Hi VG! You caught me :0 I'm not quite sure why, but when I started this one in 2014 I was writing these popcorn half-chapters… and I kind of slid back into that mode. But I've been reviewing them myself, and the satisfaction isn't quite… there with this length (get your mind out of the gutter!). I will try to write a full 3.5k+ word chapter here. Thank you for your input! -Dienekes

Chapter 13: Kill the Impulse

(Within the Teigu)

Akame walked in, sword drawn, the cursed blade glinting in the dim light as she walked. There was a formal air about the Imperial office which sat at the center of this wretched compound. Stairs all ascended and combined, all aiming to a central office, like arteries all pointing to a central heart. Within was a desk. Behind that desk sat a woman with dark circles beneath her eyes, her legs kicked over the desk, clad in black stockings, a smug expression on her face.

Akame walked in, Serra behind.

"Is it you, then?" Akame asked bluntly, more business than accusation.

"Me?" the woman asked condescendingly. "I'm not so individualistic. I'm not so… self-centered. No… miss Akame, you are attacking us. This community of children. Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

Akame registered no reaction to the provocation as her eyes moved through each corner of the room, setting herself up for a killing strike. She raised her blade up over her head, edge up, and crouched to spring forward ten yards away from her target.

Esdeath knocked an arrow and observed Akame, keen to see the abilities of Night Raid's most dangerous blade. The woman who I am destined to slay so that I might cement myself as the strongest to ever live. She saw herself and Tatsumi… rising above the wretches, the weak, the filth. Gods… and our children…. Gods. By right of strength and violence, the God that rules all others.

Akame took one deep breath as she sank down into her stance. In a blinding flash, she was fully launched, like a falcon falling upon a mouse in a field her deathly blade speeding directly to the heart of her target. And Esdeath heard from her a simple, calm command: "Eliminate."

It was a lovely attack and Esdeath was happy to watch it, time it, and commit it to her memory.

So I can come up with a thousand ways to cut the bitch in half the moment she dares use it on me.

But the Imperial behind the desk had another idea. She snapped her finger and she was gone. The lights flickered, and the chair was empty.

Akame struck the empty air anyhow, putting her blade through the chair. After, she carefully examined the blade, but saw no blood upon it.

The two girls turned from the office room, now empty. When they reached the top of the stairs, they could see that a crowd of children had gathered at the foot of them.

Their pupils had changed color. Now black with red pupils instead of their natural colors. They snarled like vicious dogs, foaming spit dripping from their mouths. Esdeath glanced around the room, seeing snarls and bared teeth everywhere she looked.

Hundreds… maybe thousands.

All at once the children launched their attack. Esdeath put her arrow into the first eye socket without hesitation, and Akame cut the first child up the stairs in two.

They cut their way down the stairs, Esdeath retrieving her arrows as they moved through the corpses they had created. However, the speed of the bow was insufficient and she started needing to break the necks and skulls of the children with kicks and punches in between shots as the fighting got thicker.

After one kill, Esdeath stepped back, and felt Akame's back press against her own. Akame rolled off, delivering a series of strikes which cut down an entire 90-degree area of attackers as Esdeath rolled off the other way, kicking straight up with her boot and snapping the neck of an attacker, flipping the child dead onto the ground.

Back to back, huh… Even though from what she'd seen of Akame, Esdeath had the edge in speed and killer instinct, it certainly was nice to have a capable warrior as an ally in a situation like this…

In the distance, Esdeath heard Tatsumi's voice. "Leona no! Don't kill them, they're only children!"

Esdeath inhaled sharply. That idiot… is trying to save them! She launched herself to the top of a railing on the second story, and in the distance she could see Tatsumi struggling under a growing pile of children. Their hands had become claws. They were biting and clawing at his armor as Tatsumi struggled to keep his footing.

Even now, he shouted. "Leona no! The Warden! Find the Warden!" Esdeath watched all the worthless scum piling upon her Tatsumi, with horror.

My love… he is determined to die… But not today.

The temporal cold issued from Esdeath's body as she froze time. The entire room fell still. She looked sadly at Tatsumi who was yelling, covered in blood. Leona stood by his side, bewildered. Akame was behind Esdeath, cutting an entire section of the threats with a stone-cold expression.

Esdeath looked around the room in her newfound calm, gazing over the room with a predator's eyes, and identified one figure who was standing a little taller than the rest of the mindless animals that were upon them. Esdeath walked over to her.

She saw the woman, robed, but smiling beneath. She held an orb, which pulsed with a strange energy.

Found you.

Pulling her rapier from the bag on her back, Esdeath put the blade through the orb and through the woman's heart. With the killing strike slid through the woman's midsection, Esdeath allowed the frozen flow of time to flow once again.

The smile vanished from the woman's face as the orb she was holding crumbled in her hands. Blood erupted from her mouth as death seized upon her rapidly and she fell to her knees.

She looked up to Esdeath in horror. "Are you…"

"Yes, Axis," Esdeath said, looking her nose down at the dying woman. "A fun game, to be sure, but you are in my way."

Axis, Esdeath's former Imperial colleague, died in a pool of her own blood as Esdeath watched, ensuring the death came as it ought to, and that a second strike would not be necessary before she stowed her blade.

Their surroundings began to wobble, and then vanish, replaced by starry sky as Night Raid and the remaining living children found themselves in a field of grass.

Esdeath walked to where Tatsumi had last been. She found Leona over him, gently nudging him with her foot. His eyes were closed, and he was bleeding.

Seeing Tatsumi like that awakened something within Esdeath.

As his eyes fluttered open, Leona cried out "Tatsumi!" she leaned in to hug him.

But before she could, Serra was already there, over his chest. Leona paused, finding her path blocked and stood awkwardly.

"Tatsumi" Esdeath said more peacefully. "Welcome back."

Esdeath looked down upon his bloody face warmly, knowing that no matter what happened between them from here, all of her trials had been worth it to lead up to this moment.

My love is alive.

"I saw something," Tatsumi said. One of his brown eyes was open, but the other was swollen shut, bruised from some blunt impact.

"What did you see, Tatsumi?" Serra asked gently.

"I was falling… and I saw a large eagle danger beast flying over me."

Serra ran her fingertips gently through his hair. "She was protecting you, Tatsumi."

Tatsumi locked eyes with Esdeath as she said this. "I… I think you're right." Esdeath basked in his gaze, feeling a hot blush settle in on her cheeks.

"Hey!" Leona finally snarled over Esdeath's shoulder, eyes full of accusation. "What the hell are you doing, Serra?"

Serra looked back to Leona, eyes cold. "I'm a healer, Leona. Leave it to me."

Leona's eye twitched. "You're a healer, huh?" Her entire body tensed with anger.

Akame walked beside the others, sword now sheathed. "She's a healer, Leona. Leave it to her."

Leona spun on Akame. "WHAT DID I DO TO YOU, AKAME FOR THIS BETRAYAL?" she roared.

Tatsumi began to laugh, trailing off as he winced in pain. "Ah… I definitely broke a rib."

"Shhhh then," Esdeath cooed. She ripped a strip of cloth off of her robe and poured some fresh water onto it and dabbed his face, cleaning the dried blood and dirt off of his wounds where the claws and bite marks had done their work.

"Ahhh! Gentle," Tatsumi exclaimed as she began to clean the bruises over his broken rib.

Esdeath stroked his hair reassuringly. "Don't worry, Tatsumi, I can be the most gentle there ever was."

Akame and Leona watched in silence.

"See," Akame said matter of factly, "she's a healer. Leave it to her."

Leona looked over to Akame out of the side of her eyes with a sour look.

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(Years prior… 'Captain Esdeath's' first scouting mission…)

Esdeath walked proudly back into camp, her twelve soldiers in a column behind her. Esdeath held a chain in her hand and behind her walked a man on all fours, naked, into the Imperial camp.

Murmurs, and laughter began to spread and a crowd developed.

The commander of the camp emerged from his tent. He whistled, gathering his guard around him as he approached the returning party.

"Welcome back," the commander announced. He had a devilish look on his face, but it turned to alarm as he saw Esdeath gesturing to the naked man on the ground beside her.

"Who is that?" the imperial commander asked sharply.

"The Bandit leader," Esdeath answered simply, gesturing to the man, "as ordered."

The commander squinted at the man who was on the ground beside her. "That is the leader of the bandits who has been killing our men on their foraging missions?"

"One second," Esdeath replied.

She turned to the naked man beside her. "Sit." She said firmly.

Obediently, he sat, his knees in front of him, head at attention.

"Roll over." She commanded.

And once again the man rolled to one side, then back to the other, returning to his sitting position, he looked up obediently to Esdeath while the onlookers hooted and cheered. Esdeath snapped her fingers and pointed to the commander, "Answer the good commander's question, dog."

"I am the bandit commander, sir." He looked to Esdeath as if seeking approval.

"Good dog. Very good listening. Great job!" Esdeath affirmed with a smile.

The commander walked to Esdeath's side and lowered his voice. "How did you… accomplish this?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

Esdeath looked to the commander innocently, pulling a riding crop from her coat pocket. "Mostly this?" she said simply. "I borrowed it from the cavalry. I hope this is not a problem?"

The commander cleared his throat and shook his head. "Nope… no problem at all… uhm Captain… uh." He trailed off, frowning.

"Esdeath, sir."

"Yes. Captain Esdeath. Nice work… write up a report and… have it to me by sundown."

Esdeath snapped a salute.

She turned to the twelve men, a disreputable-looking lot, but in good order. "Well done, lads," she said, beaming with a broad smile. "It was a true pleasure working with you. You are dismissed!"

"THREE CHEERS FOR CAPTAIN ESDEATH!"

The men cheered raucously before dispersing. Esdeath turned back to the commander, who still eyed her warily.

"Am I dismissed, Commander?" she asked innocently.

He breathed deep. "About our… first interaction," he answered, choosing his words with caution. "Standard hazing. I hope you don't read anything too deep into it, captain?"

She bowed before him formally, sweeping an arm over her breast, her sharp eyes gazing up from under her military cap. "I'm at your service, commander."

The words were correct… and she was just as beautiful as the woman he'd leered at just days before… but the only thing Captain Esdeath inspired in the commander now was a chill up his spine. The sooner he could have those… eyes looking somewhere else, the sooner he could be at ease.

"Very good, captain. You are dismissed."

As he turned away, breathing a sigh of relief as she walked away without further comment, he thought to himself that it was not just the bandit commander who she'd tamed…

That woman… is a demon.

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(Present Day… the night after the mission, in a Night Raid camp in the Wilderness…)

Esdeath washed in the river. The water was at the point between warm and chilly, but the cold hadn't bothered her since she was chastised once as a child.

She could still hear her father's voice as his fierce grip grabbed her by the hair, no daughter of mine will shiver from the cold. You were born of my blood, so start acting like it.

She left her shirt on, to cover her tattoo, but her bottom was covered only by her small-clothes. The water was clean here. She cupped it, and brought it up bit by bit, methodically cleaning herself, as she enjoyed the feeling of the water flowing over her skin.

It took some time, but finally, he arrived to the river.

Esdeath gave a keen look to Tatsumi, still bruised, but in better spirits as he approached. She had been waiting for him. Could he have felt it? All of my love and all of the things I was saying with my hands when I cleaned him? I put all of my feelings into those touches… all of the feelings that burn inside me so hot I feel like they will consume me and turn me into ashes…

"Serra," he blushed, looking away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

She strode out from the river, emerging from the waters, shining wet. She pulled her hair back with a movement of her hands before allowing her eyes to raise slowly to meet his. Her eyes said would you shut up with your stammering, Tatsumi. When you've displeased me, trust me… I'll let you know.

Already she was grinning. She could see it in his body. She walked to Tatsumi's side, yes… but she also was showing him the way her body could move.

"Don't worry, Tatsumi," she said with a long look. "I prefer that you are here. I feel safe when you are around. I know you are a… good and strong man to your core."

Tatsumi stole a glance her way, itching his head nervously as he blushed from her inviting smile. "Oh… thanks, Serra."

"You know…" he muttered, his thoughts in chaos, "Mein really is a wonderful girl."

Serra pierced into him with her look. "It must be hard," she said softly. "Failing to protect her. Failing to protect your friends. The whole world is putting all of the weight of their problems on your shoulders." She looked up and down his body in a slow way, as if taking him in.

"Don't you need to… let off some steam, Tatsumi?" she asked innocently as she bent over to pick up a single boot she'd left behind.

From where Tatsumi was standing, he could see the … roundness of her.

She caught him looking.

She exaggerated the bend in her hips as she looked over her shoulder. She whispered, with a hard edge in her voice, "Take it out on me, Tatsumi. No one else needs to know."

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They went at it again and again. In the beginning, he protested a few times, but she drowned him out with her tongue. And in their kiss, his protests fell quiet.

Esdeath allowed him only enough time as he was minimally required before assaulting him anew, each time, throughout the night. Now that she'd finally gotten it, she could not stand to waste a single moment not in union with her love. Just as her tongue gave him no chance to speak, her hips gave him no chance to think.

All the while, no matter how tired he got, she could feel the hunger in his touch, and the yearning of their two spirits that she'd felt from that fateful day, begging to be reunited… and to dance as they were always destined to. All she had to do was find a path to cut through all that stupid sanity and all those stupid thoughts...

Did you know, Mein… this day in my cycle is my peak fertility…

She giggled happily. He's where he belongs, now.

And we are
Only. Getting. Started.