(Episode 3: Lieutenant Down, I Repeat Lieutenant Down)
It would be roughly a week into their going after the final Lieutenant on Iokal's payroll named Lieutenant Carceres, given that their time was split up between destroying more of Iokal's whorehouses and breaking up slave caravans and auctions; that it did lengthen the process quite a bit. Nonetheless, both Gamer and sharpshooting archer were laser-focused as ever to take out the final Lieutenant on their hitlist, so that they could begin their hunt for Colonel Chimaev.
(May 19th, 1176 I.E, Southern Carnifex Imperium, 3:22 Am)
It would be nearly half-past 4 in the morning as our dynamic duo stood ready to begin their assault on Lieutenant Carceres's encampment, and end the trinity of Iokal's imperial lackeys.
"Are you ready to begin, soldier?" Oda Nobunaga asked as she stepped upon her hoverboard
"Ready as I'll ever be, Oda. Let's get this done, and over with." Francis responded ready to get this done and over with
"That's the spirit! Now let's gt this done, and show them that they never had a chance from the start!" Oda Nobunaga said back as she took to the skies in a streak of violet
"If there's one thing you can't say about her. It's that she isn't confident as all heck." Francis said before taking off into the morning sky alongside his servant
From there the two took off into the night wherein Francis and Oda took off, with Francis ascending higher into the air whereas Oda took off into the starry morning to be at a far enough distance where she could still snipe from a safe distance, yet remain within the darkened morning to fire at their enemies with impunity…Once Francis had reached a point that he deemed sufficient to get things started he proceeded to curl in on himself like he was about to do a cannonball dive as dense obsidian surrounded him until he was a 2 meters wide and nearly 3-foot-tall sphere of dense obsidian.
From there the red-haired Gamer proceeded to fly down and descend as fast as he could, reaching speeds equivalent to a supersonic fighter jet, as he whistled through the air with such force that he was borderline beginning to break the sound barrier while he descended faster and faster towards the near center of the encampment. It was only as he was halfway towards his target point did he finally break through the sound barrier and rouse those within from their slumber as he continued to descend at great speeds, and not even 10 seconds later as soldiers began to rub sleep from their eyes did he make his impact.
Once he did with a thudding KKKKOOOOOMMMM did the encampment shake, with the accompanying shockwave tearing apart earth, knocking over tents as though they were made of legos, and sending supplies flying everywhere if they weren't already blasted by the sheer force of it all. By the time the soldiers had scrambled out of their tents to see what the ruckus was about, or at least those that didn't have their necks snapped, bones broken or eardrums ruptured from the great shockwave of pure force; did they see Francis launching blasts of crackling lightning at anything in his sight.
Wherein the soldiers who were able to grab whatever weapons they could to either take aim and fire at the redhead in question, or try to charge after him with swords, axes, and even flails of all things that it did little to stop him in his warpath. Given that between his superhuman strength allowing him to knock aside their attacks and punch them into a bloody paste, his incredibly dense form that was covered in thick obsidian plating allowing him to continue his attacks with impunity as weapons and bullets bounced off his resilient frame.
All of this made worse as throughout his rampage as he used his Obsidian Knuckles to batter through the opposition like a raging bull on crack; that had plowed into and smashed his way through the opposition; turning anyone in his sight into crushed to a pulp with monstrous uppercuts and hooks to the body, elbows that beheaded them by the handfuls. Was Oda raining down bulletfire from the cover of the darkened starry morning from her hoverboard, putting down headshots, rounds to the throat, hearts, and liver; with a level of ease that had her feeling as though she could and rightfully so kill these maggots with her arms behind her back and blindfolded to boot.
Hence why, by the time any of the soldiers had managed to get to their weapons and take aim, were nearly half of the soldiers within it were dead, between the combined physical dominance of Francis and Oda's impeccable sharpshooting. Which in addition to the duo continuing to fight with a near relentless amount of pressure had the soldiers within the encampement who tried to fight against Francis at either range or close quarters to be nothing but walking targets for him to punch or elbow his way through, as well as target practice for Oda.
At least until a wave of killing intent so potent that it caused every soldier to halt, and even Francis to give pause at the new challenger that if he were a betting boy was Lieutenant Carceres; what with a tall muscular man in his mid 30's that had short strawberry blonde hair done in a militant crew-cut, and sharp as a razor facial features come storming into the forefront. The lieutenant in question having brilliant cornflower blue eyes that locked onto the redheaded intruder, as he was dressed in a combination of hastily put on chain-mail and steel gauntlets on top of his nightwear and nightcap to match; with an battleaxe in hand as he strode to see the intruder.
"I'm going to take a wild guess and say you are Lieutenant Carceres?" Francis asked the armored blonde
"Yes, I am, boy. And I am also going to take it that you are that redheaded young man that has been causing trouble throughout the empire?" Lieutenant Carceres asked back teresely
"Wait, you know about me?" Francis asked
"Considering the trail of destruction that you and your accomplice have caused throughout the empire. It is not that hard to find." Was Lieutenant Carceres's reply
"In my defense, I'm headhunting for your boss so if you wouldn't mind telling me where he is; so I can just get all of this over with. Then that would be great…Since he's the only reason why I'm going after you guys in the first place." Francis said back as he noticed the lieutenants' battleaxe or more specifically its blades begin to turn black as pitch
"Unfortunately, I cannot hand over that information. As much as I despise that man and what he does, it is thanks to his additional funding that my men can afford the liberties that we have. So if it means I have to let a few things slide, in order, to provide the best for my men, then so be it." Lieutenant Carceres spoke
"Besides, now that you have killed a large number of them as well. I have no choice but to apprehend and or kill you right now." Lieutenant Carceres added as he got into a fighting stance
"Fair point, as I can't really blame you. Since my friend and I did obliterate your men…if we are gonna throw down, you may wanna tell your men to take cover or something. Besides, I'm not really a featherweight when it comes to this stuff." Francis said as he got into a high-guard stance of his own
"It is nice to see that you are admirable in regards to the safety of others. Men…fall back until further notice!" Lieutenant Carceres ordered as the soldiers did so
Once the encampement had cleared out to leave only the two combatants in the midst of the ruined encampment, did both men take charge after the other with great force with Francis flying after the lieutenant like a human wrecking-ball as he turned into a large boulder of dense obsidian; while Lieutenant Carceres dashed after him with his blackened battleaxe. The two collided with each other with such force that it actually surprised and excited Francis that someone could match him potentially blow for blow as the ground around them cratered; whilst the lieutenant in questions' arms harshly vibrated from contact alone.
Nevertheless, the Lieutenant managed to break out of the stalemate and cut roughly 2 nearly 3 inches through the obsidian sphere albeit stumbling slightly as he did so, as both he and Francis came rushing after each other once more. The result was both Lieutenant Carceres and Francis in engaging in a battle of dense obsidian-clad fists and blackened blades; that caused the ground around them to almost shake from the ferocity of their exchanges that for once had Francis on his toes.
Given that with every swing of his axe that he parried and returned with a counter left-hook or overhand right did he feel it bite through his Obsidian Knuckles; which had him going back and forth between landing heavy power shots that he knew for a fact were able to rock the Lieutenant who grunted and gritted at the thudding impacts of his punches. As well as having to parry, dodge and weave with every swing given that even if they couldn't bite all the way through his dense armor-like carapace; that he didn't want to chance what one of those swings would do if they made true contact with his flesh.
All the while the lieutenant in question found himself having to be on the defensive against the red-haired menace who through the sheer concussive force of his strikes saw why he was so effective in causing chaos with his still unseen companion. What with every strike that he failed to deflect or block feeling as though he'd been hit by a Danger Beast, as it took him using whatever resilience and composure from his years on the battlefield to not fold before the absurd power of the attacks,with the Lieutenant thankful that he had his Haki covered axe to assist; otherwise the battle would be much shorter.
Nonetheless, Lieutenant Carceres continued to fend off Francis's relentless series of attacks with great precision and fervor of his own; being able to match the focused aggression of the redheaded Gamer with his own stalwart defense and crisp counters that managed to catch Francis on occasion. Yet it was with a stomp of the ground and a barricade of dense obsidian that caught the blades of his axe mid-swing; did the Lieutenant in question; found himself on the receiving end of a devastating uppercut to the liver that sent him flying across the camp.
However, Francis didn't come out of this unscathed given that in his commitment to landing the shot did he fail to block or deflect the Haki covered stab to his gut from Carceres's hidden scimitar; the only reason he wasn't bleeding from what would've been a direct blow to his kidneys; was thanks to the thick shielding of his armor-like carapace. Yet given that it was heavily cracked and small trickles of blood were leaking through his shirt; he was simply thankful and saying a prayer to God himself not to be dealing with a punctured kidney as the Lieutenant who was coughing and wheezing from what felt like his insides bursting as he shakily rose to his feet.
"Ok, before we go back at it. I have to ask…and I have the sneaking suspicion of what that shit could be on your weapons. Just what the hell is it?" Francis questioned the Lieutenant
"You have taken out 2 Lieutenants thus far, and yet you do not know what Haki is? Either you must be really stupid, or really lucky to not have fought someone who knows what their doing." Lieutenant Carceres answered back
'Holy shit, they have Haki in this world! I swear to God if I see someone with a fucking Devil Fruit, I'm gonna lose my shit!' Francis remarked to himself while trying not to fanboy over such a thing being real
"Would you believe me if I told you that I'm winging it so far?" Francis responded as the Lieutenant got into another fighting stance this time with both blades in mind
"Yes." Was the Lieutenant's sole response
So with no further words to be said the Lieutenant dashed after Francis intent on taking his head off , or at the very least attempting to debilitate him enough to make his capture an easy one, unfortunately for him he did have to block Francis firing a potent burst of lightning at him with great force. Said duel-wielding lieutenant crossed his blades together to block the brilliant beam of emerald lightning that came crashing into him like a freight train, the attack pushing him back nearly 10 feet, as he struggled not to get outright overrun by it.
Yet his concentration would be broken as the sound of bulletfire rang as he had to jump out of the way to avoid being shock in the back of the head, yet this didn't come without cost as his right left below the knee was scorched from the erratic beam of emerald lightning. However, he couldn't worry about it for long as in that split second of a moment did he had to bring both blades to bare as Francis came barreling into him with a Superman punch from hell that sent the lieutenant through nearly 40 feet tents and equipment, as Francis tried to take his head off with punches and elbows to the face.
Although, Francis didn't come out of this unscathed himself given that the Haki-augmented stabs and slashes from Carceres's scimitar caught him across the face; leaving a good handful of jagged gashes across his face as they eventually tumbled and crashed across the ground. Wherein as they did so Francis was in the midst of putting his immense strength to good use in putting Carceres into a vice-like guillotine choke; the battered lieutenant having tried to rise to his feet in order to get enough footing to get out of the hold, but his burned leg said otherwise.
Every attempt made to scramble out of the death grip that choked away his air supply and caused his face to go from red to a dark purple as he felt the blood vessels in his eyes burst, as what felt like an anaconda was crushing his neck. Hence why in the short time that it took for Francis to choke him out as he struggled for dear life, did Lieutenant Carceres did the only thing that came to mind as he focused Haki into his scimitar knowing this would hurt incredibly so, and impale himself in the stomach to try and get Francis off him via secondhand impalment.
At least that would have been the optimal choice had Oda in seeing what the Lieutenant was attempting to do to her master had fired a shot with all the focus and clarity that came from her many decades as a warlord as the round flew through the air with great speed. The shot nailing Lieutenant Carceres in the wrist of his scimitar wielding arm, talking the offending hand off in a brief spray of gorey crimson that sent the limb and weapon clattering across the encampment grounds.
Lieutenant Carceres let out a garbled choked scream from his hand being blown off into a bloody stump, but his screams were silenced not even a few seconds later as Francis in using all of his strength snapped his neck. The man in questions' skull having been twisted a full 360 degrees as it hung limply off his shoulders; barely connected by his spinal cord and tendrils of frayed bloody muscle as the mans' corpse twitched in the last few moments of its death throes.
"All of you, leave right this second. This is the only time I'm going to tell you this." Francis said to all those who had watched the battle and as such wisely left to so as not to anger the redhead
"That was quite impressive, soldier. I knew you would be able to pull through defeating that loathsome maggot in combat." Oda Nobunaga spoke as she flew down on her hoverboard
"He was a lot more admirable than the other two we took down. Considering that from what little I did get from him, he wasn't with Iokal for the women, but to take care of his men…It doesn't really excuse him siding with that monster, but it puts him a few notches above being a giant asshole in my book." Francis said as he looked at the battered form of the deceased lieutenant
"Fair enough, that in addition to this being the only one willing to fight for his men; instead of fleeing like a craven coward…That is more than enough to be put at the level of being an actual man of honor, instead of a cretin." Oda Nobunaga replied before looking up at Francis
"Although, I do have to ask. Are you sure that it was a good idea to let those soldiers go? Especially, when they have seen you kill their commanding officer, and their comrades?" The militant archer questioned her master
"They weren't any big of a threat to me than they already were, Oda. Besides, even with how many bodies we've stacked up. It wouldn't make right for killing them, when they've seen firsthand that they have no chance and won't fight back…It wouldn't be a fight at that point, it would just be a massacre at that point, and we have to carry ourselves better than them. We can be a lot of things out here, but killing just to do it shouldn't be one of them." Francis answered in not wanting to kill when he knew his opponent wouldn't fight back
"Very well, soldier. If that is how you choose to go about it, then I will follow your lead." Oda Nobunaga replied in acceptance of Francis's decision
"Thanks, I appreciate you following it. Now come on, let's get outta here, I don't really care for loitering around dead men." Francis said as he and Oda soon took off into the May morning
(15 hours later, Western Carnifex Imperium, 6:42 Pm)
It would be quite a bit of time later as our intrepid duo as after heading into the next town over to rest from their assault on the last of Iokal's 'employed' lieutenants did they take refuge into a hotel room for the rest of the day.
"Something on your mind, soldier?" Oda Nobunaga asked as she folded her somewhat worn uniform to be hung up for later
"How could you tell?" Francis asked back
"You happen to bite your nails when you are deep in thought over something. So again, soldier, what's on your mind?" Oda Nobunaga remarked over the jagged obsidian tipped nails in the ground
"It is the ability that that Lieutenant I killed earlier today used. It's something that I'd never thought I'd see around here in a million years." Francis spoke still surprised and damn near flabbergasted to see Haki in real life
"And what is this something exactly? All I know is that I saw that Lieutenant turn both the blades of his weapons black as the night, and it allowed him to contend against you." Oda Nobunaga wondered as she gestured to the handful of rather deep scars that she managed to stitch shut with the 1st Aid kit she'd procured ages ago
"That something is called Haki, Oda, and trust me it is some powerful stuff. Heck, that guy was using the basic version of it and he was able to catch me pretty good, if I have to give credit where its' due. Which means that the danger level of whatever we go up against just jumped up a whole butt-ton." Francis answered back knowing that with the inclusion of Haki a lot of things were changing
"Just how much of a significant jump in danger does this Haki mean for us, soldier?" Questioned the militant archer
"Well, to know the severity of it. You have to understand that it comes in 3 different varieties. All 3 of them are called Conqueror's, Observation, and Armament Haki respectively. The one that Lieutenant Carceres used against me was Armament, and even at the basic level it is nothing to sneeze at." The redheaded gamer informed his servant
"The advanced version however is where it really starts to get crazy. Since you can fire that crap off from a distance, and even use it to mess up someone's insides with a single attack to totally shred them from the inside out. Doesn't matter if you can regenerate, have some fancy armor or what have you; if you can get good enough with Armament Haki you can damn near bypass any defense. Not to mention the same being in reverse if you cover yourself in the stuff too to basically make it so you can tank a bomb blowing up in your face without a scratch." Francis further explained as Oda took this information in with calculative eyes
"And what of the other two variants? What abilities do they allow those within their possession regardless of mastery?' Oda Nobunaga queried
"Observation Haki by contrast lacks any offensive capabilities and instead focuses on perceiving the world around you as an additional set of eyes and ears. Allowing you to sense the presence of others and other objects from long-range, even sensing the power levels of others on top of it, and crazy enough their emotions and intent on what they want to do to you as well if you get crazy good with it." Francis explained regarding the 2nd variant of it
"While I can understand; sensing the strength and number of our opposition. It seems strange to believe it would allow you to sense their emotional states and intentions…Even if it would be an incredibly useful skill nonetheless." Oda Nobunaga spoke
"Hey, it can do that stuff and even allow you to see the future in bursts once you master it high enough." Francis almost nonchalantly told her
"It can allow you to see into the future as well?" Oda Nobunaga asked in complete shock of this info
"Yeah, once you master it good enough, you can literally see into the damn future. Granted you can't see years and years into the future as far as I know. But enough to see a few seconds or even a few minutes worth to predict what's coming next…Which makes it real handy for stopping assassins in their tracks." Francis answered back
"And then there's Conqueror's Haki which can do stuff from knocking people out with your sheer force of will, terrify lesser beings with it as well, imbue your weapons with it to deal insane amounts of damage like with Armament Haki. Not to mention the whole using it to create enough energy that it can probably crack the world around you…A-Are you good, Oda?" Francis semi-rambled on before realizing that Oda had a starstruck look on her face
"We must learn this Haki now! With such power under our command, our enemies would be made into paltry targets to crush!" Oda spoke incredibly enthused about learning how to utilize this Haki
"If that Lieutenant guy can use Armament Haki like I assume he was doing. Then it shouldn't be too hard for us to unlock it, and make that part of our arsenal. Hell, Observation should in all accounts be the easiest for us to learn if I remember it correctly…But Conqueror's that's gonna be a whole different story." Francis spoke remembering that from all the training that Luffy went through to get it that Observation would be the easiest
"Why would that be, soldier?" Oda Nobunaga questioned
"That's because Conqueror's takes a certain X factor to come up. Unlike Armament or Observation, Conqueror's is something that's like super rare for people to get. I'm talking like 1 in 420,000 type of rare…So if we can awaken it then great, more power to us. If not then it's not the end of the world." Francis answered back
"Regardless, we can and will obtain the power of this Haki. Once we do, our enemies will not know what hit them!" Oda Nobunaga proclaimed as Francis gave an equally excitable smile
"Your damn right we will!" Francis responded in equal excitement
"That's the spirit! Now if you don't mind, I am going to go for a short walk around the town. It's rather nice out and I would like to enjoy the spring weather…you are free to join me if you want." The militant markswoman told the redhaired Gamer
"I think I'll pass…I have had enough excitement for the day, so I think that I'll just take it easy for a bit." Francis replied as Oda hopped up from her bed
"Very well, I will leave you to whatever it is you wish for the evening." Oda Nobunaga said back as she took her leave
Hidden Quest Unlocked: Colors of the Fighting Spirit to be Unleashed!
Now that you've had your 1st experience with Haki in this new world, you'll need to get some of it for yourself if you want to stand a chance with the big boys.
Main Objective: Gain Proficiency over Armament, Observation, or Conqueror's Haki.
Main Objective 2: Gain Proficiency over Armament, Observation, or Conqueror's Haki before you encounter General Esdeath.
Bonus Objective: Gain Advanced Proficiency over 1 of the 3 types of Haki before encountering General Esdeath.
Reward: 4 Super Rare or Higher Item or Companion Pulls.
Failure:?
Accept (Y/N)
"I dunno who or what General Esdeath is, but if I'm gonna meet up with them sooner or later. Then fuck it, let's do this!" Francis spoke as he accepted the quest in full
(3 days later, Night Raid Hideout, May 22nd, 1176 I.E, 2:50 Pm)
Meanwhile, it would be that of the following Thursday as Akame and Bulat were reporting to Najenda over their attempts at finding more in regards to Colonel Chimaev and the possibilities of his being a mole in the Revolutionary Army.
"Anything to report regarding Colonel Chimaev and the possibilities of his being a mole for Iolkal?" Najenda questioned
"Not yet, Najenda. We've tried questioning Chimaev's men, and so far nothing…If there's one thing that you have to give them credit for, it's that they definitely run a tight ship in their regiment." Bulat spoke in admission of said Colonel's soldiers being very much tight-lipped regarding their commanding officer
"And what of Chimaev himself? Were either of you able to get anything useful out of him?" Najenda further asked the two assassins
"Unfortunately, no. They are very private about their day-to-day activities…Unless, it was about their 'progress' against the Empire, or their troops needing more supplies. Then we were not able to get much out of them." Akame informed her leader
"I am going to take the skepticism in your voice; to mean that you know something, Akame?" Najenda questioned the red-eyed swordswoman
"Yes, actually. During our visit while Bulat was talking with Colonel Chimaev, I noticed a few things that didn't seem right." Akame answered back
"Like what?" Najenda questioned
"One of them was the fact that I had spotted them off-loading a number of Imperial weapons, which wouldn't be a problem if they weren't top-of-the-line imperial rifles and artillery. The second were cases full of the same drugs that the Empire would give my sister and the others during our Imperial training to increase our strength." Akame answered back
"Are you sure about that Akame, that's pretty big stuff to accuse one of our own for?" Bulat questioned
"I'm certain of it, I wouldn't speak on it if I didn't know for sure…My concern is why he would want them for his regiment. Especially, when those look far higher grade than the ones they would give to Kurome and the others those years ago." Akame responded knowing those enhancement drugs from a mile away
"Your guess is as good as mine, Akame. However, if Chimaev is ordering in enhancement drugs of this caliber alongside gaining Imperial weaponry from Iokal as we suspect. Then nothing good can come of it." Najenda said knowing that if Chimaev was being supplied Imperial weaponry and enhancement drugs that only ill could come of it
"Then what do you want us to do about it, Najenda? If they're cooking something bad against the Revolutionary Army, then we have to do something about it, and fast." Bulat questioned to the leader of Night Raid
"I agree, however, it will not be you two who I will be sending in to handle this…In fact, I think that this will be a great chance to put one of newest recruits to good use." Najenda answered back
"Wait, we have a new recruit already? When did we get one of those?!" Bulat asked
"They have been with us since January of this year, and have proven themselves quite invaluable in terms of infiltration and sabotage…As such I will be putting them on the task of finding out more of Chimaev's potential dealings with Iokal." Najenda informed the taller of the 2 Night Raid members
"Who are they, Najenda?" Was Akame's sole question
"Their name is Chelsea and they have proven themselves incredibly formidable as a spy and infiltration expert. It also helps that they possess an Imperial Arms that allows them to shapeshift into nearly any disguise they can think of." Najenda told the red-eyed swordswoman
"Which is why, I will be sending her undercover to find out more information on the Colonel's dealings with Iokal." Najenda further spoke
Considering that Chelsea's stealth, acting, and infiltration skills in combination with her Imperial Arms known as Gaia Foundation that allowed her to morph into a virtually indistinguishable disguise; that her going undercover as one of Chimaev's men to find out about the Colonel's potential dealings with the Prime Minister's cousin; made her perfect for the job.
"And what will happen if Colonel Chimaev is found to be cooperating with Iokal?" Akame asked
"Then I will dispatch Night Raid members to terminate him…Although, I will warn you that he is nothing to take lightly, considering that he not only wields an Imperial Arms of his own. But he is also proficient with Armament and Observation Haki as well, and as such Bulat will be heading that charge against him. After all, your proficiency with Haki is 2nd to none in Night Raid barring my own, " Najenda answered back regarding the potency of Bulat's Haki
"Hey, its' nice that you think that highly of me. But my Haki isn't all that to brag about." Bulat responded in modesty over his proficiency with it
"While I appreciate your modesty regarding your strength. It should still be acknowledged that your prowess with it isn't to be underestimated. Considering that had you not left the Imperial Army, I would wager that your skills could have rivaled even Budo's." Najenda spoke regarding the level of strength that the Incursio wielder possessed
"Now if only my skills with Incursio were as good. Then it would be an entirely different story…hell in that case I would actually be able to give Esdeath of all people a run for her money." Bulat replied in regards to his proficiency with his Imperial Arms
"Have you had problems with Incursio recently?" Najenda asked the former Imperial Major
"I can't explain it, but it feels like I've hit a wall with Incursio…I know that its supposed to be one of the strongest Imperial Arms in our arsenal. But for some damn reason; it feels like I've hit a wall that I can't get over." Bulat answered back as he looked at the Imperial Arms that he kept on his person
"Has it interfered with your ability to utilize Haki?" Najenda further inquired
"No, everything is still working just fine. It's just that for some reason, I can't go any further with it. Which is a pain the ass, since we can use every advantage we can get. Since there's only so much we can do before Esdeath gets back from her campaign in the north." Bulat answered back
"Especially, if Colonel Chimaev really is a snake in the grass." Bulat added
"Agreed, which is why it is that much important that we make contact with this redhaired individual and his companion. Given that with Chimaev and his regiment being on these enhancement drugs. On top of his proficiency with Armament Haki, and his Imperial Arms. That having new recruits that are this capable would be a welcome addition." Najenda spoke
"Who do you want to send after them, Najenda?" Akame questioned
"I want Leone and Bulat to take the lead on this one, Akame. As great as Mine is as our sniper, she is greatly underqualified for convincing new recruits to join. By contrast, are perfect for such things." Najenda answered back
"No offense to, Mine. But I am pretty sure that a cactus is friendlier than her." Bulat remarked in regards to the pink-haired snipers' prickly demeanor
"I can't argue against that, as there are Danger Beasts that are kinder than her." Was Akame's blunt statement regarding her teammate
"By the way, what are we going to do should Mine push their buttons?" Akame further questioned
"We will cross that bridge once we get to it. For now, we continue doing as we have done for years…weakening the empire at every possible chance we have, and preparing for Chimaev should he prove a treacherous snake." Najenda answered back as her singular eye remained focused on taking care of the treacherous Colonel
'I don't know how Iokal got his hooks into you, but one way or the other. I will have this dealt with.' Najenda said to herself
(5 hours later, Southern Carnifex Imperium, Colonel Chimaev's Encampment, 8:05 Pm)
Meanwhile, said Colonel was talking to Iokal through…a holographic projector that allowed for incredibly long-ranged communication.
"I'm telling you, Chimaev, this needs to be dealt with swiftly. All of the Lieutenants on my payroll are dead, over half of my whorehouses are in ruins and those ungrateful cunts running off who knows where. Then to top it all off, I have to explain to Honest why everything is going up in smoke, and I have zero solutions for it!" Said the holographic projection of Iokal who was fuming at the losses sustained thus far
"And how is it my fault that you are unable to handle a musclebound ginger and his sharpshooting minion, Iokal? Granted the fact that this has happened in such rapid succession is troublesome, no doubt." Colonel Chimaev responded
"To think that someone this skilled has been under our noses this entire time; is almost unreal to think of…I would give this young man and his accomplice their roses; if they weren't causing so much trouble." Colonel Chimaev added
"Is this really the time for you to be giving those bastards their praises? Moreso when they are compromising everything we have established!" And yet YOU are doing nothing about it; when I pay you to do as I demand!" Iokal roared backhanding one of his whores that had been blowing him for the duration of the conversation
"Careful, Iokal. While I am appreciative of our arrangement for all it has provided my men. Do remember that I am not just another one of your minions…Even moreso when in tandem with my combative prowess and my Imperial Arms, I could make your blood rupture in your bloated sack of meat you call a body, from a hundred yards away and you couldn't do a damn thing about it…So unless you want that to be in your immediate future, then you calm down and assess the situation, as I will not tolerate being yelled at by an obese walrus." Colonel Chimaev spoke their voice nothing if not razor-sharp in delivering its promise of demise
"...Fine." Iokal spat in not wanting to enrage the strongest of his subordinates
"Now then, Iokal. How do you prepose we handle the situation? Considering that while the threat at hand is small in number, they are nothing if not lethal, and incredibly so." Colonel Chimaev questioned his 'boss' over the hologram
"I say we set an ambush for them. Have some mercenaries on my payroll in combination with your men, to get the jump on them. That way they won't see their own deaths coming." Iokal suggested
"While that is a decent suggestion and plan of attack, you should also consider the fact that a simple ambush; will not be that so easy to bring them down…If they are able to cause this much damage and put the slave trade in my portion of the Empire to a halt with their relentless attacks. Then we will need our A-Game for this." Colonel Chimaev told the obese Prime Minister's cousin
"I agree as much as I despise admitting that some foreigner bastard and his sidekick have caused this much of a headache…I think I can convince Honest to lend a helping hand, and allow me to borrow one of the war machines from the Imperial Vaults." Iokal spoke knowing that their were an assortment of such that his cousin could lend him to handle the thorn in his side
"If it can get the job done, then so be it. However, we have to make sure that this is done swiftly and efficiently. Otherwise, everything goes up in smoke for the both of us." Colonel Chimaev replied
Since it didn't take a rocket scientist to know that if they botched this, and this plan to assassinate the redhaired menace and his sharpshooting accomplice went off with nothing short of perfection; then not only was Iokal putting himself even more in the Revolutionary Army's crosshairs, but Chimaev himself would be as well for association with Iokal in this murderous plot.
"That is something I will not argue with you about, Chimaev…Honest may be willing to let a number of things slide, but even he won't let me hear the end of something like this if we botch it." Iokal said back fearing the worst of Honest's ire
"Which is why we will be spending the next few weeks if not the next month planning and preparing. I will not have everything that I have earned be ruined by some redheaded foreigner, and a decently talented sniper." Colonel Chimaev spoke in refusal to let any of what he worked years for go to ruin
"And what will you do should they manage to survive our 'little' quelling of their activities? What do you have planned then, Chimaev?" Iokal wondered as to what the Colonel in question had in mind
"Should they survive it. Then I will do as I always have, and crush them outright…They may be strong, but I will be the judge on if they are strong enough to make it in this world. I haven't lived nor fought for this long to let a pair of foreigners stand in my way." Colonel Chimaev replied with stalwart conviction in their voice
"That being said, I should be asking you the same question, Iokal? Given that as the strongest of your 'employees' as the operative term. What will you do if and that is a big IF I fall against these foreigners? If memory serves, other than your surprising ability in the sheets as your whores blather on about. You are incredibly lackluster when it comes to martial combat." Colonel Chimaev asked in addition in the off chance he should be defeated as Iokal smirked
"Let's just say I have an ace in the hole should that happen. I know full well that the Revolutionary Army and Night Raid themselves want my head…Which is why I had, Dr. Stylish create something that will make for a great last resort should it come to that." Iokal answered back with a despicable grin
"Hmmm, as much as I am interested in hearing about this supposed 'ace in the hole' you have. I feel that it is best that I keep my questions regarding what that might be to myself." Colonel Chimaev spoke feeling a rising sense of disgust in his stomach at whatever it could be
"As you should, Colonel. After all, there are some things that are best left unsaid." Iokal replied as their grin widened to a sickening degree
"Very well…is their anything else to be said? If not then I will be ending this transmission." Colonel Chimaev questioned
"No that will be all, Chimaev. However, we will be speaking again nonetheless…We cannot allow these foreigners to cause further havoc." Iokal answered back as the transmission ended leaving a stony-faced Chimaev in his quarters
"Now then, what to do about these foreigners? Considering that should things wind up a botched mess, I will need a way to figure out how to dispose of them swiftly." Colonel Chimaev mused to himself from within his tent
However, unbeknownst to the Colonel as they were deep in thought in terms of strategizing how best to deal with Francis and Oda, was none other than a disguised Chelsea in the guise of a Revolutionary Ensign that was milling about the premise. Who had been doing as she was commissioned by Najenda to do and spy on Colonel Chimaev who was under the suspicion of being a mole/minion for Iokal, and if possible sabotage the Colonel and his regiment in any way possible.
'At least, I've caught the Colonel redhanded talking with Iokal…But just to be safe, I had better gather more evidence of what he's up to. The last thing I need is him saying that this is all hearsay, and everything being fucked because of it.' Chelsea said to herself as she continued going about the premises to gather more evidence to put the screws to the treacherous Colonel
So with the last of Iokal's paid lieutenant's taken care of, and their having found out about the power of Haki firsthand. We also see Iokal and the treacherous Colonel making plans on how to deal with our intrepid protagonists, as they go about dismantling Iokal's power base among other such things in mind…How will things go for them as they seek to unlock Haki for themselves as they continue their misadventures? Find out in the all new installments of, A Gamer Amongst Monsters: Alternative!
Alright, that takes care of this one as I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and what has gone on within it. Since there's still a whole bunch to get into, as we continue with Part 1 of the story, and as such, I hope y'all will stick around for what's to come in our reboot of its previous outing, as every favorite, follow, review and such really does help.
But with that being said this will be Pravus666 signing off until next time, wherein the next installment will have our intrepid Heroes meet with Seriyu of all people in a bid to take down one of Iokal's whorehouses, so stay tuned for that. Furthermore, I wanted to plug my friend Nomadic Chaos 888 who has 2 new fics out one being a MHA and Warhammer 40K crossover and the other being a Highschool DXD fic where Issei leads his own Legion against the fallen angels and so far, both are pretty solid. They're named My Psyker Academia and DXD: A Tyrant's Legion respectively, also I will plug my friend Kourtney Uzu Yato too, since she is a fantastic author and someone who deserves to have her stories checked out as well...they're really dope
Part 1 Theme Song: ShutterSpeed by Karnivool
Random End Song: Cut you In by Jerry Cantrell
Now then onto some of the reviews from the previous Chapter.
Gwynx: Yeah, Francis isn't concerned with Harems for that reason. Its' all fun and games until you realize that you don't really have any personal time to do what you want, or do what makes you happy when you are focused on everyone else's problems at the expense of your own inner peace. Hence why, I don't really see him going out of his way to pursue that avenue in terms of any love interests.
Sekelyn: Oh no there are sentient duel monsters in this story as well, I'm just figuring out which ones I want to implement into story as future allies or adversaries for Francis to encounter down the line.
Guest: Francis will eventually gain a goal/mission statement for himself down the line, its just that as of now he's still figuring things out into his 2nd lease on life. So for now it is mainly him just trying to make it through the new world that he's found himself in.
KuroKatBone: In regards to Night Raid it is one of those experiences that he'll have to learn, given that it all depends on how things go. Given that they are gonna have to do something to really make him mad enough to decide from the jump that he's going to kill them off rip, so for now if they attack him and are going full bore to do so; then yeah they'll probably be in a closed casket, but if its something that can be resolved then he's not gonna go out of his way to merc them.
