A.N- Sorry for the delay between chapters. Life has been hectic for me. So sorry again for the wait.

Review answer time

To Orca3553: Deagora and demon's extract hmmm...who knows. I am glad you enjoy reading this and will try my best to keep releasing chapters.

To Raskator: Well I think you liked the previous chapter, I will try my hardest to release more then.

To DeadMenPlaying: I am glad the chapter was worth the UNGODLY time it took to release! But I am sorry it took so long.

To NinjaFang1331: Thank you again for your support!

To J.F.W: Long time since you reviewed and well I am glad you liked the previous chapter.

To ShadowDeathSkull: No I have quite a lot planned for the coming chapters. I do not think I will be finishing soon.

Also can't believe I have been doing this for a year now. Thank you everyone who has been reading and reviewing.

NOW a big thankyou to TripleTronicle, seriously without this amazing guys help I probably would of been doing next to nothing on these chapters so seriously thank this guy!

Now on with the chapter!

Chapter 17

Chelsea held her arm above her eyes as the blinding light eclipsed all things. When it subsided Chelsea looked to see both Tatsumi and Esdeath on the ground. She ran towards Tatsumi despite the heat she could feel radiating from the war torn battleground around them. When she got close enough she could see the states Tatsumi and Esdeath were in. Esdeath had quite a few minor cuts along her body and her military outfit was partially a rag clinging to her, failing to cover any of her body. While Tatsumi was significantly worse, there were deep cuts along his chest. He had a large cut at the top of his face, just above his left eye. Chelsea starred in horror for a few seconds before she regained control of her shock and ran next to Tatsumi. Esdeath began to stir, her movements were weak, as she groaned in pain as she lifted herself upwards.

"Which one of us passed out first?" she asked groggily as she stared at Chelsea checking Tatsumi.

"I don't know, as you two clashed there was a blinding light and then I saw you two on the floor lying face down." Chelsea said hastily, as she checked Tatsumi for a pulse. She found it, but it was very weak.

"Hmm well let's say I won." Esdeath said weakly as she stood up. "He will be coming back with me." She said affirmatively with her usual sadistic smile. As she moved to lay a hand on the unconscious Tatsumi, Chelsea tighten her grip on his wrist refusing to let him go. The ring of Deagora burned brightly before a roar of fire whipped into the air. The flames gathered together to form the small metal dragon of Deagora. It stood in front of the prone Tatsumi and Chelsea who was clinging to Tatsumi growling at Esdeath.

"Hmm interesting you protect your wielder huh? Nevermind despite my injuries, I can deal with a metallic runt like you easily!" Esdeath said with a confident smile. The red eyes of the dragon burned with a baleful glare as the metal begun to strain, Deagora unleashed a monumental roar as he grew. Metallic spikes formed at the corners of his wings, his jaw grew with the fangs contain inside to sharpen and become far more numerous. His tail grew in length and the spike along the edge formed into a large mace. In a few seconds, the metal dragon was the size of a large work horse easily bigger than Esdeath. The dragon looked her in the eye and let loose a snort of boiling breath at her.

"Hmm, I may want to reconsider my previous statement." Esdeath said as she backed away from the ever growing dragon.

"Deagora can you help us?" Chelsea asked as she struggled to lift the unconscious Tatsumi up. Deagora never took his eyes from Esdeath as he lowered his body, low enough for Chelsea to lift Tatsumi onto his metallic body.

"Where do you think you are going?" Esdeath asked with a growl. A small breeze was forming behind her, but nothing substantial. Her body was exhausted from that clash. In the distance along the beachfront a blaze of purple light burned into existence behind Esdeath. Deagora pushed to his right-hand side forcing Chelsea to fall onto his upper body. He growled at Esdeath unleashing a roar of flames which forced Esdeath to jump to the right-hand side. Deagora sprinted forward, using his wings for subtle boosts of speed as Chelsea would fall off as she wasn't secured properly and neither was Tatsumi. He dived into the purple light and vanished in a heartbeat. Esdeath took a few seconds to realise what had happened before she ran towards the blinding light.

Once Deagora stepped out of the purple Ying Yang he tilted his head towards Chelsea.

"Lass get yourself sat up straight and cling onto Tatsumi. My strength is waning, there is no guarantee I can sustain this long enough to get us back to base, but I will try my damn hardest!" Deagora said with a growl as Chelsea sat up straight and wrapped her arms around Tatsumi.

"I'm ready!" Chelsea said firmly as Deagora stood on the edge of the mountain, as he jumped off they, a glow purple light heralded the arrival of Esdeath as she stepped out of the light watching the dragon jump of the edge of the cliff and descend into the misty valley.

"Wow…..I truly love you…..Tatsumi. Though we part ways this time, we will meet again. I know it. AND when we do you will fall for me!" Esdeath said with a smile across her face as she descended the mountain.

"Deagora the base is east, we are heading west!" Chelsea said as she struggled to talk with the wind howling in her face.

"I know lass but if we head straight to our HQ Esdeath might be able to find it. This is our only option but to double back on ourselves." Deagora responded as he stormed through the rock valleys, dashing and dodging rocks. He batted his wings as he soared through.

"Can you honestly get us back and double back on yourself?" Chelsea asked.

"I must!" Deagora roared as his red eyes burned brighter as he flew upwards, as he left the rock valleys and begun turning eastwards towards Night Raid HQ.

"Deagora thank you!" Chelsea said quietly.

"Hmm why are you thanking me, lass?" Deagora asked as he flew among the clouds his powerful wings flapping.

"You could've left without bothering to grab me, but you didn't you made sure I was with you. Thank you." Chelsea said as she held the Tatsumi.

"Something the kid said before about fighting for the people. He fights to protect the ones he cares about. You are one of them. And I care for all of you. Everyone at Night Raid I have grown a strong affection for and if anyone tries to harm you...they will face such wrath that the very walls of the empire will crumble from my roar." Deagora said as he begun to descend. The HQ was a few miles away but a lot of dense jungle was in the way. The problem was though his strength was diminishing.

"Lass I doubt I can keep going...much…..further…..We gonna have to walk it…." Deagora said weakly as he descended. He landed clumsily. His wings flapped quickly as he hit the ground. His back legs giving out as he slammed his head into the dirt, his very speed dragging him through the dirt. He raises his head weakly to look around.

"You alright lass?" Deagora asked weakly.

"Yeah but Tatsumi is getting weaker we need to get back soon!" Chelsea said in a panic.

"I am connected to him, I know he's getting weaker!" Deagora snapped as he begun to run through the forest.

It took a half an hour but the trio came into sight of Night Raid HQ.

"Hopefully we'll have a welcome party….I managed to trip a few of Lubb's tripwires." Deagora said weakly as his movements slowed down, he began dragging his body.

"Deagora…?" Chelsea asked fearfully.

"I...I….I...am….sorry…lass..I...can't...go…..any...further!" Deagora said weakly as he fell onto his side, throwing Chelsea and Tatsumi of him.

"Deagora we need you, I am not strong enough to carry Tatsumi!" Chelsea pleaded to the weakened dragon as tears began to pour down her face.

"I...am…..sorry…" Deagora whispered before his body burned into a small flame which returned into the ring, the outline of the little dragon appeared faintly and could barely even move, in the red gem. Chelsea looked in despair as she tried to lift Tatsumi, she struggled to move for a few yards, she grunted on every step, the smell of blood made her gag but the smell also made her fear for Tatsumi, he had lost a lot of blood. She heard rustling behind her, and she grabbed one of her needles she keeps in her pocket grabbing it in a fluid motion and swinging her left arm at the source of the nose.

"Chelsea?" Leone said as she landed behind them, Lubb and Susanoo behind her.

"Thank god, Leone we have to get Tatsumi back!" She pleaded.

"Shit Tatsumi?" Lubb said in disbelief as he ran forward.

"Su your fastest, take Tatsumi and get him back to base." Leone said calmly as she nodded towards Su who took a step forward grabbing Tatsumi of off Chelsea with ease before he burst forward in a blast of speed.

Before the dawn of the empire man did not rule land. The beast were the masters of evolution. Almost gods incarnate.

Dark images, two giant monsters waged war in the heavens, both had wing spans of mountains. The two monsters unleashed horrid roars before clashing with one and other. The air howled as the monster soared in the air. Both sailed the blood red sky.

"Traitor. How could you choose them over us"

"How? You act if we are a happy family. I WILL PROTECT THEM!"

General Esdeath arrived at the imperial palace at the stroke of midnight which suited her, she didn't want many people to see the condition she was in, but there was one person she needed to see. She entered her quarters, where she turned on the shower, she wiped some of the dried blood from her hair before she stripped and walked into the soothing waters. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes for a second. Her body slowly slumped along the glass pane.

The skies were filled with fire and frost….two colossal beasts clashed in the sky. Neither monster wanting to surrender as they threw themselves at each other. With the aim to kill. The very ground shook with their fury as they clashed with each other!

Esdeath opened her eyes in fright, she rubbed her eyes.

"Was I sleeping in the shower? What was that, it felt so real, I even feel pain…" Esdeath said in disbelief as the water poured on her head. She got out of the shower still shaken by what she had seen. "I think I need to see him now.." She muttered to herself as she got dressed as left her quarters. She headed towards the lower part of the palace. She turned down wet cobblestone stairs. The polish and prim decoration of the palace washed away to reveal a dark ignored basement, where natural light barely touched. She saw a dark wooden door at the end of a narrow poorly lit corridor. She made her way to the door, she opened it slowly and walked in. The room was a massive storage area filled with books on hundreds of book shelves. Though light was poor the only forms of light in the room were coming from a light blue phosphorus lamps that barely lit more than a few meters from their holders. Yet Esdeath swore she could see shadows dance near those phosphorus torches. She walked straight, with purpose through this massive gathering of information till she entered the inner circle of the library where she found a young man with dark black hair and a large black metal plate cover his eyes. Yet there was a black choker around his throat which had the image of a large beast with many tentacle, the choker seemed to absorb any light in the room, making it excessively hard for Esdeath to see. He wore plain grey jacket and dark blue trousers. Esdeath saw quills writing in numerous books along a dark oaken desk while the the young man simply traced his finger along the edges of a few notes.

"Ahh General Esdeath, what do I owe this pleasure?" The young man asked in a polite manner as he tilted his head towards Esdeath. "Are you here to deliver more news of hundreds of dead citizens. Members of the empire whose tithes shall not be collected now?" He asked with a snap of venom.

"Easy curator Mordin. You don't want to start something now do we?" Esdeath responded with a sneer.

"Hmm perhaps, so what is your purpose?" Mordin asked as he walked around the room, the shadows wrapped around the quills seemed to have stopped doing their work as Mordin was no longer concentrating on his job, more interested in the general.

"I wish for you to help me identify a relic." Esdeath replied.

"Ahhhh I am actually going to do my proper job for once...wonderful. Let's go!" Mordin said as he turned on his heel in a fluid motion. Esdeath followed the curator, even though she knew he was blind, he moved with no openings in his movement. She knew if he were to get serious he would be a formidable fighter.

They entered through another set of dark oaken doors to another storage room but this one was filled with pristine books, many having been decorated with swords, armours and trinkets. The books themselves were crafted out of the finest leathers and decorated with mighty jewels and precious metals.

"So general..give me details!" Mordin said as tendrils formed at the base of his shadow, all wriggling around him.

"It seemed to be a ring relic but unleashed an amour type." Esdeath stated as her memory drifted back.

"A ring, based amour relic..hmmm" Mordin hummed as his tendrils shot across the room, many waving across the room. Each one swiping across books. "Anything else?"

"Hmmm it's activation word seemed to be Deagora." Esdeath replied, as soon as the words left her lips Mordin froze on the spot, all of his shadows stopped moving, Esdeath felt as if hundreds of eyes were on her.

"Are you serious?" Mordin asked, almost charging at Esdeath.

"Yes I am why so excited?" Esdeath replied.

"Because Deagora is almost as important for the foundation of this empire as the emperor. From what I have read, the emperor himself claimed that a mighty dragon class danger beast from the south chose to fight for us. It was because of this beast that many great danger beasts were slain." Mordin said with a smile.

"Your saying a danger beast allied with us..Why?" Esdeath asked.

"I couldn't say but from what I know about that legendary ring, is that it is equal in terms of power as your relic and mine" Mordin said as he stroked the choker, the dread night, Imperious Dragoon. "In terms of ranking yours, mine and Deagora are all equal in power being the most powerful relics ever created. Yet what makes Deagora even more special is that it is the danger beast, as in the mighty dragon lives as the ring" Mordin said with a smile, almost a crazed one.

"Are you serious?" Esdeath asked in confusion.

"I am, but anyhow who has it, is it an empire warrior?" Mordin asked but Esdeath didn't reply, she blushed thinking about tatsumi. "Ahh whoever it is you like them!...Aww has general Esdeath found herself, someone, she loves."

"I have, he is very strong. Soon he will be an equal to me, if he continues to train hard." Esdeath replied.

"Does he fight for the empire?" Mordin asked, when Esdeath refused to reply he smiled "So he is against you, funny. Deagora was known to be the shiny flame that protects the empire from all harm and now it rebels. Even the mighty dragon believes this corrupt nation needs to change." Mordin said smiling. "Oh and finally Deagora was bonded to a specific family line but that line was wiped out 400 years ago and now it has resurfaced. It must of made a new bond. Whomever this wielder is they must be very special to get Deagora to bond with them."

"What do you mean bonded?" Esdeath asked.

"Some relics were assigned to families at the formation of the empire. Families that had specific tasks. My family the Falceans were tasked with cataloguing all information. Budo's family were assigned to protect the emperor and the family who wore Deagora, well they were tasked with your job Esdeath, though they were nowhere as….efficient as you are." Mordin said as he turned to leave.

Esdeath headed towards the royal chamber, the minister and emperor had asked to see her.

"Ahh general Esdeath, it's good to see you. I have some wonderful news. The two assassination squads, the elite 7 and group of terror have also been assigned to the Night Raid hunt. I am also in the process of establishing a fourth team to support you. You will more than able to crush Night Raid now." The Minister said with a smile as he sat forward.

"...No Tatsumi….." Esdeath thought in fear.