I take a breath of relief and wipe at my forehead. I'm walking, though I am hardly aware of my movements. I narrowly averted a disaster just now and the strain of it all is catching up to me. This is what Boss Lady had to deal with when she was taking orders, how long had it taken for her to grow tired of being a lackey. Despite saving so many lives, it's no triumph in the grand scheme of things. The Empire won't lose any of it's military might, and even if the expedition had happened, it wouldn't leave a dent in their military might.

It would've been a display of how ruthless they were. It's a true shame things had rotted this much. The Empire during my time had been a noble force, that only wanted everyone to advance. it was that advancement that terrified so many outside of its territory, it was that same advancement that led to the Sengoku civil war, and instead of this advancement not causing chaos for once, it's done so again.

I am getting a Teigu. Somehow, someway I've convinced the spoiled King, Onest, and Esdeath that my strength will be insurmountable if I have one of these. Of course I know about the Teigu. There were many tales of great men and women wielding these in Sengoku Village. Now I will inherit one of these from the Empire, the First Emperor who created this device so he wouldn't lose his rule.

Even the advancement back then was done in a race against time. The First Emperor had been mad with power and control. The Teigu were created on the instruction of the First Emperor, who feared that the Empire he had founded would eventually fall. To prevent this, he had gathered many materials and hired many scientists throughout the world to make strong weapons and defenses.

The creation of the Teigu are the result of these efforts. There were 48 Teigu in all, but almost half of them were lost during a civil war about five centuries before this point. Several Teigu may have been destroyed in that civil war five hundred years before this point. Some may have been lost to that stretch of time as well. It is not known how many of the original 48 remain.

The surprising and most beneficial factor was that many Teigu were created from the remains of Danger Beasts that had unique powers, imbuing them with special abilities. Many weapon and armor-type Teigu were forged from a rare metal called Orichalcum. The Diamond Steel in Sengoku village was said to rival this ancient metal.

Teigu are not limited to one ability; some are known to have secret powers that have yet to be discovered, and some have powers that are lost to history. Teigu were, presumably, created through a long and intricate process. As logic dictates, the weapons forged into Teigu must have a Danger Beast's attributes imbued into them, and the raw materials selected can determine the Teigu's strength and its capabilities.

The First Emperor who spearheaded the project called forth and hired various artisans, engineers, scientists, alchemists and even mystics in creating the 48 Teigu and, as such, each weapon was, presumably, uniquely constructed in its own unique process due to the sheer number of creators gathered by the Emperor, who also commissioned and tasked his imperial armies with the task of locating and acquiring several rare materials for the weapons' creation.

Having successfully had them obtain the hides and corpses of Super and Special class Danger Beasts, such as the dragon Tyrant, and the rare alchemical super steel, Orichalcum. During this time, the First Emperor had also successfully procured the services of the famous smiths of the Wakoku Nation, who thus then used their legendary techniques and immense smithing technology to create the One-Cut Kill Sword. Akame's sword.

Murasame.

Another team of engineers were then able to supposedly create the Teigu, Shambhala, by somehow obtaining and learning from the mystics of a now-lost nation to manipulate and control space, an art they then used to create the Imperial Arm. Although unconfirmed, it was stated and implied that a type of magic was used in the Teigu's construction. Which is where the mystics would come in. Each Teigu was specially created and each Teigu was unique to itself.

I contemplate this as I'm lead by the collective. Budo, Wave, Bols, Kurome, Run, Esdeath, and the bratty King are all around me. I wouldn't be sworn into the Empire or anything so foolish as that, this was insurance and a warning. it was a clear warning to me more than Tatsumi. Tatsumi already has a Teigu, so he'd be able to evade once the opening presented itself. I on the other hand, will be getting a Teigu. That means so long as I'm in the presence of these people I'd always be under some scrutiny.

We stop and Wave opens a door by the King's command. We all enter the room and they disband from my perimeter.

I look around the room and there's Teigu right at the front. There's an armor Teigu, a gourd with liquid in it, there's two gun Teigu, and there's a sword Teigu. There's a belt Teigu as well. I can't even comprehend anything else in this moment except for the immense power I can feel. I don't know if it's just me, but the room is sweltering with heat and cold, lightning and thunder, my hair is standing on end. I can feel something calling to me, like a pull that lifts me off of my feet and allows me to ascend into the heavens themselves.

It's so intoxicating I can barely comprehend that I'm still in this room with these people. My pores are shaking, and I want to tell Esdeath what I'm experiencing, but I know she'll just see it as weakness. She'll she it as another thing she can probe with, and that's the last thing I need. While it hasn't been said, they're going to be keeping an eye on me.

There's no way they're not, but Esdeath will create the opening that I need.

"Are we sure about this?" Wave asks.

"Shut up." I grate out through clenched teeth.

Wave...Wave is always going to be an enemy and is a shining reason why I have to leave. He's another ungrateful waste of time and space that's going to hassle me, even after I ended that would be expedition into Gifnora. That's why I had to end it. I wanted to show them that I am sensible and just not chasing after blood, and against these demons I can feel their scrutiny on me in this moment.

This is what Boss Lady had to deal with at some point. She got tired of feeling like a lackey. I get the feeling my situation is worse since Esdeath basically got a bunch of killers together. Seiryu is always going to be fervent in her loyalty to the Empire, Run has his ulterior motives and would explain why he's not saying much at all in this moment. Unlike Wave, if the Empire has one less Teigu, that's all the better in Run's mind. However, if that fool thinks attrition will ever work then he's sorely mistaken. The fact the First Emperor made the Teigu made such things like time and attrition mean very little.

This is another reason why I have to leave. Nobody here is going to be receptive to change. They're too busy obeying, or are too caught up in their own conquests to see change and vitality. Esdeath and I could've been trying to change things, but here she is giving me Teigu. While I won't complain about it, the fact she's doing this only shows what the advancement the First Emperor truly intended.

It was that same advancement that led to the bloodshed now, the same advancement that caused the civil war in Sengoku Village, the same advancement that scared anyone not a part of the Empire's territories. It frightened those who weren't receptive to the Empire or their ways. Their single minded conquests always enveloped the whole land, or they tried to, and the results were disastrous. This is another example where they were trying to bite off far more than they can chew. The naked blood lust and ambition among these ranks isn't missed on me.

I move away from everyone, the feeling from before rushing back. My memories come flashing-all of my time in Gifnora, my life before that-it's rushing and whirling all at once. I want to tell Esdeath what I'm feeling, but I can't. This is a moment of weakness I can't afford among these ruthless bastards. However, there's so much power in this room, maybe I'm just sensitive to it, or it's the fact these people all have a Teigu already. Maybe the pull wasn't as strong with them as it was with me.

I pay no mind to what people are saying. The room is hot and cold all at the same time, and I'm getting goosebumps. I keep walking, almost unaware of my movements, if it wasn't for all of my life and death experiences. These Teigu call to me in a way, I can feel it. There's one that's so distinct and keen of me, as I am of it. I can't tell which one it is, but my center is churning.

I've never experienced except when I'm upside down. That same sensation is assaulting me as I'm standing on my feet. I start to feel frustration, so much power calling to me, and I can't even tell which one it is. Perhaps that's the Teigu's way of tempting me. Tempting me for more power, to call back to it in my bid for more power. I reach out, taking a deep breath. Everything is spinning around me, I'm hard pressed to even move without toppling over as if I'm in a drunken stupor.

I feel a pressure on me. I look towards it and see a hand firmly gripping my shoulder. I turn a little more. Esdeath is staring me at me with a serious expression and I am certain to do my best to look like I'm not hazed out. But, she can see something, just like I can hear something, and she nods her head and turns away from me. it takes me a minute, but I follow her line of sight and notice everyone else in rooted in place a few feet away from me, just staring in interest and suspense.

I wonder why, and as I look at Esdeath I can see the spark of conquest there. The cold pleasure in felling one's foes. Realizing power in victory and defeat. But, what I hear tempts me with power I am more familiar with. A power not realized in victory or defeat. The power that surviving Gifnora for so long gave me. It whispers and it appraises me, and I just lose myself to this feeling of power. Every hair on me is standing on end, and the spinning from before only intensifies, to such an extent, now I have to root myself in place.

"Esdeath..." I call out, struggling to form the words.

My eyes are shut, I can't see anything besides inky darkness. I'm relying on Esdeath now, calling out to her, struggling not to panic. I open my eyes, staring with wide eyes at this blue liquid. Everything churns inside of me and I hunch over, almost putting my head right into the liquid, I stop short of doing just that and lean back slightly.

"You're resonating with a Teigu. This Teigu." Esdeath tells me in a serious tone.

I struggle to comprehend that. It's making sense though and I know it. It's just minor disbelief on my heart, but I embrace it now. A Teigu is resonating with me and I can barely stand on my feet. I'm hearing temptations from a far off place. Promises of power beyond belief, a power that is excessive and immense, so excessive nobody can stop me. Nobody will be capable of stopping me.

I brace my stance and look into the liquid. My reflection surprises me. My teeth are grit and I'm squinting, as if consciousness is about to leave me. I harden myself the best I can, fighting and fighting, struggling to rid myself of this overbearing feeling. I can hear the excited chatter behind me, they had gotten started the second Esdeath made her comment.

It's hard, but I turn to look at the. Even Kurome looks shocked and that surprises me the most. For so long she barely said a word to me and looked at me even less, but she treated everyone this way. Everything was a formality with her, from her greetings to her interactions, or lack of interactions, depending who it was in the group. Quite frankly, I think she'd be comfortable just not saying a word, but because of formalities she has no choice. It's so different from my close and intimate conversations with Akame, my time with Leone in the water, and Boss Lady giving me a hard time over things I won't ever change. Kurome is cold, polite, and silent.

I follow her line of sight, and remarkably they lead to my hands. My hands are on the gourd Teigu, somehow I found balance on this thing and didn't knock it down with my weight.

Leave your humanity behind.

There it is. What I've been hearing this whole time. The promise of power that goes beyond victory and defeat, the power that allows one to thrive beyond a lifetime. The same power the First Emperor wielded when he had the 48 Teigu created. Now as I sit here, on the cusp of attaining a newfound power, I can only think of my departure.

For I know that as long as I'm here I'll never make effective change. I need to smack the Empire in the face. I need to smack everyone in the face here, and I can't think of a better way than to get this Teigu and leave when the time comes. Esdeath didn't want an equal, and because she was on the hunt, and so enthralled with bloodshed, she'd never understand the point of a union.

I grab the gourd tightly and raise it to my lips, slowly drinking the liquid. The voices intensify the more I drink, but I can't stop, and to be honest it wasn't as bad as it could be. I dealt with worse in Gifnora, so I drink the bitter liquid, and it's burning every step of the way like the harshest booze. Still, I drink and drink, nearly gagging as I finish all of the liquid in the gourd. I lean back and fall backwards, hitting the floor with a loud thud and let out a long sigh. Everything inside of me is burning, but I can feel something coming to the surface.

It burns as hot as a fire, and I scream in pain as my insides start to burn. It's so painful and ridiculous that I cry out in pain.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

This is what a Teigu was capable of doing! It feels like I'm being ripped apart and my palms are going to melt. My bones and muscles ache so bad everything in my body is jarring and jerking.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Esdeath smiles with a wicked gleam in her eyes. "He's taking to the Teigu just like I did. Perfect."

At some point the burning stops and I'm hauled up to my feet. I feel exhausted and like I was battered in a brutal fight. I struggle against it futilely. I can't let them see me like this, even if it is from such a reaction to a teigu. Despite my wishes I am carried to a bedroom and left there to recover. It's a long and slow recovery taking nearly a week, but when that time is up I'm feeling great.

In the chaos of Tatsumi making his escape, as Esdeath advanced on him while I was recovering, I too made my escape. We moved in opposite directions, but somehow we met up with Akame in the wilderness. She had been keeping track the whole time and had been watching us. It strikes me as surprising that she'd go that far, but then again we are Night Raid.

We're part of the revolution and take care of our own.

I learned that first hand.

"I was even able to keep my sword skills under wraps." I explained to Akame and Tatsumi.

I get the feeling, had Esdeath seen any of the Rishin techniques, she'd connect the pieces like I did. Though the end result wouldn't be the same. Esdeath was bound to the Empire like I had loyalty to Night Raid.

I have a poll. Make sure to vote on it! It'll help me a lot!