Hah! On time for the first time in... a very long while. And with a few minutes to spare.

Seems like I get to keep my non-existing cat.

The next chapter will be released 19/7. Now you can trust it.

Cat and mouse.

The streets were really hot after being bathed in the strong sun the entire morning. Tatsumi could almost feel the heat of the cobblestone through the soles of his shoes. The clear blue sky not offering a single cloud to protect the capital from the scorching sun.

The streets of the city were flooded with people. It was midday and around lunchtime so the commotion was high. People running around to do errands and whatever tasks they could fit into their lunch break. Yet despite how trafficked the street Tatsumi was walking on was, people kept a healthy distance from him. Probably a little bit more than healthy, to be honest. No one seemed to even dare to come within a ten-meter radius of him. An open circle created around him in the crowded street.

Tatsumi would have liked it if he had been the reason for it but he held no such illusion. It was the woman beside him that commanded this amount of respect. And fear. A lot of fear.

Esdese didn't seem to mind, though. Walking comfortably with her arms by her sides. Almost close enough to be invading his personal space but not quite. Consciously walking that line. It was only the two of them inside the empty circle.

"Damn it is hot today." Tatsumi sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"It's a beautiful day." Esdese said calmly and looked up at the clear sky. The heat unable to bother her.

"And hot. Very very hot." Tatsumi complained halfheartedly.

Without looking away from the sky, Esdese moved one of her hands up behind him. Grabbing a very light hold on his neck. Before Tatsumi had time to look at her or react, his entire back became freezingly cold, from neck to buttocks.

"Gaaahaah!" Tatsumi shrieked out by instinct. Jumping forward a couple of steps before he could stop himself. The instinctual reaction to sudden freezing coldness was one of those things that no training could work away.

His shout earned him a lot of looks from the sea of people that were streaming past them. Some even stopping to look at him jumping around.

"Goddamit! Could you at least give me a warning, you crazy woman!" Tatsumi said and turned towards Esdese. But she only smiled at him. Her expression entertained and satisfied.

"Anyway, you were talking about this boy, Jack, Tatsumi." she said and turned her gaze to the street ahead of them. Not slowing down her pace.

"Yeah." Tatsumi said as he calmed down. Falling in beside hear again.

Esdese had come to him this morning to talk about Makeias' spy and how it was somehow able to find out about all that was going on in the palace so easily. But the spy's ability to do so posed a problem for the discussion to take room in itself. So Tatsumi's genius solution had been to simply leave the palace.

Despite the simplicity of the idea, it still held some merit. Esdese's instincts were superb and Tatsumi's was not bad either. They would be able to sense if someone was following them for an extended time. They would be able to detect if the spy followed them. Even with all this people around them. They had brought no escort or guards with them. Only so that the two of them could act as bait to the foolish even more.

And it seemed to have worked. Neither of them had sensed anyone following them for an extended time since they left the palace. Every now and then a group of youths started to follow them from some distance. Just out of curiosity. Drawn to the appearance of the imperial general. Some of them not even realizing that it was the leader of the empire that they were following. But when they had followed them for too long, Esdese dispersed them with a gaze over her shoulder. Scaring them away simply by letting them know that she was aware of them.

So they had been able to have their discussion in peace. Even if both of them were subtly paying a lot of attention to their environment.

"I don't know how Makeias got his hand on the teigu known as Spectator but he did. Somehow."

"When did you realize that he had this teigu in his possession?" Esdese asked. Despite the topic, she seemed to be in a rather good mood. To his surprise.

"A long time ago. Makeias showed it off to me before you killed Budo." he lied.

"And it didn't seem strange to you that he had it?" she asked and gave him a look.

"Of course not." Tatsumi defended. "I thought the imperial court or Budo had handed it to him. What I don't understand is the stupidity of giving what must be the most powerful spy and intel tool in the world to a simple executioner. Someone made a big fucking mistake with Zanku."

"Yeah." Esdese admitted and looked forward. "That wouldn't have happened on my watch. I can tell you that much. However, Spectator was lost to the revolutionary army. Reports suggested that it was due to Night raids involvement. And this should have been when you were already with them."

"It was." Tatsumi said and thought back to that night when Akame had barely saved him from death. It seemed like it was a part of a different lifetime to him. So much had changed since then. "Night raid did give that teigu to the revolutionary army but I simply assumed that the empire had gotten the teigu back somehow. The revolutionary army was already pretty destroyed back then."

Esdese nodded. Satisfied with his explanation. "This suggests that Makeias' betrayal is deeper than we thought. He must have been in contact with the revolutionary army long before he betrayed us. And since then he has turned against them as well. Since we have found the remains and traces of all the small battles that have seemingly erased the revolutionary army."

"Betrayal seems to be his thing." Tatsumi said. "But it is also possible that someone within the revolutionary army sold them out. Since it seems that he has been aware of all their hideouts."

Esdese nodded. It had been a bit disheartening for her to hear about the demise of the revolutionary army. They had been her biggest opponent for such a long time. She was a bit sad that someone else had claimed her prize. She had been looking forward to gathering up what remained of her old rival faction and wipe it out herself. Not that she would talk about such sorrows with Tatsumi. She had learned not to. Only adapting this sort of tactfulness when it came to him.

"You should have told me that he had Spectator."

"I assumed that you already knew. You should have told me that we had a spy in the palace sooner. Then I would have immediately suggested that it was the boy Jack. Which is the one Makeias has given it to." Tatsumi said. Leaving out that it was he who had placed Jack in the palace on Makeias behalf. Even if the boy was beyond his reach now. Gone from all surveillance.

Esdese stayed silent for a while. Her eyes focused on the road ahead. "So how do we catch him?"

"That will be almost impossible. I mean, think about it. He doesn't have to be in the direct vicinity of the information that he steals. He doesn't even have to read it or hear someone speak it. And he probably receives his order the same way. Just by reading the mind of someone that is close by. Hell, he is probably giving them the information in the same way. By projecting the images of what he has found out for them. Giving them the information through the illusions that the teigu is capable of. Even this little walk is not that protecting for us. Since he can find out what we talked about as soon as we return to the palace."

"Maybe we could look for his patterns then?" Esdese suggested.

"Maybe but probably not. There is no need for them to use the same person to contact Jack every time. He probably receives instructions about who's mind he should read for instructions next time. As long as he can even just be close to anyone who is able to be near the palace's gates. It will be impossible to find out those that he work with. Since they don't need to interact in any way."

Esdese sighed. "This is proving to be a rather tough nut to crack."

Tatsumi nodded. "I don't think it could have been tougher. But I think you are right, if we are able to get Jack, then we have defeated Makeias."

"But you do know how this boy looks, right?" she said and gave him a look. He nodded in response "Then we can start a hunt for him. If we put up harder checkpoints on every part of the palace, we should be able to smoke him out."

"Good idea." Tatsumi said. Even though he knew that it probably wouldn't work. Since he had been trying that in secret. Ever since the prime minister's death. But Esdese's command would give some more muscle to his search. "The problem comes back to the fact that he can read the minds of those around him. He will alway be a step ahead of anyone searching for him."

"What about his loyalty then? What is Makeias offering this boy that we can't give him ten times more of?"

"He has been reading the mind of those at the top for months now. He knows what he stands to get by betraying Makeias and he still have not done so. I would guess that Makeias has a really strong hook on him. That or he has been brainwashed." he said. "Maybe we can give him some false information?"

Esdese thought about for some moments but then shook her head. "You can't hide what you know to be the truth behind other things in your head. He will know what is true or not. We could try to send out the wrong information to a lot of our own people. So that they wouldn't know that it was false. But the prime minister already tried that. He seems to be going straight to the source for all his information."

They both remained silent for a while after that. After some time, Tatsumi spoke again. "Well, it is not impossible to catch him by default. If we just hunt for him harshly for a long enough time, he is bound to make a mistake. Sooner or later."

"Or we could just surprise ourselves. So that we don't have the information about catching him." Esdese said.

"What do you mean?" Tatsumi asked.

But Esdese didn't answer. She just stayed silent. Her smile a bit smaller all of a sudden. Tatsumi was about to ask her again but then he noticed it as well.

They were being followed.

And not by normal pedestrians this time. Their followers were concealing their exact location. They did not want to be seen. But they were there. He was sure of it. At least now that Esdese's reaction had confirmed it.

"But I must say, the city is pretty damn vibrant right now. It seems like the large numbers of refugees that have been arriving to the city has done nothing to hamper it yet." he said. Completely diverting the topic away from what they were talking about in order to signal to her that he had noticed them as well.

"Yeah. I will admit that as a leader, it is satisfying to see." she answered in a happy voice. Showing that she had picked up on his message.

They continued their cold talk. Both of them trying to pinpoint where their pursuers were more exactly. Tatsumi had a hard time doing so. They were behind them but he couldn't discern anything more than that.

However, Esdese was more successful. She changed their pace a little bit back and forth. Tatsumi carefully following her lead. Making her able to tell which one of those around them that adjusted their speed to theirs. It took a little time but after a while, she knew that there were three of them. And after some more moments, she had managed to pinpoint one of them.

With a single push of one of her strong legs, she launched herself backwards. Towards her target. Turning around in the air. Tatsumi didn't have time to see who she was aiming until she had already caught him. Flying into the crowd behind them.

The crowd scattered around her. People running away in panic. Some screaming out. Tatsumi had to push some people away in order to reach Esdese. Everyone forgetting who he was now that some panic had ensued. When he reached her, a new ring had cleared around Esdese again. She was standing over someone lying on the ground. Moving on of her hands around. Stretching her wrist. Not even looking down at the one who was lying face down at her feet. There was a trail of red droplets lying on the ground beside the body.

Tatsumi walked up to her. No longer having to shuffle through the crowd. "Did you kill him?"

Esdese didn't move her eyes away from her hand as she opened and closed it. She answered by giving the body a push with her boot. Making the person roll over as Tatsumi looked down at him.

It was a young boy. Still in his teens. Clothed in a brown robe that went up over his head. His nose was broken. Bleeding heavily. The underside of his face covered in blood. His upper lip broken. It seemed like Esdese had floored him with a single powerful punch to the face. The boy's eyes were wide and frantic. Apparently, he had been too horrified to even turn around after the hit. And it showed on his expression. His gaze darting back and forth between Esdese and Tatsumi.

"Ahhh." Tatsumi said. "Just a street urchin."

Esdese's eyes finally moved down to the boy. Her cold eyes threatening. "Who were the others?"

"What others?" the boy stammered quickly. Trying to slowly crawl backwards away from her. "I didn't do anything! Why did you hit me?"

"Why have you been following us for almost ten minutes?" Esdese asked. Her voice so calm that it was scary.

"I don't know." the boy said. Almost shouting it out in fear. "I was just watching what was happening."

Esdese crossed her arms over her chest. She moved one of her feet over towards the boy. Putting it on top of one of his hands. The boy freezing in place when she started to move. Without Esdese using any of her powers.

"You don't know, eh?" she said slowly. Starting to press down on his hand with her foot.

The boy tried to pull his arm away but Esdese was already applying enough pressure to make him unable to get away.

"Defiance is not your best option right now. At least not if you are hoping to have any use of that hand for the rest of your life." Tatsumi advised the boy. He crouched down beside him. "Why were you trying your best to stay hidden while you followed us?"

"Because of shit like this!" the boy shouted at him and tried to pull his hand away. Grabbing it's arm with his free hand. He looked up at Esdese. "I didn't do anything!" he repeated.

"Yes, you did." Esdese said. Pushing her foot down more. Making the boy scream out. "Your interference ruined the hunt for me."

Tatsumi knew what she meant. They had lost the element of surprise when Esdese lashed out like that. They had revealed that they were aware of those who had followed them. Whoever the others were, they were not going to be easy to catch now. They would probably be way more cautious from this point on.

"I think he is telling the truth." Tatsumi said and rose up. Looking at Esdese. "He was probably just unlucky. His good sneaking ability seems to have worked against him here."

Esdese looked at Tatsumi and then down at the boy again. His scared and bloody expression facing her.

"Let's go." Tatsumi said. Gently trying to dismantle the situation. He knew that Esdese probably viewed the kid in the same way she would have viewed an ant. Not really caring whether he lost his hand or not. So as long as the boy didn't do anything to wake her darker sadistic side, he would be fine. "Come on. This kid isn't worth your time."

Esdese sighed and then removed her boot from the boy's hand and walked past Tatsumi. Already bored with the kid. Tatsumi fell in beside her. The crowd parting way for her as they walked away. Leaving the boy behind. Holding his hurting hand.

After Esdese and Tatsumi had walked away a bit and the crowd had started to move again, Akame signaled to Leone that they should keep going.

After a little while, both Esdese and Tatsumi noticed that they were still being followed. But now it was much harder to determine where their pursuers were. But they could both feel it.

Esdese steered them closer to the palace as they continued to talk about everything that didn't have anything to do with their followers or the important issue that they had been discussing. At a couple of occasions, Esdese slowed down her pace so much that Tatsumi thought that she was on to them but then she just increased it again.

"These ones are a bit more difficult than the boy." Tatsumi said lowly after a while.

Esdese nodded. "These are professionals. They are used to the cat and mouse game. They can avoid being detected even when I know that they are close."

"Assassins?" Tatsumi said.

"Most likely. A spy wouldn't go through this much trouble just to eavesdrop."

Tatsumi was already tense and this did not make the situation any easier for him. He knew that there were few assassins left in the empire that had the skill to stay hidden from Esdese when they were this close up. And he knew most of them. He did not look forward to the day when he was attacked by these assassins that he knew, but he had always known that it would come. Sooner or later. And this might be it.

Esdese on the other hand, seemed completely calm. Finding some slight amusement in the situation. "Well, I don't think they will make any mistake now that they know that we are watching for them. So we will just have to wait and see if they have the guts to try something."

Tatsumi simply nodded.

They walked like that for another twenty minutes, reaching the first imperial checkpoint. The first of many as you got closer to the palace. The guards stood still and saluted as Esdese and Tatsumi passed them. None of them really looking at the imperial soldiers. When they had passed the blockade, they immediately came up on a rather wide bridge that crossed one of the larger rivers in the capital. The city continuing on both sides of it.

"Ok then." Esdese said silently. "Let's see what they do."

Tatsumi looked at her as they walked on but she didn't say anything more. When he looked behind them over his shoulder, he understood what she meant.

The crowd around them had dissipated considerably. Most couldn't just walk past the military checkpoint. Most had to wait in line and go through inspection. And as such, the bridge only had five people on it beside the two of them. Their followers could not continue their pursuit without revealing themselves.

When they had passed half of the bridge, Esdese stopped and turned around. Looking back to the side they had come from. Clearly showing their pursuers tha this was completely delibrate.

"I hope they risk it." she said and stared at the blockade. A smile on her face. "But I don't think they will."

Tatsumi looked into the revolving crowd on the other side of the military blockade. The sea of people constantly changing and moving. He tried to search for anything that he recognized but it was impossible. There were too many people moving around. Everyone set for a diffrent destination.

He and Esdese stood there for almost two minutes. Staring into the crowd. Esdese challenging their followers to attack with this obvious move. Tatsumi scared to death that one of his old friends would burst out of the crowd. Weapon drawn and coming for them.

But when two minutes had passed and nothing had changed, Esdese sighed. "How disappointing." she said and turned around. Starting to walk towards the other side.

Tatsumi looked at the crowd for some more moments. But then he turned around as well. Taking some quick steps to catch up with her.

When they had walked for another two minutes and had left the bridge behind them since long, Tatsumi couldn't sense any presence following them. "Did we lose them?" he said and looked at Esdese.

"We lost them at the bridge, Tatsumi. I could feel that they withdrew when they realized the challenge." she said in nonchalant way. "Probably just some fairly competent assassin that was too smart to walk into certain death."

"Why seek us out if they didn't want to fight us?" Tatsumi asked.

"Maybe they were searching for an opening in my defense. Or maybe they weren't ready to attack the both us. They might have been hoping for a chance to just attack one of us. Hoping that we would separate."

"Yeah." Tatsumi said. "You're probably right."

"But that was a bit disappointing. They should have taken responsibility for getting my hopes up and attacked."

"You might be the only person in the world that welcomes assassins to have a go at you."

"There are few people like me." Esdese admitted.

"Excuse me, great general!" a young man shouted. Running towards them from one of the streets that led towards the palace. The man was wearing the clothes of a military courier. He was panting and sweating heavily. Getting down on a knee when he got close to Esdese.

"Great general!" he almost shouted between breaths. "I bring dire and urgent news. The commander of military intelligence is urging you to call an emergency meeting with the military leaders in the capital."

Tatsumi and Esdese exchanged a look and then stared down at the boy.

"What are these troubling news that you speak of, boy?" Esdese asked. Sounding more curious than anything else.

"We are being invaded." the commander of the military intelligence concluded. "It might sound a bit more extreme than it is but I have no other way of putting it."

The atmosphere in the large room was very tense. Everyone keeping silent. The room itself was adorned with the extravagance that was normal for the higher parts of the palace. All of the generals that were currently stationed in the capital were gathered the long table along with some ministers. Mainly those that Esdese had appointed from the many suggestions that Tatsumi had brought before her.

Guards were standing by the doors in the room and most of the generals had some attendants with them. Kotaro was standing by the wall next to the door. He had not really been summoned but the boy was drawn to anything that Esdese participated in. Tatsumi didn't really mind that he got some insight into how the government worked but the boy's infatuation with Esdese was always a bit worrying.

Esdese herself was the only one in the room that didn't seem worried at all. On the contrary rather. She was keeping her official and commanding demeanor but Tatsumi could easily see that she was as excited as a child on Christmas. He was sitting in front of her. On the other side of the table. Esdese occupying the center of the long table instead of the end of it. Since this was a military meeting.

"How far have they gotten?" Gallus asked. His big hands holding each other over his belly. An untouched glass of water standing in front of him.

"We are uncertain when they crossed the western border." the leader of scouts said from his seat at the edge oof the table. "The attack was completely unexpected and well-organised. Our positions at the borders were overrun before they managed to send a message. And since then, the invading force have moved into the empire as fast as they have been able to. If they are keeping their tempo up, they should be about fifty miles into imperial soil by now."

"So fifty miles before the news of it even reaches us." Gallus said. "They can't possibly be establishing any positions at all. They must be leaving everything behind and just move on."

"It's an ancient tactic." Esdese said with a dangerous smile. "They are attacking without a declaration of war and then try to cover as much ground as possible before their enemy can react. Leaving behind anything and anyone that can't handle the pace. So that they have already won a lot of ground before the answer to the attack comes."

"I was under the impression that the country at the western border had been reduced to a rather sorry state." Faye said. She was sitting beside Gallus. A couple of seats away from Tatsumi. A glass of juice in front of her. Having been promoted to general just the day prior. She was keeping her usual happy tone. As if the fight between Ivan and Tatsumi the other day had never happened. "I thought that our last campaign ruined all their chances of something like a military campaign. Their nation should have been in ruins. Was Faye lied to?"

"I am suspecting that we were all lied to." Tatsumi said. "Do we have any idea of who is leading this invasion force?"

The commander of intelligence spoke up again. "It seems to be a collection of leaders from different tribes and regions of said country. But no names that we have engaged with before. Though there is one man that have been seen on a couple of sites that this army has conquered. He has been easily recognized by our spies and scouts since he had been registered in the military once. He is called.. uhh.. " the man said and read from a paper in his hand." ..Tomarisju-Tomarsasju... I think."

Tatsumi sighed silently. Squeezing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. The situation had just gotten a lot more complicated. "Those who know him call him Tom-Tom. He is Makeias' second-in-command."

A light murmur passed through the table at his words.

"Ahhh so that is where the traitor has been hiding." one of the ministers exclaimed.

"That would explain why we couldn't find Makeias' forces when we searched through the empire." the officer of the scouts said. Looking at Esdese for approval. "Makeias left the empire altogether."

Esdese didn't answer him. She was looking at Tatsumi. Her smile hard to read. Her voice soft when she spoke. "And who was it that sent us all the reports and journals about how he had brought the western nation down to its knees with his campaign into foreign soil?"

"Makeias." Tatsumi answered emptily.

Esdese nodded. "It seems like he did a lot more than just fight when he went into the western nation. But it doesn't matter. I will smash them, like seeds in a mortar."

That made Tatsumi look up at her immediately. "Send someone else, great general. There is no need for you to bother yourself with this personally."

"This is the first real threat that the empire has faced for a long time. It will be a good chance to demonstrate to the people that we are still in full control. Despite all the rebels and traitors that are roaming the countryside." Esdese answered calmly. Leaning forward a bit over the table. Crossing her fingers under her face. "I will head out with a handful of my legions and crush them with such force that the entire populace of the empire will be talking about it."

Her words only solidified Tatsumi's worry. He knew that tone. She had decided and it would be hard to change her mind. "You are surrounded by generals, Esdese. Send someone else."

"What worries you, Tatsumi?" Esdese said and smiled at him. "These forces are nothing to be scared about. We have seen them in action before. And if the pillager has joined his forces to them, then all the better. They will not stand a chance against me. You know this."

"And so does Makeias." Tatsumi said. "If Tom-Tom is there then we have to assume that the pillager is part of this. Why would he condone a suicide attack such as this? This is clearly meant to be a distraction."

"A distraction from what, head administrator?" Faye chirped in her usual manner.

"I don't know." Tatsumi said and looked down at his hands. "I just think that we are acting exactly as our enemy would expect us to."

"Sooo.. You mean that we should not respond to this invading army?" Faye said in that same sugary tone.

"I didn't say that." Tatsumi answered with slight irritation. "I just don't think that the great general should be the one dealing with this."

General Gallus nodded. "I would be honored to fight this army for you, great general Esdese."

Esdese eyes didn't leave Tatsumi. Her smile staying. "To what end? What are we trying to avoid by sending a weaker general to take care of this?"

"You are the stronger one but also the most important one. We can't afford to lose you. Then the empire will lose all form of stability. Everything is kept together through your strength."

"What risk are you talking about? This will be a walk in the park for me, Tatsumi."

Tatsumi had a hard time arguing her point. She had grown so powerful that mere numbers became irrelevant when she was leading one side. The only thing that mattered was whether or not there were any warriors powerful enough on the other side that could occupy her in any meaningful way.

"Do we have any idea if any of Makeias' own forces are a part of this invasion army?" Tatsumi asked and looked at the leader of intelligence.

"No, that would be an assumption. The only one that has been seen there that is connected to the pillager in any way is Tom-Tom."

"We have no reason to assume that anyone else from his faction is there." Tatsumi argued. "If Tom-Tom is there, then Makeias does have a part in it. But that doesn't mean that this is his army. He might be hoping that we spread ourselves out. Maybe he is hoping to attack the capital while we are weakened?"

Esdese shook her head at him. "That is folly, Tatsumi. We can spread ourselves out five times more than this and Makeias will still be outmanned no matter which part of us he attacks. He can never win an outright attack at the capital. With or without the participation of me and my personal forces."

Tatsumi knew the numbers. He was more just trying to show her that he didn't want her to do this. And even if Esdese must have understood his position by now, she showed no signs of backing down. But he was not about to give up yet.

"It is better to not leave the empire leaderless why you fight with this in-"

Tatsumi halted himself mid-sentence. He could feel a foot moving up between his legs. Stroking against his inner thigh as it moved towards his crotch. And he could see in Esdese's eyes whose foot it was. "..insignificant foes." he finished in a steady voice.

"I can do many of my duties from the front. I will delegate that wich I can't to Gallus and you, head administrator."

Gallus bowed his head slightly while Tatsumi just looked at Esdese. Working hard to keep his stone face. Her sole grinding against his groin with an uncanny precision. Her own head resting in one of her hands. Smiling at him in an amused way. Tatsumi knew that Esdese differentiated greatly between her duties and her pleasures. Even if they often were one and the same. She wouldn't be bothering him like this if she had considered the rest of the discussion important.

She had already decided what was going to happen.

Tatsumi cursed the situation in his head. If he had only had some time to talk to her about this before the meeting. Then he might have been able to dissuade her from this before it was brought into the public eye.

"I still think th-" he said and halted himself again as Esdese's foot suddenly applied more pressure to his more sensitive parts. He held his expression like a mask but had to stop for some moments.

"What do you think, head administrator?" Esdese asked as her smile grew. Tilting her head to the side slightly. Her eyes full of glee.

Tatsumi tried to shoot her an angry look but that only seemed to make her increase her foot's harsh treatment of him. He couldn't really move his hand down under the table to stop her without drawing attention to the entire situation. He decided to give up on this battle. For now at least.

He shrugged. "I consign myself to your wisdom, great general. But I have one objection. If you are leaving for the field, then I am coming with you. I will not remain in the capital."

That stopped her foot's movement. She looked at him in silence. Still smiling as everyone in the room looked at her.

"The rest of you can leave." she finally said. Her eyes not leaving Tatsumi. "I have no further need of you right now."

The generals and ministers all rose up from the table around them. Saluting or bowing to Esdese before taking their leave. When they had left with all their attendants, Esdese looked over at Kotaro. "You as well, Kotaro." she said and nodded towards the door.

It looked like the boy was going to object but then he thought better of it. He saluted her and then walked out of the room. When he did, the last of the guards left the room with him. Closing the doors behind them. Leaving Tatsumi and Esdese alone in the big room. Tatsumi didn't waste a second.

"Listen Esdese, I know that you are desperate for a chance to flex your muscles a bit but I think that there is something else going on here." he said as Esdese slowly straightened up. One of her hands moving towards him. He didn't stop as she reached across the table.

"You always said that Makeias was a schemer. No matter how you look at it, this-" he continued as her hand grabbed a hold of the collar of his shirt. She started to pull him over the table. Slowly dragging him across it as she rose up. Tatsumi offered no resistance. Continuing to speak as he was gliding over the wood. "-is not a smart move in and of itself. It is probably a part of something bigger."

Esdese rose up fully as she lifted Tatsumi to her face. So that his feet that had been dragged across the table could fall down on her side of it. He opened his mouth to speak up but when he did, Esdese bit down on his lower lip. Quickly darting in. Putting her forehead against his as she tugged his lip a bit back and forth. Her mouth forming a threatening smile.

"So you just couldn't stand the thought of being away from me for so long? Whatever am I to do with you, my hopeless little Tatsumi?" she said through her bite.

"If this ish a trap of shome short, then I want to be with you when it shpringhs. Shhoo you don't do anything shhtupid." Tatsumi slurred without his lower lip.

Esdese pulled a little bit harder on him and then let go. "Well this is perfect then." she said and started to lower him onto the table. Moving down after him.

"I still think it is a bad idea to leave the empire's government without a leader for so long." Tatsumi said as he was laid down on the table. Esdese bending down over him. A hand on the table beside his head.

"I will be able to call some decision through messengers. And I will set up directives and plans for what should be done in my absence." she said calmly as she slowly lowered herself down towards him. "And we might actually confuse Makeias' spy by doing this."

Tatsumi eyebrows rose slightly. He hadn't thought about that. If Esdese was out in the field and issued orders to the army without going through the capital, then Jack would be forced to either come with them or give up on tapping into all of their communication. He smiled up at her. "Sometimes I forget that you actually have some brains to you as well, ice queen."

"It is not that hard of a move to figure out. But this might also allow me to catch some of Makeias' followers. I am sure that I can figure out quite a lot of things if I get to spend a day with this Tom-Tom and some of my tools."

"Ok, I will admit that you might have figured out some strategical benefits to this. But I know that deep down, you are just hungry for some old fashioned violence."

"I will still be doing my duties, won't I?" Esdese said as she lowered herself more over him. "You have nothing to complain about. I will let you come with me. You can oversee the communications with the capital."

Tatsumi moved his hands up on her back. Slowly moving them down over her lean and strong back. "And I get a front row seat as you slaughter these poor wretches. Yay." he said sarcastically.

"Come on now, Tatsumi. It has been more than a year since I participated in my last proper battle. I have been completely shut in these halls for the last months. This was just what I needed." she said. Her hair falling down all around Tatsumi as she bent down and started to kiss his forehead. Her tongue moving across it in slow and strong strokes.

"So what you needed was another massacre?" Tatsumi said.

"I need a good fight. As you said, a chance to flex and flaunt my powers. I will give this foolish little force a show of the likes they have never seen as I crush them."

"I am sure that will be a good consolation for them as they die." Tatsumi said.

"Well, I was never concerned with them." Esdese said as her lips moved down towards his mouth.

"Of course not." he answered as she placed her lips on top of his.

After a moment, Esdese was starting to get really into it but then Tatsumi surprised her.

SMACK!

Esdese's head jolted up from his. A surprised look on her face. She looked down at Tatsumi for some moments before turning around slightly. Looking at the hand that had a firm grip on her butt. Holding on to one of her now tensed up butt cheeks.

"Did you just spank me?" Esdese said and turned back to Tatsumi. Smiling. "Like I was a little girl or a common whore."

"You must be imagining things." Tatsumi said with a wry smile and squeezed her behind a bit more.

"Ohh you want to be like that. huh?" Esdese said and laid down fully on him. The wood in the old table starting to creak with her movements.

Outside of the closed doors to the room, Kotaro stood alone. Waiting. His eyes closed. Listening to the faint sounds that made it through the doors. Moans and grunts. The occasional giggle and slapping sound.

His hands were closed so hard that his nails drew blood as he fought against the tears.

Author's note:

I kinda like this better. Slightly shorter chapters but more regular releases. Makes the story seem more alive. Can hopefully make it easier for those that read this story but don't accounts. The next one will take a couple more days though. It will need to be a little bit larger.

I apologize to all those that have sent me pms. I will respond to you all in a day or two. Have had to focus on getting this done first and foremost.

And yes, I hear you, all my little perverts, I have read your messages. Proper lemons are coming, don't worry about it. Probably rather soon. Considering how I usually pace them out within this story.

Thanks for all the reviews and feedback, The response to the last chapter has been insane. And is a large part of why I actually managed to release this on time. It fuels me.

Until next time, take care of each other.