Chapter 2: Union


Unknown Location

The woman had a dream...or maybe it wasn't a dream. She was surrounded by people. The people she's killed. Instead of horror, she just accepted it. Death comes for everyone and everyone is destined for hell. Everyone is deep down sinful and most are too hypocritical to acknowledge it.

"If this is hell. Then get it over with.," the woman said as she gestured to the torture devices.

They glared in disgust...and just turned away.

The woman stared. She gradually became more annoyed.

"Shouldn't I get the punishment I inflicted on you?" asked the woman.

"It's not how this works.," said a familiar voice, which made the woman turn around. It was a small blonde young man dressed in a somewhat effeminate attire with demon horns and a tail aesthetic. Except...

He lacked a face.

"Let's conquer this place, together.," she said.

"Didn't you say I don't understand the feelings of the weak? The law of the world is survival of the fittest. It's how the weak are weeded out.? The weak don't get demands," replied a blond man with no irises whose body looked like it was stitched down the middle.

"Nyau. Daidara.," the woman spoke as she looked at both.

"I was going to die nobly, but you do what you always do. Being the thing no one wants and dragging everyone down with you.," said a well-groomed silver-haired man with a mustache.

"Liver...," she said as the three left her.

"Fine. I at least.," she said as she turned to an orangette, a man with a white stripe in his hair, a beautiful blond man, a dark-haired man with a seafaring motif, and a black-haired girl in a sailor fuku.

"We're alive you bitch. No thanks to you.," said the girl in the sailor fuku.

"Wha?

"I used to respect you, but knowing what you did before you died. You'd throw us under the bus?," asked the man in the seafaring attire.

"You didn't care if I died? When I admired you so much?," cried the orangette.

"Following you wasn't stylish.," noted the man with the white stripe hair.

"You were as I thought I first thought. I was foolish to expect anything less.," said the blonde.

"I get it. These must be illusions. No way they'd be aware. They're all clearly dead. Getting me to atone? Ridiculous? I'm in hell. I did what I want, ignored the so-called righteousness, used who were convenient to use, and lived in a way that others deemed evil! Let me just suffer for all eternity and get it over wtih-," the woman said before seeing a masked man holding two bodies of a woman and a little girl respectively. They were bloodied and

"I thought I could trust you with protecting them...," said the man as his eyeholes cried tears of blood.

She seemed to tremble, but then she gave a sinister chortle.

"The weak should just improve themselves. Heroes don't exist- they're just a concept for the masses to leech on to make themselves feel better. There's only the strong who always win and the losers-," she declared as she generated an ice iron maiden.

"Get what they deserve!," she yelled as she had it close on her. She was pierced, her body squashed into blood. The blood poured out of the construct as it seeped into the black void.

It warbled as from the middle rose a bone. The puddle got smaller as it formed a skeleton, then muscles, then flesh, hair, and eyes- a naked woman. She then summoned all of the torture devices she could think of- she put herself in a brazen bull as she incinerated, put on a rack as it tore her body, buried alive, burnt at the stake, violated by demonic ice statues, water-boarding as she drowned, impaled by the iron chair, have rats gnaw into her stomach, be gradually sliced apart in specific sections, pulled by a Catherine wheel, etc.

"So this is what I put others through! I can get used to this! Those bastards are laughing it up there! Hahahahahaha!," she hollered.

She was then slapped by a shadowy, vague figure with white orbs for eyes.

"What are you doing trying to stop me?," asked the woman.

It tossed her into a pod. It spun as her form lost its shape. It took the form of a cockroach as it opened its eyes. It began to devour its own kin, forcing nearby roaches to kill it. This continued with increasingly lesser forms till she was back as her previous self.

"That didn't work. Hurry up and end it.," she snarked as she felt like she was going to be erased from existence, but was denied at the last moment.

"You should get rid of me. I have nothing to answer for that me being gone is gonna solve.," she complained.

It shook what seemed to be its head as it pointed to a light as it enveloped the dark space.

"I see a light.," she said as she closed her eyes.


Tenrou Capital

The woman opened her eyes to the unfamiliar location and looked around.

"This must be the Eastern country I heard of. How could I have gotten here?" she pondered aloud to herself.

"So it does work. It was rumored to be a power to grant immortality. What bliss-," said a nearby, smug-looking attendant before she generated an icicle to skewer him.

This woman is dangerous., thought the king with an uncharacteristic sweat on his brow.

"It seems like I retained my powers...," she observed as the markings on her hand vanished.

"Wait, immortal?" asked the woman before she grabbed the raven-haired woman.

"I remember you. Suzuka. I felt an odd sensation in my hand for a while. You're sicker than I thought.," the woman said with a sinister expression.

"Esdeath. It's so nice to see you again. Tighter. Tighter.," said Suzuka as she made a pleased face, which annoyed the woman.

"Esdeath. That's the name of the infamous general.," Najashu noted.

"How we've fallen. Relying on the dead of a foreign nation.," Yomihime noted.

Esdeath then made a nasty glare to Zuou.

"Is it true I'm-," said the woman before the man slashed her head off her shoulders. She looked in shock for a moment, but then the head went back into place as even the blood restored itself.

An immortal body is possible, but to have it in the hands of a potential threat- I have to find some way to seal her off., he thought.

Esdeath then noticed a flying figure coming into the distance.

Rinzu then thought of Hisame, her murdered lover, and began to ponder while looking at the liquid from where Esdeath was reborn.


Tenrou Capital Beach

The men at the entrance wall looked up in bewilderment and awe at the side.

"It's just a dragon men! Don't falter!," a commander said as the soldiers around him rushed into battle.

The dragon burned the platoon.

"I'm glad you're on our side.," Tobari noted.

"Of course he is. He's my husband.," Mine said as she flicked her forehead.

Akame looked pensive at the back of Tatsumi, which Najenda noted.

"You took care of almost all of the Ten Stars..., but when it's Najasho...," Najenda noted.

"It's ok. I've resolved myself for that eventuality.," Akame replied with a weak smile.

Hinowa wasn't convinced.

These people you have are amazing. To come to your aid even across the oceans, but you're worried about what you might have to do..., she thought.

They continued to fly as the rest of the forces that they gathered took care of the armies.

"They're taking care of the big bosses! Don't let these punks get in their way!," said Saiha as she led the charge.

Countless other people Hinowa had met along her journey, also promoted to commanders proceeded to block the assassins, vanguard, etc. as Hinowa's forces reached the top of the castle.


Tenrou Main Palace

Zuou looked in astonishment as the dragon barged into his throne room.

"So that's the man she talked about.," he noted.

Hinowa and Tobari were stunned. While they had faced the others countless times, they didn't have the same sense of absolute terror and dread exuding from the blue-haired woman.

"The gnats can leave.," she said as she generated a cold gust of wind that blew Zuou, Najashu, Yomihime, Tobari, Hinowa, and Rinzu. Suzuka remained as she stretched her body to grab the nearby pillars.

"That roach is stubborn. Can't it just die?," asked Esdeath before she noticed she was shot in the head. She doubled back and fell.

It had been shot by Najena. Mine also pulled out a gun and repeatedly hit her.

"It must've been a homunculus or clone. In any case, it's better not to drag it out.," said Najenda as she began to dismember the body—first, the right eye and arm as if it deliberately. Mine winced as she recalled this was the reason Najenda was handicapped.

Poney was surprised at this pragmatic action while Tatsumi was stone-faced. He looked at the pot with an eerie purple liquid.

"Looks creepy. Is that the thing you came here for?," asked Tatsumi.

Akame nodded.

"Along the way, I experienced a lot of things and learned much about who I am.," she explained.

She thought back to Amateru's words-

After this is said and done. You'll return to your family and settle down. No, you had the opportunity before you came here. Returning a man who accepted his fate and trying to live longer are just excuses. You're hiding behind a mask...


Outside of the Main Palace

Tobari grabbed Rinzu and jumped zig-zagged between the buildings as Hinowa landed with his remaining Ten Stars in tow.

"You've been a thorn in our side for too long.," the king noted.

"Who was that upstairs?," asked Hinowa.

"A trump card to change this war.," said Yomihime as she generated white flames.

Hinowa had noted through her encounters that the dark-skinned woman had gradually evolved her flames from red to blue to white, with the heat intensifying progressively.

Time to test it out..., she thought as her blade generated a blackish aura.

Najashu attempted to slash at her but was blocked by Tobari.

"Akame seems to be very conflicted 'bout ya. So I'll deal with you!" said the blonde.

"You speak proudly. You forget your place.," said the man.

Both fighters didn't notice that Rinzu had gotten behind Zuou, taking advantage of the opening countless sacrifices had been made for her.


Tenrou Main Palace

Tatsumi burned the body as he then stepped forward.

"Are you sure?," asked the dragon.

Akame nodded.

Poney then noticed the ashes forming into a solid form as they condensed into a familiar form.

"An immortal? Then there's no way to kill her. Why is this nightmare continuing to haunt us?," Najenda cursed.

Akame wasn't as shocked.

"This is the only way this curse can be lifted.," she said as she pulled out a katana and rapier.

She dashed to the confusion of everyone as she tossed Esdeath a rapier.

"You got in the way last time. Now to repay the favor.," The blue-haired woman snarled as she flashed a vicious grin as she stabbed Akame through the chest.

Tatsumi, Poney, Mine, and Najenda had expressions of anger, sadness, and despair.

Akame undeterred stabbed Esdeath through the chest as well.

"Try harder than that! I'm as annoyed as this potential eternity I have to look forward to.," the resurrected woman complained.

Akame then gave a meaningful look to her friends.

"I can't find solace in peace. I'm a blade that kills.," she said as the markings on her body extended onto Esdeath's own body.

"An application of Murasame's trump card? I really hope it bypasses my immortality.," the woman remarked before Akame kissed her to her shock.

The bodies glowed blue and red respectively as they melded together into a singular form.

"Akame?," asked Tatsumi as the light left the castle.

He then turned to the pot and placed his right front claw into it. He began to morph and condense in size.

The blinding slash was all that was needed to distract Zuou from the slash to the neck from a vengeful Rinzu. Hinowa generated a weird black vacuum slash that sent Yomihime flying and Tobari dashed through Najashu's blinding light slashes and his paralyzing revealed eye to knock him on his body.

Enraged, Zuou pulled out a vial filled with a liquid.

"This is a trump card handed by the leaders of this country.," he said as he morphed in a large multi-eyed demonic werewolf as he clotheslined Tobari and Hinowa.

He then noticed Tatsumi, not a dragon, but a brown-haired man with red/green eyes with draconic wings and a tail.

This distraction was enough to allow Hinowa to hit Zuou in the head.

He then thought to a significant moment-


Zuou's Past

This isn't how power is to be used., said the Elder prior to leaving the country of Tenrou.

"History won't remember the soft. It needs those with power.," the younger Zuou argued as a shadowy figure with flame-like hair stood behind him.

"Is that your belief or what he instilled in you? Then I feel ashamed that my teachings were flawed.," remarked the Elder.

"Naivete is a weakness-," Zuou remarked.

"That it couldn't get through the innate foolishness of the ignorant. Mark my words, you'll be remembered as a tyrant and this nation will fall.," the Elder remarked.

"He's just exaggerating.," said the mysterious man.

Zuou felt somewhat guilty but was too stubborn to take back his words.


Present

His head fell as Rinzu cried.

"It's over now.," Tobari noted as she restrained Yomihime and Najashu.

Hinowa looked up at the sky as the news of Zuou's death led to the cheers of others.


Outer Space

Overlooking the planet from outer space was a tall, well-endowed dark-blue-haired woman who opened her purple eyes with black sclera. She had Akame's markings that led up her body and melded into Esdeath's own chest marking.

"What did you do?," asked the woman in Esdeath's voice.

The woman's expression changed somber as she answered in Akame's voice.

"A cruel twist of fate. To live, I need the Demon's Extract flowing into my body to counterattack the curse at all times. But you drank the last remaining one so I resolved to die, but Suzuka did both a blessing and curse in bringing you back. So we're now one and stuck together for all eternity so I can live. I didn't want to do this, but you forced my hand. I'll make you answer for everything.," said Akame.

"Let's see you try.," Esdeath spoke from the same mouth.


Next Chapter: Murasaki

Author Notes: I came up with the idea that the markings of the Demon's Extract could blend into the Murasame's Trump Card. And to create a unique situation.

Esdeath's vision was legitimately real- she was sent to hell. Someone like her would gladly accept torture as punishment, being granted reincarnation as an inferior being, or being erased if only for being weak. However, that would be doing what she wants in justifying her ideology and this isn't dealing with her flaws. So this fanfic is dealing into that.

Also, I resolved the plot of Hinowa Ga Yuku/Hinowa Ga Crush that made sense from what little we got.