Forgive me, friends, for my extremely overdue upload.

I have been struck with the unfortunate news of my sole remaining grandfather's death.

I am currently overseas, paying my dues as I meet with long unmet relatives.

Please understand if I am unable to upload with my usual swiftness. I will return to my usual schedules very soon.

The Adaptability of Survivors

"Gah… that kid's back to do push ups."

"What is he, a machine?"

"Show off."

4 days had passed since Tatsumi's birthday. He had settled into a daily training regime since then and his left arm was already starting to acclimate into balanced strength with his right.
Tatsumi could actually feel how Incursio was stitching away at the tears in his muscles, forcing them back into action although the soreness kept piling up. With how effective it was, he needed just a little rest before jumping back into doing drills again. His clothes were nearly always drenched with sweat and he seemed never to be able to drink enough water, but Tatsumi kept on with his exercising. So intensely was his working out that others were beginning to think he was mad.

Some of the other soldiers that had noticed his efforts were pointing at him, looking with interest before losing it and moving along. It was a usual occurrence to Tatsumi by now.

Tatsumi could have sworn his muscles were on fire. It was sore like a burn everywhere in his arms. Yet Tatsumi endeavored. It was his first uninhibited training in a long time and he was thrilled to train to his heart's content.

"... 500…!"

500 push ups. A new personal best. If his left arm could be conditioned to be at around the same level of his right arm, Tatsumi guessed that he could maybe go to 600.

Tatsumi grunted as he flipped over to lie down on his back, gulping up air. Tatsumi had trained intensely in his past life but this time around, he was training like a possessed man. Every waking instant was devoted to improving his physique if possible. He tried his best to keep his body feeling sore at all times of the day. To be sore means that his muscle fibers were torn which meant that he was getting stronger. From the moment he opened his eyes in the morning, he would work out until his body cried out in pain, stopping only to input nutrients and water or release.

Since an increased healing rate meant increased metabolism, Tatsumi had to compensate by eating 5 meals of the cafeteria's humbly provided slop everyday. Despite the blandness, at the very least, Tatsumi couldn't complain that they gave him enough fibers and proteins necessary for physical development.

After a brief session of eating, he'd be right back to training, his body having mostly healed its way out of soreness by then. From 6 in the morning to 8 in the evening, he dedicated everything to the pursuit of bodily development. The stress on the body was great, but the stress on the mind was immense. Fighting through the desire to rest and stop was a battle in its own right. But overcoming challenges like that was a key part into developing a stronger soul.

On the aspect of soul development, Tatsumi wasn't slouching either; the only time he didn't get to feel sore was when he was sleeping yet that didn't mean he wasn't using that time for training. In his sleep, he would sink his consciousness into the Soul World to train the perceptiveness and strength of his soul with Tyrant, even though he had to suffer mental fractures and a powerful temporary bout of insanity for it when he woke up.

But all that work was bearing results quickly. His strength had improved dramatically thanks to his reckless efforts. The rate at which his strength was improving surprised himself. And Tatsumi could tell that he was getting better at reading souls. Unbidden feelings in others started to become somewhat visible to him. He started picking up on the emotions that others would openly display towards him. At the very instance, some of the nearby soldiers were harboring admiration, respect, and jealousy at him. He couldn't explain how he felt it, but he really did feel it. He was entering the divine world of observing emotions.

He noticed he was starting to feel more sensitive towards the presences of others… which was really helpful in preventing his face from becoming Jarls' artistic masterpiece again. He was really starting to see the world in a different and brighter light, where the eyes and presences of others seemed to stand out to him. He couldn't believe he never noticed how clearly audible the presences of others truly were and how he never seemed to notice it before.

Then again, he still had a long way to go. His senses weren't perfect. Closing his eyes and concentrating, he could just barely feel a tiny miniscule sensation of which felt like someone was observing him deeply. But when he discerned his surroundings, nobody stood out to him.

Maybe his senses still needed ironing out.

After all, by all accounts, nobody SHOULD be watching him. He didn't do anything that would attract anyone's unwanted attention.

Tatsumi took a swig of the bottle of water he brought with him before getting up to stretch his arms out a little. Then he laid down and started doing sit ups. He was aiming to break his 160 sit up record.

Her duties were to brush the floors and dust the windowsills that morning. So she took up the broom and feather duster and her assignment of cleaning the royal palace halls. As long as she was not minded by the officials as they passed through the halls, it would be a satisfactory shift. Many of the high-ranking members of the royal council and assembly were known to be corrupt. If she chanced upon one of them and they were in the mood, she might be subject to their sadistic and painful means of "entertainment."

As she finished sweeping through one hall, she turned the corner and was met with a surprising sight. One of the most well-known faces among the palace staff as a priority target to avoid was right there, leaning on a windowsill, gazing down at something.

General Esdeath.

Esdeath had not ever personally hurt the palace staff but they nevertheless feared her deeply. Her subordinates would be the ones that caused most torment on them - notably, the Three Beasts. And there were rumors of her absolute brutality. Tales had been passed of her "achievements" in the torture chambers. Listening to one had upset her appetite for days - apparently she had tested to see if completely skinning a man was possible with him surviving the process. Apparently, she failed not because of external causes on the victim, she made sure to freeze necessary areas to avoid infection and too much bloodloss. No, the subject simply couldn't handle the procedure mentally and died of either shock or pain. The rumor ended with saying that Esdeath deemed that skinning should be done only partially after that experiment.

The maid didn't know if the rumors were true and she was damn well not going to verify it herself but she resolved not to interact with Esdeath anyways. Thankfully, it seemed as though her attention were elsewhere… on the grounds from the looks of it.

The maid couldn't help but peek through the windows. The only thing that was animated and moving from below were soldiers training at their grounds. That was strange, they weren't even Esdeath's soldiers. Those were Budo's soldiers.

She made the bold decision to glance at the general.

Esdeath had a lovely but far away smile on her face. One hand was resting over her chest as though holding her heart. Her cheeks were slightly red.

The maid blinked. Whatever was she seeing? The rumored sadistic ice demon seemed to look like a… a… maiden in love?

Esdeath, without seeming to have noticed or care for the presence of the maid, whispered in an almost dreamy voice, "So he made it to 500 today… what vigor…"

The maid peeked out of the windows again to see who might've been the unlucky lad that had the misfortune of having caught this beast's attention. There were several hundreds of shirtless soldiers all working on their bodies below, occupying a vast swath of land. She, herself, wasn't sure if she could tell if she could focus on even one of them for a while.

Esdeath sighed and got up from her seat, almost looking dejected to go. She walked past the maid lady without giving a glance at her. The maid lady picked up her broom and feather duster and began to clean up this hall as quickly as she could. She would also have to inform her colleagues that it would be wise to spend the least amount of time cleaning this hall.

This place was so fucking weird.

As dejected as she was to leave, Esdeath had at least something to look forward to today.

She stopped in the middle of the hall, glancing at her left. A well-dressed stout figure stood next to her.

"Will my teigu user subordinates be arriving today?"

The fat figure next to her raised a whole loaf of brioche to his mouth and bit off the end of it. "All six have been gathered… Most of them are low-class people even if they are capable… they also have some level of… personality quirks. Sorry about that."

Honest handed Esdeath papers giving detailed information concerning the new members. She gave the papers a quick skim. A wing type teigu… armor type teigu… one that gave control of the dead…

She pointed one out. "A teigu that increases the accuracy and precision of one's dexterity? That doesn't sound battle-useful."

Honest grinned. "It's dependent on the user to make a teigu shine. The one that uses that teigu is a genius and a very capable one at that… he doesn't fight battles directly but you shall see his prowess for yourself. Even I had my eyes on him."

"Is that so…"

She handed the papers back dismissively. "I won't be swayed by reports of their skill." She spoke darkly, reminded by how disappointed she was when facing 'The Hero of the North.' "I shall see their strength for myself."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll find their capabilities acceptable." Honest spoke with a smirk. "Once you do, I want you to consider this…"

Honest reached into his inner-suit pocket, taking out a letter. He gave it to Esdeath with a modest smile that outsiders would have a difficult time seeing the malice behind.

Esdeath broke into a sly grin. "Is this finally…?"

"Of course… It's the plan I've set up to get rid of Chouri."

Esdeath delicately took the letter, opening it to read its contents.

"Southern public safety department captain Anthelm, huh?" She reads. "Only two days from now…"

"There's no justifiable way to kill him without suspicion as long as he's within the palace walls. Framing him is hard since his Majesty favors him as well. He needs to be taken out while out of palace reach."

Esdeath folded the paper. She sighed with a subtle frown before handing it back to Honest. "I don't like using poison."

Honest shrugged. "Well as good as your fighting prowess is, it's rarely a skill used among politicians. We'll need to be a little more… subtle."

Esdeath nodded. "Well, good enough for me." She handed him the letter back, a smile returning to her expression. "I leave it to you to set up the preparations."

"That's enough for today, I guess…" He huffed before standing up. He was starting to feel his body run out of energy reserves, so it was meal time… good old cafeteria grub.

Tatsumi began to walk towards the cafeteria, where appetites go to die.

He stretched his sore limbs out trying to get his blood flow to increase to the worn out parts of his body. Mentally, he was trying to get himself to feel for the mood of tough and dry meat and broth seasoned with God-knows-what. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder…

Looking over his right, Tatsumi felt a shiver run down his spine at the face he met…

"Excuse me… do you know where the Imperial assembly building is?"

A youthful face belonging to a woman with an orange face peered at him. Tatsumi recognized the girl.

'Seryu Ubiquitous…! So the Jaegers would be assembling today… I should have remembered…'

Tatsumi quickly looked over Seryu. Unlike in his memories, Seryu still had biological arms on her, although Tatsumi's sharp eyes could see tiny, subtle stitch markings. So she had been operated on. Tatsumi grimaced.

Behind Seryu, a flamboyant man in a scientist's coat was observing the place. Dr. Stylish.

A strange imitation of a dog crawled along their feet. Hekatonkheires.

Tatsumi pointed eastward.

"... you're searching the wrong side. The westward side belongs to Budo's governing agency. Policing and assemblies are held in the east, over in that direction."

Seryu nodded. "Thank you, young soldier!"

"... I'm a guard…" Tatsumi mumbled as the duo walked off, heading off. Tatsumi calmly drew out his breath as he stared after them. So the Jaegers would be forming today…

Tatsumi could not tell exactly what would happen next. Esdeath hosted a tournament in his previous life to find a capable user to take up Sheele's Extase but this time, they didn't have that this time…

So what would happen? Tatsumi couldn't help but feel a little anxious. He did not know what was to come but suspected something would happen soon. Things were going too well for him… Neither Honest nor Esdeath were the type to take losses sitting down. What was to come, Tatsumi could only guess.

Tatsumi had cast the die. The future was uncertain.

The halls of the royal palace were silent until it was broken with the chorus of footsteps belonging to 7 people. Donned in all black with fanciful attire, six newest recruits into the Imperial army's special police force followed their leader, a blue-haired woman.

"So, commander Esdeath. What will be our first course of action?" A fair blonde man with golden eyes raised.

"Well, Run, I'll first need to check up on all of your abilities individually and see if there are any areas of improvement. But first…" She smiled as she raised a letter of invitation to a party celebrating the formation of the special police unit. "We'll acquaint ourselves with the public safety department and introduce ourselves publicly."

The news of the formation of the Jaegers group was released and became a hot topic rather quickly. Even though the declaration was made just that day, among soldiers, guards, and staff, it was all that Tatsumi could hear from the whispers he overheard.

"A special police group led by Esdeath herself…"

"Well it's over for Night Raid."

"Good riddance, I say."

The cafeteria was noisy as Tatsumi with gossip as he ate his fifth and last meal for the day very slowly. He thought he should take another leave pretty soon and try to contact Night Raid in order to inform them about the Jaeger's unit in detail and give them a lead early to assassinate Bolic-

"Yo, Tatsumi!" The voice of Spear broke Tatsumi out of his contemplation. He turned his gaze to see the familiar blonde haired girl coming up to hum.

"Spear, it's been a while." Tatsumi greeted, quickly swallowing the contents he had left in his mouth. It had been close to a full week since they last saw one another.

"Sorry… when your father is a becoming minister, you have to meet with a lot of people…" She shyly answered. "Also… Father wants to see you. He's sorry it took so long to contact you."

Tatsumi put down his spoon immediately. He wasn't in any hurry to finish the mush that was his dinner.

"Great, let's go! I've been waiting to get in contact with him too."

"Oh, you don't have to rush-"

"I'm done eating."

…

Spear led him to the official building where he slept. The lower floors had the barracks dedicated to the guards but on the higher floors, apparently Chouri and his subordinates would reside. Spear led him up the stairs to a well decorated hall. Going down the connected halls, they stopped at a rather well-designed door. "This is his office now." Spear explained.

Upon entering, the first thing that strikes Tatsumi is the grandiosity of the room, a mix of opulence and austere professionalism befitting a position as a minister. Soft candlelight flickers from sconces along the walls, casting long shadows that make the room feel both timeless and a little mysterious.

At the far end of the room sits a massive, imposing desk, made from dark walnut and polished to a sheen, though it is purposefully left bare except for a few scattered scrolls, quills, and ink pots. Chouri was sitting at the table at the side opposite to Tatsumi, in a pose that spoke of commanding control. He looked slightly worn out since Tatsumi had last seen him.

Chouri's eyes gazed up and greeted Tatsumi with a warm and kind smile. "Oh, Tatsumi. You've come… I apologize for not contacting you earlier. It was a real struggle to establish myself in the government… I could tell Honest was trying to limit my abilities. It took me quite a bit of meetings and studying to gain some level of footing."

Tatsumi returned that very smile. "It's alright, sir Cho- I suppose it's minister Chouri now. I know that the other ministers are abusing their positions for personal gain. You might be the only one that's actually doing work in the royal cabinet. It's understandable that you'd be busy."

"Haha!" Chouri laughed. "It really is good to see you."

Tatsumi put on a toothy grin. He missed having a fun conversation with someone.

"Well… let's get serious…" Chouri eased his tone into a professional one. "Do you have anything to tell me?"

'"Does your secret information network have any pressing news to tell me?"' Tatsumi heard the minister really asking

"Nothing directly concerning you, minister. But I could tell you about a member of the newly established Jaegers group that is a bit troublesome."

"Of the Jaegers?"

Tatsumi nodded. "Dr. Stylish, the user of Perfector. He's hidden it well, but he's performing human experimentation and currently working on a new form of artificially developed danger beasts..."

Tatsumi recalled how even Esdeath was seemingly ignorant of the existence of those manufactured beasts. If she was ordered to hunt them while not knowing of its connection to Dr. Stylish, it was likely that even the government didn't know. And if the government didn't know…

"... it's very likely that even Honest doesn't know about Stylish's dealings."

Chouri leaned into his hands. "Artificially created danger beasts…?"

Tatsumi recalled the super giant danger beasts he had fought. "Likely Special class risk. Maybe even Ultra class."

Chouri seemed to contemplate it for a bit before sighing. "If that's true… What troubling news that is. I will look into it…"

"Thank you, minister."

"I also wish to inform you that you are free to contact me in this room if you ever uncover other things that you'd like me to know."

Chouri then drew back to open a drawer on the side of his table. Pulling out a letter, Chouri put it on his desk. "Do you know what this is?"

Tatsumi shook his head. It seemed Chouri was trying to test Tatsumi's boundaries of knowledge. "I don't."

"Two days from now, Captain Anthelm of the southern public safety department will be throwing a party in celebration of the newly established Jaegers unit. All officials are invited. It appears the Jaegers will be formally recognized and met by the members of the government there." Chouri explained.

"'All officials'… so you mean…"

"As in I am as well."

Tatsumi thought about it, his brow furrowed. "I would greatly recommend that you don't attend, sir. We know Honest is probably after you. He can't directly kill you in the palace where it'd be obvious that he orchestrated it. You'll be drawn out of the walls and likely assassinated. The Jaegers won't protect you; you understand that Esdeath probably gave the order to have you killed."

"That may be so but I would really like to establish ties with Anthelm. He is an influential person regarding public safety and a chance to connect like this is rare. Do you think that Esdeath would order the Jaegers to kill me right upon my arrival?"

"... no, sir..."

Tatsumi and Chouri could guess that if am assassination attempt did take place, it must be a discreet and unsuspecting one.

"... likely, they'd use poison… sir, you have to be careful with everything you're offered."

"Of course, I don't plan on consuming much if at all."

Tatsumi racked his head, trying to think if there was something he missed. If there were other methods of taking out Chouri that he wasn't considering. If they used an assassin to take out Chouri, then that would be a horrible way to introduce the Jaegers, with a failure. It had to be a discreet method… right?

"In order to maximize my safety, I will have to bring my best guards. Tatsumi, you and Radus will be attending along with me as well."

Tatsumi blinked. "Guards may attend?"

Chouri nodded. "Of course, I am a person of importance as a minister. I must have personal guards in attendance. I will be counting on you, Tatsumi."

Tatsumi flinched. He could make the mental leap. He was to attend a party where Esdeath was. She already seemed interested in him in their last meeting…

'No matter. Esdeath only had a passing interest in me last time… at a party, they'll be hundreds of people there. She certainly won't be able to see me among a group of so many…!' Tatsumi reasoned.

Tatsumi smiled. "Rest assured, minister Chouri. I will see to it that no harm meets you."

Chouri smiled back. "I suppose that concludes our talk."

…

Tatsumi left the room with Spear shortly after being dismissed. His mind was whirling with possibilities of the coming party.

'The chances that nothing occurs and it's a regular old party… God, I wish that would be the case… the most likely scenario would be that the drinks or foods are spiked… maybe the utensils, plates, or cups instead. If they're being really desperate, they might try to use a poison needle or something inconspicuous… in that scenario, I'll have to rely on my senses to protect Chouri…'

"... -to wear?"

Tatsumi snapped out of his trance. "I'm sorry what?"

"So what are you going to wear?" Spear asked again curiously. In Tatsumi's opinion, she seemed strangely excited for a party of which he and Chouri had been discussing a way to avoid the murder of her father. Tatsumi chalked it up to the natural urges of a woman to attend social events.

"Well I'm attending as a guard so my uniform most likely?"

Spear seemed disappointed. "Come on! It's a party!"

"Will you be in attendance too, Spear?"

"Yeah… it'll actually be my first time in a formal party." Spear admitted. "I don't know what we're supposed to wear actually."

"Guess I'll ask Radus. You can ask sir Chouri, right?" Tatsumi suggested.

"Sure…"

The two were silent for a while in awkward contemplation of what to say as they had both run out of topics to converse on.

"... well, see you at the party." Tatsumi respectfully offered.

"... yeah!"

Spear stopped at a door relatively close to Chouri's office. Her room was, of course, to be up on the higher floors.

She gave Tatsumi a smile before entering her room. "See you."

"Ah! Lady Esdeath! These men behind you must be the members of the renowned Jaegers you command!"

"You are perceptive, Anthelm."

Tall and lean, the man's sharp features exuded the confidence of an experienced politician. Dark, slicked-back hair framed his face, while piercing grey eyes assessed everyone with a calm, commanding gaze. Dressed in impeccably tailored grey clothes, he certainly looked like a host of the party, though less of a public safety department captain.

Seryu raised her arms into a salute stance. "Captain Anthelm! It is an honor to meet you! Captain Ogre spoke of you with great respect!"

"Hohoho!" He laughed in the weird manner noble old men sometimes laugh in. "Is that so? I remember him… a fine guard captain. It is a shame he was lost."

Seryu grimaced as a frown formed on her face. The memory of hearing the news of her teacher's death still felt fresh to her.

"He left a wonderful protégé behind." Anthelm reassuringly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Be proud."

"T-thank you, sir!" Seryu choked out, holding back tears of motivation.

"All of you go inside now." Esdeath ordered. "I'll have to discuss something with Anthelm privately."

The six of them nodded. "Understood!"

Anthelm waved away the guards that were in attendance with him. "This will be private. Leave us."

Esdeath and Anthelm started walking away from the presence of people. Finally, when Esdeath decided they had separated themselves from others well enough, she spoke up.

"Do you have something for me?"

Anthelm reached under his coat to his right breast pocket. He pulled out a small vial, no bigger than the top half of Esdeath's own pinky finger.

"It was a surprise in itself to receive a request from Honest himself but to imagine that you would be in on this plan was an even bigger surprise. I imagined you as one who rather didn't participate in political maneuverings, Lady Esdeath."

"It's shameful to say… but I never imagined that my hands would be tied. Apparently there are indeed problems in the world that brute force cannot solve." Esdeath returned.

Esdeath took the small vial from Anthelm and put it up in the air, examining the contents through the sunlight filtering through. It was a clear color that one might mistake for water easily. There was hardly anything within the vial, barely even a teardrop's worth of liquid.

"'Poseidon's spirits' as it's called among those who know about it. Extracted from the brain of the extremely rare aquatic danger beast, Cannavoros. It's a neurotoxic poison without any known cures known for causing the slowest death among all known poisons catalogued in human history with an assured death in 2 weeks. Eventually, after deteriorating the host's system, a simple heart failure would occur. All traces of the poison, by then, would be way too thinned out to be detected by even the best professionals meaning it will look like a completely natural death. The perfect poison for political assassination."

Esdeath whistled. She considered herself a bit of a connoisseur in the field of poisons but only for the ones that caused great pain. She didn't know about the 'Poseidon's spirits' but she found herself admiring it slightly. She did have an unusual interest in the morbid after all. "You must've worked quite hard to get a sample."

"It did cost me a good deal but if you know the right people, it isn't too difficult." Anthelm grinned.

Anthelm had long since been working with the prime minister. There were many people of nobility and prestige in the southern districts that supported the prime minister. Honest, in return, bought out the favors of the public safety captain in order to provide protection to his allies. Anthelm even commanded his men to act as though nothing occurred when the elites would torment the common people. The police were not doing their jobs. Anthelm gladly supported that if it meant the jingling in his pocket would be slightly louder.

"Well then, I'll be using this… gratefully." Esdeath said coolly, pocketing the vial.

She began to walk towards Anthelm's large mansion.

"Please… enjoy the party." Anthelm said, smiling with a slight bow.

"Woah, there's so many people here…!" Spear chirped upon arrival. Stepping out of the carriage, her gaze flew everywhere to see the fancy spectacles.

"Spear, you mustn't act so uncouth among these people. Remember, you have to act of class even though it's a party." Chouri commented.

Spear was dressed in a proper black dress that she complained "didn't fit her look." Tatsumi had to disagree, her appearance was definitely elevated from her usual casual clothing. The dress must've been designed to her custom, he suspected, as it highlighted her best features and hid away at her negatives like excessive muscles. Spear was unused to the finer choices in feminine attire as having usually worn martial arts gear. A dress severely hindered her movements so she felt exposed.

Chouri had to assure her that she looked wonderful many times. Chouri himself was wearing a well-fitted grey suit that made him look like what Tatsumi could only describe as a fancy sage. He looked both wise and powerful, authority in his demeanor.

Tatsumi and Radus were given white suits, per the orders of Chouri, who realized that he would be bringing two amateurs to a party. The suits, to Tatsumi's relief, were easy to move around in. Tatsumi grimly thought back to how similar his clothes were on the Ryuusen, when he lost Bulat Bro to the Three Beasts.

Similarly to back then, Tatsumi wasn't bringing a sword. To his dismay, swords were not allowed at a party. It appeared that bodyguarding duties would entail less of physical contact and much more reacting to external threats.

And if it came down to senses, Tatsumi could only hope. He had been training it as much as he could. Tatsumi was sure that if someone approached Chouri with a will to hurt, he'd be able to pick it up…

Even then, Tatsumi wasn't letting his guard down. Ever since the carriage had left the palace walls, Tatsumi spoke less than even Radus, keeping his nerves on high alert. There was only the slimmest of chances Honest would try to take Chouri out uninjured directly while during their carriage ride but Tatsumi would not take the chances. Chouri and Spear gave Tatsumi odd looks at times due to his seriousness.

Tatsumi examined the mansion at which the party was taking place. Unfortunately, it was big and there were many people attending. Too many factors. He wasn't sure if he could protect Chouri from every direction if they tried to attack from a chaotic environment as this one. Renewing his courage, he decided that he would use his body as a meat wall if he had to protect the minister.

"Tatsumi, nervous for your first attendance?" Spear teased.

Tatsumi nodded. "Very. It looks like it will be difficult to provide effective covering for a target in this setting."

"... I meant for the party."

"I don't think I should be. I don't think anyone should be paying attention to me. I'll just focus on my job."

Spear squinted her eyes at Tatsumi. "You actually look decent in that suit though. Better stay diligent when all the ladies ask you out."

Tatsumi looked down at his clothes. He wasn't sure if she was being serious or not. He never had an eye for detail after all. "I could never match your beauty, Lady Spear." He answered with his tried and true respectfulness.

Spear reddened slightly before turning towards the entrance. "Let's go already…"

Chouri laughed at the amusing interaction. Even the stoic Radus cracked a smile.

Entering through the great double doors of Anthelm's mansion, Tatsumi was overwhelmed with the sight of so many spectacles. Things seemed to glitter everywhere. The partying people wore a vast array of colors, each in their own mesmerizing way. Tatsumi blinked a few times to get used to the sight.

Things were over for Spear almost immediately. A swath of men waiting at the entrance for an important figure or their daughter to enter swarmed her, trying to acquaint themselves with a minister's daughter.

Another smaller yet prominent group of well-dressed individuals extended their hands in trying to form a connection with Chouri himself. Radus used his large frame to block those who approached Chouri and Tatsumi followed suit in trying to push away the people approaching Spear.

Tatsumi immediately felt anxious. Amidst all these sensations and presences, it would be impossible to focus and single out a person's malicious intent. Unless a party released a strong and distinctive level of bloodlust, Tatsumi would be unable to pick up anything in this sea of feelings. And no assassin worth their salt would be so amateurish to be so obvious in their attempt anyways.

'Shit… there's way too many openings for me to cover all of them…! I better stick close to Chouri.' Tatsumi thought.

Slowly, Chouri pushed through the crowd, Tatsumi and Radus orbiting around him and Spear towards the center of the supposed storm. A few of the servants tried offering drinks to which Chouri wisely refused. They were probably not poisoned but Tatsumi had made sure to encourage him to take every precaution.

Finally, their destination seemed to be in sight. Among the individuals standing at attention, the most distinguished was definitely the one in grey, the host of the party, captain Anthelm.

Tatsumi tensed as he saw the individuals that were accompanying him - the Jaegers.

Dressed in a blue suit and his trademark red scarf, the man that was currently in the midst of the conversation was Wave. He was sporting a smile that seemed to betray a level of relief and weariness. It seemed he was doing his best to stay afloat in the elegant upper-class environment. Tatsumi couldn't help but smile a little at seeing his face. It was the familiar face of one he considered a friend.

Next to him was the one currently doing most of the chatting with Anthelm - a blonde fair young man with a soft but strong look. He was wearing white like Tatsumi with a bright tailored suit that was white down to the shoes. A feather pin stuck out over his left ear which always confused Tatsumi because what the hell was that meant to signify? A fashion statement? Either way, he was another friendly face to see.

Seryu, too, was listening along, wearing a green dress. She held Koro in her arms like a little girl would to a doll that they loved. She wasn't contributing much to the talk but it seemed she was ecstatic to be a part of it anyways.

Dr. Stylish… he was right next to Seryu. He was wearing a white robe while sipping in that pompous way a man might imagine would be excessively elegant.

Towards the back, Bors and Kurome were standing distantly. Tatsumi smiled.

'Bors is still ever the shy one and Kurome still doesn't care...'

In the middle of the group was, of course, Esde-

'Why is she looking at me.'

Tatsumi instinctively flicked his eyes away for a moment and slowly drew them ba-

'She's still looking at me. Fuck.'

Tatsumi went stone faced as he drew his gaze down, hiding the panic slowly drawing up inside of him. He felt the urge to draw Chouri away and get the hell outta there.

Esdeath herself was delighted by the turn of events. She had not expected to see Tatsumi here.

'Goodness, he looks dashing in that suit.' She mused to herself. A smile formed on her face despite herself.

"Oh? Doctor Stylish, it's that soldier!" Seryu spoke aloud with a smile after noticing Tatsumi. She walked over casually to him. "Do you remember me? You gave us directions to the assembly building! Thanks a lot for that!"

Tatsumi gave a slight bow trying his best to not lose focus on Chouri's surroundings. "I am surprised that I chanced upon helping a member of the new Jaegers unit. I am honored."

"My, what a stylishly respectful young man!" Dr. Stylish sauntered over with a strange gait. He examined Tatsumi and seemed to be pleased. "Quite the well-formed specimen you are. I had not told you this before but I would love to operate on you."

"Please stand away from the minister." Tatsumi answered blankly. "I am his acting guard."

"Oh? You two already know Tatsumi?"

Tatsumi breathed out as his biggest headache approached. Sweat formed on his temple as Esdeath herself came towards him. Instinctively, he positioned himself between them and Chouri, trying to block their access to him, even though he himself wanted nothing more than to just bolt.

"Commander, you know this young man?" Seryu asked.

"Of course! We happened to meet a while ago… although we didn't get to talk much then." Esdeath purred. "His name is Tatsumi."

Tatsumi peeked upwards at Esdeath. She was looking with a rather strong interest down at him. Tatsumi was reminded of that time he saw a snake coiling around a small rodent it had caught. He was starting to lose worry for Chouri. It seemed he didn't have the luxury to worry for others right now.

Chouri cautiously took a step back away but kept in the vicinity. Radus and Spear grimaced as they watched.

"I- I am honored, general Esdeath…" Tatsumi peeped.

"You don't have to be so formal with me." She responded. "You can just call me 'Esdeath'."

'Okay. Why the fuck is she doing this to me?' Tatsumi glanced up into Esdeath's eyes. Unfortunately, Tatsumi could detect adoration in those orbs. 'Did she fall for me!? Why!? I didn't even do anything!'

Seryu and Stylish were looking on with a strange interest. The commander always seemed to care for titles and respect from others at least from what they knew of her. It was strange to see that this young man was exempt from that delegation.

"Seryu, Stylish, this one here is Tatsumi. Tatsumi, these two are Seryu and Stylish, members of my new police unit. It seems you only passed by without exchanging names." Esdeath spoke.

Tatsumi already knew just about everything about them already but he held his tongue. He stoically nodded with a hard expression. "I am honored…"

"Come now, don't be so nervous, Tatsumi! Smile!" Esdeath pouted.

"General Esdeath." Chouri raised his voice, entering the conversation. "It seems you are rather fond of our new guard."

Tatsumi flinched as Chouri entered the midst. Even though it was likely that Esdeath wouldn't outright murder him in the middle of the public, Tatsumi would rather not have him meet her. Esdeath turned her gaze towards Chouri. "Oh yes… minister Chouri. I must congratulate you for getting your old position back, I suppose."

The coldness in her tone was evident, especially when contrasted to how she was talking with Tatsumi just seconds earlier. Tatsumi felt his heart pound as he detected a competitive look in Esdeath's eyes when she looked at Chouri. She probably - no, she definitely wanted him dead, he realized.

"It is a privilege to receive your commendation, general." Chouri answered politely. If he detected her competitive tone, he did a great job not to show anxiety about it.

Tatsumi gulped as he felt the tension start to creak in his bones.

"Is that minister Chouri?" Anthelm's booming voice broke out. Breaking his conversation with Run, he excused himself with a gesture and drew through a crowd towards Chouri. Thankfully, Esdeath and the rest of the Jaegers started to draw back away from Chouri. Tatsumi felt a little sigh escape him.

Chouri smiled and raised his arm to Anthelm in greeting, which Anthelm proudly took, shaking firmly.

"I have been wanting to meet you, Captain Anthelm."

"Sir, as have I."

The two men fell into a natural jovial conversation of personal relationships, a skill experienced orators seemed to all have mastered.

"Your daughter has truly become a beauty, Chouri. She's blessed to be raised by someone who had the ability to raise the Capital."

"You praise me too much. Spear would have grown wonderfully without me. It is truly a blessing to be a parent. Do you intend to take a mistress yourself, Anthelm? A respected man as you must be of good prospect."

"I am married to my job currently. I would like to, one day. Spreading a legacy is a man's natural desire…"

The conversation drew on for a while before Chouri took the initiative to ask what he really came for.

"Captain Anthelm, would you work with me in order to elevate public safety? You are a capable man and my agency could use your abilities to better the Empire. Would you join me?"

Anthelm smiled professionally. He raised his glass of Ronanee Conti and declared loudly to the party, "Everyone! Today is a wonderful day for the Empire! Let us share a toast!"

Such was the plan. All heads turned. The Jaegers, who were the center of attention, were, for one moment, disregarded in response to Anthelm's passionate declaration. Anthelm would draw in everyone's attention using his privilege as the host of the party. Therefore, nobody was looking at them - the Jaegers. Nobody was looking at Esdeath as she withdrew the small vial and opened it. Nobody saw her as she popped it open.

Freezing 'Poseidon's spirits' into a thin needle-like shape, nobody noticed as it hovered in the air, spinning itself into alignment towards an individual - Chouri.

As long as it made its way into the body of its target, it would melt with the host's body heat and fuse into its system. Thus would be initiated the slow process of excruciating death.

Esdeath eyed Chouri's open left flank. The arm would do. She smiled.

She flicked her finger sending the needle of ice towards the unsuspecting minister. Just fast enough to pierce the flesh.

Anthelm grinned. Just as planned.

…

Tatsumi felt it.

Not bloodlust or any other malicious intent.

A simple wave of 'excitement' came from Anthelm. The range of Tatsumi's perception was increasing. Even in the crowd of people, Tatsumi could pick up the distinct taste of intense anticipation from Anthelm's unguarded heart.

Then, Tatsumi noticed how exposed Chouri's left side seemed to be. Reflexively, without thinking, he moved himself, reaching out with his right arm to get in position to guard-

A sharp and cold pain spiked in his right arm. Just a tiny amount. Tatsumi wondered if he imagined it as he checked his arm. It looked fine-

Tatsumi's arm tensed painfully as his right eye flickers red with agonizing pain.

'Boy!' The voice of the dragon echoed from within his mind. Tyrant's flesh had detected the poison. 'We've been poisoned!'

"Nnng!?"

Tatsumi fell to his knees as he gripped his tightening right arm. He felt an usual wave of tiredness seep into his consciousness. That spike of cold. From where and who? In which direction? No, that didn't matter. They were being attacked. Likely, Chouri would be attacked again.

"Radus! We're under attack!" Tatsumi shouted, recovering from his compromised position. His right eye dissolved back into its green hue.

Radus didn't understand what Tatsumi meant but thankfully, he responded quickly, covering Chouri and Spear, leading the confused duo towards the door. Tatsumi picked himself up and pushed his way along with the group.

"What? There was an attack?" Wave asked. He turned to look around at the bewildered people.

"Someone would dare make an attack with us here?" Seryu glared around the room. Koro jumped on top of her head and began scanning for suspicious people.

All members of the Jaegers were suddenly on high alert.

"Commander Esdeath? Are you alright?"

As the others were focused on the state of the room and potential assassins, Run alone had been perceptive enough to notice the change in their commander's composure. Esdeath's eyes were wide and her features were frozen stiff. Her lips were slightly parted.

"Commander-?"

"Excuse me for a moment."

Her tone was hard and unusually cold. It was enough of a warning to the rest of the Jaegers to not get in her way. The nearby members wisely took a step back away from her as she lowered her cap and marched towards Anthelm.

Anthelm tried meeting her with a welcoming smile. "Ah, Lady Esdeath! Has the party met your-"

"Follow me."

Anthelm's grin dissolved quickly as he detected the negative, almost hostile mood emanating from the general known for assaulting others when upset. He swallowed hard, an anxious expression taking over his expression as he wondered if he had made some sort of a mistake to put her in such a mood. He composed himself to the best of his measure before nodding. "Very well."

Anthelm waved away his guards as he followed the obviously-agitated Esdeath out of the mansion's walls and into a courtyard. Esdeath stopped to give Anthelm a hard glare.

"Bring me the antidote to that poison."

Anthelm swallowed his saliva, wetting his throat before making the cautious response. "I am very sorry, Lady Esdeath, but you ask for the impossible. No known cure-"

His response was cut short as Esdeath turned to grip the captain by his neck, lifting him above the ground.

"Someone I have not intended to hit has instead taken the poison… I need an antidote. Right. Now." Esdeath seethed through her teeth.

Anthelm choked as he gripped at Esdeath's wrist. His mind was in a haze but he rasped out the only answer he could provide to the angered woman. "I'm… sorry…!"

Esdeath held her pose for a slight few seconds. Her mind was in turmoil, trying to deny what the reality of the situation was. "Argh…!"
She tossed the man aside as though she were holding waste to be discarded. Pacing over to a nearby tree, she smashed her fist into it, caving the bark and toppling it.

Anthelm coughed as he held his throat gingerly, watching with confused and terrified interest in the actions of the normally cool general. Who on earth did she hit for her to be this upset?

Esdeath calmly breathed in and out. They both stood there silently for a few minutes until she broke the quiet. "Any chance a strong host could resist the poison?"

Anthelm was no poison expert and he certainly did not study up on the process of how 'Poseidon's spirits' reacts within a host. However, he was a smart enough man to know what Esdeath would probably want to hear.

"It isn't impossible… all toxins have a chance to be resisted by a host…"

The silence returned once more as Esdeath pondered on that answer. She held onto the belief that Tatsumi was a strong and talented man, but she also knew that he was a mere boy. His youthful body was far from reaching its full potential at that age and, likely, not at all experienced enough with harsh environments to survive a potent poison as 'Poseidon's spirits.' What hurt her most was the fact that she herself had been the one to administer it to him. She had tantamount killed the one she wanted to love without even enjoying the fruits of romance. A silent crack resounded in her heart.

She was being unfairly upset at Anthelm but she knew that the blame fell entirely on her. In her rush to steal Tatsumi away, she had, instead, ended his life. It was such a bitter irony that Esdeath almost felt like laughing. 'Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned in this…' she thought to herself.

She wondered to herself that maybe Tatsumi was simply too talented for his own good. Right after she had shot the needle, he had moved as though reacting to her murderous intent. But there was no way he could have. If he had, that meant he was able to perceive intents better than she could.

She sighed before looking up at the sky. All she could do now was hope, sadly, that he would survive the ordeal she had given him. She thought wistfully of that bright smile. She hoped she would see it again.

"Tatsumi… What did you mean we were under attack? What happened?"

Chouri asked as soon as everyone boarded the carriage. Immediately, the driver began to rush them back towards the palace.

Tatsumi's left hand was on his right arm, gripping it tightly. For some reason, all of the muscles in his right arm were tensed painfully. In fact, it was beginning to turn a slight blue hue as the veins began to protrude along the sides.

"When I moved to cover your left… I felt my arm intercept something... I believe it must have been a poison needle…" Tatsumi wheezed. His right arm felt uncomfortably painful and the strange tiredness was still eating away at his mind. The strange fatigue clawing up at his eyes, forcing him to fight for his consciousness. It was only getting stronger and more adamant with each second.

The group looked at Tatsumi's right arm. It certainly didn't look pretty.

"Sorry… I… something's…" Tatsumi rasped out before falling unconscious.

…

The darkness flooded Tatsumi's view as he awoke immediately in the Soul World.

'What the hell is happening!?' Tatsumi shouted out into the void. Had he been summoned here? Did Tyrant pull his soul down here? Did he have the ability to do that?

The air suddenly grew heavier, pressing down on him like an iron weight. Four piercing red eyes ignited in the darkness, glowing with an eerie brilliance as they locked onto Tatsumi. Their gaze was cold and ancient and it carried that usual distinct hint of menace.

"Boy. Your life is in danger. My flesh has detected the presence of a terrible bane within your body." The dragon's voice was deep and guttural, each word resonating through the void like the toll of a great bell. The dragon's eyes narrowed, burning with a grim intensity. "I have tried to contain the poison by hardening the flesh within your right arm, but that has failed. The toxins have spread beyond the arm—now they course through your veins, reaching deeper into your system with every passing moment."

A creeping numbness ran through Tatsumi's soul as if in response to the dragon's words. Tatsumi shivered. Tyrant had never sounded this urgent before and the switch from his usual frustrated tone was making Tatsumi nervous.

'Do you know what poison?' Tatsumi questioned. 'Maybe it can be cured?'

"I do not know nor do I hold hope for a cure." Tyrant's cold response sounded. The dragon's four glaring eyes, fierce and unblinking, pierced through the darkness like twin pairs of crimson suns. Their gaze held no warmth, no trace of friendship—only brutal honesty and command.

"Boy," Tyrant growled, his voice heavy with finality. "I will not allow any more waiting. The matter is out of your hands now. Find my key and wear my armor. Do so, and you may have a chance to survive."

It was a sound suggestion—logical and probably his only hope. Tatsumi knew how much resistance Incursio's armor provided its user from firsthand experience. The dragon's flesh was nearly indestructible, a bulwark against physical harm and foreign threats alike. If anything could slow or neutralize the toxin, it was that armor…

'Hold up. Don't you already have some of your flesh within me? Can't you use that to purge the poison from my system?'

"I have already tried," Tyrant rumbled, his voice steady but devoid of comfort. "You only have but a scant amount of my flesh embedded within you, and that is solely for the purpose of aiding your healing process. It is insufficient to purge the toxin completely."

'... how long do I have?' Tatsumi's voice echoed faintly in his own mind, the question tasting like ash in his throat.

Tyrant's eyes flickered, narrowing slightly as if reluctant to speak. Finally, the dragon exhaled a heavy breath, the air around them shimmering with dark energy. "... the poison is fairly slow-acting but it spreads its roots deep. You have likely two weeks before the embedding is finished and the spreading cannot be stopped."

The words lingered in the dark void like a heavy fog. Tatsumi grimly considered his options, his mind racing through possible courses of action. At the very least, he had one valuable resource: time.

Two weeks. It wasn't much, but it was far better than nothing. He could work with that.

It made sense, in hindsight. If the poison had acted swiftly, killing him on the spot, it would have immediately cast suspicion on those attending the party. A slow, creeping death was far more insidious—harder to detect, harder to trace.

Tatsumi was grateful that he had both time and Incursio's soul and flesh fused with him so that he might come up with a plan of action. In two weeks, could he find Night Raid and borrow Incursio from Bulat before then? It would be a difficult endeavor to explain everything to them too…

Tyrant's glowing eyes followed Tatsumi's soul carefully, observing every flicker of thought and every tightening of resolve. He had an idea—a dark, dangerous idea—but hesitated for a moment. Not because it wasn't feasible, but because he was curious. Just how far was this boy willing to go?

"... Perhaps..." Tyrant said, his deep voice cutting through Tatsumi's swirling thoughts, "... there is another method."

'Another method?' Tatsumi asked cautiously.

"Yes. A risky one." Tyrant answered. "With two weeks at our disposal, it is only possible due to your unique situation. The rate at which you metabolize ingestions and process with the aid of my flesh means that you have a chance."

'At what?'

Tyrant's eyes gleamed with a sinister glow. "Instead of testing my ability to adapt, we'll test yours. Build immunity. You cannot survive the poison in your current state, and neither is my flesh within you capable of neutralizing it entirely. Therefore, you must strengthen your body. Take in less-lethal poisons and steadily increase the doses, forcing your body to adapt. In two weeks, you must build enough tolerance to resist the full effect of the toxin."

'That means… I'd have to poison myself over and over again?'

Tatsumi said, a little queasy from just the thought. But aside from meeting up with Night Raid and taking Incursio, there wasn't much of a choice left.

In fact, the more Tatsumi thought about it, the more he realized how building up his body's tolerance would have long-term advantages. Strengthening his immune system, making his body more adaptable—these were skills that would serve him well in the future, far beyond this current crisis.

When the tides changed, Tatsumi too had to change with them. Life had never been forgiving. Adapting to overcome hardships was going to be an inevitable part of his path. This was just another trial, another mountain to climb.

'Let's do that… building up resistance.' Tatsumi declared. 'I lived through worse after all.'

For a moment, silence followed. The air grew colder, heavier. Tyrant's presence seemed to coil around Tatsumi like a living shadow, its dark energy wrapping around him in spiraling tendrils. The dragon's four eyes burned brighter as he studied the boy's soul in detail, picking him apart piece by piece, examining the strength that lay within his core.

Tatsumi could feel the weight of Tyrant's scrutiny—ancient and powerful. It wasn't a gaze that judged him harshly, but rather one that assessed him carefully, calculating his odds of survival. And perhaps, hidden somewhere deep in that darkness, there was something else—a flicker of interest.

"You are stubborn indeed to refuse my armor even now." Tyrant proclaimed. Tatsumi could have sworn he detected a shred of amusement emanating from the dragon's soul—a rare, almost playful edge to his usually cold tone. "It would be so much easier if you simply donned my armor… the poison would be eradicated instantly. You would have no worry. Yet you still declare that you would go down the harder, harsher path?"

Tatsumi would have gulped if he still had a mouth and neck. He couldn't tell what the beast was thinking but it felt like he was testing him.

'It's not that I'm denying Incursio,' Tatsumi thought, his voice steady but thoughtful in the dark void. 'I know you have amazing power… but for now, I want to overcome things on my own.'

The air grew still, and the darkness seemed to hold its breath. Silence stretched between them, thick and almost tangible. Then, slowly, the void stirred once more, rumbling with what felt like a reluctant grunt.

"I shall let it happen," Tyrant said at last, his voice lower and heavier, like the grinding of ancient stone. "I have no misgivings about strengthening my host before fusing. You will either emerge hardened by this trial or perish beneath it. If you could not overcome something of this through your own caliber, then you could never overcome that ice demon."

The dragon's presence began to recede, his crimson eyes fading into the swirling shadows. The oppressive darkness around the world seemed to brighten slightly, shifting into something less suffocating. Tatsumi could feel a strange lightness returning, his soul slowly untethering itself from the void. His body called to him, his senses stirring as the waking world drew closer.

"Survive your own attempts to kill yourself, boy." Tyrant's voice chuckled, the sound cold and mocking, yet strangely approving. The last thing Tatsumi heard before his consciousness fully slipped away was the dragon's laughter, echoing like a distant storm.

…

Tatsumi awoke with a jolt, his eyes snapping open as the world around him came into focus. He was still in the carriage, the familiar rocking of the wheels beneath him grounding his senses. The muffled sounds of the outside world filtered in, but his body felt disjointed—disconnected from reality, as though his soul was still lingering somewhere between life and death.

The moment his eyes met the faces of Chouri, Radus, and Spear, he saw their startled expressions. They had been watching him intently, no doubt concerned by his sudden stillness.

"Tatsumi! Are you alright?" Spear was the first to ask. "You said you were poisoned!?"

Tatsumi glanced down at his right arm. He couldn't feel the poison at all. But he felt his blood seemingly flow through his veins coldly nonetheless.
Tatsumi sighed as he gathered his thoughts. His mind felt thick, like wading through fog, but the clarity began to return. Right now, his task was crystal clear - inject non-lethal amounts of poison consistently into his system. The process was a brutal one, and though it took months or even years for most to build immunity, Tatsumi knew he didn't have that kind of time.

Two weeks. That's all he had before the poison fully took root. He had no luxury of patience. No safety net. In two weeks, he would have to make his body suffer, tear every cell apart and rebuild it anew.

He didn't have the luxury to rely on Incursio - he himself was going to have to evolve. It would be the ultimate test.

Tatsumi couldn't suppress a smirk. Incursio would want it this way. He realized that with a certain grim satisfaction. The armor didn't want to be wielded by someone who couldn't keep up, someone who couldn't evolve with it. If Incursio had any say in the matter, it would choose someone capable of meeting the same evolutionary strength. The armor itself was not enough. The vessel—the user—had to be just as formidable.

Everything seemed to be getting in Tatsumi's damn way. His lack of strength, wounds, and now even poison. Nothing would leave him be, it seemed.

Everything seemed to be getting in Tatsumi's way. His lack of strength. The wounds that still pulsed with discomfort. And now the poison threatening to tear him apart from the inside. Nothing would leave him be. But that was alright. He had overcome far worse to be where he was right now.

Tatsumi had survived death's grip countless times. And he would again.

He raised his head, locking eyes with Chouri, his expression hardening into one of resolute determination.

"Sir Chouri, I have a strange but necessary request."

Chouri stared at him, brow furrowing in curiosity, but Tatsumi's steady gaze told him everything he needed to know. This wasn't a request made lightly.

"Please obtain some poison for me."