Tatsumi knew it.

Mine's bullets would either kill him or the girls, depending on his choice.

He knew it but in the end, he let go of Bulat and dashed backwards as hard as he could, activating the Water Dragon Sword in the process.

Tatsumi decided and acted within a mere second.

As he was carried by the will of protecting his daughters, he somehow managed to ignore the terrible pain the Water Dragon Sword caused him.

He caught up with Nea and Ryuu and protected them with his very body.

When the bullets finally came, due to his enhanced sight and reflexes, he easily deflected them.

In fact, Tatsumi was not faster than the bullets. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have done it in time.

Fortunately for him, Mine had not fire the bullets directly toward Nea and Ryuu. Instead, she had directed her bullets to the sky, where she could've easily modified her trajectory. With that in mind, she could've chosen to shoot either Tatsumi or his girls.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! RUN!" Tatsumi shouted.

His voice, amplified by the effects of the Water Dragon Sword, was ten times louder. His howling startled his daughters, but at the same time they understood that there was no room for discussion.

(Why where they here?... Akame, Esdeath, your daughters are really bothersome!) he thought.

He could picture Esdeath in his mind chuckling and Akame smiling at his line.

But now was not the time.

The pain was gone but his power-up would last only three minutes.

Tatsumi wanted to terminate the fight as soon as possible, but he was certain as long as Ryuu and Nea were in their range, Bulat and Mine would use them to bait him.

Any reckless assault would lead to a disaster.

Conclusion: he had to buy them time to run away in safety.

(And after that?... I'll improvise something. The urgent matter now is to hold them back!)

Having made up his mind, Tatsumi carefully calculated his attacks against Mine and Bulat. He had to press on enough to keep them occupied but not to advance too far to counter Mine's bullets.

(If I'm too close, she'll be able to shoot the girls. I have to keep a margin!) he thought.

To his surprise, Bulat was weakening. He did not show any sign of trouble but his movements were slower than before.

This was probably due to his blood loss, and yet he did nothing to stop it. It made things easier for Tatsumi but the he did not try to take advantage of it, as it was possible for it to be a trap.

Tatsumi, having lost track of time, glanced behind him and to his relief did not see his daughters. They were either hidden or too far to be seen, but both cases were good to him.

(Yosh! Now's the time to counteratt–)

Tatsumi suddenly felt weak.

The effects of the Water Dragon Sword dispelled.

The Railgun.

Budou's absolute technique, one he imagined and tested before his death. He could not use it twice as it would destroy his Teigu and considerably drain his battery charge.

Its destructive power was amazing, but the same went for the consumption. More than a trump card, it was a last resort.

With that in mind, Budou instead chose his Solid Shooter to be his trump card. Using his Railgun was too risky.

But in the present case, the fight with Esdeath… he had been ordered to defeat all his opponents no matter the cost.

Where all his other techniques had failed against Esdeath, the Railgun would succeed.

Or so Budou thought.

The instant Esdeath foresaw her death.

Skipping the gesture or the words she used to pronounce.

She activated Mahapadma with only her mental power.

More than a planned action, it was a reflex executed in order to survive.

Mahapadma's effect was to temporarily freeze everything in a certain radius around Esdeath, even time and space.

Budou's Railgun was a metal projectile propelled by electricity. Its velocity was huge, and electricity could not be frozen. Thus, despite Esdeath's power, the projectile could not be entirely stopped.

It only slowed it down for an instant.

And even with that instant, Esdeath did not manage to dodge it.

Of course, Budou didn't notice it as everything happened within an instant.

The Railgun pursued its trajectory, destroyed the ice wall Esdeath had created to lock them, and flew in the distance.

Esdeath was still standing, but she was hurt.

The projectile had scratched her right side, ripping off her flesh. She was bleeding a lot, but be it luck or skill, none of her organs were touched.

"How?!" Budou blurted out.

"Ghhh… one inch on the left and I was dead…" Esdeath gasped.

Examining her injury, she covered up the wound with ice, instantly stopping the bleeding. She would need medical treatment later, but it would suffice for the time being.

Esdeath moved despite the pain. Budou was temporarily unable to attack because of the usage of his Railgun.

Now was the time to strike and end the battle.

With a surprising speed for someone injured, Esdeath closed the distance and concentrated all her power in her left fist.

She hit the ground with all her strength, creating a giant hole where Budou fell, howling amidst the rubble, rocks and light snow.

Esdeath, thanks to her ice, flew at the top of the hole, safe.

She was not done yet. The hole did not kill Budou, and she knew he would find a way to quickly get out.

(He can levitate with his magnetic power. For now, he's surely busy to free himself, so I have little time.)

A loud shout resonated when a lightning, coming from below, almost touched Esdeath.

"ESDEAAAAAAAAAAATH!"

"Tch, that early?! I'm not ready!" she cursed.

She saw Budou's face, his eyes lit with anger and revenge, slowly emerging from the hole's bottom.

Esdeath suddenly changed her expression and grinned.

"Did you want me to say that?"

She laid her hand on the ground and unleashed her power.

Her hand, the ground, the hole, the three of them shined and…

CRONK

The walls of the hole turned into giant ice jaws that chewed Budou, grinding him. The hole had turned into a giant bear trap.

(His power charge must be down to zero, so hopefully it has done the trick…) Esdeath hoped, observing the deadly ice cage.

CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

"You have to be kidding me…" Esdeath complained.

A ray of electricity pierced through the ice.

Hurt all over his body, standing on ice rubbles, Budou was aiming at Esdeath with his Adrammelech. However, no attack came.

"… It seems I'm out of energy. A draw, huh…" Budou slowly muttered.

It was obvious he intended to fight to the death, but still, he pronounced these words.

The meaning was clear as crystal: they would finish their fight bare handed as both of them could not use their Teigus anymore.

At least, that was what Budou firmly believed.

"A draw? No way. Your weakness, old man, has always been stamina and energy… compared to me, of course."

Esdeath was wryly smiling.

"You have been a worthy opponent. But it's over, Budou. Sayonara."

"Wha–"

"Hagelsprung!"

A gigantic ice ball formed above Budou, slowly falling. Budou, still in the hole could not escape and was completely out of power.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

A terrific rumbling followed.

Esdeath watched her ice ball crush the former Great General.

Just to be sure, she dug up to check if he was really dead this time.

When she found a bloody pulp mixed with metal, she sighed.

"That was dangerous… he almost got me in the end…"

Esdeath checked her injury and estimated she could still go on for a few hours, as long as she didn't have to face another Teigu user like Budou.

"Now, I'll go help Najenda to corner the Northerners… I'm sure Tatsumi and Akame are doing fine."

The fight between former Generals was over.

For a moment, fear took over Tatsumi.

His power-up was gone. His trump card, his last resort, gone.

Bulat was badly wounded, but Mine was the greatest threat. Tatsumi alone had little chances to hold against these two.

His only hope was to wait for Akame to end this, but…

(What if she needs my help? What if she's facing an even greater danger?)

There was something off. Under normal circumstances, Akame would already have killed her target. It was taking too much time.

(So… I'll do it.)

Tatsumi, as a man, as a caring husband, could not stand still. It was his duty to put an end to his former comrades and to check on Akame.

But his options were limited…to only one.

(This is the only way, Tatsumi thought, parrying a slow but powerful swing of Belvaac's blade. I have to use the Water Dragon Sword again in order to win. Since Big Bro is weakened, I can do it.)

Akame had warned him about the risks of using the Water Dragon Sword in succession. Still, it was the only possible choice.

Tatsumi was not a fool. He knew he needed a break to activate and withstand the effects of his Shingu.

(Yes… if they attack me while I'm withstanding the pain, I'm done for. I need some time and I have an idea.)

Anticipating Bulat's next strike, Tatsumi dodged and, instead of attacking, violently kicked the snowy ground, creating an ephemeral screen that obstructed both him and his enemy's vision.

Right before kicking, he activated the Water Dragon Sword.

His plan was to hide for a second in the snow screen and use this time to use his power-up.

It was heads or tails: his enemies could either consider it a trap and wait for the ephemeral screen to dissipate, or to charge in.

If they were to choose the second option, Tatsumi thought he could react in time.

But all his calculations vanished the instant the fangs on the pommel of the sword bit him.

Tatsumi's world became one of pain and suffering. It was at a point he wasn't conscious of his surroundings. His sight, his hearing, all his sensations were gone, leaving only pain.

It was as if… every kind of pain he had experienced came back to him, a hundred, a thousand times stronger.

Tatsumi felt like his body was cut, burnt, hit, grinded, chewed. Breathing was like inhaling fire, tearing his lungs apart.

What seemed an eternity to him only lasted a few seconds. The longest seconds of his life.

Suddenly, a shock ran through his body and he came back to his senses.

His whole being was still aching, but at least he could move, see and hear properly.

(It hurts so much I don't feel anything…) Tatsumi barely thought.

Tatsumi sensed his power, his strength, but he was also struggling to remain conscious. His mind was slowly being swallowed by some kind of mist.

He understood he could not allow himself to weaken, or else, he would lose consciousness.

Tatsumi did not know how much time had passed during his intense suffering, but he instantly estimated this time to be a few seconds at most.

The snow screen he had raised just disappeared and he could see Bulat and Mine ahead of him.

It seemed they had chosen not to pursue him but to wait for him to impale himself on their formation.

Tatsumi didn't have the time to properly think about a plan. He simply didn't know if the effects of the Water Dragon Sword would wear off sooner since he had used it twice in a row.

(Bulat is in position to cover Mine… I don't like it but I must eliminate him first!)

Tatsumi leaped forward, his broadsword raised, holding the grip near his chin, announcing a piercing attack.

When he arrived upon Bulat, the latter, seeing Tatsumi's move, tried to cancel his attack with a sweep of his axe.

At an incredible speed, Tatsumi suddenly modified his action. As he was about to strike, he brought back his sword and changed the thrust into an ascending slash.

Bulat did not even react.

The blow cut vertically Bulat's torso, leaving a large bleeding cut.

Tatsumi carried his assault until the end; carried by the momentum, he again changed the trajectory of his movement and his sword came back horizontally toward Bulat, stunned.

Within a second, a red cross appeared on Bulat's chest. Bulat himself was already spitting blood abundantly. He silently fell on the ground, dropping Belvaac in the process.

When it occurred, Tatsumi was not watching him. He was keeping an eye on Mine, who fired at the same time Bulat was killed for good.

This time, Tatsumi did not dodge.

He simply cut the bullet in half while running.

(I wonder if there are many swordsmen that can cut bullets while attacking), he briefly thought.

Little did he know that in another universe, a boy clad in black would surpass him with a light saber.

To his surprise, Mine did not fire again. This was strange, as she had the time to do so. Why didn't she try?

This simple thought made Tatsumi suspicious and proved him right.

The instant he arrived on her, Mine suddenly fired the five remaining bullets of Prometheus. This quickfire was surely her ace in close quarter combats.

But Tatsumi, knowing Mine's genius, predicted this. Of course, he did not predict this move accurately, but he was certain Mine had thought of countermeasure.

When the five shots came, aiming right at his chest, Tatsumi quickly leaned forward, curving his back as much as he could, avoiding the deadly attack.

An instant later, he spun on himself, slashing Mine with the Water Dragon Sword, severing her arms.

As he didn't want to weaken, he quickly delivered the coup de grâce, putting an end to the girl who loved him once.

Only after that, Tatsumi realized what he had just done. He had killed his comrades, his friends, mercilessly, without a hint of hesitation.

This simple fact made him sick, but at the same time, his whole body was burning and aching, probably because of the Water Dragon Sword's backlash.

He wanted to go and help Akame, but his consciousness was dull and his thoughts confused.

Looking around him, he saw Ryuu and Nea, who were hiding in a bush afar, running toward him now that the fight was over.

Tatsumi wanted to tell them not to come, but his throat only emitted a muffled rasp.

(At least, they're safe… huh?)

His vision started to blur and his sense of balance was troubled. It was obvious he could not continue to fight. Fortunately, he found a small rock and sat against it.

(Damn… I'm that exhausted? Looks like using the power-up twice in a row was really a bad idea…)

A sharp pain ran through Akame's body when Dorothea bit her neck.

The sensation of having her blood sucked was hardly bearable but at the same time a little bit erotic.

But above all, it was disgusting, scary and painful. Several seconds passed, and…

All of sudden, Akame felt her body becoming lighter and her senses sharper.

Was it an effect of Dorothea's Teigu?

"Guaaaaaaaaaaaaah?!"

Dorothea let go of Akame, her hand covering her mouth. She clumsily backed off and fell on her hips, dropping the dagger Teigu.

"KKKKKkkkkkhhh!"

The sounds coming from her throat were as weird as scary.

Dorothea was not spitting, coughing, her eyes shaking and her face distorted with disgust and horror.

Eventually, she spoke to herself:

"W-w-w-what is this?! Why am I… is it… poison? But, but, I am immune to the one I gave to her… S-so why?!"

Suddenly, at the same time as Akame, she noticed something progressing on her hands.

Red marks. Like Akame's.

And Akame suddenly understood.

It was highly possible that Dorothea had somehow ingested Murasame's curse, the same weighting Akame's body.

Murasame's curse in this form was not lethal but considerably dulled one's body.

By sucking Akame's blood, Dorothea suffered from Murasame's curse and also took off some of the poison Akame had inhaled before. That was why Akame was slightly feeling better.

Of course, Dorothea was unaware of these facts but was distracted, trying to get what was happening to her.

Akame quickly gauged the situation.

Leone, positioned behind Akame, was restraining her arms with a submission move. Numa was doing the same with her legs. His head, near her thighs, was giving the image of a perverted man even if he had a poker face.

(I can't use my arms nor my legs but I can still fight! I just have to use my head…)

Akame focused and flipped the switch.

(BURY!)

Akame lowered her head and with the momentum gave Leone a formidable headbutt in the chin.

The sudden move caused Leone to release Akame and to fall on the ground, temporarily paralyzed. Akame's hit had obviously shaken her brains.

Swift as a snake, Akame leaned forward and grabbed Numa's head with her hands.

CRKK

Numa's neck produced an obscene sound when Akame broke it.

The lifeless corpse of the Hero of the North collapsed and before it touched the ground, Akame recovered Murasame.

Leone was hardly getting on her feet when Murasame's edge pierced her between her breasts, sending her back to the grave.

Within a few seconds, Akame killed two of her enemies, leaving only one.

Dorothea, still struggling against Murasame's curse, noticed Akame's doing.

"H-how?!"

For the first time, she seemed panicked.

Akame did not bother to give her an explanation.

For Akame's sake, Tatsumi's and even Esdeath's. For the Kingdom's sake, Dorothea needed to be eliminated here and now. Only that mattered.

Dorothea considered the situation. Her puppets were dead. Akame looked in better condition while herself was weakened by some unknown poison.

In consequence…

"Wait! Please! Don't kill me! I surrender!"

Dorothea bowed down on her four.

"Don't kill me!" she repeated. "I can become your ally! I can help you to become immortal, if you want to! I can revive someone dear to you! I can give you a stone that can accomplish anything, heal and revitalize anyone! I can create poisons that will ravage a country and even modify one's constitution! So please, don't kill me!"

Dorothea pleaded only to distract Akame and sneakily took a miniature bomb in a hidden pocket of her dress.

But.

"Gyahh?!"

Akame was no fool. The instant she saw Dorothea's hand slightly moving, she cut her whole arm with her katana.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! MY ARM! MY ARM! YOU FUCKING BITCH! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Dorothea screamed, holding her bloody stump.

"It's over."

Akame's voice was colder than ice.

"The curse I'm bearing is not lethal, but the one delivered by this katana is. A single cut suffices. Murasame's curse will reach your heart in a few moments. You and your madness will extinct here. Goodbye, you freak."

"WHA… NO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! I WANT TO LIVE AND REMAIN YOUNG FOREVER! PLEASE! SAVE ME! SAVE ME! I HAVE AN UNIVERSAL ANTIDOTE SOMEWHERE IN MY PACKAGE! PLEASE! BRING IT TO ME! I'LL DO ANYTHING YOU WANT! PLEAAASE!"

Dorothea had become hysteric. That was the reaction of a coward faced with death.

"PLEASE! TAKE THAT KEY! FIND THE BOX! GIVE IT TO ME!"

Dorothea was showing Akame a small, tiny key she had pulled off her necklace.

Akame, however, did not move. She gazed indifferently at Dorothea who was wailing, cursing, screaming at the same time.

The ruckus stopped when Dorothea's face, now displaying her great age and fear met the ground.

Akame glanced at her surroundings. The deserted camp, the destroyed tent, the snowy ground, and the corpses all over.

(The others deserve a grave, but not her), she decided.

However, such a task could not be accomplished by Akame alone and in her state of exhaustion.

(I'm sorry, Leone… but I'll come back. This is a promise.)

Still, Akame searched the rubbles of the tent and with a big piece of cloth she packaged all the alchemist stuff she found. She didn't want to leave such dangerous items here where anyone could pick it.

Potions, glowing stones, tubs, notes… she took it all, along with the dagger Teigu that could resurrect the dead.

When she checked on the other water tanks, they happened to be empty. They were probably Dorothea's storages, but she was relieved not to find more corpses inside.

Exhausted, still suffering from the poison gas and carrying a big load of stuff, Akame left the encampment, hoping not to encounter any powerful foe.

With Dorothea dead, Budou, Mine and Bulat were supposed to be neutralized for good.

(But knowing Tatsumi and Esdeath, they have already won), Akame thought with a little smile.

Akame swiftly jumped down the rampart of the Northerners encampment, leaving right where she had previously entered.

Thanks to Dorothea's doing, she didn't encounter any sentinel on her way out, and even if the tents seemed empty, she made sure not to draw attention.

(Given the consideration of Dorothea toward the Northerners, it's highly probable she sent them all on the battlefield though…) Akame mentally grumbled.

Her improvised bag was heavy but it was a lesser harm compared to the danger the stuff inside represented.

Even if apparently, no one else could safely use the resurrecting Teigu aside from Dorothea, such a tool was too dangerous. They would probably have to destroy it, but Akame decided not to take that decision alone.

And for the notes and other items created by the mad scientist, Akame was certain they could be of use for the New Kingdom if used wisely.

(Now that I think about it, we keep destroying Teigus one after another… I wonder, would it be a good thing to try to create new ones?...)

As Akame was lost in such thoughts, she suddenly sighted something unexpected.

The corpses of Mine and Bulat, with visible sword wounds.

(I was right. Tatsumi did not wait for me to defeat them…)

She felt sad to see her comrades in that state. Then, she saw him.

In profile, Tatsumi was leaning against a small boulder with Nea and Ryuu hugging him. The three of them seemed asleep.

Such a view brought an involuntary smile on Akame's face. She found the three of them adorable, but also knew she would have to scold her daughters later.

(Such troublesome daughters… to punish them, I'll have them carry this heavy stuff!) she decided.

"Tatsumi! Nea! Ryuu! Wake up! It's still a battlefield here!" she called out.

None of them answered.

(I see… I don't know why, but I'm sure Tatsumi used the Water Dragon Sword in succession. The burden was too high for him… But for Nea and Ryuu to come and nap with him!)

Akame approached Tatsumi from the side with the intention of pinching his collarbone to surprise him.

"Wake up!" Akame exclaimed.

When she touched it, Tatsumi's body slipped forward and collapsed.

It was at this moment.

Akame noticed the tears on her daughters' faces, who seemed to have cried until they fell asleep, exhausted.

The blood staining both the ground and Tatsumi's clothes.