Hello all! So I just want to go ahead and start on an odd note today with a disclaimer on some of the content within this story. As promised in the last chapter, these future chapters will be pretty descriptive with gore and darker elements of the Akame Ga Kill universe. So if you aren't cool with any of that you should probably either scan by bits that you dislike to read or maybe even find another fic to read if this one bothers you that much.
Also some other things about Esdeath and Black. I want to make it as clear as possible that I am not going to be hardcore-mellowing either of these characters. They both have their logical reasons for acting as they do to their surroundings.
Esdeath: She is laying low at the moment, she wants to just hang back and let Honest run the lie deep into the Empire that she is dead. However, when she does return to publicity she will absolutely devastate whoever stands in her way in classic-Esdeath style. Also I am not going to be turning her into some silly school-girl with Black. Is she going to be enamored with him? Yes, because as shown with Tatsumi (who was weaker than Esdeath) she is very clingy and very strongly-loving. However, she won't just freeze up every time Black just looks at her. I apologize if the past chapter had some of you under that misconception, but as these next few chapters are going to show, there is a reason for everything.
Black: Sort of the same situation with Black, I am not turning him into a school-boy either. I am instead following off of the personality Black shows when interacting with others in both his Video Game and Canon appearances. He is definitely socially awkward to a degree as is his own life of seclusion, not to mention the rampant emotions that are now eating at him because of his new mortal body. (I hope you remember that bit I added about Saiyan sex drives, obviously this doesn't just apply to only under-the-sheets action. This also applies to how Black is going to cope with dealing with these new emotions he is experiencing from being around Esdeath.)
Also
BLACK IS NOT GOING TO BE A "HERO"
I should probably, at a later date, rephrase the final bit of the last chapter. Essentially that was Black going "I'm going to literally kill anything I dislike" and not "I am going to be a savior!" Black is not a savior, he is an anti-hero at best, a villain at worst. And he will act as one, as any other train of action is going to be out of character for Black.
Now I've rambled on long enough, let us start this chapter!
[2 Days Later, Night Raid HQ]
Grumbling in annoyance, Tatsumi began scrubbing at another plate. Just because he was the new recruit didn't mean they had any right to stick him as their personal maid! Although he had also assumed there were worse things he could be tasked to do...
Like cleaning everyone's Teigus after a battle, or doing Lubbock's laundry. Tatsumi shuddered at the thought. That was a fate he wished on no one. Looking up from the sink he had noticed that Akame had stayed behind, staring down into the place where her food had just been moments ago. Tatsumi sighed, it didn't take a genius to guess what Akame wanted. "Seconds, Akame?"
"Yes."
Tatsumi nodded in understanding. This girl, was she really the same one that had been so determined to cut him down only days prior? It had definitely been a strange and challenging barrier to overcome, he had thought her some sort of mindless killing-machine. Apparently there were more angles to her mindset than just killing and following orders.
Tatsumi was then jolted out of his thoughts when Leone burst into the dining area in a cold-sweat. "Guys, you need to come quick. Boss has some serious news for all of us, I've never seen her so freaked out before!"
[Moments Later]
Najenda was busy cradling her face into her hands. Today had just gotten so much worse. When she had first received her reports from the North, she had immediately followed up with several requests for confirmation. They all came back positive, there was no error in the information presented by the Revolutionary Army Intelligence Corps.
Soon, all of the active members of Night Raid had gathered into their main hall. Pushing her nerves down, Najenda took several deep breaths before speaking. "Word has arrived from the North, General Esdeath's war-report has been intercepted…"
Despite her attempts to remain calm, beads of sweat began forming on Najenda's forehead.
"The results are credible and conclusive, General Esdeath is dead. She was killed by another monster of even greater power. This man has been designated as 'Black' by the garrisons that Esdeath had led to the North, apparently he was also responsible for wiping out half of the Northern Tribes' city-state population in a single attack."
This news shot a piercing chill through every occupant in the main hall, with the exception of Tatsumi who had no idea of exactly who or what either were. Mine noticed this and was about to retort when Najenda spoke again.
"Our mission has been altered, we will remain on our duties and contracts for the Capital. However, Black has taken absolute top-priority. You are to never face him alone, and you are to report his whereabouts so that we can keep eyes on him at all times." Najenda began fumbling around in her pockets for a cigarette. "Whether we like it or not, we have an absolute monster on our hands…"
BLACKICE
[Rose Island, Black's Cabin, Esdeath's Room]
Clearing the drowsiness from her eyes, Esdeath stretched and prepared to leave bed. That sleep was direly needed, there was simply too much on her mind. To say that Esdeath was stressed would be an understatement. In the short time she had known him, Black had on many occasions let her know of his position of dislike of 'mortals' or 'humans'. However, he had been essentially hovering over the unconscious girl now for the past two days. For Black that was unnatural entirely, and she wasn't sure that there wasn't an underlying factor to it. Although she supposed she had to be grateful for the girl being a distraction enough for the past couple of days, Black has seen her in the state she was in the alleyway and hadn't yet questioned her. That in itself was a blessing that she was willing to take.
Although speaking of 'blessings' and 'gods', that in itself was another issue, it wasn't as if Esdeath believed that 'god' nonsense Black was constantly spouting. The 'Saiyan' bit was hard enough to accept, but under recent...developments. It was definitely believable…
What recent developments? Well…
[1 Day Prior]
Esdeath didn't know if this was a prank, a cosmic sort of joke, or a combination of the both. There, attached to Black's lower-back, was a monkey's tail… Black turned around to find Esdeath gawking at the new growth. Black may have forgotten to add that part into what the Saiyans were. Scratching his head, Black tucked the tail around his waist like a belt. "This is a Saiyan's tail, I used my healing magic to repair it so that I could attempt some techniques that inspired me from an old foe I once fought against."
[Present]
While the…'Saiyan's tail'...may have surprised Esdeath at first, Black's gentleness with caring for the girl was the real home-run on that end. Everytime Black had opted to skip their usual breakfast chat to instead care for the girl, Esdeath had found that a rather painful feeling rooted itself into her heart. Esdeath didn't quite know what this feeling was, although she had some idea that it had to do with her recent developments of attraction to Black. That and considering the condition that Esdeath had been in during the alleyway incident.
Now that she wasn't on the receiving end of one of Black's attacks she could say without a doubt that she was afraid of his strength. As ridiculous as that sounded, even to Esdeath herself, she understood why. Black had strength that was unparalleled. This was not an opinion nor was it personal bias due to her growing attraction to Black, this was just fact. During one of her recent training sessions she had witnessed him split the ocean out beyond the horizon with a punch. A single punch.
Cradling her face into her palm in thought she sighed, while he was indeed powerful that did also raise a burning question. Who had defeated Black? Esdeath shook her head in exasperation, the better question would be what had defeated Black? The sheer scope of his power was something that eclipsed anything she had ever bore witness to, let alone was capable of. Black could even move through fucking frozen time, the level of strength that a feat of that capacity would have to take was unfathomable.
Suddenly everything in the cabin went completely and deathly still. Black was no longer hovering over the girl as a protective mother would, now he was as quiet and unmoving as an obsidian statue. Without warning Black pressed his fingers against his head and disappeared with that strange technique he used for instant travel. Perplexed as to what had just happened, Esdeath stepped forward into the room and stared down at the girl that was still unconscious.
And stared…
And stared…
Eventually intelligent thought returned to Esdeath and she came to a conclusion, Black obviously wanted something out of the girl or he would not have gone to the depth of care he had for her. "Well, babysitting was never my expertise…", Esdeath reached out to touch the girl's head, "...but I suppose I could try new things every once in a while…"
No sooner than Esdeath had uttered those words had the girl's eyes shot open and locked onto Esdeath.
"Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me-"
BLACKICE
Black knew what he had felt. He thought that when he arrived into this world he would never have felt that same energy again… God Ki…
Appearing before where he had assumed the source would be, Black instead found himself in the center of a clearing of viscera, blood, and gore. Taking a look around carefully Black had seen that there were no craters indicative of Ki Blasts so he had deduced that whoever or whatever had been the source had instead opted to rending flesh with their bare hands. Black grew a smirk, while he himself had preferred Ki Blasts over staining himself with mortal flesh, he could appreciate a messy slaughter.
Still, something bothered Black… The gore that coated the clearing had indeed been spared from any of the trees, but that only made the anomalous nature stand out even more. Typically life energy is stored within the body, even upon death there will be a remainder of Ki that over time will dissipate out of the detached piece until it no longer holds the energy. Glancing down at what looked to be a chunk of human lungs Black could easily tell that this was done only moments ago, yet there was no Ki radiating out from the corpse part…
Having had enough of the morbid spectacle and surrendering the thought of finding the culprit at the moment, Black used Kai Kai to arrive back at the cabin…
And into another Hell entirely...
There was screaming, thrown objects, and ice everywhere. Black raced downstairs to the 1st floor where through the front door he saw Esdeath being chased by the girl wielding a broom. Black didn't have the necessary thought process available when he listened into what was being screamed.
"Brat! You are so lucky that Black doesn't want you harmed otherwise I would KICK YOUR ASS"
"You get back here you harlot cougar! Take your punishment like a man!"
"Man!? I am a woman you dolt! And besides I don't like little girls, I am only interested in men around my age!"
"Then why are you running away from me you cougar pervert!?"
"BECAUSE I CAN'T KILL YOU YET!"
Having finally had enough processing time for what he was seeing, Black shot forward and swept up Esdeath into his arms with his back turn against the oncoming broom. Esdeath, registering what was happening, burned immediately up into a fierce blush and turned away from Black's sight. Black didn't catch this, but instead felt the broom come down on his exposed head.
Thwack
The girl, noticing now that she hadn't struck the pervert and instead realizing that she had struck a man that took the blow for the woman, dropped the broom in shock. Black turned around and ignored the slight buzz of feeling from the back of his head, instead he carefully placed Esdeath down to his side and knelt down on one knee to look at the girl at eye level. Esdeath sighed, now that Black was here things were surely going to be explained and settled where she didn't have this brat chasing after her with all sorts of household appliance-turned-weaponry.
"You, little mortal girl, are now my child."
Esdeath dropped like a brick.
The girl looked as if she were processing medical terminology.
Black sighed, maybe he could have worded that a bit better…
BLACKICE
Waking Esdeath up wasn't so difficult, explaining to her his decision however…
"What do you mean 'this is what you wanted all along!?"
That wasn't going very smoothly at the moment.
Black sat back down from his pacing and faced Esdeath once more. "I mean that this is precisely what I have been waiting for. A mortal with a soul of pure light, I could potentially mold and raise her into a Kai!" Glancing over to the girl who now sat at his living room couch he could see her essentially glued to the television. "And besides, it would do this Universe some good to have some light in it in some way…"
Esdeath went into a deep sigh and clutched the temple of her nose desperately. "So you decided that fatherhood was the best way to go about this? As in adopting a human child? As far as I am aware I have never heard of a human being raised by an alien! Let alone one that has a God Complex!"
Black seemingly took offense to that. "God Complex? I assure you that this is very far from a comple-"
"Mr. Black is telling the truth…"
Esdeath, annoyed at both Black's cutoff and the audacity of the girl to question her statement, gave the girl a glare from her peripheral vision. "And how, pray tell, do you figure that one brat?"
The girl shot a glare back at Esdeath. "Because pervert, the box is showing a vision of him right now."
"WHAT!" Esdeath was right beside the girl on the couch in an instant, and Black didn't have the chance to go for the remote due to both Esdeath's placement and the girl's tight grip on the remote. Black instead got up from his seated position and walked to the side of the room closest to Esdeath and stared at what was currently playing.
Unfortunately for Black it was exactly what he had dreaded to see once more, his fight against Goku…
Or rather to be more specific, it was his monologue to Goku…
[Unknown amount of time ago, Universe 7 of the Zeno Multiverse, Future Earth Timeline]
Stabbing through his other self, Black held Goku pinned against the rubble with his ["Divine Lasso"] Ki Blade. Zamasu reached up and began choking Goku, motioning with his head back to Black. "Go ahead, tell him what you did to his loved ones…"
Black smirked and answered in kind. "Well, where does one begin such a gripping tale?"
"Yes. A good question." Zamasu began to dig his fingers even further into Goku's neck as the Saiyan began struggling to remove Zamasu's hold. "Why don't you begin with what you did directly after the wish. What you did to his family, his friends? All while they recognized their beloved Goku…"
Black's smirk descended into a dark smile…
[Present]
Black focused Ki into his eyes to cause interference, he wanted to skip that part entirely, if only for the sake of the girl that he was now attending to.
[Unknown amount of time ago, Universe 7 of the Zeno Multiverse, Future Earth Timeline]
The two Saiyans stood opposing each other, one garbed in black, the other clothed in orange.
"Goku!"
"Black!"
"This ends here!"
[Present]
The two female occupants of the room stared on at the television with a great anxiety in their chests, one finally dawning a realization of the truth, the other figuring out who her new charge truly was. As the fight grew more ferocious and more of the already destroyed city began being wiped from existence, Black could only let out a sigh of somewhat-relief. Thankfully he and Goku had not been transformed at the time, that would provoke another slew of questions he was not willing to delve into. Not yet at least…
As the fight faded out and the television tuned into another reality, Esdeath turned to face Black at an eerily sloth-like pace. With an unreadable expression upon her face she prepared herself for what would be the most important sentence of her life. "I'm sorry."
Black fell off of his seat at the arm of the couch. Scrambling to get back up he looked down at her once more in question. "What?"
Esdeath's manner did not change. "I'm sorr-" Black held a hand up to interrupt her for a moment, which surprisingly yielded instant results. "Do not…", Black lowered his hand and leaned against the wall that the couch was slid up against, "...do not say sorry for what you have done, especially not to me." He glanced over to meet her eyes. "Your crime of affecting time was already egregious enough, but I have forgiven that. Such a small matter will not shake me, nor do I expect for you to change your routine because you are now a bit more understanding."
She wasn't convinced, shaking her head Esdeath persisted. "I refuse to believe that you… an alien god doesn't harbor some semblance of distaste for me." Black, for the first time in the months he had been on this new Earth, chuckled in humor. "Distaste? Far from it actually, I have taken a rather special liking to you… Esdeath, you are not like the rest of these mortal piglets, you have fire in you and a will to temper it to your command."
Esdeath chose to look away lest she allow Black a view of her brightening face, however that did not save her from the brat. "So if Mr. Black is my new father… does that make Ms. Esdeath my new mother? Gasp Does that mean I get to call her Mrs. Black!?"
"NO!"
The girl burst out into laughter at the expense of both Black and Esdeath breaking out into harsh crimson blushing. As the girl laughed they both stole a glance at each other, maybe that possibility wouldn't be that far-fetched?
The mood suddenly took a turn for the worst, as Black felt the familiar sensation he had just sensed hours ago: God Ki. Turning to face Esdeath he saw that she had already scanned over his face, and knew the urgency of the situation. "Esdeath, you are coming with me, as a native of this world I need your assistance on a certain matter. I will explain when we arrive." Black then turned to face the girl, who was now slightly concerned based on the two's reaction to whatever had set them off. "You girl, you will stay here and make yourself at home. If it is an emergency then run upstairs and find a black remote with a single red button in the middle, it will be beside my headboard."
Black reached over to touch Esdeath's arm and pressed his index and middle finger to his forehead, moments later they were gone.
BLACKICE
Appearing before the supposed source Black was once again greeted to a sight of pure, unadulterated slaughter. Esdeath was used to such brutality, but the decor of the one who had done this had been incredibly sloppy. They simply left so many pieces behind without giving them a second thought. Huffing in annoyance Esdeath turned to Black. "What now?"
Black glanced back over at a broken branch with gore draped over it. "I need you to track this beast, it is putting off energy that is strangely similar to my own, and I believe it is suppressing it on purpose to mask itself from me." Esdeath nodded and motioned for Black to follow her.
As they two followed the trails they came across many different scenes of the same type, but with varying victims. Citizen, danger beast, soldier, animal, it apparently made no difference to this veiled monster. The path of bloodshed and carnage led Black and Esdeath into a cavern in the side of a mountain, which dropped into a massive pit with the only direction that differed being up. Once they had descended into the gargantuan pit they were treated to a grim sight, a near-100 meter pile of bones, sinew, viscera, organs, and whatever biomatter that had previously been referred to as someone's "internal" organs. Investigating the spire of gore Esdeath let out a whistle of appreciation. "Woah, with as high as this stacks and with how old the remains are at the bottom of this glory pile, I want to estimate that whatever has been doing this is very good and very old.
Black looked back at her, prompting Esdeath to specify. "Well… hard to say exactly without an inspection type Imperial Arms, but I would place the time-range on this collection anywhere between the last few decades to near about centuries ago.
Right as Esdeath finished her remark Black was put on edge as the spike of God Ki he had felt earlier was incredibly close. Reacting with only moments to spare, Black grabbed Esdeath by her arms and tucked her in close as he used his momentum to roll out of the way of an armored claw ripping out from the inside of the gore spire. Esdeath, now realizing the speed at which she was attacked, glanced up at Black. "It's incredibly fast, and silent to boot. I would have died there... it's dangerous…" Black looked back at the still outstretched claw-like greave that had nearly decapitated Esdeath. "Far more than you know… I can feel… God Ki!"
Esdeath went slack-jawed, "What?"
The two watched as the gauntlet retreated back into the spire before the mountain of gore exploded into molten blood and viscera. In the center stood a man in full jet-black heavy-plate armor with horns decorated upon his helmet, which obscured all features behind a veil of shadow pitch black. With the exception of only one thing…
Two brightly shining white beads of hatred and malice shone through the black of the helmet's shadow and bore into Black.
Esdeath recoiled when she saw what was written upon the man's armor, on the chest plate a large inscription of "album" was clearly visible, and if she used ["Demon's Extract"] she could make out the words "candidus albus" etched onto the outlines of the armor.
"Black! That's Ancient Imperial, that's the language of the First Emperor!" Black grunted, great… so whatever this thing was, it was either extremely old or had amazing elusion skills. Either way this wasn't good, he wanted information on it since it had the ability to use God Ki.
The figure then raised his head towards Black. Black, in question, was about to strike when he saw the two beads of light grow brighter. Acting on his instincts Black dropped his back almost to the ground just in time as two extremely powerful beams of Ki cut through the chasm's walls and blew apart the massive stone support. Soon the entire cave system was shaking as the blast destabilized it.
Realizing what was coming next, Black dashed back and grabbed Esdeath. ["Kai Kai!"] Black held flight above the mountain with Esdeath in his arms and observed as a side of it depressed into place where the collapsing cave system was. Esdeath leaned into Black and held onto her rapier at her side. "You said he had God Ki, do you think that thing will survive that much weight collapsing on him?"
Esdeath was answered moments later as a vicious and bloodthirsty warped scream ripped throughout the area. Black held onto Esdeath securely and vanished away from the mountain as a massive beam glassed the range and blasted away into the sky. Soon the same figure in black armor began rising up to meet them as Black could feel the immense power from before only become more and more amplified.
Gritting his teeth, Black released restrained laughter. "So… it would seem my theory has been confirmed…" Esdeath looked up to meet Black's face and was startled to see that he had burst out into the widest and most viscous smile he had to form yet since she met him. "Once more, I engage in a battle of gods!" Black and purple God Ki began forming an outline of Black as his energy and power surged in kind.
"I'll give you your divine retribution!"
BLACKICE
[Unknown Space, Unknown Time]
The void...
Nothing existed as existence did not exist, not in the void, this was the expanse beyond the world of perception. Some called it hell, some called it purgatory, both were wrong in their assumptions. In this realm of nothing a number of robed individuals stood as still as frozen blades of grass, unmoving yet conversing.
"-the balance of the world?-"
"-suppose so, although with the defeated-"
"-his wife's death shook him… But it had-"
"-I understand, but if we look at this logically-"
"-he cannot handle both mantles! It will drive him mad!-"
"-seems to believe that hasn't already come to pass…-"
Suddenly all at once every robed figure was slammed down to their knees, an unseen force acting as bindings to the strange beings. Moments later a maroon-robed figure managed to stand through the overwhelming pressure and looked up into what could have been "the sky." With a great and herculean effort he managed to release a shout into the emptiness.
"Lux! What monster have you become? What have we done?..." The man raised a hand to wipe at his eyes, he had shed tears, "...this is our sin… I am sorry brother…"
Hello everyone, been a while has it not? I got half-way through the chapter back in July before my computer decided that combusting was a good idea… so I apologize on that front. Some clarifications again for this chapter.
Black and Goku are not transformed in either of these scenes in this headcanon. I understand that Black and Goku are in Rose and Blue respectively in the first scene, and the second scene never technically happened. But I have already said before this is neither reliant on solely the manga or the anime, so expect some sprinkles of extra non-canon scenes to be in the story as this story's headcanon. Also the scenes shown on the television are a little strange at the moment I get that, but bear with me for a while on those. They will begin to make sense story-wise soon.
Now that I'm done with that, I promise that the next chapter wont take a month to drop, unless of course my computer dies again…
Thank you for reading the story, and if you haven't, please consider liking and favoring the story! Also feel free to leave reviews! I'll catch you all later on the next chapter of Black Ice!