Sup' you beautiful people! Hope you've had a fantastic day! I know I'm very late to update this, but hey it's better late than never! I had a lot of things to do, added to that excuse is the fact that I had some writer's block the direction this story should go! Fortunately, I've gotten that over with.
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THESE SHOWS I'M WRITING FANFICTIONS ON!
Now on to the chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter 33: Passing down the mantle
Tatsumi felt mentally unprepared for what he just heard. This girl who looked exactly like his comrade, Mine, was actually Ben's grandmother and they were in some place called a pocket dimension. He didn't even know how else to react except stare at 'Mine' and stutter.
"W-What?!"
'Mine' giggled sweetly and stood up. She then did a twirl and faced back at Tatsumi with her hands on her hips. "I guess I can't get into your friend's rude attitude. I hope you don't mind." She said.
"Uh…okay." Tatsumi muttered. He was trying to mentally comprehend what was going on. "I'm sorry, but are you really Ben's grandmother?"
"Why, yes." Verdona confirmed with a smile. The fact that she did it with a body that looked like Mine made Tatsumi's heart to skip a beat. She looked so cute as Mine to Tatsumi, but he didn't say. Verdona continued. "You see, Tatsumi, I decided to try out a different approach to our meeting since the last time I scared most of your friends."
"So…that is why you looked like Mine?" Tatsumi asked. He received a nod from the powerful grandmother in front of him. "But why? I mean…not that it's bad, but…you could've used someone like Akame, Sheele, Lubbock or bro."
His eyes then suddenly widened. His mind flashed back to the incident that happened just a while ago. From the battle between the Three Beasts Warrior, down to the overwhelming power from the sudden transformation by Nyau. It wasn't like he forgot; rather, it was that he was reminded of what happened.
"Oh no! Bro!" Tatsumi shouted and rushed to his feet. "He's out there, back at the Ryuseen!" He looked back at Verdona. "Please, you have to save him and stop Nyau!"
"Tatsumi…" Verdona frowned. She made a turn and gestured him to come. "Follow me. Let's talk."
"What?! We don't have time for that!" Tatsumi yelled. He became angry, as obvious by his eyes which glared at Verdona. "Bro is seriously hurt out there! If I don't hurry then he'd die! I'm not going to let him die!"
"Fine." Verdona replied calmly. "You may go and find your way out. Good luck with that."
Tatsumi wanted to yell. This woman disguised as Mine didn't seem to understand the severity of the situation in his world. Her attitude almost reminded him of the real girl, minus the obliviousness this woman was pulling on him.
It didn't matter; the teen ran off to find a way back. He couldn't find it within himself to keep arguing with the oblivious woman. The young man ran out of the park and went through the street, looking for a way to get back to his world. He looked right and left, back and front and up and down for a sign of a door that would lead him back. But he couldn't; this world was so strange to him.
'What's with this place? Why does everything look so weird and different from my place? Is this where Ben's grandmother comes from? She called it Bellwood.'
"Are you done now?"
"Huh?"
Tatsumi came to a stop and looked to his right side, behind him. The voice he heard sounded familiar; he decided to turn to see who it was. Najenda was sitting on top of the 'weird' vehicle he kept seeing when he ran pass. She was smoking like the real person until she stopped and pulled the cigarette from her lips and looked at it.
"Huh, this doesn't make me feel anything. I wonder if I'm doing this wrong." She pondered.
"You're Verdona!" Tatsumi shouted. He then snarled at the woman. "Get out of my head! Turning into people I know won't change my mind! I have to get back! Get me back home!"
Verdona paused and threw the cigarette away. She looked at Tatsumi with a small stare and crossed her leg over the other one like the real leader of Night Raid. Added to this, she leaned forward and rested her arms on her leg.
"You can't get out unless I allow it. Do you even know what a pocket dimension is?"
"I…don't." Tatsumi answered reluctantly. The glare from the woman was intimidating like the real Najenda.
"I thought so." Verdona muttered. She jumped down from the car and landed on her feet. "Think of your body as a dimension or universe. When you are naked you stand alone, but…when you put on clothes you have these pockets added like you do now. That is how a pocket dimension is like. Right now it's fitted with your universe. I recreated this space to look exactly like Ben's hometown. It is endless and there is no escape unless I say or think otherwise."
Tatsumi felt a short shudder. The thought that he was in a whole world made by Verdona terrified him. It reminded him at the time he and his friends had first met Verdona. With the power he had seen back then and now, the woman could take on the empire and level it to the ground in seconds.
"So…I'm stuck here." Tatsumi said with a frown. The dark reality caused him to lose hope to getting back home.
"That depends on…" Verdona paused and pointed up. "If you can beat that."
"Huh?"
Tatsumi looked up and just in time. He saw a meteor coming down in a ball of fire. It hit the ground some distance away, and made a loud impact sound. Tatsumi didn't know what Verdona had in store for him until she spoke again.
"Well what are you waiting for? Go!" Verdona commanded.
Tatsumi did as told and ran straight for the crash site. He could see smoking rising into the air from the area before determining the distance between him and the place. It wasn't long before he arrived at the place and saw fire consuming the area where the crash happened. He was prepared to continue when he saw a silhouette in the smoke and emerging.
Tatsumi was uncertain. He stood his ground still and waited for the mysterious being to reveal itself. The thing had an incompatible build at first, making him curious to stare. Then it revealed itself and made Tatsumi to gasp at it.
"What the hell is that?" Tatsumi asked.
"Who am I, you ask?" The mysterious being asked. He came to a stop and spread his arms apart in proclamation. "I AM ULTIMATE AGGREGOR!"
"Ultimate…Aggregor?" Tatsumi asked with a confused look.
"You heard him right." Answered another familiar voice.
This voice surprised Tatsumi. The last time he heard someone with that voice was long ago. She was dead now; however, the fact that he could hear it outside his heard caused him to look to his right. Sayo, Tatsumi's long and dead friend, was sitting on a streetlight.
Tatsumi was baffled. He knew she was Verdona, but the fact he could see the body of his friend swinging her feet back and front was a complete shock. Verdona might have known this; however, she didn't bring it up.
"What are you staring at me for, Tatsumi? Beat him if you truly want to get back home." She said.
Tatsumi hesitated to speak back. He looked back at Ultimate Aggregor and was mentally taken aback by his figure again. The alien was about nine foot tall and was composed of amalgamated alien parts that he knew certainly couldn't have belonged to him. None of that mattered though; the teen had to fight. He wasn't certain about it until he felt his hand grasp the hilt of a sword.
Tatsumi was a little surprised. The sword of Incursio was in his hand.
'Incursio? That's right, if I transform into the armor I could have a better chance of beating this guy. But…' Tatsumi paused. 'Do I truly have the power to beat such a foe?'
Tatsumi couldn't be certain. He was suddenly hit by a blast of wind and sent tumbling away on the hard street. When he came to a stop, he groaned and painfully got back on his feet. The pain from the attack was very effective on him. However, the teen didn't have much time to react. He noticed a growing shadow on him before looking up to see Ultimate Aggregor coming down for him.
The young man made a jump back from the scene. With the distance he made, it should be enough to prepare for the alien's next move. Sadly, his intuition was wrong because when the alien reached the ground, he punched the street and caused a shockwave that sent just about anything close by flying; that meant Tatsumi as well.
Tatsumi wasn't certain about his survival. Barely a minute into the fight and already he was losing. He was lucky to not get hit by any of the flying rocks caused by Aggregor's punch when he hit the ground on his stomach. He forced himself back to his feet and held his chest.
'Just what is that guy? It's like I'm fighting Ben himself.' Tatsumi thought frustratingly.
"Well you might not be too far from that."
Ultimate Aggregor was behind Tatsumi. The young man was surprised about it, but also reactive. He saw this as his chance to attack and swung Incursio's sword at the ultimate alien.
He failed, sadly. Ultimate Aggregor easily caught him by the arm before backhanding him with his free hand. The hit was strong enough to send Tatsumi flying a few feet away, but not out of the ultimate alien's reach. Ultimate Aggregor shot a beam at the teen and hit him at the chest. Tatsumi cried out in pain and was sent further away.
'It's…It's impossible.' Tatsumi thought in shock. 'I-I can't beat –'
Ultimate Aggregor cut him off by a water blast from his palm. They hit Tatsumi before he could hit the ground and knocked him against a rock close by. The rock was just one of several debris caused by the shockwave by the ultimate alien.
'It's over…I've lost.' Tatsumi bowed his head in defeat.
Ultimate Aggregor grinned in response. He could read the teen's mind as clear as day. His intention was unknown; he saw that as a chance to walk casually at the teen. He was then about to blast the teen again with his beams when someone landed in front of the young man.
"Tatsumi! Tatsumi, stand up!"
"Huh…?" Tatsumi groaned weakly. He pried his eyes opened to look at who called him. A smile formed on his face. "Bro, you're alive."
"Now's not the time, Tatsumi! Use Incursio and fight back!" Bulat stated with a strict look.
"I can't…" Tatsumi said weakly. He then raised his hand with Incuriso's sword to Bulat. "You…You can take him down. I know you can."
Bulat sighed and looked down at Tatsumi. The young man didn't know what was about to happen. But then again even if he did, the older man surprised him when he grabbed him by the shirt, lifted him off the ground and suddenly knocked his forehead against him.
"OWW!" Tatsumi cried out. He became angry. "Why did you do that –"
"DON'T GET CAUGHT UP IN YOUR OPPONENT'S PACE, YOU DUMBASS!" Bulat interjected. He surprised Tatsumi with the outburst before letting go of him to fall on his butt. He then continued with conviction. "Think of your training and the experiences you've been through! If you use those, then you are more than qualified to use Incursio, Tatsumi!"
Ultimate Aggregor was intrigued. "Interesting." He commented. "This…weapon he yields must be of great power if the both of you are putting his life on the line. But do you believe a weakling like him is worthy of a powerful item?"
Bulat turned back to face him. "The compatibility is mostly about the first impression and how he sees the Teigu…roughly, anyway. If it's him, it'll be alright."
Tatsumi became flabbergasted. The inspirational words by his comrade/mentor was very impacting. It made the teen to realize something even through the pain and get up. Incursio was still in his possession; with it he got into a stance which basically had his feet apart from each other, his right hand's palm on the top hilt of the weapon and his other hand grabbing the rest of the hilt.
"If someone I respect says all that, I have to live up to his expectations…as a man!" He said determinedly.
"This is ridiculous." Ultimate Aggregor commented. "I will do you both a favor. I will destroy him and claim that weapon for myself. I have no doubt that I can bring out its true potential. Right here…right now!"
Ultimate Aggregor speed off to Tatsumi again. The speed he took was almost blinding with flight However, the action by the ultimate alien only strengthened both men as they saw him coming.
"LET YOUR SOUL RAGE AND ROAR, TATSUMI!" Bulat cried out furiously.
Tatsumi did as he was told and struck Incursio into the ground. His willpower reached its peak when he let out a loud battle cry and summoned the power of the great Teigu. Its summoning was so powerful that a shockwave went to everywhere and created a wind that pushed Ultimate Aggregor back.
"What…is this?" Ultimate Aggregor asked with his eyes widened. "This kind of power…just from that sword alone?"
A humanoid and muscular beast formed as the Incursio armor rose from behind Tatsumi and opened its mouth. The roar it then released was incredibly powerful, as even Ultimate Aggregor had to put up some strength so he doesn't get blown away literally. Bulat was shocked by the power as he watched Incursio take in Tatsumi.
'The armor is…changing itself to suit Tatsumi's movements!' He thought. 'Tatsumi, I see...your feelings have made Incursio evolve once again…'
The transformation was complete. Tatsumi no longer stood as himself; rather, the teen stood in the Incursio armor which suited his body frame. The sword wasn't in his hands anymore.
"Esdeath's group has used Night Raid's name to commit fake assassinations again and again…! In order to end them once and for all, I will defeat you and get back home!"
"Don't get too full of yourself!" Ultimate Aggregor said with a menacing look. "I've accomplished far more than you can ever imagine! I've even beaten Ben Tennyson on numerous occasions! A child like you will be nothing but another pebble in my way! But since you want to die so much…" He paused and glowed his eyes. "I'll grant you a swift and painful death!"
"This armor…" Tatsumi said and looked at his hand. "forcefully increases my strength." He then paused and pointed at Ultimate Aggregor. "…so I know that I will defeat you."
Ultimate Aggregor took it as an insult. Someone like Tatsumi was not a person that could defeat him so easily. Hence, the ultimate alien shot his red beams at the armored teen, wanting nothing more than to waste him right there.
Tatsumi thought otherwise. With a concentrated power to his feet, he jumped straight at Ultimate Aggregor's beams and went through them. Aggregor was taken aback by it, but increased the volume of his beam to cover Tatsumi. His beams weren't just any other form of energy, they were nuclear energy.
"THIS IS THE END FOR YOU, BOY!"
"I think not!" Tatsumi exclaimed. He suddenly reached Ultimate Aggregor and punched him right in the face. The punch was so strong that it shut off the guy's beams. "Goodbye, Ultimate Aggregor!"
That alone was enough to almost end the battle. Aggregor overestimated Tatsumi and paid the price when the armored teen punched him straight at a building. The impact was especially powerful, as it caused the entire complex to come down on the ultimate alien. At last, the battle was over.
"He won." Bulat smiled.
Tatsumi transformed back to his normal self. He turned back to Bulat and ran to him with his arms out and holding on to Incursio.
"Bro, did you see that?! I did it! I –"
The young man was obstructed by an invisible wall. He didn't know it until his face hit it and he stepped back. Tatsumi was confused until Verdona still disguised as Sayo flew down to his side.
"Congratulations, Tatsumi! You did it!" She said happily. "Now do you understand? It does not matter how powerful your enemy may be, have faith in those around you and yourself! Even when the times are dark and scary, you should not fall into despair! But you have one more battle to win!" She paused and looked to Bulat. "Is that not right, Bulat?"
Bulat nodded with a smile. He then went over to Tatsumi and placed his hand on the teen's head. The look on his face was like a proud father looking down on his accomplished son.
"You were amazing, Tatsumi." He said. "If you have that much power now, you'll certainly surpass me in no time. Run past me from out of nowhere. I know you'll be able to do greater things, Tatsumi."
"Bro?" Tatsumi was confused. Something about Bulat's words made him feel sorrow as he looked at him with pleading eyes. "You are coming back, right? Please…tell me you're coming with me."
"It would seem this is where we say our goodbyes." Bulat replied with a genuine smile.
"No…" Tatsumi muttered. He tried to reach his hand to grab his mentor, but the invisible wall obstructed him. Bulat pulled his own arm away so the teen wouldn't grab it. "Wait! Why are you leaving, bro! Come on! You're still alive, right?! Right?!"
As a last ditch effort, Tatsumi looked to Verdona. "Do something please! I can't leave him!"
Verdona frowned. "I am not the god of death."
Tatsumi's heart felt like it sank. Verdona's facial expression and words were clear and it scared him deeply. He couldn't even utter a word, but he did look over to Bulat who just continued to smile.
"Take good care of yourself, Tatsumi." He said. "Let everyone in Night Raid my gratitude to them has never changed."
The teenager was lost for words. The memories with this man he knew were flooding through his mind. To think that they would just be memories was painful to even consider. Tatsumi was almost in tears if not for the encouraging smirk that Bulat gave him.
"R-Right!" Tatsumi stuttered and nodded. His confidence and determination became bright in an instant. "Please watch over me, bro! I'm going to win this for you and everyone in Night Raid!"
"I believe you will. Stay strong, Tatsumi."
Their moment together came to an end. Tatsumi was washed over by a pink flash of light before he was whisked away back to his world. His absence left Verdona and Bulat by themselves before the woman shape-shift into a perfect image of Liver.
"Sad endings like that remind me of how special humans are." Verdona said with a genuine smile. She looked up to the sky with her chin up. "Due to the power we wield, most Anodites see other powerless beings as nothing special. That is why I will always be grateful to Ben's grandfather, Max Tennyson. But you know, I could revive you right now if you just allow me to. The connection with your body may be weak, but I could –"
"No, this is fine." Bulat interjected. The older man had a satisfied grin on his face. "My time draws near anyway. I have nothing else to do. Like a mentor, I have to trust that Tatsumi to do the right thing even though I won't be able to see it. I guess you could say...this is a fine ending."
"Tragic ending, you mean." Verdona commented as a whisper. An idea then popped into her head before she turned to the man. "Before you go, isn't there something you wished that you could have? There's no shame to be selfish now, Bulat."
"Huh, I never really thought of that." Bulat muttered with his hand on his chin. The spiritual connection with his body was ceasing. "I guess I would like it if I could to start over."
His time was up and his surroundings became nothing but white. His chapter had begun and come to an end. But not the whole book, for another page was just opened to the former wielder of Incursio.
Ripjaws jumped out of the waters and landed onboard the Ryuusen. In his hands was an unconscious Aria, whom he then put on the ground. He then slapped the Ultimatrix symbol on his chest and changed back to normal. His main concern was Aria. He began pushing on her stomach to get the water out body.
"Come on! Come on! I really should've listened to Rook when he mentioned learning this kind of stuff!" He shouted frantically.
Aria responded successfully. She coughed out water and began to regain her consciousness. She then looked at Ben tiredly with weak eyes.
"Ben, is that you?" She asked. She then smiled when her vision cleared. "It's you…I was able to make the call on time."
"Yeah, you did." Ben smiled back. "I had to leave the Time Cycle in the sea just to get to you. Luckily, it can survive on its own there. Now come on, let's get you back on your feet and –"
The air suddenly thickened. It cut Ben's words off and he began to choke a little. Aria could feel the pollution and knew it wasn't like any regular one. The one responsible revealed himself when he stood some meters away from the two.
"Ben Tennyson, you actually made it." Nyau said with a monotone voice. "I was hoping to get out of here and report back to Esdeath-sama, but it would appear I thought too soon. Ten seconds was all it took you to come here after I finished those other Night Raid scums."
"Night Raid…scums?" Ben paused with a confused look. Though the air was slowly becoming misty black, the teen looked around and was shocked. Bulat lay on the ground with his own blood bathing him. "No way…Bulat?"
"So you know him." Nyau said calmly. "It does confirm your connection with them. Esdeath-sama will have to hear of this, but not before I finish you –"
"Where's Tatsumi?!" Ben interjected angrily. The look in his eyes was only for Nyau, who didn't seem fazed by it. "Tell me where he is?!"
"You mean the lad?" Nyau said slyly. His grinned with his teeth showing. "I killed him too. You should've seen his face. The look of fear in his eyes, the way I tore him and that big oaf from each other, and the way he knew it was all over for him. Don't worry, I'll make sure you reunite with him. Aria will be coming with me as my new plaything."
"You…" Ben muttered and stood up. The pace of his breathing became fast and hard as his glare sharpened into something of rage. During that time, memories of the young teen flashed through his mind until he slammed down on the Ultimatrix core.
The transformation was quick and painless. It should've felt like the usual, except it didn't. Ben's transformation led him to stand as Feedback, who harbored much power and the rage to back it up.
"I MADE A PROMISE TO WATCH OVER HIM! NOW I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY FOR THAT!"
"Then come at –"
Nyau was cut off when something hit the ground between him and Feedback. The power it wield and the aura coming from it was enough to push away his misty black air away. Feedback was confused about it with the same for Nyau and Aria. All three of them watched as the dust screen around it shifted and revealed who it was.
"Let me handle this, Ben…" said a somewhat familiar voice.
"Tatsumi?" Feedback was surprised.
Ben Tennyson was right; the person was Tatsumi, however the person he stood as was entirely new to the teen hero. Ben was familiar with Incursio, having fought Bulat in a fight before. He should've then recognized the armor as the one Tatsumi was wearing. But he couldn't because of its new design.
Tatsumi had dawned Incursio in its strongest evolved form. Incursio was gold in color and manifested huge wings on its back. The armor had tints of red on its elbow, horn-like helmet and legs. Along with it, his armor was bulkier than it should be while its body glowed a bright light.
Feedback could sense the energy from the armor. As a Conductoid, his ability to sense almost any form of energy was a natural skill. He knew what power Incursio had and was even surprised by it.
"That energy…it's mana." He said instinctively.
Nyau wasn't so impressed. With his purple cape blissfully moving to the air of the open sea, he crossed his arm around his shoulder.
"So you actually survived." Nyau said with a small frown. "It does not matter. I'll get rid of your presence and Tennyson. Esdeath-sama will be pleased once you scums are gone."
Feedback gritted in teeth. He disliked the maliciousness of Nyau and became prepared to fight. He looked to Tatsumi from behind.
"Let's take this chump together, Tatsumi."
"No, I'll handle this." Tatsumi rejected. He tilted his head at Feedback, thus showing the armor's pink glowing eyes. "This is Night Raid's affair." He then faced Nyau again. "You and the rest of your comrades have misused Night Raid's name for your own ambitions. For that, I will reward you by ending your existence here."
Nyau cracked a grin. "Ending my existence?" His eyes suddenly flashed red. Before another word could be said, he jumped straight for Tatsumi. "Tell that kind of shit to your dead friend in hell!"
Tatsumi leapt for him. The distance between the two of them immediately closed with a loud boom. Both enemies had collided with their fist, which in turn created a powerful shockwave. A blast of air also went around the top deck, pushing anything close by.
Feedback was taken aback. The blast of wind pushed him and Aria back. Feedback had to land on his feet and use his tail to grab the blonde girl to save both of them.
"That was pretty intense!" Feedback said.
"Ben!" Aria shouted. From her position, she pointed at the unconscious civilians about to be flung off the ship.
Feedback responded by slapping his hand on the Ultimatrix symbol. When the usual green flash die down, the alien hero stood as Gravattack, which he then used to hold the civilians in a gravitational hold in the air.
"Tatsumi, take it easy, will ya?! You almost blew these people away!" Gravattack exclaimed.
"Not my fault!" Tatsumi replied. Part of his focus was on Nyau while the other was slightly on Ben. "There's no holding back in this! Get those people out of here!"
"No one is leaving!" Nyau shouted.
His fist came straight for Tatsumi again. The armored teen responded by colliding it with his own fist. Like before, there was a blast of wind that went about everywhere, except it felt stronger. Gravattack felt some strain as he continued to keep his hold on the people.
"Can't…hold on much longer! I have to get them out of here!"
"Then go!" Aria shouted. She was on her knees, trying to maintain her posture. Her position wasn't easy, especially when Nyau and Tatsumi kept colliding their fists and increasing their speed.
Before anyone knew it, the whole deck felt like it was experiencing a hurricane. Wind and shockwave went about, destroying anything in its way and pushing those that tried to withstand it. Tatsumi and Nyau were powerful in their own way and Ben could see that. However, Aria was something else to deal with.
"What about you?! I can take you with me!"
"I still have a commitment to this!" Aria said in rejection. "Please, Ben! Let me do this!"
If it weren't so the strain, Gravattack would've slapped his own face. "Fine! But get to the cargo hold of the ship and don't come out until I've come back! Got it?!"
"Yes, I…AHHHH!"
Aria was flung into an open door, pass open hall close to the deck, and into some inner part of the building.
"That was easy." Gravattack said. He soon let out a groan as he fought back against the harsh wind. "I just hope Aria is somewhere safe! I have to make this quick! Time to go Ultimate!"
Gravattack slapped the Ultimatrix symbol. The device made the usual spikes to reveal themselves and wash a green ray of light all over his body. Gravattack's transformation then became complete and he stood as a form almost similar to his own. He had a round head with longer rocky spikes almost all over it. The same was for his arms as he lacked the rest of his body. His color scheme still remained the same and his eyes were green, though his mouth lacked teeth, instead becoming green and black swirly energy.
His new transformation gave him another bonus. Ultimate Gravattack had his own orbit, meaning he also had smaller figures floating around him. These figures resembled him without the other parts of the body.
"ULTIMATE GRAVATTACK!"
With his new transformation came new possibilities. Ultimate Gravattack stared at his arms and felt satisfied with it. He then pushed his arms forward and caught everything within the deck in his orbit. That mean for Tatsumi and Nyau, as the both of them were lifted off the ground before they were then sent flying out off the ship
"That worked better than I thought." Ultimate Gravattack said to himself. "I was planning to take the people away, but this worked better. I guess Ultimate Gravattack is a little bit complicated than how Albedo showed it."
Ultimate Gravattack then changed back to his devolved form. The devolved form's Ultimatrix symbol flashed a few times and changed the teen back to normal Ben took a moment to look around and then looked forward at the sea. The soft wind pushed lightly on him as he thought about his friend.
"It's all up to you now, Tatsumi."
"I hear you, Ben!" Tatsumi said. Though his voice couldn't reach back at the hero, he understood him well.
"Fool! You both won't escape this!" Nyau stated back.
Their momentum came to a halt when both of them began to run on top of the water. Their speed was incredible and Tatsumi was leading the way while Nyau began to catch up.
"Try as he can, I will deal with you and him soon enough!" Nyau said. His body was glowing stronger mana energy as his mad grin improved. "I will finish you where you stand and receive praise from Esdeath-sama! Between you and me, power is all that matters and I am no doubt more stronger than you copycat!"
"I'm no copycat!" Tatsumi said boldly. "Unlike you, this power was gifted to me by those who seek nothing but the good of all! That is why…" He suddenly came to a stop and turned to face him standing. "I WILL AVENGE BULAT BY BEATING YOU!"
Nyau was suddenly overwhelmed. Tatsumi's outburst caused an invisible attack to him the member of the Three Beast. Nyau was sent back until he did a back flip and landed on his arms and legs on the sea's surface and opened his mouth.
"DEMON KING SKILL: FLAMING NEGATIVE ROAR!"
Nyau unleashed a huge blast of purple flames. Tatsumi had seconds to avoid and flew right above it. Nyau's attack caused an intense trail of mist from where Tatsumi once stood. The teen then flew down to get the evildoer.
Nyau was unamused. "Don't think this is over, you runt!" He shouted and raised his open hands. Magical circle then appeared a few feet above him and he laughed a little. "DEMON KING SKILL: NEGATIVE ARROWS OF DEATH!"
Nyau sent an unimaginable number of energy beams directly for Tatsumi. The speed they came was almost unmatched to the possible blow they could deliver. Tatsumi's speed would've been overwhelmed, but he then had an idea. His speed increased to such a way that he was almost impossible to see and fast enough to go through the energy beams.
"Impossible! You can't just do that!" Nyau yelled.
Tatsumi didn't say. Nyau barely had enough time to halt his attack and jump back just in time to avoid the armored teen.
"Shit…that was too close." Nyau muttered in frustration. "That kind of power wasn't from the Teigu. Is it possible that he went through my beams because of the same strange energy that course through my body?"
His guess was right; the mysterious power in Tatsumi was the cause. However, Nyau didn't get to make that conclusion when Tatsumi showed up. This time, the armored teen came from below and rammed into the enemy's chest.
"Urgh…!" Nyau grunted. He was shocked as he coughed up some blood. 'How did he get there without my detection?'
His worse fear was coming to life; however, he still fought back. He smashed both his fist on the teen's back and caused him to let go. He then maintained himself in the air and tightened his fist in an instant that caused purple energy to glow on them.
"Looks like far-range attacks are pointless against you! Then I'll just have to beat you to a pulp with my own fists since I'm clearly the better hand-to-hand combatant!" Nyau stated.
Tatsumi knew the psychotic teen was right. Even as he maintained himself in the air, he remembered when he was beaten by the young man. However, the circumstances were different this time.
Soon enough, the both of them closed the gap between them. Nyau swung a left kick for Tatsumi, who dodged it in time. He surprised the young man before he then swung a punch which was also dodged. Nyau was troubled by it and swung another punch at him. Tatsumi caught it this time.
With Nyau's fist in his hand, Tatsumi attacked. He punched the demonic teen in the face and sent him flying higher into the air.
"Im-Impossible…" Nyau gasped.
The demonic teen knew fear again. His mind had flashes of the time he and his comrades fought Esdeath in a sparring match and lost. The reminder of that overwhelming straight from the woman was enough for him that day. However, he was experiencing the same fear from that time.
'My attacks were fast, but…I could barely make out when he dodged.' Nyau said in his mind. He then pushed the fear back and let out a roar. "No, you cannot beat me! I am above you!'
He soon unleashed a volley of negative energy balls from his palms. Tatsumi saw them coming and weaved through them to the best that he could. They were much like a meteor shower, incredible to see from afar but deadly to anything in its path. Nonetheless, Tatsumi approached the demonic teen and punched him at the side of his head with one fist and then at the other side with his right fist. Nyau was then kicked at the chin and sent flying back.
'He's too fast!' Nyau thought. He realized his position and remembered his mistress again. 'However…' He suddenly grew his confidence. 'dying for her sake is a greater honor! For that, I will not fear any other except her!'
Nyau was able to hover again. He looked forward and saw Tatsumi coming before sending a punch at him.
"GOT YOU!" He shouted.
The demonic teen was right. His fist made its first collision with the helmet of Incursio. However, the punch didn't move Tatsumi at all; rather, it left Nyau open for Tatsumi to grab his throat and send his knee snap into his chest.
Nyau coughed out blood. Tatsumi's single kick sent a powerful shockwave that could be heard close by. Nyau felt numb by that single attack before waiting for the worse. Tatsumi did a spin and sent him flying down, precisely at the location of the Ryuusen.
It was in that moment that Ben returned back to the main deck. After getting every unconscious person to the inner part of the ship, he felt satisfied. But then the situation changed when Nyau crashed to the ground with a devastating impact that shook the entire ship.
Ben was easily taken aback. He was knocked off his feet and hitting the wall with his back. There was no real harm, but he winced as he returned to his feet. "What the…hell was that?" He asked.
Tatsumi landed at the other side of Nyau. His stomp alone shook the entire ship again; the battle wasn't over just yet. Nyau rose back to his feet weakly with his body battered and covered in his blood.
"What was that about Esdeath?" Tatsumi asked rhetorically. Nyau snarled, but couldn't make a move. "People like you already make this world the hell that it is! Just because you have power, you see it as a right to trample on the weak! But not me! Just like how bro stood for the people, I will do the same and make sure people like you understand what it truly means…"
Before he could finish, Tatsumi leapt straight at Nyau. His fist then connected deep into the demonic teen's stomach and became the most fatal blow in his life.
"TO BE PUNCHED FROM THE WEAK!" Tatsumi finished with a powerful voice.
His single punch was enough to send Nyau flying upwards. Along with that, there was a loud boom and a shockwave that pushed Ben back. Nyau was lost for words as his body kept going higher and higher until he was close to a thousand feet. From there, gravity took over and he was sent plummeting back to the ship.
The Rysuseen shook violently yet again. Nyau ended up crashing through the front desk and hitting the bottom of the ship. Ben was astonished by the power and stared at Tatsumi who stood motionlessly from the pose of his punch. Aria soon came out and stood close to Ben, bewildered at the scene.
"What just happened?" She asked.
"My grandma happened." Ben answered and stood up. "That symbol that she made for Night Raid on that night I fought Sunny is the cause of Tatsumi's strength. It just makes me wonder...does that mean Akame and Leone will be this powerful if they met Sunny themselves?"
Aria was curious about it too, but didn't say anything about it. The Incursio armor reached its limit and returned Tatsumi back to his normal self. The brown haired teen then fell to his knees in exhaustion. He had put a lot of power into the battle.
"Tatsumi!" Ben shouted worriedly.
The teen hero ran straight for the other teen. He would've gotten around the hole in the floor, but he was suddenly obstructed. Nyau rose from the bottom of the hole covered in a familiar pink aura. Ben gasped until he saw the motionless expression from the defeated young man.
"Sorry about that, Ben. I'm guessing that came a bit too surprising." said a familiar voice. Ben turned back to see who it was and was surprised. It was Bulat; however his body was covered in a pink aura and his voice sounded like a certain woman he knew.
"Grandma?" Ben guessed.
"Right on, kiddo." Verdona said. Her hand was already stretched out to Nyau. She then brought the boy to the floor in front of her. "He's still alive, but very barely. While Sunny is powerful to human eyes, her work was beyond an amateur. He was getting close to death's door every time he used that power."
Nyau groaned and tiredly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Bulat, whom he didn't know was someone else. Nevertheless, he became alarmed and pushed his hand into what remained of his jacket.
Verdona knew what he was looking for. She made a familiar flute to appear in her hand before displaying it to him. "Looking for this? I snatch this when you weren't looking." She said. "Such a complex and gifted device used for wrongdoings. I wonder sometimes what is wrong with this world. So dark and gritty it is, even more than other worlds I've seen."
"Give…that back." Nyau said with a pained groan. He weakly raised his blood covered arm at her. "That…does not belong to you. That Teigu…belongs to me. Esdeath-sama…lend it to me when…no one else would give me a chance. I was abandoned…my family killed…my noble prestige destroyed…I had nothing else to lose. But Esdeath-sama saw true potential in me and made me into the man I am. I…owe her…my life…and it is for that life that I…"
"Please stop, Nyau." Aria said softly.
All attention went to the girl as she walked over to the dying teen. She said no word until she knelt by his side and smiled at him sympathetically.
"This would be pointless, but I really am sorry for that time I mistreated you. If I knew better…No, if I was a better person, we could've actually gotten along. But you can rest now. You've fought well for Esdeath. I'm sure she will be proud of you."
Nyau growled. It was unheard due to his weak vocal cords. "How would you know?" He asked.
"Because I've seen the potential that existed in you too. Anyone with such conviction deserves some peace. But deep down, you know what you've done is wrong. Please at least let this moment be the only good thing in your life. If you wish, I will take Scream and use it to the best of its capability. That way, little boys who went through what you did will never have to stray to the path of blood and suffering."
"You…take Scream?" Nyau asked. He suddenly spat blood at Aria's cheek and growled. "I will never…betray Esdeath-sama! I will rather die…than see you touch my Imperial Arms…" He then paused and looked away. He saw Tatsumi and then smiled weakly. "I guess it's a good thing then…that I'm…a…dead man."
At last, the young man died with his eyes closed. Aria could see that without touching him. His last words before his death were clearly directed at her; however, whether it was a hidden permission from him to her to use Scream was mystery.
Aria decided then to stand back on her feet. Some part of her was saddened by the awful fate of her former friend. But with this moment, the teenage girl felt strongly convicted to honor her words to him.
"Are you sure you want this?" Verdona asked. "If I recall, you must have an impression of these...Teigu."
"Yes, that is true." Aria said. "But I feel confident that I can do it. Nyau was a good kid back when I knew him. I feel that Scream should be used for good, just like the little kid who played the flute used to be."
Verdona smiled in response. She was impressed by Aria and felt some easiness from her. Tatsumi chose then to speak as he approached Verdona. Incursio was in his hand as a sword before he stood directly before Verdona.
"Verdona, that's you, right?" Tatsumi asked. Verdona could sense some strained emotion in his voice. "That's not an image. You're actually inhabit Bulat's body right now...That's very wrong, you know."
"Yes, but for the moment. I –"
"Please…just let me have this moment."
Verdona was confused. If she was truly human, she might've even raised an eyebrow. The weather suddenly changed to a cloudy one. It then began to rain with an atmosphere that Verdona could recognize very well. She watched as Tatsumi let Incursio hit the ground and bow his head.
"Bro, I won thanks to you." Tatsumi said with a low voice. "I'm sorry, even in the end, I did things that would get me smacked…But I'll become strong. I'll try to learn to use Incursio as well as you did. So…so…" The teen couldn't hold his tears anymore. He fell on his arms and knees and let the tears leak out of his eyes. "Because of that…! It's okay if I cry a little bit now, right? Bro!"
There was no answer. Verdona could tell that he wasn't seeking one. Her presence in the man's body was supposed to bring him closure. She understood that to some extent and did nothing except look down on him. The teen's emotion became loud when he cried out from the pain in his heart. Ben felt sorry for his friend, but couldn't think of anything else to say. Tatsumi was mourning and he needed this moment to himself.
Somewhere in a remote region of the empire, there was a village known as Tengui Village. The people living there were known to be very generous. Their trading line extended to many places, including people of other races. Sadly, the history the village had was as dead as its citizens. Soldiers flooded the streets with bodies littering the ground. The grim atmosphere was only creepier as a single girl's was humming to a song happily.
Kurome was feeling very satisfied with herself. She was sitting on a huge pile of dead bodies and kicking her feet back and fought. Her slaughter of the people was still fresh in her mind as she was smiling.
"Phew! Human bodies can be so fun!" She said happily.
The soldiers below her weren't creeped out. They were used to her and sat back with one another after another day of genocide.
"As always Kurome is so easy to get along with." One soldier said.
"Kurome!" Another soldier called out. He was on his feet as he looked up to her. "A request for you to return to the Capital has come."
Kurome calmly took a piece of candy from her bag and put it in her hand. "Huh? Just for me?" She asked.
"Yeah…seems like it." The soldier said. "You're one of the seven –"
He was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. Sunny had showed up in time and smiled when he looked back at her. "Let me talk with her. After all, I think this would be a good time to get to know a comrade."
"Uh right."
Sunny giggled and activated her powers. She then flew from the ground, surprising the soldiers there, and land close to Kurome. She wasn't a little bit taken aback when her shoes touched the bodies of the dead. The Anodite retained her smile as her eyes met Kurome's body.
"Who are you?" Kurome asked. She pushed her bag of candy from Sunny's view. "This isn't yours, just so you know."
"Of course, I knew that." Sunny said. "I'm Sunny Tennyson. Nice to meet you, Kurome."
"Tennyson…" Kurome muttered. She then paused and made a look closer at Sunny. "You…kind of remind me of someone."
"Oh?" Sunny smiled mischievously. "By any chance does this person have brown hair, green eyes and can turn into Danger Beasts with a watch on his hand?"
Kurome became suspicious. "I'm guessing you know him."
"Know him? We're cousins." Sunny said and laughed. "Besides, he's the one I want to kill me one day. That might sound confusing, but I think we have something in common, Kurome."
"And what's that?" Kurome asked.
"We care too much for the only person we have left in this world."
Kurome was surprised by this. The only facial reaction she showed was with her eyebrows. She never disclosed her feelings about her sister to anyone else. But the fact that Sunny knew about it intrigued her and made her to smile slyly.
"You said your name is Sunny. Why are you really here?" Kurome asked as she stood up.
"You have been chosen as one of the seven people to be a part of a very big thing."
"I'm guessing you are one of them as well. Can you elaborate a little?" She asked.
"You have a sharp mind. If you keep it up, I might end up falling for you." Sunny said teasingly. She got no reaction from Kurome though. "Sadly, I cannot tell you the context behind it except that it's a request from the Capital."
"The Capital huh." Kurome said with an uninterested tone. She then turned away and faced the sunset. 'Maybe I'll get to see you there, Onee-san.' She then turned her head to Sunny. "You said that you want your cousin to kill you. What will you do if he doesn't?"
"Oh, that's easy." Sunny said. She then grinned and glowed her pupil pink. "If he keeps resisting, I'll just bring him more despair."
Kurome was kind of impressed. The color alteration of Sunny's eyes was unexpected though. There was something about Sunny that peeked her interest. However whether if it was for her own benefit or not was left unknown as she put her arms behind her back.
"Then I guess we should get going." She looked away.
"Indeed, we should." Sunny did the same.
The both of them stood in silence side by side. Their future as comrades was uncertain. But it didn't change the fact that together these two girls would bring a new meaning of despair to the people they care about.
_(CHAPTER END)_
Kurome is back! Yes, she has been in the fanfiction before. If you want to know how, look back at chapter 3's ending! I have big plans for her and Sunny, so look forward to that.
This chapter was supposed to have a scene from the manga in the beginning. However, due to how long this chapter became, I decided to leave it out. Another scene I couldn't add here will probably be in the next chapter.
Some part of me wanted Bulat to be saved. I wanted to stray away from all those fanfictions that have him killed off. I mean, I understand that he had to die in order for Tatsumi to have the inspiration to wield Incursio, but still I did think of a way to achieve his save and Tatsumi to survive. But I thought about it and realized that if I keep having characters saved then it would just lessen the stakes.
By the way, Aggregor in this fanfiction is not the real one. Verdona created a version of him just for the purpose you saw in this fanfiction. There is a reason she didn't show herself physically in the Akame Ga Kill world, but I'll save that for the future.
Thank you for reading this fanfiction. If you enjoyed this chapter, please favorite and follow and review so I can know your thoughts on this. Bye!