Hello again everyone, and welcome to chapter 18 of The Glacial Ones!
There's not much in the way of reviews I can actually answer, so I'm just going to give a thank you to slimjim77, Bloodline Purger, Greer, EVA-Saiyajin, notannoymus100, The Perfect Re TPR and of course Imperial warlord for all your support. Thanks again!
On a final note, I've had a few people ask if Harry will be getting a Teigu. I have commented a few time in my author notes that he will be at least gaining Shambhala. Beyond that, I doubt it, though considering Shambhala lets him teleport, combined with his own powers, he probable doesn't need one.
Anyway, now that that's done, let's begin the story!
I do not own, in any way, shape, or form Akame Ga Kill or Harry Potter.
-T.G.O-
Chapter 18: War of Beliefs
Four horses thundered across the barren, rocky terrain, kicking up longa clouds of dust behind them as they stormed onwards. At the front, with Harry a moment behind her to her right, rode Esdeath, Seryu riding to her left and Ran on Harry's right as they practically flew across the country side.
Esdeath glanced over at where Seryu was riding slightly behind her.
"Seryu, make sure not to use up to much energy until we encounter an enemy."
Seryu nodded as they drove their horses onwards, a slightly perplexed look on her face.
"Y-yes. Okay. Um…"
Glancing back at her again, Esdeath brought her horse a little closer.
"What's wrong, Seryu?"
"You've been paying a lot of attention to me lately. You even split the teams so I was with you. Am I…inadequate in some way?"
Esdeath glanced back at her.
"It was reported to me that your heart was in a dangerous state, so I'm trying to let you act at my side as much as possible."
She looked ahead once more.
"It always worked with Harry when he used to have his little problems."
Seryu glanced over at Harry who pouted.
"Hey! I was a kid back then! I had never killed anyone! I went everywhere with you at that point anyway, so it didn't make a difference."
Esdeath just grinned in silence, a smile echoed by Seryu. Ran just shook his head slightly before turning to look at Esdeath.
"Would you like me to use my Teigu to scout from the sky for you?"
She shook her head.
"You can't fly for extended periods of time, so it would be better to wait until we encounter an enemy."
Glancing around as the four rode onwards, Esdeath frown.
"Though it is rather suspicious. We should have encountered them by now."
They thundered onwards for several minute until Esdeath suddenly pulled her horse to a stop, glancing around. Pulling up his horse beside her Harry followed her gaze, noting the shapes moving all around them in the distant shadows.
"We're surrounded."
Esdeath nodded.
"It seems that this way was a trap after all. Hmm…"
She looked thoughtful as shapes began to detaching from the shadows, approaching them.
"I trust Kurome and the other two's level of power, but they seem to be facing the entirety of Night Raid. Harry, you can sustain your Flicker Step for quite a while can't you?"
Already climbing down from his horse, Harry nodded.
"It can't be used in combat, but I should be able to cover the distance if given enough time and their general location."
Esdeath nodded.
"Good. I want you to go support Kurome's team. If you can't find them in time, or they are dead, meet with me in the city ahead."
Harry nodded before crouching down towards the south west. Then he was gone, a blur of speed and a burst of dust and sand the only sign that he had been there a moment ago.
Esdeath turned her gaze to watch the enemies who had come out of hiding and were now circling them.
Bandits. Lots of bandits. Her smirk grew positively terrifying.
It was going to be a blood bath.
-T.G.O-
"You really shouldn't take your eyes off me completely, you know. If I see an opportunity to attack, then I will."
Kurome smirked over her shoulder at Leone, who gritted her teeth as she clutched one massive hand over the bleeding stump that had been her right arm, said arm landing beside her with a wet thump. She glared at the girl in front of her.
"You've really gone and done it this time."
Kurome laughed as she leapt back up the cliff face, sitting herself back down as Leone started leaking copious amounts of killing intent. Leone clutched her shoulder as she let out a yell, the bleeding stump healing over slightly as she closed the blood vessels currently pouring her life blood all over the place.
Above them Kurome just grinned, giving Leone an interested look.
"Interesting, you can stop the blood flow yourself. How useful. You would make an interesting addition to my collection."
If glares could murder then Kurome would have been reduced to a bloody paste by now as Leone growled up at her.
"Now you've gone and angered the lion! I'll show you what happens when you piss me off!"
"Don't just charge in, Leone! Currently we can't fight both Kurome and her guards!"
Leone gritted her teeth, stepping back and nodding towards Najenda who gave her a firm look.
"You go and support Akame for now. You can target Kurome afterwards!"
Nodding again, Leone turned and speed off towards where Bols and his guardian corpse puppet were fighting Akame, Najenda turning back to face the approaching Rokgough as she did.
The two former generals eyed each other, preparing to fight once more.
Only one could survive.
There was no other option.
-T.G.O-
Bols spun, sending another flash of fire towards Akame from where he stood behind his guardian, flames splashing across the barren earth as his target dived out of the way. Akame gritted her teeth as she regained her footing, sprinting out of the way of another of yet another burst of fire as she began circling her two opponents at high speed.
Watching the assassin move around him at high speed, Bols brought his flamethrower up and decided to give her the opening she wanted, releasing a burst of flame that narrowly missed the sprinting girl as she suddenly changed direction and charged towards him.
Bols guardian dived forwards, shield positioned to block Akame's charge.
Akame dived low, spinning around the corpse puppets feet as she evaded it completely.
She came up, her katana rising upwards.
Murasame thrust forwards towards Bols unprotected chest.
The clang of steel on steel rang out as Bols brought up a palm covered by a small, solid piece of metal to block the katana. Akame cursed in her mind as she pulled back Murasame, preparing to leap out of her crouch as Bols pulled up his Teigu, sending a wave of fire straight towards her face. She jerked backward, still crouching as the blistering inferno seared the air above her, her back almost grazing the ground as she did.
Bols almost gaped at the dodge.
"Whoa! That was an amazing dodge!"
Akame went to leap backwards, just barely bringing her arms up to block a crushing kick from the bald corpse puppet that sent her flying backwards and sliding along the ground in a crouch. She back flipped, landing on her feet with her blade pointed towards Bols. He just looked at her silently before speaking up.
"Say, Akame, why did you turn against the Empire and join the Revolutionary Army?"
She looked slightly surprised at the question but answered none the less.
"I did what my heart believed was right and followed my beliefs."
Bols nodded.
"That is an easy to understand reason. Thank you, Akame."
His face grew serious beneath his mask as he brought his flamethrower up in front of him with both hands.
"Unfortunately, it is my job to make sure I burn you away to ash, and those beliefs along with you."
He went to squeeze the trigger as Akame tensed.
"Wait, dammit!"
He spun looking up as Leone leaped down the rock face next to him, landing in a crouch beside Akame.
"Now it's two on two!"
Akame nodded, sliding into position before she noted Leone's missing arm, eyes widening slightly. Seeing her look, Leone just grinned.
"Don't worry about that right now. Focus on eliminating Bols so we can move on to Kurome, okay?"
Nodding once more, Akame turned her full attention back to Bols and his defender, rocketing forwards alongside Leone without warning. The corpse puppet moved forward to block them, Bols once again bringing up his flamethrower as he waited for a opening to reveal itself.
Leone slammed her remaining fist into to corpse puppets shield, pushing the man backwards as he braced himself, making him unable to react in time as Akame leapt over him towards Bols. Pulling the barrel of the flamethrower up towards the approaching Akame, Bols squeezed the trigger.
Akame flipped sideways in mid-air, a burst of fire incinerating the air she had been inhabiting as she fell, slashing downwards.
Blood splattered across the air.
-T.G.O-
Weaving backwards and forwards, Najenda dodged Rokgough's whip as he flicked it towards her again and again, a mere blur as it struck out towards its target. Bringing up her metal arm, Najenda blocked a blow towards her head as she charged forwards, Rokgough leaping backwards as she drew closer.
Najenda pulled back her mechanical fist, sending it rocketing forward on its cable.
Rokgough flicked his wrist, his whip a blur as it struck out towards his opponents head.
Dodging to the side as the whip cracked through the air at the same time as Rokgough ducked under her own attack, Najenda reeled back in her metal hand shooting forwards as she did and landing a crushing kick on the other former generals' face as he tried to stand from his duck.
He flew backwards, flipping in mid-air and sliding along the barren ground in a crouch, whip trailing across the earth behind him. Glancing up he observed Najenda sprinting towards him and flicked his wrist upwards as he stood, sending it flickering into the air towards the charging Najenda, who jerked her body to the side at the last moment and continued running as Rokgough bought the whip up above his head and slashed it down violently.
Najenda cursed.
"Ground Shaker?!"
The whip pierced into the dead earth below it, creating a small crater at Rokgough's feet.
Najenda leapt upwards into the air.
The whip burst from the ground at her feet, ignoring all conventional physics as it shot up towards her. She spun in mid-air, aiming her fist at her opponent and sending it firing off on its cable once more. Rokgough dodged to the side, the metal fist slamming into a boulder just beside him with enough force to crater it slightly.
He flicked his whip, pulling it from the hole in the ground as fast as possible.
Najenda, still in mid-air, pushed a small button on her shoulder, her arm reeling her in towards her fist, spinning her at high speed as it did.
Rokgough glanced at her, realising what she was doing and ignoring his whip as he leapt to the side.
Too slow.
Najenda extended her leg as she spun past the other former general.
Her foot slammed into Rokgough's neck as he attempted to dodge to the side.
It kept going.
Najenda landed on the boulder and pulled her mechanical fist from it as Rokgough's now headless corpse feel to the ground behind her. She turned back towards the former general.
"Now you may rest in pe…"
Her eyes widened in horror and disbelief.
Rokgough stood back up.
"Just how much must you desecrate the dead with the damned Teigu of yours?!"
Expression murderous, Najenda sent a devastating kick into the headless former general, blasting him up into the air before leaping after him, metal fist cocked back before she slammed it into the corpse puppets stomach in mid-air with devastating force.
The corpse puppet hurtled backwards, rocketing through the air and flying in between an attack from the Desta Ghoul targeted towards Susanoo.
Neither the Desta Ghoul, nor Susanoo, noticed as the corpse of the former general was erased from existence, Susanoo only taking his attention of the massive danger beast for a moment as a thunderous Najenda joined him moments later.
"Susanoo!"
He looked up at where she was standing pointing her metal hand at him.
"I want this battle over as quickly as possible, so as your master, I authorize the use of your trump card!"
-T.G.O-
Tatsumi ducked low under one of Apeman's massive fists, sending his own slamming into the danger beasts' stomach and knocking it backwards a few meters. He pulled himself backwards into a handstand as Hentarr's blade slashed through the air he had been inhabiting, flipping backwards onto his feet and slashing at the corpse puppet with his crimson spear.
Hentarr leapt out of his range as Apeman charged forwards once more, massive fists swinging towards Tatsumi in a flurry of devastating punches that he could barely keep up with, even with Incursion on. He jerked his head to the side, just dodging another crushing punch as he slashed Incursio's spear towards the danger beasts' head, stopping mid slash as he redirected the attack towards a charging Hentarr.
Jumping backwards as Hentarr slide to the side out of the way of his attack, Tatsumi landed in a crouch several metres away before leaping forward towards Apeman once more, crimson spear slashing down wards, eager to continue its hobby of bisecting things.
Apeman threw its arms up in an attempt to block.
The spear slashed downwards.
Hentarr leapt in from the side, blade stabbing towards Tatsumi in mid-air.
Tatsumi caught the blade between two fingers on his right hand, his left still holding Incursio's spear as he abandoned his original attack plan.
Apeman, seeing an opening, pulled both arms backwards and thrust them into Tatsumi's stomach with devastating force, sending the unprepared boy hurtling back the way he had come, the two corpse puppets leaping after him.
Landing on his feet and sliding backwards, Tatsumi noted that Hentarr had vanished again before turning his attention back towards the charging Apeman.
"If it's only one of you, I can defeat you easily!"
Ignoring the aching in his stomach from Apeman's last attack, Tatsumi thrust Incursio's crimson spear towards the danger beast at high speed as it leapt into his range, a flurry of jabs sending the bulky creature flying backwards and splattering the air with blood.
Behind Tatsumi, Hentarr prepared to charge in and stab at his unprotected back, stopping when the corpse puppet saw a shirtless, muscular man wearing one of the masks of the Ban Tribe step out from behind the boulder.
"Don't do it…do not attack."
The corpse puppet stopped, staring at the figure before it, sobbing as it reached towards him.
Then Chelsea rammed one of her needles into his brain.
"Sorry, but I'm not actually your friend. It seems I was right though, the corpse puppets might not have a mind of their own, but the still react the same way as they did when they were alive."
Hentarr sent his hands grasping towards her, sobbing in anguish and fury.
Tatsumi slashed his crimson spear downwards, almost completely bisecting the corpse puppet as Chelsea stood up.
"Now it shouldn't be able to move anymore."
Tatsumi grinned behind Incursio's face mask.
"Thanks, Chelsea!"
Chelsea jerked up, blushing before she looked behind Tatsumi.
"Ah, no problem. I'll just leave the big ape one to you."
She turned tail and fled, blushing, as Tatsumi spun to see Apeman standing back up, growling.
He gave a dark grin, hidden by Incursio.
"It's just you and me now, Ape."
-T.G.O-
An orchestra of death echoed throughout the canyon as Mine ran along the cliff top, parallel to another of Kurome's corpse puppets as the two traded bullets with their respective guns. Mine leapt over a boulder, Pumpkin spitting fire towards the gun slinger who was running along the edge of the cliff parallel her.
Her opponent responded by sending another barrage of bullets towards her with her two pistols, both combatants shots hitting naught but air as they continued their race along the cliff top.
Leaping and cartwheeling through the air, flying over a barrage Pumpkins energy bullets, the corpse puppet sent her own barrage of bullets in front of Mine, who ducked low under them, sliding along the ground as her opponent landed from her mid-air cartwheel and made to continue running.
She never made it.
A burst of energy bullets from Pumpkin slammed into the corpse puppets stomach and if she had had a mind of her own she would have questioned the intelligence of having a gun battle with her back to a cliff as the energy shells picked her up off her feet and hurled her over the edge of the cliff.
Mine grinned as she watched the corpse puppet fall from sight.
"You were pretty good, but you choose the wrong opponent for a gun battle. I'm a genius marksmen after all."
Any further boasts were interrupted as something thick and slimy wrapped itself around her stomach twice and jerked her up into the air as she let out a surprised yell, glancing down at her attacker. It was a massive, froglike danger beast, its long, tube-like tongue currently wrapped around her waist and holding her in the air.
Too thumps distracted Mine from her struggling as she turned her gaze to see Kurome and Natala land next to the large danger beast.
Kurome grinned up at her.
"Oh, so he already got you."
The frog began to pull a struggling Mine into its mouth.
"This is my newest corpse doll, a Kaiser Frog. It's a dangerous frog type danger beast that uses the acid in its stomach to dissolve almost anything that enters it."
Mine struggled harder, pushing against the frogs massive lips in an effort to desperately attempt to escape as Kurome walked closer.
Kurome's grin widened.
"Seryu told me that your partner was eaten by Koro."
Her smile grew positively evil.
"With this, you'll both have matching ends."
The look on Mines face could have cut down entire armies of lesser beings, though Kurome just grinned wider as the girl struggled harder in the Kaiser Frogs mouth, reaching out a hand towards Kurome in rage.
"Like hell am I just going to let some jumped up frog eat me! I am not going to die here!"
The Kaiser Frog swallowed and Mine vanished into its mouth before she could continue her tirade. Kurome walked over to the danger beast and patted it on the face.
"Bye, bye. That was quick, now we just need to get the others…"
Whatever she was about to say was interrupted as Apeman as sent flying up the cliff face, Tatsumi leaping up beside the danger beast and sending a devastating mid-air spin kick into its stomach that sent it rocketing towards Kurome, sliding along the ground to rest beside her.
Kurome didn't so much as change her expression as Tatsumi landed on the cliff top, instead crouching down beside the bleeding and broken danger beast.
"Come on, get up. Keep trying, my little toy."
Apeman sat up, blood pouring from multiple wounds that would have killed it if it were not already dead as it leapt back towards its opponent. Tatsumi just walked forward calmly.
"A Teigu that manipulates the dead…disgusting. Don't think that I will hold back just because you are Akame's sister, Kurome."
Kurome just grinned as Apeman charged at the approaching Incursio user.
Tatsumi pulled back his fists.
Apeman reared back his arm for a crushing blow.
Stepping forwards, Tatsumi sent out a barrage of earth shattering punches that knocked the apelike danger beast backwards, before rearing back his left hand and sending it towards the staggering danger beasts' face.
There was a sickening crunch as his fist collided with its head, stopping momentarily before continuing onwards, obliterating Apemans head as Tatsumi literally punched his head off.
Tatsumi continued onwards without slowing, sweeping towards Kurome.
"I've reached you know, Kurome."
Kurome laced her hand behind her back, still grinning as Natala pulled his spear off his back and stepped in front of her prepared himself to fight.
"You're pretty good. But, just so that you know, Natala is easily over ten times more powerful than that ape."
Tatsumi ignored her, opting to instead materialize Incursio's crimson spear and fall into a combat stance.
-T.G.O-
The Desta Ghoul reared back its head, a massive ball of energy beginning to form in front of its mouth as Najenda jumped down to stand beside Susanoo.
"Everyone seems to be having a hard time here, so use your trump card and destroy this thing quickly so we can turn the tables!"
Susanoo nodded silently, touching his fingertips together in front of his chest as he looked at the massive danger beast.
"'Magatama Manifestation!'"
His clothes all turned pitch black as the top half was torn apart, his hair turning bone white and his horns the same pitch black as his clothes, the Magatama on his chest following suit. Behind him Najenda staggered as a bright light was sucked out of her and into Susanoo even as his flesh was covered by a thin, solid layer of armour and a large ring appeared, floating behind him.
Leaping up to the top of the nearest cliff as Najenda collapsed behind him Susanoo glared across at the Desta Ghoul as it turned its head and pointed the growing ball of energy in front of its mouth at him.
Susanoo held his hand out towards the Desta Ghoul, palm flat towards it as the massive danger beast fired the energy it had gathered at him.
The ring that had been floating above his back appeared in front of him, centred on his palm as a see through mirror appeared inside it.
The wild energy blast slammed into the mirror, splashing out to the sides and back towards the Desta Ghoul in a series of smaller energy bolts as Susanoo reflected the attack, its own power blasting pieces out of its already decaying body as it staggered backwards
Susanoo burst forward in an explosive leap, crushing the earth beneath him as he took advantage of the Desta Ghouls sudden lack of balance to release a flurry of devastating punches towards its chest, driving it back further with each one before finally toppling the massive danger beast backwards. Kicking off the falling Desta Ghouls partially shattered chest, accelerating its backwards topple, Susanoo leapt into the sky, an immensely long sword appearing in his hands above his head as he did.
He swung the monstrous blade downwards towards the danger beasts' head, intent of bisecting it as the Desta Ghoul slammed its right arm into the ground, pushing its massive body to the side and redirecting its fall.
The blade plummeted down, slashing through bone as though it were paper and severing the Desta Ghouls right arm as it slammed to the ground a little to the blades left, shaking the earth as it did. The danger beast thrust it head up, a ball of energy forming above its shattered mouth and firing straight up towards the falling Susanoo.
Susanoo thrust his hand out, palm down once more, the mirror reappearing in front of him and reflecting the significantly weaker attack back at the Desta Ghoul, blasting off its remaining arm and right leg as well as a portion of it chest.
Then the great blade slashed downwards once more, the Desta Ghoul unable to dodge from its position.
It slashed into the top of the Desta Ghouls head and continued down its body, slashing a great wound in the earth below the danger beast as it was bisected straight down the middle, Susanoo landing in a crouch as his normal colours returned, his sword and the ring floating behind him fading from sight as his trump card deactivated.
He turned back to grab Najenda as she leaned tiredly against a boulder.
Far off in the distance a blur shot towards the battlefield, intent on assisting one of the battling groups.
The final cards were about to be played.
Now it was just a matter of who lived.
And who was going to die.
-T.G.O-
And that is chapter 18 complete!
Originally I intended to complete the entire fight this chapter but, honestly, the word count would be way too large for one chapter, so I split it into two.
Also for Harry's 'Flicker Step', it will be explained at the start of chapter 19, as well as why he has never used it before for combat. And yes, it was pretty much shamelessly copied from bleach then changed to fit my needs. It was a necessary tool for making sure Bols survives. Kind of anyway.
As I always say any idea, likes, dislikes, advice and constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated! So please review!
Finally, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and the rest of the story so far!
Goodbye until next time!