Hello!

I've done everything I could to bring this chapter out as soon as possible, sorry if the wait between chapters is too long, I really do apologize.

Special thanks to Dreamin'Princess, Tacbon20, Spartan Ash, 11jmartinez2003, Johnny Spectre, turn forever you and me, and Andeh91Chu for following/favouring this story.

You're just awesome. Thank you for giving this story a chance.

And without further adieu, I hope you enjoy!

Bulat panicked. He was stuck in a room with the strongest in the Empire.

Not exactly the best position to be in.

"How…can you see me…?" he asked out of disbelief.

Esdeath grinned. "I can't see you, but I can sense your presence. Just making yourself invisible doesn't mean you can hide from me."

For a moment, Bulat considered the action of darting straight for the exit and making a run for it.

But Esdeath didn't allow such an opportunity. Like a flash of lightning, she ran forward and kicked him, sending him right through a wall and outside of the hut. Bulat hadn't expected so much force to be behind one simple kick and crashed into the ground, rolling down the steps leading to the hut.

The worst scenario he could be in had become reality.

He quickly got to his feet and watched as Esdeath casually walked out of the hut herself. She didn't use the door, but instead exited through the hole she had made in the wall.

Bulat realized he was feeling weak. He looked down at his armour and saw a massive crack in the chestplate. Just from that one kick, she had managed to break through Incursio. He knew she was strong, but this was simply overdoing it. No one should have this much strength.

"General Esdeath." Bulat mumbled, summoning Neuntote into his left hand. "You're the last person I wanted to run into."

"I don't know you, but it seems you know me. How amusing."

"You have a reputation."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You're not the target right now, but since things have turned out this way, I'll have to eliminate you."

"Oh my," Esdeath smiled happily, clearly entertained. "Please, eliminate me then."

Bulat was no fool. He was an experienced soldier.

He knew just how dangerous Esdeath was, and despite being strong himself, he didn't want to risk it here. If he could, he would try to escape the area in the midst of the fight. In the heat of a battle, Bulat found it much easier to leave his opponent's sight.

His mind wandered to Tatsumi. He had told the boy to run if the alarms went off. But, for some reason, Esdeath hadn't called for help yet. If she sounded the alarm now, the entire camp would corner him. It seemed like the most logical choice.

"Not going to sound the alarm?" he asked, carefully observing the General as she slowly approached him.

"If I did, you'd be arrested on the spot, and that's far too boring. You're an Imperial Arm user, right? I want you to dance for me first."

Feeling energy leaving his body, Bulat deactivated Incursio's invisibility technique. He would have to be in top shape to face off against Esdeath.

As Bulat and his Imperial Arm were revealed, a small sign of shock momentarily flashed onto Esdeath's face.

"An armour-type…and it's similar to the Grand Chariot as well…" she murmured, then clapped her hands together. "Ah, I see now. You must be that rebel that defeated my subordinate, Wave. Which means you're also from Night Raid."

Bulat remembered that name. Wave, the name of the soldier that he had fought once.

He felt slightly disappointed in Wave now, despite not knowing him well. He was a brave kid with a passionate spirit, but if he was working for Esdeath he would only know sorrow.

"Now, please, show me your strength." Esdeath said almost pleadingly, taking out her rapier. "Let's see what Night Raid has to offer me!"

She charged forward and Bulat did the same.

They swung their weapons at almost exactly the same time, and the clash between the Neuntote and the rapier emitted a large shockwave. Bulat was able to feel plenty of arm strength behind Esdeath's attack and knew that she wasn't lacking in brute force.

Esdeath shot out her left hand and aimed for Bulat's chest, hoping to freeze him solid now that they had gotten closer. Bulat reacted quickly, however, and grabbed her by the wrist before she could do so. He held on tightly to her wrist, then used all of his strength to swing her off her feet and smash her into the ground beneath them.

The General was almost pummeled into the ground but regained her footing at the very last moment. She grinned. She was amused by his competence.

She yanked backwards and escaped his grip, then used her free hand to snap her fingers.

Ice appeared out of thin air, large icicles all surrounding Bulat. They had been summoned far too close for him to dodge, and all fired towards him at the same time. Bulat didn't panic, but instead held out his Neuntote and cut them down one by one as they came flying to him. The ice was incredibly tough, however, and it took every last ounce of his strength to slice them up.

Esdeath seemed completely calm, but Bulat was already starting to pant.

"Impressive. You're able to cut straight through my ice. Not many people can do that."

Bulat breathed heavily through his helmet, but tried to stay as calm as her. "And you are as powerful as the stories describe."

"Oh? Are there stories about me?"

"Plenty of them. The soldiers in the Revolutionary Army that have seen you have made tales, saying that you can destroy reality itself."

"That's a bit of an exaggeration." Esdeath chuckled.

"They also say that you enjoy watching people suffer, just like an animal." he muttered, distaste in his tone.

But, somehow, Esdeath didn't look even slightly insulted. "How quaint."

She snapped her fingers again and ice formed, though this time their shape was more complex. The ice collided together and assumed the shape of two massive hands, each one with a full set of fingers.

The right hand attempted to punch Bulat into a wall, but just barely missed as Bulat leapt out of the way. He hadn't expected for Esdeath to use her ice-making abilities for such peculiar creations. The hand tried to punch him again, but Bulat stopped the attack in its tracks by throwing his own fist forward as well.

The massive hand and his fist met each other at unfathomable speed, but Bulat's punch was stronger, much stronger. The moment he punched the ice hand, it cracked, crumbled, then fell apart. Esdeath's ice was sturdy, there was no denying that, but when it came to physical strength Bulat was a force to be reckoned with.

The left hand moved forward, seemingly knowing that it's its turn, even though it wasn't sentient.

This one tried to grab Bulat instead, and despite being slow, Bulat was careful of it. Knowing how strong Esdeath's ice was, he'd probably get crushed if the hand caught him.

After a few more evasive manoeuvres, he manages to strike the hand with the Neuntote and break it to pieces as well. The mall shards of ice scatter to the floor then disappear.

Having to put down the ice hands with concentrated and heavy swings of his weapon had tired Bulat, though he didn't show it to Esdeath. She was the last enemy you would want to show weakness to.

"Very good." Esdeath laughed, looking as calm as she did at the beginning of the fight. "I've fought Imperial Arm users before, but you seem to be a level higher than the rest. Where did you train?"

Bulat didn't see the harm in answering. "I was part of the Empire's army, like you."

"A General?"

"No, a soldier."

"I see. But…it was a foolish idea to leave the Empire. You left the strong and joined the weak."

"You may think of the Revolutionary Army as weak, but you couldn't be further from the truth."

"Really?" Esdeath responded, sounding extremely unconvinced. She paused for a moment, held down her rapier, and gave Bulat a different look. "You know, you really are a competent and dangerous soldier. You're exactly what my army needs."

"…was that an invitation?"

"Indeed. Someone with your amount of speed and strength is hard to come by these days. How about you rejoin the Empire?"

"Sorry. I'm a man for the people. The Empire is no place for me."

"If you continue to involve yourself with the weak, you will become one of them."

For once, Bulat was also smiling. "I'm okay with that."

Esdeath shrugged and pointed her rapier forward again. "So be it. It's a waste, but I won't lose sleep over it."

In an instant, they leapt back into the battle. Their weapons clashed over and over as they circled around the battlefield, the two of them a complete blur to the human eye.

Esdeath's constant summoning of ice was enough to counter Bulat's heavy blows. No matter what he tried, he couldn't land a single blow on the General, as her ice continued to block his attacks or return some. He was gradually getting faster and stronger, thanks to Incursio's adaptation to this new foe, but it simply wasn't enough.

And as the battle raged on, Esdeath looked like a child on Christmas, making it almost seem like she didn't even realize this was a fight. Bulat had been serious the entire time, but Esdeath was only having fun. Every time his attacks missed her, she laughed and taunted him to try again, while throwing some attacks back at him to keep him on his feet.

Bulat soon noticed it. She wasn't serious about this fight at all. She was just toying with him.

It was frustrating to know. He was using a large portion of his strength and still losing, yet his opponent wasn't even trying. She was only using a fraction of her actual abilities, that much had become worryingly clear.

But Bulat didn't let it get to him. This wasn't supposed to be a serious fight anyway. He wasn't planning on killing her. He was waiting for an opportunity to show itself, a good opportunity to run into the woods surrounding them and disappear out of sight.

He would reactivate Incursio's invisibility and rush deep into the dark folds of the forest. Despite Esdeath having remarkably sharp senses, not even she would be able to find him in that kind of situation.

That was Bulat's plan. Now he just had to stay alive and keep Esdeath entertained until that chance arrived.

Though, it seemed much easier in his mind. In reality, despite not being serious, Esdeath was still a threat. Her ice consistently succeeded in scratching Incursio, and after a few more exchanges, the armour was showing multiple cracks. Its toughness wasn't a match for the General's ice at all.

"Come on." Bulat whispered to his armour, blocking a kick from Esdeath. "Hang in there. Don't break apart now."

The armour was somehow responding to Bulat's wishes as well, and it held together through the next several attacks from the General. It cracked more and failed to absorb the blows, but it refused to break.

Esdeath was slowly beginning to unleash more powerful attacks, which wasn't good news for Bulat. Giant ice sculptures continued to appear out of nowhere and rain down upon him. Dodging wouldn't normally be such a challenge for him, but it was difficult to dodge and deal with Esdeath at the same time. He had trained himself to fight multiple targets at once if needed, and it looked like it was paying off, but he wasn't sure how long he could keep it up. Just surviving one of Esdeath's attacks would be considered impossible by many, and now he had to do so repeatedly.

He decided he could stop her vicious strikes for a moment if he attacked her instead. He rushed forward quickly, side-stepping past two ice spears hurdling towards him, and slashed his Neuntote at a deadly speed.

But it wasn't going to work. Esdeath saw the attack coming and blocked the Neuntote with her bare palm. Even though her hand took the full force of the blow, it didn't bleed or even bruise.

She then grasped the Neuntote and giggled. Bulat didn't understand why at first, but was shown the reason as ice begun to materialize.

Her ice froze his weapon in mere moments, and then suddenly spread to his hands holding it. Before he could let go of the weapon, both his entire arms and the Neuntote were covered in thick ice, causing him to drop to his knees thanks to the ice's unexpectedly large weight.

Bulat struggled to no avail. His arms were now trapped in her ice, and it simply wouldn't shatter.

He cursed under his breath. He had gotten careless. He didn't think she could freeze him by just touching an object in his hands. He should've been more cautious of her abilities.

"Damn it," he growled, feeling the coldness of the ice biting into his skin. He couldn't feel any blood pumping into his hands.

"A little chilly, isn't it?" Esdeath smirked. She walked calmly over to him and saw a glare on his face. "Looks like I win."

"This…isn't a game."

"Oh? And here I thought we were just playing."

"Your overconfidence will be your death."

Esdeath smiled, obviously not actually listening to him. "Brave words for a dead man."

Bulat flexed his muscles and gasped.

He gave one last attempt at freeing his arms. He pulled mercilessly, hoping to slide them out of their nesting, but nothing gave. His arms weren't slipping loose. He was out of options.

With a stern and fearless expression, he looked up at Esdeath as she raised her rapier. She slowly began aiming the sharp end for his throat. She was planning on giving him a beheading right then and there.

Bulat wasn't afraid, however, and he stared deeply into Esdeath's eyes. If he was going to die here, he was going to gaze at death in the face. That was the only way a true soldier could die honourably.

His mind wandered for a second to his friend. Tatsumi's face flashed in his mind and he felt sorrow.

At least Tatsumi would run and be safe.

That was all that mattered.

Tatsumi. He had to run.

With short and anxious breaths, Tatsumi remained in hiding.

The alarms hadn't been set off, but he could see ice in the distance, coming from the top of the camp. Anyone would've realized what that meant. Esdeath was here, and Bulat had been caught.

This hadn't been part of the plan. They had hoped and prayed that they didn't encounter Esdeath, their success weighed on it. Now that he knew she was here, it was clear to them that the mission was a failure. They weren't obtaining the cargo that she had hidden. She wouldn't let them.

But, at that moment in time, Tatsumi didn't care about the cargo. Whether or not the mission succeeded was the last thing on his mind. He was thinking of Bulat, and terrified to know that he was now battling against the strongest in the Empire.

Tatsumi always believed in Bulat, and knew that he deserved his title as the 100-Man Slayer, but he was still worried. The way that Bulat spoke of Esdeath and described how powerful she was…

He moved through the cover of the trees carefully, slowly approaching the camp. As he got closer, his heart began to race. Bulat had told him to stay away from the camp, telling him to just observe from afar, but Tatsumi's instincts were kicking in.

His mind was telling him to obey Bulat's wishes, but his body was refusing. Without thinking it through, he had already pulled out the Adayusu and clenched it with both hands. He didn't know why he was acting this way, but he knew he couldn't fight it either. It was obvious that deep down, he wanted to help. He was tired of sitting on the sidelines and letting others do the dirty work for him.

He remembered Najenda's orders. Do not confront Esdeath.

Those words had been burnt into his mind, but it seemed not even that was going to stop him. He just kept walking forward mindlessly, relying completely on gut feelings instead of logic.

Soon, he was close enough to the actual camp to see the steps leading upwards to the hut where the cargo was located. He knew that Bulat and Esdeath had to be at the top, probably still battling it out. All that remained now was climbing those steps.

But, out of nowhere, he felt a strange sensation spring throughout his body. He looked downwards to see his knees shaking terribly, and his palms were getting Adayusu's handle sweaty. His heart was beating even faster and he found himself hyperventilating. He didn't know what was going on. This had never happened to him before.

It took him a moment to understand what was going on.

He was afraid.

Not the kind of fear that would make someone hesitant or uncomfortable. This kind of fear had shaken him to the core, and he shivering as he looked at the steps.

He hadn't noticed it until now, but he was afraid of Esdeath. He hadn't even met her face-to-face yet, but he had seen what her ice could do and the way Night Raid had talked about her like a ruthless beast had made him shudder.

His first thought was hate. He hated himself when he realized he was scared. This wasn't the time to be pathetic. His friend was up there with Esdeath of all people. How could he let fear take over him?

The second kind of thought in his head was doubt. If Esdeath was an enemy that not even Bulat could defeat, then there was probably no one who could. He could just turn and escape. He knew the way back to Night Raid. He could just tell them that Esdeath attacked and they would understand. They wouldn't blame him for losing Bulat, surely they'd support him…right?

Tatsumi stopped.

He stopped everything and began breathing slowly.

He relaxed himself until his mind was clear. And once it was, he was disgusted by himself.

What kind of monster would leave their friend behind? He didn't care what he promised to Bulat, he was not going to abandon him, regardless of whether Esdeath was involved or not.

"How would I…" Tatsumi whispered to himself. He gulped down his own saliva and felt his body heat up with anger. "How would I face everyone…if you died?!"

With a gleam in his eyes, Tatsumi charged forward, running as fast as his legs would carry him.

He raced towards the steps and began climbing.

His body was no longer shivering. His hands were no longer sweating. He was far too determined to help Bulat to feel his fear of the Empire's strongest. The adrenaline buzzing inside him was nothing he had ever experienced before.

The second he reached the top, he was Bulat and Esdeath, and continued to sprint.

He saw Bulat's arms encased in ice and the General about to slit his throat. Tatsumi knew he had to attack her first to save Bulat.

Though he could tell that Esdeath saw the attack coming, Tatsumi slashed the Adayusu at her. Esdeath moved much faster than him, and in the blink of an eye, she had jumped out of the way.

She had moved away from Bulat, just as he wanted. He then lifted up his Imperial Arm and smashed it into the ice covering Bulat's arms. Thanks to the Adayusu's extremely sharp end, the ice cracked and weakened, allowing Bulat to break his hands free. The ice scattered outwards as Bulat was finally rid of it, and Esdeath only watched with interest.

"Oh, has another rebel come to challenge me?"

Bulat got back to his feet and stood beside Tatsumi. "No, your opponent is still me, Esdeath."

"Bulat, listen. I'll fight her." Tatsumi said, surprising his friend. "Go get the cargo while I distract her."

"Don't be ridiculous, you can't fight her. You go get the cargo."

Tatsumi lowered his voice to a whisper so Esdeath wouldn't hear. "We both know it's too heavy for me to carry, you're the only one who can do it."

"But that's-!"

Tatsumi looked unnaturally calm. "If we don't get the cargo, this would've been all for nothing. Don't worry, the second you get it, I'll use my Trump Card. It'll distract Esdeath long enough for the both of us to get out of here."

"Your…Trump Card…" Bulat repeated, remembering that Tatsumi had gained that power. "Najenda told you not to use it again. It's not natural."

"Bulat." Tatsumi spoke in a slightly more worried tone as Esdeath began walking towards them. "We don't have time. This is the only plan that has a chance of working, so go!"

Knowing that they didn't have the luxury of time, Bulat immediately ran to the left.

Tatsumi sighed in relief. He had gotten through to Bulat. Despite acting brave, Tatsumi knew he didn't stand a chance against Esdeath, but with this plan they could still get out of this alive. It all depended on his Trump Card now.

He felt a little guilty as he realized he was now breaking two promises he made to Najenda, both to never use his Trump Card and to never fight Esdeath. Truth was, he wanted to keep those promises, but the situation simply demanded him to ignore them. He would have to apologize to the Boss later.

"The contents in that box are my property." Esdeath said to Tatsumi, her blue eyes staring daggers into his. "If you think you can stop me from protecting it, then you're just a-"

Tatsumi frowned as the General stopped short, suddenly falling silent.

"I'm just a…?"

Esdeath stared at him for a little longer.

He stood there, his weapon still ready. What made her stop? What was going through her mind?

"Hm…" she hummed, finally speaking up again. "You're rather cute."

Tatsumi's fierce expression suddenly faltered from the sudden compliment. "W-What…?"

"Most rebels I come across are all the same, but a young boy with good looks like you…"

He didn't know what she was trying to pull. Maybe she was saying this to lower his defences. He wouldn't fall for it.

"Enough talk!" he roared, running towards her with his Adayusu held high. "I'm your new opponent, come at me!"

Without any effort, Esdeath stepped to the side and avoided his first strike. She didn't even blink an eye as her foot rose upwards and kicked him in the stomach, causing him to collapse to the ground.

Tatsumi gasped as he couldn't breathe in any air. With just one kick he was on the floor, holding his aching body. He didn't expect himself to get completely winded after just one hit.

"Those green eyes are very nice as well, along with your cheekbones." Esdeath continued. She wasn't even thinking about fighting anymore, her only interest was analysing him now.

"Stop…saying…such weird things!" he growled as he got up and slashed twice with his scythe.

Esdeath simply ducked under the first swing, then jumped over the second.

Tatsumi's sight wasn't able to keep up with her, but in a single moment she was now standing behind him. At first, he thought his eyes were just planning tricks on him, but he soon understood that she was just moving too fast for him to see.

He quickly spun on his heel, turned around, and ran towards her again. He needed to keep her busy, or she'd leave him and stop Bulat. Ignoring the fact that his attacks were doing nothing, he challenged her again and again, swiping his scythe in different directions, forcing her to dodge.

"You're not nearly as strong as your friend." she commented, closing her eyes and evading another attack. "But I like your recklessness."

This was irritating. No one could dodge forever. Surely he'd land a hit on her at some point.

Yet, no matter how he attacked, he simply couldn't touch her. He was nowhere near her level, causing her to focus more on admiring his face than his fighting abilities. It was the strangest situation he had ever been in.

"Act coy for as long as you want, I'm still going to beat you to a pulp!" Tatsumi exclaimed as he leapt upwards and thrust the Adayusu into the ground.

Esdeath jumped backwards and dodged.

Her expression had changed slightly, as though she had heard a joke. "You know…you really remind me…of him."

"Him?"

He didn't know who she was talking about, but it also didn't matter.

She seemed distracted. The second he noticed it, Tatsumi dashed towards her and threw the Adayusu. Its sharp edge pointed forward, it flew through the air and straight for Esdeath's head.

Esdeath grabbed the Imperial Arm in mid-air and laughed in amusement.

"Throwing your only weapon? That wasn't very smart of you-"

Without any warning, strength was suddenly drained from her body.

She gasped as she realized she had grabbed the handle of the Adayusu while catching it. She wasn't supposed to touch an Imperial Arm she wasn't compatible with.

Unlike how it affected others, Esdeath was only weakened for a mere moment, but that was all that Tatsumi needed.

Esdeath looked up and saw a fist before it connected with her left cheek.

Time seemed to stop.

Both of them were in complete shock as Tatsumi landed a hit on the Empire's strongest. Esdeath was so surprised that she took a few steps back and froze on the spot.

The punch did absolutely nothing, and Esdeath hardly felt any pain, but she was still motionless.

"You…you hit me…"

Tatsumi had the same look on his face. He couldn't believe he was actually able to touch her when no one else could.

"You…" her surprised look turning into an ominous grin. "You're coming with me."

He was confused by her words. He didn't know what she wanted with him, but he knew he didn't want to find out either.

In the corner of his eye, he saw Bulat step out of the hut in the distance. He was too far away to see properly, but he noticed a massive crate in his arms. Bulat had obtained the cargo. Tatsumi's improvised plan was working.

And now for the final phase. He'd use the Adayusu's Trump Card as the cover for their escape. He took in a deep breath, gripped his weapon as tightly as he could, and watched as it gradually begun to glow. It was responding to his feelings. It was waiting for his command to activate its most powerful ability.

"This is the end." he muttered to his enemy.

Esdeath nodded, looking serious for the first time. "Indeed. I've had my fun, I should finish this now."

For a moment, he thought she was bluffing.

He summoned blue flames around the Adayusu and readied himself, by the time he swung his weapon at Esdeath he was certain he had won.

His courage crumbled down into nothingness as he saw Esdeath catch the scythe from its sharpest end and snap it in half.

Disbelief.

That was all he could feel as his Imperial Arm was broken by Esdeath's hands. The Adayusu immediately stopped glowing, lost its blue flames, and dropped to the ground. Shards of what was once his weapon scattered around him and all that was left of the weapon was its handle by the time Esdeath let go of it.

Somehow, she had managed to destroy an Imperial Arm with her bare hands.

"Wha…"

He dropped to his knees, stared at the small shards that remained, and felt a terrible pain in his heart. The precious weapon that had aged for over a century had shattered because of his incompetence.

He looked up to see Esdeath smiling down on him, her left hand reaching out.

This was the true strength of the Empire's strongest.

Tatsumi was convinced now that she was on par with a god.

"Sleep." she spoke softly.

Without any effort, her fingers moved forward and pressed firmly on the pressure points on Tatsumi's neck. He gasped, fell onto his back, and lost consciousness.

He was only an insect compared to Esdeath.

Bulat was in the thick of the woods by the time he stopped running to catch his breath. He put the heavy crate down beside him and wiped sweat off of his forehead. The cargo was ridiculously heavy. He could only wonder what was actually inside.

He had seen blue flames coming from Tatsumi's weapon back at the camp, and knew that the Adayusu's Trump Card was to be released. It was the signal for both him and Tatsumi to make a run for it.

Yet, he looked around, expecting to see Tatsumi around…and didn't.

He was certain he saw Tatsumi about to use his Trump Card, but he was consumed by fear as he suspected the worst.

Lifting the crate back up, he searched around the entrance of the woods over and over, trying to find his friend, but Tatsumi was nowhere in sight.

Despite knowing the consequences, he then rushed back out of the woods and to the camp. Surely Tatsumi was fine. Surely he could still make it and-

His feet stepped on some dangerously sharp pieces on the ground, grabbing his attention.

He looked down and saw little, black shards of a special of metal. Once he also noticed the twisted, tattooed handle lying next to the pile of shards, he realized what he was looking it. It was the Adayusu, or whatever was left of it.

His voice was caught in his throat.

Tatsumi hadn't escaped from Esdeath.

He wanted to scream out in anger. He wanted to pull his hair out in frustration. He wanted to cry out in sorrow.

Because he knew what that meant.

It meant Tatsumi was as good as dead.