Episode 17: Kill the Night Raid
—Two Hours Earlier—
"Resign?" Bols repeated, his unseen face stricken with shame and fear. "It's true, I've lost the Rubicante," he continued, "but I can still fight at your side! Please, General Esdeath!"
The others watched grimly as their masked friend fell to his hands and knees at the feet of their commander. "Please, forgive my uselessness! I can still fight for you, I have to! I have a wife and daughter to care for, to live for!"
Esdeath shook her head. "Without a suitable Teigu, you cannot possibly remain in my Special Police Force."
"I can find another Teigu, so don't send me from your side!"
Bols fell silent as his commander raised her hand, her expression purely neutral as she stared down at him. "Bols," she said, "you've shown exemplary skill on the field of battle, and I've always been impressed by your stoic nature. However…"
Esdeath then turned her back on the groveling Jaeger and approached the only window in the room, staring without emotion into the night beyond. "However," she continued, "those who lose their Teigu or become unable to fight in any capacity are to be disposed of. There is a chance they might talk, might disclose information that should remain secret. That is a chance the Prime Minister and I cannot afford to take."
Bols slowly rose to his feet, drinking her words in, mystified by the unspoken implication. "Disposed of? But if that is true, then why?" The poor man's fearful shaking ceased. "Why make me resign instead of…?"
"It's Tatsumi, isn't it?" Wave called from the other side of the room. All other Jaegers turned to him, surprised by his audacity. Esdeath remained silent; she did not deny it. She could not. Instead, she turned her attention back to the window.
In that moment, they all understood. The General's feelings for Tatsumi had changed her.
"Falling in love?" Kurome mused. She smiled, and just for an instant, her eyes darted over to Wave. "Maybe it's not so bad?"
"No," Esdeath replied. She turned once more and smiled kindly to Bols, then to Wave and Kurome, to Stylish and finally Seryu, where her eyes came to rest. "It's not a bad thing. Truthfully, these feelings have made me weak. Perhaps I'm no longer fit to lead, but…"
"That's not true!" Wave exclaimed.
"But," the General resumed, staring him down as she did so, "there is something else that accompanies this weakness. I do not understand it, and yet I welcome these new feelings." Esdeath shut her eyes and placed a hand over her beating heart. "Our newest Jaeger, your newest friend and Lieutenant, is bringing changes that I never expected to see. In some way, it feels like an altered destiny."
Esdeath opened her eyes and turned once more to look at Bols, her smile warm and forgiving. "Perhaps in another time, I would have murdered you without regrets. However..."
"Then it truly was Tatsumi's feelings that changed your mind?" Bols sighed with relief.
Esdeath shook her head. "No, it was not his feelings that influenced my decision."
The General once again looked over her Jaegers. Her eyes passed over them all, one by one, almost smiling themselves as she shared her last revelation.
"They were my feelings." She nodded. "I've come to see you all as more than instruments of violence. As of this very moment, I finally understand what you truly are. I no longer consider you to be my comrades or subordinates."
A moment of silence passed. The Jaegers exchanged glances with one another.
"You are...friends."
This wasn't the same feeling she would experience upon spoiling her soldiers. Sending money and other gratuitous rewards to them was done purely to ensure their loyalty to her, to make them fight harder and with more spirit. She was simply feeding and pampering her little pets.
No, this wasn't the same. This was new. This was terrifying, and yet it was also warming her. Making her Jaegers happy was no longer a strategic choice, but a personal one. What was she becoming? Was this going to be her greatest downfall? Already she could feel them growing closer to her, drawn in as she had been drawn to Tatsumi. At this rate, she would turn into a complete child!
"No," Esdeath thought coldly, "this is nothing. I am a General of the Imperial Army, I am the strongest. I cannot—I will not—allow these feelings to ruin me. Maybe I should interrogate a few civilians before our departure." She adjusted her cover with a slight scowl. "Tatsumi is still soft in a few regards, and these...changes aren't helping." She turned her attention back to the miserable man at her feet. "Perhaps I should be more forceful."
"Bols," she reiterated with more volume, "you are hereby expelled from this Special Police Force, these Jaegers, and must part with us upon our return to the Capital. You will be sent home forthwith, receive compensation for your time away, and be considered on leave until a compatible Teigu is found."
She took two steps forward and placed her hands on the gentle man's shoulders, staring straight into his blue eyes with unyielding affection. "You will go home and wait for me. When the time comes, you will be a Jaeger again."
Lost in his gratitude, Bols hugged his commander with all of his strength. Though irritated, Esdeath still managed to nervously pat the man's back and gently shove him away. She took a few steps back and turned her attention back to the entire group, speaking loud enough for all to hear. "Tonight is the Path of Peace's Anniversary Festival, and it is also the night we have been waiting so patiently for. The streets around this palace will be flooded with the locals of Kyoroch, drowning the night in noise and pandemonium."
"The perfect time to carry out an assassination." Run added.
"We've got the advantage in numbers and in Teigu," Wave said. "What can they possibly do to us?"
"Do not underestimate our enemy," Esdeath responded. "Though weakened and pushed back, Najenda has most certainly licked her wounds and devised a plan. She is a wise combatant and a shrewd leader, probably more so than I. I've seen that woman draw miracles from mist and survive situations far worse than her current one, so I will say it once again: do not underestimate her."
"Yes, General." Wave bowed his head.
"Be prepared for an ace-in-the-hole," she continued. "I wouldn't put it past Najenda to bring one to our inevitable confrontation."
"They must certainly be feeling desperate," Run mused. "An animal backed into a corner will fight twice as hard, no?"
"But we've lost the Rubicante, and as a result I can no longer join you in the battle," Bols piped up. "Tatsumi also appears to be on patrol. What if Night Raid were to strike now?"
"I assure you, Tatsumi will play his part." Esdeath moved to the door and pulled it open, looking back at them with her usual, serious expression. "Eat and drink if you must, empty your bladders and take a moment to clear your heads. When Night Raid strikes, we will retaliate with double their strength. This will not be a short battle."
With that, she stepped into the hallway outside and pulled the door shut. She removed her cover and pulled her fingers through her luscious blue hair, taking deep breaths as she did so.
"This night is strange, isn't it? Tatsumi…"
—One Hour Ago—
"So what's the plan?" Mez grinned, playfully fluffing up Tatsumi's hair. He didn't seem amused.
"Esdeath said to join you guys on patrol and hit Night Raid from behind if we see them. That's all I've got."
"Fucking lame!" Ibara scoffed. "You're obviously just going to be dead weight. Does that woman think slowing me down will help us destroy Night Raid? What a load of—"
"Just shut up and relax," Suzuka interrupted. She too was doing her best to annoy Tatsumi, poking and prodding him in places he'd rather not be poked or prodded in. "You're being a bigger asshole than usual, you know. Must be all that jealousy you've been holding in."
"Go hang yourself." Ibara approached the two Demons and their new toy with a hateful expression. Everything about his posture screamed violence, something that didn't go at all unnoticed by Tatsumi. Was the stitched-up Demon about to start a real fight? It was long overdue.
"All of you shut up," Sten growled, almost shaking the tiles beneath their feet. "Mez and Suzuka, go south and patrol there like I already told you to. Ibara, stop your whining and get over here. We'll be going east."
Tatsumi watched with confusion as the other Demons did as they were told. First Mez and Suzuka, practically glued to one another as they jumped to a smaller building below and dashed away. Then Ibara, his mood as sour as always, who once again gave Tatsumi the finger before flying off to the east. Sten moved to jump off as well before Tatsumi grabbed his arm.
"Wait a second, what am I supposed to do?"
Sten shook his arm off with a grunt. Surprisingly, his gaze held none of the anger that he'd directed towards the other Demons.
"You're obviously going west." Though relaxed, his voice was still gruff and carried with it a sort of edge. "You're good enough to patrol that side on your own, right?"
"Yeah, but—"
"Good." Sten nodded approvingly. "If you fuck something up, I'll know about it. Don't fuck anything up."
"Got it."
Nodding once more, Sten faced east and jumped to the next building. Then the next, and the next, and another one after that. It only took seconds for him to disappear from view.
"Well," Tatsumi said to no one in particular, "hopefully this patrol isn't as boring as the ones back home." He shook his head and leapt over the edge on the west end, beginning his long sojourn into the deepest reaches of the desert city.
"And," he added with a smile, "hopefully I have a nice fight. I'm getting a tad hungry."
Tatsumi suddenly ground to a halt at the next building's edge, scrambling to climb up before falling to his potential death. After heaving a great sigh and dusting himself off, Tatsumi leaned back and closed his eyes.
"What did I just say?" His voice echoed loudly within his mind, drowning out the wind, the cheering, and the laughter. "It's you, isn't it?"
No response. His head was lonely as it always was, as a mind should always be.
"I know it's you."
His left hand began to burn. It was warm, then it was hot. Very hot. Unbearably so.
Tatsumi jumped to his feet, fiercely gripping the hand with all his strength. His eyes closed, he clenched his teeth and screamed inside. He couldn't even feel the hand anymore, all he felt was unrelenting fire. Unforgiving magma.
Then it vanished. Gone as quickly as it had emerged, the pain vanished. Tatsumi fell to his knees, inhaling so desperately, so fiercely, that he feared his lungs might burst. He stared at his left hand, suddenly so benign.
Closing his eyes once more, he allowed the fear to enter his heart. The unspoken message had certainly been received.
Yes.
What was once a pleasant tingling in his body had now become a heavy miasma all around him. So very heavy, so demanding. Finally steeling himself, the powerful Jaeger turned to the west and continued his endless leaping, climbing a nearby tower as he did so. He needed a better vantage point, he needed to see what was—
It happened so fast. As if the living sword wasn't enough to worry about, another spike of fear paralyzed him after the explosions came. The very first was forceful enough to rob him of his footing, and the second threw him over the edge of the tower. Tatsumi could only fall helplessly to the unforgiving earth below, tensing up his entire body to try and mitigate the coming pain. He landed on his back and cried out in surprise.
Surprise, not pain. There was more fear, but no agony. Splayed out on the dirt road, Tatsumi stared wordlessly up at the moonlit sky. He wasn't hurt. The building currently spitting dust all over him was easily five or six stories tall. He should at least be feeling something. Something other than fatigue and a little aching, anyway.
Strange.
Another explosion coated him in even more dirt and dust. Then another, and another, until at last he'd had enough and rose to his feet. The Jaeger dusted himself off and stared at the place where he had fallen, still mystified by his own surprising durability. On his feet once more, Tatsumi jumped on top of a smaller building this time and continued his patrol. It was more of a chase now, really.
Another explosion, this one lacking the intensity of the others. There was something menacing about them, too; the way they started so close to him, moving in the same direction he was. Starting up again every time he began to move.
He'd been sent an invitation.
Tatsumi affirmed that belief as he continued to track the origins of each inferno, laid out before him like a trail of smoking bread crumbs. It was easier to reach the burning ruins than he thought it would be; after all, it's not like there were any more citizens in the area. Several outliers made their presence known, but the main cluster was centered in an obviously empty area of the city. The residents had long since abandoned their homes to participate in the festivities. It was the perfect location. Tatsumi climbed down from the last building, now forced to walk the ruins without the extra visibility granted by an intact rooftop.
Everything was crumbling. Previously inhabited homes fell apart all around him, wooden stalls were reduced to cinders. A member of Night Raid was here somewhere, clearly waiting for him.
Night Raid. His old friends.
Old, to be certain. He had new friends now, he walked a new road. The assassins were now his enemies, and at last he could accept it. This new and rather unexpected purpose that emerged was one he saw with great clarity.
There was an enemy here. There was a person he had to kill or capture.
"Kill."
"Capture," he audibly growled, more out of habit than anything else. He knew capture would be virtually impossible at this point, let alone coercion. Even so, he felt the need. He wasn't quite ready to kill them yet. Perhaps beating them into submission would be enough?
His left arm was heavier now. So heavy. He had to lighten the load, had to make it end. So he lifted his arm, letting the beast out of its cage. With an even more blinding entrance than normal, the fearsome 47th Teigu was finally home. In his hands once more. Making his stomach growl.
He was aching for a good fight.
Tatsumi continued his hunt with renewed vigor. His breathing was faster, his grip on the Muramasa was so strong he feared his hand might burn again. The last and grandest explosion was born mid-stride, and the incredible heat spilling forth from the buildings ahead burned and beckoned to him in equal measure. The sudden wave of raging smoke hit him in the face and he doubled over, just before a particularly large hunk of stone slammed into him. Bones shattered instantly. His jaw was knocked askew. His organs were pulverized.
No. He was unharmed. Throwing the big rock off of himself with little effort, Tatsumi rose to his feet and examined himself all over again. First the fall, and now an earthy cannonball knocking him to the ground? Bruises were his only reward for such dangerous events.
He'd curse his luck if it wasn't being so ambiguous tonight. Something was definitely wrong. Brushing the thought aside as he did earlier, Tatsumi forged on through the fire and flames, a force greater than any dragon's breath could create. Through one final alleyway and around a crumbling corner, Tatsumi was once again face-to-face with Night Raid.
And unlike him, Lubbock was smiling with just a hint of mischief.
—Now—
—The Palace—
"It would seem," Najenda parroted, thoroughly enjoying the glint of rage in her rival's eyes, "that he has been delayed as well."
"How curious." Esdeath chuckled. "This serves as a blessing for both of us, don't you agree? That's one less member of your trifling group that we need to deal with, and you won't have to watch my Lieutenant carve his way through each and every assassin in this room."
Najenda frowned at that, much to her counterpart's obvious pleasure. "We've accepted him as a member of the Jaegers," the other woman replied. "We can fight and kill him without hesitation."
"You could certainly try." Esdeath took a single step forward and the assassins stiffened in response, each of them clearly ready for battle. Calm and quiet, she continued to approach her rival without hesitation. Najenda stood her ground, the embers on her cigar growing faint.
After a couple seconds, they were truly face-to-face once again. Esdeath smiling, Najenda frowning; the night was running parallel to that first confrontation they had so very long ago.
"You are here to assassinate Bolic."
A pause. Bolic continued to whimper from behind his throne.
"We are."
Now the fat man was crying. Kurome kicked him, scowling when he didn't stop.
Esdeath's expression turned serious. "I have a proposal for you."
Najenda narrowed her eyes. "You're acting strange, Esdeath."
"It's been a strange night, Najenda."
Silence fell between them once again. With the tiny wisps of smoke vanishing from her cigar at last, Najenda withdrew the ashen stick from her mouth and stomped it into the tiles at her feet. "I'm listening."
"This place is too small for a proper battle. We will take our conflict outside of the palace, and face each other in the courtyard beyond."
Najenda did not comment, so Esdeath continued.
"From there, we will settle this with a single duel."
At this, Najenda could not contain her surprise. "What are you playing at, you—?"
Esdeath held up a single finger and the temperature in the room plummeted dramatically, with members on both sides shaking in their shoes. "Don't interrupt me again."
Najenda bit her lip and cursed in her mind, but nodded all the same. Esdeath nodded in return and her smile returned as the cold air faded. "You and I will remain on the sidelines and 'root' for our respective champions. My Jaeger and your Night Raid assassin will face each other outside, fighting until the other submits or is unable to continue."
"Then it's true?" Najenda's mouth fell open. "You really gave the order to take Night Raid members alive?"
"Tatsumi was very passionate about it at first," Esdeath replied, "but the situation has changed. This is a much more interesting choice." Her cold laugh left no room for doubt. "If my Jaegers are victorious, then you will all be captured alive. I will introduce you to my torture chamber and accommodations will be made to ensure you have plenty of time to grow acquainted."
Najenda shut her eyes. "So that's where you're going with this."
"And if you win," Esdeath continued, "I will hand Bolic over to you personally."
Bolic squealed from behind the throne. "W-w-w-what?! Please General Esdeath, you can't! Pleeeeease!"
Esdeath merely scoffed. "Kurome, kick him again."
"Again?" The weakened girl was suddenly filled with energy.
"Again."
Kurome kicked the fat man again. He didn't stop crying.
"Clearly you have no faith in our skills, Bolic. I'm feeling inclined to hand you over already."
Everyone gasped together, Jaegers and assassins alike. "But commander—!"
Esdeath turned on Wave, her expression quite serious. He cringed and backed away. Satisfied that there were no further complaints, she turned back to the awestruck faces of Night Raid, feeling even more satisfied after she compared Najenda's reaction with those of her subordinates.
It was incomparable. Najenda had even taken a step back, unable to believe that this woman would ever make such a concession with her enemies.
"Don't screw with me!" Shock quickly turning to anger, Najenda brazenly stepped forward again and grabbed Esdeath by the collar. The situation was intensifying every second; as if Esdeath's words alone hadn't been enough, now her rival had gone and touched the Capital's Strongest without hesitation!
Even with her anger dissipating, Najenda refused to back down. Only when Esdeath laid a patient hand over hers did she finally realize what she had done. Najenda tore her hand away and continued to glare, surprised by her own audacity. Undeterred, Esdeath walked around her and approached the door behind. Najenda spun around and stared at the woman's back as she took hold of the door's handle and paused.
"If you're not following me," Esdeath said quietly, "then am I to assume that you'd prefer to die right here and now?"
Najenda looked her friends over one by one and nodded, her expression telling them what words alone could not. One by one the members of Night Raid filed out of the room, with the Jaegers tentatively taking up the rear.
"What is she doing?" Wave hissed. "I thought we were supposed to be protecting that guy, and now she suddenly wants him dead?"
"It's part of the game." Stylish winked.
"What game?" Wave raised his voice, shrinking back when he saw Esdeath's ear twitch.
Run sighed, clearly displeased with the situation. "General Esdeath has no intention of handing Bolic over to Night Raid."
Stylish giggled and put one hand to his mouth to stifle the sound, reaching into his pocket and fondling the object within. "She's going to snuff out the very hope that she just gave to them! How very stylish!"
"She means to break Night Raid," Run added. "Once and for all."
—The Ruins—
"Lubbock…"
"Hey there."
The long and dirt-laden road stretched far beyond Tatsumi, the flames at his sides like great impassable walls. This was a runway of death, born and built up just for him. As if the clouds of smoke and dirt weren't enough, the air was now filled with a deep sense of awkwardness. The two killers stared each other down for a moment.
"Did you do all this?"
"You bet!" Lubbock laughed, slowly flexing the fingers at his side. All around him the wires danced, floating gently in the air and glowing orange as they reflected the raging fire's light. "It's my old hobby, something Miss Najenda banned the moment I joined Night Raid. Setting off a bunch of bombs every time we find a target isn't really Night Raid's style, y'know?"
Several more buildings collapsed around them, their tenants long since evacuated.
"Tonight must be a special occasion," Tatsumi replied, tightening his grip on the Muramasa.
"You betcha," Lubbock frowned. "You killed two of our members, two of our precious friends. We can't hold back for the sake of subtlety, not anymore."
"Let's talk this out."
"Let's not."
Tatsumi drew his sword and charged ahead. Lubbock threw his hands forward, carving through to his most hated friend. Stone homes crumbled all around as the flames sang their crackling song, ripped from their foundations all at once.
"You know," Tatsumi shouted, "I've always wanted to fight you!"
"Here's your chance!" Lubbock shouted right back. He pushed and pulled his hands and fingers in response to Tatsumi's rapid dodges and deflections. "But don't get too cocky. Otherwise..."
Tatsumi continued to charge forward, slashing with all his strength at the never-ending wires that closed in. With his attention pulled in so many different directions, he failed to notice the single motionless wire waiting just up ahead.
Click!
"...you're going to regret it."
Lubbock watched with satisfaction as Tatsumi was immediately consumed by an explosive pillar of fire, paying the price for his recklessness with a mouthful of hellfire. The green-haired assassin then reached behind himself and reeled in his wires, rising up to sit comfortably in a web he'd prepared. Exploiting Tatsumi's personality in this battle was already proving too easy; with Bulat dead, Lubbock was now the one living Night Raid member who knew Tatsumi best.
"That's why I'm the one who's going to bring you down."
Suddenly, a flash of blue pierced through the blinding red and orange down below. The gentle gleam exploded outwards and ripped open Tatsumi's fiery coffin, revealing the boy within. With the Masamune in his left hand, Tatsumi stared Lubbock down. The flames continued to lick at the protective orb around him, softly bouncing away as they did so.
"Tch." Lubbock rose to his feet, dusting himself off a bit. "You know," he shouted, "I'm beginning to wonder just how strong that little shield of yours really is."
Tatsumi cast his left arm aside and dismissed the orb with a great shockwave, blowing all of the flames away. "Stronger than anything you can dish out!"
"Let's test that theory." Lubbock muttered under his breath.
"Are you coming down from there?" Tatsumi mocked, bouncing the Muramasa on his shoulder. "Or do I have to climb up there, smash your spiderweb, and drag your ass down?"
"Actually," Lubbock mocked, stretching both arms forward, "you might want to go with your second option."
"Oh yeah? And why's that?"
Lubbock's grin widened. "Because the mines you just triggered are a bit more powerful than those little babies I've been tickling you with."
Tatsumi cursed and jumped with all of his strength, leaping into the air with his phenomenal strength. He pulled the Masamune forward and prepared for the worst, only…
"Just kidding!" Lubbock shouted above the din, lashing out with his wires and wrapping them around Tatsumi's ankle.
"You little piece of—!" Tatsumi's expletives were carried away with a rush of air as Lubbock managed to swing him down the street and right on past him, sliding and grinding and bouncing against the dirty cobblestones. He continued to roll until he reached a small courtyard, his back slamming into the fountain centerpiece. A few seconds later the Jaeger rose to his feet and cut the slackened wires off of his leg, grinding his teeth with fury.
"Y'know," Lubbock called out, seemingly walking on air as he approached from on high, "it's kinda obvious that we're the immature ones in our groups. But you wanna know where the difference is?"
Tatsumi didn't wait for an answer, opting instead to pull the wretched Muramasa back and launch it like a rusty spear towards the assassin. Lubbock narrowed his eyes, and with a single flick of the wrist, plucked it out of the air and launched it right back. Tatsumi leaped out of the way, though it proved unnecessary as the blade embedded itself near the very top of the fountain.
"The difference," Lubbock chided, "is that you still act like a kid when you're in a fight. I've been doing this a lot longer than you have, remember?"
Tatsumi was clenching his fists so hard it felt as though his fingers were breaking. "Stop talking all of that bullshit and fight me!"
"See what I mean?" Lubbock shrugged. "When it comes to fighting, I stay focused on the big picture until it's all over. You're still just taking it one step at a time, which is why you're currently stuck inside a giant trap without your sword to help you."
Tatsumi grinned maliciously, reaching up towards the blade with his right hand. The cursed weapon immediately pulled itself from the stone obelisk and raced towards him. With a flourish he caught the sword and swung it downwards, tilting his head to stare at Lubbock.
"Maybe you've been doing this for longer," Tatsumi retorted, pointing the tip of the blade towards his enemy, "but I'm a pretty fast learner, and it looks like you're still as arrogant as I am."
"Fair enough." Lubbock conceded, taking a seat on his web and casually dangling his legs over the edge. "Well, if we're done talking trash to one another, then I guess it's time to explain the plan."
"Right, right," Tatsumi scoffed, pacing back and forth without ever tearing his gaze away from the assassin. "Your 'trap,' right?"
"So basically," Lubbock continued, swinging his legs with a new smile, "you're in a giant cage that I prepared ahead of time. It shouldn't be too hard to see the wires now that the moon has come out of the clouds."
Tatsumi looked up, and true to the guy's word there was a massive and shining web draped over all the rooftops nearby, stretching into the streets beyond until he could no longer see it. Lubbock pulled the Cross Tail from his lower back and showed the empty reels to Tatsumi. "Believe it or not, I've used almost all of my backup wires getting this ready for you. Assuming I beat you here and send you back to Esdeath in a box, it's going to be a pain in the ass to wind these back up again."
"So you've put me in a cage and now you're sitting safely behind it." Tatsumi taunted. "What's next, more bombs for me to shrug off?" He tapped the elegant Masamune with its rusty counterpart. He opened his mouth to taunt the boy further, but the words died in his throat as he looked more closely at the sword in his hand.
"Something is definitely going on," he thought. Lubbock's retort fell on deaf ears as Tatsumi pulled the sword closer and scanned its rusting surface. "Now that I think about it, has the rust been disappearing?"
"...and that's why you're mincemeat." Lubbock chuckled. Tatsumi lowered the Muramasa and looked back up with a blank expression.
"Care to repeat that? I zoned out for a second."
"Nope!" Lubbock said cheerfully, finally rising to his feet. He popped the empty cylinder out of Cross Tail with a muffled click, pulling a brand new one out of nowhere. "This works out great for me. I guess it'll just have to be a surprise." He popped the new cylinder in and waved his hand, looking satisfied as a fresh bundle of wires burst into the air and followed his movements. The assassin looked down at Tatsumi with narrowed eyes, pausing for just a moment before taking a sudden step forward and falling through a gap in the web.
Not a word was spoken between them as their eyes met. Just as each warrior prepared to attack the other, a sudden burst of memories flooded their minds and calmed their bodies. The dusty breeze tapered off. The ceaseless roaring of the flames down the road reduced themselves to a gentle crackle, then they perished as well. Consumed by this single and most important of moments, the entire world seemed to take a step back and watch quietly.
"Damn it." Lubbock gurgled, reaching out for the beautiful women hiding up ahead. "I can still make it!"
"Then your arm's next!" Leone said with a wink, pressing down on the boy's back even harder than before. She turned back to Tatsumi with her eternal smile. "That aside, this idiot's Lubbock!"
Tatsumi simply stared at them both with a weird expression, something torn between secondhand embarrassment and exasperation.
Tatsumi sliced his left arm open, waiting patiently for the Muramasa to calm down before returning it to its home in the Masamune. He flicked his wrist and the 47th disappeared.
"I rarely see you drenched in sweat, Lubbock." Mine casually noted, watching as he and Tatsumi continued to suffer through countless push-ups. He let out a struggling laugh.
"Well, there are only two guys in our group now," he responded. "I figured I should start putting forth some more effort…"
"Nice job trying to sound cool," Leone smirked, "but you've still only done half as many push-ups as Tatsumi."
Lubbock turned his head to the side, unable to look at Tatsumi for even one more second.
"Esdeath is sponsoring a citywide martial arts tournament," Lubbock said, holding up a wrinkled flyer to Tatsumi's face. "Apparently the winner gets a nice cash reward." He grinned in tandem with Tatsumi. "Maybe you can send some of it back to your village."
Tatsumi balled his fists up in excitement, struggling against the urge to jump out of his seat. "That's awesome!"
"You'll be splitting the rest with me, of course." Lubbock coughed.
"What?!"
"Nope!" Leone laughed and wrapped her arms around Tatsumi, affectionately pulling his face into her bust as she was known to do. "He's going to be splitting it with me, because I'm the one who brought him home with us!"
Tatsumi shoved her away with burning eyes of incomparable and inconceivable rage, the sight of which caused Leone to fall back on the couch. "There is no fucking way that I am ever giving you my money! You robbed me when I first got here!"
"And now you understand the importance of being responsible with your money!" She smiled innocently.
Lubbock had to tie Tatsumi up with Cross Tail to stop him from killing her right then and there.
Tatsumi bit his lip, nails digging so tightly into his palms that he couldn't feel them anymore. He couldn't feel much of anything aside from the lump in his throat and the burning in his eyes.
"Tatsumi!" He cried, comical tears spilling forth as he sped forward and wrapped his unfortunate friend in a surprisingly devastating hug.
"Ack...can't...breathe!" Tatsumi gasped out, eyes wide beneath the metal helm.
Lubbock turned completely around and hid his face.
"I love you," Lubbock laughed, silly tears still falling. Your timing couldn't have been better, man! Welcome back!"
Tatsumi grit his teeth. Closed his eyes. Screamed inside. Even the Muramasa was silent, blown completely out of his mind.
"I just wasn't expecting you to show up all of a sudden. I really did miss you, too! Do you have any idea what it's like to be the only guy stuck in this place? Surrounded by such lovely, lovely boobs, with not a soul to share the experience with…"
"That's all you think about!" Tatsumi yelled.
"I really," Lubbock growled, "hate you so damn much."
"You're having fun? Even in this place, surrounded by those people, you'll laugh and play?"
"I hate you," he said again.
"It's getting hard to hold back, y'know?" Lubbock laughed. "Let's just focus on getting payback for our friends, and for that ugly scar he left on Boss's chest."
"I hate," Lubbock stammered, "I hate, I just…"
The green-haired assassin turned around slowly. Every muscle, every single fiber of his being tried to keep him rooted to the spot and glue his eyes to the cobblestones. Even so, he somehow managed to turn around. He finally raised his voice. "Why? Why did you have to go and join the Jaegers? Why…?"
At last he spun around and screamed with all of the anger and frustration and misery that he possibly could. "Why did you—?!"
The words that had so desperately been clawing their way out of his throat vanished when he saw that Tatsumi was crying too. Lubbock felt himself become stone. Tatsumi's arms were limp at his sides, his mouth was shut but not quite shut enough to hide the quivering. Without warning he suddenly fell to one knee and gasped out, shaking as he tried to hold it back, tried to fight it with his very soul as his mind finally gave in.
"You̡'͞r͜é ju̕st̶ ́a͜ trai̸tor̶.̀ Traito͏r. ͠Ķill͠er. Co͞m̡e ̢on͝,͘ ̡ki͞lļ him.̕ ̀You̷ ̕have ͡t̡o ̛ki̕ll̷ ̵h̴im͝ to ͠g̀et҉ ̵stro̢nge͜r͏. ̶If ̨y̵o҉u ̶k͘ill h̸i̸m ýo͡u͞'͡ll̕ defi͡n͠it͟el̡ý ̛bec͟ome s̵t͠r̨onger͡. Ta͢ḱe h͠i̧s͢ l̵ìfe, ̴take͘ it͞ ͠awa͟y̷.͏ Ta̸ke͟ ͟a͠ẃay ev͟er̕yth́i̶n͢g.̴ Y̸ou hate͏ ̸him.́ ͏You ͟hate yourself. Yo͝u'̨r͞e͜ w͏e͡ák͘.̡ Y̡o̷u're̢ ͢j́ust ̸a ͝ķid.͢ ͢He'͜s͝ ́s͝trong̛ an͜d y͟o͜u'̧re ̛we҉a̴k͟, s̨o ̢y̛ou'r̸e ̨jealo̷ús.̨ ̴Ma͟ke h͡i͝m͡ w͜e͘ak and̶ ͢k̶i҉ll ̵him͝. ͘You'̷r͟e a̢ ͢J͝ąeg̶er,̀ you̴'̶re a k̴ill͡ér. ͡K͢i͟ll͢ h̶i͞m, k̴ill̴ ͘hi̴m now.̸ K͠i̷ll ҉hiḿ. K͏ìl̶l h̨im̕.̛ K̛i̡ll̛ him.̸ ̸Kìll͟ him.͏
͏̢K̛i̸ll h͞im͞ o̡r ̷k͏ill͜ ̶yóur̷s͟ȩl̡f. Eiţhe͜r w̨a҉y̛,͞ ́y̸ou're gòin͞g̛ t͟o b̸e s͏t͞r̢onger.͢"
"Bulat wasn't your only brother, was he?"
Tatsumi moaned and hiccuped, accidentally biting his lip and drawing blood. He couldn't hold it back, those pathetic tears. His body wouldn't let him. His mind wouldn't let him. The gentle voice returned, cutting him more harshly than the other ever could.
"You can't kill memories and you can't kill your feelings. You can't kill your own soul. You didn't kill Seryu, whom you have every reason to hate. You didn't kill Stylish, even after he put them all in danger. You didn't kill Esdeath, the one who drives you forward on this path you hate so fiercely. You can't kill the light that's hurting you."
"K̴̛͟I̛͡҉̛L̴̸͘L̨͢ ̷H̸̡̛I̴͢M̶͘ ̧̡̛̕͡N͢҉͡O̢͞͝҉W̸̨!́"
"You can't kill your own brother, can you?"
He couldn't hold it back any longer. Tatsumi rolled onto his back and cried, no longer able to hide behind the Muramasa and its hate. No longer forgotten, the Incursio fell from his back and lay beside him, its single eye staring into the heavens as he was.
"I'm sorry," he choked out. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, please. Please listen, can you hear me? I promise I'm sorry, I'm…"
Lubbock stared wearily down at his closest friend as the latter choked on his miserable words, the slackened web of wrathful wires falling gently to the ground all around them. "Why?" He asked again, wiping away at his own eyes. "Why did you do it?"
"Because it feels right," Tatsumi whimpered, his eyes finally seeing again. They met with Lubbock's, and there was a kind of suffering in them that no words could possibly describe. "I want to fight them, I want to fight them with the Jaegers. I need to fight them from inside, I have to."
"Why?"
"Because I can't leave her side." Tatsumi shut his eyes and hiccuped again. The lump in his throat just wouldn't leave, and a slight anger mixed with his sadness. "She's changing, I know it. Esdeath is changing and I know I can change her. I can save her, and we'll save the Capital together from the inside."
"What will you do? What can you do with her, Tatsumi? She's a monster!" Lubbock's frustration brought back his own tears and he turned away. "Why do we have to fight each other if we want the same thing?"
"We're not looking at one another." Tatsumi whispered, his eyes widening. "Lubbock, we're…"
Lubbock turned back around and looked at Tatsumi, completely shaken to the core as the other boy reached for the sky and clenched his fist.
"The world tells us not to look at each other," he continued, "because we're on opposite sides of the wall. No matter how much we may talk to and fight with one another, we will never be together if our eyes can't meet."
"Tatsumi…"
Tatsumi turned his head and met Lubbock's eyes. The sorrow had vanished, he had pushed it away. He finally understood. "Lubbock, we just need to—"
"I'm not sure I like what I'm hearing!" Sten yelled. "I told you not to fuck up, didn't I?"
Lubbock cried out in surprise, falling flat on his backside as the four Rakshasa Demons stared down at the two brothers from their own separate rooftops. Ibara licked his lips again and again, staring at Tatsumi with anticipation. "This is gonna be good! Oh, this is gonna be so good! I like this, no—I love it! You better prepare yourself, little 'Jaeger,' hahahaha!"
Lubbock was sweating bullets as he backed up against the fountain. His eyes darted all around the area, staring with horror at the results of his carelessness. "It's no good! I've used you way too much, Cross Tail!" He drove a single fist into the ground, cursing his luck.
Suddenly, there was the sound of a hand brushing against dirt.
Clackk!
Tatsumi's hand found the Incursio at his side.
"Now then, Seryu…" Esdeath nodded to the justice devotee and motioned with one hand. The other Jaeger was positively giddy as she stepped forward to the middle of the great courtyard.
"It's a shame that the other spectators ran away," Esdeath chuckled, "but I suppose Lubbock is to blame for that, isn't he?"
"He sure is." Najenda nervously lit yet another cigar and placed a hand on Mine's shoulder, staring down at the ornate platinum box in her hands. "Remember," she hissed, "you'll only get one chance at this. If this fails…"
"I know," Mine hissed right back, tightening her grip on the item. "It just sucks that we don't have the element of surprise anymore."
"They have no idea that this is a Teigu," Najenda replied, glancing over to Esdeath. "If you're quick enough, we won't just turn the tables on her—we'll completely uproot them."
Mine nodded one last time and stepped forward. "Seryu Ubiquitous!" She cried, hatred fueling her every step as she closed in on her enemy. "I'm going to be the one to take you down, right here and right now! You're going to face real justice for what you did to my friend!"
Seryu opened her mouth for a gleeful and maniacal retort, but stopped herself before a single syllable could escape. Her mouth closed and her expression went blank.
"I want to ask you a question, Seryu Ubiquitous. Is your justice the one that deserves to exist?"
"Tch…" She bit her tongue and looked back to Dr. Stylish, who was nodding so rapidly it almost looked like he was having a seizure. "Yes, yes," the man shouted, "go on then, Seryu!"
Seryu nodded and turned back to Mine, scowling once more. "You traitor!" She pointed to the pink-haired little girl and smiled with all the contempt she could muster. Koro stepped out from behind her, bouncing with ominous energy. "Tonight I'm going to finish what we started before! Koro and I are gonna send you to wherever Sheele is waiting!"
For only a moment, Mine let her guard down. "You remembered her name, huh?"
Seryu paused as well, then nodded slowly. She lowered her head. "I'm…"
The entire courtyard was consumed by an awkward silence. When the Jaeger raised her head, Mine's eyes widened at what she saw. Pure calm, and a smile without sadism. Without wretched enjoyment.
She simply looked motivated. "I'll duel Tatsumi soon. If he wins, I'm going to take him to Captain Ogre's grave!" She knelt down and patted Koro on his head, scratching him a bit and turning her gaze back to Mine. "And if he wins," she continued, "he'll take me to Sheele's."
Mine nearly dropped the Teigu with her hands shaking as they were. "You...you…!"
Seryu tensed up her body, reaching back…
"You don't deserve to see her grave!" Mine screamed, dropping the box and pulling an ordinary pistol from within her dress. Koro leaped with tremendous speed towards her, eyes wide and maw agape as it prepared to grow...
"Mine!" Leone and Akame shouted together, fear strewn across their faces.
"KORO!"
The furry demon creature halted in midair and plopped to the ground, turning to his master. Seryu shook her head and revealed Susanoo's core.
"That's—!" All of Night Raid yelled as one.
"Yes!" Stylish laughed uproariously, clapping his hands like crazy as he stepped into view behind her. "Now you are witnesses, you are all witnesses to this moment of glory!"
Koro returned to Seryu and she knelt in front of him, presenting the core.
Koro snatched the object from her hand and swallowed it.
"What did you just do?!" Najenda screamed, nearly choking on cancerous ash.
"This!" Dr. Stylish yelled, arms raised to the sky as he gazed upon the giant moon above. "This is true Teigu mastery!"
Koro started to violently convulse, so violently that it shook the earth beneath their feet. Seryu leaped backwards, watching with awe as her little Teigu wrapped itself in a blinding red aura. Bolts of energy emerged, striking the world around them with impunity. Jaegers and assassins jumped away from Koro as he started thrashing about with greater force, shattering the earth beneath him.
"MINE!" Akame screamed, pointing to the box. "Do it now!"
Mine dove for the box and Kurome moved to intercept her, but Akame was even faster. Murasame and Yatsufusa embraced each other once more, brilliant sparks flying from the force of their grinding blades. Up ahead, Wave burst forward in Grand Chariot.
"I don't know what that is," he cried out, "but I won't let you—!"
Leone smashed into him with no small amount of effort, both of them crashing into a building nearby and almost immediately jumping back to their feet. Each having completely forgotten the other, they shouted together.
"Hurry up and do it!"
"Don't let her!"
With Esdeath merely watching in interest, Seryu was the final obstacle. Mine drew the pistol once again and fired multiple times, her heart pounding so hard she could barely see. As a result, most of the bullets were deflected or missed.
Two of them found their mark, one in Seryu's shoulder and one in her abdomen. She cried out and grabbed at her body, but felt no pain.
Only exhaustion, sheer lethargy. She couldn't move!
"Those...bullets?" Seryu stammered, falling flat on her face.
"That outta slow you down!" Mine yelled, diving one last time for the box. At last her fingers found the edges. With all her remaining strength, Mine pulled her arm back and launched the box into the air.
"Pandora's Nightmare: Hope Remains!"
With a blinding flash of light and a vicious shockwave, the box burst open and lashed out at Koro with gleaming white chains. The evolving Teigu struggled in vain against its captor, letting out a single distorted cry before being devoured. The sound of trumpets, a lovely thing, rang in the air before the box finally closed and fell to the ground.
"But…" Esdeath took two steps forward, complete and utter disbelief written across her face.
"This!" Najenda cried with a clenched fist, her fellow assassins rising with victorious smiles of their own. "This is OUR mastery, Esdeath!"
Separating from one another in a panic, the members of both teams regrouped and stood before each other once again. Najenda lifted her last cigar from its box, grinned wider, and flicked it in Esdeath's general direction.
"Our trump card," she declared victoriously, "has beaten yours! Do you want to choose a different Jaeger to fight for you?"
"Najenda…" Esdeath hissed, ice slowly coating the ground beneath and the buildings behind her. "How did you—?"
"'Live on in the stomach of another Teigu,' he said. Tatsumi is the one who gave us the hint we needed." Najenda sighed and ran a hand through her hair, clearly exhausted. "We spread the word throughout Kyoroch, searching for some way to counter a biological Teigu. As it so happens, another cell with Teigu users—albeit not on the same level as us—were moving through the city on a mission of their own. They had in their possession the Teigu you see on the ground over there: Hope Remains."
Najenda walked forward until she reached the cigar she flicked moments ago, and drove her heel right into it.
"Though I'm sure it's incapable of sealing some of the more legendary Teigu," she continued with boldness, "it is more than enough to stop you from using Susanoo to create an invincible monster!"
Seryu walked quietly towards Koro's prison, stumbling horribly all the way. Mine watched with a strange blend of pity and contempt as the miserable young woman took the box into her arms, holding it up to her cheek. The cold metal matched the coldness that filled her heart. After watching her subordinate for a moment, Esdeath closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh.
"Najenda…"
Sensing immediate danger, Night Raid's leader took a step back and aimed her metal arm…
"You're every bit as clever as you used to be."
She was smiling. Fondly.
Esdeath was smiling at her, truly. As someone else, someone Najenda had never seen. Drained to her very limit both physically and emotionally, Najenda moved back to the steps leading up to the palace and took a seat. After a begrudging nod from their leader, the other assassins followed suit. Akame and Kurome continued to stare at one another, their own night proving to be just as tumultuous as the one shared between their commanders.
Mirroring their rivals' actions, Esdeath and her Jaegers lowered their guard and approached the palace steps. Now standing only a few feet before one another, the two groups almost seemed to blend. Her strength returning, Seryu managed to reach Wave's side and receive his support. Gazing down at the weary Night Raid, Run's already fast-paced mind seemed to be swirling at light speed.
"This scene here...this proximity, it really does seem to suggest…"
If a passerby didn't know any better, they may have seen those groups as one single, invincible entity.
"Commander, Wave-kun!" Bols came running down the steps, baffled and rather on edge at seeing everyone so close together without straight-up ruining one another. "What is—?"
"A very long and riveting story." Esdeath responded, moving to sit next to Najenda. She removed her cover and set it down beside her, rubbing her face and fluffing her hair. "One that a comrade will surely tell you on the way home."
"But the story's not over, is it?" Najenda growled, resisting the urge to bash her rival's skull in with her metal arm. "I never thought, even for one single second, that you would truly offer Bolic to us if we won your little game."
Esdeath looked down into her lap, locks of sapphire obscuring her expression. With a single snap of her fingers, the entrance to the palace shattered in a cloud of wood, metal, and ice. A strange shape suddenly approached them, floating down the steps.
And there, suspended in place by chunks of ice and hovering above them all, was the rotten and utterly corrupt Bolic. Naturally, a bit of ice was covering his mouth; the man was a bit too noisy for Esdeath's liking.
Najenda was once again stunned into silence as Esdeath rose to her feet, adjusted her cover, and gestured towards the floating prize as it descended to the bottom of the steps and hovered only a couple feet above the ground.
"Honor," Esdeath said, "is something that I now find precious. Tatsumi...meeting him and tasting his strength, holding his very heart...it has brought new things to light, Najenda."
Deep, deep inside the recesses of her mind, the Capital's Strongest struggled against her earlier inclinations. Tatsumi's gentleness and passive demeanor, while initially worrisome, was beginning to feel like a guiding light.
"Esdeath," Najenda exclaimed, "what on earth are you doing? What are you...why are you doing all of this?" The general's rival shook her head.
"Who are you?"
Esdeath closed her eyes and smiled, Tatsumi's own words dancing on her lips. "I am not speaking as a general or as a Jaeger. I speak only as myself." She nodded towards Bolic. "Tatsumi's wishes have proven to be very entertaining. Perhaps I'm growing tired of the Prime Minister's leash."
Najenda remained silent for a moment, then nodded to Akame. The quiet and focused assassin nodded quickly, launching forward and slicing Bolic's throat.
"Eliminate."
Esdeath blinked and the ice shattered, allowing gravity to drag Bolic's body back to the earth where he had now been committed. She scanned the group, taking a long look at each and every person before her. Drinking it all in, thinking very carefully about her next words.
"My words are becoming dangerous," she thought. "I am a General of the Imperial Army, and I destroy any and all opposition. The strong survive and the weak perish, but…"
Her gaze finally settled on Najenda again, a sincere smile still resting on her face and keeping her rival stunned.
"It sleeps in every beggar," she murmured, "and it wanes in every soldier in the Empire…"
"What did you say?" Najenda narrowed her eyes.
"This is my proposal." Esdeath declared, serious once more as she regarded the members of Night Raid. At her silent command the Jaegers backed away, forming ranks behind her as Najenda did the same with her subordinates. No longer one, once again behind their great wall, the Jaegers and Night Raid faced each other once again. As they always have, as they always will.
As they always must.
"Weiss Schnabel!"
Without warning, Esdeath quickly summoned a grand storm of vicious icicles, each and every one of them aimed down at Night Raid. "As rebels and traitors of the Empire, and especially as my prey, I cannot allow any of you to live. I will not stay my hand and avoid the wondrous butchering that you deserve."
"Esdeath!" Najenda cried out, utterly furious at both her enemy and herself. "I cannot believe I let my guard down, listening to her like that!"
"Unfortunately, you proved to be more wretched and underhanded than we expected."
The icicles suddenly scattered, launching themselves in various directions and embedding themselves in buildings and stalls, littering the ground and even slamming into the palace itself.
"You assassinated Bolic and fled like the cowards you are," Esdeath continued quietly, "but not before leaving behind all of the Teigu in your possession."
"What are you doing?!" Najenda screamed. The overwhelming tension was proving to be too much, and Esdeath knew it.
"This is my ultimatum to you, Night Raid. I will not coerce you, I will not capture you. For this one time, this only time, I will not kill you all. You will walk away from this place unmarred, because that is what Tatsumi wishes." She grabbed at her heart. "But this mission will not be an utter failure. This night will be of my design, not yours." Esdeath smiled sadistically. "With this, Tatsumi will continue to love me, and I can keep enjoying the war. Your assassinations that cause so much grief will come to an end."
Leone was shaking with so much rage she felt she might burst. Only Akame's gentle arm around hers could calm the lion inside of her and prevent her from doing anything stupid.
It was already too late, and they knew it.
"Relinquish your Teigu," Esdeath continued, "and leave them at my feet. Crawl back to your Revolutionary Army, or die."
"This is the best course," Wave thought, still trying to feel for Tatsumi's presence from within his armor. "Tatsumi, where are you? Are you still fighting?"
Silence. Esdeath narrowed her eyes. "I will not ask again, Najenda, and I won't let you insult my generosity with that stupid, defiant look on your face."
The other woman bristled up and grit her teeth. She shut her eyes, her mind a maelstrom without direction. Years of devotion, tragedies without end...was she going to let it all be for nothing? She couldn't, not now!
"No, our lives...our lives were forfeit the instant we chose this road. We were all prepared for something like this, we were always ready to die for this cause! Our friends already gave their—!"
Friends. Najenda did everything she could to hold in her anger and fight back the tears, but a few rebels made it by.
"I...I can't...I have to! We need to survive! We have to keep fighting, even if it means losing! We have to run away, we have to retreat...I can't…"
Najenda shook her head miserably. "Esdeath, we…accept."
"What?!" Mine cried, moving to clutch Najenda's arm with all her strength. Her nails dug deep, her anger almost burning the skin right off.
"Boss! You can't!" Leone slammed her fists together and ran forward. Quick as lightning, Najenda extended her metal arm and reeled the wild woman back in.
"I can still fight!" Akame moved to stand in front of Najenda, pleading with her eyes. She clutched the woman's shirt in desperation. "We're ready to do this!"
Najenda shook her head, much to Esdeath's blatant pleasure. "One Teigu alone may be worth more than all of our lives, and this is especially true considering we have three left. I may not be worthy of being your leader any longer, but please trust me one last time. We'll retreat for now, and we will take them back."
"No," Akame shook her head, turning to face Kurome. "I'm sorry. I'm the worst, Boss, since I can't follow your last order...but this Murasame and I, we…"
She took her stance, staring down her sickly little sister with as much determination as she could pretend to have. She dashed forward and barely made it halfway before Esdeath froze her in place. Shifting the ice in such a way that Akame's sword arm was free, Esdeath calmly robbed the girl of her Teigu.
"You bitch! I'll finish you—!" Leone dashed forward, but just as before, Wave was faster. He held her in place for only a few seconds before she knocked him away, but that was all that his commander needed.
A single tap of the shoulder and all but Leone's waist was covered in ice. Esdeath calmly removed the second Teigu and placed it at her feet as she did with the Murasame.
"That's two for two," Dr. Stylish chuckled.
"Now," Esdeath said, "for the Teigu carried by Lubbock."
"Good luck!" Leone laughed through the incessant shivering of her body. "Lubbock's probably miles away by now! He can lay down wires for more than just combat, y'know! He—"
"No such wires exist in the area," Esdeath replied, "and even if they did, I would still hunt him down. That is who we are, after all." Her smirk lit a fire in each assassin's chest, teasing them with hate and the uncontrollable urge to kill. "In any case, Tatsumi is his opponent. He will drag your last friend back here momentarily."
"You don't know that!" Leone countered, glaring daggers as always. Esdeath scoffed and glared right back. Their special battle—the battle for Tatsumi—made each woman more irritated at one another than they normally would have been.
"The Rakshasa Demons did not travel in the direction of the diversion Lubbock caused earlier," Esdeath said matter-of-factly. "Even from within the palace, it was easy to hear that those explosions came from the west. Tatsumi was ordered to patrol the west end of Kyoroch."
Leone growled with as much ferocity as her body would let her. Esdeath let out a hearty chuckle; after all, who wouldn't? The woman's bark and bite were nothing short of comical without her Teigu.
"This is the best course of action," Run offered, mirroring Wave's own thoughts. "It is easy to see that, underneath your criminal actions, you are good people. It is regrettable that you have betrayed the Empire you live in, but you are fighting for a cause you believe in."
All of them fell silent as the man who normally melted into the background finally came forward and spoke his piece. "This is the root cause of Tatsumi's pain. To be torn between friends and comrades standing on opposite sides, united in their ends but conflicted in their means."
"You can't change the Empire from the inside." Leone argued. "Anyone who tries is killed, framed, or worse. You're just defending the same rotten people that we're killing in order to make a change."
"Haven't you learned something tonight?" Run smiled, looking to Esdeath for a moment, then to Najenda, then back to the glorious golden lion. "By all rights, you may be our enemies, but you see that we are trying to make a change."
"I crave a good genocide," Esdeath added darkly, "but fighting a different kind of war inside the Capital can prove to be just as entertaining."
Run shook his head. "What a strange woman. To show so much progress, and yet ultimately remain the same inside...what is she turning into?"
"I don't mean to rant," Run continued, "but I felt the need to step forward and share Tatsumi's perspective. I see myself in him, because we have suffered similar tragedies that have fueled a very, very similar brand of hatred. It is a ceaseless hatred for those in power who abuse their power, who turn a blind eye to the evil they create. Your targets may end up being ours, but we will uphold the integrity of the Empire when we mete out justice."
"Assassins," Bols piped up, "bring fear even when they remove evil. Evil actions cannot remove evil from the world. I know the feeling." The gentle giant gripped his arm. "It invites retaliation, it feeds the evil."
"Let it go," Run pleaded. "Return to your allies, return to your home, and reflect on the path you are walking."
"We're your opposite," Kurome added, sounding even weaker than before. Wave was at her side, same as always, looking at her with terrible concern. "We're what you should be, doing what you want to do. You're doing it all wrong."
"Kurome!" Akame cried out, her despair almost palpable. The fragile Jaeger looked to her big sister with pure, unrestrained affection.
"I forgive you for leaving us, onee-chan."
Akame fell silent, tears streaming down her face. "Kurome…"
"I won't take them anymore."
Akame's eyes burst wide open, her heart frozen harder than the ice around her body. Kurome's legs finally gave out and Wave caught her, holding the pale girl in his arms with misery written on his face. "I won't take the drugs anymore, because it hurts."
Now Kurome's tears were falling. "It hurts me, it hurts Wave…" She looked up at him then for what felt like an eternity. When her eyes came to rest on Akame once more, there was a love there that Akame had not seen since that day…
"It hurts you too," she said, "and I don't...want...that…"
With that, the last vestiges of her strength faded away, and Kurome fell unconscious. Dr. Stylish approached the two of them and placed a hand against the girl's forehead, humming nonchalantly.
"It shouldn't be too difficult to concoct some kind of remedy for her condition. You should be thankful." The super stylish man winked at Akame, basking in his brilliance. "We're doing you a few favors tonight, aren't we now?"
"This is a night you should not forget," Esdeath spoke to Najenda, standing right in front of her once more. "It goes without saying that you will be apprehended and dealt with if we meet again, but this course of action should help to abate such nuisances in the future. Without any Teigu, you become insignificant to us. Without these Teigu, you will live to see another morning."
The ice around Akame and Leone shattered as Esdeath turned. Struck with a curious thought, she adjusted her cover with a smile.
"Wouldn't it be interesting, Najenda, if we had been allies once again?"
Having accepted the inevitability of their defeat, Najenda finally permitted herself to smile again, bitter though it may have been. "It certainly would have saved us a lot of trouble."
"K-Koro?!"
Jaegers and Night Raid assassins turned as one, staring with a veritable melting pot of emotion as the Hope Remains began to quake. Little by little, blue cracks began to emerge. In a matter of seconds the box was shaking so hard that it flew out of Seryu's arms, landing some distance away as it continued to crack the earth below.
The box shattered.
"Well now," said Dr. Stylish as the ensuing gust of air ragdolled him across the courtyard.
Acting out of pure instinct, Esdeath pulled Najenda down as she mentally erected a great wall of ice behind them. The first pulse of energy instantly destroyed the barrier and launched boulders of broken ice everywhere, creating an even greater threat.
Many of which landed very near, yet not quite on, the prone body of Dr. Stylish.
True to her incredible nature, Akame easily dodged any boulders of ice that came her way. Protecting Kurome with his body, Wave dashed into a nearby alley, watching with fear as Run flew away with Leone and Seryu tackled Mine into an open building. With the second pulse, a lesser wind blew throughout the courtyard. It shook the trees by the fountain and coaxed the water into the air, great droplets and globules of liquid suspended in midair as a distorted shape descended.
When its paws touched the earth, the final pulse cast the rectangular body of water and the trees away; moments later, the air was becalmed and a cool air beckoned to those nearby. Still somewhat blinding, the shape remained motionless as everyone returned to where they'd been standing.
"Don't touch me!" Mine barked, shoving Seryu away as they exited the building. Seryu for her part was absolutely mesmerized by the being that had emerged from the box, and slowly walked towards it like any rational human being would.
Leone was more forgiving when it came to her savior, muttering a quick "thanks" before moving to join the rest of the crowd.
Esdeath and Najenda, still lying on the ground, stared at one another. Just a hint of blush burned its way onto Najenda's face and she leapt to her feet, dusting herself off. Esdeath got up in a less dramatic fashion and adjusted her cover.
Dr. Stylish pulled himself into a sitting position, looked around, got up, then proceeded to follow the others as if nothing had happened.
"K-Koro?" Seryu approached the glowing creature, falling to her knees beside it.
"Seryu!" Esdeath yelled, running forward. "Stay away from the Teigu!"
At long last, the light began to fade. Seryu reached forward and took in her hands a great deal of brilliant white fur, smooth yet firm. The newly evolved Teigu looked down at her as she looked up to it, each pair of eyes searching the other for something familiar. After a moment the Teigu turned its head up to stare at the moon, basking in the temporary silence that usually followed some kind of exciting event. This night certainly had those in spades. Esdeath and Najenda, for reasons unknown to them, sweatdropped simultaneously.
When the Teigu opened its mouth to speak, a voice unlike any other spilled forth from its mouth, immediately capturing everyone's attention. Not quite male, but not exactly female, either. Rather, it was somewhere in-between, flowing like water; something smooth, yet carrying with it a very discernable force. Some might call it sophistication.
"He is calling."
Seryu tugged on her friend's fur with desperation, overwhelmed with need as the Teigu—her Teigu!—continued to ignore her. Tears were beading in her eyes.
Then, out of nowhere, it jerked its body to the side and pulled her onto its back.
"I must help him."
With that, it dashed away and jumped to the top of a building with impossible speed. From there it waited patiently, breathing deeply.
The Jaegers and Night Raid members below merely stared, jumping out of their respective skins when the Teigu impatiently slammed a paw down and growled.
"To the west. Hurry."
Esdeath recovered first, gathering her wits and looking her friends over. "Jaegers!" She yelled.
In an instant, Wave, Dr. Stylish, Bols, Seryu, and Run all turned to face their commander and gave her their undivided attention. Shocked into action, the four Night Raid members also regained their senses and turned to Esdeath.
"To the west," she said firmly, "an ally is in danger. Bols and Dr. Stylish, you two will take the Teigu and Kurome back to the palace to recover."
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"Wave and Run, we're going with Seryu and the Teigu. Go!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
Grand Chariot leaped to a building next to the creature and launched forward the instant it did so, with Run soaring through the air above. Esdeath turned to face the members of Night Raid.
"Shall we go?"
Najenda nodded without hesitation, any thoughts of resistance thoroughly dismissed. Leone and Akame nodded as well, though Mine simply scowled. Gathering them to her, Esdeath lifted them into the air on a sizeable chunk of ice.
"We're going to fly there, in a manner of speaking. Hold on to something."
"Is that some kind of joke?!" Najenda yelped, clinging desperately to Esdeath's waist as the latter carried them to their new confrontation.
A/N: "Writing always, updating eventually." Never forget that!
