Akame ga Kiru
The Imperial Saber
Chapter Thirty Six
Tatsumi swung violently to see Najenda avoid the blade with her metallic gauntlet. The artificial limb managed to hold it's own against his saber which came to within inches of cutting her face, the woman hardly ever flinched or even remotely gave anything to his attacks. Even though the young Colonel inwardly felt that frustration in unable to hit the leader of the assassins, yet a more liberating sensation washed over him. He couldn't help it but to smile in full earnest in feeling his heart ache with the pain that he knew he had crossed a line.
Letting go of everything made this fight seemingly all the more sensational.
The white haired woman easily avoided a horizontal swing from the black blade, it's surface hungered for more of the flesh that it's owner desired to cut open. Even in his grayed out vision, it seemed the white haired assassin kept a fluid grace to her ability to parry one of his blades and in order to take a sharp jab at his armored exterior. It was increasingly dangerous to be unable to press the advantage and time wasn't on his side for this fight. Tatsumi knew inwardly he had to cripple anyone of these Night-Raid assassins to level the playing field.
The question wasn't when he could do it.
But merely how?
All in all the questions were mounting viciously inside his head to deliver a crippling blow to the Revolutionaries. He needed an opportunity to take them out, "God damn it! This is getting to be irritating! She reacts immediately to my attacks, I swear she's predicting my movements even now. Come on Tatsumi, she's a lot slower then Esdeath but she has the strength to make you pay. Use your damned head, it's not that hard!"
Taking a horizontal swipe at her head, the woman leaned back briefly before retaliating with her metal gauntlet to literally block his secondary weapon. Again she seemingly reacted on a level he barely could imagine, Tatsumi just knew he couldn't win with pure speed or strength. This woman was a capable fighter who lost her arm and eye to Esdeath, he'd simply couldn't imagine where else the origin of those wounds came from. Frustration mounted when he vertically crushed his saber into the ground to have flecks of earth and granite skim his armor.
Yet again another missed attempt to take her down.
It was damned near frustrating!
When she back peddled briefly to garner some time, the young Colonel looked over to the rest of the Jaegers. He had been preoccupied by the lead of Night-Raid and her other associate who was buried under all those rocks across the clearing. When he witnessed his comrades did the young Imperial feel his heart drop, "Oh no! Akame's pressing the advantage, Bols and Seryu are holding their own against Leone however they can't keep her at bay forever. What the hell is Seryu doing with Koro, oh god!" His eyes went wide when a piercing roar of frustration and pain hit him square in the ears, he could see the reason why now.
The teigu canine dog in its more bulked up state was being strangled.
Tatsumi scowled since it seemed that Koro was being targeted, deliberately.
He watched within the wires that were leisurely slicing into the dog's artificial flesh. Scowling angrily his eyes traced the mass of metallic lines to their user, Lubbock himself. The elder boy was above them on the ledge occasionally shifting his arms and hands to keep the larger teigu creature indisposed. Through the rain the young Colonel gauged the elder boy to be in a tree, he seemed to be using the base of the trunk as a means to amplify his hold over Koro. With his heart racing inside his ears, the young Colonel bit the inside of his cheek in order to debate whether to continue engaging Najenda or help his team who were in a bind.
He turned to face his adversary without speaking a word.
"The longer we fight, the more time we buy for the others to show up. Can't hesitate here, you can't do it anymore."
Najenda seemingly stared at him as if she were trying to figure out what he'd do next.
Inhaling deeply through his helm's slits, he mentally got himself ready. Gauging the slope of the canyon which wasn't as steep as it seemed and with that thought his legs tensed. Gripping both blades he prayed, "All I ask is for the strength to help them. I will not and can not fail, I won't allow my friends to die here. Please Strafe, show the world that we're not weak and we're not going to bow to these traitors!" His words were seemingly making the teigu on his forearm pulse as stabs of repeated agony forced him to grit his teeth. That was as close as he could get to a miracle, the teigu itself had a will but he'd not allow it's pain to overcome his own mind.
Glancing up at the slope did both of his winged appendages straighten themselves out.
"Let's do this!"
The armored user sprinted with all his might towards the face of the canyon wall.
Seemingly the world blended with a grayish near white coloration to make him concentrate on the task at hand. He glared endlessly at the place in where the wired teigu user lied in concealment, Tatsumi refused to witness the bone jarring details of his team fighting for their lives. Snarling angrily the sensation of himself being uplifted was a like a flowing breeze inside his armor, his body panted with the effort to ward off the pain his skeleton seemingly was inflicted. Chains which were seemingly shortened became longer and longer as they trailed from his body's joints on his ascendancy towards the higher ground.
The set of artificial black wings uplifted his body as he launched himself from rock to rock.
Ever so did the image of the wired teigu user had been getting closer.
Tatsumi lunged upwards while brandishing his two blades and managed to get himself within a close distance of his target. The said person looked over in a panic to see his looming armored frame overhead, Lubbock widened his eyes. There wasn't any mistake in his intent, Tatsumi intended to kill him and not a soul would cry out in pity this time around. Within moments the swords came slicing downwards forcing the scout to leap away while cutting his wire's loose that bound Koro down into the valley floor.
A tree fell over as its trunk was cleanly cut into pieces.
Through the expression being show, it seemed to spark the scout to wisely back off all too quickly. Even when Tatsumi attempted to chase him down however a bright light of sorts made his vision trail back to the Jaegers. It seemed Bols had attempted to scorch the most threatening target amongst Night-Raid, Akame herself, the elder soldier tried desperately to keep at her at bay with his flame thrower teigu. Even from this height, the imagination of hot those flames were became all too apparent when rain water became vapor. Chancing a glance at the retreating wire user, the young Colonel bit his cheek to set his priorities straight due to allowing his rage to claim his mind.
Right now he had to contain Akame!
"You're not getting any closer!"
Quickly he leaped off the edge while feeling the artificial wings seemingly make his decent to the ground smoothly balanced. With both legs he planted himself heavily onto the ground as a brief yet incredibly powerful tremor rocked the field to make the combatants all glance at him, Tatsumi pushed himself rapidly to slam his blades against the black haired assassin. Akame grunted when she maneuver out of the way to have him slam the blade's edge into the ground, he just barely parried the strike with his saber to have sparks come to life to drift over his armored forearms.
So close yet so far to death itself.
Movement came from the opposite side as he looked in alarm to see Leone come barreling towards his unprotected flank. Through the helm he saw a grayed out apparition in the form of a beast lion, the ears were straight back and he felt that primal rage coming right at him! His eyes widened when Akame forced one half of his body to lock him down! Now his anger started to show once more due to him snarling loudly, the young Imperial tried in vain to swing her off but the beast teigu wielder managed to do something completely mind boggling.
Leone caught the flat edge of his black blade with her jaws!
And yet...
That wasn't the half of what came next.
She managed to growl out spitefully while having the blade entrapped among her razor sharpened canine teeth.
"Do it Boss! Level him!"
Tatsumi struggled mightily to throw one of the assassins off except when he looked up to see what was coming at him.
"Oh shit! This is going to hurt a lot!"
Najenda came speeding towards as if lying in wait, she'd been waiting and found an opportunity to land a monstrous metallic fist into him. The young Colonel watched in a growing anger and horror to instinctively brace for the hit, the limb of the more darkened gray woman came into contact with his helmet. Instantly his neck snapped back as he cried out reflexively before two more soldier punches laid waste into his rib cage. Although the blows were brief and that it rocked his skeleton, he felt the metallic carapace cave in to crush his bones in a splitting fire!
He fell to a knee gasping out air while his lungs tried to desperately compensate for the trauma inflicted onto his body.
"Bols! Do it now!"
Tatsumi blinked groggily as he distantly heard Seryu scream out before fire consumed his gaze. A bright flashing yellowish white scorched everything within twenty meters in front of him. Numbly he felt the three assassins break off while he stumbled back onto the muddied earth, the metal now once a protective layer to his flesh was now a potentially fatal hindrance. Gasping out heavily did the young soldier finally stand up onto his two meet while staring down at the blade with the bite marks indented, "She's probably got enough strength to bite my weapon into two. I'd not be surprised if she could even break a person in two!"
Ragged breaths were being heard by all through his helmet as Seryu came up beside him worried.
The girl looked a bit drenched even with her hair masking a part of her face, "Colonel! Are you alright? Can you still fight Tatsumi?" Those questions were going to make him start laughing, if he could force the air through his throat to create the said action. However he looked up to see the wires dangling innocently enough in the flashing skies, he needed to deal with those or else Koro would be rooted in place yet again.
Standing onto his two feet did the winged armor bearer compose himself with the pain inside him physically.
Even through the rain the masked Jaeger heard the words clear as day, "Bols! Scorch everything above us and all around us. Do it now before they snare Koro again!" The man looked at him puzzled but nodded nonetheless before hefting the flame thrower teigu into the air. His aim became more precise and completely thorough when the orders came from his superior as their lives were on the line truly now. The entire area became bathed into a hellish orange and yellow to brief illuminate all in it's path.
An intense heat followed the stream of liquid fire as it burned anything in it's path.
Tatsumi's gaze never left the three assassins who looks of disdain on their features at his words, they watched as numerous strands of metal heated up. They became a ghoulish orange before snapping with wet like hisses as it all fell apart like a sick display of beauty. He never broke his gaze on his targets as the molten metal fell like a mockery of the real rain already in place, Seryu briefly hissed out painfully when a small bit of the liquefied metal hit her arm. Unintentionally she got a lot closer towards his winged exterior, the young Imperial briefly willed one of the appendages to do a comforting gesture.
It'd be the only good gesture he'd do this night.
Due to how close she was to his armor it seemed that the right wing lifted so it became a make shift shield to ward off the molten steel. He took a moment to gauge the conditions of the battle in order to find any way to win the field itself. "Now let's see when their preparations are taken away, I wonder how much they're going to regret in not killing me. Koro should have free reign to tie up anyone who gets closer to them, I can't hold them off forever because one of them is going to get past me now." Overall they had nothing to edge the battle into their favor, Tatsumi knew he had to continuously throw himself around like a wild man in order to keep their attention on him.
But for how much longer?
"Tatsumi? Your ribs..." Seryu spoke up shocked to see the massive indents from the Night-Raid lead's gauntlet imprinted heavily on the armored exterior.
Unfortunately it's user didn't reply immediately to that observation and it showed within his voice's tone. He briefly touched on it, "I'll live. Keep Koro ready for anyone of them when they get past me. He'll be your only line of defense, or offense if you can tie them up. Take any shot you deem to be worth it, tell Bols to do the same thing." Under the pouring rains did the orange haired girl see a sight that made her realize, the Colonel wasn't just inspiring but also menacing as well. It was like he shrugged the injuries as if they were nothing and it frightened her.
There was no trace of that warmth.
Instead she saw a man who would become colder then anything to get them out alive.
"Understood, sir."
Even so she fearfully had to ask just how much could he take?
"Prepare yourselves."
As the last of the molten wiring fell past them, the wing reset itself to return back onto it's owner's back and the armored form began walking forward. Slowly momentum was gained as the winged teigu started to run itself forward creating a groaning effect as chains were hitting their origins carapace. Tatsumi hardly flinched when he yelled out in a fury in locking blades with two of the three assassins taking him on. His eyes were trained on the one person who could kill them all and nothing else mattered but to keep their focus onto him at all costs.
He spun around kicking the beast teigu user in the chest to make her choke on air from the hit alone.
While he got flanked by the leader of the Night-Raid, the young Colonel slammed his saber into her metal gauntlet which took the hit easily. Metal screeched when it jarred together, "Behind me again." His other weapon managed to ward off the black haired girl who scowled annoyed when her blade's edge barely came into contact with his armor. Grunting loudly the winged teigu user could barely hold the combined strength back and more or less started to strain his limbs in an effort to keep on foot in front of the other.
Yet it wasn't enough.
Too many enemies and so many exploiting holes in his abilities.
A massive punch rocked him in the back as he yelped out reflexively, Leone had recovered with moments from his own attack. He nearly fell onto a knee again before horizontally slashing at her ribs, the beast woman managed to bend herself back to completely avoid the blade itself. Her finger nails became like claws that locked around the metal's edges. In vain Tatsumi honestly tried yanking her back towards himself but the half instinctual possessed woman grinned savagely when he looked up to see the Night-Raid leader looming over him.
His eyes were wide but he had his scowl still set in stone.
"I can't fight all of them at once! They're relentless and they're exploiting every moment I leave myself open!"
Another skull crushing hit slammed into his ribs making him cough up blood.
He watched it through the helmet to have the crimson liquid stream down onto the ground. The former general landed two more fists into his side forcing him to jump back with the wings flapping briefly to steady his body upright. Forcing in air and exhaling it became a challenge when the loudness signaled the damage done to his abdomen. Shaking his head to ward off the numbing sensations crossing throughout his nerves, Tatsumi spat out the last of the coppery taste in order to avoid another stab at his thighs from the one hit killer herself.
Akame had been nothing short in trying to piece his metallic armor.
Flipping both blades he went onto a frenzied assault forcing the girl back when she realized the intensity of the strikes. The young soldier underneath all that blackened armor refused to go onto his knees when the swords flashed dangerously in the lightning flashes, the sparks fleeted into the air when blade met blade in a deadly dance of steel. For every strike she parried another threatened to cut her in half as Akame had to keep on back peddling away from the weaponry. Briefly she looked over to her team mates who were flanking from behind, they were going to cut him off and so she kept up at the grueling game of death.
"Hit her."
The black blade skimmed the assassin when she flipped over the strike to have Murasame lock with his saber.
"Come on! Hit her!"
Tatsumi scowled angrily when emotions flooded into his mind as the desperation kicked in. He had to keep on swinging quicker, he had to be faster and he needed to be stronger! So why in the hell was so it so damned difficult to cut into this enemy? She wasn't as fast as Esdeath, so why in the fuck was it so damned hard to hit her? His teeth were gritting tightly against one another when the assassin nimbly slid around another downward slash that cracked the earth. A small indent of a crater managed to be made when he whirled around to keep the teigu from killing him.
"HIT HER GOD DAMN IT!"
The young Colonel in the midst of his growing frustrations stabbed forward that the assassin easily side stepped to see the opening. Tatsumi just realized something horrifying, it filtered right across in front of his vision. His heart trembled when small lines of black and gray aligned perfectly around him, his eyes took in the details far too late. In the end he came to a conclusion that shook him to his damned core and it came lightning fast. In his own haste, something envitable had reared its ugly head to make the young Colonel open his eyes to a horrible sensation.
He had made a terrible mistake.
A small vortex of gray lines swam into his vision through his helmet's front.
"Lubbock! I'll kill you for this, son of a bitch I swear it! God damn it!"
Wires came swirling around him forcing him to yell out angrily when they bound him in place, his eyes frantically searching for any way out of the metallic entrapment. Nothing came in the salvation when there wasn't anything he could do, both of his arms were locked in place as the metallic wiring weaved into angles to become a steel grip over his body. Both wings behind his back were instinctively flapping wildly to shake off the enemy teigu user's hold yet nothing managed to loosen the pieces of metal themselves. Forcing himself to yell out enraged did he try desperately to break the wiring yet his armored only managed to tremble openly to move.
His feet crunched into the muddied earth nearly forcing him to his knees in his own rage.
"I will not bow! I will never kneel! Not to them!"
As his helmet looked up with both of his blades locked at his sides, their tips directly digging into the ground.
Just so he forced himself to exhale loudly to stand firm.
Akame loomed eerily over him with her blade at the ready, it's edge came to within inches in where his neck would be at under the armor. "Not so easy to kill us when we're together as a team, it's not easy especially when you charge in like a wild beast. This is what the Empire creates with those who serve it like dogs. Mindless animals who kill and always kill no matter what they preach. You're nothing more then another one who deserves to be buried like the rest of them, Saber!" She hissed out that word like poison while bringing the teigu sword to lay at the junction of the young Colonel's neck. Metal groaned when it strained to break free of it's bindings but the wiring holding him in place remained strong as a literal iron-clad.
Tatsumi couldn't move more then a few inches without feeling the serrated wiring bite into the junctions of the carapace and the thin weaponry pierced the armor at it's natural weakest points.
And if he did move...
He felt every inch of metal nearly starting to cut away at his armor's exterior.
Dimly aware did his ears pick up commotion behind them as Akame kept her gaze focused onto his trapped form. Grunting once he barely moved an inch when the wires locked into knots to force his hands to the sides, both blades harmlessly stabbing into the muddied earth. Through his murky vision beneath the armor, the world seemed to dim when he tried in vain to break free but the bonds holding him in place were practically aligned to keep him rooted. Did this mean he was going to die finally?
Did it really have to end like this?
Trapped like a caged animal?
"Excellent work Akame." A praise clearly aligned came to life from a cool professionalism off to the side, "Well, it seems you've accomplished your task. Now go deal with the other Jaegers. Lubbock and I will handle him, plus when Susanoo digs himself out we'll secure our prisoner." Tatsumi snarled out loudly trying to move while the Night-Raid leader came over from the side. Najenda had said her words while flexing her gauntlet, although the black haired assassin snorted in disgust to briefly make ex-general a bit surprised.
Akame briefly retorted in a bitter manner when proceeding to go tackle the rest of the Jaegers, "I still say we should kill him. Murderers deserve nothing less, I won't restrain myself again Boss, I simply won't. I swear it to you, so don't even dare to hope for it in the future." With that she sprinted towards the other targets, Leone came following behind with Lubbock supporting from the upper ridge lines. He had locked the wiring around several clusters of tree's in order to do what he needed to do.
The young Colonel watched it all through his helm with an enraged gaze. So forcing himself to stop struggling, both of his emerald orbs stung when pain surged into them. He barely had time to listen to Najenda who seemed almost disappointed, "As I said earlier to you Colonel. I think that woman rubbed off on you and it's showing again when you recklessly charge forward, I must be getting senile as I get older because for a moment. For one moment I thought you'd be something dangerous, hell I thought saw something but it seems that old memories are getting the better of me, sadly."
Her words held no effect to sway him otherwise.
"This is the second time they've caught me, I will not see a third. Come on Strafe, is that all you got? Is all the strength you can provide me? Just pain and proving nothing less that you're a scarp of metal! Is what you are really?" His thoughts were in a fury as the teigu seemingly pulsed while impaled to his wrist. It barely did anything else as he screamed out loud enraged trying to shake off the metallic wiring, Najenda didn't even flinch at his cries of rage. Her lone narrowed only to move to the far canyon to hear rocks shifting violently, she just smiled somewhat relieved.
An explosion rocked the ground when granite and dirt alike flew into the air.
"And now he's back."
Another sensation of alarm grew within his heart.
The horned man returned to his master's side without a word and seemed to be genuinely fine. Apart from a few muddied marks on the clothing he wore, Najenda remarked almost completely to be relieved. "Susanoo. Good to see you're not injured, I trust you took the damage well? Forgive me for not allowing you to increase your strength, but I believe it's not needed, fortunately." While it may not have seemed to be an insult, the entrapped soldier felt it stab into his chest like a spear. They were planning for him to be stronger and yet...
He was so weak.
Strung up like a demented fucking puppet.
The metallic strings called wiring held him like a plaything in it's iron locked grasp, just as he felt the strain when the roots of the forest held him in place. Their natural standing into the earth itself held roots so deep enough to make him barely move and even he couldn't muster the momentum to break the wiring. It felt like a punch to the gut, he felt hopeless, he felt utterly cold and nothing in the world could say otherwise because in how he got himself into situation. Tatsumi didn't want to believe that his was the reality he'd been fighting in and now how it became something more unreal.
Why did this feel more like a nightmare then this supposed reality?
His face looked to the ground when his heart raced inside his chest as he felt the grief, the shock and most of all...
"Pain."
What was it going to take?
"Let go."
Would that be the answer?
Both of his eyes were growing wider and wider when those words kept on whispering. They were playful yet they were the most soul crushing words he seriously ever considered. Truly in all his life he'd never could imagine these words striking his mind so hard. Tatsumi blinked when the voices from outside of his helm entered his ears. Every second seemed like an eternity that wished to break upon itself, he could only listen and watch as the sounds became his very nightmare. Through the shock he barely twitched, or even flinched as rain pelted his skull like a dull roaring.
Distantly he could hear voices that seemingly made every second a living agony.
"If you so will it my master, I shall keep watch over the prisoner. It'd be more effective if you'd join the rest of the others in terminating the other targets." The horned man offered while eyeing said person's form who seemed almost eerily silent. Najenda quickly noted that the soldier bound in her subordinates teigu was holding steady, plus it'd be faster if she joined the fray to take out the other Jaegers. They were already scattered and broken apart which went along with their plan all the more luckily.
Although her instincts were still quite anxious because of how silent the entrapped Imperial soldier had been for past few minutes.
But in the end the mission had to be completed.
And she'd get her team back to base as soon as possible.
Najenda idly blinked when she started to walk away with a smirk in place, "Why thank you Susanoo. You have my permission to do whatever you need to keep him restrained in our custody. It won't be too much longer, so I'll be back." With that said she started to lightly run up to where the rest of her team lay in combat against their enemies. In the growing rains did the horned man return his gaze on the bound armor user whose very bonds were cutting into the metal exterior.
Yet through the pouring rain showers, it revealed that the soldier's head remained bowed in absolute silence.
So why did he feel very uneasy?
Susanoo merely tightened his grip onto his weapon as a means to reassure himself and his master's will.
Seryu narrowly avoided a clawed hand that came with the intention of cleaving flesh off her face. She barely could keep her footing on the muddied ground which threatened to swallow her boot into it's depths. The rain made it even more of a hassle to avoid an enemy that could kill them with one cut, the young woman briefly looked to her teigu which was busy keeping said enemy away. Not once did the Jaeger lose track of the most dangerous of targets that were their enemies.
Akame the one hit killer.
She kept weaving in and out of Koro's own reach which in turn made her wary in trying to maneuver anywhere to have her back exposed. Thankfully Bols managed to keep their backs free of enemy exploiting due to his teigu scorching away flesh in mere moments. Her eyes blinked away the water droplets leaking down from her bangs, the girl tried to keep her firearms at the ready. Both of her pistols were locked onto the fleeting form of the black haired assassin whose eyes were gleaming in the flashing lightning that illuminated the battlefield.
One of her knuckles popped from the pressure exerted to maintain herself steadily.
It took a great deal of her will to realize what the assassin's were trying to do. In a way this was what the Colonel had been warning them about, Akame had free reign to move around. Seryu bit her lip while eyeing the other enemies, "She's staying away from Koro. Not once is she trying to waste anytime, she's buying it because of the other evil-doers who are distracting us." She glanced down at her metallic limb which seemingly glinted in the lightning as well. The young girl then looked over to where Tatsumi stood immobile.
Across the large open battlefield did the entrapped young man was silent as the grave.
They needed to get him free because without Tatsumi...
"We'll die. I don't want to admit it, but without him."
Seryu mentally prepared herself while looking over to Bols who nodded to her, "We need to free Tatsumi. I'm sorry for being so selfish when he told us to remain here Bols, I know we have to obey our orders but I'll say it again. I'm so sorry." That pained smile made the elder man merely shake his head. His eyes managed to catch two of the Night-Raid assassins close together, his teigu came to life burning away air and stone to force their enemy apart in a rapid manner.
The former Incinerator member could only chuckle grimly when they managed a few more moments.
He managed to place his back against her own, "I know he made a promise to get us back home but it won't happen at this rate. So I have to agree, we're going to have disobey orders because you're right. This is a selfish thing too do, yet we will go back home together." Through his mask he looked to his hands which in his eyes were covered in the blood of those he burnt away. However his family awaited his return and he'd do all in his power to return home to them.
And he'd return with everyone, together.
He believed in that because Tatsumi had promised them with all of his heart.
When his read arose did his expression turn stern, his arms shifted the weight of his weapon easily. His eyes trailed to their enemies who stared right back at them with calculative gazes, "Alright let's do it. I can cover her with my own teigu but they'll still be able to get on top of us. So how can we prevent that?If they get so close to strike at us?" He honestly didn't know in how they'd manage, but they had to free the Colonel to at least ease the odds into their favor. Without Wave, they had no support but without Tatsumi, they had no one to reassure them.
Bols knew that their survival was more then likely to be grim.
Although the turmoil became a problem, Seryu managed to offer him a solution. She had a grin when she spoke up, "Bols think we can move up with Koro moving around us? I mean as long as we can keep those evil-doers at a distance, we can rush up to free Tatsumi and maybe Wave will show up. Think you can burn anything evil in our way as we advance?" At her words did her canine friend and teigu growl menacingly at the Night-Raid assassins who were gauging them. It seemed they were setting up angles and plans to take them down, Seryu placed one of her loaded firearms into a hostler on her hip.
She'd need to bring out the weaponry that were given to her.
And she'd use them to slay anything evil in her path for justice.
"Koro!"
Her eyes became determined when she stared directly at the trapped form of the winged armor. Tatsumi seemingly remained in a still position with the horned man standing guard over his immobilized form, Seryu wouldn't allow a person she had came to admire. Her artificial limb raised itself when she closed her eyes to imagine the right piece of equipment that lay embedded within her arm. Doctor Stylish's work had all but perfected a means to the end in which her body became a weapon in itself to combat anything in her way.
The massive teigu canine leaned over briefly.
In doing so clamping down onto her limb.
Pain came forth and surged into her nervous system!
She felt her flesh leave its natural state and expose the metal underneath, even as a surge of heat briefly consumed her. The young woman felt metal extend and warp to form a sliding motion that went horizontal. Stylish had installed a sophisticated piece of retractable steel into her arm, it remained dormant until Koro consumed the limb to activate itself. While the shield was a means to defend herself, it also remained separate of the Judgment of Kings arsenal installed within the canine teigu.
All pairs of eyes went to the sound of metal slicing into the air.
Her arm slanted to an angle in which then steel formed a vertically aligned shield. With scale like armor plating seemingly expanded until it concealed a portion of her chest. Edges which dripped water droplets were serrated to the point in where flesh would give way, a triangular dip curved inwards to create a folded means to protect it's user from any sword. The entire length ran from the tip of Seryu's chin down next to her mid thigh as it connected in where her elbow met her forearm. Along with it's light weight, the young Jaeger clearly steeled herself to match the person who held a similar gaze.
Seryu straightened herself when she intoned the name of her new found strength.
For its name was clear and the intention merely became absolute.
"Defender of Justice: The shield of the Aegis."
Gripping her pistol in her remaining hand, the girl looked to Bols one last time before he gave a nod to her. Inhaling slightly the young woman grinned when the looks the enemy signified their confusion and caution at the sight of her weapon of justice. Koro instinctively felt his master's call to have him prepare a supporting role, "You ready Bols? We're going to free Tatsumi, get out of here and end these scumbags who dare to stand in the way of Justice!"
The elder man chuckled once when adjusting the shoulder straps that held his teigu secured. He spoke up grimly amused at her expression, "I wouldn't say the same thing. However..." He trailed off looking towards the Colonel whose form was obscured by the rain showers. Bols intoned softly, "I will say that saving a comrade who is precious to us is more then enough for me. It's more then enough to know I may have done horrible things, but the one good thing I'll do as soldier, is that I'll save a life."
Both Jaegers looked to one another with gazes that weren't capable of being severed.
"Let's do this Koro! Show them the might of Justice! We're not allowing our hope to die here, we'll give them what they want! Blood and conflict!"
Koro roared while flexing both of his arms as Seryu sprinted forward with her shield covering her entire front. Bols came up next to her as the large canine flanked them from behind while snarling menacingly as Night-Raid scattered briefly to avoid the head on charge. Her heart came alive when she looked up to the skies to see that despite the horrid conditions, she felt right at peace in the world. Wind and water whipped into the young orange haired girl's face but she smiled nonetheless in the face of evil itself. Truly in all matters of her life, she'd rather die fighting against these evil-doers then willingly submit to these scum!
Seryu inwardly knew she would do what Tatsumi would've done and faced this danger head on!
"I won't leave you here to die, Tatsumi. I promise, I will not let you die."
He had shielded them from their enemies to buy time.
Bols unleashed a massive blaze of spiraling fire and heat when one of the assassins came from their directly right. The eye patch woman that Seryu recognized as the traitorous ex-general of the Empire briefly flipped away, the stream of liquid flame scorching the ground. While behind her did Koro roar out a challenge when she briefly saw him swat away the beast like blond woman. With her heart inside her ears, their defensive capability had been spent as they ran full long towards the entrapped Colonel.
At this point the young woman saw her true adversary, the real danger to this fight and she mentally whispered the name venomously.
"Akame."
The black haired girl swiftly swung at her head, so in response she raised her shield of Aegis to literally have the teigu sword veer off the scale armor. Due to pattern of the scales weaved into the steel, any sword thrust would be skirted unless the enemy simply pierced its surface. Seryu knew that Stylish would certainly warn her of the pros and cons of such a perfected arsenal, the Aegis while durable to sustain itself in combat and defense had limits. So she had to rely on her own fighting style to supplement the need to switch between blocking, or thrusting the shield integrated on her forearm at key moments.
Moments like the one she witnessed right now.
That dreaded poisoned blade slashed at her sides but the shields sharpened edges created a brief flash of sparks, the young Jaeger managed to plant her feat to push the assassin back. Her loaded firearm fired once to have the girl roll across the ground when the bullet skimmed where her face had been. Seryu didn't waste time before angling her arm to have the shield become a battering ram of sorts, the sheer force she placed into it slammed the assassin further back. Onwards she pressed while firing intent on ending her enemy, Akame didn't even flinch as the sharp snaps of bullets passed over her own head. Slanting her limb to have the shield diagonally in front of her body, rain pelted its exterior to slide off onto the ground.
Just so that the young woman tried to debate what the best course she'd have to take now.
"Seryu! To your right!"
Bols shouted out in a warning as the orange haired woman snarled to veer away from someone crushing the ground in where she stood previously. Standing up firmly to see a white haired woman with an eye patch, Seryu felt her heart grow colder at the sight of a traitorous soldier to the Empire. They were well aware in who this figure was and to encounter the ex-general was a slap to her face due to her respect in her leaders. She glanced over to see Bols prepared to fire his teigu at the two Night-Raid assassins, they were getting closer to them and that was a problem.
They'd be nullifying her elder comrade's ability to keep them at a distance.
Raising the shield in preparation did the former general of the Empire gauge her with a small grin place, Najenda had a presence that made her more then wary. Not to mention the metal gauntlet which was flexing easily in the process, Seryu didn't need a vivid imagination to see that it'd break limbs. Movement came to her peripherals to see the true threat preparing itself, Akame certainly held no qualms in linking up with her lead. That poisonous blade of a teigu flashed eerily in the lightning to make the young Jaeger balance the shield of the Aegis to respond to either of their attacks, if they ever decided to rush her.
"Damn. Even with Koro occupying one of these scum, I'm still outnumbered. Tatsumi was right, I can't make a mistake here or I'm dead. I've never fought without Koro before at all." She viciously swore inside her mind while backing up a step or two to notice that the white haired woman started to walk towards herself with a calm yet fierce intent. That lone eye managed to pierce right through her, or what it felt like when fighting an adversary who trumped her in terms of experience and the ability to control the flow of a battle. Honestly it reminded her of the Captain but in a far less overly suffocating fashion in any case.
"Here they come!"
Najenda dashed forward trying to sweep out her leg with a powerful kick, Seryu reacted by slamming the shield into the ground. She watched as the former general sneered briefly while colliding her limb with the serrated edge, the fabric of her leg was sliced but nonetheless the force behind the attack was enough to send her skidding back even with the Aegis shield dragging across the muddied earth. That wasn't the real danger, Seryu whipped her pistol to start firing rapidly to make the former Imperial Assassin to weave in and out at a speed in which her honed flexibility made it downright insane.
She fired five shots before an audible click made her orange colored eyes widen alarmed.
No more ammunition for that pistol.
Glancing upwards realizing as well she didn't have the time to reload!
Quickly she dropped it to pull another of the same kind to drive back the advancing Night-Raid assassin whose gaze became cold. The shield started to strain when a metal gauntlet crushed its exterior to throw her off balance! She seriously underestimated the condensed forces behind the former General and it became clear that in a show down of brute strength, she couldn't even attempt to hold her own!
The hit threw her off balance to have the shield expose her ribs!
"Damn!"
Immediately a torrent of flames sent Akame shoulder rolling out of the way as Bols kept up the inferno being produced through his own weaponry. The heat was so close to her bare knuckles that Seryu had to clamp down a scream of pain when the flames singed the surface of her skin alone. Even through the clothing on her forearm protected her bare skin, alone did the heat threaten to boil her blood beneath the flesh that housed it. Still her relieved smile and nod to the former Incinerator Squad member was that was required. Settling into a more reactive stance, Seryu managed to prop up her shield to have it slanted to create a makeshift serrated weapon.
As she sprinted forward intent on taking a piece of the Night-Raid leader herself!
"I have to get them back, I have to keep us moving forward. Every foot we cover, it's one step closer to freeing Tatsumi and getting us more of a fighting chance. I just wish the Captain was here so she could decimate these scumbags for ambushing us!"As much as getting the Colonel free was a priority, the young woman couldn't help but worry about Wave. The sailor hadn't even showed up yet and that was rather terrifying, she knew her comrade wouldn't have been delaying in his arrival. So it forced her to come to a grim and possibly a truthful assumption.
Wave had probably been too heavily injured to get himself back to them.
Or...
He'd been killed.
Snarling loudly the shield swiped at the former Imperial General whose eye narrowed momentarily before she flipped back to have it hit nothing but air. Once Najenda landed firmly onto the earth, her fist slammed several times into the shields scale exterior to create fist sized indentations that rocked vibrations into it's owner's internal skeleton. Gnashing her teeth together did the auburn haired girl take a step forward to use the shield to bash the former General back more then a few feet. Exhaling sharply she barely had time to block the poisoned blade Murasame as it came ever so closer to slide around the battered object to end her life.
In fact her eyes briefly saw her own murky reflection once Akame retracted her blade away from the serrated edge.
Standing back her feet planted themselves to shove the enemy off her shield, Seryu looked over her shoulder to see Bols trying to line up a shot. As much as she felt relieved knowing he had her back, the young woman heard a roar of pure rage echo through the clearing. "That's Koro! What happened?" Her eyes went over to her long time companion to see that he'd been ensnared. The Night-Raiders had literally used wires similar to what bounded the Colonel to his prison yet Koro's massively muscled limbs were locked above his own skull.
It looked like he'd been about to use both fists to smash into his designated target.
"Don't look away, or else you're going to miss us, girl!" Seryu immediately raised her shield to have it block the former General when she grunted trying to gain leverage against the white haired woman. It felt like pushing against a wall of iron as her teeth gnashed together while being slammed backwards. Her feet nearly slipped on the muddied earth and the streams of water pouring down her hair made sight a hassle to make out any of the small details. Glaring spitefully at the former Imperial officer, the auburn haired youngster drew her remaining pistol.
Her eye lined up the barrel when she fired two shots in a bid to drive back the elder soldier.
"I need to get her away from me! Like right now!"
But the adversary did something she didn't expect.
Najenda grinned rather happily when her mechanical limb latched itself around her shield serrated edge to hold it in place. Metal groaned as the metal fist crushed the scale like armor that was her defense, Seryu widened her eyes at the strength alone. Along the length of the forearm that held her shield, the pressure had built up to feel slivers of pain. Oh did she feel the metallic fusion with her flesh strain when a subtle pull advanced up into her elbow. It felt like something had been pulling herself forward, it didn't exactly settle well with her and neither did the sensation of bones have tremors crawling through them.
Her eyes widened as she heard a beastly roar of glee from behind over her shoulder!
"Bols."
Seryu whispered horrified to see her friend look over and she didn't need the imagination to see his shocked expression through the mask.
The blond beast like teigu user had full on charged Bols who desperately raised his flame thrower teigu in vain to ward off the spear tackle. Leone came right up on his exposed flank to dig her claws into his arm which had been used as a make shift shield. Blood streamed onto the ground as the man yelled out angrily and painfully when teeth sliced into his limb. His own teigu weapon while strapped to his back had ultimately fell victim to gravity when it slid off to the side to make him off balanced. The former Incinerator squad member fell to his knees all the while slamming his good fist into the skull of the Night-Raid beast girl.
Yet for every hit he smashed onto her skull...
It didn't matter.
The near feral beast woman grinned bloodthirsty at the pain which her teigu negated within her body. Resilience and adrenaline were what made Leona ignore everything around her! It was this thrill of the hunt in which made the lioness like woman simply dissuade her body to ignore the pain in favor the blood being spilled. Her pupils had shifted ever so subtly to become nearly a feral predation that stalked humans for sport. Fingers became claws which sliced away at the former Incinerator whose arm became a literal life or death barrier, Bols cringed when his wrist was bitten into to feel the nerves being cut away.
Akame sprinted forward while trying to get around the stalemate that Seryu herself locked with against the Night-Raid leader.
Despite having the inability to move she shouted desperately while struggling to get a better angle firing her pistol at the black haired girl! The look on the assassin's face was a killer who saw an opportunity. The former police officer screamed as loud as she had ever done, "Bols! Damn it, watch out! She's coming at you, look up! Koro help him now!" Her pleas went unanswered as her companion roared out from further behind them, both of his arms were being cut into as he too tried desperately to release himself from the iron-clad wiring that robbed him of the ability to move around. Metal strained in the meantime while the teigu canine tried to do what his master had ordered, or rather begged him to do.
Koro's eyes and pupil shifted into a near frenzied state as he struggled to free himself.
"BOLS!"
Crying out angrily did the girl start to fire her pistol, the angle made the weapon's projectile's veer off as Najenda cut off circulation to her shield arm. Bullet after bullet screeched into the muddied earth to make an ear snapping crack echoing into the stormy skies. Nothing could stop the agile killer who seemingly moved in dodging motions akin to a routine style of agility that was so natural to the infamous assassin. Stretching her limb as far out to the side, Seryu did all in her power to aim the pistol to at least stall for time and save her comrade from dying. She couldn't allow this travesty, this madness to unfold before her very eyes.
She didn't want to lose another friend!
"No!"
She didn't want to see another family lose a father!
"Not again! NOT AGAIN!"
But truly what was more terrifying for her to ever imagine: it was losing her heart.
Seryu didn't want to feel her heart tear apart in ways no physical torture could ever replicate! She couldn't witness the smiling faces of two people whose very life revolved around the masked man. To see that man's daughter crying over a corpse, to see those hollowed and resigned eyes that were everywhere at her own father's funeral. She couldn't allow another person to go through that feeling ever, not on her watch and evil itself would never claim the heart of those who fought for justice inside the Empire! However her weapon had to draw itself away from preventing her comrade dying, her eyes went back to the white haired adversary the shield strained against.
"Oh no!"
Najenda had drawn a small hidden short sword from underneath her shirt from behind, the former general's expression betrayed nothing.
Snarling angrily Seryu watched as the sword was sent slicing towards her face, the former Imperial police officer dove forward in a bleak and desperate attempt to avoid the sharpened edge. Using the shield as a means to protect her skull, the young woman braced with all her physical strength to only feel a sharp searing sensation just behind her shoulder. Screaming enraged yet in pain, she managed to crouch below Najenda who swore out loud to be lifted upwards as her gauntlet like limb had provided an excellent level for the shield bearer to uplift her off her own two feet.
Momentum and gravity followed up on the actions.
Heaving the woman over herself did the Jaeger spin around in using the Aegis shield to slam into the face of the ex-general who gave a grunt of pain. She got sent skidding back with blood leaking down from the side of her temple, the serrated edge of the typical defensive weapon doing its simultaneous purpose of acting as a weapon in itself. Panting heavily as warmth trickled down her back, the young woman clenched her teeth violently stopping any whimpers, or grunts of pain dead inside her throat. The assassin's weapon wasn't poisonous by any means, else she'd have been in some serious trouble on the battlefield.
It still didn't alleviate the agonizing fire her flesh had registered through her nervous system however...
"Bols!"
Looking over through the showers of noise deafening rain did her eyes see the man lifting his teigu upwards with a single arm. The man through his mask saw the impending doom sprinting at him in the form of the one-hit killer assassin herself, Akame had shown no signs of stopping and her blade eagerly raised itself to align into his organs. Bols looked over to the beastly teigu user on his mauled arm, Seryu through her pained daze seemingly watched him look over to with a sign of a resigned determination that echoed in his next moments. Through the mask that concealed his face, the eyes of a man, a husband and a father arose in a sea of fiery intent to live!
The young woman fell to a knee to watch as her shoulder flared up when cold water hit the exposed flesh underneath her clothing, "What? What's he doing..."
It seemed that the former Incineration squad member knew a thing, or two about grappling because he seemingly screamed loudly as if fighting through his attacker's razor sharpened teeth. Getting onto his knees the masked man violently swung the entrapped limb of his arm with Leone to create a literal shield of human flesh! Through his mask both of his eyes were steeled to the point where he defied expectations to die like a dog, he refused to die and he refused to not see his family again! The eldest soldier refused to die despite the odds stacked against them!
Bols used the massive weight of the flame thrower to hoist the beast teigu user directly into the path of her fellow assassins blade.
When he voiced out a warning to the snarling lioness woman on his arm. He felt her fangs and claws alike tear into the flesh that leaked out crimson streams, every moment the man felt his life blood trickle over his skin. The warmth creating a mocking sensation of relief against the cold of the world, Bols refused to become a helpless victim. Even though his mask did little to hide the rage inside his tone alone. He darkly uttered a challenge to the beast woman, "Let's see you try to dodge this Night-Raid!"
It was a challenge.
One that served to make the blond realize the danger she was in as her hearing picked up the sound of metal being sliced through the falling droplets around her.
Seryu watched in a stunned horror to see Akame nimbly adjust herself accordingly to the human shield that was her friend. Her heart seemingly went onwards like a small earthquake, each beat sending her skull and jaw into a trembling flux. Panic wormed its way into her heart, her mind witnessed the adjustments and she could only scream with tears leaking down from her eyes. She knew without a doubt that it wouldn't do anything to save him, "It's not going to work! It's not going to work Bols! Get away!"
Desperately her legs to move through willpower alone did the girl try in vain to start running towards her downed friend.
Almost in a still motion did she bare witness the seconds to turn into an incomprehensible eternity that consumed her vision. Bols managed to shield his torso and chest from open view, she watched as he tried to hoist his flame thrower to burn the position in which he'd guess where Akame would skirt around. His head swirled right and back to the left, he expected her to come from the sides in which any other person would anticipate. However what he didn't factor in was that Akame herself was no mere assassin, she knew how to turn any situation and any angle into her favor for Murasame to pierce its target's flesh.
She honed in on the kill without hesitation.
Running just behind the hoisted blond woman, Akame easily used her blade to appear as if she were going to come from the right hand side. Her eyes were keen when her target shifted to have his balance prepared for the oncoming strike yet she saw a blind spot. Somewhere so obvious almost totally inconceivable in any manners for a target to expect. Unwillingly her smile slipped into a cold satisfaction to see another one of the many disgusting Empire's servant fall to her blade! It sent a shiver of a subtle glee inside as much as she suppressed it to the point in where her blade called out for blood to be spilled.
Murasame hummed in a quiet tone to have it tingle within her grip to make her eyes flash a slight reddish coloration...
All of this just under the bluish lighting from the storm above.
She rushed forward as her target used her own friend as a means to deter her blade's path, Akame sprinted with all her might to slid underneath the hoisted lioness teigu user. Her smile in place did the slick ground easily accent the momentum of her own body weight to make it appear she'd glide while angling her blade's tip. The masked Jaeger looked down startled while backing up in a pitiful attempt to understand what was happening, she'd have spelled it out to him without question. She was going to end his life and end another wretched soul that was apart of this damned nation that spawned it's foul atrocities over the land like a plague.
Akame knew she'd be doing the world a favor in removing this servant of the Empire!
Inch by inch her field of vision grew with an extreme amount of clarity, she picked her favored spot to end any target. The stab through the heart was more preferable to end a symbolic hatred that thrived inside her own beating organ, she'd cut the damned evil right out of its host. No soldier, no servant and no adversary would deny her this small piece of peace to restore her life. She'd fight for her freedom, for those who were suffering and to rescue her sibling from the clutches of this maddening country. Akame swore on that day that she'd fight for what was right and nothing in the world would stop her quest for such a dream ever again!
Murasame prepared itself yet again.
All for another kill to it's long line of targets within its own bloodied pasts.
Digging her heels into the mud, the black haired assassin got herself up as she thrust forward with the tip of the poisoned blade cutting through the air!
"NO!"
Akame screamed when something tore into her side, a sharpened cold cutting into her flesh and making her stumble in her strike towards the masked Jaeger. Said man threw himself over to the side desperately and successfully back peddled away. Biting her tongue to crush any urge to rasp out yells of pain in which were becoming tempting. Scowling angrily she realized that whatever caused her this wound was followed up by a voice that echoed over the landscape as a monstrous tremor originated from over to the side of the valley.
Placing a hand onto her bleeding side, Akame looked over to see the cause of her sudden injury.
A blood stained saber laid impaled into the ground...
"How the hell?"
Idly the saber leaned slightly over due to the gusts of wind that circulated within the confined valley.
Still that unspoken question was met when she looked over to the entrapped prisoner of theirs, her eyes were widening in a cold sneering hatred when the answers came to be known. The imprisoned Colonel had thrown his blade at her akin to a javelin, "Damn you Saber! Damn you!" It seemed that the accuracy despite his wired position hardly effected the strength his own teigu had supplied to his natural body. Easing herself to calm down, Akame bit back the signals her own body gave to the freshly minted injury to make her pant irritably.
"Get away from him you evil-doer!"
Akame looked up in alarm to see Seryu snarling visage completely enraged when her shield's front smashed into it's intended target. The former Imperial police officer used all her physical strength to send the usual nimble killer rolling backwards with a bruised face. Panting heavily through the cooling rains did she see the very heated air that was exhaling from her own body. It created a small fog of sorts yet her heart thundered inside her chest akin to the real thunder that nature gave when it deafened all who listened too it.
Bols kicked his assailant off his arm just as Koro gave a might roar of frustration followed by a spine twisting sound of flesh being served.
"Koro? Oh thank god."
Seryu gave a relieved smile to see a one handed bulky canine slam its remaining good fist to drive back the blond Night-Raid back towards her comrade. Both assassins were giving cold if not downright disgusted looks at the bound Colonel who seemingly refused to be taken quietly. Earth crumbled due to the impact her companion's bulked up limb exerted as the canine teigu's face contorted when his fangs grew. All of his teeth grew longer due to the potency of his own hatred became simply visible. Pupils that were narrowed slits and completely close to becoming feral were all that remained for the biological construct.
The one armed bulked up canine teigu stood in front of both Jaegers who were trying to cope with their own wounds.
Ultimately Seryu softly asked the elder man who was panting heavily, "Bols? Are you going to be fine?" She didn't dare take her eyes off the Night-Raid assassins, the adrenaline kept her vigilant against their dastardly ways. Her comrade didn't give an answer right away as he flexed his injured limb to ward off the pain that his body was projecting into his own head.
"I'll be okay Seryu, so thank you. What about you?" The former Incineration squad member motioned to her own wound that was just over her shoulder. That growing stain of crimson became all too apparent even under the cold rain droplets. Neither Jaeger would admit to being seriously hurt due to the fact that their enemies were literally in front of them. Despite their injuries they were making ground to freeing the entrapped Colonel and that alone gave them the strength to muscle through the of enemies standing before them.
Seryu bit her lip to reinforce her bodies desire to continue onwards to fight.
Again she had no ammunition left to combat Night-Raid, so what could she even use now?
"Tatsumi's saber..."
Her eyes drifted to the impaled weapon that was just off to the side, the handle flashed during the lightning that made it prominent. Crimson droplets were being washed always along its sides, the girl looked down to her pistol which was empty. The young woman knew she didn't have the time to reload any of her ranged weaponry, plus she needed something to drive them back if they Night-Raid got so close to them like that again. As much as she wanted to ignore the sword, Seryu knew if that she wanted to get Tatsumi out alive and the rest of her friends, she'd had to do it.
She would have to wield it to survive.
A pair of nagging questions left her mouth easily as she murmured, "How did he save us Bols? How did he save you?" The young Jaeger hesitantly reached out to grasp the pommel before she gave a grunt to lift the blade free from the muddied earth. Swinging it left to right with her remaining limb, Seryu felt anxious in wielding a literal blade of justice that had seen battles beyond her imagination. Not to mention the amount of lives that it had been stained with, she felt the entirety of that weight when she looked up to see it's owner staring at her across the field.
And she wished she hadn't.
"You sadistic fucking bastards!"
Those words slipped into the world for all to hear.
What her eyes picked up on, it made her enraged to the point where she grounded her teeth together. Nearly cracking both of her own canine teeth, she hissed out dangerously. Even Bols gave a low hum of disgust and hatred at what was being done to their famed superior. "You fucking bastards! How dare you do that to a prisoner and no less to Colonel Saber. I swear I'm going to make you beg for death itself when Koro and I get our hands on you!" A hand placed itself onto her shoulder, the larger man who wisely kept his voice silent squeezed the top of her uninjured shoulder to tell her to ease down. They could only wait and plan accordingly to free Tatsumi whenever they had a chance too.
But right now...
They'd could only watch helplessly from their positions.
Across the battlefield the horned man was using his staff like weapon mercilessly slamming it repeatedly into Tatsumi's bound form. Spikes which were shifting along the weapons maul like edge were being slammed into the back of the bound Colonel who gave off loud soul wrenching screams of agony and hate. The tremors alone were more then enough to crush the two Jaeger's spirits to see a person that they believed in, to see him being broken down physically and the whole of Night-Raid paid no mind to watch the spectacle. Metal could be heard groaning and to see the armored exterior contorting inwardly spoke how badly it must have been to breathe in air to live.
"You ready?"
Bols didn't to hear an answer from Seryu who leveled the saber to have it's tip pointed directly at Night-Raid's center. While both Jaegers were clearly in pain, their respective wounds starting weight them down. Not once did they flinch, or even hesitate in what they did next. It went to show their enemies that they might have down all in their own power to kill them. But they wouldn't ever capitulate in their stand against those who were going to stand in their way, to save a comrade and a friend amidst the chains that choked him.
So until that moment in which they'd all return home together.
They would not back down against evil.
Seryu uttered a single command that was felt in her connection to the one being ordered.
"Koro, charge!"
The canine teigu gave a loud roar before doing what his master commanded. Despite being down an arm which was slowly regenerating, small pieces of artificial flesh were dripping down as the bulky beast dog became a battering ram to have Night-Raid scatter. Both Jaegers charged forward through the open gap in the line to make up ground to the ever screaming Colonel who still refused to kneel, they would always hear those screams which were imprinted onto their own conscious. It just made them that much more fueled to free their captive friend, more so to the young woman who was wielding a blade that had saved the life one of their own.
The Jaegers knew it inside their hearts in what was on the horizon.
Night-Raid knew what it meant to be fighting those who were inspired to never back down against their enemies.
Both sides knew one thing for sure.
Their fight was only beginning to take shape...
Within the depths of the forest did a body stir with a forced groan, Wave groggily rolled himself over out of several ferns that were crushed under his body. Numbly he lifted his hands trying to get some sense of feeling back into them, but all he got for his troubles was a small crack of knuckles popping back into place. Hissing when the pain caused him to jolt awake, the former sailor shook his head to clear the fog lingering inside his vision. Taking a deep breath did the young man look around trying to figure out what in the hell had happened to him.
His hand clenched his forehead when he bitterly recalled the moments he knew, "It feels like I just wrestled a damned shark. Ugh, my head is worse then that one time I got wasted at the pub back home." Wave easily slapped himself back onto his feet trying to figure out where exactly he landed, the last moments he realized were of him being blind sided. An enemy had got to him and he had barely heard Tatsumi yell out in a warning to him.
It barely helped to sooth his busted rib which made breathing such a hassle now.
Using a hand to run his hair back to ward off the water from the rain showers, the young soldier checked himself over for any more signs of injury. Apart from a potential cracked rib or so, he'd survive but more importantly he had to regroup with the rest of the Jaegers. The trees groaned when gusts of powerful winds swept through the gaps in the tree line. Wave scowled to stop himself from shivering at how eerily silent this dampened forest had become during the storm itself. He didn't need to be spooked out of his pants at this moment.
"Alright Wave, you can find your back to them. Just need to get a vantage point, or something..." He trailed off glancing upwards to see a particularly large tree. Exhaling deeply he leap up to the closest branch before flipping through the thickened pieces of wood to get himself to the highest point. Once he reached a clearing within the dense foliage of the leaves to get a view. Outwardly Wave shook his head completely unsure in exactly where he landed up, he couldn't see anything but the vast fields of greenery that melted his confidence.
Just how damned far did he end up from the others?
Absently his hand gripped the handle to his own teigu, the sword laid dormant but the urge to use his armored form was tempting. However he eased himself down to figure out the terrain and an ideal direction to get back to the rest of the Jaegers. Honestly even with Tatsumi at the helm, they were probably already ambushed and he doubted they had the numbers to stand on equal grounds with the assassins. Half of their own forces were split, inwardly he'd agreed with the Colonel on whether they should have prepared better against these enemies.
Yet what was done was done.
Twitching his jaw side to side, Wave finally figured to take a shot in the dark. Narrowing his eyes around the terrain that he could see, the sailor looked beyond to see a more rockier based incline leading downwards. It looked to be several miles out, perhaps a bit less but he was sure that if he found more then enough steppe like land then he'd be close. Hopefully close enough to hear any signs that the rest of his friends were still fighting, he'd be damned to not fight alongside them and miss out in making sure that they'd all get back home together.
Determined he leaped back down onto the ground as he had a hand steadying himself when rose back up onto his legs.
Pulling out the sword hitched to his hip, the young man began to call forth his own teigu which had been given to him for quite some time. Sighing lightly Wave wiped his face clean as water trailed down the side of his eyes, the sensation made him rather comfortable due to his time being around naval vessels surging within the ocean's powerful currents. Plus storms were a common occurrence during his tenure with the Imperial Navy, there was nothing close to having to sail through a storm to reach the place were all men enjoyed. Not to mention in having waves splash against a sailor's face was an indicator of a salty presence in being marked to the ocean's themselves, idly the Imperial soldier smiled at the familiar feelings.
It reminded him of home.
As he made his way towards a clearing of trees Wave immediately froze when he whirled around because something snap a twig.
"What the hell was that?"
His eyes sharpened as his body stiffened to react accordingly.
"Whose out there! Identify yourself, now!" The young man narrowed his gaze when he lifted his weapon off his belt. Standing his ground did the Jaeger flex his knuckles and hands respectively to get them loosen for any signs of an enemy. Tensing when his ears picked up someone moving through the dense brush and occasionally stepping on twigs, the sailor held his weapon on guard when a moment trickled on by as thunder roared overhead.
Easing himself forward Wave gave one last warning, "If you don't come out now. I will react accordingly as a soldier, I'm not playing any games so step out of there. Or else!" The shuffling stopped briefly before a figure started to reveal itself when it stepped out into the clearing. Wave had to blink several times for his mind to process as to who exactly was standing before him. Not to mention the disbelief clearly was evident within his tone.
"Kurome?"
It was his team mate for sure down to the last detail. Her eyes were less then amused to see him looking at her like a gaping fish. Plus her weapon was considerably idle at her side as her hair was drenched, but the more startling feature was the lollipop inside her mouth. Wave had to do a double take because when did she start branching out to new candies? He had to sweat drop briefly because if she enjoyed them, then why not say anything about their upcoming date about it?
As he blurted out a stunned question, "What the hell are you doing here?" The girl gave him a flat look in response to that blunt question.
She spoke up in a bland tone to match her expression, "I got sent back to help you guys. Are you really that surprised to see me?" Wave watched his fellow Jaeger with a flabbergasted look, he sheepishly laughed as if embarrassed. It made his team mate roll her eyes almost annoyed as he replied a bit unsure, "Well you know how the General is Kurome. I mean I was sure she'd be keeping you on her team to deal with Night-Raid's leader." His expression was sincerely apologetic as the black haired girl wiped her skirt of any lingering sticks, or leaves stuck due to the rain.
He lowered his weapon relieved to see a familiar face out here.
Kurome snorted when she walked by him, "I asked her and she allowed me to back track to come help you guys. You're a lucky idiot for running into me, really, so much that I can't even believe it." That amused resignation made Wave grin a bit proudly because it technically wasn't an insult. So he'd give his comrades that little jab at his competency as a soldier, after all one of the best things any soldier within the Empire could have was really boiled down to one word.
Luck.
Wave would rather be lucky then to be unlucky by any stretch of time.
Exhaling loudly did the sailor step in line next to her as the girl gave him a faint smile, "I'm not one to look a gift fish in the mouth here but it's great to see you here. The Colonel and the others are in trouble, I just know it inside my bones Kurome. So do you think you can guide my fishy behind out of this forest?" His grin was infectious as the black haired girl shook her head at his idiocy, idly she looked upwards while inhaling deeply as if contemplating something. If Wave were to openly admit it, he'd dare say Kurome looked a bit sorrowful for some reason or another.
"I can do that." She admitted a bit softly when she elaborated, "Really guiding you, or myself out of here isn't the problem, idiot." As she looked back at him with an amused expression it made Wave a bit stunned. The young man wouldn't admit it, but she almost cute? Again the sailor had to visibly withhold an urge to grin stupidly as his cheeks flushed under the cold rain. The wind howled to make the smaller assassin's hair drift in the strong current.
Clearing his throat briefly did he ask, "So what's the problem? I know I'm not the quietest person around, but hey, if I have to sneak around. Well I'd rather sneak around with someone who knows in what their doing. I mean, the Colonel and the rest of our friends need our help Kurome. I'll gladly do anything to in my power to get us all back home, I give you my word as a man of seas after-all." He smiled warmly while jabbing a thumb into his own chest to make the girl chuckle briefly as she contemplated the direction to go from here on out.
But what came next made Wave's face fall in a comical manner.
"You're a weird guy."
Although when he looked up, Kurome was giving him a look of utter amusement and pure fascination at him. He found that genuine emotion almost a little off, he asked himself if Kurome would ever be caught dead smiling like that. However a surge of warmth erupted in his chest, the girl did look a lot more natural from her usual flat expression or monotone voice to show her displeasure. Yet he honestly felt a more confident knowing he could bring out the best in someone, he just needed the time to get to know them and they in turn to know him as well.
"Maybe I can do something here in the capital, maybe I can do something to make my home a better place. By finding someone and to fight alongside great men, people like Tatsumi and you Kurome. I wonder if this is what that old sea geezer wanted me to do, to explore the world on land." So in the end his usual perception won out to make himself feel at ease.
"Well one can hope that you'll come around." He retorted grinning as the girl rolled her eyes at his friendly yet optimistic demeanor. The two fell into a brief silence except for the thunder booming overhead, the rains hadn't lightened up at all which made the sailor mentally whistle at how strong this storm had become. It wasn't everyday a gale this powerful made its way in-land, he'd wager a pretty sum to guess that his storm probably came from the vast distance across the ocean itself. It certainly had that primal strength to make any man wary of such a force of nature.
Suddenly Kurome stiffened when her eyes darted to behind him as he watched them grow wide.
"An enemy!"
Needing no more prompting, Wave spun around drawing his blade to witness a dozen if not more of concealed Revolutionary soldiers whose uniforms blended into the treeline. Each of them wore bandannas that had the mark of blood, a red coloration wrapped in their defiance to the Empire. Soldiers whose firearms were leveled and aimed directly at the Imperial sailor who took a step back to realize he'd been led into a trap. They looked right at him with little to no emotions as he looked down to face their weapon's barrels.
It was a trap.
"No."
How?
"Not like this, please."
A soft yet terrible sensation a warming chill ran up his back at this moment, he felt every second stretch into an eternity to face his doom. Wave really felt his heart thumping painfully against his chest when lightening flashed over followed by a sickening crack as thunder followed shaking the earth. Nothing in the world could say he'd blink to meet this fate, he honestly didn't want to imagine such a way to go. The young man never heard what came next, the storm had concealed any warnings and nothing could be done. Nothing could be prevented in what came to follow as the Jaeger realized this all too well.
Behind him three thin like needles had come into view in the hands of their owner, an owner whose expression became conflicted. The flash of natural occurring electric made the metallic weaponry almost glow in the dark for a brief moment. For one moment time seemed to slow as Wave turned his eyes back to see a flicker of dark hair that slid into his larger shadow.
So as the lightening flashed...
It came to wash over the clearing within a bluish shadow.
Wave screamed when he felt a sharp searing pain tear agonizingly into his body.
End Chapter Thirty Six
Author's Note: Alright, alright! I know for the fact you are all having some seriously aggressive thoughts pertaining to my existence right now, so I ask of you to save your hatred of me! You all know I'm not done yet, I can say I do have more in store for this conflict and personally, really I like the reviews to show me how much you are dreading the next chapters.
So there's plenty to say in what's going to happen, or rather what might happen. I've been really trying to gauge on what's the best route yet at the same time maintaining a level of suspense you have for these characters. I can only think of so much before ultimately coming down to a decision, thankfully you readers are the result in what the reactions are to become in the reviews for me to consider as well. There's plenty of action for the upcoming chapters, at least in what I have planned so far but it's really a challenge.
This isn't as easy as it looks.
If there was one thing in the manga, or the anime that really bugged me per say. It wasn't the fact that the story was definitely gripping, nor do I say that Tatsumi's cliche personality and him going through the 'numbers' to develop into a standard hero. All the fights seemingly lacked a grounded brutality if that makes any sense, I mean it really doesn't come off to me as a brutal fight. At least in this story, I get to make the fights seemingly quick, but they don't pull punches in a way that if you were witnessing it, you'd see it all clearly. I think I'm running out of explanations at this point, it really gets to you to know you've come so far yet there is a quite long way to go still.
Really there is nothing wrong with trying to branch out to others in what they feel about this story as well.
Overall I want to see more reviews, I love the explanations and thoughts on a few. Mostly because if I can reach at least a thousand reviews, well it'd be a first for me on this site and to be quite frank: I'd certainly love to have that many. I can only keep on moving forward, it's hard but it's the best thing to continue pressing forward for what I have in store for this story. I think this anime really set me off on the inside, I'd dare to say that even when someone approached me to tackle such an ambition, it's gotten me motivated to not back down against such a Goliath of a Fan-Fic.
Apart from that, I don't have much else to say.
Except to again leave a review and I hope you're all safe and sound as always.