I'm not sure how, when, or why it is even happening.

If I had an inkling of an idea as to why this is happening to me, I really couldn't care less. When is even more irrelevant. How is even more esoteric in its nature, but I still believe, and know, that I couldn't care less. Sleep is always evading me, even now. Between nightmares that are memories, and my turbulent emotions that see it fit to throttle my ass in the dead of night...I'm surprised I'm not insane. I'm surprised I'm not seeing the dream scape while I am consciously awake.

Maybe...

I am insane.

Maybe that's why I'm seeing Yoshouda-with that stupid fucking smirk creasing across his face, standing right before me as if we are sharing a bottle of sake. He has no weapons, and I have no weapons...We're not at each other's throats-we're just in a trance. His eyes are locked on mine, and mine are locked on his own. I grapple with this situation, trying to make sense of it.

Is it a dream?

Am I asleep?

Is this a nightmare?

Is this somewhere between life, death, and dreaming?

Are we in a void of nothingness?

Of the same inky black that swelled around the pool of scarlet I witnessed before.

Am I drowning in that very same scarlet pool?

"You look like you've seen a ghost."

Yoshouda sounds the same as before. His demeanor, way of speaking, the way his eyes narrow, his hair, his clothes even-they're all the same. I'm still not sure if I am all present. I'm not sure if I have my mental faculties in tact. Doubt is creeping through my mind, and running through my veins-cold as ice, like hollow despair that rips at my heart.

To my surprise-Yoshouda takes a step forward. I can hear his zori crunch on the ground we're standing on-though I can't see the ground, as everything is black, save for myself and Yoshouda, but still...His movements make noise. It echoes in this barren darkness that just seems to close around us like a suffocating blanket. He steps and steps, until he's only a few feet away from me.

"Still grappling with this situation, Isamu?"

"I killed you." The back of my throat burns, like sandpaper is grating against it.

"Yes, you did...But, did you really think it'd be so simple?"

I don't know how to respond to that question.

Things are never simple in this reality. There are winners and there are losers. There are those who are strong, and there are those who are weak. The strong live, the weak did. The winners write history, and the losers turn into dust as history progresses. Even with this simplicity, things are never simple in this sham of a reality. Where there is life, only for death to come around. Where infants die. Where children die before ever being born. Where humans war over their ideals and religions, over who is right and wrong...Who is better and who is not.

I can breathe, ironically enough, but I can feel my breath catching as anger spurs into my spine. It burns as hot as lava, but is as cold as ice, and it makes me shiver and scream all at once.

"Nothing in this reality is simple." I finally find my voice, tone low, almost silent.

"Well, how about we play catch up then. You're playing hero with Night Raid-you are furthering the Revolution's cause, which is composed of defectors from the Empire. You went to that farce of a tournament, which was to simply find someone capable of wielding a Teigu. You laid waste to everyone that was competing, except for a few, thanks to that stupid little brat, and now you are going to get married..."

I know this, and I recall it all vividly. I relished in the carnage I caused at that stupid tournament. I enjoyed squeezing the life out of my foes. I enjoyed busting their heads so their brains flew all over the ground, I enjoyed stomping on their throats, crushing their windpipes, and listening to their sickening gasps and croaks. I enjoyed ripping apart that stadium with the bodies of my foes.

It gave me such a rush, for just a fleeting second. For a second, I didn't want to die, but I thrived in that chaos. I thrived in the sound of bones breaking and people pleading for mercy, just for me to snuff them out like the insects they are. However, that rush is gone-that throbbing within my chest is gone, as is the insatiable heat in my veins-the desire to spill blood and cause pain.

I am just feeling hollow and empty now, like always.

"You are a fool, Isamu..."

Normally...I'd lash out if someone dared to call me a fool. I'd like to believe I am the furthest thing from a fool. However, the fact I am furthering the Revolution's goal through Night Raid, going to get married to some woman who is loyal to the Empire...Perhaps I am a fool. Perhaps I'm the biggest fool on the face of this world. I know the nature of this war, but here I am...

"What the fuck do you want?"

Silence reigns supreme for long moments, like an eternity. Perhaps if we were in a place similar to something out of this world, we'd get to see a ripple forming between the two of us as we stand in the center of the universe. But, as it stands, there is no ripple, and we're not somewhere out of this world, or in the center of the universe, we're just in a void, I guess.

"I want to see you suffer."

The answer takes me by surprise. If we were awake, I am certain I would have fallen on the back of my head with my legs half bent. Yoshouda, myself, or any of our comrades hold grudges against one another. We didn't crave revenge, we didn't hurt other people believing it'd get to someone on our sides, we didn't go out of our way to make each other's lives a living hell. The Empire took care of that. We were just pieces on a board-the pieces and board are vaporized.

I suffer.

I suffer by simply taking breaths, being alive is insufferable.

I'd scream in Gifnora, in the dead of night whenever my memories became too much. When the image of a house collapsing on a group of people-children, mothers shielding their children the best they could...When the image of my comrades bodies carbonizing into ash, our homes burning until the wood was ash itself...Many people have tried to kill me, for over a decade I have been challenged, hunted, and chased through Ginfora by humans and Danger Beasts alike, but I survived...

I survived through all of it. I'm stronger, faster, more agile, more explosive, more powerful than I've ever been before, but at what price...Now am I so strong, excessively strong, that nobody can defeat me...Nobody can fell me in battle or cut me down. What I desire so badly-what I desired back in my village when everyone I loved, knew, and fought with, or against was dying, was being burned to ash, will never come. It never came.

I have to live with the memories...The images that flash through my head. The dreams and nightmares that torment me to such an extent that sleep evades me. To the point I refuse to sleep.

"Make no mistake, Isamu. I don't begrudge you, but I still want to see you suffer."

Yoshouda's voice echoes-throbbing in my ear drums. It tears me away from my morbid thoughts, forcing me to focus on him, and I do. My eyes lock onto him like a laser. It is an unconscious action, completely based on instinct and reflexes. On anger and despair, because as hard as I try to escape from what is standing before me, I can't.

"Why?" I grate out, my teeth clenching.

"One simple reason, I want you to just not understand how fucked up this reality is, but I want you to concede to how fucked up it is. I wreaked havoc in the red light district of the Empire, I controlled most of the brothels. I seen women come and go, girls come and go. I killed many women, sometimes because they were diseased, and other times because I felt like it. You must understand, there's no other way for us. I know you get satisfied when you hear that pop when you snap someone's neck..."

I wouldn't deny the last part, or any of what this man is saying. He already made it clear that he ran things in the red light district and had a lot of information. He manipulated and killed a lot of people. He did it for fun, just so he could see them struggle and hear them beg. But, I'm not like that. I don't just kill for my own amusement. I don't take amusement when I snap someone's neck or crush their windpipe with my bare hands.

I didn't kill children. I killed teenagers. I killed thirteen year olds. I killed anyone who came in Gifnora. If I didn't, the Danger Beasts did. If anyone is wielding a sword, they know full well what they are getting into. You don't wield a sword unless you're ready to die. Whether it is a man or a teenager holding a sword, they both know, full well what that means.

Just say when, and I'll draw. That's as simple as it gets.

"You're not like that bitch Akame. Your heart doesn't beat for the Revolution or for Night Raid. Your heart beats for your own justice. You're not moved by the woes of people or their plight, if that were the case, you would have left Gifnora to join this foolish war before that motley crew went out searching for you. How many nights did you not sleep in Gifnora? How many times have you screamed in your anguish in the dead of night?"

I feel tired. So tired. This conversation is just sapping me of any energy that I have. "What's your point?"

"I want you to wreak havoc. I want you to suffer. I want to you to feel despair. I want you to concede to the point, that in this reality, nothing good can come about. Nothing pure can remain pure. That in this reality, the only thing waiting for you is the pain of loneliness, the sting and bitter taste of death. I want you to feel hopeless! I want you to hate and to unleash all of it on the Empire and the Revolution."

Truth be told, I never really have conceded with the reality of this world. I know nothing pure can remain pure in this reality, children are proof of that. They go from babbling when they're infants to murdering when their adults. Nothing good can come about, because there will always be someone-something, lurking in the shadows, pulling on the strings of people's hearts. It'll push them to kill and destroy. Destroy what stability has just been founded.

However, I have never felt hopeless. I've felt despair and anguish, I screamed in Gifnora until my voice went hoarse, and I lost it. I screamed to vent my anguish and despair, but it never went away. It sat there, deep within me, smoldering, burning, scorching-always creeping up on me when I feel a moment's calm. When I feel a simple semblance of peace. But, never once have I felt hopeless. I have my skills, my strength, my instincts, and my wit-I believe in only what I can and these things that have got me by this long.

Hopelessness was never even a remote possibility with me, but hearing Yoshouda say this...It forces that very feeling-that sinking sensation to weigh me down. No matter if the Empire or Revolution wins-nothing will change. Death will still run rampant. People will still be lofty. Nothing will ever change. I will be but dust, my bones and body gone, but this reality-the world will never change.

Money. Politics. Religion. Land. Birthright. Just because. Love. Revenge. Hate. Despair...Regardless of who or what reasons they wish to use, conflict and war-enmity and strife, will always be prevalent.

It is in human nature to pursue strife...

"You surprise me..."

Once again, I am forced to turn my focus on Yoshouda. Outward instead of inward. "How so?"

"You didn't bother asking how I am here, or if this is really me."

"I assumed this was part of your Teigu's ability, maybe its trump card."

Yoshouda laughs, shaking his head. "You assumed right. You see, when I first stumbled upon my Teigu I was lost in my despair and anguish. I soon realized that my Teigu granted me the ability to reanimate the dead, but it required me to slay living people. I couldn't resist...These people walk around so lofty, as if their lives are more important than the next. I got to unleash my despair and anguish until I fell numb to it all. I just looked forward to killing, to running my blade through a stupid wench's chest."

I find myself wondering why Yoshouda did such things. Why he found joy in slaying pitiful people, but I understand. I had been the same way in Gifnora. No matter how much the people or person begged, no matter how buxom or sexy the women had been, no matter how wealthy the men had been, I still ended their lives. I crushed their skulls. I ran my blade through their throats. I slid my blade clear across their necks. I gouged their eyes and snapped their necks. I really didn't care,

I felt nothing when I seen the fear in their eyes-when I heard them scream. There had been nothing there. Nothing. Perhaps there had been a mere acceptance that they died, and when it comes down to it, were weak. The strong live and the weak die. I was strong and they were weak. It was natural order that they fall to me like the weaklings they were.

The Danger Beasts were stronger than them, and that's why they made meals out of them.

"My point is, Isamu...Eventually, I had no humanity left. Maybe that's not right, perhaps I tossed it away or turned my back to it, but either way, I still felt nothing when I killed. I only felt acceptance...A strange twinge in my chest that the person died by my hand, but I never felt bad or sorry, nor did I feel remorse. But, you lived in Gifnora for over a decade, your humanity was ripped away from you the moment fire was set to our village and you seen the old and young die. Gifnora only made this more intense, and you hardened your heart. You're not human, and you're not a demon...You're a wolf. You are a Danger Beast."

"Are you done?" I question, starting to see white and splotches of colors coming in and out. Perhaps I am awaking from this dream or whatever the hell this is. But, still, I want to hear what Yoshouda has to say-I want him to finish.

"Death will always be triumphant and nothing you do will change that. It is the nature of things. For every life, one or more are snatched away. You don't need to ponder over such trivial things...Just unleash and make people suffer, just as you suffer...Just as you've suffered, make others suffer. The trump card of my Teigu allows me to flood the person I choose with darkness, but it's the darkness already inside of them. Since you have so much rage and hate and fury, my trump card has already taken effect."

"And, that means?"

Yoshouda shrugs. "Nothing, I guess. You can't reanimate the dead or anything along those lines. But, you will never go back to who you once were. You will never have humanity, never again...You are a cold blooded killing machine, nothing less, and nothing more. You'd better make the most of this...Take a piece of Onest, kill him, or make him wish he were dead...But, don't do nothing!"

I try to move, but find myself paralyzed. Paralyzed isn't the right word. It feels like I am mere consciousness, and trying to move like I do in my body is impossible. But, it's the only thing I know, so I continue to try. Yoshouda fades away, the darkness fades away, replaced by a different black. I'm tingling. I'm breathing. I can feel myself coming to. Returning.

Yoshouda's words burn in my mind. They play over and over. Every syllable.

They remind me where I am.

The situation I've gotten myself into.

That Tatsumi has gotten me into...I can blame him for this.

Yeah.

The warmth on my hand, and its tingling.

Slowly, the weightless feeling I experienced is replaced by something else...I can't explain it, but it almost feels like a burden. Something that weighs on my shoulders and keeps me from being light, as I had been just moments ago. The darkness gives way, tunneling forward into a blurring surge of light. Hazily, my eyes open, and I take in my surroundings. My unfamiliar surroundings.

Surroundings that repulse me.

The weight on my side, slowly takes a shape and form. Lean and curvaceous, it fills out my vision. Blue is swirled in there-like one giant bird's nest. I realize that my vision hasn't yet fully returned.

There was a belief in Sengoku that when one went to sleep-they left their body. Their soul or consciousness, traveled unhindered and unbound through the entire universe itself. I had never been too sure, but there were those times when I'd be going to into a deep sleep, and my leg or arm would twitch. I'd jolt awake. Then I'd have an image of my slipping, or something along those lines, and the feeling would return, but there came a time when I wouldn't be jolted awake.

So, I guess I can understand where the belief stemmed from.

I'm adjusting back to this reality, I guess.

How funny is that?

I suck in a breath, cool air enters my lungs. The weight that had been pressing into my side becomes a little more forceful, and forms extensions. They take hold of me at my shoulders and side-trying to lay me back down. Naturally, I offer some resistance, not too much. I'm drained, and I can't even fully remember why. I had just experienced something I didn't experience before, and then, swoop...

I haven't experienced this type of drowsiness since...

It's been a real long time.

"Mmmm, Syrus..."

The weight has a voice, bold and sweet as it is, I can feel the malicious intent beneath it. I can feel the weight's eyes. Eyes of a predator.

"Esdese..."

This woman...Is familiar.

But, her eyes were...They weren't the same as that girl's. That girl's eyes has been soft and wide. Gentle. Eyes that shed tears when death was witnessed. Whenever they witnessed pain. They were not the eyes of a predator. Not like this woman's.

Time can pass, and people do change, but first seven years of someone's life...

"Are you ready to play?"

Leone has always been crazy. I believe she will never turn off the crazy, and even in death, she'll be laughing like a idiot. Her craziness didn't just stop in her lack of tact speech and downright vulgarity most of the time. It extended into every aspect of her personality. That included when we were rolling around. I have become accustomed to her feline side, and that being said...

This woman is off of her fucking rocker. I have never, ever experienced something ever close to this. Leone, as crazy as she was, would never go as far as Esdese has. As much as she liked dominating, she did like to be dominated. Esdese loved the struggle, the pain, and the intensity. She was the complete opposite of Leone, if I'd have to say.

Leone wouldn't tell me to wrench her arm behind her back, or wrench both of them behind her back. But, Esdese was a whole different person entirely. I never wrenched her arms to their breaking point, not that she'd let me anyways. I can only say that she enjoys the struggle-the strain that she feels pressing against me, and I suppose I can understand.

There had been something satisfying about being able to go all out.

"We broke the bed." I finally get out of her embrace.

"I can get another one. I don't think we should let that stop us."

I shake my head. Esdese must have went through puberty, but never developed those sort of feelings or thoughts. She had been ignorant and indifferent of them, probably feeling that they were just a weakness. But, humans love sex-the Red Light District was clear evidence of that. Esdese never engaged in any of this, though. I haven't until recently with Leone, but I had been prepared as a child.

When I became of age, I'd become a father shortly after.

This woman is going through an entire phase of her life, that had been nonexistent during that period of her life. Considering all of the horror stories Leone and Goggles have told me about this woman, I suppose the only thing she had been focusing on was getting stronger. But, fighting Danger Beasts would only get one so far, unless they went somewhere like Gifnora.

Where there were so many different Danger Beasts nobody dared to enter it without tens, hundreds of thousands of men. The plants. The grass. The trees. The centipedes. The monsters that roamed at night. Everything in that place wanted to eat. It was only about food. There is no strong or weak-food. Survival. That is what Gifnora is.

So, Esdese enlisted into the Empire and became a general. She now gets to quench her thirst for battle. Onest has her on a leash. I wonder what he may have over her, but given how the man is...Maybe Esdese sees him as the ultimate prey, and the little shit of an emperor is just a morsel. It wouldn't really surprise-someone of her caliber would never yield or submit to another.

How unfortunate...I would think this woman would have nothing to do with the Empire, Revolution, or Night Raid for that matter. She'd just be a juggernaut, that'd be wreaking havoc on all sides.

Is she waiting for someone to push her?

Am I that person?

Onest has a Teigu, if I'm not mistaken...

The ring I seen in the book Boos Lady gave me.

"What is going through that head of yours, Syrus?"

I can kill that fat motherfucker Onest. I have the chance. The opportunity. The little shit of an emperor is too heavily guarded, and too sequestered in the palace. He probably has soldiers sleeping under his bed-it wasn't much of a stretch. Onest is a different story-he likes to play two sides, and he isn't going to hesitate to saunter through the palace like he owns the whole place.

The war would certainly continue, but without Onest manipulating the little shit, it'd turn into a different kind of war. There'd also be no one to keep this woman before reined in. If I slay Onest-this woman has nothing to bound her to the Empire. She can become my greatest ally, or my greatest enemy. With nothing or no one to bound her, this woman would just wreak havoc. It all depends on how things pan out in the long run.

Killing Onest could be a mistake, as crazy as it sounds. I can mortally wound him. Make him wish and beg for death. I can take his Teigu, and maybe a few of his limbs as trophies. Without Onest this woman would be running free, and I know she'd target me. Everyone else would be swept up in our conflicts, and there'd be no factions left.

From her demeanor, survival of the fittest is Esdese's belief.

I know that such a thing is folly, so I have no belief...

Akame may be the only one that'd be able to stop Esdese and I, but she'd also lose her life.

Sting.

I jolt, momentarily at a loss as I'm brought out of my thoughts. White curtains swarm in my vision, fanning the breeze, and a slender, but muscular arm, extended right by my side.

"I take that as an insult."

The slap really didn't hurt me. Esdese didn't put much behind it.

It is the fact she jolted me from my inner realm reminds me of something. It reminds me of Akame, Leone, and Boss Lady doing the same exact thing. This woman is ten times more domineering than those three put together. The fact she takes it as an insult I'd space out while being in her presence also signifies she is quite arrogant. She is confident-overconfident in her skills and prowess. She is very proud, and she likes to boast.

She likes to toy with her foes.

This is the kind of game we're going to play then. Dominate and submit. I'm an alpha and so is Esdese. There's give and take. There's competition. There's a primal urge there as well, something that can't be explained.

This woman is going to push me, it seems.

"I'm done for now, I need to recharge."

Sighing, Esdese kicks away from me and stands on her feet. Wearing nothing, she stretches her hands high over her head, keeping her back to me. It is almost foolishness she'd have a mini tantrum about this, but she never experienced this phase of life before. I'm certain a lot of teenage girls got mad when the boy they loved paid them no mind or just told them no.

Also, I'm not going to release anytime soon. Esdese, evidently, is trying to have a child. It is the only logical explanation. Unless she is just blinded by her overwhelming feelings, and being pregnant would be a consequence of her actions and being so ignorant. I'm not sure which one it can be-she has some intention of making Tatsumi her concubine, if I heard her right...

She really is trying to get pregnant.

"You remember that guy you punched into a wall three days ago?"

I remain stoic. I keep my face impassive, But, internally, I feel nothing but shock. My heart rate doesn't quicken, but its thudding beat grows. Dense. Like someone sandwiched a stone inside of it. Esdese can't be aware of my real identity. If she were aware, she'd be behaving much differently. I'm certain she'd be trying to kill me because of how many Empire rabble I've slain.

Three days...We've been in the bed for three days...

"The one that was talking with the microphone?"

I make my response, tone not wavering or changing the slightest. It borders on disinterest and indifference. He had been nothing special, and quite frankly the way he called, commentated, and announced the competitors was downright sickeningly cheesy. Esdese had been so bored she started falling asleep, and yet the little runt with the microphone was beaming and enthusiastic.

A bumbling idiot.

Esdese nods, finishing slipping on a plain white, long sleeved shirt. "He is my comrade and subordinate. He's part of the Jeagers. His name is Wave. You'll be meeting him formally today, so try to keep your hands to yourself."

I've been hearing about the Jeagers a lot, and now this woman is talking about them. They must be something special, if even Esdese is talking about them.

"Who the fuck are the Jeagers?"

"The squad that I lead."

Esdese leads the Jeagers.

This is the woman Boss Lady fears. The woman Leone fears. The woman that continues to make waves throughout the Empire, and even outside lands and nations. This is the woman that leads the Jeagers. This is the woman that haunts Boss's nightmares. I've gotten so many warnings from people, I've heard even more things from people about this woman.

This woman is nothing but bad news. She is the last person you want to run into. Well, truth be told-that'd go to me, but this woman is famous. I am just merely a rumor for lack of a better term. Esdese is the real deal. I have to wonder what this woman did to scar Boss Lady. Boss Lady is petrified of this woman-she won't even speak her name. This woman scarred Boss physically, emotionally, mentally, and psychologically. But, what could she have done to put Boss Lady in such a petrified state...

Boss is missing an arm and an eye. Did Esdese do that to Boss? It wouldn't be a stretch to think or say that Esdese did do it. There's few people out there that would actually attack Boss, let alone wound her so badly. Akame or I would do it without question, if we were on different sides or no sides at all. Though, Akame wouldn't have let Boss live, and I wouldn't have either. Whether it's Murasame or sheer precision, we will always get our targets.

Esdese did take Boss's arm and eye, it'd explain why she is so petrified of Esdese.

Boss Lady...

I push the strange emotion away, focusing on the preset.

"You should train your subordinates better. Wave has the reflexes of mud."

Esdese looks towards the window. Her heads move in a nod. "He lacks discipline, but he wields a Teigu. I have other comrades, that are not as dense as him."

I know it's something special, but all because a person wields a Teigu doesn't make them invincible.

"Come on, we have to wash up and get to the others."

I am not opposed to washing up by any means. I can smell myself. It feels like I have a fourth layer of skin, like a sheen that is covering me from head to toe. Nothing is safe from the sheen, and I know it is sweat, and other fluids that had built up during our vigorous three nights. I don't even want to entertain the thought, which is why I'm all for getting in the shower with this woman, even if she'll try throttling me.

So, with that in mind I hastily throw myself up to my feet, invigorated to get nice and clean. There may not be that fruit smelling shampoo and body wash here like at HQ, but there should be something substantial that can clean.

However, as I am moving, I stop-Esdese moved a bare centimeter.

Shit...

Shit...

Esdese doesn't grab me by the wrist. She doesn't grab me by the shoulder. She doesn't grab my hand. She doesn't sink her fingers into my side. She doesn't do any of this when she makes her simple statement. She grabs me by my shaft, and pulls.

I immediately jam her wrist into a crushing grip.

I don't fuck around when it comes to my private parts. This woman will not yank or pull me along, she won't grab my loins and yank on them. Absolutely not. Even Leone didn't do what this woman is trying to do. When she is pulling, it is because she's reaching her climax and it's not a harsh, aggressive pull either. Esdese is trying to assert herself-she is forcing herself on me. She knows how wary I am with this, but she's doing it to get her way.

It wouldn't bother me as much, if she wasn't doing it in such a aggressive manner.

"Hrrgghhhh..."

Esdese pulls again, this time, harder. It's a good deal harder, and my body moves as she does. It's completely beyond my control. It's just how the body moves to compensate, and to prevent pain, from someone handling a man like this. I bear down on her wrist with more force, feeling her fingers starting to give and curl from my exertion.

"The fuck are you doing?"

"Leading you along."

I rein in my anger as best I can. This woman isn't domineering. No, that isn't the right word for her. Esdese wants people to grovel at her feet. She wants to be able to lead them along, or yank them along. She wants to be in control. Her thoughts and opinions are the only ones that matter. I know exactly what kind of person she is. She reminds me of a woman I encountered long ago-so proud and boastful of her skill.

Esdese also has no respect. The way she's grabbing me, and trying to yank me along, is a clear indication of that. I have no doubt in my mind that she's cut off dicks and balls, the little fucking sadist. How much of a thrill it must be for this woman to not only see a man groveling before her, but to take away the things that made him a man, as well...

Boss Lady would never do such things...I'd like to think she wouldn't.

With this in mind, I clench Esdese's fingers with more than enough force to break them. I focus on the digits of her fingers, in case she tries to hang on-I'd break her fingers piece by piece, and with purpose, I forcibly wrench her fingers off of me. "You ever try that shit again and I'll break your fucking fingers. I don't need you leading me along, I don't need a mother."

"Let's get something straight, Syrus-"

"I think we should, Esdese. I'll make this clear. I hate the Empire. I hate this palace. If you ever do what you just did again, or even try it, I will break your fingers. I'm not going to grovel, bow, kneel, or prostate myself before you. You will not dictate what I do. You will not dictate what I say. I am not going to be under your thumb. You're not going to lead me along. Tatsumi might be submissive enough to play the part, but you will not put a collar or leash on me."

Boss Lady didn't try this shit. She didn't try to put me under her thumb. She did use the prospect of clearing my name of all the members of the Revolution that I killed in Gifnora, but that had been a natural lure. She had been feeling me out, watching my every move, my blinks, my breathing, how I moved my head, and just about every other detail.

She didn't, and hasn't rolled around with me. She didn't grab me by the shaft, and try to lead me along. Maybe if Esdese had been leading us to the bed, I wouldn't have reacted so violently, but since she wasn't doing that, I had no choice. I've got to make it clear she isn't going to control me, and by no means do I like my current scenario.

And, I blame it on Tatsumi.

No, Akame...

That haughty little shit.

Esdese does something. It's something that's caught me off guard completely. I'm so taken by surprise by her action, that my heart jolts in its beat, and my breath quickens for a few moments. There is warmth, but cold on my cheek, and it goes to my lips, soon enough. I blink, staring into Esdese's, sharp, blue eyes. She has a weird smile on her face, her teeth are showing, and she's got her legs pressed together.

Maybe it'll be better if I don't shower with her. At this rate, I'm going to fuck around and get her pregnant. I definitely don't want, or need a child at this point in time. I also don't want the seedy Empire to have that sort of leverage over me. Perhaps Esdese is aware of my nature-my need tor personal space, and by getting pregnant, she has something to keep me tied down to her.

By no means, would it stop at one child. She'd want more.

I can see her saying I want two dozen children, and she'd have a straight face while saying it.

"You're such a wolf, Syrus." Esdese purrs. "Come and ravish me."

I shake my head, starting to move away from her. This is getting a little crazy. Is this what Tatsumi would be enduring, had I not entered the tournament in the first place? I'm going to blame this on Akame-if she hadn't started running her stupid mouth, I wouldn't be in this. I feel like Esdese is trying to literally milk me, though it's not milk coming out of me.

Once I'm a good distance away, I relax. I'm still naked, but it doesn't bother me. Esdese is naked too, having taken off her shirt when she got fired up again after kissing me. I think she is really trying to get pregnant. This is sheer fucking lunacy, of the highest level, I can't even consider it. But, it is happening, and I have to prevent it by all costs.

Esdese pouts. It's a strange expression to see on her face, but she smiles shortly. "Fine, we can take a break. We have to meet the others anyways. Don't leave this room."

I give her a look. "Okay?"

"I say that, because I don't want there to be an...Incident. It'll be hard for me to make you a general, if you go being wolfish."

I took a shower after Esdese. I locked the door, and for extra measure I shoved her onto the bed. The woman would become a serious problem if I let her have her way and didn't put any boundaries between us. The term getting walked all over and used couldn't be more fitting. Esdese wouldn't care the slightest that she's walking all over and pissing me off.

So, it's better I lay the out there from the beginning.

Once we were all finished, I got the lovely opportunity to walk through the maze of a palace. It's white walls, gold lining and decorations-the exquisite candles that burned on some of its floors...It is really getting to me. It makes me sick. So much flash and braggadocio. There's people starving on the streets right now, dying there from starvation, and in these walls...

What the fuck is this shit?

I have little time to work through my knotted emotions. We come upon a room. The door is made of high quality wood. It has a nice shine to it as well, and its knob is sparkling in the same manner. Once again, it's just so much flash. A showing of wealth. I have no doubt these door handles are made of gold, or have gold in them, I'm surprised there's not jewels encrusted within the walls.

In the room are two large windows, situated at the front. There is a table, and there are people sitting at this table.

I look away, spotting Tatsumi...

Oh, Tatsumi.

I really have nothing against him, personally. His idealism just annoys the shit of me, yes, but I don't hate him or anything. Do I wish he'd talk less and get a grip? Yes, of course I do. But, my opinion of him...I guess I don't really have one. He's just a teenager, who spent most of his life in his village. He was thrust right into the middle of this was, and having never experienced something like it before...

Well, he's been like a fish to water.

Blithering on about the Revolution...

So, it is with redundancy, that I say he is an idiot.

Tied to a chair with the same collar on as yesterday, he looks like a wounded pup.

Tatsumi, you are a fucking idiot...

Deducing looking at the sorry sight of Tatsumi is no longer useful, I turn my eyes onto everyone else in the room. I take the time to take in each of their appearances. There are only two girls present-probably in their teens, and the rest are men, though there's a few teenagers as well. I recognize one-the one I hit three days ago and sent flying. There's a girl with black hair, that oddly reminds me of Akame.

It's Akame's sister, clearly.

I ball my fists. I never did like glaring or being glared at. It's sort of pointless, unless you're exuding aura or killing intent. The little shit I punched three days ago is doing just that. Glaring at me. His eyes are set on me, and just me. The skin between his brows is wrinkled and tight. He's angry. He's salty. He's mad I sent his dumbass flying with one punch.

I stride away from Esdese, making my way over to him. He's sitting on the table top, next to Akame's sister. One of his shoulders is all out-more than enough that somebody could bump into him on accident or on purpose. I'm not sure why Esdese would even bother with some stupid ass fool like this, even if he does have a Teigu.

I can feel all eyes on me.

I'm just a few steps away from little shit, he's still giving me the same glare. There's a little confusion on his face. He's not sure if I'm going to walk passed him, take a seat next to him, or just roundhouse kick him into next month. But, despite all of that, his body isn't on guard. His eyes aren't set in a hyper alert manner, he isn't ready for what I may do in the next split second.

I can kill him, but certainly, I'd be swarmed.

Not worth it.

My body is unyielding like a tree trunk. I hardly feel the bone of his shoulder as I ram my own into it. My simple action makes the blond dude with some weird head adornment and equally weird get up, frown, and look shocked. It makes a girl in a green get up look shocked. Akame's sister looks annoyed more than anything, and curious as to what is going to happen next.

For his part, when I shoulder checked him, well he did nothing. His body turned mechanically, like it had been on a swivel. He tried to stop it from turning, but I hit him too much force and at the right angle, that his body could only follow the path I put it on.

"Hey man, what's wrong with you!?" He yells, recovering from his half crouched, falling position.

I look him in the eye before I speak to him. "The fuck you looking at?"

"I'm still trying to find out!"

I remember that both of my swords on my waist. This dude's eyes changed, for a split second. He took a more aggressive step, belligerent even. He's ready to throw down, or so he thinks. I've been tangling with Danger Beasts for over a decade, in Gifnora of all places. The place that is known to devour itself, and had its own weather.

I'm not going to back down either, though.

"Take another step and I'll knock your head off your shoulders."

I jump away, fast. From my peripheral, I spotted something glinting, and coming in fast. Where the punk and I had been standing is now stabbed through by a large chunk of ice. It is easily sixteen feet in length, and about half of that in sheer width. It comes back to me. People had always talked about a woman that was merciless and just lives for war. She is said to be a demon in battle and wields an Elemental Teigu.

It seems there is some merit to what those people had been saying. Standing before me is the woman everyone knows and is afraid of. Boss fears her. Leone fears her. The whole population most likely fears her. She wields an Elemental Teigu, ice to be exact. However, I know I can't kill her-this is where having a Teigu could prove to be an advantage to not having one. Also, it'd be a long and vicious battle. There's too many people here.

Boss and Akame would also harp on me if anything happens to Tatsumi. Leone, Goggles, and Mein would too.

"Syrus." Esdese points at me, then jabs her finger at the guy I bumped into. "Wave."

She points at the black haired girl.

Her attire is too similar to Akame's. She wears a black skirt and a black top, though it's not sleeveless like Akame's, and she has full length black stockings. Where as, Akame only wears a bit shorter than knee length socks.

"Kurome."

I shake my head-that is the deal breaker.

Kurome and Akame are sisters.

She points to the next girl.

The one in the Empire get up that the women wore when they weren't wearing the armor. It is a far cry from what it had been years ago. Back then the women wore boots, white stockings, a skirt with shorts underneath, and a sleeveless, form fitting top. I see it's changed to some odd green top, a green skirt, the same white stockings, and knee high, high heeled boots.

"Seryu."

She points to the blonde and the dude wearing a mask, who I have tried not to look at. I know what his Teigu is, I've seen it in the book. His attire and those scars on his chest-his burnt, but healed skin. He's part of the Empire's burning squad-the very same squad that set fire to my village, though the internal warfare didn't help things along in that respect.

I don't even care about blondie...

"Run and Bols."

I don't care about their names.

"Stylish and Tetsu aren't present, but you will meet them later on when we attack a fortress. Now..."

I tune out Esdese.

I don't care about names, or what we're going to do. The only thing I care about is running my sword right through the masked man's heart. He is nothing more than an object of vengeance. If I'm gauging his age right, he would have been about eighteen when all of that happened more than a decade ago. Whether or not he had been a part of the squad that set fire to my village or not, I can't say, but the fact of that matter is...He's a part of it now, and his Teigu is solely aimed for that.

"Therefore, Tatsumi here will be my concubine."

Esdese's statement somewhat rattles me from my inner realm, but I'm feeling too much rage and fury. I have more than an inclination to kill this man...I can feel my hands starting to shake. It isn't fear that is making them shake. It is severe and extreme emotion that is making them shake. It's me struggling to keep a lid on my fury that is making them shake.

The lid snaps off, and my sword is just a centimeter from the man's face.

Run and Kurome are already on the move, and before they get too far-I leak out more than a little killing intent.

"Hold!" Esdese shouts.

They all stop.

Certainly I won't kill this man. Esdese already knows this, and it's why she waved off her underlings. I just have something to get off of my chest, and I want to do it right now-so that when I do encounter this man again, on the battlefield, he knows I'm coming for his head. He may have a wife and child, but other men do as well-he burned down entire houses...He had burned families. Little girls and little boys.

"I've got a bone to pick with you. I see you as the object of my, and the people you've burned vengeance." I bite out.

The man lowers his head-if he wasn't wearing a mask, certainly his eyes would be sad. But, he understands as well.

"I understand. I deserve it."

I sheath my sword, fortifying my walls once more.

"And, Syrus is going to be my lover, husband, and the father of my children. Though, I think he needs to learn a little more etiquette. I don't see you and that old man Budo getting along too well, but it'll be interesting to see that play out, definitely. Let us depart for the besieging of the Revolution Army's fortress." Esdese says.

"We're leaving now?" I ask, looking at Tatsumi briefly.

Esdese has a predatory smile. "I am not patient."

Yeah, no kidding.

It's my luck to be stuck with impatient, domineering women...

However, I have a shot at Onest...

Esdese intends to make me a general, so I will have to meet him.

I will take a chunk of him.

I wonder if Boss Lady is grinning right now.

Probably...

My teeth are close to sliding because I'm clenching them so hard.