Hello dear readers! Welcome to another exciting chapter of Corruption, Murder and…Redemption?
So it looks like things are going to heat up. Some of the fights here will be from another anime while others will be from me. Don't worry, they'll be interesting. Also, this chapter will have some parts from a chapter in the manga, so look forward to that.
Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy.
Chapter 25: Girl Power, Tatsumi's anger and…Ben's decision?
A battle unlike most seen in the Capital was happening. This time it was between two combatants from a different world. But while the two were powerful, the scene in their environment, the Imperial compound, was one of intensity and adrenaline rushing. Thus, the skies were filled with lightning bolts and sounds of thunder booming.
As for the two combatants, they were formidable in their own way. So if one knew about them, it would be best not to cross their path. Eunice, the first prototype of the Omnitrix and possessing a human body currently had the control of lightning. Meanwhile, there was Sunny, an alien from a race of powerful aliens that possessed a huge variety of powers in the form of mana aka life force.
Presently, Ben watched the two combatants go at each other. He wanted to join in and assist Eunice, but the Omnitrix was still recharging. As such, the only thing he could do was watch closely as both Eunice and Sunny engaged in battle with one another. It didn't help that numerous bolts of lightning continued to hit the ground aimlessly though.
Anyway, back at the battle, Sunny was on the defense. By that, she was flying back with a smirk on her face and a delighted look in her eyes as she saw Eunice flying towards her in a blue aura of lightning. So besides the fact that Eunice was drawing close, she noticed the girl had her lightning powered fist ready for a punch.
However, Sunny was quicker. She simply clapped her hands together and let out a burst of mana energy. As a result, both Eunice and the Anodite were sent flying back until they then landed on their feet and skidding back for a few seconds. Now they were just mere distance from each other.
That didn't stop Eunice though. She could still see Sunny in her direction. Thus, the girl's body began to charge up lightning again before she raised her open hand at Sunny, ready to shoot her. However, Sunny decided then to avoid it. This time she moved in front of Ben, facing the girl and watching for what she'll do.
The scene didn't go well for Eunice. She could see that if she fired, she might end up hitting Ben. As such, to avoid that, she swiftly clutched her hand into a fist before flying towards Sunny with the intention to punch her.
"Ben, move!" Eunice warned.
Ben immediately complied. He jumped to his right just in time and saw Eunice immediately attacked Sunny with rapid punches at every part of the Anodite's upper body. Unfortunately, none of the attacks made contact with the psychotic Anodite as she swiftly dodged all of them with a smirk still on her face. This was because to her, even though Eunice's punches were lightning fast, she was faster.
"Come on, Eunice! You got to try faster!" Sunny mocked openly. At the same time she was still dodging Eunice's punches. "Or is it possible that you want me to hurt your precious Ben? Face it, there's no way that you can touch me!"
Eunice said nothing back. She was frustrated, but at the same time knew better than to give in to the Anodite's mockery. But still, that didn't stop Sunny from attempting a backhanded attack at the Unitrix.
Now usually, the Anodite's attack should make contact. Her species was one of the most powerful beings in her universe. However, once she tried to hit Eunice, the blonde girl surprisingly ducked from the attack and came right back up with a lightning charged uppercut.
Sunny's eyes widened in mild shock. Eunice had surprisingly become faster than usual. As a result, there was little time for the Anodite to react when Eunice's fist was closing in for her face. But then all that changed in a blink of an eye. Sunny swiftly brought her leg up and kicked her knee against Eunice's arm. Then, while the blonde was in shock, she brought up her other leg and used that knee to kick the girl's head with great force.
Eunice had no chance to react. The blow she took from Sunny was so strong that her entire body went into the ground. At the same time, the surrounding area shook while Ben was shocked and fearful for the worse.
"Eunice, get out of there!" Ben shouted.
"Too late, Benny!" Sunny said.
With that, the Anodite flew up. She gave herself a good look of the blonde in the ground before making a nosedive towards her with both fists covered in a ball of mana.
"IT'S BEEN REAL, GWEN-COPY! BUT NOW IT'S TIME TO DIE!"
Eunice thought otherwise. Her body may be in the ground, but she still had a good sense of her surroundings. As such, a huge blast of lightning suddenly came directly down for her and Sunny, with the latter then expressing shock at it. But then she was able to get out of the way, though not in the best way. She ended up crashing to the ground and tumbling until then coming to a stop with dirt all over her body.
Of course, the mild setback didn't deter Sunny. She got back on her feet with a small scowl on her face while the lightning crashed down on Eunice. Hence, the Anodite watched as Eunice returned back to her feet before the lightning died down, revealing the blonde girl to be in perfect shape with her body and eyes radiating lightning.
Sunny didn't like the sight she was seeing. It annoyed her, especially when she realized what had happened.
'That bitch! She actually allowed me to knock her into the ground so she could use a surprise attack!' Sunny thought angrily. 'There's no doubt about it…This girl has Gwen's smarts! It pisses me off!'
_(LINE BREAK)_
Back with Night Raid, the assassin group and their boss were standing in front of Satou's house. With them was Aria and the owner of the house as they stood there, witnessing the dark clouds above the Capital with curiosity and confusion amongst them.
"That's been going off for some time now." Leone said observantly. Then she turned to Najenda. "No offense, boss, but I don't see why I couldn't have been sent to observe what's going on in the Capital. I'm better than that pervert Lubbock."
"I have my reason." Najenda said. Her face was still at the clouds as she continued. "For one, you tend to lose focus if you see a fight. If this concerns Ben Tennyson, I have my doubts that you'll stay focused on just observing."
Leone growled and looked away. As much as she hated to admit it, Najenda was right especially when it came to her feelings with Ben. If she saw that the young man was in trouble, she'll like to engage in the fight whether she was under orders or not. Of course, her expression caught Aria's attention who felt mixed about it.
Anyway, Lubbock returned. He looked tired though, as the speed he took lasted until he stood before Najenda and panting.
"S…Sorry I'm late, Najenda-san." Lubbock said.
"That's fine. Report what you found." Najenda ordered.
"Right." Lubbock replied. He then took a deep breath and felt better. "The Capital's on lockdown."
Everyone was shocked to hear this. Like Najenda, they watched the green haired assassin as he stood before everyone.
"What?! How?!" Mine was shocked.
Akame was calm about it though. However, deep down, she was unsettled as she said her own. "This is unexpected. Even with our activities, the Capital has never been on lockdown." Akame stated in depth.
"I know right." Leone said in agreement. From there, she crossed her arms under her chest. "I don't like it, but it sounds like it has to do with Ben. No one's heard from him since he went off to save that kid."
"Ieyasu…" Tatsumi muttered. Unlike his comrades, he was visibly worried as he stared at the Capital's direction. "It's been hours now…I wonder if he's okay."
No one said anything in response. Though they didn't show it, it was obviously clear that they knew the fate of the spiky haired teen. In fact, Aria even gave Mine a concerned look, to which the pink haired girl sadly turned away from.
"Not one word…" Mine warned.
Bulat chose that moment to speak. For some time now he had been silent until a thought came to mind.
"That blue energy ball in the sky some time ago was suspicious. That has to be the work of a Teigu." He said. Then with a serious look in his eyes, he added. "There is no doubt that the young man, Tennyson, has engaged someone with a powerful Teigu. And let's not forget that there were large bolts of lightning in the sky and even now."
"Then it must be him." Satou suddenly spoke up. His voice immediately made everyone to turn to him. "That raw display of lightning is definitely the work of the Grand General Budo."
Again, everyone was shocked. However, while others could control their emotion, they were some that were now curious about the older man who stood amongst them. Thus, Leone turned to Satou with a suspicious look.
"Oi, old man, how do you know about that?" She asked.
"How do I know?" Satou practically questioned. He didn't seem like he was lying though. However, it also didn't seem like he was going to answer with that small smile on his face. "Let's just say…I've seen the inner workings of the empire. That's how I got to know of your boss, Najenda."
"Najenda…?" Lubbock was surprised.
"The battle's still going on." Tatsumi said with concern. Unlike the others, his attention wasn't on the mystery of Satou. But it did divert everyone's attention from the topic.
Najenda turned back to Lubbock. "Were you able to find a way into the Capital?" She asked.
"Not really." Lubbock replied with disappointment. A part of him wanted to ask about the boss's connection with Satou, but he continued anyway. "I tried looking for a known opening, but right now every path has Imperial troops going about. I'm willing to bet it's so no one like the revolutionary army takes advantage of the crisis."
"A crisis huh." Najenda muttered.
Once again, Satou spoke up. His mind had thought about the event of the day and came to a hypothesis.
"Pardon me, Najenda, but I think I may have come to an obvious conclusion."
Najenda turned to Satou. "Proceed." She said.
Satou continued. "The last I saw of Ben was when he rushed off to the battle your two subordinates lost. I believe now that it's possible he engaged the Imperial officer and her Teigu and won. But by doing so, somehow it caught the attention of General Budo. There was already news around the Capital weeks ago that he had been ordered by the emperor to eliminate Tennyson."
"I see." Najenda noted.
"Then that means Ieyasu is fine, right?" Tatsumi expressed. His face seemed hopeful as he looked to Satou. "I mean, this is Ben we're talking about. He wouldn't let any harm to anyone especially if he knew that person. Besides…" He turned to Aria, but with a scowl. "He saved someone as worthless as you! He has to have saved Ieyasu!"
"Tatsumi…" Aria muttered with a sad tone. "But what if…he's gone?"
Tatsumi suddenly snapped. He rushed over to Aria and punched her directly at the right cheek with a strong blow. As such, the blonde cried out from the pain and fell to the ground on her side.
"Don't you dare talk about Ieyasu that way!" Tatsumi yelled angrily. "Isn't it enough that you took Sayo away from us?!"
"I…I'm sorry." Aria said. She was now scared as she eyed the angry teen.
However, the apology had the opposite effect. Tatsumi became furious just by hearing Aria's words. Hence, the teen moved forward to deal with her, but was stopped when Bulat suddenly lifted him by the back of his coat and threw him to the ground hard, surprising both the girl and him.
"Bro…you're saving her?!" Tatsumi shouted. He was both shocked and even felt betrayed at what he believed.
"Stop acting like a child, Tatsumi! Compose yourself!" Bulat stated angrily. At the same time, his voice was higher and more offensive to the point that it shocked Tatsumi. This was a side of the homosexual assassin that he never seen before. Anyway, the assassin continued. "When did anyone ever say that we couldn't be harmed or killed?! Both you and Ieyasu knew any of that could happen when you agreed to join us!
"Bro…" Tatsumi muttered. He was lost at words as all he could do was stared at Bulat.
_(LINE BREAK)_
Numerous bolts of lightning rained on the ground with each second becoming intense. Eunice and Sunny were still engaged in their battle, except now Eunice seemed to be advancing against the Anodite who had to move out of the way constantly from the lightning bursting out of the dark clouds.
Sunny didn't like this at all. She could handle the scene, but to be on the retreat was never her thing. Also, the fact that she could heal herself didn't mean she liked taking in pain unless it would result in her winning. As such, the moment the lightning attacks ended, she flew straight at Eunice with a loud cry. Eunice did the same, and so the two of them clashed.
The clash was devastating. The destruction that resulted from Eunice and Sunny was enough to send a feedback all over the area. Thus, the ground tore apart and a huge blast of wind went everywhere, threatening to push back anyone. That even meant for Imperial guards who came to the scene, and Ben who couldn't fight against it. As for other damages, the outer walls of the Imperial Castle showed a lot of cracks while some of Eunice's lightning bounced off to different sides and caused more destruction.
"Such power…" Ben muttered. He struggled to get back on his feet before observing what was before him. Eunice and Sunny were still engaging with each other in battle, but in a hand-to-hand combat. 'They're still able to go against each other despite that. I mean…I could do the same with my aliens, but Eunice…To think she's this fierce in a battle is alarming. Just how did she learn all this in her time with Azmuth?'
Back at the fight, much was still going on. Sunny was easily able to keep up with Eunice who was more on the offense than in defense. The two of them were amazingly fast, so anyone outside the battle would only see their movements as a blur.
Anyway, Sunny saw an opening. She used it as a chance to move her right arm forward and open her hand to blast Eunice at the face. But then, to her surprise, Eunice backhanded that arm by the wrist, which caused her to blast her mana at somewhere else. Thus, the next thing the Anodite knew was Eunice using that same hand to smack her at the face as a fist.
However, the blonde girl wasn't done. No, if anything, she began to swiftly use her lightning power to punch Sunny at certain parts of her upper body. This went on for a few seconds before Sunny was sent skidding back and then coming to a stop.
Now Sunny was pissed off.
"Enough of this! I'll just wipe out your entire existence!" Sunny shouted.
With that said, the Anodite reacted. She threw both her hands to the ground and did something. That something resulted in a pink circle appearing underneath Eunice, who became surprised by it. However, nothing could be done when that circle shot out a huge beam of pink mana energy from below like an erupting geyser that instantly engulfed Eunice from sight.
"Eunice!" Ben shouted in shock.
Sunny laughed in response. The mana beam which engulfed Eunice died down to reveal a huge hole in the ground. However, Sunny then noticed something heading towards her from behind and reacted. Hence, the Anodite turned back the unknown opponent and caught the person's arms by the wrists, revealing the person to be Eunice herself.
"Did you really think that'll work?!" Sunny exclaimed. A wide grin was now on her face before her eyes began to glow pink. "If you're smart enough, then keep this in mind! I'm a fucking Anodite! I can sense your presence no matter how much you try to hide it! Now take this like a good little girl and die!"
Eunice was unfazed by Sunny. She had heard the girl, but she had her own deduction. As such, she suddenly turned her arms into pure lightning energy to get out of the girl's grip. Then, before the Anodite could react, she materialized them back to normal and grabbed the girl's wrists firmly.
"I'm well aware of your species! But there's one thing you forgot…" Sunny stated confidently. From there, she suddenly pulled the girl's arms to her and sent her knee up against the Anodite's chin. "…you're too arrogant and overconfident!"
Sunny's eyes beam ended up shooting into the sky instead. She was about to react, but Eunice suddenly kicked her off her feet. From there, while she was in mid-air, Eunice suddenly kicked the girl twice with lightning power, sending her flying through the Imperial compound's wall.
"Wow! Nice one, Eunice!" Ben cheered for the girl.
Back at Sunny, the Anodite was unfazed. Sure the attack hurt, but she was a quick healer. But then when she looked up, she saw Eunice flying straight down for her in a nosedive.
"That doesn't look good." Sunny noted.
With that said the Anodite teleported and just in time. Eunice came right down on the ground with a punch so devastating that the lightning from her fist instantly exploded the place.
Eunice didn't like the result though. She expressed mild shook the moment her attack faded, but didn't have the time to move. As a result, several pink tentacles shot out of the very ground she destroyed and tied her up by different parts of her body before lifting her higher in the sky to face a levitating and smirking Sunny.
"Wow, you sure got yourself in a bind." Sunny said, making a pun. She also didn't care about the scowl she was getting from Eunice, especially as she continued. "I'll admit, you're the better martial artist. But who really cares when you can blow someone up like this."
The Anodite then snapped her fingers. With that, the tentacles exploded and Eunice was caught up in the explosion. But then Eunice materialized before Sunny from a form of lightning and caught the Anodite's attention. However, before she could react, Eunice wrapped her arm around the girl's waist and did a very quick and flashy backwards nosedive with Sunny in her grasp.
By the time they reached the ground, Sunny received the blow. Her head and most of her upper body entered the ground before the entire area exploded by lightning power. As a result, what remained was a huge crater and Sunny lying there while Eunice stood just a few feet from her.
"Had enough?" Eunice asked.
Sunny suddenly smirked. Of course, her expression caught Eunice attention but not enough for her to react. That was because the Anodite suddenly disappeared before her eyes before her voice was then heard.
"Not even close! We're just getting started, right?!"
Eunice didn't like the sound of that as she looked around. 'Where is she? I have to hurry and end this battle somehow before I run out of time!' She thought.
Just then, the Anodite appeared. She stood in front the girl with a smirk on her face before her intention was revealed. Eunice witnessed as that Sunny suddenly produced more copies of herself until about two dozens of her were now surrounding her.
"What do you think?" asked a certain Anodite. Eunice looked up and saw the real Sunny levitating the air. "I got to say, I got way too angry before, but I guess that's because I hate losing. And then I realized I've not even been using half of my full power! Crazy, right?!"
Eunice said nothing back. She instead just glared at the Anodite before that girl spoke again.
"Not going to say anything? Okay, that's fine. You're no real match for me, so goodbye!"
With that, Sunny snapped her fingers. Her motion then seemed to serve as an order. As such, the copies of the Anodite ran straight at Eunice, giggling maniacally as they closed in her own.
However, Eunice didn't seem to be worried. She could tell they were closing in on her, with some already jumping towards her. Hence, before they got to her, she lifted her arms up and let out a loud cry that was then followed with a massive single attack.
So before anyone could react, Eunice struck first. She caused numerous bolts of lightning to crash down on the real Sunny and her copies, with their screams then following. They were clearly in so much pain, to which Eunice acted up.
By that, Eunice ceased her attack to follow up with another. First, she turned herself into a single form of lightning and flew to Sunny before she could recover. Then, just as the Anodite did recovered, she materialized above her and swung a powerful punch that made contact with the alien's face.
It didn't stop there though. In fact, when Eunice hit Sunny she flew downwards with her fist still on Sunny's face and caused them to hit the ground. However, she didn't stop. She stood in the crater she just created and raised her other arm up to the clouds and created an energy-based conduit with the clouds to her fist.
So before Sunny could react, it was too late. Eunice left out a loud cry as she put up much of her energy into that one power. Thus, in a blink of an eye, she hit Sunny with her overpowered fist and sent the Anodite barging through the ground's surface, hitting anything in her path. This meant that a large trail in the ground was made, with Sunny screaming as she broke through the inner wall and outer wall of the Imperial compound until she was just entirely gone from the area.
Now Eunice was pleased with the result. However, a huge sense of fatigue suddenly came over her and caused her to fall on her arms and knees.
"So…not…trying…that…again." She panted.
"Eunice!" Ben called out.
A sudden flash of green light engulfed Eunice. She still remained the same, however her power and control over lightning was gone. Anyway, a smile formed on her face before she climbed out of the crater to see Ben.
"Ben…" She muttered. Her fatigue from earlier was gone due to her timeout. That meant she found no problem getting out of the destruction she caused and seeing Ben running towards her with a smile on his face.
Unfortunately, not everything went as thought. This was painfully obvious when the huge and winged Danger Beast landed behind Eunice. Hence, in a blink of an eye, it opened its mouth and took Eunice's entire body in one gulp, shocking Ben highly.
"EUNICCCEEEE!" Ben screamed.
Just then, a single individual began to clap in applause. The person sounded excited as no sooner she laughed before stopping. But if that wasn't enough, Ben looked up and was in shock to see the person responsible was Sunny, levitating in a sitting position and wearing her black cloak from before.
"WOHOO! Nice one!" Sunny cried out cheerfully.
"No way…" Ben muttered. His eyes were shocked as he looked at Sunny. "How…?! Just how did you make it here so quick and recover so fast?!"
Sunny grinned in response. "That's simple, Benny. I was never personally in the battle."
"What?!" Ben was shocked.
"What?!" Sunny openly laughed. "Did you honestly think I'll get involved with a Gwendolyn clone?! I'm above that, you know! So I thought that having a clone fight a clone would be much more fun to watch than get involved! And I was right! It was! But sadly it looks like poor Eunice has been eaten!"
Ben growled angrily. It was one thing to trick him and it was another for it to be towards someone he cares about paying for it. He was very angry, probably even more than he was after Ieyasu's death. However, when he tried using the Omnitrix it was still unresponsive, it needed just a little more time to recharge completely.
"Now then…" Sunny said calmly. She then followed that by snapping her fingers and fixing everything in the compound, both inside and within the castle. In other words, every damage Ben and Eunice had made was now fixed like nothing happened.
However, Sunny didn't stop there. Her action also healed up the Imperial guards in the compound and caused them to appear around them, surrounding him.
"Under the great emperor and the kindness of General Esdeath, I have made you well!" Sunny stated with an admirable tone. From there, she 'stood' in the air and directed a finger at Ben. "Now arrest the young intruder and lock him up! Do it before he escapes!"
The Imperial guards immediately complied. They didn't know Sunny's status nor did they find her of any familiarity. But the fact that she had spoken well about the emperor and Esdeath and seemed to be in the best interest of the castle made them charge at Ben with loud voices. Hence, Ben had no way to go except looking around in mild fear as the guards came for him.
Sunny, meanwhile, enjoyed the view. To her, her cousin's failure meant that not only had she defeated him but soon it'll be Gwen's tone. As such, she just watched as the men closed in on the teenage boy.
However, the scene suddenly changed when the Danger Beast cried out in pain making the soldiers turn to look at from the sudden cry. It was odd, as no one had expected it. The beast flailed around a bit in agony before it then puked out a certain someone, who was now flying towards Ben with her arms spread apart.
"Ben, grab on to me! Quick!" Eunice shouted.
"Alright!"
The teen hero did as he was told. There was no time to think on what had just happened. But it was clear on his face that he was relieved to see that Eunice was alive. Anyway, he grabbed on to Eunice's body when she flew towards him and held on when she flew off upwards.
"They're getting away!" Sunny shouted. She was both shocked and angry before turning to the guards. "Are you all blind?! Deploy everything you have! Shoot them down!"
The guards immediately did as told. Those who had guns pointed to Eunice and Ben and opened fire on them. At the same time, the guards on the rooftops and other open sides of the castle shot arrows and cannons at the duo. It was a good thing then that they missed as Eunice flew higher to avoid them while Ben held on tighter so he wouldn't fall off.
"Sorry, Ben! Just hang on!" Eunice shouted.
With that, the duo was able to get away. This also went without saying the shots at them ceased and Sunny was disappointed as she landed on the ground. However, she felt a familiar presence and looked back and saw a path by the Imperial guards made to reveal Esdeath walking towards her.
"You let them get away." Esdeath stated. She didn't seem angered or laidback about it. She just seemed calm and perhaps secretly amused by the occurring events.
"And what if I did?" Sunny questioned. She tilted her head to the general and sweetly smiled at her.
Esdeath returned the expression. "Well…I guess I would say I look forward to the day you actually become serious. Now come…it's time to rest. I've picked out a room for you. We have a long day tomorrow, after all."
"Yay!" Sunny cheerfully shouted. She then turned to the general and followed her from behind, not minding the looks from the Imperial guards.
_(LINE BREAK)_
"The fight…it's over." Tatsumi muttered.
For some time now, Night Raid, Satou and Aria had been watching. They didn't know what or how things were going in the Capital, nor could they have guessed what it was. But now that the nightly skies were returning back to normal, there was only so much they could hope for.
"I wonder…Is Ben alright?" Leone wondered. She was concerned for the teen, with the same for Aria as they just stood quiet.
But then something caught everyone's attention. It was Lubbock, precisely his Teigu which had detected something from its threads.
"The threads picked up some movement!" Lubbock stated urgently.
"How many?" Najenda asked.
"From the looks of it…" He said, looking at his Teigu. "They're…two? They seem to be coming here fast! Odd, I didn't think we'd get any hostility. It's a good thing I set up the threads just in case huh."
"Seems like it." Najenda replied. From there, she looked forward. "Everyone arm yourself. If they seem hostile, eliminate them!"
Every Night Raid member complied. The only exception was Sheele, who was still unconscious, and Mine, who had a cast on her arm. But still, that didn't stop the other members from eyeing the front especially as they heard footsteps.
Fortunately, there was no aggression. That was obvious when Ben and Eunice ran to the open, revealing themselves as they came to a stop, panting.
"Men…I'm so…glad that's…over." Ben panted.
"Yeah…" Eunice agreed.
"Ben!" shouted Aria.
"Huh?"
Ben was suddenly thrown to ground with two bodies on top of him. He was confused about it until he felt a pair of softness on the left side of his chest before noticing Leone and Aria at both of his sides, clearly concerned.
"You're okay! You're really okay!" Aria cried out in joy. At the same time, tears were forming at her eyes as she stared at the teen.
Leone, on the other hand, realized her position. And considering everyone else was looking at them, she quickly got back on her feet and made a soft cough before forcefully pulling Ben back to his feet. Of course, this caused Aria to be knocked to the ground and earning a glare from her at the other blonde.
"Yeah…Nice to know you're back, lad." Leone said composedly. From there, she grinned and forced Ben's head to her busty chest. "By the way, don't go off like that, okay?! You're mine, remember?!"
"I'm what?!" Ben blushed seriously.
Aria begged to defer. She was back on her feet and comically glaring at the older woman with retort. "B-Ben's not yours! He's…He's Ben!"
"Right." Leone said sarcastically.
In response, Aria growled in a low tone. She was obviously jealous and glaring at the woman while her cheeks blushed furiously. Meanwhile, there was Lubbock who couldn't help but feel jealous of Ben's position.
'He's not even a member of Night Raid, but yet he gets to enjoy Leone's golden treasures!? How is that –"
Lubbock stopped when he noticed Najenda giving him a look. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling the woman might have guessed what he was thinking. Anyway, Ben tried to talk his way out, but he wasn't been listened to. Fortunately, Eunice tapped Leone's shoulder, but with a scowl on her face when the female assassin and Aria turned to her.
"Let go of Ben, assassin!" She demanded.
Leone took offense to that. It wasn't by the fact that she had been called an assassin; rather it was the tone Eunice used. But still, she let go of Ben, but only to then glare at Eunice with a suspicious look.
"And who are you? I don't recall seeing you around." She said.
Now tension was about to build up between them. However, Ben was able to recover from the previous ordeal and literally get between the two females before something bad happened.
"Wow! Wow! Let's calm down, okay?!"
"Fine." Leone complied.
"Okay." Eunice agreed.
"Good." Ben said with relief. "Now then…" He turned over to Najenda and the others. "…can someone fill me in on why Night Raid is here?"
Najenda stepped forward with a somewhat firm look. Now she stood a few feet from Ben. "We came here to take Sheele and Mine away. Now then, there are questions I wish to ask if you don't mind."
"Oh…uh…" Ben muttered with a troubled look. Truth be told, he didn't want to talk about the night. So to break free, he turned to Eunice with relief and gestured to her. "Hey, everyone! I don't think you've met my friend Eunice. She's a good friend from my earth."
"Your earth?" Leone was surprised.
Everyone else was also surprised. It was true that her presence was curious-worthy, but the fact she's from Ben's world was totally unexpected. Ben didn't pay attention to the reaction though, as he had expected such. Thus, he turned to Eunice and gestured to Leone.
"Eunice, this –"
"You don't need to introduce me to them, Ben. I'm well aware of their identity." Eunice interrupted.
Ben was a bit taken aback by this. He never recalled a time that Eunice knew about them. But then the girl's tone changed when she turned to each Night Raid member with a hateful look.
"Leone, Akame, Lubbock, Mine, Bulat, Tatsumi, and their boss, Najenda; Together they're the assassin group, Night Raid." She stated. From there she glared directly at Akame. "I can't say I'm happy to actually be in their presence though."
Akame didn't like the sound of her tone. Now while it was true, she could ignore some things, there was something dangerous from Eunice tone. In fact, just about everyone felt it when Eunice had spoken. As a result, Akame responded by grabbing the hilt of Murasame.
Fortunately, Ben reacted by getting in front of Eunice and grabbing her shoulder even though he felt awkward.
"Okay…uh…you forgot Aira and Satou." He said.
"I know them too." Eunice stated. She didn't break away her gaze from Akame as she continued. "I approve of Satou since he seems to be in for Ben's interest. Not once has he threatened his life unlike you, Akame. For Aria…I think you and her are quite the same."
Akame said nothing back. She did feel a sting to the comment, but made no other reaction except pulling out her katana slightly. Ben quickly reacted to the tense moment again. However, he decided to be firm this time.
"That's enough!" Ben shouted, stepping forward. "No one needs to fight here! We're not enemies!" Then he turned to Eunice. "And what's with the attitude, Eunice?! You've only been here barely an hour and already –"
"Ben! Where's Ieyasu!?"
Time suddenly seemed to freeze for Ben upon hearing that. Ieyasu, a teen whom he had failed to save in time had now been brought up. It wasn't to say that Ben forgot about him though. Rather, it was the fact that now he got a flashback of the terrible incident with the boy and felt like his heart sank. But he didn't turn back, especially as he could feel Tatsumi's stare at him as the teen looked at him with a look of fear, concern and worry.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Tatsumi yelled loudly. He didn't like the feeling he was getting. It was terrible and at the same time something he dreaded to feel since Sayo died. It was the fear of losing a friend.
However, Ben didn't turn back to face him. He knew he should, but for a conflicted reason he chose not to. Not surprising, no one said a word despite knowing the fate that had descended on the member of Night Raid. But still that didn't stop Tatsumi from yelling and getting angry.
"What the hell is with you Ben!? Talk to me! Is Ieyasu captured!? If that's the case then we should go and –"
"Ieyasu is gone…" Ben interrupted. His voice was mellow, but at the same time with pain before he finally turned back to Tatsumi with a look of regret. "I'm sorry, Tatsumi, but…I failed…Ieyasu is –"
"No!" Tatsumi rebuked. His heart felt like it sank upon hearing that terrible news. But still the fear on his face was obvious as he stepped backwards. "You-You're kidding, right!? Ieyasu can't be…gone! He…We talked about seeing each other again! I-I mean Mine said –"
"I lied, Tatsumi." Mine finally admitted. The girl refused to look at Tatsumi directly though, as her heart felt heavy and that sad look on her face was present.
"Mine…" Tatsumi muttered. "Wait…y-you lied?"
"Yes…but I'm sorry." Mine said. By now everyone was facing her as she continued. "Tonight was already bad…Sheele is unconscious and we were badly beaten. I just…I just didn't want you to feel bad. Ieyasu was a great guy…He told me he was scared…He told me he didn't want to die, but…but for our sake and you he was really to risk his life so we could all live…So before we departed for the last time, he told me to tell you that…this past month was the best part of his life."
Tatsumi felt like he was lost for words. His mouth still moved though, but it was shaky as he became dreaded at the feeling of lost. He had lost Sayo and now he had lost his other best friend who he felt so happy to be with. In fact, it was in that moment that he had a series of flashbacks from his time with Ieyasu. They hurt, possibly even more than before because now he knew the devastating truth. He would never have those good moments with Ieyasu, nor would he share heartfelt times with him. His friend was gone and there was nothing he could do about it.
Finally, the weight of the news sank in entirely. It forced the teen to fall on his arms and knees before tears began forming as he clutched the sand of the earth.
"Dammit, Ieyasu! Why did you have to go!? Just why!?" Tatsumi cried out. "Sayo's gone! What am I supposed to tell the village now!? How can I look at the chief again after everything we told him!? Dammit, we were supposed to fight till we grew old and die together!"
No one said a word to interrupt Tatsumi. Everyone, including Night Raid knew what Tatsumi was going through. Ieyasu was his childhood friend. The two of them had basically gone through so much in the past before meeting Night Raid. So they said nothing, especially as they knew this was a reality Tatsumi had to learn.
Unfortunately, that didn't mean Tatsumi reacted soon after. In fact, if anything, his appearance changed when he rose from the group with the look of a vengeful killer on his face at Mine.
"Where is she!?" Tatsumi yelled angrily. Any sense of reasoning in him was gone as he stood.
"Tatsumi…what do you think you're doing?" Najenda asked. She was standing behind him, but with a composed face as she stared at him. "If you go about seeking revenge, it'll only lead to a body count on our part."
"So what!?" Tatsumi turned to the boss. He was furious as he continued. "What's wrong with going after her!? She took away Ieyasu! She took away our comrade! Someone like her should be –"
Tatsumi was suddenly punched at the cheek. It came as a surprise as no one had expected it, not even Bulat. But still, the most surprising part was the person who did it was Ben with a furious look on his face as he glared at Tatsumi who was knocked to the ground by that hit.
"So what, you say?! I'll tell you what!" Ben yelled angrily. He didn't seem like the calm and cocky person he was. In fact, the look on his face was dark and scary. "Going about just to take revenge is dangerous! Ieyasu and Sayo died wanting a future where you can live! Don't you dare spit on what they fought for! If you truly want to honor them then live and fight! That's what Ieyasu believed till the very end!"
Everyone was surprised and breath-taken. Ben's stance on the matter had seemed so sudden and yet just what was needed. Even Tatsumi, who lay on the ground, was shocked and surprised as he stared at Ben.
"Besides…" Ben said. His voice suddenly lowered before he turned away. "…if anyone's to blame for his death…it's me."
With that, the teen hero quietly walked away. He said nothing, as the negative aura coming from him was enough to earn silence from everyone around him. As such, no one stopped him from going into the woods. This even meant for Eunice, who slowly walked to his direction clearly concerned.
However, there was no changing the reality of things. Ieyasu was forever gone and no one could bring him back. Hence, it was in that moment that Mine had a flash of the teen's smiling face until tears fell down her face and another flash of Seryu and her Teigu dog.
'I knew you were doing your duty.' She thought. 'I know this is our punishment. I know all of that but…you killed Ieyasu. And you will be hunting us from now on. If that is how it is…'
Mine's tone suddenly changed. She had tried to bottle in the tears, but she couldn't do it anymore. Hence, tears went down her cheeks as she angrily stood still with a new objective in mind.
'SERYU UBIQUITOS! I WILL CERTAINLY TAKE YOU DOWN!'
Back at the others, it was just Night Raid and Aria and Satou standing left. They had been silent since the teen hero left. Thus, Najenda took that chance to break the ice and turn to her subordinates.
"That was…unexpected." Najenda said calmly. She got everyone's attention upon saying that. However, before bringing up what's in mind, she turned to Satou. "Satou, do you mind taking the girl with you inside? I need to talk with –"
"Understood." Satou said.
With that, the man went over to Aria. He grabbed her by the wrist without saying anything and pulled her with him. It was a good thing then that Aria didn't object, due to seeing that she really had to go. But still, her concern was deeply on Ben even as Satou took her inside the house and closed the door behind him. Not long after, everyone stood before Najenda who then spoke.
"Ieyasu's death was certainly not pointless." Najenda said calmly. Her mechanical arm was forward when she said this. "The empire will finally understand that it takes a Teigu to fight a Teigu. And now they will bring in more Teigu users to fight for them. But what this means for us is that the chances to collect more Teigu will increase! Also, this is the beginning of a life or death struggle, Tatsumi!"
Tatsumi said nothing, other than just look seriously at the older woman.
_(LINE BREAK)_
"Ben! Ben!" Eunice called out.
A few minutes had passed since Ben had left the group. However, the fact that the blonde couldn't find him despite following him almost as soon as he left began to make her worry. Fortunately, she noticed the backside of a certain teen hero sitting on a boulder. It gave her relief as she came closer.
"There you are. I was so worried." Eunice said.
"Oh… Sorry about that." Ben apologized. He didn't turn to face her though. Instead he had this wondering look on his face as he stared at the nightly sky and stars. "Eunice…do you regret coming here?" He asked. "This world…I mean if you regret coming here. I don't know the detail, but I can tell Azmuth assigned you here, right?"
Eunice was hesitant. Ben was right on that intuition. However, Eunice was still worried for the teen. Thus, she took a step forward.
"Ben…is this about earlier?" Eunice asked. She then waited for a few seconds for a response, but once she didn't get it she continued. "Look…what happened with that boy… Ieyasu… It isn't your fault. This world is too messed up for –"
"I know, I know. This world is not for someone like me." Ben interrupted. He then sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude to you… It's just that, what happened with Ieyasu was really my fault. I know I'm bound to a time limit until I get Master Control, but that doesn't change the fact that I've made some mistakes."
"Mistakes?"
"Leaving Ieyasu and Tatsumi to Night Raid, trusting Seryu to do the right thing and overusing the Omnitrix's power just when it could've been used to save Ieyasu." Ben answered. "If I hadn't…No, if I did actually thought things through from that night at Aria's shed I would've been able to save Ieyasu. Now he's gone and Sheele and that girl, Mine, were badly hurt. And now I know why."
"Huh?" Eunice was confused. At the same time, she was curious on what Ben meant.
So in that moment, Ben stood up. He now had a resolve, as well as a determination on his face as the moonlight touched it. As such, he wasted no time turning to Eunice with that look on his face and the wind blowing his hair lightly.
"For the sake of Ieyasu and Sayo, and to prevent anyone from dying this way while also ensuring an actual change to this mad world, I'm going to accept the alliance with Night Raid and move in with them." He stated.
"What!? No!" Eunice objected. She was shocked at the very decision as she stepped forward.
"Ben, that's crazy! You're talking about changing a mad world by joining some murderous group!"
"That the thing, I know that." Ben replied. He seemed calm on the matter. "What Night Raid has done is unforgiveable. I think even they know that even though they keep doing it, But…" His fist tightened. "…ever since I left those two that night, I've been fighting on my own. Even when I fought them and Night Raid, it wasn't easy since I had to protect Aria. And the fact that my activities in the Capital haven't done much to change the people's lives adds to that burden. That is why…I have to have them on my side. Their methods are off by far, but with them as partners and backup I won't make the same mistake. And best of all, I'll be able to keep watch of Tatsumi. I'm not going to let him die like his friends. You should understand, Eunice. If you weren't there, right now I would be in some dark and cold cell and constantly visited by Sunny just for her psychotic enjoyment. It made me realize that I need backup…even if what they do isn't the best."
"But I'm here!" Eunice yelled. She clearly didn't like Ben's decision, not a single bit. So in objection, she desperately gestured to herself and shouted at the teen. "What about me!? I can be your backup! You don't have to be alone, Ben! I-I'll protect you!"
"I'm sorry, but… this is what I have to do." Ben said.
A part of Eunice felt hopeless upon hearing that. Ben was a fair guy, but the fact that he shot down her offer made her deeply sad. Hence, she began to cry, staring at the teen.
Ben didn't like the look though. In fact, if anything, the way the girl acted made him feel sad. The emotion was even on his face even as he walked towards her.
"Please don't be like that, Eunice." Ben said.
"But…But you're leaving me, aren't you?" Eunice questioned. From there, her emotion built up before she looked back at the ground, sobbing. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to be by your side! It's thanks to you and Gwen that I'm alive today! And now you're –"
Eunice was suddenly surprised. She felt a pair of manly arms hug her in what seemed so sudden. But then it made sense when she realized it was Ben, embracing her.
"Ben…?"
"I'm not leaving you." Ben stated softly. "I'll admit. I missed having you around and I even appreciate the fact that you came here and saved me. But this is something I must do. I promise I won't let you be on your own. In exchange… please be by my side and help me with this. I know you don't like Night Raid, but just trust me on this. I won't hold anything back against you if you refuse."
'Ben…' Eunice thought. Her feeling of the matter had changed because she began to understand. It felt like Ben's emotion, his resolve, was being transferred to her as he held on to her. So instead of objecting, she embraced him back.
"Alright…I'll stay with you." She said and smiled.
"Thanks." Ben smiled back.
With that, a new goal in mind was set. None of them knew what would be waiting for them, other than more obstacles and trials that they would face. Fortunately, there was hope for future, and hopefully they would be able to reach such a good time with those people that matter.
_(CHAPTER END)_
Okay, that's where I'm going to stop for now. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.
By the way, just for information sake I thought I should let you know. Eunice is not a copy of Gwen. While it's true she got her human form thanks to Gwen DNA, the process to receive it actually resulted in her body randomizing it. So yeah, in DNA and on appearance, Eunice and Gwen aren't really the same.
Also, there's something else I want to clarify. When Ben stated he would accept Najenda's proposition, he was referring to the time he talked to her in Night Raid hideout. There, Ben wanted Aria to be trained by Night Raid before accepting the deal. But because Najenda kept it under consideration only and not accept his term, Ben left until she would reply to him. But now things have changed as seen in this chapter and the two previous ones. Ben now knows after so long that he'll need Night Raid's help whether he likes it or not.
On another note, when Ben meets up with Night Raid, he isn't joining them exactly. He's forming an alliance, which by example is kind of like the USA and Soviet Union becoming allies during World War 2. In other words, Ben won't be obligated to do work under Najenda. Rather, he'll be working with her on an equal's level.
Honestly, I never did think Ben would just join an assassin group immediately. Both of them have conflicting ideologies, so for him to join them without much of a thought seemed a bit off. But then again I could be wrong. Anyway, that's why I was building up to when he eventually becomes their ally. It was long, but I'm glad we've finally gotten to it.
Thanks for all your reviews. I noticed some of them had questions or something close to that, so I'm going to list them rather than reply to those who reviewed.
Form Omni-Enhanced? (By omega9028)
Yeah. Honestly, the thought never interested me. And considering Ben is to get the Ultimatrix, I don't think I'll be able to get the Omni-enhanced aliens from the Ben10 Reboot. Keep in mind that many readers are connected with the ultimates than the Omni-Enhanced aliens since those forms are more powerful than the Omni-Enhanced aliens.
So does Azmuth just have the ultimatrix but he's been fixing it or something? (by DragoBlack)
No. Azmuth was completely against the Ultimates since he saw them as too violent and begging for trouble. So he had it destroyed sometime after Ultimate Alien. But Ben will get the ultimates back in a different way and very soon.
Is Sunny aligned with the Empire or not? (By New Universe Returns)
Though this wasn't the exact question the reviewer asked, I thought it should still be credited to the person since it's close to such question. Anyway, Sunny is aligned with the Empire but only through Esdeath. However, do not be fooled by her 'loyalty'. She's still crazy and wants to have 'fun'. That is why she joined Esdeath and will be part of her group, the Jaegers.
When are you going to do the chapter where Ben saves that girl spear from Esdeath's men, The Three Beasts? (By BrRosabal22)
Very soon. In fact this review reminded me that we've not touched on the manga for a while now. I originally planned on having Ben 10,000 show up soon to reveal some things, but for the sake of having Ben save spear, I'll push that idea to another time.
_(Questions end)_
Thank you once again for your reviews and other means of support. Even though I didn't mention some others, please keep in mind that I do appreciate the reviews a lot. Anyway, I'll be getting to that Generator Rex and Attack on Titan fanfic crossover, so look forward to that.
Until next time, stay cool!