Two days later than promised. Sorry about that. The name change is live.
The fall of Duty.
The rain kept falling over the capital. The storm that had been raging for two days seemed to be at it's peak during this night. It's winds strong and it's thunder booming. Driven by both natural forces as well as the power of Adramelech.
"Is that all you got?" Esdese shouted as she avoided yet another beam of lightning that flew down from above. Moving at a breakneck speed along the empty street. Staying close to the ground.
The fight between the two generals had taken them outside of the palace. The room they had been in had been destroyed in an instant as Esdese summoned a barrage of giant ice spears flying towards Budo's side of the room. Killing a third of the attending warriors and soldiers in a second. Not caring much about if they were on Budo's side or not in this. But the great general had not fallen from that attack. Budo had then answered in kind and soon enough they had blown through enough walls and rooms to arrive outside of the palace walls. Now fighting far away from the palace itself.
Everyone else in the room had either escaped or followed their commanders. The jaegers and Budo's imperial guards following the battle from a distance.
Esdese moved in a zigzag pattern. Keeping a hand on her cap and the other holding her drawn weapon. Closing in on Budo who was currently standing on a rooftop a hundred meters away. She could have closed that distance in a second but she was forced to avoid all the projectiles and attacks he was throwing at her. Destroying the street all around her.
After some time of avoiding and dodging attacks, Esdese decided to stop the annoying bombardment. She called upon the power in her blood and summoned a giant globe of ice and sent it flying towards the great general. Momentarily stopping the bombardment as the great general was forced to move away.
He made a long jump over a couple of houses. Flying towards another roof. The giant ice ball smashing into the house behind him. Crushing it to debris and moving on. Destroying a couple more houses before coming to a halt. The great general watched the damage as he landed. Troubled by the destruction.
He managed to put both his feet on the new rooftop before Esdese was behind him. Spinning through the air to get more power to a kick she was directing at his head. The great general did manage to block the kick in time but the force of it sent him gliding to the side. Leaving deep marks on the rooftop as his boots went through bricks and wood.
Before he had come to a halt,Esdese sent a dozen of thin and sharp ice lances after him. The great general quickly realized that he would not be able to block them all nor did he have time to shoot them away with his teigu. So he stopped pressing his legs down into the roof and simply let his momentum carry him off the rooftop. The ice lances flying above his head. Missing it with less than a centimeter. Flying across the street before lodging themselves into the house on the other side as Budo landed down on the street.
Esdese calmly walked to the edge of the rooftop and looked down on him. Her smile relaxed and cold.
"Do you have no regard for innocent bystanders?" the great general shouted angrily.
Esdese slowly shook her head at him while staring him in the eyes. Challenging him in any way possible. "Do you honestly believe that I would care about collateral damage at this point?"
"I always knew that you lived for fighting, Esdese. But I never thought that it would go so far as to destroy your sense of loyalty."
"Oh, I am a very loyal creature." Esdese said as her smile got a mocking tone to it. "I just never gave my loyalty to you."
"Does military ranking mean nothing to you?" Budo shouted.
Esdese shrugged."I guess I cared a little bit. Since I haven't tried to pick a fight with you before. Even after you started to annoy me by insulting my mate. But I am happy that you have given me this opportunity to face off against you. I will make sure to... reward you plenty for that. " She couldn't wait to humiliate and degrade the great general after she had beaten him. She had so many enjoyable ideas of what she would do to him if he survived this fight.
The great general raised his arms and launched an orb of lightning at her. But the attack was way too slow. Esdese could see where he was aiming as soon as he raised his arms and jumped to the side.
"So you pledged yourself to that wretched prime minister instead? What rewards did he offer you, Esdese? How much did your dignity cost?" Budo shouted as he directed another projectile at her. His expression filled with anger.
This time Esdese jumped from the rooftop. Flying through the air above the general. Aiming to land at the rooftops on the other side of the street. As she flew over him, she swinged her open hand through the air. Freezing the raindrops above her and sending them flying down towards the great general as she landed on the roof on the other side of the street. Creating a blizzard of ice needles.
The great general was forced to call down another blast from the sky on topp of himself. Vaporizing all the ice above him before it hit him. But then Esdese was upon him again.
Suddenly appearing some mere meters from his side. "Wrong." she shouted with a smile and swung her sword at him. Which he managed to block with an arm. Esdese's blade leaving a dent in Adramelech's gauntlet.
"This battle is all the reward I needed." she shouted as she started to swing at him. He was able to keep up with her sword by using both his arms to block her incoming attacks. But only barely. "And I will only continue to work with the prime minister as long as he lets me do what I want."
She was having a bit of a hard time trying to push the great general back. His strength was about the same as her own so her quick and swift hits was not driving him back. But she was faster. She drove her long weapon at him and he brought up his right arm in order to block it. But when he did, her free hand came up and grabbed his hand. Grabbing hold of it in an almost gentle grip.
She smiled and looked at him. For a split second, they just stared at each other. Then the great general tried to pull back his arm as fast as he could.
But not before Esdese froze it solid in a block of ice. She did not manage to close her hand and shatter his arm before he pulled it back though. Jumping a couple of meters back in order to get away from her. But she followed this time. Intending to make him suffer now that he couldn't use one of his arms to block. The great general immediately realized that he would be unable to keep up with her without both his arms. He decided to deny her that possibility entirely.
As soon as Esdese got closer, Budo called upon the power of his teigu and once again brought down a powerful lightning strike from above. Directly into himself. The radius of the strike this time was so big that Esdese had to jump backwards to not get caught up in it. The blast almost growing as wide as the street itself.
When the lightninng had vanished, Budo's right arm was free from the ice. He seemed to have been able to use his teigu to get rid of it.
Esdese couldn't help but smile. "Impressive." she praised. "It seems like you will be able to entertain me for a little while longer."
"General Esdese." Budo said and let his arms fall down to his sides. "I now realize that your existence is far too dangerous to continue. There will never be any peace for as long as you live. You are too bloodthirsty and too powerful. In that sense, this might actually be an opportunity."
He smashed his fists together. Charging up Adramelech. "I will not allow you to live through this."
"Big words. Let's see if you can live up to them." Esdese said and jumped high up into the air. Taking the initiative and summoning a blizzard partly made of huge man-sized ice blocks and long thin ice spears. Sending them all down towards the great general in diffrent speeds. Crushing the houses around him. Causing a huge cloud of dust to rise as the ice destroyed everything in the vicinity of the great general.
When she was up in the air she took a short moment to glance to her right. She could see her subordinates fighting, a kilometer away. Jumping around on the rooftops. They seemed to have engaged with some of Budo's imperial guard. She wasn't too worried. She knew that the leaders within the imperial guard didn't stand a chance against her jaegers. They could handle themselves.
Now that she was up in the air she could also feel something else. Trained eyes focusing on her from somewhere unseen. She could feel his presence but she could not quite tell where he was. But his aura was unmistakeble. The pillager was watching them from afar. Monitoring the battle from somewhere hidden.
Esdese guessed that he was waiting for the tides to turn in someones favour and then come out to join the winning side. Or that he would wait until the fight was done and then come forth to kill the weakened winner.
Either way was fine by her. She would deal with him when he choose to reveal himself. Hopefully he would make the mistake of opposing her.
She put a hand on her cap as she descended down into the huge cloud. The dust in it already being beaten down into the ground by the intense raining.
Tatsumi dodged the incoming attack with ease. Simply bending his body backwards to avoid the swing of the incoming blade.
He was facing off against Budo's second-in-command. A man in his fifties with short hair and a white mustache. The man's fighting seemed to be adapted from older teachings of legionnare combat. He carried a huge shield and a sword. Trying to bash Tatsumi with the shield and using his sword for swift swings and strikes.
But the battle wasn't close to even. The old man was a very accomplished fighter but Tatsumi could guess that he was Budo's second-in-command because of his wisdom and not his combat prowess. That or he was a good figure for morale. Either way, Tatsumi could have beaten him without even using Incursio. And he already had the teigu activated. The only reason why Tatsumi hadn't taken the man down was because he was waiting for an opportunity to knock him out as painless as possible.
This was not a mercy that Tatsumi usually showed to the lapdogs of the empire. The reason for this exception was that, before the man and his men attacked them he had declared to Tatsumi and the other jaegers that they would be treated humanely the moment they lay down their weapons. Giving his word that they would be given a fair trial if they chose to surrended at any point during the battle. Showing that the man came from an older era of the empire. When honour and respect towards enemies still mattered.
Tatsumi didn't know if it was prudent to not suspect that the old man was lying. But the man gave Tatsumi a good feeling. Besides, it was easy for Tatsumi to show mercy when his opponent was so much inferior to him in combat.
He could see that Wave had taken the same decision. Fighting three opponents a rooftop away from him. Holding back, even if it seemed like his opponents were a bit thougher than Tatsumi's own.
It was more Kurome that Tatsumi was troubled by. He didn't think that girl would show mercy just because of curtesy. But she was currently fighting down in the street below them so Tatsumi couldn't see how that battle was going. Since he and Wave were moving around on the rooftops.
Their fight went on for a couple of minutes. Tatsumi waiting for the older man to wear himself out and give him an opening. Suprisingly, his opponent seemed to be very good at conserving his energy. Probabaly a side effect of his very heavy equipment. He wasn't wearing a full body armour but he had his legs and body covered in white plates.
After a little while, the man stopped attacking Tatsumi. He raised his shield in a defensive gesture. "You are more than an worthy opponent for me, boy!" he shouted. "But I can't help but notice that you haven't attacked me a single time. Are you trying to humiliate your elder?"
"You are imagining things, old man. You simply haven't given me any openings." Tatsumi lied in a encouraging voice. He could have smashed the man of the roof with a single kick many times in the last minute. He was about to return the kind offer his opponent had given him before the fight when he stopped himself.
His body reacted faster than his thoughts. He wasn't sure what it was that gave him the indication. He almost didn't feel the precense of the person behind him. But he could hear a faint sound of somethnig being swinged through the air. And he could see how the eyes of the old man suddenly shifted slightly to his left.
Tatsumi crouched down as fast as he could and then threw himself to the side. Just barely avoiding the first two swings of Izou's sword.
He rolled over and jumped a bit back. Looking at his new samurai-styled opponent with suprise.
"Who are you?" Budo's second-in-command shouted.
"Just a traveling warrior." Izou answered calmly and raised his sword.
"Bastard."Tatsumi said through clenched teeth. "Why are you attacking me?" Tatsumi was pretty sure that Izou was one of the few people that had not sided with the great general down at the meeting.
"I did not come here to talk to you." Izou answered. Shifting the straw in his mouth around with his lips. "As you probably realize."
Tatsumi quickly realized that Izou attacking him held an uncomfortable meaning. He was well aware who Izou worked for. Izou should have been on Esdese's side at the meeting so the fact that he was attacking Tatsumi could only mean one thing. The prime minister had realized that Tatsumi had become a problem. Which was very alarming. Izou had probably been ordered to kill Tatsumi in the chaos that would ensue. Striking while Esdese's attention were on other things.
This raised a lot of questions. How much did the prime minister know? How had he found out? Was someone leaking information? How many were aware of the prime minister's suspicion?
Yet all of this questions were pushed away from Tatsumi's mind at the moment. For he had just been given one of the most unsuspected chances in a long while. For now he had a legit and proper reason to fight one of the persons who's demise he had longed for the most.
Lubbock's killer.
Tatsumi had learned all about Lubbock's death and how he had been tortured. Feeling a responsibility to learn every detail about his dear friend's end. The only reason why he hadn't shared the same fate was because of Esdese. Her rare display of mercy only given to him. Unintrested in Lubbock. Her kindness only reminding Tatsumi of how unfair and cruel the empire was.
And how he had longed for this chance. How he had wished for something like this. Dreamt of it. And now his time had finally come.
He unlidded himself internally. Letting all the things he usually repressed bubble up. His grief, his anger,his fury, his bloodlust. He had waited patiently but now it was finally time for his sweet, sweet revenge.
He roared and moved towards Izou. Accelerating to his highest speed. Turning invisible when he got close.
Budo was slowly running out of steam. He was well aware of this himself. But he couldn't let up for a single moment right now. He needed to corner Esdese soon if he wanted to win this. They had turned the blocks around them into a field of dust and debris. With the corpses of a few unlucky people strewn here and there around them. Those that had been sleeping in their houses or hadn't been fast enough to get away.
Budo was calling down lightning strikes all around himself. Sending many of them flying down towards Esdese who was moving around at her highest speed. Every now and then he launched an orb of lightning from his arms towards her. Hoping that he would be able to make her take a step in the wrong direction and get hit by one of the lightning beams. But so far she had managed to avoid them all.
During his service in the military, he had never seen Esdese actually take a hit so he had no idea of her endurance level since she always avoided or blocked incoming attacks. But there was no way to block electricity with weapons or ice. So if he could just get a single attack to connect then he could put her endurance to the test. He was confident that she would not be able to last many hits from Adramelech. And even if she did have the endurance, the electricity would paralyse her enough for him to finish her off swiftly.
His assumptions seemed to be correct since Esdese was focusing on avoiding everything he threw at her. Moving back and forth in front of him. Not able to get close to him because of the constant barrage and not willing to take the risk of slowing down so that she could answer his ranged attacks with her own.
Esdese herself was starting to get tired of waiting for the great general to run out of power. She knew that he couldn't keep this up for long but she wasn't sure if this was favourable for her. She was walking on a thin line. And she knew that if she mistepped, the fall would be harsh.
But she was enjoying this to the fullest. Now she felt truly alive. Now she only existed in the present. Now there was no thoughts about the future or the past. Only this battle between the two of them existed in this moment. Only the thrill of dancing with death raging inside her. The bliss she would get from bringing pain and shame over Budo was the prize. And she was gambling all of herself on that she would be able to win it.
She stopped and made a gracious backflip in order to avoid the the lightning beam in front of her as well as the lightning orb that flew against her from the side. Landing comfortably a couple of meters back.
But to her suprise, when she landed, Budo was approaching her at the right side. Hurling another orb of lightning towards her as he did.
She quickly crouched down. The orb of lightning flying right past above her head. Then she launched herself forward. Too fast for him to be able to shoot at her again. She grabbed hold of her sword with both her hands and swung at him with all her strength. Her smile triumphant. He wouldn't have time to call down a lightning strike on himself if he was busy dodging her.
The great general brought up on of the gauntlets of Adramelech in defense. Burying his feet into the ground as he blocked her blow. Putting his other hand on the back of his blocking arm in order to steady it even more.
The strike was savage. Making the great general slide half a meter back as Esdese's sword cut through the gauntlet, heavily damaging the teigu. Her blade came to a halt just as it touched his arm after cutting through the entire side of the gauntlet. Making a small cut into his skin. Just as the great general had anticipated.
Esdese only managed to survive due to her extremly well-developed instincts. They warned her that there was no suprise in the great general. No fear or panick. Which raised a single question in her head. Why had the great general now moved to close combat after trying to keep a distance during their entire fight?
She let go her sword just before the electric forces of Adramelech forced it's way through it. She immediately summoned a long thin ice spear in her other hand but the great general had already started to jump back. Her sword still lodged into the side of one of his gauntlets.
He summoned the greatest beam of lightning from above he could muster. Striking it down on his own position. Forcing Esdese to jump backwards as fast as she could.
And the time she spent in the air, Budo used to charge up all his remaining power into his left arm. Her strike had heavily damaged his teigu. He wasn't even sure if he would be able to use the teigu's right arm ever again. But it had been a necesseary sacrifice in order to bring this monster down. Once and for all.
He directed his left arm to the place where Esdese was going to land. He pushed his teigu to it's absolute limit. His feet was driven into the ground as his teigu fired it's trump card towards where Esdese was going to land. "Solid shooter" Budo roared as the teigu's beam flew through the air. The boom of the blast overpowering his voice.
The bare force of the beam forced the ground under it to scatter. Causing all the debris around it to fly into the air again. Creating the biggest dust cloud yet behind it as it raced towards Esdese. The rain itself being forced out of the way by it's power before even getting in contact with the beam. Budo was certain that no living creature in the world could withstand an hit from this attack.
"Mahapadma!"
Tatsumi could hear the deafining boom as Adramelech trump card was used. Looking towards the noise, he could see how the giant beam emerged from the giant dust cloud. Destroying houses and streets as it went. It was heading in their direction.
Everyone fightning around him immediatly scattered in diffrent directions as the beam closed in on them. The fighting temporarly interrupted. Some of them jumped up to extreme heights while others moved to the side. Most of the fighters tried to jump in the same direction as their comrades. Wanting to stay with their allies.
The jaegers opted for height and jumped high up into the air as the blast went past beneath them. Destroying the the houses and streets. Sending a huge dust cloud up into the air. The cloud rose up and swallowed them mid-flight as it rose towards the sky.
They landed on the ground after some seconds. Among the rubble and remains of the area they had been fighting in. The blocks completly leveled by the blast. They still couldn't see much so they instinctively gathered together. All three of them looking in diffrent directions. Trying to detect any incoming opponents. The rain had decreased in intensity so the dust stayed in the air longer.
After a little while they could see the leaders of the imperial guard and the rest of Budo's followers. Standing about thirty meters away from them in a group. There were about forty of them but most posed no real threat to the jaegers.
As the dust slowly settled around them they could also see that the guards and soldiers belonging to the city watch were gathering around the edges of the destroyed area. Slowly closing in around the two groups. Keeping the distance since they were still unsure of what was going on. Tatsumi had seen the leader of the city watch at Budo's meeting but did not know what had happened when the battle and battle broke out. Unsure if Esdese initial attack had happened to kill the man or if he had been able escape.
Some civilians had also gathered at the outskirts of the now open area of destroyed houses.
The jaegers stayed at their position. Mainly intrested in defense in this battle as the other group started to approach them again. When there was only ten meters between the two groups the older man that Tatsumi had been fighting stepped forth. Budo's second-in-command.
"Feeling tired yet, jaegers?" he shouted out at them.
Tatsumi took it upon himself to answer."Not yet. How about you, old man? Is your age catching up with you?"
The older man smiled."Sorry to disappoint, youngling. I'm still in my prime!" The old man shoved his sword down into the ground."I will once again ask you to surrender."
"Sorry, not happening." Tatsumi shouted back. A cocky smile plasterd on his face.
Budo's second-in-command gestured to the soldiers and warriors gathering on the sideline with his free hand. "You are clearly outnumbered, lad. The soldiers that are gathering here all belong to the city watch. It was pretty obvious ,during the meeting ,that their captain supported the great general. While I can't remember a single one of the attending leaders that took Esdese's side down in the meeting room."
"Yeah I couldn't see anyone either." Tatsumi admitted. "That doesn't change our answer though."
The old man scowled and shook his head in frustration. "Folly!" he grabbed his sword. "Fine then, have it your way. I will remind you that you will be given a fai-"
He halted himself as a single figure came walking out of the dust to their side. Appearing between the two groups.
Esdese calmly walked out of the dust and smoke. Carrying her sword in one hand and dragging Budo by his hair in the other one.
Wave shouted out. "Commander! You actually managed to w-"
The blue haired boy interrupted himself as the wind made the dust around Esdese blow away. Revealing that she was only holding Budo's upper body. The corpse was missing one arm and the body was cut off right under the chest. Leaving a dark, bloody trail as she dragged it with her.
Gasps and cries of despair could be heard from the leaders of imperial guard. Budo's second-in-command took a step backwards. His face pale with shock and horror.
Esdese came to a halt when she had walked out of the dust completly. Her head was tilted towards the cloudy sky. Her eyes partly closed with a satisfied smile on her face.
That was a good one, she thought. That was a really good one. It was a pity that she hadn't been able to defeat him without killing him. Now she wouldn't get a chance to torture him. But she had deactivated Mahapadma just before she cut him in half. So that he would be able to understand what was happening but unable to stop it. His suprised and panicked expression had been a good consolation for the missed opportunity.
Her eyes slowly turned to the leaders of the imperial guard. Her head still tilted upwards. Time for some dessert.
She sauntered towards the group of the imperial guards while sheating her huge weapon. Putting her free hand on her hip when she was done. When she got close to the group, she threw the remnants of the proud great general down in front of them.
The old man dropped his sword and fell down on his knees by Budo's side. "But we had so much left to do... " he said in a shaky voice. His eyes filling with tears.
Esdese's expression was filled with satisfaction. "The imperial guard belongs to me now." she stated in a loud and excited voice. Her gaze wandering through the group of soldiers."From now on you follow my command."
Tatsumi could see on Esdese's expression and movements that it was dangerous to challenge her right now. She was riding high on the thrill and adrenaline that the battle had given her. She might act completly calm and composed but Tatsumi knew, that right now her extreme sadistic urges were on a hair-trigger. He actually considered to try and step in and try to calm her down. In order to repay the mercyful gesture Budo's second-in-command had shown them but he never got the chance to do so.
"Like hell we do." Budo's second-in-command growled. "We would never take orders from you!" he shouted. He grabbed his sword beside him and rose up. But Esdese was standing over him before he could rise up fully.
She swatted away his sword from him with the back of her hand and then grabbed his head in both of her hands. Standing slightly hunched over the old man. Staring him in the eyes as she slowly pressed her hands together. The old man screamed and flailed. Trying to get loose from her grip with one arm while the other one hit her in the side. Esdese didn't even react to it. She was simply too strong for the old man. His legs kicked and stamped the ground as his voice grew more shrill as she increased the pressure on his head.
Finally she straightened up and moved her arms away from her body with a playful giggle. Moving as if she was gonna throw the man away on his followers. But just as it looked like she was gonna let go of him she closed her hands. A sickening crunch was heard as the old mans head was crushed to a pulp. His blood and life fluids sprayed over the followers standing behind him as his body landed in front of them.
Tatsumi could hear how Wave gasped loudly behind him. He felt partly irritation and partly pity for his friend. He knew that out of all of them, Wave was the one who had worked the most with the imperial guard. So he probably knew these people personally. But one part of him felt irritation over that the boy hadn't realized where this was going. Had he still not realized what Esdese was?
Kurome seemed to not be bothered by it. As Tatsumi had expected. That girl had always been quick lump people together as either friends or enemies. And she felt little sympathy for her enemies.
Izou became visible as the last of the dust settled. He was standing far away from the two groups. Choosing to remain passive now that Esdese was back. Tatsumi gave him a glance. He didn't think that Izou feared death so this indicated that he had been ordered to only attack when Esdese wasn't around. Tatsumi considered trying to provoke him but decided against it. Not wishing to interrupt Esdese right now.
Esdese wiped her hands against each other. Due to the fact that she had been moving the body away from her when she crushed it, she had only gotten blood on her hands. She looked at the crowd of people in front of her. Most were stricken with horror. She could hear whimpers of despair and some people sobbing in the back of the group.
A young man stepped forth from the crowd. Looking at the destroyed head of the old man. He looked like a battle scribe. Dressed for battle but his main task seemed to be documentation. Carrying scrolls of papers on his side.
He looked at the ruined corpse."My master..." he said in a silent and mournful voice. His gaze then traveled to Budo's body that was on the ground behind Esdese. And then his eyes traveled up to her smiling face. She was giving him a curious look.
Anger filled his eyes but he kept quiet. Though he couldn't stop a scowl from forming on his face and that was all that was needed to provoke Esdese in this moment.
She flew towards him so fast that he didn't even have time to scream. A panicked yelp was the last noise that left his mouth. Esdese shoved her long sword into his groin in an upward stabbing motion. Making her blade pierce his entire body. The tip of it emerging through the skin at the side of the young man's neck.
She then easily lifted her sword into the air. Holding it up by her side. The young man's body skewered upon it. She slowly waved it around at her side as she watched the group of people in front of her. Blood dripping down on the ground. The right leg of the pierced young man spasming in death throes.
Screams could be heard from the people standing on the sidelines of the destroyed field. Now able to see the brutal scene themsleves.
"Anyone else feeling rebellious?" she called out in a amused and threatning voice.
Tatsumi watched it all unfold from behind her. He found it very morbid but not all too troubling.
The last two kills had been pretty gruesome but their deaths had been relatively swift. It was sad that the old man had to go that way but he had only suffered for maybe ten seconds at most. The young man that seemed to have been his apprentice even less than that. While it still was a horrible way to go, it was far from the worst fate Esdese could have given them. Her punishments could be much worse than then a few seconds of suffering followed by an undignified death.
He knew so since some of his friends had experienced what she was really capable of.
No, this was simply about statuating an example and breaking their morale, Tatsumi concluded. She was just showing everyone how things were gonna be from now on. Showing them who was in charge and why. Asserting her dominance over them.
This time no one stepped forth. The otherwise strong morale of the imperial guard shaken to it's core by watching two of their stoic leaders die. Most were reeling in shock. Some were averting their eyes in fear and some were covering their faces. Sobs could be heard here and there. They had truly loved their leaders. They would literally have fought to the last man with their leadership. But now, no one in the imperial guard even knew who would be in charge if Esdese wasn't there.
"Good." Esdese said and swung her sword in the air aginst them. Making the body fly off her sword and into some of the people in the group. Making them fall over. She swung it again to make the last of the blood fly off it and then sheated it behind her.
"With this, the treason of Budo is over. Killed in it's crib." She announced loudly. "I am taking control of the imperial guard. And as of today, I will be the new great general. The entire military is now at my command."
Everyone was silent. Nobody said a word. The rain had finally stopped and silence ruled over the grim scene.
Then a single solitude clapping could be heard. Esdese turned around with a proud smile towards Tatsumi. Who was clapping in support. Smiling at her. No one followed his lead. Not even his fellow jaegers applauded but he didn't care. She was the only one he would need. Esdese was the only one he needed on his side in order to ruin everything.
She started to walk towards him but didn't get too far before her stride was interrupted.
"Not so FUCKING fast, ice queen." a furious voice shouted.
With a loud bang, Makeias landed on their side. Descending from a long jump. Sending a cloud of dust up into the air with his landing. Tom-Tom and his guards landing behind him.
Makeis straightened up from the jump. He had one of his spears drawn. Holding it horizontally behind his back. Black liquid dripping from it.
"Ahh, pillager!" Esdese greeted with a smile. Putting one of her hands on the hilt of her sheated weapon."I was wondering when you were going to show up."
Makeias eyes traveled to the dead body of Budo. It stung him to see the proud man so utterly destroyed. Even if Budo had come to resent him after his campaings, there had been a day, long ago, when Makeias had proudly knelt down in front of the great general as Budo bestowed the rank of general upon him. It was still the greatest moment of his young innocent days.
"This is not how it is done." he said loudly as he looked at Esdese. All his usual humor and jokes gone for the moment. "The imperial guard only follows the great general."
"I have laid claim to that title now, pillager. The imperial guard belongs to me." Esdese said nonchalantly.
"That is not how it works and you know it." Makeias barked at her."You need to have the support of both the military leaders and the politicians to inherit that rank."
Esdese only smiled at him. "You know that I got the political side of it covered already. As for the military leaders.." she waved her hand at the shocked and sobbing group of imperial guards."...most of us are right here." She turned her gaze to the subdued group.
"Does anyone of you oppose me taking over the now vacant title of great general?"
Nobody in the group said a word. Only whimpers and sobbing could be heard from the once proud unit.
"There you have it." Esdese said and returned her gaze to Makeias. "I am now the great general. That is.." she said as her smile grew wider and more dangerous. "..unless you chose to oppose me."
Makeias gave her a dark look. His thoughts racing. Was this the best chance he was gonna get? He knew that his army wasn't quite ready yet but maybe this was the only chance he was gonna get to kill Esdese. But she didn't look strained at all. He couldn't even tell if she had used Mahapadma yet. He hadn't noticed anything but he didn't think that he would have even if she had used it during her battle with Budo. She could have used it when all the smoke was obscuring his view of their fight.
He could feel how Morbus called out for battle. It wanted to fight Esdese. It wanted him to attack her. But Makeias had since long learned to ignore that voice. Because Morbus only strived to cause decay. In all it's forms. It didn't matter if it was decay of morals, structures, order or just of the flesh. Morbus wanted everything to decay. Including itself and Makeias. And it could feel that fighting Esdese would cause a lot of decay.
Makeias quickly silenced that voice inside of him and tried to focus on what he knew.
He knew that when it came to raw power, Budo had been stronger than him. But he was faster than Budo had been. But during his sparring match with Esdese he had learned that she was slightly faster than himself. And much stronger. He had watched her and Budo's fight very closely but he had no way to discern if she had used up most of her power or not. She sure as hell didn't look tired at this moment.
In the end, he didn't know enough. He knew that his forces were not really ready to act yet so if he should force them to act now then he needed to know that this was a chance and not a risk. Which he couldn't confirm.
He took his decision.
Makeias slowly raised his spear on his right side. And then he dropped it. It fell down and pierced the ground. Remaining standing.
"No, Esdese. I do not oppose you." Makeias said. For now.
Esdese smiled with satisfaction. But she was not going to let him get away that easily.
"Smart of you." she said and let go of her weapon."Then come here and kneel before me." she commanded and moved towards him. Stopping right in front of the remains of Budo.
Makeias face was a stone mask as he walked up and knelt in front of her. Looking at the body of his dead superior. Tom-Tom and his men knelt down where they were standing when they saw Makeias do it. Esdese was looking down at him with a malicious grin.
"Makeias, I will reward you for choosing to follow me instead of opposing me. And I also recognize your strength. You will be acting as my personal aide in the time to come. You will help me reforge the military." She called out. Some of her excitment slipping through into her formal tone. It was going to be be so much fun to have him around when she now could do whatever she wanted to him.
"As you command." Makeias answered in an empty voice.
"However." Esdese said. "You have annoyed me quite a bit during these last weeks. So from here on, everyone in the military shall refer to you as pillager. You will keep your powers and privilges but your new rank shall be called pillager." she said with an amused smile. Making his degrading nickname into his actual rank.
"Of course, general."
"Great general." Esdese corrected. "Next time you forget that you will be punished."
"Of course, great general."
Esdese looked down at him. She was a bit dissatisfied. He wasn't sounding ashamed or annoyed at all. She wanted to drive the nail in a bit further.
She put one of her white boots on top of Budo's body. Right in front of him.
"Lick it."
Makeias looked up at her. Giving her a sceptical look. She met his gaze with a placid smile. Her eyes slightly lidded. Waiting for him to object so that she could punish him.
Makeias sceptical expression did not stem from disbelief or suprise that Esdese would ask this of him, though. His wonder came from the fact that she didn't seem to understand him at all. He had killed so many people and destroyed so many lives in order to get here. He had ruined so many homes and burned so many villages. All just so that he would get to a position where he could strive towards his true objective. He had caused so much pain and suffering to be able to reach his goal.
Did she honestly believe that his pathetic pride held a candle to those sacrifices?
He bent down and started with his task.
Some gasps could be heard from the imperial guard but Tom-Tom and his men seemed unfazed by this turn of events.
Esdese's smile grew a little bit wider. Revealing some of her teeth. She turned her head to Tatsumi.
"Tatsumi." she called out in a sweet voice. Waving with her hand for him to come closer.
He walked over to her with haste. Filled with euphoria and joy. It had worked! It had actually worked! He almost couldn't believe it. He had caused the death of the great general and nobody knew it. And his position was so much better now that Esdese would be the one to decide what the duties and regulations of the entire military was. Everything was moving as he had intended.
He walked up to her and she immediately wrapped one of her arms around his head. Bringing him close and kissing him deeply and passionately. Smearing the blood on her fingers on his cheek. Making out with him while Makeias licked her boot.
The clouds had slowly started to part and a few rays of of the morning sun started to shine down at the scene. Silence dominated the moment. Only interrupted by the occasional smacking of Esdese's forceful kissing. Nobody knew what was going to happen now.
Nobody but Tatsumi.
A slightly longer author's note:
There we go. The first part of Bent but not Broken is done. This was as far as I had planned when I began writing this story. The next chapter will take place some weeks after the events described in this entry to the story.
I have started to read through and correct old mistakes as I have been changing Esdeath to Esdese. I said that I wouldn't replace any chapters with the new versions until I had them all ready but... some of the old mistakes has just been too painful to leave alone anymore. Rereading the older chapters have been an exercise in shame and facepalming. Not because of the story itself but because of the gramatical mistakes have been so many.
So I will start replacing the chapters with new versions in chronological order. Starting today. Continuity be damned! I will hopefully get it all done rather quickly.
Some of you have been advicing me to get someone to betaread my chapters or something akin to that. It is a good idea but the problem with that is my tempo. Each one of these are usually around 8000-10 000 words and I release one roughly every week. I doubt that kind of speed could be maintained for any extended time if I would have someone else involved in the process.
But that trade off might be worth it. If you think the grammatical errors in recent chapters are big enough to detract from the story then I shall consider it.
Anyway, I want to thank you all for reading. While I have had the events of this chapter planned from the start, I still never thought that I would actually get to this point. I have never indulged this deeply into any of my fantasies. And it has been a very enjoyable journey. Mainly because you people actually read it. And thanks for all the comment/reviews. They are literally what keeps me exploring this scenario.
The next one will be released in about 7-8 days. Hopefully.
Have a great day and take care of each other.