The earth shuddered as the massive reinforced arms of the Shikoutazer came crumbling down while the echo of a surprised gasp escaped the giant Tiegu's cockpit. The numerous layers of armor and protections covering Shikoutazer were durable beyond the world's belief.

In the entire time Najenda, Leone, and Selka were stalling it, nothing they had done left even a scratch on its surface. Now though, it was different.

Crackling sparks spewed from the Shikoutazer's severed arms, creating arcing trails of electricity that seared the canopy of the forest a dull orange. Signs of malfunction were rampant in the giant Teigu as like most Teigu, they weren't meant to operate while broken.

Mechanisms in the Teigu, Pumpkin, for example would cease to function if core parts were destroyed such as the muzzle or trigger.

Teigu were not designed to operate with missing parts, but the Shikoutaser was the Nation Defending machine god of the Empire. It would not fall so easily.

A sheen of energy coated the stumps of the arms while the scent of battery acid and smoke permeated through the air.

"We can't waste this chance!" Najenda was quick to act, signaling towards Leone and Selka.

"Ah! No, go away!" The child emperor's voice echoed from Shikoutazer's cockpit.

A sheen of energy began to manifest around Shikoutazer's body, creating a shaky barrier that pulsed with intermittent flashes of light. Though shaky, the barrier easily repelled Najenda's bullets, leaving no damage at all.

However, just because damage was mitigated to nothing didn't mean that momentum was offset.

The child emperor tried to lift a leg in retreat, but stumbled as it stubbed its foot on a tiny hard place.

Selka's muscles bulged as she clung to Shikoutazer's toe by hooking Shirou's daggers into small nooks and crannies in the giant's design. Her current efforts were never about piercing through Shikoutazer's armour, rather, she dug her heels into the ground as the giant attempted to move.

'For my WEDDIINNGG!'

Veins popped over Selka's biceps, every muscle of her body screaming as she grounded the Shikoutazer in place with unwavering determination rooted in pure selfishness and ulterior motive.

"W-What? Let go!" Panicking, the child emperor tried to stomp on Selka with his other foot, only to realize he couldn't or he'd risk toppling over. Without Shikoutazer's arms, he coudln't even swat Selka away.

The child emperor quickly deployed a barrier to force Selka off, but she'd grounded herself too deeply and persistently pressed on the deployed barrier, leaving the child emperor's objective moot.

Naive as the child emperor was, he was keener when his life was in danger.

The hairs on the back of the child emperor's neck raised as the sound of the Shikoutazer lurching entered his ears.

T-These assassin's were trying to topple him.

Left without arms, it was difficult for Shikoutazer to rebalance itself without counterweights.

"Leone!" Najenda called.

"I know!" Leone replied back with the bloodshot eyes of a beast.

Leone's Teigu had transformed her into a bi-pedal lion-type Danger Beast whose strength didn't lose out to even Bulat and Incursio. Bounding up the Shikoutazer's restrained leg with her clawed arms and feet, she quickly smashed herself into the back of the Shioutazer's knee joint.

The damage was mitigated, but the momentum still carried and forced the joint to bend. With the foot held down by Selka, there was no way to rebalance and the giant fell onto its back.

"So what! You can't hurt me!" The child emperor protested in feigned bravado. He tried to get the Shikoutazer back up, but Selka was unrelenting in her grip, and Leone quickly took a position on the other leg.

With both legs pinned down and no arms, the situation suddenly became a stalemate.

Climbing on top of the Shikoutazer's cockpit, Najenda coldly stared down, weapon aimed point blank at the glass surface.

The child emperor's expression twisted with apprehension even as he deployed another barrier that was shaky at best. Something in the Shikoutazer's internal workings had been disrupted with the loss of its arms. Like most machines, its parts weren't for mere decoration but acted as spaces where transformers and energy storage devices could be placed. Moreover, the main barrier deployment locations stemmed from the Shikoutazer's palms, and right now those palms were severed along with the arms.

The only barrier the child emperor could effectively utilize was the emergency barrier connected to the cockpit.

He was undoubtedly nervous, but he still trusted in the Shikoutazer's stalwart durability. He would always be safe so long as the cockpit couldn't be breached.

"I-I order you to get off me!" The Child emperor started with a whimper, but garnered courage at Najenda's silence.

The weak barrier had created a thin film focused solely on the cockpit.

Najenda pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing at the odds of breaking through.

Pumpkin was a Teigu that fired bullets fueled by emotion. The more emotion the user felt, the stronger the output, and Najenda was inwardly containing a storm of fury and regret.

That growing emotion translated into a wave of magic energy condensing over Pumpkin's muzzle Najenda was pointing directly at the child emperor.

There was no hesitation. She was aiming to kill a child.

Bang!

Metal reverberated as a giant of a muscled man appeared in front of Najenda with glaring eyes, hand pushing away Pumpkin's aim.

"B-Budo!" The child emperor exclaimed in sheer relief. "This assassin was trying to kill me!"

"That is enough." Budo warned, shaking his head at Najenda. "Any further and you risk making me your enemy."

Najenda shifted her gaze from the child emperor, then to Budo.

"He is just as guilty," she muttered as Lubbock appeared beside of her.

Lubbock was tense, but not overly hostile. It was the same for Najenda and everyone else except for the child emperor.

After all, Budo was carrying a bruised and beaten Honest on his other shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Honest's legs were broken, his hands shattered so he couldn't even hope to use them properly again without a miracle.

A slaughtered pig. The analogy was fitting.

"Minister, w-who did this to you?!" The child emperor's eyes dilated before he started glaring at Najenda and the others.

Budo put an end to that by finally speaking. "It was me, your majesty."

"Huh?" The child emperor was shocked enough to stick his head from out the cockpit.

Najenda narrowed her eyes on the child emperor, but Budo was vigilant, and allowed no sudden moves.

Glancing at the child emperor, Budo cautioned him to act carefully. Other than the Royal Palace, everywhere else was like treading on water for him. A single moment of carelessness, and he'd be sucked into the mire of hatred and irrational emotion.

"I've arrested Prime Minister Honest on charges of abduction and deceiving the crown," Budo said flatly, throwing Honest in front of him. "He is to be executed without trial."

The child emperor made a face of denial, but Budo's stern face prevented any outbursts born from sentiment.

"Hehehehahahaha!" Honest suddenly began laughing, spitting out blood and broken teeth while sprawling himself onto his back. "Go ahead, kill me. See what happens!" He croaked. "Rather, it doesn't even matter."

Honest activated his kill switch.

Experimental testing with Dr. Stylish and Dorothea had created a breakthrough in alchemic Danger Beast research implemented on Shikoutazer itself.

"Your highness?" Budo frowned, looking at the way the child emperor's expression suddenly twisted with pain and confusion.

Honest's kill switch was set to activate either on command or in his death. If he was to die anyway, then it would never be quietly.

Flesh began to squirm from beneath the Shiktoutazer's armour, growing out a new pair of arms and molding into the hardened steel. Sharpened protrusions and arcs of energy rapidly expanded throughout the Shikoutazer's body.

Selka and Leone, who were locking the Shiktouzer's legs in place, were abruptly stabbed through the chests by sharpened flesh, and disappeared into the forests, leaving trails of blood.

"Selka, Leone!" Lubbock screamed while everyone wobbled on their feet.

The Shikoutaser was standing up, Honest laughing the entire time.

Wires spread out and stabilized everyone's position, but it wouldn't last for long.

Inside the cockpit, the child emperor was surrounded by walls of pulsating flesh, his gaze clouded, drool spilling down his mouth as alchemic corruption spread onto his body.

"You bastard!" Budo picked Honest up by the neck. "What did you do?!"

The Shikoutazer stood up on its feet, sending everyone into freefall even with Lubbock's wires. Falling onto the ground, Budo did not let Honest go, the entire group falling onto the bluff of a ridge where a massive crevice had formed from the Shikoutazer's weight.

Honest began laughing, but it was short lived.

"Hehehahahah. You'll all die! You, this empire, and its peopl-GHA!"

Najenda immediately shot Honest in the legs and arms, severing them completely while simultaneously cauterizing the wound.

Her gaze was beyond cold, beyond even frigid and icy, reaching the boundaries of mercilessly blank.

Were Leone and Selka…dead?

She'd been prepared for it, but when it actually happened at the cusp of victory, it shattered all rationality.

Misery and anger blurred Najenda's vision, vindictive fury clouding everything else.

Ignoring the Shikoutazer reorienting itself, Najenda pulled a whimpering Honest out of Budo's grasp and pressed him under her heel. From the mechanical arm she was keeping as a memento, she pressed a latch and a knife popped out of a socket.

She stabbed Honest in the eyes.

"You will see nothing."

She stabbed him in the ears.

"Hear nothing."

She pulled his tongue out and cut it off.

"And taste nothing!"

Najenda kicked Honest into a crevice, and then blasted the sides, letting the debris fall on top.

"Struggle like a bug and die."

An unmarked grave in the middle of nowhere.

Stewing in her emotions, Najenda quickly shook her head and glared at the reformed Shikoutazer bearing down on everyone.

There wasn't even time to check up on Leone and Selka.

Except for Budo, everyone else was just in shock.

.

.

.

Then there was Akame missing in action.

The ground continued to rumble, massive tremors traveling just beneath the surface and reverberating deep within the bedrock. Overhead, the leaves of trees constantly rustled while the snapping of twigs echoed with every step.

Two people hastily made their way through a dreary forest in a bid to escape the chaos unfolding in the Empire's capital. The act was the same as abandoning their posts, a dereliction of duty worthy of disgrace and dishonour. However, none of that mattered in the two's minds. Rather, even if it did, one was too confused to dwell over it, and the other didn't care.

"It shouldn't be much further, Kurome." Wave muttered, holding Kurome's hand and pulling her along faster.

Growing up by the Empire's seaside, Wave had helped extensively with fishing and all kinds of laborious activities as he grew up. His body was hale and healthy, more than capable of enduring several hours of exertion even without the use of his Teigu. In contrast, Kurome wasn't doing as well, not because she wasn't physically capable, but that she wasn't in peak form. Both physically and mentally, Kurome was struggling.

A strong mind leads to a strong body. Although arbitrary to the individual, there was correlation between body and mind. When the mind was weak, the body would suffer, and vice versa. Kurome was suffering from drug withdrawal, and a growing sense of panic and hysteria.

She feared death, perhaps more than anyone.

If you weren't useful in the Empire, you were discarded and killed. Therefore, she'd always maintained her duties even at the cost of drug addiction to dull her emotions.

Despite everything, the only result was death if she stayed and fought, and death when Honest and the Empire eventually supressed rebellion and she was executed for insubordination.

If she'd only been able to picture a scenario where Honest was defeated, perhaps her actions would be different, but she was unable to do so due to years of abuse and suppression.

There was no way out.

She was trembling, not realizing that the vibrations could be felt by Wave who was holding her hand.

"We'll be out of the capital's reach once we pass this forest," Wave assured with a tired frown. "This wasn't the result I was expecting after coming to the capital, but we can lay low for a while. Tide things out, and then see what happens from there."

Kurome's brow twitched, glancing up at Wave who was still trying to reassure her even now.

"Why?" It was the obvious question.

Wave fell silent at the inquiry before shaking his head. "Is that really important, right now?"

Kurome stopped running, forcing Wave to match her pace and ground himself to a halt.

"It is…" Kurome muttered to quietly that Wave could barely hear. What followed that was a cautious expression of vigilance. "No one does anything without reason. Hehahaha, I know how this works."

Kurome began backing away while Wave froze, rooted at her sudden emotional flip.

"Kurome, calm down-"

"You'll use me, then discard me later! They all do! No one wants me, not even my family, not even my sister!" Kurome cradled her head, her expression twisting with anguish and bitterness. "What do you want from me? My help? My death in some sick fantasy?! Or is it my body?! There's always something!"

Wave gritted his teeth while observing Kurome. Her hands were shaking, and her vision was unsteady. No, rather than shaking, it looked like her hands were subconsciously searching for the drugs she'd kept in her pouch, only to realize she had none after losing them all in her fight with Akame.

"…"

"You're looking at me as if I'm crazy, but I survived where others didn't!" Kurome bit down on her lips, the grey light still over her head flickering. "I know how the world works. You can't trust anybody. The moment you turn your back, your stabbed. The moment you become vulnerable, you're dead. I saw it, I watched it. My sister was the same, but in the end, all she proved was that blood meant nothing!"

Kurome was crying, years of overdependence on drugs finally reaching a fall out at their sudden loss.

In the face of all that emotion, as a man who understood that he could never understand what Kurome had experienced-

Wave presented a spare chicken wing as offering.

"…" It was Kurome's turn to fall silent in sheer dumbfoundment.

From the very beginning, it was clear that Wave had still been carrying the food he'd obtained before the capital's attack. Don't blame Wave, but it was a poor person's mentality. You see an abundance of food that you can't possibly eat all at once, you'd naturally start thinking to pack some for later.

Now that the two were fleeing, it was only natural that Wave could put his poor man's instincts to good use.

"Y-You're not you when you're hungry?" Wave offered stiffly, flinching at Kurome's flat stare, tear stains still on her cheeks.

Blankly, Kurome suddenly understood while her gaze caused Wave to fidget in place.

Wave was too dumb natured to be plotting against her, which meant all his actions so far were…out of goodwill?

She laughed at the absurdity.

"Hahahahahah."

"Uhm, hehehe?" Wave chuckled nervously, unable to interprets Kurome's actions.

"Hahahahah!"

"Hehehehe."

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

Kurome suddenly snatched the chicken wing out of Wave's hands, the wing quickly vanishing in the pit that was her stomach. "You're an idiot." She rasped, knocking him over the head so that he couldn't see the expression she was making. "But you're right. Let's go."

The ground was still violently shaking from whatever battle was happening somewhere in the distance, and Kurome and Wave didn't want to get involved. Even more so when the sky had flashed blue for as far as the eye could see. That level of power wasn't something either of the two were confident in dealing with.

Unfortunately, the two would come to a pivotal impasse.

Once again, the two came to a stop.

"It's him…" Wave muttered, Kurome swallowing beside him, her throat bobbing as she gulped.

In front of them, and smashed into the trunk of a tree that had broken his fall, was Shirou. His back was pressed into the bark, and his legs were splayed out in front of him, giving him the impression that he was merely sitting. However, the blood, bruises, and injuries all over his body spoke of another picture.

Pieces of a shattered sword gradually vanishing in motes of golden light was also eye catching, but that wasn't what was important to Wave and Kurome.

Shirou's shallow breathing and lack of an immediate reaction to Kurome and Wave's approach indicated nothing else but weakness.

In his current state, one fact was obvious to the both of them: They could kill him.

Easily.

Light flickered across Kurome's eyes as she silently drew her sword. Rationally speaking, adding Shirou to her Teigu's collection would bolster it beyond belief, making it too tempting to ignore. However, engraved fear and doubts from prior encounters were causing her to hesitate.

Why was he here? Was he waiting for them? But no, he wouldn't look like that if all this was planned.

Then, was this not a chance to get back into Honest's good books?

Kurome's eyes twinkled. There would be no need for her or Wave to flee if they garnered such a substantial merit.

She took a step forward, but Wave blocked her with an arm, whispering for her to look again.

Shirou had opened his eyes, and was silently staring at them.

Slowly, his right arm moved to the final sword still sheathed at his waist.

Under the impression that Shirou could summon swords to fire like bullets at a whim, neither Wave or Kurome were underestimating Shirou now that he was seemingly awake.

In the end, Shirou managed to draw out his final sword.

Kurome let out a silent gasp.

The sword was a work of art that could scarcely be described by words. Etched into metal was a language she could not discern even if she tried. The forest itself grew vibrant at the radiant golden glow of the sword.

"That face…you look like Akame."

Kurome snapped out of her musing as Shirou directly called out to her on a rather sensitive topic. To be fair, the resemblance was uncanny, only that Shirou hadn't had the time to point it out on their first meeting on a tower wall.

Doing her best to suppress her negative emotions and prevent herself acting on impulse, Kurome bit down on the inside of her cheeks.

"You know my sister?" She asked wearily, ever vigilant in the case of a sword forming behind her back.

The response was affirmation, but more than anything, Kurome had the distinct feeling she was being thoroughly read. Was it because she drew her sword at him? As the first person to display hostility, he was likely focusing on her out of caution.

"She once tried to kill me too." Shirou admitted.

"You should have killed her," Kurome spat.

"Doesn't that mean I should be killing you too?" Shirou tiredly eyed Kurome's weapon, hinting at the similarities he had with the black haired and red eyed sisters.

Wave tensed at the sudden coldness in the air, but Kurome was the one who flinched and lost a bit of her bravado.

"Look at yourself, then look at us. We can kill you." Kurome said flatly.

"She's right. You're not in good condition at all," even Wave chipped in.

Shirou didn't deny it. He'd been trying to get up from the moment he first spoke, but all he managed was to move his arm and twitch his legs. At the very least, he could still feel his limbs which meant that at least his nerves hadn't been damaged yet.

Moving his arm, he weakly gripped the final sword in his hand, but even then, it reacted with his will and emitted a brighter glow.

Kurome and Wave grew wary.

"This is a sword that has never known defeat." Shirou stared hard at those across from him, voice strained yet firm. "Do not test it."

Tension filled the air, prompting Wave to nudge Kurome on the side. Silently, communicating with his eyes, Wave was trying to help Kurome determine whether it was worth it to attack or if they should just pretend as if they saw nothing and leave.

Wave was all for the latter option, but Kurome was hesitating.

All consideration was momentarily halted when a blast of energy cleared the forest canopy and gave them full view of the Shikoutazer undergoing alchemic corruption. Monstrous flesh and energy were congregating around it and forming a monstrosity that looked utterly out of control.

Ignoring all else, it seemed intent only on destruction. It would surely wreak havoc on the capital and the Empire as a whole.

Shirou's expression hardened even more. He'd thought he'd done enough, but as if smearing all his efforts on the ground, more and more variables kept rearing their heads.

Speaking of variables, another one quickly revealed itself.

Akame stumbled out of the underbrush, complexion pale and hands pressed tight over a stab wound on her stomach leaking blood that she was no longer able to conceal.

Akame's complexion whitened all the more as she took in Shirou, then Kurome and Wave across from him.

From the moment Budo had recklessly thrown Shirou's battered body at Shikoutazer, Akame had left in pursuit of it.

"…Get away from him," Akame said coldly, her sword gripped tightly in her right hand.

Caught in the middle, Wave was starting to frown, but Kurome was different.

"What if I don't?" Kurome challenged, glaring despite her eyes lingering on Akame's stab wound. "I don't know why he's not moving or summoning those floating swords, but…that could just mean that he can't. I can kill him. You'd be nothing to me if I add him to my collection, don't you think?"

Akame's glare was intensifying into a glacial frost.

"Kurome," Wave warned on the side, but Kurome wasn't listening.

Kurome had never seen as much emotion in Akame's eyes as she was seeing now.

It had never been so easy to rile her which spoke volumes.

"Is he that important to you?"

"I won't say it a second time." Akame began to steadily leak bloodlust. "Honest is dead. I saw it. We have no reason to fight. All that's left is that monster of an imperial Teigu."

"You think I'm naïve enough to believe that?" Kurome spat.

"Move."

"Make me."

The knuckles of Akame's hands were whitening from how tightly she was gripping her sword in sheer dismay.

"You can't can you? You're on fumes! I'm your better! Admit it!"

Hard as it was to swallow, Kurome wasn't wrong. Akame's current state wasn't combat worthy, let alone Shirou who couldn't even muster the strength to stand.

Then there was Wave who would fully support Kurome in battle.

"Please." The word escaped Akame's mouth before she knew it.

"…huh?"

Between the sisters, Kurome was the one who looked the most shaken and rattled at the plea.

"Please Kurome. No more lies."

"Honestly, Kurome." Wave nervously interjected, scratching at the back of his head. "Your older sister doesn't seem that bad, and…what if what she said was true?"

"- Bullshit!"

The sound of rustling leaves suddenly gave way to new arrivals. Only Shirou wasn't surprised as he'd detected them through a magic scent lingering in the air.

It was the was reason he hadn't spoken up or tried to intervene between Akame and Kurome.

They weren't the only ones lingering within the area.

"Dammit, Syura you hothead, they were going to fight each other!"

Wave and Kurome froze, staring stiffly at a legless Syura supported by members of the Empire's hunting team, Wild Hunt.

Akame felt her stomach sink.

Najenda had been wrong. Syura and his group were not where they should have been.

"Shit," Wave cursed.

Thanks for reading! Happy Independence Day weekend! To freedom and liberty.

Next update: To be announced

P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious

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The Lonely Peak

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