the bathroom ran briefly, followed with sounds of brushing. She gave him as much privacy as she allowed, before she gave in and entered, Tatsumi just finishing rinsing his mouth.
"Uh, wh-"
Before he could speak Esdeath's lips forced onto his, her tongue overtaking his gums, a dragon to castle walls.
He stood awkwardly for a moment, then carefully moved his hands to hold her face to his, returning the kiss.
She snaked from his mouth, hand tracing down one of his raised arms.
"Good boy."
He blushed and smiled, wondering if he would ever be accustomed to her affection.
"Now I feel fully awake" she sighed, winking. "And you should too."
Mount Fake was a quietly ominous landform. All approaching Jaegers could sense bloodlust as they followed Esdeath through the dirt path.
"What a place" remarked Wave. "I bet even the trees want me dead here."
Esdeath gave him a backward glance.
"You may find that assumption to be correct, Wave. The amount of danger beasts that lurk here is phenomenal, only adding to Mount Fake's notoriety."
"I've heard many scary stories about this place, General" warned Bol's muffled voice. "Demonic rituals used to be performed here, is that correct?"
"That was all more than a few centuries ago, Bols. Besides, demons shouldn't scare my Jaegers. There are three of them residing with us, after all" she responded.
Tatsumi cracked a finger with his thumb and chuckled shyly, hoping Seyru's gaze didn't foreshadow a possible conversation with her. To his dismay, she spoke.
"Oh, yes! Tatsumi, I remember the General saying you have some really powerful teigu..."
Kurome's hand set on Seyru's shoulder, shaking her head.
They continued past the entrance to Mount Fake, Esdeath happily proclaiming how rough their training was going to be today.
"And commemorating Tatsumi's seventeenth birthday, we will have a small party afterwards at the palace."
"I thought this was gonna be a patrol, Esdeath" Tatsumi stated. "I'm all up for training, but you told me this was going to be a pa-"
"Oh, we will do some patrolling" replied a grinning Esdeath. "The training comes after. A good danger beast hunt before the party sounds excellent, don't you agree?"
"Aw, hell yeah!" Tatsumi heard Wave whoop. "Hope there's some fish beasts to eat!"
The group reached a large clearing in the forest at the foot of the mountain. Esdeath ordered the group to split into pairs for patrol, Tatsumi with Wave, Kurome with Bols, and Seyru with her. Each pair spread throughout the area, patrolling different sectors of Mount Fake.
Wave giggled at Tatsumi's scowl, his chagrin was something Wave found a strange joy in. He didn't quite understand why.
"Let's patrol our hardest for the glory of the empire, okay..." Wave stepped in front of Tatsumi, his face in front of his. "...Taaaaatsuuuuuu-buuuuunnnnnyyyyyyy..."
"Why do you keep acting like a little kid?!" yelled Tatsumi. "Can you stop pestering me for once, you fish-fucking piece of shit?!"
Wave stared at him, wide-eyed. Guilt seeped into Tatsumi's chest, his anger subsiding.
"Uh... sorry... I-don't really think you screw fish or anything, it's just..."
Wave's eyes seemed to water around the edges, sending Tatsumi in a panicked apologetic frenzy.
"L-l-look, i-it's okay, I... I'm sorry, okay? Er... I guess I was a little harsh there..."
A muffled, low unsteady wailing sounded from Wave.
"U-uh...fine, what do you want me to do to make you stop crying? Uh...I guess...I can...steal some of Kurome's cookies for you?"
Full blown tears fell from Wave's face, he seemed to be crying.
"Well, if that doesn't sound good...than…I guess I can...give you a fish? I don't eat much seafood, not much of it in my village...uh, ice-cream? You like ice cream? I'm sure there's a place at the Capitol, it'll be my treat…uh, how about a big fish? Like, a really big fish, with uh...fins? And big scales, and gills, uh...and a...blowhole?"
The low wailing evolved into a loud, shaken blunter. Wave's eyes shut, the tears intensified. His body dropped to the ground, the dry dirt staining his blue coat.
"He's laughing at me" Tatsumi realized. "He's fucking laughing at me, not crying."
For the first time, Wave did not snicker, nor even cackle. This was a full blown guffaw.
"Stop it!" Tatsumi growled. "Off the ground, we have work to do!"
Wave's face was blood red, he seemed on the verge of suffocating. Tatsumi watched him roll on the ground for a moment, Wave slowly gaining his composure. Wave shakily stood up, hand on his stomach, the other pointing at Tatsumi.
"Hehe... f-fish... fish-" Wave stammered before breaking into another fit of laughter.
Tatsumi could see Wave's teary eyes look up at him, an excited happiness etched over his face with comedic brisk.
"That was a good one!" he pitched. "Oh my god, fish fucker! That was good!"
Tatsumi stared at him, obviously taken aback.
"Wh- so...what?"
"That was the funniest thing anyone's ever called me!"
"Uh... something's wrong with you..."
"N-no, think about it-HAHAHAHAHAHA..."
He waited for Wave to finish another fit of cackling, then tried to make sense of what he was seeing again.
"So you like it when people call you... fish..."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"...fucker?"
"FWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes! Think about it! Doesn't it sound funny?!"
Tatsumi decided he wouldn't fall to Wave's absurd sense of humor. However, he couldn't help but imagine a hint of logic to what Wave was trying to explain.
"Hmmm... fish-fucker..." thought Tatsumi. "Ffffish... fffffucker..."
His mouth slowly, hesitantly stretched to a grin. His hands quickly covered his mouth, he would not show that he stooped to Wave's level of humor.
"See? Isn't it funny?" urged Wave.
"NO! I-IT'S-"
He couldn't resist it anymore. Wave's balminess seemed contagious as the flu at his village in winter.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The pair laughed together, one covering their face in shame and the other rolling on the ground again in brazen glee.
Wave felt a slight shaking underneath him, but he reasoned that it must have been his body shaking from laughter. The shaking quickly intensified, and a grip tightened around his body. He was lifted into the air, an emptiness in his stomach rising from his crotch. Not comprehending what was happening, he gazed down to find Tatsumi shouting inaudibly at him, hands around his mouth. His eyes lowered further and noticed a rotund, multi-jawed opening underneath him.
"A danger beast snuck up on me" he realized. "It's got me suspended above the mouth, ready to eat me. No problem, i'll just get Grand Chariot going and it'll be ov-"
Weightlessness filled him as he fell from the creature's grip. He let out a sharp gasp of surprise before diving feet first into the monster's orifice. Warm saliva enveloped around him, the slippery goo preventing his hands from gripping his sword properly. He wailed as his heart sank.
It was called a Ground Squid. Tatsumi had read about these at the back of the countless comic books and manga he read back home. He tried to yell for Wave to throw some of his gear into the mouth, as he knew from the trivia he read that the moment an object was dropped into a Ground Squid's mouth the beast would drop its prey and leave, thinking that it had caught something. However, Wave seemed too dazed to listen.
"Dammit!" he cursed.
He watched Wave plummet into the creature's mouth. Though he knew Wave still had some time, the sight made him panic. He remembered how Ground Squids often swallowed their prey whole, the teeth only used for digging underground and mating display.
"Wave has about half an hour before he's digested" Tatsumi reasoned. "But he's got a few minutes at most before he suffocates in there."
Not one to waste time, Tatsumi urgently drew his sword and rushed towards the squid. His eyes quickly scanned the body of the creature. The house-size, maggot-like body would provide an excellent means of reaching the creature's stubby head. He trudged up the creature's pale back, the journey reminded him of running on a giant, deflating balloon. Fortunately, Ground Squid's were far too unintelligent to sense a comparatively small Tatsumi heading towards it's brain. He kneeled upon the creature's head, gripping the flexible white skin with one hand and holding his poised short sword with the other.
"Killing Wave is my job, not yours" he remarked, wondering if Wave heard him.
The ground squid jerked suddenly, throwing Tatsumi off balance. He flipped over the top of the squid's head, gripping a flap of skin just above the animal's mouth in time. Pain shot from his wrist of he was swung, but he held on. The head jerked again, throwing his sword out of his hand. Ignoring the disappointment of losing his sword, he quickly reached to the strap on his right shoulder where a steel dagger lay sheathed. The blade plunged into the danger beast's head, where Tatsumi predicted the brain resided. The dagger twisted and turned in the wound, and the ground squid stood completely still. He hung there for ten agonizingly slow seconds, unsure if the creature was dead before the monster shook again, a deep growl erupting from the round chasm in front of him. Large beads of saliva shot onto his clothes, the warmth dripping down his torso. The giant rolled to the side, quivering before it's body slowly curled, reminding Tatsumi of a maggot-white croissant. When he was sure the monster died, he let go, landing with both feet.
Wave seemed utterly exhausted when Tatsumi cut him out. He continued catching his breath when Tatsumi asked if he was okay, quickly wiping the saliva from his face with gooey hands. He was handed a towel and when it became too wet to use, he collapsed onto the dry dirt, squinting to the blue sky, gasping for air.
After a moment's recuperation, he remarked;
"It smelled like fish in there."
Tatsumi stood over him, his tanned face made darker by the sun above him.
"Least you didn't fuck it."
Wave glanced at Tatsumi's eyes before breaking out into a loud cackle.
"That wasn't even that funny, Wave, why-"
Tatsumi couldn't resist, Wave's joy just too contagious.
The instant Seyru initially witnessed Esdeath's charm, her encapsulating preeminence, she was dumbstruck. Never had she met a person with such naturally aggressive charisma until she had joined the Jaegers. Though she refused to admit it openly, Esdeath also seemed to be the only person with the potential of understanding her. And now that woman was striding ahead of her, a long rapier drawn in her hand.
"Her sense for justice is the same as mine" she reflected. "She genuinely wants to destroy the infidels as I do; no one else seems to feel this way except me and her."
She hugged Koro harder, the dog yelping from the sudden pressure.
"Take a good look, Koro" Seyru whispered to him. That is our leader you see in front of you. Our captain, our general. We will follow in her ways, always, from now on you will know her as auntie Esdeath. Everyone in the Capitol rejects us, our beliefs, except for Tank, and her. General Esdeath. Let's cherish auntie Esdeath as much as- no- more than she cherishes us."
Koro let out a friendly bark in acknowledgement.
"Good Koro, you are such a good doggy!" she squealed before feeding him a treat.
She followed her blue-haired idol through the woods, until she watched her stop in front of a stone structure.
They stood in front of a stone brick wall. The triangular shape revealed the wall used to belong to a religious center, the wide doorway in the center and narrow, curved holes that may have been windows before their ruin. Seyru found her heart and body spring to attention as Esdeath turned to face her, looking her in the eye for the first time in hours.
"Seyru."
Koro yelped again as her arms tightened their hold.
"Yes General Esdeath!"
Her queen chuckled, sheathing her sword.
"Don't use such formalities when we are alone, Seyru. My Jaegers shouldn't feel any unnecessary pressure around me" Esdeath placed her hand on Seyru's shoulder. "Do you feel... pressure, Seyru?"
"N-NO! GEN-ESDEATH!"
"Good. Now, as you know, my lover's birthday party takes place tonight. Although I baked a genoise with vanilla meringue buttercream icing for him, which I am very proud of by the way, his reaction did not satisfy me. I wanted his reaction to be... more robust."
She nonchalantly waved her arms toward the ruin.
"That is why I brought us here, to the remains of Mount Fake monastery. It may have been built and destroyed two centuries ago, but there is bound to be a bounty of artifacts to be found here."
"SO YOU WANT ME TO HELP YOU FIND A PRESENT FOR TATSUMI, ESDEATH?"
"Of course, Seyru" Esdeath answered. "But not just any artifact will do. A valuable golden figure is rumoured to be hidden somewhere among the ruins. It is also said that it contains the seductive powers of a powerful aphrodisiac when handled properly. That is the gift I want to give Tatsumi. The second the statue is placed in his strong, calloused hands, he will have the immediate urge to tear off my uniform and attempt to ravage me. Of course, Tatsumi is to be the submissive one in this relationship, for now, so I will shackle him and force him to lick my feet before..."
She paused, looking at Seyru, who stood wide eyed with the slightest smirk on her face. Seyru listened to orders with such loyal intent, even when the orders trailed off into irrelevance.
"I apologize for my bluntness. Just utilize Koro to find what I am looking for."
"YES-yes, Esdeath."
"...and do not fret about danger beasts, my very presence scares them away..." Esdeath lowered her voice, speaking to herself. "The creatures are such weaklings in this sector of Mount Fake."
Seyru entered the ruins with Koro, speaking in a low voice.
"Take note, Koro. Auntie Esdeath refuses to sugar-coat her inner desires. Isn't that so admirable? From now on, I'm going to try to be more like auntie Esdeath."
Nightfall loomed onto the landscape, the moonlight glazing over the dark trees and shivering over the rivers and streams. Wave and Tatsumi sat underneath a canopy of trees, watching for any other signs of life.
"I can't believe we got lost" repeated Wave. "I wonder if the trees changed their positions to trap us here."
"If that's the case, we're screwed" Tatsumi lamented, holding up his knife. "I lost my sword to that ground squid, I can't fight living trees with a dagger like this."
Wave raised a sheathed sword.
"Grand Chariot will help us. Think of how cool it's gonna look when I chop those trees up in my armor. But I'd rather not start a battle 'til we find out which direction to go."
Tatsumi nodded, his eyes following a spider's silent movements as it constructed a web in the moonlight.
"Say..." Wave started. "I know this seems to be a...sensitive subject, but..."
He reverted his eyes to the moon, it's light glistening through the leaves above.
"Do you think you could use your teigu to...you know, get us out of here?"
Tatsumi knew it was only a matter of time before Wave brought that up.
"No..." Tatsumi answered. "I can't."
The distant roar of a danger beast sounded, but was much too far away to warn of danger. Wave fiddled with his bag, pulling out a rice ball.
"The first time I killed someone... I didn't want to touch a blade again."
"Great" thought Tatsumi. "Just like Esdeath, he thinks he can get me to use that...madness again."
But something in him listened; his attention perked.
"You know" continued Wave, "...people...people can..."
He let out a sad chuckle.
"...people can be fuckin' crazy sometimes."
The rice ball was suddenly only half a rice ball, Wave taking a big bite out of it. Tatsumi wondered what story Wave's statement entailed, tracing a spiral in the dirt with a stick.
"My mother...arrived home one night. I was preparing a cod I caught that day for dinner...her face was so stained with tears, I asked her what had happened. Two policemen entered after her, they told me to go upstairs. Her voice was so shaky when she told me to leave too, I knew something was going on...upstairs I went. I remember shutting the door to my room, but not going inside, to, you know...make them think I wouldn't hear them."
Another bite was taken from the onigiri. This time, it was barely a nibble.
"They didn't think I would hear them-stupid-of course I fuckin' heard them! Even if I actually went to my room like I was told I bet I could still hear them!"
Another bite, much bigger than the last, taken in a shaking hand.
"Well...I heard enough to know why mom was crying. She was helping a neighbor plant some herbs, and on her way back...two men...hooded cowards...one big, the other slim...they snatched her...took her away..."
His jaw seemed to quiver. A grain of rice stuck to his chin, he gulped and scratched it away with his sleeve.
"...when they were done, they ran. My mom...she's so strong...when she saw me...she was so distressed, and she greeted me with that same fucking smile, that same smile that brightened my day every time I saw it...her dried tears stuck to her face like faded tattoos, and she still wanted to make me think...that she was fucking okay..."
Wave panted a few breaths, then let out a deep sigh.
"Next morning...I'm running errands for her...she's too sick to get out of bed...and two cloaked backs face me as I'm getting the scallions...one big, the other healthy-looking and fit...the descriptions for them matched perfectly. Hatchet...the woodcutter's hatchet was lying on a stump...I grabbed it and chopped into the large one's neck. I was small, they didn't realize what I was doing till they were on the ground, bleeding. I jumped onto the tall one's shoulders and he got cut too, the same way. That was the first time I had ever felt...bloodlust. It's such a terrible feeling, you just feel...blackness...all inside you. In your gums, your legs, your skin...everywhere. And it drains all your energy when it leaves, you don't want to do anything but lie there and think about what you've done, like it's punishing you for being its host. I had killed my neighbor, Mr. Ross, and his son, who was about our age. They had just arrived back from a fishing voyage that same morning. There was no way it was them. A lot of things happened after that, tried at the village court, they let me go with banishment instead of death, taking into account how understandably upset I was about my mother...so I did what any other idiot would do...join the fuckin' Navy. It payed well after I was promoted, but...I was forced to kill more people...shoot anyone the Minister didn't like."
The riceball was now gone, swallowed after a nervous frenzy of ravenous bites.
"I got used to it. Sometimes, when I was in the thick of it too long, I found myself enjoying it. Became a game to me. A tribe of islanders kept the empire from mining there, so we all landed and slaughtered them. I took out more of them then anyone in my entire regiment, so they gave me a teigu. An 'imperial arms' or something, really pretentious fucking title. After that we hopped to another island. Same deal, kill the opposition, for the glory of the imperial machine. Again, I made it a little game for myself. For every enemy warrior killed, I awarded myself with one piece of soggy bread. One day, I saw a woman. Big woman, knew she was pregnant. And all I remember thinking...all I remember thinking was...'wow, if I kill her, that means I killed two bad guys, and I get two pieces of soggy bread.' I shot her through the stomach, waited for the scream, than a bullet in her head. That night, I was on watch, when I realized what I had done. I killed a pregnant woman in cold blood. The sarge kept slapping me to shut me up, I'm surprised my screaming didn't alert any guerrillas to our camp. I think that's when the brass decided I was losing it, and thanks to my exceptional use of my teigu, I was transferred here, to the Jaegers. Another pretentious fuckin' name, if you ask me."
Tatsumi never realized the boy in front of him, the one who had pestered him and smiled such a mischievous smile, could also have experienced so much pain in his life. He had never thought he would regret his treatment of Wave before now.
"Sorry, didn't mean to tell you my life story..." chuckled Wave. "Guess what I'm trying to say is that...it gets better. I was losing my mind in the Navy, and you might think the teigu is driving you crazy, but...it gets better. Now I'm here, with the Jaegers, and life is great. We're a police force, we protect the innocent. Unlike in the Navy, I can fight for something that...isn't...stupid. I'm not trying to force you to think anything, but...you don't need to be afraid of that teigu if you're using it for good, if you're using it to protect others. I had to use Grand Chariot to kill pregnant women and kids. Be thankful that you don't have to do the same."
Both were silent for some moments. Wave's mood slowly lifted, while Tatsumi quietly reflected on what Wave said.
"I can...use Scar...to protect people..."
Another roar sounded, much closer this time.
"Damn...looks like a beast is coming...really big one too" Wave observed.
The moonlight went black for a second, alarming them of danger above.
The roadside next to the canopy was filled with a distressing presence, the flapping of wings shaking the trees as the ground vibrated.
Esdeath patted his rough skin.
"Good, Talon. Your mistress is most pleased."
Talon roared in acknowledgment.
She turned to look at Seyru, who was sitting behind her.
"We will stop here. I want Koro to sniff them out, understand?"
"Yes, aun-Esdeath!"
"And beware! I can feel a presence, maybe two, watching us."
"Yes, Esdeath!"
Esdeath drew her sword and hopped from the dragon, the dirt crunching beneath her boots, hand keeping her cap steady.
She looked up and found the man she was looking for.
"The trail of fluid from that ground squid you left shines in the moonlight like my love for you, Tatsu-bunny" She sighed. "Did you think you could escape your training, Tatsumi?"
"Poetry doesn't suit you. And we only got lost-"
"Did you really think you could deny me my Tatsu-bunny time?"
Even in the dark she knew his face must be beet-red now.
"You and Wave need to come with us. It is past 9:30. Our danger beast hunt will begin the second we land at the top of Mount Fake."
Esdeath raised her voice.
"...and you can come out, too, Wave. There's no need for hiding from me, I won't punish you for getting lost."
Wave timidly stepped onto the path, a snicker threatening to explode from his shaking body.
"T-T-Tastu-bunny!" he squealed.
...
The flight to Mount Fake's peak was terribly cold, even in the temperate climate of the Capitol. Strong wind from Talon's speed and his strong wings blew past his all shivering passengers. Esdeath's powers allowed her to be unperturbed by the cold, while and Wave complained frequently.
"A good chill warms the human ability" she frequently reminded. "You must be accustomed to low temperatures if you do not wish to be weak."
Esdeath reached to caress Tatsumi's knee behind her.
"You are fine with the cold?" she asked.
He rubbed his arms to warm them.
"I'm fine."
"Good boy. That's because of your teigu's benefits. The extract should allow you to be tolerant of low temperatures."
Tatsumi panged with annoyance. Esdeath's mention of his teigu seemed forced; as if she was subtly reminding him of his reluctant powers.
The pinnacle of Mount Fake was a large, rocky crater the size of a small country. Mesas and other sculptures of rock were strewn across the landscape, taking in various shapes and sizes. Some of the most dangerous monsters on the mountain resided in this crater. Though Mount Fake has been dormant for two centuries, it was rumored that the government secretly knew volcano was active, and a massive eruption was to occur, unknown to the average citizen.
"Alright, everyone!" announced Esdeath. "We are to perform a danger beast hunt at this location from now until I give the signal. And trust me..."
She stared at Tatsumi, who scratched his head and chuckled nervously.
"...you will know it when you see it."
Tatsumi moved to follow Wave, ready for his first training session with his fellow Jaegers. He moved three steps before slight pressure clamped around his neck. Turning, he noticed Esdeath had a collar fitted on him, a familiar expression on her face. He glanced back, to see the rest of the Jaegers rushing away, Wave giving a wink and two finger salute.
"You're not going anywhere, baby."
"Wh-what is this-"
He gasped in surprise as she pulled the chain attached to the collar.
"We're going to see each other fight and we're going to enjoy it."
"Wait-I thought..."
Her warm breath smothered his ear, her tongue lightly flicking over it through her words.
"What? Did you think you could run from me with your new boyfriend? I can give so much more than he can."
"I don't want to play any of your games right now, if you want me to hunt with you, than just tell me!"
The presence behind him stood silent, than stroked his cheek.
"That tone you have when you're annoyed...it turns me on so much..."
His cheeks puffed red as he reached behind his neck, fiddling with the collar.
"It's alright, I'll take care of that..." whispered Esdeath.
He sighed as his neck was freed.
"I can't believe you sometimes." He stated, rubbing his neck.
"You like it when I make you my little plaything, don't you Tatsu-bunny."
"Th-that's besides the point..."
He quieted down as Esdeath gripped his hand, leading him behind an outcropping.
"I want to see you kill something again. I want to see your natural prowess at work..." She said as her hand brushed his crotch. "Maybe I'll reward you..."
A low growl sounded behind the rock. Slapping her hand away, he pulled his dagger and looked at Esdeath with new, stern eyes.
"I said...no more...fucking...games."
Her only reply was a satisfied grin. The more she provoked him, the sexier he seemed to get.
Die
The short blade sliced into the large, spider-like danger beast's face. Covering the gash with it's two front legs, the spider screeched in pain. The scream was cut short when it was decapitated, black blood pouring from the thorax. Esdeath watched, her grin widening as the white of her uniform became pockmarked in deep red. Another spider tackled him to the ground. After a brief struggle, the creature was limp and fell away from Tatsumi's body, which was now drenched in blood.
"Yes, baby. You're getting the hang of it" praised Esdeath.
A pair of arachnids crawled from their burrows, their spindly legs creaking like wood from heavy joints. They moved for Esdeath, who stood motionless, her grin grated down to a smirk. It was barely a moment before Tatsumi's knife was upon them, tearing into one's head before slaughtering the next as if it were a pig.
"Oh, you knight in shining armor" she crooned.
A tingle shivered down her spine as his eyes focused on her, a strange look overcoming them. She felt her arousal grow as he stabbed another beast, stomping it's head as it quivered on the ground.
"Your demeanor sometimes makes me forget that you're an experienced hunter."
"Trust me, I don't enjoy it like you do" he responded, sidestepping a lunging spider. His arm was around the creature's neck before it passed him, the blade diving into it's brain. It's mandible's spread as it screeched and collapsed.
Esdeath strode to him, hand resting on her sword's hilt. Her hand slapped against his chest, wet with dark black blood. Tatsumi stood, apparently emotionless. One of her fingers raised in front of his face, dark liquid dripping from her tip.
"Tatsumi. Suck."
His stern eyes hid quiet uncertainty, that only Esdeath, even in her short time with him could see.
"Do you think you can defy your lover? Suck, Tatsumi."
His lack of surprise scared himself. A part of him was afraid that Esdeath's ferocity would affect him; changing him into someone that not even Ieyasu would recognize. And now, her behavior refused to shock him. But the rest of him saw Esdeath's company as a benefit. Her teasing, bloodlust, and strength had the ability to harden his mind and body, that is what his heart believed.
"I would hate for the blood to dry on my finger, do as your mistress asks of you."
She smirked as his mouth left her finger, the blood trailing from her finger to his tongue like a vine.
"Good boy." A dome of ice isolated the sinful pair from the world, the organic sounds of screeching and growling juxtaposed with the metallic noise of steel and the release of teigu energy. Esdeath forced his chin to her.
"...and good subordinates get rewarded."
Bright orange flickered across the dome.
"Bols sure is getting to it, isn't he" observed Tatsumi.
"Do not change the subject, slave boy. Your captain orders you to copulate with her. Now."
"I said I was done with your games now."
"This is no game slave. You will finally pleasure me as I will pleasure you."
He placed his finger to her lips.
"I thought that was my decision to make."
Her chuckle sounded like music to his ears.
"Frankly, I didn't think you would still hold me to that. Most boys your age would kill to have a chance with me" Esdeath stated before sweeping him to the ground with her leg. "Why don't you act grateful and just submit to my will?"
She sat herself atop his recumbent middle, gasping sharply as pressure squeezed around her breasts. Though it was momentary, he found an unfamiliar satisfaction as her dominating gaze softened.
"Maybe..." his thumb flicked over a smaller lump on her breast. "...maybe I like making you wait."
Her grin returned, her pride in her lover gaining new strength.
"Your new assertiveness is good to see. You are cute when you're submissive, but... when you open up like this.."
Her humid breath cloaked his cheek.
"...I want to ravage you."
"All dirty talk aside, I'm not ready."
Her head raised, sniffing the air. Tatsumi sensed his succubus was suddenly suspicious, her eyes narrowing as her ravenous affection faded away.
"Someone is here. And it's not anyone I am friendly with."
He scanned the area as best he could, the dry rocky dirt grating in his hair.
"You sure?"
His heart sank slightly when she rose from his torso, eyes glancing back and forth quickly, reminding him of a lioness. Not responding to him, Esdeath drew her sword and punched the dome, shattering it into fine, cold powder. Tatsumi found himself again shocked by Esdeath's sheer strength.
"Even without her teigu she pounded a block of ice into basically snow. Incredible."
"I want you to hide, Tatsumi. I cannot risk your life in a real fight today, not on my lover's birthday."
"Wh-what?" stuttered Tatsumi. Hiding was an option was least comfortable taking.
"Tatsumi."
"Y-yes."
He begrudgingly complied, finding a small crater to watch Esdeath from. Being the last person he expected to give such an order, his hesitation was understandable to Esdeath.
"Now Tatsu-bunny can finally watch me do battle" thought Esdeath. "Now's a good chance to impress him with my fighting abilities."
"You have the aura of hardened warrior yet you hide your bloodthirst like a child" she called out. "Come out. Any underhanded moves on me will not save you, anyway."
Orange light blinded across Tatsumi's vision. When he opened his eyes, he quickly checked the area, a fading streak of purple still clouding his vision.
A familiar chuckle sounded on his far right. To his relief, Esdeath was unhurt.
"That shot just now... it could only have come from a teigu. If you fail to accept a fair fight, I will simply impale you from underneath with a stake of ice" she proclaimed. "It only takes a snap of my fingers."
Even in the dark, Tatsumi noticed a figure scampering between the countless rocks. He opened his mouth to warn Esdeath, but realized she could already see it. Frozen branches sprouted behind the figure from the black pumice, leading the figure to the ice queen.
"Brace yourself, Tatsumi. If the weapon she is using is what I think it is, than the closer we are to it, the more danger she will be in, and the more danger we will be in as well."
He did not fully understand her, but he crouched lower to the ground.
Another bolt of orange streaked through the night, showering light over him for an instant. Laughter he had never heard, but could tell was Esdeath's, erupted.
"I said..."
A low, wind blew past him, tiny bits of sand and pumice swirling into small tornadoes.
"...your petty tactics won't help!"
A large round shape sped through the darkness in front of him. The same moment, a larger, more robust blast of light shot into the air, vaporizing the mansion-sized form. After the explosion's echo dissipated, he thought he heard a shout in the distance.
"I'm sorry, what was that you said, bratty girl?" Esdeath boasted.
A young woman's voice rang out into Tatsumi's ears.
"I SAID YOU DIE TONIGHT, ICE BITCH."
Peering over the crater, he struggled to make out the source of the sound. Movement at the left of his vision signaled him to a shadow holding a long object. The moonlight allowed him to realize it was a girl, about the same age as he was, perhaps younger. Her hair was bright, and had an angry demeanor.
"You're going to pay for what you did to Lubbock!" she yelled, her voice slowly degrading to a sob. "He didn't deserve that...we...we barely recognized the pictures..."
"That green haired fool that played with yarn? It was not my hands that cracked his skull, freeing his brain from the red bone-"
Bright orange suddenly filled Tatsumi's vision, a loud boom erupting into his ears. When the ringing in his head stopped, he quickly shook the dirt clods and sand from his half buried leg.
"SHUT UP!" the girl shouted.
After rubbing his eyes from the light, Tatsumi noticed Esdeath do the unexpected. His woman sheathed her rapier.
"I'm sure I need not raise my sword for you. I will kill you myself, no weapon needed."
Tatsumi looked at the girl's trembling frame. He initially thought Esdeath had gone insane, but realized her twisted, yet raw logic did not conflict with her decision.
"That girl is clearly distressed. Esdeath should have no problem killing her, whoever she is." He reflected. Than another realization aroused in his mind. The girl's reference to Lubbock must have been the boy he killed, the mad event that led to him refusing his newfound powers.
"This girl... she's Night Raid..."
A fourth bright jet beamed above him, moving past the small hole and toward Esdeath.
"Esdeath, look ou-!"
She jumped over the beam as it swung over to her. Upon landing, she charged toward the girl, her cap flying behind her. Even in the dim moonlight he knew she must have had that sadistic grin on her face, the crescent shape of her mouth that injected such mixed feelings in his heart.
Her hand swiped away the girl's rifle, the other colliding into her cheek as a fist. Esdeath's heart swelled in dark excitement as the girl lifted her leg, a kick aimed for her own. Her own knee crashed into the girl's stomach, a throaty groan sounding from the girl's mouth.
"Do you call that..."
The girl was forced against a rock. Both impacts of Esdeath's knee and the stone took their toll on her frail body, the anger-fueled energy to fight leaving her body as quickly as it arrived.
"A KICK?"
Esdeath's boot stomped on the girl's leg. The bone snapped before she cried out, tears falling from her eyes. She sat, her back against the rock, wailing into the moonlight before her screams devolved to heavy, shaking breathing.
"Now do you understand?" asked Esdeath. "You are weak, I don't draw my sword for weaklings. I have you crying at my feet in less than a minute since our one-sided game began."
She waited for a response, but only heard labored breathing.
"I only broke your leg! That's nothing to what I will do to you if you don't tell me where your base is. Now, speak."
No answer.
Spikes of ice impaled each of the girl's arms to the rock. She screamed, though it was much quieter than her first cry.
"You're base, girl. Where is it?"
Esdeath detested the girl more than she had ever hated almost any other enemy, as she saw her as a potential threat to Tatsumi. She had almost killed him with her rifle several times, and decided she was going to make the brat pay. Nevertheless, she found the girl's resilience astounding. Few times had she ever met anyone stubborn enough to resist three broken limbs.
"It seems that superficial, swift pain won't work" she observed aloud. "I will leave you here to die a slow death. I'll find what I want to know myself soon, real soon."
Hoping for the girl to make a rebuke, she waited. When it was clear she would hear no response, she strode away, her chest swelling with anticipation.
"Tatsumi," she thought. "I just want to hold you in my arms know. To know that you're safe from that bad, bad girl."
Even the moonlight couldn't help Tatsumi see the fight between Esdeath and the sniper. Standing to investigate, his thoughts were impeded when his arm was grabbed and a blade pressed to his throat.
"Are you a Jaeger?" questioned a monotone voice. The sentence sounded more like a statement than a question.
"K-Kurome?"
The pressure on his neck increased. Tatsumi realized the flat side of the blade was on his throat, not the edge.
"You must be one. You are a target."
The blade flipped to the other side. Tatsumi's mind raced in desperation.
"N-no, what's a Jaeger?"
The woman behind him spoke again.
"However, a target of greater importance is near. Where is Mine."
"Y-your what?"
"Where is Mine."
His fear faded to familiar anger. This was not new, but he had to suppress it. It was bloodthirst.
"Kill you" he whispered.
"Hmm."
He stomped on the girl's foot, startling her. Taking advantage of the split second he had over her, he fell on his back, essentially tackling her to the ground. Quickly standing and drawing his knife, he turned to cut her throat only to find her sword pointed at his, ready to do the same. To his own shock, he laughed. A sinner's laugh.
"So, shall I move first?" he joked.
"My longer blade give me the advantage. And yet you laugh. You are strange."
Tatsumi lowered his arm and stepped back.
"Get up. Let's fight this like they do in the comics."
"Com-ics?"
"I mean a fair fight. I won't go easy on you."
She attacked, thrusting her blade to his throat again. Expecting the move, Tatsumi parried her sword with his dagger. To keep her from swinging, he attempted to grab her sword hand.
"TATSUMI! NO!"
It was the first time he had ever heard Esdeath's voice with such desperation. Startled, he glanced to her direction when a sharp pain cut into his abdomen.
"I can't move them...my legs..."
His vision blurred, but could make out the girl's shape retreating. Shortly afterwards, Esdeath's comforting presence loomed over him.
Never before had Esdeath had her constitution so conflicted. She wanted to slaughter the swordswoman with her bare hands. She wanted to beat herself for being afraid that Tatsumi was going to die. She wanted to believe he was too weak, and his passing will have no importance to her. She wanted to hold him against her, looking into his eyes as they steadily grew blank. She wanted to be there for him, during his last moments, she wanted to be the last thing he saw before his death. Esdeath didn't believe in an afterlife, but if there was, she wanted to be the only memory for him to take to the next world.
She stood for a moment, then dropped to her knees. Tatsumi's form never comforted her as it did now, even in his last moments, when he choked on his own blood, she needed to hold him, to keep what was given and then taken from her in just a matter of weeks.
"I-It's..."
"Don't speak...be still Tatsumi."
"S-so...cold..."
"No...don't say that...please don't suffer Tatsumi..."
His middle felt unbelievably cold. Even through her resistance to cold, the chill on his abdomen tightened the nerves on her hands.
"Oh, god, it's cold...stop it, Esdeath, make it stop..."
She hurriedly lifted his shirt, and gasped. His bleeding had completely stopped. The cut from the swordswoman was reduced to a thin dark mark. The chill slowly left his body, the same warmth that enveloped her dreams for so few nights returning.
"Tatsumi..."
He let out a groan.
"What happened...is this heaven..."
"No Tatsu-bunny...it's..."
She couldn't resist anymore. For the first time in years, she allowed the tears to fall.
"Esdeath-are you okay?"
The pressure around his body intensified, warm tears falling on his face. Her hands enveloped his cheeks. Knowing what was coming he raised his own to her head, relishing her soft hair and skin running through his scarred hands.
As far as he was concerned, tonight was Tatsumi's first real kiss.
