Chapter 5: Change of Fortune
Southern Forest
The cloaked figure revealed a curvaceous woman with long blond hair, leonine ears, a tail, and fur covering almost all of her body except the center chest leading down to her navel and shoulders. A woman who seemed to have died, but was now alive. A close friend of hers-
Leone.
"Hey, you've gotten a lot bigger than I last saw you.," the blonde noted as she caressed Murasaki's body.
This made the Akame half of Murasaki cry-
"H-How?"
"Seems like I got more than nine lives. I was rescued off the street by Plain and revived by the Lord. Sorry for not being there for you.," the blonde replied.
"Hey, Laggie. Don't be hiding now.," said the woman as she uncloaked the other figure to reveal a white-skinned rabbit girl with little pink hair, red iris eyes, and bunny ears along with a fluffy tail. She wore a magenta tube top with a magenta miniskirt.
"Hey. Newbie. Knock it off.," complained the rabbit girl.
"What is she?," asked Murasaki in Akame's voice.
"I don't get it, but the closest thing I get is an Angel, but she calls herself one of the Good Beings. Apparently, that's what I'm now too. The Lord took her in when she came to the Capital. And we've been getting along fine.," Leone explained while Laggie looked nervous.
"And you're Yomihime.," Leone said, which only got a cold stare.
"A bit tense, isn't she?" Leone noted.
"They all seem like tough guys. Hey-," said Leone before noticing Murasaki standing in place.
"Oi. Don't be spacing off.," she added as she shook her friend.
Could it be because of..., Leone thought.
Earlier...
Capital
"She melded with a certain someone whom we vehemently dislike and gained immense power as an unintended byproduct. Enough to one-shot someone with the power of the sun. It was the only cure to her condition as we learned and not the most optimal one.," Najenda noted.
"Ain't that good? Who exactly did she merge with?," Leone asked, which made her leader look to the side.
"That's the issue. As much as we can depend on her more than ever, she's now dangerous as that other side can just cause problems for us if she's allowed to let loose with that boost of power. That ice demon. If it comes to that...," answered Najenda.
Leone clenched her teeth as she r
"So ending her if the worst comes to pass and SHE goes on a spree?... That's crazy...," the catgirl noted as Najenda nodded reluctantly.
Unknown Space
Esdeath was in a black space, now enchained, while Akame looked at her with contempt.
"It's weird I've been to two black voids back to back. I just saw the cat girl. I thought she was dead. She's down one of her nine lives," the blue-haired woman acknowledged.
"I won't let you go on a rampage. I'll borrow your power for the sake of the safety of the nation.," Akame said with narrow eyes.
"It won't go the same way. This time I'll take the driver's seat instead of sharing this time. I'm not subservient to anyone.," Esdeath replied as she broke the chains and pinned Akame.
"I'll eat you and take control. I'd normally be more rational, but my Id's been more liberated since death," Esdeath remarked.
"Let's see you try it.," Akame said as she caught the former General in a bear hug.
"Like this will stop me!," replied Esdeath.
"I can't kill you again, but I bury you deep in my psyche. Bring it.," Akame answered as she readied a headbutt.
"Really? In that case?," Esdeath said as she inched closer to Akame's face.
Esdeath kissed Akame to their shared shock, with intense passion.
"What're you doing, you dominatrix psycho?," Akame noted as she pushed her away.
"I can't help it. I've fallen for someone stronger than me. Fighting was just foreplay. Tatsumi's off the table so I'll settle for the next best thing-," Esdeath replied much to Akame's bafflement.
She then pulled out a list from her bosom. Must possess a deep well of untapped ability to surpass a standard general, Must be fearless someone who can hunt the most dangerous Danger Beasts with me, Cannot have been raised near the Capital someone who has been raised on the outskirts of the empire) Must be younger than me, and have a pure and innocent smiling face.
"You really base everything on logic. What even possessed you to make such a list?," asked Akame.
Esdeath paused for what seemed a long time as if trying to figure it out herself before answering-
"I don't remember."
After what seemed like an eternity, Esdeath wondered aloud-
"You could've just retired and lived the rest of your days in peace. Why continue to do this?"
Akame looked down as if coming to some realization.
Southern Forest
Murasaki continued to stare off into space.
Leone noticed that far in the distance, disgraced noblemen and people in business suits who seemed far calmer than their extravagantly dressed allies.
"To be honest, as much as I don't want to be alone... A peaceful era isn't something I'm cut out for.," "Murasaki whispered to herself, this time with Akame and Esdeath's voice in unison.
"Makes you feel sick right?" asked a voice from behind Murasaki to the shock of her group.
"I'm interested in you, hybrid." asked an attractive woman in odd attire that seemed organic yet mechanical, but had the basic shape of a crop top and baggish pants. having dark magenta hair tied in a braid reaching to her ankle, bespectacled, and having pink arcane markings on her stomach, arms, and face. She opened her eyes to reveal odd star-shaped pupils within her dark pupils. She reminded her of Cosmina, the Wild Hunt member for some reason. Yet somehow, she innately had the presence of not being quite human. She fondled Murasaki's bosom as the latter flustered.
"What the hell? Cosmina's not a bug and she's alive?.," asked Leone as they cracked their knuckles.
Cosmina?, thought the glasses-wearing woman as she got out of the way as Leone lunged at her.
Suddenly, Murasaki was attacked by quills that she quickly dodged.
"Tell me about the Tyrant host. There was someone who survived 4 of these fellas before going down. But I assume you're easy to take down. Tyrant is infamous for his treachery. Maybe if I take him down, I'll be the next Great One," said a hedgehog humanoid that was burly in stature.
"It's Porcu!," said the rabbit girl.
Wait, they know about Tatsumi? thought Leone as the porcupine turned his attention to the rabbit.
"You're the one that's easier.," said Murasaki in Esdeath's voice as she got in front of the cloaked figure to protect Laggie from the hedgehog, which made her blush.
"Easy? I've mastered my powers to get stabbed from behind! Don't talk like you know everything, rookie.'," he said as he turned and leaped to impale her with his back.
"Stop that heresy.," said an odd voice that wasn't heard by the ears, but by the mind. The hedgehog stopped midair before bowing as did most of the group.
"O-of course, Commander Elm.," Porcu spoke as he kneeled.
"One of the Commanders under the Black Kings.," said one of the figures.
It was something humanoid, but less human-like or even conventionally animal-like. A tall, muscular, tree-based entity with a single eye in the middle of its helmet-like head and a maw-like mouth. It wore black baggy pants of the same material as the bespectacled girl that was held up with a grayish-scaled sash. It is barefoot.
Wait, the hell? It's even more malicious than Esdeath's., thought Leone.
Murasaki felt both elation and anxiety from their respective halves.
Yomihime continued to look serious while Laggie was sacred.
"I'm surprised you're here. Lady Dorina.," the plant figure said to the bespectacled woman.
"Yeah, yeah. Elm. Just passin' the time.," said the glasses girl as she bowed.
"Let's go to our post. This farce will end soon enough.," it said as it began to walk away.
"Hey, barky! What's the goal here? Hell on earth? Or some sick torture party?" asked Leone.
"Saving the planet from you humans.," Elm replied much to her confusion.
"Friends with the Tyrant? Might have to get serious with her.," said one voice.
"Don't interfere. I was here first.," argued a second.
"Can't have that. We want a chance as well. Half of her being gone drove us to despair with no one on that level. Now that she's back, it's a chance to try again to truly settle the score.," said a third.
"Scary. Scary. The other half doesn't play around though, even if she's a backstabber.," remarked a fourth.
"What a nice rack and ass. Their combo brought out the best parts of them. Let's have some fun before we kill her.," observed a fifth.
"We wait till it's our chance to fight.," said a sixth.
What the hell? They look like mutants yet...I feel like they're beyond Super Class Danger Beasts. And they're friggin' pricks. Not a good combo., thought Leone.
A group of lime-green-cloaked figures observed the others.
"Look at those D-Class acting instinctively.," said a feminine-sounding one.
"I won't be fighting seriously this time.," said one of the larger ones.
"How cowardly. I was expecting a show from you.," said the feminine one.
"It's been a while since Kodoku was held here. When the Primus Imperator was still around, it was too dangerous to deal with without the Great One backing us up. I was hoping for something actually worth a damn Without him. It's gonna be child's play..," said the third.
"Worthiness of a foe doesn't matter. You take down an enemy for the goal. That's all that matters.," said the fourth who had slightly more ornate features such as shoulder pads.
An overweight man with dark hair and stubble, dressed in military attire walked forth. The "sponsor" of Murasaki's group.
"I can't believe I'm doing this...," he muttered to himself before taking a deep breath.
"The rules are simple. Four-man teams chosen from the 14 types of Danger Beasts- Sea, Avian, Sorcerer, Insectoid, Golem, Plant, Mammal, Elemental, Divine, Demon, Warrior, Undead, Reptile, and U.L.F.- representing the bosses. The location will be the ruins of Mu, the country before the Empire was founded. You have your territories and if you enter into another's territory, you have to fight. Render them unable to fight. Killing is apparently not allowed.," announced the man.
"Hiss-Hiss. I'm horny with all of this going on. Let me at her. Since you don't fulfill me.," said a short man with serpentine features.
"Do it and die.," said a dark-haired woman with black lipstick.
"I'm just joking. To think one of them hurt Solar to the point, he's pissing when you mention her.," replied the snake man.
"I think it's that one who did it.," said a hunk of a man with green hair pointing to Murasaki.
"I'll release my pent-up frustration on them.," said the serpentine man.
"That one is unstable- two ideologies. Let her destroy herself.," said a rotund man with a turtle shell.
"That it's not a problem then.," said the serpentine man.
"The players have all gathered. We'll start, but first a warning. We've implanted you with explosives. They can be manually deactivated by the owner once you obey a command. Ignore it before the timer goes out and you'll go boom.," said the man.
He then saw Murasaki's group with some of them looking with scorn and gulping with horror.
Don't blame me. It's the psychos that put me up to it., he thought.
Like our regeneration can be bothered by that., thought most of the parties.
"There's a flag in hidden in the clothing of the leaders. Taking it means you win. Start!," he said as the groups raced to an ancient settlement.
Mu Ruins
30 minutes later...
A brown-cloaked group was stationed near a set of arranged pillars dedicated to a long-forgotten deity.
"This is where our ancestors lived right?" asked one of the shorter ones.
"Yes...both in bliss and in...subjugation...," replied the apparent boss.
"Well, once we're done finding others to take down and play this stupid game till THAT happens. We can pick off humans one by one.," he added.
"Like that's gonna happen.," responded Leone as the brown-clad group looked up to see Murasaki manifesting an ice-based winged creature for her group to fly on.
"For someone who leads. You're very dumb to assume you're gonna win.," the blonde noted.
"What a smart chess piece. This is no way the fatso could come up with this.," the leader said.
"You planned to sneak up on us. You just got jumped first.," Leone noted.
"I'm insulted to think I'd need to sneak up on you.," the boss said as he removed his cloak to reveal a kangaroo humanoid wearing punching gloves- his attire was white with segments.
"What it's a weird rabbit! Your cousin?," asked Leone as Laggie shook her head.
"It's a marsupial. It's a mammal- um a furry beast that has a pouch to raise babies in.," the rabbit explained.
"Calling One-Hit Roo, the undefeated boxer a rabbit? asked a shorter one removing his cloak to reveal a koala.
The remaining two proceeded to reveal themselves a wombat and a possum respectively.
"So they're animals?," asked Leone.
"No, they're Devils of Hell. The Mammal or Beast faction just happen to look like-," she said before the wombat struck at her.
Yomihime started to strike at the possum while Leone dealt with the Koala.
This left Murasaki with Roo alone.
I'm not dealing with the furball. The odd woman is my target. Half of her is pragmatic yet naively humane while the other is needlessly sadistic despite a stoic mask. A clash of mindsets that will spell her down., he thought as he jumped with his punch raised.
"Time to finish this in one blow. One-Hit Blow." he boasted as he landed a powerful kick, with his punch being a feint. It sent her flying down as the bird broke apart.
"Never hold back. That's our creed. You were foolish to challenge a king. Know true fear." he said over a seemingly defeated Murasaki.
"Seems like she was all talk," he muttered as he turned around but then stopped and turned to see Murasaki being ok and unharmed.
"No one should be able to get up after my Roo Kick.,"
"Fear. Fear huh? You know. I've never felt fear in my life. Seems like your punches are just a fraud.," said Murasaki in Esdeath's voice.
Her face taking on Akame's expression gave a pensive look.
"A mere hybrid. A mere hybrid.," said Roo.
"At least learn the name Murasaki, dumbass.," Murasaki remarked sarcastically.
"Dumbass? Daring to say that to me? Take it back!," he said as he generated an orange sphere as his form altered within the sphere. It dissipated as it revealed an armored kangaroo humanoid with four arms.
"This is an Evil Being's true power- Incarnation. Mine is Macropod. It grants me additional fists. Now to torture you.," he said as he lunged and pummeled at her with fiery-imbued fists before his vision became blurry.
"My eyes-," he said before he was pinned by the neck under Murasaki's right foot.
"Torture? What an amateur then.," the dark-blue-haired woman said in Esdeath's voice before she twisted it further.
"Damnit. I was looking forward to getting women and hanging them on hooks to use as punching bags.," he cursed as his form dissipated halfway down the middle.
This angered the Akame side of her and she kicked him unconscious with a look of contempt. She then searched his outfit and found a flag as was described earlier.
Compared to Elm, most of these guys seem weak...or maybe because what I experienced during my travels through Wakoku. They seem weak by comparison., she thought in Akame's voice.
She turned to see Leone and the others had managed to easily defeat their enemies, despite their armored forms.
"Reminds me of Tatsumi.," the blonde noted.
"Maybe the Evil Beings have stagnated over the centuries.," said Laggie.
Yomihime turned away much to Leone's annoyance.
Outskirts of the Forest
"Roo lost. The odds were in his favor. I thought I'd be the next ruler of corrupt if I played my cards right with a monster like that bodyguarding me.," said a nobleman wearing a domino mask.
One of the parties was especially displeased. He was a thickset, elderly man with a full white mustache and beard. He possesses white dreadlocks which he wears a flat black hat over. He wore a black suit with a gray tie. Something about him seemed inhuman, but it couldn't be immediately guess.
"Throwing our kind like mere pets. We are the ones that should rule over these naked apes.," he cursed.
"That was over a millennia ago. Now we have to adapt and more importantly...," said a telepathic voice in his head. It was that of a soothing, deep tone of a confident man.
The elder collapsed as roots sprouted from his right hand.
"I hold everyone under my grasp since the Great One's not in his optimal state of mind. Tenrou and Empire were just setbacks, but this time things will go my way. Even with the Lord suspecting my actions.," the voice added.
"You can talk big but your power relies on the fact that you're only prolonging the inevitable when the rightful heirs are-," said the elder telepathically before experiencing even greater pain.
"You're lucky that keeping you alive makes my job easier to avoid the backlash of loyalists to that braindead boss of ours. I've got things to. A restructuring to commence-.," said the voice before taking a pause when a certain individual showed up.
The roots retreated into the elder's body as he looked up to see a towering cloaked figure as if the activator of the power was intimidated by this arrival. The other gathered participants were too vain to notice his presence except for a select few.
"King Mume. It's good that you're here. Listening to that whelp is insufferable., the old man said.
"That style of fighting...familiar...It's...," said the shadowy figure as if he sensed something.
"Maybe she's partially...," the old bearded man acknowledged.
The fat lieutenant gulped as he thought-
This is all getting crazy.
30 Minutes Later...
Mu Ruins
Murasaki's team had faced respectively- a team of prairie dogs/moles/gophers/groundhogs, a team of piranha, a team of sentient tumbleweeds, a team of cheetahs, etc. that had given them gradually difficult challenges, but overall not really a threat thus far.
They spotted the serpentine man who was coiling around a rat as his colleagues stood over other rat humanoids. His lower half had become a serpentine tail.
"So they're not mutants or Teigu-Meihou-whatever users that went too far with their compatibility? But actual Demons?," asked Leone.
"For the last time yes.," Laggie complained
"Eek! That's Viper. He's a Commander candidate. Oh Lord, please protect us.," the rabbit explained as she spotted the man.
"The only thing that can protect someone is a friend or themselves.," Leone argued.
Yomihime wordlessly rushed to attack the lipstick woman.
"Great Flame's abomination...Mongrel.," the woman said.
Murasaki snickered as she said in Esdeath's voice-
"Having fun? Because very soon, you'll be carried down to hell."
"Show me that hell then.," Viper said as he released the rat and slithered away before coiling around one of the distant pillars.
He's maintaining distance. He's unsure of what I can do., thought Murasaki in Akame's voice.
Now to slowly take my time and-, thought the snake man.
Viper was then slapped on the back by the hunk.
"I told you to keep out of this. What's going on in that head of yours?" asked the snake man.
"Don't prolong it and make it slow leading to a turnaround. Go and just finish it now.," said the hunk as he morphed into a crocodile humanoid.
He agreed as he fully turned into a viper humanoid and dashed toward Murasaki while the crocodile went after Leone and the round man- now a sea turtle went after Laggie who was running.
"You can beg for your life.," said Viper as he constricted the fusion.
"Half has already gone to Hell and half doesn't care about living or dying. So shove it.," said Murasaki in Esdeath's voice.
Yomihime collapsed on the ground as she saw the woman now in a Gila monster anthropomorphic form.
"Poisoning me? Unfair, but understandable.," said Yomihime.
"Don't limit fights to such narrow mindsets. There are all kinds of strengths and ways to win. Don't worry, this is just knock you out...Once this fight's over, you're expected to die because what you were born as.," the Gila Monster replied.
The crocodile had caught Leone in his jaws and Laggie was cornered by the Sea Turtle.
"I like making feisty girls like you submit to me. Your death will be slow. I'm gonna spend a lot of time torturing you before I crush you unconscious. Regret being born a woman in the face of an overwhelming difference in power. I like you more and more. My venom secreting from my scales will slowly knock you out and once this fight is over, I'll take my sweet time savoring you.," The snake gloated.
"Amateur. I have deadlier poison immunity.," explained Murasaki in Esdeath's voice and partially Akame's.
"I know this is against the rules, but I feel like breaking them with you. Dying in the streets or being unnamed...what a joke. It's better to make a name for yourself rather than being one of the nameless bums-," gloated the crocodile before Leone elbowed him in the upper jaw, causing immense pain enough to force him to let go. This forced him to face an enraged Leone.
"You just made it personal.," she said as she gut-punched him even and he instantly turned into an armored crocodile hybrid form, knocking him unconscious. He grabbed her as a beeping was heard.
"At the very least, I'll take you with me. I may not lived a good life, but I will get a good death. Death is what defines a person and how that it is remembered in the ages to come-," he said before Leone kicked him several miles away as he exploded.
"You're not a chicken so you have more of a spine than I give you credit for but there's more than just living to die in a fight. It's annoying, but living for the sake of retiring and spending what little time isn't a bad deal even if no one knows you exist. And if you get a second chance, don't waste it throwing it away," she said as she turned around.
Several of the fighters hiding to see who they'd pick off once the winner was decided were enraged at this statement.
"So Evil Beings who value their lives are second rate? That's the logic of losers who prefer. The winner gets it all and the loser loses everything.," said one of them.
"Insulting the Great One's beliefs? How audacious.," said another.
Laggie managed to dodge a water spout from the turtle as she kicked the reptile down, knocking him out.
"I'm in a bad mood. Get lost.," she said to the onlookers.
She then turned her attention to the Gila monster woman.
Laggie rushed to heal her as Yomihime struggled to get up.
"I can take care of this, myself-," the dark-skinned girl said before Leone knocked her out.
"I'll take care of things from here.," said the blonde as she took on the Gila Monster.
"Greedy kitten.," the woman remarked.
"It's not greed. It's a show of our bonds. She might like me now, but hopefully, when I'm cornered, she'll back me up. That's how friends work.," the leonine woman replied.
"That's the logic of kids. Adults work with others even if they hate their guts.," the Gila Monster woman answered.
Leone glanced at Murasaki as she continued to be constricted by the Viper.
Other Ruins
Dorina, Elm, and two currently obscured figures were facing the lime-green cloaked figures in a forested section of the ruins.
"I didn't want to face the wimps. Wouldn't be good for our rep.," said one of the shorter members.
"Elm. Big fan of yours. Let's make a clearing so we can have an even-," said a multiple-armed young man before Elm elbowed him unconscious. He was wearing white segmented clothing. Elm gave a look of contempt noticing this.
"The trees. You show no gratitude to what is keeping this world alive. But your faction never understands this.,"
"I wouldn't anger them. They're the Black Faction after all. Environmentalists and all that. Regardless, it's our job to make the world hell for evil humans to thrive in, even if it has to rot to-," said his larger, multiple-legged associate before Elm also elbowed him unconscious as well.
"These humans are only good for fertilizer with their despair being nutrients.. Once they're all eliminated, the ecosystem will go back to normal.," Elm responded.
Dorina whistled as she looked at her allies.
"How's the mission going?" she asked.
"No one is suspecting a thing.," said the other member- a ninja with a white oni face with golden horns.
"Hey, don't ignore us-," said the feminine one- an effeminate man with a third eye before the ninja proceeded to kick them unconscious.
The leader proceeded to remove his attire it revealed a man with three heads- a single head for a separate upper torso with its own arms all joining in one lower torso with legs.
"What are these anyway?," asked Dorina.
"They're labeled as Freaks, but they're semi-Evil Beings. Naked Apes shunned for their mutations and barely count as Evil Beings.," explained the ninja.
"You bastards. We're gonna make a name for ourselves and redefine what makes a superior-," said the leader before he was constricted and rendered unconscious by the final member.
"My. My. I'm here again.," said Suzuka- now having pointy ears, fangs, and slit pupils.
Elm and Dorina looked with apparent disgust.
"Don't blame me. It's my employer. At the cost of Wakoku. I managed to get something really valuable to change the course of your little squabble. And I got an upgrade for my trouble. Let's be pals.," she explained.
"We're only associated with you due to his manipulations. Which are soon to expire.," said Elm.
"I see. Well, I'm not really loyal to anyone so it doesn't bother me.," she said.
"With our added might once we get it. We'll finally be able to turn things around to our benefit.," said the ninja.
"It's not about having the greatest blade. It's about being able to take and give the blade at your leisure.," said Suzuka, which earned her a kicking from the ninja.
"Harder...," she said lustfully, which disgusted the ninja.
The group then proceeded to leave.
Capital Entry
"Who are you bastards?" asked one of the guards as they noticed the shadowy figures approaching the capital gate ready for combat, but the other was oddly more relaxed.
"Yo. It's been nearly 40 years. Bluey!," said the other guard telepathically- a rather short young man of effeminate looks. The other guard had been tasked to work with him under Free's command, but his mannerisms and overall presence felt off somehow.
"You're undercover you fool.," the head-cloaked figure said telekinetically.
"Ya right! You invader bastards need to die!," he said as he awkwardly hoisted his spear only to be kicked away as he gave a half-hearted scream. The other man was squashed under the foot of one of the larger members.
"So we're finally doing it?" asked one of the cloaked figures telepathically.
"Yes. Something to change our fortunes and not have to be living at the mercy of the West...," explained the leader as they proceeded to rush through the capital.
Berli
The Western continent had always been a sinister nation dealing in alchemy, specifically creating the philosopher stone granting eternal life via monstrous means. It is rumored that it has made a deal with the devil some centuries back, but thus far, it's only managed to keep its evil located to its borders, harming its citizens exclusively. But it is also rumored this is a safe haven for monsters...
Berli Center Castle Corridor
"Why aren't I involved?" Is it because it's involving THEM?" asked a man with a pencil mustache, one massive eye compared to the other, and a hunchback.
The corridor was dimly lit with carvings of demonic visuals and horrific depictions of torture- befitting the sinister founders of the nation. Especially one implied to be overtaken by literal monsters.
"You run the government in our place. Just focus on policy and diplomacy till we're back from hearing what the geezers want to say.," said a woman with a bob-cut hairstyle with dark purple hair. She was dressed in a black and gold qipao decorated with a purple western dragon and a lion in the middle. The dress has a high slit and she wears a garter that holds her talismans on her left leg. She wore a heavy fur overcoat over it. She had a smug, regal look on her face.
Her husband, dressed more casually- a white business shirt with denim pants with a regal fur-trimmed robe lazily worn over it as if it was forced onto him for the sake of duty. He had a perpetually bored look.
A warmongering country like this that's as bad as the former Empire needing diplomacy? You're just lazy! thought the hunchback prime minister as the two left into the large pair of doors leading to the meeting room.
Those elders' plans...they never seem to age even during my grandfather's time...what are they? thought the man.
"Shady...Go.," he said as he looked up to the ceiling to an unseen individual.
"Yes.," said the voice of a young man.
Meeting Room
The two saw three elders sitting down in respective chairs of the round table of a dimly lit room-
A very tall and thin, elderly man with long white hair, including a mustache and beard reached down to his upper chest that was vaguely wing-like in appearance dressed in a dark business suit.
A stout bald elderly man who has a very large white mustache as well as scars on his forehead and right cheek wearing a business suit of dark coloring.
And an extremely tall man of advanced age, with a pale-grayish complexion and neither head nor facial hair, compared to the other Elders who have beards and/or mustaches. He has a wrinkled face, a hook nose, thin eyebrows, and wears round, metal-frame glasses. He donned a black, loose-fitting keikogi held closed by a gray obi, but open enough to expose his chest and abdominals, and for footwear has beige geta sandals.
Their shadows, however, had a vaguely inhuman appearance of towering proportions. All of them seem to be competent in both leadership and combat due to how battle-ready they seem compared to the "rulers" of the country.
"Oh, geezer-ies. We wanna take down the South and traffic some of their lovelies. Mind if you lend some help?," said the woman.
"Don't bark orders just because the weed managed to weasel his way into authority over the Great One. You're just devout worshippers that have forgotten their place in the grander scheme of things.," said the bald man in the obi.
"It's ok. It'll be done soon.," said the voice of a confident, suave man heard only in the thoughts of the gathered parties.
"Oh, great voice of the Great One?" asked the bored-looking man.
What Great One Voice? He's just a weed that took advantage of our lord's weakness to usurp his dominance which has long since deluded others into believing such a lie. We need an heir rather than a nasty parasite like him or at the very least, getting his majesty back to his senses., thought the large-mustached one.
"I'll let that pass. In any case, the preparations are almost done for my plan to go. It might've not been the most ideal, but it's going to be effortless in execution.," the voice said.
"Before all of that.," said a younger girl's voice and he managed to pin down a man in shinobi attire.
"One of Quasimodo's flunkies.," the bored man noted.
"Shady. You are definitely a voyeur. You need to be punished.," she said as a beam of light vaporized him.
"Overboard much?," asked the bob-cut woman.
"How many times have I told you? Until the Great One is back, don't kill in such a loud manner that will bring suspicion.," said the man in the obi as he almost considered bringing out his hidden weapon.
"Oh, my dress is singed. I wanna get 100 more.," complained a short girl with golden eyes and long pink hair with rounded tips. She wore a white segmented dress with long white gloves and go-go boots as she dusted off some ash.
"It's literally just an outer shell attached to your body. You can't replace it. The young have no appreciation of the past, let alone appreciation of when to know when it's appropriate to barge into meetings. So wasteful. So how is the anti-Teigu and Meihou going?" asked the long-bearded elder.
"What's with all of the pomp and circumstance? I could easily kill them.," said a well-built youth with black, spiky hair standing straight up with a single hair bang on the side. He wore a white tank top and baggy pants of the same segmented material as the girl.
Impudent wench. The younger generations have not faced THOSE aberrations and thus, lack the fear of their ancestors., thought the man in the obi.
"Don't go runnin' your nasty thoughts like we can't handle it! I'll kill ya!" said the girl with a rapid expression as she foolhardy almost tried to kill them as she generated golden spheres of energy in her hands.
"Don't even try to defy the way of the Great One! We're struggling with regathering numbers as it is!," complained the mustache elder.
"Is that a bad thing? We can just rely on the livestock to be our fighting force. Quality means more than quantity. It's not like most Evil Beings are worth living compared to the chosen-," asked the young man.
He got a nasty glare from one of the elders, that made the youths immediately back off.
"Geez. Have a sense of humor.," he said callously.
"I've gotten word from Elm that a certain team of Beings have been making their mark in the competition. Forgive the intrusion. Cherubi and Lanza will also be scolded for their intrusion later on," said a male in a pointed wizard hat, white robes and a face completely obscured by his hat/high collar except for two purple orbs in the black space exposed by the intersection of the hat and collar. He bowed to them, but there was an animosity within that bow, which was shared by the other youths.
"Warlock's pissed.," Lanza noted.
"Apology appreciated. Are they with another Great One's faction that's interfering with our own? Or is it the West Great One trying to retaliate after we forced them to work with us?" asked the mustache one.
"What's the big deal?," asked Cherubi.
"From what they've displayed. They seem to be infinitely more dangerous since they seem to be Good Beings yet not on the side of any Divine One.," noted Warlock, ignoring the girl.
"Why run in fear of that? Why run from humans in general and hide among them? Let's demolish the world already.," barked Lanza as he slammed what appeared to be multiple arms on the table.
"We're right here you know.," complained the bored man.
"Hey. Hey. Apologies. But don't go runnin' your mouth like that. I'll have to half-kill you.," said a girl entering the room- a petite girl in a white Lolita dress with black pigtails that almost reached the floor. Her eyes were closed, but the intention was enough to get Lanza to back off.
"Lady Shirome. You shouldn't be here.," noted the long-bearded man.
"And I'm sorry for that.," she said as she sat down, with the other youths sitting down. She then turned her head in the direction of the "rulers" of the nation.
"What're you doing? Your seats are there.," she said pointing to the ground.
The two proceeded to crouch down and sit like scolded children.
"In any case. Let's look at the four. Elm tolerates me more than most of my side.," she said as she pulled up the four images of Team Murasaki.
"The rabbit- I'd say a Commander subordinate of the top 10 could take her on. Top 5 for the dark-haired one.," noted Warlock.
"How about the blondie and Miss Halfy?," asked Shirome.
"It would require a Commander for the former and a gathering of Kings for the latter.," replied the wizard, much to the shock of the elders.
"We can't afford to lose our assets then. Our number of Evil Beings is 666 thousand- most being weaklings who have not seen a conflict of such scale since 1000 years ago. The West has 999 thousand. The East has 108 million. The South has 13 billion. And Center has 400 hiding among the populace.," said a glasses-wearing man who had been conveniently ignored up till that point. He also seemed inhuman in his presence yet it was hard to pick up what it was. He spoke psychically to the elders.
The Elders looked down in shame.
"The Oricalchum mines are poisonous to us. And Teigu and Meihou were forged with these fragments that caused our demise. The sooner we find a Lion King and Tyrant Dragon to ally with us. The more likely that we can adapt to it.," said the mustache elder to his contemporaries telepathically to
"We use illusions and misdirection to trick the humans into thinking we have greater numbers to keep them in line and to not expose this weakness. If they know, we could lose the power advantage born of our lies.," thought the bearded one.
"It's only a matter of time before the people who learned of our existence catch on. The mission of ours or his needs to succeed, even if it makes me sick to admit it as a last resort.," thought the obi-wearing man.
"Then, it's alright that I sent my assassin force to deal with them a few weeks in advance? Dorothea was such an asset. And her death was something that made me super sad. Even if she is a granny, she's also very cute.," said the apparent queen.
This made the Elders take on huge, monstrous forms.
"You did what?," said the mustache one in a vaguely boarish form as the woman was undeterred by the demonic presence.
"You're just rentees with nowhere to go and has-beens. If they're wiping out the cause of evil, better to kill while they're unaware of whatever.," replied the bored one.
With that, the inhuman ones vanished.
"Those old wretches can scheme, but I'm ultimately the one who will succeed.," spoke the suave voice.
Capital
Underneath the central palace in a dark cavern of which even Honest didn't know about-
Were captive humanoids with humanoids whose forms were obscured.
In their bloated wombs were glowing embryos...ready to be born.
Next Chapter: Bond
Author Notes: This chapter is mainly to set up the antagonistic forces going forward while having Murasaki and others fight as the secondary event that will eventually tie into the main event. Kodoku is just a tournament fight excuse. Elm and Dorina are the most important characters of this roster as you'll eventually learn. More potential Esdeath/Akame shipping (Leone was in her 20s yet had Akame shipping so things aren't too weird)
Bringing Leone back was due to the more asinine way she died, she managed to get a power-up and had the means to heal herself, but she still had to die. So I changed so she survived. Laggie is introduced as both the exposition and the sane man to the others' antics while also being hinted as being inhuman herself.
The Evil Beings I've made increasingly clear are demonic in nature despite their appearances but are also surprisingly outmatched in comparison to previous threats at least for now.
Berli is based on gothic horror/military elements compared to the semi-sci-fi elements of the Empire.
This chapter is very long, but it's more due to the setup for events to come.