Hey guys, I'm finally back with a new chapter for this fic! I sincerely apologize for the long wait for this chapter, but I was extremely busy with school this semester and had very little time to do any writing. But now that I've worked on my Pokemon and Fairy Tail fics, I can spend time focusing on this one. As usual I will write two to three chapters for this fic before I start working on my Pokemon story. Well this chapter will pick up where the previous one left off and continue Night Raid's fight against the Jaegers. Also, in this chapter we'll finally see whether Bulat survives or not, and whether Chelsea will meet the same grisly fate.
P.S. Like Esdeath, I won't be going over Chelsea's backstory in this chapter, because it would just be retreading info we already know.
That's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic!
"Speech"
"Thoughts"
"Incursio"
Teigu
Disclaimer: I don't own Akame ga Kill, or any of its characters.
"Now that I've helped Tatsumi..." Chelsea said, before ducking behind a large rock. Poking her head out, a smirk spread across Chelsea's face when she spotted Kurome sitting several hundred feet away. "It's time to go after the bigger prey."
"Hmmm..." Kurome hummed to herself, as she ate one of her snacks. "The time I take between snakes is getting shorter and shorter lately." Looking up at the sky overhead, Kurome began to wonder if her other teammates were safe. "I hope Wave is okay with those two...especially Seryu...she's been acting quite odd recently. Ah, what am I worrying about, he's a stubborn one. He'll be able to handle himself." Kurome's eyes suddenly widened when she felt a jolt run down her spine. Shooting up to her feet, Kurome began to make her way back towards the battlefield. "First Rokugou and the monkey were rendered immobile, now it's Henter..." Releasing a light sigh, Kurome popped another snack in her mouth and grabbed Yatsufusa. "Oh well...the eighth should be ready to move soon. It's about time I get on the attack too."
(Same Time: With Mine)
"Damn, this bitch is annoying!" Mine thought, sliding underneath a barrage of bullets fired by the undead puppet she was fighting. Rolling on the ground, Mine sprang up into the air and hit the puppet in the chest with several rapid fire rounds from Pumpkin. The shots caused the undead puppet to stumble backwards, directly towards a chasm. Seeing an opportunity, Mine swapped Pumpkin back to sniper mode and hit the puppet in head with a powerful blast of spiritual energy. The force behind the shot launched the puppet backwards into the chasm. Mine walked over to the edge and gazed down, spotting no sign of the undead puppet anywhere. "You were pretty good, but you definitely picked the wrong person to fight." With a smirk Mine rested Pumpkin on her shoulder. "Because I'm a genius at shooting!" However, Mine didn't even have a moment to rest, before she felt something tightly wrap around her waist. "What the heEEEELLLLLLL!?" Mine screamed out as she was hoisted up into the air. Looking down, Mine was revolted to see that there was a giant frog beneath her, and the thing that was wrapped around her waist was the amphibian's tongue. "GAH! Fucking gross!"
"Oh, he's already attacking." Kurome said with a cheerful smile, she landed in front of the massive frog with Natala right beside her. "This is our newest addition, Kaiser Frog. He's a dangerous frog with gastric acid that can melt through pretty much anything."
"AH!" Mine screamed out, the frog danger beast pulling her into it's slimy mouth. The pink-haired sniper desperately fought to escape the frog's mouth, but it appeared to be a losing battle. "S-Stop it!"
"I heard from Seryu...that one of your partners was about to be eaten by Coro...but she was killed before that could happen." Kurome said in a menacing tone, as she walked towards Mine, a dark smile on her face. "I guess you'll be meeting the fate that was meant for her."
"I...won't let it end here!" Mine struggled to say, her eyes widening in anger, as she once again tried to claw herself free. "I won't die...not like this!" However, Mine's efforts seemed to be in vain. After a few more moments of fighting, she disappeared into the frog's mouth.
"The end always comes too soon." Kurome said, as her twisted smile widened. "Bye-bye." Chuckling lightly, Kurome patted Kaiser Frog on the nose. "Well that's one down. Now...we need to do the same with the rest of them."
"You left your trash behind!" Whipping around towards the sudden exclamation, Kurome's eyes widened when she saw her ape puppet directly at towards her. Leaping out of the way, Kurome easily dodged the lifeless puppet, which came to a skidding stop several yards away. Looking back at the ape's corpse, Kurome noticed that it's head had been blown completely off and there was a large hole in it's chest. Hearing another crash, Kurome turned to see the armored Night Raid member she had seen earlier.
"Oh great, it's the bastard that was getting too close to big sister." Kurome thought, as her eyes narrowed at Tatsumi. "I'll enjoy killing him."
"Abusing the dead as if they were your damn dolls." Tatsumi growled, slowly walking towards Kurome, his cape flowing in the light breeze. "What a disgusting teigu you have." Equipping his Doragon no kokyū, Tatsumi pumped a new shell into the demonic shotgun. "Don't think I'll show you mercy just because you're Akame's little sister...Kurome."
"Oh my, you did well defeating my monkey and Henter...but..." Kurome said with a smirk, as Natala protectively stepped in front of her, aiming his spear at Tatsumi. "Natala is ten times stronger than that monkey, you see?"
"Good, I've been looking for a real challenge." Tatsumi said, aiming his Doragon no kokyū at Natala. However, before Tatsumi pulled the trigger, a sudden realization struck him. "Wait...Mine was supposed to be positioned in this area...where is she!?" Tatsumi's blood boiled in anger when he saw a twisted smile spread across Kurome's face. "God damn it, where is she!?"
"You might want to ask Kaiser Frog." Kurome said, as she gestured to the massive frog behind her. "Because he just loves eating pesky assassins."
"You bitch!" Tatsumi exclaimed, swapping Doragon no kokyū out for Neuntote. "I'm gonna take you both out, then I'm going to slice that damn frog open!"
"Better hurry then." Kurome said with a light chuckle, as she sat down on a stump. "Your little sniper doesn't have much time left."
(Same Time: With Susanoo)
"That's quite the impressive teigu you've got there." Esdeath complimented, admiring Susanoo fight against the super-class danger beast. "To hold his own against Death Tagool...simply remarkable."
"Thanks..." Najenda said, as she placed a hand on Esdeath's shoulder, before walking passed the blue-haired former general. "But I'm going to have to take that thing down now." With a grunt, Najenda jumped down into the canyon below, landing right beside Susanoo. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Esdeath and I needed to have a little chat."
"I'm glad to see that you're uninjured." Susanoo said, before slamming his staff into the ground. "I apologize for not defeating my enemy yet...he is quite resilient."
"It's fine..." Najenda said with a light chuckle, as she lit a cigarette. Inhaling deeply, Najenda exhaled a large cloud of smoke, a smirk on her face. "Well everyone else is fighting hard..." Dropping the cigarette onto the ground, Najenda stomped it out. "Use your trump card to finish this bastard off, so that we can turn this fight around!"
"Understood..." Susanoo said, pressing his fingertips together, a faint glow emanating from his hands. "Magatama Manifestation..."
"Ah here it is..." Esdeath said, before she licked her lips. "I've read extensively about Susanoo and I've received first hand accounts from Najenda..." The blue-haired former general watched intently as front of Susanoo's shirt burst open, revealing his blood red core. Moments later, the glow from Susanoo's hands traveled to Najenda, causing her to flinch in pain. "Susanoo's trump card is supposed to be a large boost in strength, just like Coro's. However, while Coro uses a massive amount of internal energy for his transformation, Susanoo on the other hand..." Esdeath's cold, calculating blue eyes watched Najenda collapse down onto one knee. "Draws from his master's life force, using the Magatama on his chest to amplify his power." By now Susanoo had completed his transformation. The biological teigu now sported snow white hair, with his horns turning pitch black and his eyes becoming yellow. He also had a large, metallic disk levitating behind him. "If this trump card is used three times, his master's death is all but guaranteed...in exchange for gaining this immense power."
The newly transformed Susanoo stared down the massive, skeletal danger beast before him. The biological teigu was unfazed as Death Tagool began to gather energy for another attack. Moments later, the Death Tagool fired a huge beam of energy at Susanoo. Standing his ground, Susanoo moved the metallic disk on his back in front of him, changing it into a large mirror. The Death Tagool's beam hit the mirror, but was deflected back at it in several smaller streams of energy. The streams of energy struck various parts of the danger beast's body, causing it to stumble backwards.
"Eight Mirror..." Susanoo muttered, the metallic disk returning to his back.
"The perfect reflection of any projectiles." Najenda said with a smirk, as she wiped the sweat off her brow. "That's just the ability I'd expect from my teigu's trump card!"
After taking a deep breath, Susanoo launched towards Death Tagool, assaulting the danger beast with a relentless barrage of powerful punches. Susanoo hit the skeletal danger with a particularly powerful punch, knocking the monster off balance. Keep up his attack, Susanoo outstretched his hand, a bright glow filling his palm. A split second later, a gigantic sword materialized in Susanoo's hands.
"Clouds of Heaven!" Susanoo exclaimed, slashing the huge sword vertically through the Death Tagool's body. Landing back onto the group, Susanoo released a shaky breath, as the skeletal danger beast crumbled to pieces. "Mission accomplished."
"Talk about insane power..." Najenda said, as she struggled to get back onto her feet. "I'd expect nothing less from you Susanoo!"
"I'll be able to finish them off as long as there are no interruptions." Susanoo said with a grin, walking over to Najenda and helping her stand up.
"I wouldn't really worry about that." Najenda said, as she leaned against Susanoo for support. "We should be able to continue undisturbed."
(Back with Tatsumi)
"Damn this guy is seriously good!" Tatsumi thought, blocking one of Natala's attacks with Neuntote. "He's way stronger than any of the three beasts, or any other opponent I've fought so far! He's almost matching me even though I've got Incursio on! Good thing I took Akame's speed training seriously, or this guy would be running circles around me!" Losing sight of Natala momentarily, Tatsumi's eyes widened when he sensed a presence behind him. Gritting his teeth in exertion, Tatsumi used Neuntote's shaft to block an attack that was aimed at his back. "Fuck me! Thank god Mine taught me irregular blocking!" Whipping around in a flash, Tatsumi jabbed at Natala with Neuntote, but he already backed away several yards. "I can see why this guy was apart of the unit of assassins Akame used to be in! He's the real deal!"
"Natala's in good form." Kurome said with a smile, as she clasped her hands behind her back. "But ya know..." A smirk spread across Kurome's face, as she leaned forward. "I've been wondering...why'd you put away that fancy gun?" Kurome's smirk widened when she noticed Tatsumi tense up for a moment. "Are you afraid of hitting Kaiser Frog here, and potentially hurting your little sniper friend? She must be pretty close to you then...a lover maybe?" Unsheathing Yatsufusa, Kurome aimed the blade at the massive frog's stomach. "I wonder how you'd react if I killed that girl right now and turned her into one of my puppets? Would you even be able to fight her?"
"You bitch! Don't you-" Tatsumi stopped when he heard several distinctive bangs echo out from within the frog danger beast. "I'd recognize those sounds anywhere! It's got to be Pumpkin!"
"How is she attacking from the inside!? The acid in your stomach should be powerful enough to..." Kurome exclaimed, as she ran towards Kaiser Frog's back. However, she stopped when she spotted a large hole leaking acid in the frog's side. "Oh...I guess that explains it...since you're so new, I guess I didn't notice that it was leaking out of your wound. I guess that renders it pretty useless?" Kurome's attention was pulled away from the frog's wound when a beam of energy burst through the danger beast's head.
"Fuck me!" Mine exclaimed in a furious tone, dragging herself out of the hole in Kaiser Frog's head. The pink-haired sniper looked absolutely livid, with most of her clothes melted off and covered in disgusting slime. "That was the worst experience of my fucking life!"
"Mine?!" Tatsumi called out in a relived tone, as he ran up to the pink-haired sniper. "Are you okay?! Do you need me to-"
"Ah, shut up already!" Mine suddenly exclaimed, catching Tatsumi off guard. However, he felt better when he saw a grin grace Mine's face. "Well what the hell are you waiting for?! I'm safe now, so break out those big fucking guns of your and light this bastard up!"
"HA! Good to see that you're okay, Mine!" Tatsumi said, as he swapped out Neuntote for his Doragon no kokyū. Pumping the demonic shotgun, Tatsumi took air. "But before we finish this frog off..." Without another word, Tatsumi fired his shotgun, the flaming flechette rounds flying passed Mine's head and hitting something behind her. Whipping her head around, Mine was shocked to see that the dual-revolver wielding puppet she had been fighting earlier had made her way back. However, her sneak attack was stopped by a barrage of incendiary flechette rounds to her chest. But another surprise arose when Susanoo appeared out of nowhere and slammed the undead puppet into the ground. "Nice timing Su-san! You're awesome!"
"I aim to please." Susanoo said, landing next to Tatsumi, with Najenda following right behind him. Seeing Najenda nod her head, Susanoo rocketed towards Kurome, waisting no time attacking her. But Kurome was prepared for this, leaping backwards and slashing at Susanoo with Yatsufusa.
"Damn it...with fewer puppets to manage...Kurome is getting her strength back." Najenda said, as clenched her teeth in frustration. "We'll have to take her out fast."
"HAHA! You'll have to focus all your strength if you want to take me down!" Kurome laughed, pointing her teigu at the Night Raid assassins. "Or else I'll turn you all into my puppets!"
(With Leone and Akame)
"Here I come, ya bastard!" Leone roared, as she charged towards Bols, with Akame at her side. Before the assassins could get close enough, Bols unleashed a scorching stream of flames from Rubicante. Both Akame and Leone leaped into the air to dodge the intense fire.
"You won't be able to run away in the air!" Bols exclaimed, aiming Rubicante at the Night Raid assassins. However, he was surprised when Leone suddenly grabbed ahold of Akame's leg.
"Get in there Akame!" Leone yelled, as she hurled the red-eyed assassin at Bols. Akame closed the distance remarkably fast, but her attack was stopped when the sunglasses wearing puppet stepped in to shield Bols.
"If this bodyguard is going to get in my way every time..." Akame thought, adjusting her strike, she cut straight through the puppet's right leg. "I'll take him out first...even if it takes longer." Akame prepared to springboard off a nearby wall, but she was forced to dodge when Bols fired a stream of flames at her.
"That guy is too focused on Akame." Leone thought, as she snuck around to spot above Bols. Seeing that the bodyguard was temporarily incapacitated, Leone decided that it was time to strike. Leone leaped off her perch, rapidly descending towards Bols. "That irritating bodyguard can't do anything this time!" However, before Leone could strike Bols, she hissed in pain when a dagger shot into her arm. Whipping her head around, Leone growled in anger when she saw the bodyguard's arm pointed towards her, a small device on his wrist. "Are you fucking kidding me!? A hidden harpoon gun!?" The blonde assassin was still descending towards Bols, but the dagger prevented her arm from moving. Looking back down, Leone saw that Bols was aiming Rubicante at her now. Throwing all caution to the wind, Leone decided to press on with her attack. "RAAAAAGH!" Leone roared, as her teeth sank into Rubicante's barrel, the downward momentum destroying the front half of the teigu. "Fuck me, that shit is tough."
"You bit off my teigu." Bols said in a shocked tone, staring in disbelief at his busted flamethrower. l
"And your little guard is finished too." Akame said calm, as she sliced off both the bodyguard's arm, before slitting his throat. "There's no one to watch your back now."
"And his teigu is unusable." Leone said in a strained voice, slowly getting back onto her feet.
"She's right...my teigu is useless now...if that's the case." Bols thought in a panic, as he tightened his grip on Rubicante, quickly coming up with a plan. "I'm going to use my trump card!" Seeing that Akame and Leone were both now on edge, Bols unhooked his fuel tank and dropped it onto the ground. "My trump card is Magma Drive, so this all a ruse! But while they're on guard..." Raising the fuel tank above his head, Bols hurled the container into the air. "I'll destroy you!" Both Akame and Leone watched in confusion, as the fuel tank flew higher into the air.
"Wait...don't tell me..." Leone muttered, a her eyes widening as a sudden realization hit her. Quickly looking at Bols, the blonde assassin's fears where confirmed when she saw what appeared to be a detonator in his hand. "Get down Akame!" Diving on top of the dark-haired assassin, Leone grabbed the bodyguard's discarded shield and used it to cover her and Akame. However, before an explosion could echo out in the canyon, a piercing scream rang out. Looking up, Akame was shocked to see a familiar figure falling into the canyon.
"Kurome!?" Akame exclaimed in horror, as she watched her younger sister plummet towards the ground below.
"Kurome!?" Bols thought, his thumb already pressing down on the detonator. "This wasn't apart of the plan!"
(Two Minutes Earlier: With Esdeath)
"So Najenda and Susanoo managed to take out the Death Tagool..." Esdeath muttered to herself, as she rested her head on her palm. "That's quite impressive...and now..." Looking down into the canyon below, Esdeath observed Akame and Leone's battle against Bols. "It looks like they're pushing Bols into a corner." The blue-haired former general quirked an eyebrow in interest when she saw Leone bite of Rubicante's barrel. "That girl is truly a beast sometimes." Esdeath's interest was peaked when she saw Bols take off his fuel container and throw it into the air. "Wait a minute...this could be useful..." As Esdeath quickly tried to formulated a plan, something on the other side of the canyon happened to catch her attention. "Oh...looks like Susanoo is fighting against Kurome now..." However, luck seemed to be shining on Esdeath, as she watched Susanoo send Kurome flying into the canyon after a particularly powerful attack. The path Kurome's fall was taking, put her remarkably close to Bols' fuel tank. "This is it! My chance has finally come!" With a ecstatic smirk, Esdeath quickly smacked her palm onto the ground. A split second later, an ice clone of her materialized. "GO! You know what to do!"
Without another word the ice clone raced towards the canyon's edge at an incredible speed, before launching towards the other side. In the blink of an eye the ice clone had reached Kurome, catching the dark-haired girl mid-air. Looking up, Kurome was shocked to see that it was Esdeath who had saved her. A split second later a massive explosion rocked the canyon. Before the blast could reach them, Kurome felt herself being hurled back towards the top of the canyon. Kurome watched in stunned silence, as Esdeath got farther and farther away.
"Today..." Esdeath said with a satisfied smirk, watching Kurome fly towards safety. "General Esdeath of the Empire...dies."
"GENERAL!" Kurome exclaimed, watching as Esdeath was engulfed by the intense flames. Moments Later, Kurome felt someone else catch her. When Kurome looked up, she wasn't surprised to see that it was Natala. "Put me down now!" After being set down, Kurome scrambled to the canyon's edge. Looking down below, Kurome didn't see any sign of Esdeath, no trace of her seemed to be left. "She...she was completely vaporized...the general risked her life to save me." Fighting back a few tears, Kurome tightly balled her fists in frustration and got back onto her feet. Now was not the time for mourning, she was still in danger. "That explosion just now was definitely Rubicante's self-destruct. If Bols has been taken out too it's not safe for me here anymore." However, before Kurome could take another step, an intense headache racked her body, causing to hold her head in pain. "Damn it, I'm already out!"
(Back with Akame and Leone)
"Leone..." Akame said in a depressed tone, as she looked out at the scorched landscape all around them. "What happened to my sister...I saw her fall into the canyon before that explosion went off."
"D-Don't worry..." Leone struggled to say, flashing Akame a weak smile. "It was only for a second...but before the explosion went off, I spotted Esdeath leap in and grab Kurome."
"Esdeath..." Akame muttered, as her eyes narrowed slightly while she thought. "Do you think it was just an ice clone?"
"P-Probably..." Leone said, before she started coughing violently.
"Leone!" Akame exclaimed in a concerned tone, as she placed a comforting hand on the blonde assassin's shoulder. "Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine. I'm fine." Leone replied with a forced grin, patting Akame on the head. "But I'm gonna need your help to walk...I've got faith in my ability to recov..."
"Leone..." Akame said quietly, before she felt Leone's hand slide off her head. Looking up, Akame's eyes widened as she watched Leone fall forward, collapsing onto the ground. "Leone...Hey Leone..." Akame began to worry when she received no response from the blonde assassin. "LEONE!"
(Back with Bols)
"Looks like I managed to slip away somehow..." Bols muttered to himself, as he stared down at the detonator in his hand. "God...please let Kurome be okay...I didn't want to hurt her...so please...let her be okay somehow. That wasn't fair, what I did to her...I'll never forgive myself if she's not okay." Tightly balling his fist, Bols crushed the detonator in his fist. "Wait...now isn't the time for this...I need to follow the general's plan and get my family out of the capital."
As Bols made his way back towards the capital, he had to pass through a nearby forest. Walking through the trees, Bols eventually began to hear the distinctive sounds of a little girl crying. Heading towards the sounds, Bols soon found himself in a large clearing. Bols quickly scanned the area and spotted a young girl sitting against the tree across from him. The girl looked to be about 7 or 8 years old and was sobbing uncontrollably. Bols debated on whether to just leave the girl alone, but she reminded him of his own daughter, and he couldn't just abandon her.
"Oh my dear! This simply won't do!" Bols said in a cheerful tone, crouching down in front of the young girl. "What's the matter!?" The girl stopped crying for a moment to look up at Bols. But her eyes widened in fear when she got a good look at him, something that Bols was fairly used to.
"AHHHHHHH! MONSTER!" The girl screamed, as she pressed up against the tree behind her in an attempt to back away from Bols.
"Oh! I'm no monster! You're alright now!" Bols said with a light chuckle, quickly scanning over the young girl's body for injuries. After a few moments he spotted a cut on the girl's leg. "I see that you're hurt." Standing up, Bols reached into his back pocket and pulled out a roll of bandages. "Just relax." Crouching back down, Bols attended to the girl's wound. The girl fidgeted and squirmed, but Bols eventually managed to wrap up the cut. "You're going to be fine! The pain should go away soon! Everything will be better now!"
"Thanks mister!" The girl said with a smile, as she gazed down at her bandaged leg.
"It was my pleasure!" Bols said, preparing to stand back up. But he was stopped when the young girl grabbed his hand. "What's wron-"
"The parts of my body you burned...will never heal." The girl said in an eerily calm tone, as she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Bols' neck. Moments later, Bols felt something prick his neck, just before his entire body went limp. The young girl's body was suddenly engulfed in smoke, revealing that it had been Chelsea the entire time. The auburn-haired assassin stood over Bols, his body completely motionless. "That girl just now...was a child from a village your burned down. They were suspected of aiding the revolutionary army...so you were ordered to burn the whole place down. But I don't really expect you to remember all the people you've killed..."
"N-No..." Bols struggled to say, attempting to move his body, but was unable to. "I-I c-can't die here...the g-general promised...I-I have to...g-get back to...my f-family!"
"You know...you're one lucky son of a bitch..." Chelsea said, before she released a light sigh and crouched down in front of Bols' motionless form. "You're so damn lucky that one of my teammates has a heart that's too big for this damn job...and you're fucking lucky that he has such a strong influence on my heart..." Sighing once again, Chelsea pulled out the senbon needle she had stabbed Bols with. "You see this senbon? If I had stabbed this into your neck just a few millimeters to the left or right, you would be dead right now. Our orders were originally to kill you, but like I said, one of my teammates decided that you deserved to live. He said that you're a really nice guy, and that you were just trying to keep your family safe." Putting the senbon away, Chelsea grabbed her Gaia Foundation. "So instead of killing you, I've simply paralyzed you. After about an hour you should be able to move again, but you'll probably be pretty groggy." Reaching into her skirt pocket, Chelsea pulled out a small vile and set it down next to Bols. "Take this once you can move again. This will help alleviate any side effects of the paralysis. After that you get your ass back to the capital and save your family."
"T-Thank you..." Bols said, feeling tears well up in his eyes. "B-Because of you...I-I'll b-be able t-to-"
"Don't thank me." Chelsea cut Bols off, as she pulled out several makeup tools from her Gaia Foundation. "Thank the person who asked me to spare your life, because if it was up to me, you'd be dead right now."
"W-Who was i-it then..." Bols asked, watching as Chelsea carefully analyzed his body. "B-Because...I...want to t-thank them p-personally..."
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll meet him again someday...and if you want to thank him, just get your family to safety. Then maybe once your family is out of danger, help the revolutionary army take down Honest and his corrupt regime...I'm sure you'll run into him if you do." Chelsea said, as she stood back up. "Now stop talking, I need to concentrate."
"She said again...so I've met this person before..." Bols thought, feeling a few tears roll down his cheeks. "Whoever it is...I will repay them one day for this gift they've given me...them and the general."
"Now don't waste this opportunity you've been given..." Chelsea said, before she was engulfed in a thick cloud of smoke. Once the smoke dissipated, Bols was shocked to see an exact copy of himself. "Use this chance to repent for the sins you've committed and start doing some good." Turning her back on Bols, the disguised Chelsea disappeared into the woods. "Now it's time to move on to Kurome! I'll take her out before she can meet up with her comrades!"
(Five Minutes Later)
"That's pretty impressive." Lubbock said with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest. "You were able to incapacitate Bols without a fight. That suits your style, Chelsea." Humming to himself, Lubbock began to tap his elbow. "But weren't our orders to take Bols out?"
"Our orders changed." Chelsea replied vaguely, as she brushed some hair out of her eyes. "I'm am glad that you came to help me out though."
"Well when I was watching from a distance and saw two Bols out of nowhere, I seriously started to panic." Lubbock said with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. "I couldn't help checking it out."
"I'm going after Kurome now." Chelsea said, as she swirled the sucker in her mouth. "I want to eliminate her before she rejoins the other Jaegers."
"Kurome has already left the confines of my barrier, but I know what way she went. You could still follow her, but..." Lubbock revealed, staring at Chelsea, who was avoiding his gaze. "Are you sure about this Chelsea?" Chelsea was surprised by the seriousness in Lubbock's tone. "Kurome is really dangerous and not someone you should fight on your own...and after what we learned from Tatsumi...do you think it's safe to be going off solo like this? We should reconvene with everyone else first."
"It'll be too late by then...if we let Kurome escape now, she'll come back with new puppets to attack us...that'll be even more dangerous!" Chelsea replied, as she turned her back to Lubbock. "Besides...I don't really believe in that crap Tatsumi told us..." Chelsea tried to act tough, but Lubbock noticed the slight trembling in her hands. "You go back and tell everyone that. Then have them dispatch two combat reinforcement."
"*Sigh* Alright..." Lubbock said reluctantly, knowing that there was no way he could make Chelsea back down. "Just please...don't do anything rash. The second you feel you've lost control of the situation, you get the hell out of there."
"I will." Chelsea replied, as she nervously twirled her sucker's stick. "If Kurome's already met with the other Jaegers, I'll head right back."
"I'll get those reinforcement as soon as possible!" Lubbock exclaimed, running towards Night Raid's designated meeting point.
"Thank you!" Chelsea called out, as she waved back to Lubbock. Replaying the warning Lubbock had given her, Chelsea released a heavy sigh. "I really am turning into a big softy...and it's all his fault..." Shacking her and slapping her cheeks, Chelsea began to make her way towards where Kurome likely was. "Now it's time for my second task! Let's get things done!" However, as Chelsea ran back into the forest, a nagging fear tugged at the back of her mind. "I really hope hope Tatsumi's visions weren't true...because I actually have a bad feeling about this."
(Fifteen Minutes Later: At Night Raid's Rendezvous Point)
"Could you please hurry up Susanoo?" Mine asked, resting her head on her palm as she watched the biological teigu bandage her arm. "I want to change into my spare outfit."
"Please be patient." Susanoo said, as he applied some healing ointment onto Mine's acid burns, causing the pink-haired sniper to hiss in pain. "I'll only be a few more minutes."
"How are you injuries Leone?" Akame asked, taking a seat next to the bed Leone was lying in. "You know...with your...arm..."
"Oh, almost everything is good as new!" Leone said in a cheery tone, as she flashed Akame a toothy grin. "Once Lubbo gets back, he can use his teigu to stitch my arm back on, then I'll be fully recovered. My teigu's trump card is Regenerator, so I can heal from most injuries." Releasing a light sigh, Leone's happy demeanor faded when she gazed at Tatsumi. The young assassin sat near the small cabin's front door, rapidly tapping his foot as he stared out the window, a clear sign that he was anxious about something. "But we have another thing to worry about now...something has Tatsumi seriously wound up."
"Yeah, he's barely sat still since he got here." Akame said, staring at her lover with a hint of worry in her eyes. "It has to be something related to his visions."
"Well you better go talk to him." Leone said, as she slumped down into her bed. "Mine is busy with Susanoo, Sayo hasn't come back yet, and I still need to rest for a bit. So that makes you the only person he can really talk to right now."
"You're right." Akame said, standing up from her seat. "I'll see what's on his mind." Walking around the bed, Akame slowly made her way over to where Tatsumi was seated. She tried to carefully approach Tatsumi, as not to startle him, but he noticed her before she could say anything. Akame was caught off guard by the concern she saw in Tatsumi's normally bright eyes. "Tatsumi...what's wrong? You've been acting strange ever since we got to the rendezvous."
"I just can't shake this feeling Akame...that something bad is about to happen..." Tatsumi replied, as he stared down at his hands, watching as they trembled slightly. "My heart...is racing in my chest...I'm breaking out in a cold sweat...and my mind is on edge. It's just...I can't explain it...but something terrible is about to happen and I have no idea what it could be."
"Is it related to your visions?" Akame asked in a sympathetic tone, lovingly rubbing Tatsumi's back in an attempt to calm him down. "Are you seeing anything right now?"
"No...but it has to be related to my visions...it has to be..." Tatsumi said, as she clasped his hands together, trying to stop them from shaking. "But I'm certain of one thing...one of us is in serious danger right now." Tatsumi was about to say something else, but sudden shouting outside caught his attention.
"Oi!" Lubbock called out, waving as he ran towards the rendezvous point. "Everyone!"
"We're back!" Sayo exclaimed, as she followed right behind Lubbock. "We have news!"
Standing up from his seat, Tatsumi looked out the window and saw Sayo and Lubbock running towards the cabin. Tatsumi felt a sudden tug on his heart when he saw that Chelsea wasn't with them. Without saying a word, Tatsumi bolted out of the cabin's front door.
"Tatsumi! What's up-" Lubbock was cut off when Tatsumi roughly grabbed ahold of his jacket. "What the hell man!?"
"Where is Chelsea?!" Tatsumi asked in a worried tone, as he scanned the surrounding area. "I don't see her with you!"
"That's the news we wanted to tell you guys." Sayo said, stepping in between Lubbock and Tatsumi, locking eyes with her childhood friend. "Chelsea went to take out Kurome by herself. She said to send reinforcements once we got the rendezvous." Tatsumi's eyes widened in horror when Sayo said this. "Now what's up Tastumi? You're acting strange." Tatsumi didn't answer Sayo's question, he simply took off running in the direction Lubbock and Sayo had came from. "Hey! Where are you going!?"
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Tatsumi yelled, as he sprinted through the forest at full speed in the direction Chelsea would likely be, not slowing down for a second. "Fuck! Now it all makes sense! That anxiousness I was feeling earlier, it's because Chelsea was the one in danger! This is when she died in the future!" Grabbing ahold of Incursio's hilt, Tatsumi coated himself in his teigu armor. "Incursio, can you force a temporary evolution!?"
"Yes I can, but-"
"THEN DO IT!" Tatsumi roared, smashing through a fallen tree, not losing any momentum. "We need to get to Chelsea fast! SHE'S NOT DYING TODAY!"
"Okay partner, but you really do need to hurry. You don't have much time." Incursio said cryptically, just before Tatsumi's back was bathed in golden light.
(Same Time: With Kurome)
"*Sigh* All my puppets aside from Natala and Doya were broken...it'll be impossible for me assemble a crew like that again." Kurome muttered, before plopped down onto a stump to rest. "The general is dead too...and I have no idea what happened to Bols..." Suppressing a yawn, Kurome looked up at the sky overhead. "I'm tired...and hungry..." Pulling out her bag of snack, Kurome popped one into her mouth. "Yummy candies..." However, Kurome's snacking was interrupted when she heard some rustling from the forest behind her. Turning around, Kurome was shocked to see Bols walking towards her.
"Ah! I knew it! You were here Kurome!" Bols said in an excited tone, as he walked towards the dark-haired Jaeger. "Thank goodness! I'm so glad to see that you're okay! I feared that you might have been caught up in my explosion!"
"I worried about you too, Bols..." Kurome said, looking up at her imposing teammate. "That was some explosion you set off."
"I underwent a rite of flame resistance when I joined the incineration squad." Bols explained, as he showcased the lack of burns on his body.
"Oh...I see!" Kurome said, a smile spreading across her face. "That's good..."
"But I'm sorry..." Bols apologized, as he rubbed the back of his head. "I lost my teigu during the fight with Night Raid..."
"I figured out each of the Jaeger's speech patterns and mannerisms from what Tatsumi has told me..." Chelsea thought, her body now an exact replica of Bols'. "It looks like she isn't suspicious of anything...and she's even disarmed Yatsufusa. But it isn't the right time to take her out...according to Akame, Kurome's been using some type of drugs...there's no way I can predict what type of move she'll make when I attack. Just to be safe, I'll wait until she shows a more definitive opening."
(Back with Night Raid)
"So she managed to take subdue Bols." Najenda muttered, stroking her chin as she thought. "And now she's going after Kurome all on her...then Tatsumi got a bad feeling and ran off to help her..."
"That idiot!" Mine hissed, as she tightly balled her fists in her lap. "Always putting himself in danger! He needs to think of his own safety more often!" Mine's eyes narrowed, as she recalled Kurome's actions from earlier. "The way Kurome moved to avoid my sniper shot...it looked like a lot more than the doping we know about. Kurome might have some other trick up her sleeve that Akame doesn't know about...in that case...Tatsumi may have been right to rush off like that...I don't think Chelsea can handle Kurome on her own. We should probably send more reinforcement."
"Akame, Sayo, you heard her..." Najenda said, turning her head to look at the red-eyed assassin. "I know Akame hasn't fully recovered yet, but Tatsumi might need help and you two are the only combat-types who can help him right now. Go after Chelsea and Tatsumi, and back them up!"
"I'll head out immediately!" Akame exclaimed, as she grabbed Murasame and bolted up out of her seat.
"We'll bring them both back safely!" Sayo added, slinging her bow over her shoulder and strapping Extase onto her back. "Come on Akame!"
"Right!" Akame called out, as both girls ran towards the cottage's front door. However, they both stopped in their tracks when the door suddenly swung open, with Esdeath standing in the doorway. "Out of our way!"
"Oh my, what's got you two in such a rush?" Esdeath asked with a teasing smirk, making sure to block as much of the doorway as possible. "I jut got here, and you guys are already running out the door."
"Chelsea went after Kurome all by herself, and Tatsumi ran off to help her." Akame explained, which caused Esdeath's eyes to widen slightly for a moment. "So if you don't mind, get the hell out of our way."
"You better hurry, I don't want a hair on Tatsumi's head harmed." Esdeath said, as she stepped aside to let both girls sprint passed her. Once both female assassins had exited the cabin, Esdeath walked in and closed the door behind her. "That's quite the predicament your little assassins have gotten themselves into. You best hope Tatsumi catches up with Chelsea fast, or else she will die."
"I'm surprised to see that you didn't go with them." Leone said in an annoyed tone, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I could have gone a little longer without seeing you again."
"It's so nice that you're happy to see me." Esdeath shot back, as she strolled over to the table Najenda was at and took at a seat. "But as much as it pains me not to be at Tatsumi's side right now...it cannot be. It would be quite a problem if Kurome were to see me, because General Esdeath of the empire is now dead."
"You don't mean..." Najenda said, staring at Esdeath in surprise. "You figured out a way to escape the empire?"
"I did." Esdeath replied with a smile, as she rested her chin on her fist. "Just before the massive explosion went off, I noticed that Kurome had fallen into the canyon. So I sent an ice clone to save her. I saved one of my subordinates, she thinks I died in the explosion that followed, the minister is told of my death...and now I'm free to help the revolutionary army without raising suspicion."
"Are you sure Kurome thinks your dead?" Mine asked in a skeptical tone, locking eyes with the blue-haired former general. "What if Kurome knows that you used an ice clone?"
"That's highly unlikely." Esdeath replied, as she leaned back in her chair. "While my Jaegers know about my powers to manipulate ice, none of them know about my ability to create copies of myself. And even if they did, none of them have seen me use the ability before. Creating ice clones and soldiers...is something I like to keep under wraps."
"That's incredible news...now you'll be able to leave the capital and won't have to worry about the minister searching for you." Najenda said with a smile, clasping her hands on top of the table. "And you'll be happy to know that Bols has been spared. Chelsea encountered him a while ago and paralyzed him. But he should be able to move soon, and will be able to get his family to safety. I've also sent a message to the revolutionary army's headquarters asking for Bols and his family to be protected, in exchange for any information he's able to provide. Once we return to base, I'll head over to headquarters and iron out the details with the higher ups. So you don't have to worry anymore, Bols and his family will be fine."
"That's a weight off my shoulders..." Esdeath said, as she visibly relaxed in her seat. "Bols deserves a chance to live a peaceful life with his family."
(Same Time: Back With Chelsea)
"We'll be reaching town soon." Chelsea pointed out, walking down a dirt path, right besides Kurome.
"We should be prepared for a possible ambush..." Kurome said, as she scanned the surrounding area, resting her hand on top of Yatsufusa's hilt.
"What's up with this girl..." Chelsea thought, discreetly gazing at Kurome. "There's something weird about her...I can't quite figure it out. She hasn't shown any good openings yet. Maybe I should back off and get out of here."
"We need to meet up with everyone...I have some important news to tell them..." Kurome said, before she took several stumbling steps, her entire body swaying. A moment later, Kurome collapsed to the ground, her breathing labored.
"A-Are you alright, Kurome?!" Chelsea asked in mock worry, crouching down next to the dark-haired Jaeger.
"Agh..." Kurome hissed in pain, as she gripped her temple, a throbbing headache wracking her mind. "This is because I stopped eating my candy halfway through..."
"D-Does it hurt?" Chelsea asked, resting a hand on Kurome's back. "Is there anything I can do?"
"I'm okay..." Kurome said with a light chuckle, as she grabbed her bag of candies and pulled one out. "I just need a little snack."
"You look like you're in quite a bit of pain..." Chelsea said, trying her best to imitate Bols' behavior. "You poor thing." While Kurome was distracted with eating her candy, Chelsea stealthily slid a senbon into her palm. "I know..." Finally seeing her opening, Chelsea decided to spring into action. "I'll give you a good luck charm that will make all the pain go away." With incredible speed, Chelsea dropped her disguise and stabbed the senbon into Kurome's neck, briefly locking eyes with the dark-haired Jaeger. Standing up, with blood spurting from the wound, Chelsea stepped away from Kurome. "There...it shouldn't hurt anymore...goodbye."
"Sis...ter..." Kurome muttered, before she fell over, her body going limp.
"Assassination complete..." Chelsea said, standing over Kurome's motionless body. "This girl...her last word was 'sister'...I feel sorry for her...but for some reason...I shake this feeling of uneasiness...like something bad is about to happen." Turning her back on Kurome's body, Chelsea began to walk away. "Well I better get out of before-"
"Hey..." Chelsea stopped dead in her tracks when she heard terrifying voice speak up behind her. Turning to look back, Chelsea's eyes widened in horror when she saw that Kurome was back on her feet, Yatsufusa in her hand. "That good luck charm you mentioned...it didn't work at all...it hurts a lot...so much pain..."
"What the fuck!?" Chelsea exclaimed, leaping away from Kurome. "I know I hit your vital point!"
"After sister left..." Kurome explained, as she bit into one of her candies. "They made some new advancement with my medicine...the powerful drugs that reinforce my body...it's a massive burden on one hand, but...even I can believe its huge benefits..." Chelsea took a fearful step back when Kurome unsheathed Yatsufusa. "If want to kill me...you either have to destroy my heart, or cut my head clean off." Kurome's eyes were hard as she glared fiercely at Chelsea, both killers staring each other done, waiting for the other to make the first move. To Chelsea's advantage, a sudden gust of wind kicked up a cloud of dust, causing Kurome to shield her eyes. Using this brief window, Chelsea took off running towards the surrounding forest.
"Damn it!" Chelsea cursed, sprinting at full speed towards the treeline, trying to put as much distance as possible between her and Kurome. "I can't believe it...she's half inhumane now! I'll have to transform to escape!" Chelsea reached back to grab her Gaia Foundation, just before a gunshot suddenly rang out. The auburn-haired assassin's heart stopped, as she waited for the bullet to hit. However, something crashed into the ground behind Chelsea, followed by the sound of a bullet striking a metallic surface. When Chelsea turned back to see what was happening, she was shocked to see a an imposing figure clad in golden armor standing protectively in front of her.
"Chelsea..." The auburn-haired assassin's eyes widened in relief when she heard the figure speak in a familiar and comforting voice. "Are you okay?!"
"Tatsumi..." Chelsea said, forcing back a sob, as she felt tears begin to stream down her cheeks. "You came to save me."
And done! AHAHA! Another cliffhanger baby, gotcha! Well Tatsumi has arrived on the scene in the knick of time, and he's here to save our favorite auburn-haired trickster. How will Tatsumi get Chelsea to safety?! You'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out! The next chapter should hopefully be out soon, and will showcase the aftermath of this battle, and will have a sweet Tatsumi x Chelsea lemon, which I know you're all looking forward too!
Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (I NEED AND LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK!), check out my profile and other fics if you haven't already, and PM me any ideas for any of my fics. So until next time, I'm outta here!