Chapter 11: Understanding

Akame/Esdeath's POV

The visions ended as Esdeath shook as her once unshakeable ideologies were now completely broken. It wasn't like she wasn't intellectually understanding it, but rather it was something on a personal level.

Akame finding out the truth of the Revolutionary Army was now more resolved than before.

"I saw the same thing as you. To think our lives were tampered with from the start.," she said as she clenched her fist.

I can't condone her actions nor forgive them, but still..., she thought as she looked at Esdeath.

Esdeath continued to remain still with tears in her eyes.

Akame grabbed her collar and then punched her, which caused Akame herself to feel the punch.

"Stop pitying yourself. You thought you knew everything and when your world shatters, you shut down. Guess you are weak. In everything that matters.," Akame said.

Both then sensed a very malevolent and sinister presence from outside...

Rose and Tsurarahime reappeared, with the two looking guilt-ridden. Both Akame and Esdeath gave levels of conflicting looks.

"Wait, without it, you won't make a difference now that your old power source is running rampant. You need a new one.," explained Rose.

Tsurarahime then pulled out something.

Capital

The being rushed and turned his right hand into a chainsaw as he grinned madly at Tatsumi. Tatsumi used his hardened wings to block it, much to the chagrin of the demon.

"What the hell are you?," asked Tatsumi as he continued to block the strike.

"You ask that? You should know me already! The great Lord Fiend!," the being shouted as he opened his mouth wide as missiles emerged to fire on Tatsumi who dodged in time as it exploded.

"Don't bullshit me! You're gonna pay for what you did!" Tatsumi shouted as he lunged forward, summoning his Neuntote to skewer the being, but the latter turned his midsection into a shield to deflect the attack.

"I pay? That's backwards! It's you who's screwed everyone over including me- you and your accursed bloodline. You're a bane to everyone's existence!," Fiend shouted as he generated a blade from his left wrist to impale Tatsumi, but the latter flew out of the way.

Seriously, what is he? He reminds me of Esdeath...her power-, the draconic man thought as he then saw the being generate springs on the bottom of his bare feet to leap at Tatsumi with his chainsaw becoming a spinning drill.

"Bingo!," Fiend shouted as it collided with Tatsumi, hitting him across several buildings. The young man struggled to get up.

"No need to hide it. I was stuck in a friggin' vase for centuries waiting for the right sucker to get me. But thanks to a certain somebody, a host was modified to be my ticket out...and after a lot of winding roads leading to dead ends, I end up getting payback on the heirs of the bloodline that put inside!," Fiend shouted as he generated metallic tendrils with hooks in an attempt to rip Tatsumi to shreds.

Tatsumi used his spear to ward off the spears but then leaped to the right to avoid an iron maiden that appeared out of nowhere.

"You're Demon Extract? I was expecting something bigger.," Tatsumi realized.

"Technically, I'm a switcharoo for the REAL one. Her predecessor wanted me for my intel and it paid off in favor of my former teach...who I also want payback on!," the being shouted as the ground underneath Tatsumi gave way to a spike-covered pit, which then generated a column of flames that Tatsumi avoided.

The power isn't ice but imagination-based. That's absurd. Explains how diverse it gets. Gotta hold on and hope that Akame shows up as backup from she gets back from wherever she is..., thought Tatsumi.

Damn hick, she had every opportunity to finish you off even with the modifications to make her more compliant to my demands. Now I have to deal with you- and you keep on surviving. This is taking too friggin' long! So-, thought Fiend as he suddenly dispelled the various items around as the people fell dead as Tatsumi turned his head in shame.

The being then began to skip childlessly towards the central building. Tatsumi immediately realized his intentions.

"I'm gonna kill everyone you love and make you flustered up to be an easier kill!," the being shouted in a sing-song tone as Tatsumi flew towards him with cold rage in his eyes.

Capital- Meeting Room

"It's dangerous to stay here.," said one of the soldiers as he heard the intense rumbling outside.

Najenda nodded.

"Keep those who can't fight in the center of the group.," she commanded.

As they were about to leave, suddenly the door burst open and two soldiers just stood there motionless with paralyzed expressions of despair.

"Sorry...too strong...," said the first as his form twisted into a grotesque spiral before exploding.

"P-please! Not like this!," begged the other as he collapsed in on himself.

Fiend arrived with an appropriately fiendish grin.

Tatsumi only got in time to see what was about to happen.

"Tatsumi. The weak are destined to be under the boots of the strong. Have ever thought of what strength is? It's not raw might, superior intelligence, prodigal talent, or miracles. I'll show you.," Fiend said as he callously tossed Najasho, Leone, Najenda, and Wave aside as he got to Mine.

The others aside from Free looked on in horror at what was about to happen, powerless to do anything.

Mine looked at Tatsumi and closed her eyes accepting her fate.

"Tatsumi...It looks like we're paying for our killing...I'm going off ahead...Sheele...guys...," she said as her head suddenly burst into red stains on the wall after Fiend tapped her on the forehead.

"So much for being a genius.," the demon mocked as he kicked her body without any concern.

Everything turned red in Tatsumi's eyes focusing solely on Fiend.

He lunged with animalistic rage as his blows missed Fiend as the latter proceeded to overwhelm him with razor-sharp iron claws.

"It's Attachment that holds you back. Obligation. Morality. Revenge. Bonds. Being able to discard it means you don't have to limit yourself from your desires. The only thing that matters is self-recognition for your talents. Those who lack that resolve admire those who are able to discard what is unneeded.," Fiend explained as he gave a horrendously one-sided beating as Najenda and Leone barely controlled themselves from watching.

As he held Tatsumi by the neck as his vision blurred, the latter asked-

"You get a kick of killing because you're fucked up in the head?"

"Nah, I torture because human life doesn't have meaning. So why not just act on our base desires without justifications like survival of the fittest or societal status? You're playthings plain and simple for beings who know the truth of strength to use. And you acting as it matters in a sense of righteousness when you kill without hesitation makes you hypocrites.," Fiend boasted.

"I guess so. But you're still gonna die.," Tatsumi snipped back.

Suddenly, Yomihime slashed him from behind and Lagie proceeded to use the opportunity to kick him away. Her form had longer white hair, white eyes with black ripple patterns, and a halo along with wings.

Fiend got up, looking frustrated.

"Don't get in my way. Little Mutt and Goodie Two Shoes!," Fiend shouted as he generated a razor-sharp maw with an extendable neck in order to pounce on them.

The castle was sliced in half by the attack as the more prominent people managed to survive. Yomihime generated flames of red-blue-white as she backed up Lagie.

"You have no obligation to your current taskmaster. Do what you want not to fulfill some vainglorious need for atonement.," the devil noted.

"I'm not doing this for atonement. I'm fulfilling a debt to that fool for sparing me.," the dark-skinned girl said as she looked at the rabbit.

"Honesty is a virtue.," replied the rabbit, which irked the half-blood.

"Stop spewing such crap.," he said.

Leone carried Najenda, Poney carried Najasho, and Wave had Kurome and a beaten Tatsumi on his back. The Lord and Free remained behind.

Sorry, Tatsumi. I can't even imagine how you feel right now., the man thought.

So our peace is about to end after so many sacrifices? thought the leader as he watched from afar.

After a parry of blows, Fiend decided to change tactics.

Fiend flew towards the carcasses of the fallen. Slowly, they got up and mutated into monstrous forms with tentacles, extra eyes, body parts emerging from the wrong place, etc. all with greyish-yellow skin.

"Let's see if you can find salvation by bringing them peace!," Fiend remarked.

Lagie looked on with contempt while Yomihime was more reserved.

The Yatsufusa also desecrates the realm of the beyond, but this bastardizes the lives of the fallen. I can only stay in this form under the permission of the Lord for just a little longer. I hope I can make it count., the rabbit thought.

"Go, Reborn Acolytes.," he said as he pointed to them to lunge at the two.

Yomihime slashed and burnt them while Lagie whispered a chant in a holy language as divine light rained down. It covered some of the creatures as it incinerated them as she looked to the side.

"I apologize. To wonderous hopes that you shalt see the gates of heaven.," she prayed.

Fiend appeared from behind as he readied a punch that gathered black flames, which made her worried.

Let's see if you can dodge a true Hellion's attack, little rabbit., he thought in anticipation.

"Limbo.," he declared as Lagie felt a sensation of a hellfire lance about to pierce her stomach.

Suddenly, the flames were absorbed into Yomihime's blade to his surprise.

"You don't know who my deadbeat sperm donor is, do you?," she said as she used Falcon Sweep on him, but he generated a shield to block the strike.

Limbo is one of the 10 arts of Hell. It can generate hellfire. But it seems like she's a mongrel of a bigshot., he thought.

"Ignis was his name by the way. I found it out eventually. Though, I don't consider him my pops.," she explained as Fiend's eye twitched.

He made things difficult by his whims., thought Fiend as he readied a different attack.

"Luxuria.," he declared as black lightning was emitted as it collided with Yomihime and it sent her flying into a wall. He did it again to Lagie as she hit a wall, disengaging her transformation.

"It's said that Mutts have greater potential than normal Evil Beings, but I'm not seeing it," he said as he proceeded to attempt something before Leone launched a double-ax behind him, causing one of his horns to crack.

He turned to see Leone readied for another attack.

"You took away our Mine and countless people. I don't care if I waste my nine lives. I'm gonna take you down!," she said as she glowed with a golden aura of a lion.

He attempted to strike, but he was too late.

"Tatsumi showed me it was possible to evolve this fella.," she said as her form became even more leonine with her form being that of a humanoid female lion.

"Full House Aces: King-Queen of Beasts.," she said as she proceeded to launch a barrage of blows on his body, sending him flying. He generated a black dome, but Leone pounced on it. Slowly. she pried it open as she grabbed Fiend by the horns and slammed him back and forth. He attempted the same fire and lightning moves from before, but they just caused temporary wounds that quickly regenerated.

"Just some alley cat.," Fiend mocked as he went for a kick with spikes as it became a kanabo.

"Just some parasite.," Leone retorted as she landed a counter-punch.

He then backed away as he proceeded to generate a volley of weapons, torture devices, mouths, claws, etc. but Leone gave a powerful roat as she blew them away.

She then thought of her comrades as she clenched her hand. Her vision briefly became blurry and she coughed up blood.

Damnit. Must be that I'm on 7 lives now. Better make it count., she thought as Fiend's presence became more sinister.

"Copying the Hellion's technique is heresy you know...," Fiend remarked as he began to claw on his face. Leone looked disgusted as he began to morph and convulse into an aberrant mass of eyes, mouths, tendrils, animal parts, etc. before it condensed into a black orb.

It was eerily silent for a few moments, the calm before the storm before it began to crack, revealing the form underneath- his transformation. His head was covered by a silver executioner hood-like formation over his cranium/neck, leaving only his eyes exposed, his now grayish-yellow body much more muscular/bulkier with his arms having axes protruding from his elbows, a longer tail ending in a trident-like tip, silver demonic wings, and his legs were now silver with cloven hooves.

Leone instinctively knew that this was going to be a far more dangerous fight than before, it was like-

It's like he's become a moth after getting out of his cocoon., she thought with a sweat bead down her brow.

"Gula: Carnifex. This is a transformation born from taking in the energies of negativity from the land and lesser beings as fuel. All Evil Beings can do this. But this is the last thing you'll ever see.," he explained before he suddenly vanished. His voice had a demonic reverb in this state.

She was suddenly punched half away across the continent before Fiend reappeared he grabbed her by the neck and used his other hand to slice off her head, which generated a shockwave that sliced the nearby mountains.

Leone coughed off blood as her body fell to the ground.

"Can't dismiss the possibility of you regenerating your entire body. So I'll burn it and I'll be on my way to do what I want without restrictions.," Fiend observed as he began to crush her head.

Sorry, but it looks like it's gonna be over for me., Leone thought.

Suddenly, he was kicked several kilometers away as a familiar face held her head and floated down to reattach it to her body.

"We came to an understanding.," said Murasaki in Akame and Esdeath's dual voice.

"You...," Leone said as the figure went to Fiend's location.

Island Near the Empire

Fiend had landed on a tropical island much to his annoyance as he looked up to see the person who had done it-

Murasaki.

"So that's where you are? I was hoping that you'd be the last thing I kill before I move on. I hate both halves of you with a passion.," he said.

"To think such a creature was in our body. Makes us sick.," said the woman in the dual voice of Akame and Esdeath. Her chest flashed a different marking than before- a six-pointed snowflake marking.

"It doesn't matter what you want or that you somehow got a miracle. It's been decided already that I will win since I don't have attachments- unlike your ilk.," he said.

"And that makes you weak.," she critiqued in her dual voice as she summoned her dual blades.

Next Chapter: Strength- A clash of what makes one strong.

Author Notes: The actual specifics of the understanding will be revealed in the next chapter.

Fiend is intended to be this universe's iteration of Mahito, but on a conceptual level, it's essentially the Id of Esdeath removing all of the scruples and rationality. While Elm and others showed a glimpse of what an Evil Being can do, Fiend is going to be the first real showcase. The 10 Arts of Hell is based ont the Nine Circles of Hell. While Yomihime, Leone, and Lagie fight, it's not their current place to win the fight.

On a sadder note, it is just one of the first truly yanking the chain that Tatsumi is gonna endure with Mine being the necessary death to show that things are going to turn out for the worst...