Chapter 18: This is Ice

"Got it," Akame exclaimed, burying the spectator teigu into her pouch while Bulat, his teigu, incursion activated covering him in a set of bulky, full body armour. In his hand a long halberd with a blood red metal making up the broad tip.

"Good, then lets get to Lubbock, he's going to need the help keeping everyone safe." Bulat replied.

"Mmm-" Akame's simple exclamation was cut short as she unsheathed Murasame from her hip, falling into a combat stance along with Bulat, both their weapons directed to the entrance of the vault where a tall, lanky figure was stepping through the doorframe. The side of his clothes drenched in blood that was still dripping onto the ground even now.

"Oh good~ oh good~ Bulat and Akame~ Bulat and Akame~ six found~ six found~ Her Greatness will surely reward me with a boot~ I do hope it still smells of her~ kekeekekekee~"

"Take it you're our trespasser?" Bulat held the tip of his spear in the direction of the skeletal form while Akame analysed every way she could get a cut in and let Murasame's poison get to work. Frowning when she saw very few, whoever this was, they were skilled.

"Oh yes~ oh yes~ just a curious onlooker~" the man cackled, body twitching as he stood up straight, easily towering over both Bulat and Akame, even were they standing on eachothers shoulders.

"That Lubbock is being so rude~ so rude~ I barely got through these floors without running into his wires~ he has so many~ Hmm~" the man twisted his head around near a full one eighty degrees looking at Akame, specifically at her hip, "whats this~ whats this~ a teigu untamed~ ah~ her greatness would be so pleased if I brought it to her~ perhaps she may even give me a stocking~"

Akame twisted her body to hide her satchel behind her back, keeping ready to lunge at the intruder at any moment.

"Please give~ please give~ and your tongue~ cutie~ it would taste so nice with the others~"

"Now that is just plain creepy." Bulat muttered, turning his eyes to his side, nodding to Akame. Getting one in return, both shooting forward a second later, towards the man.

Bulat arrived first, Incursio's increasing his speed and physical prowess, thrusting his spear, Neunote straight through where the chest of the man should have been had the skin and bone not squirmed and moved out of the way, the mans legs unmoving.

Bulat frowned beneath his helmet, jumping backwards to let Akame go in for a slash, only for her to miss as well when the man's legs kicked out sending him flying back against the wall. Hands rotating in their joints until the palms connected to the wall, swiftly carrying Krave up the wall and onto the roof.

"Oh cutie~ its just a tongue~ just a tongue~ It will only hurt a little~" Krave lunged towards the ground away from Bulat and Akame as Bulat's spear crashed into the ceiling where he had just been latched onto.

Not getting any rest as his body collapsed to the floor, body lying flat on the ground just as Akame's katana tried to lash out at his neck. Quickly creeping away, continuing to lunge and pounce away when Bulat sprung into the air, tearing Neunote from the ceiling, and slammed it down where he was scuttling, shattering the floor of the room, sending all three of them down a floor. Akame hopping between the rubble as it fell to keep upright as she continued her assault on the nimble Krave.

"Oh I'm hungry~ I'm hungry~" he muttered, coming to a stop on all fours, his Glasgow smile growing wider and toothy. Beady glass eyes locking on Akame as grumbling tittering's came from his stomach. "Just one bite~ one bite~" his body shivered, sending a spurt of blood out of the cut on his side.

Licking his lips, Krave went on the attack, lunging towards Akame, ars raising up, skin on his hands cracking and bursting apart as his skeletal fingers met air, each sharpened and jagged like a saw.

Akame frown, Murasame slicing through the air towards the bone ligaments to sever them like it had done so many times before.

Yet she met not a smooth cut, but a clang as if she struck metal. She frowned, "thick bones…"

Krave burst away as Bulat once again lunged him and continued the chase along with Akame.

"KAKEEKEKEKEKE~" Krave clatterings grew louder, no longer did he attack or dodge, he simply ran towards the nearest window.

Both Akame and Bulat's eyes widened in realization, speeding up even more than they already were. But they were too late as Krave crashed through the third window of the day, flinging his body far into the forest, head turning back to them with wide grin.

His hand raising tauntingly in the air, gripped there between five bone fingers was a single, silver eye. Akame blanched, hand shitting to her side, her satchel was torn open, It contents of mission supplies and treats leaking to the ground.

Her expression growing a dangerous glint as Krave burst through the tree cover, disappearing into the forest.

"Najenda's not going to be happy about that," Bulat sighed, letting incursion deactivate, returning itself to its usual sword shape before sheathing it on his back.

"Don't worry about it. I don't have time to be pissed of right now," both turned back, looking up to the floor above where Najenda was kneeling over the edge of the hole, Parc standing just behind her. "He get away?"

Both nodded, "great, was hoping we could kill him." She rubbed her head with a grunt, "well, Bulat, can you go find Mine, Sheele and Leone, they should be together. Tell them to meet us at the temp-base to the east. Akame, your with me and Parc, we're going to get Lubbock and the girls out. We'll pick things up at temp, figure out where to go from here."

"On it," Bulat nodded, turning back to the windowsill and hopping out of it. Reactivating Incursion to cushion his fall.

Akame kicked off the rubble littered ground, climbing through the hole, grabbing Najenda's offered hand to pull her out of the room.

***

"General Esdeath's conquest is going by swiftly. A few more days and she should have their hero firmly ground into the mud," one of the Emperors advisors reported within the throne room of the Imperial palace.

Said advisor's cheek twitching as he listened to the grotesque and vile crunches of the Prime minister gnawing on a slab of meat besides the Emperor himself.

"Good, I expect nothing less of the general," the Emperors immature voice filled the silent throne room. "Firal, what are your reports on these rebels? Night Raid? They've been much more prevalent nowadays."

Firal, a red headed advisor stepped forward and bowed to the Emperor and Honest, "Yes, well, it would seem that Night Raid has just earlier this night assassinated a known worker for the empire, a Gilbert Rekter who had been tasked with clearing out insurgent forces within the capital."

"A report has also come in about a young boy and girl, Tatsumi and Seryu, members of the Imperial guard who were capable of successfully ambushing two members of nightraid, severely injuring one. But were unable to confirm a death before a third arrived and helped them escape. It should be noted that all three members of Night Raid made use of teigu along with this Seryuu Ubiquitous girl."

The Emperor's eyes widened in excitement, head tilting to the side as Honest whispered into his ear, "bring in these Seryuu Ubiquitous and Tatsumi, we should grant them a reward for being able to even harm one of Night Raid, the only ones to have even done that to this point."

The red haired advisor bowed his head, "Yes your Imperial Majesty, I shall have them in you chambers as soon as they are ready. Currently both are injured so they are currently recuperating and getting treatment for their wounds."

"That is fine-" the Emperor's shivered, feeling the ambient temperature in the room plummet as cracking noises sprung up from the doorway. His, as well as everyone else in the room, rose their eyes to the large doorway. Shivering when the saw it growing a layer of frost on it.

The six imperial advisors recoiled in fear at realization of what this meant. While both the Emperor and Honest frowned. Both silent as the hinges on the door shattered into pieces, letting the frozen door tilt with a creak, falling to the ground before shattering into millions of pieces itself.

Stepping over the wreckage were four forms, a the front, a buxom, blue haired beauty, and the most dangerous person in the entire Empire. General Esdeath, back from her mission much earlier than ever expected.

Behind her, were her three bodyguards and her most loyal of soldiers. Daidarra, a large, muscular, white pupiled man with spikey blonde hair. Liver, a tall, grey haired man which seemed to exude the word 'gentleman'. And lastly, Nyau, a small cat like boy with neck length blonde hair. All three dressed in a black version of Esdeath's regiment's uniform.

"General," Honest spoke up, "I do not believe I ordered for your return," Honest growled out, tearing flesh away from bone, crunching it in his oily maw.

Esdeath and her beast knelt before the steps leading to the Emperor and Honest, "Daidarra," she ordered.

The large man pulled a canvas bag from behind his back, the bottom of it coated in a sticky white liquid. Pulling it open before digging in it, tossing a severed head onto the floor before the steps.

The head was of a young man with chiseled, handsome features, his expression curled into one of pure ecstasy.

One of the advisors stepped forwards, lifting the head from the ground to see the face up close, mouth widening in shock, "It's… it's the head of Numa Seika, the hero of the northern tribes." The advisor turned to the Emperor, "the Northern tribes have been conquered." He said.

Honest chuckled, then went into fullblown laughter, "well done, well done," his voice fell, "still, I did not call for your return. What are you doing here, Esdeath. You should be stabilizing the region, ensuring our control remains true."

Esdeath lifted her head, a cruel smile on her face that caused even him to shiver, "That won't be an issue, I've left the barbarians with a gift that will forever warn them to never step against the Empire."

"I've returned because of a single reason, a… personal one if you may." Her eyes sparkled a strange light none but those three behind her had ever seen.

"And, what may this 'personal reason' be?" Honest questioned.

"You, most recently I have found myself interested in seeking something in the line of love."

Any chattering that had been going on went silent, all growing shocked at her sudden proclamation of seeking love.

"Th-" the Emperor stutted, "that's right, you are of marriageable age, and yet to have married."

Honest felt a drip of sweat trail down his blubbery cheek, 'I can use this to keep her under my thumb,' he cruelly thought. "I see no problem with that. However, you surround yourself with those who adore you, do you not?"

Esdeath smirked, "Yes I do, but those are all pets. Nothing worth falling for. That, I have already discovered."

"Really? And who might this lucky man be?" the Emperor asked, a hint of curiosity to his excited voice.

"His name is Parc Evans, a boy I encountered as I was heading into the Northern lands. We fought for a bit before I captured him and brought him into my fold. I trained him a bit and gradually grew to find my heart palpitating unusually fast in his presence. I soon learnt that this emotion was something called 'love'" Esdeath explained, her smile falling soft to a loving and exceedingly ominous degree. That were every one in here not aware of her sadistic personality, would have been mistaken for one of any sane woman in love.

"Hoo, I must congratulate him. Does he happen to be here?" Honest stroked his scraggly beared, pondering the ways he may bend this 'Parc Evans' to becoming the tool he needed to keep Esdeath firmly under his thumb.

Frost burst out in a circle around Esdeath, stopping just shy of the advisors who fell away, Daidarra, Liver and Nyau jumping away to avoid the ice from killing them. "Months after his training began, our camp was assaulted by a league of Northern barbarians. During which I came to learn that Parc had ran from the camp. I sent many of my scouts out to search for him and eventually one returned to me with news that he was in the Capital and the surrounding area…" Particles of ice began to fill the air, flittering down like snowflakes.

"It appears that my beloved has taken ties with the rebel organization known as Night Raid." That seemed to awaken all within the palace, the advisors blanching along with the emperor while Honest's teeth cracked the bone that was in the slab of meat.

"He what?" Honest growled.

"Yes, I can understand your frustration, Prime Minister. It came as quite a shock to me as well. But I have a request… I wish to take over all counter measures against Night Raid so that I might liberate my beloved from their mind-altering rituals and return him to the light of the Empire."

"Ne-" Honest blurted only to be interrupted.

"Granted!" the Emperor shouted, shocking all inside.

"B-but your Majesty! Grand general Budou is in charge of the capital forces is he not!?"

"I'm sure he will be fine with this. It isn't as if General Esdeath wishes to take over all the forces in the city. Tell me, is there anything you need to assist in taking out Night Raid and returning Evans to us?"

Esdeath's criminal smile returned to her face, "I hear those of Night Raid make use of Teigu. And the only way to fight a Teigu, is with another. I request a special group be put together consisting of six teigu users under subservience to the Empire. That will be all I need to ensure the safety of the capital."

"Th- that's. Do you not already have those three behind you? I her you have another, people call him the 'Centipede' do they not?" the Emperor suddenly felt a shiver crawling along his spine as clicks filled the air.

"Ah, your Majesty, I must say your timing is impeccable." Esdeath stood up, turning her head skywards to a figure creaping along the ceiling, frowning when she noticed a crimson droplet fall before her.

"Your Majesty, I would like to introduce to you the newest of my forces. Krave, or as you called him, the 'centipede'." Kraves body contorted, elongated, thinning as his chest fell to the floor, fingers clutching into the stone before his back and hips retracted, joining him on the ground floor.

Standing to his full height, Krave began to cakle, "Kekeekakee~ It is my pleasure to meet you your Majesty~ I am Krave~" Krave bowed at the hips, letting the Emperor get a disgusted look at his dead, skeletal visage. As well as the blood red dripping stain on his side.

"You are hurt?"

"Hmm~ yes~ yes~ I infiltrated Night Raids little hideout~ found a delicious little morsel~ but it stabbed me~ it stabbed me~ kakeekekekee~" Once again silence befell the chamber like it tended to do before bursting into a storm of questions.

"YOU INFILTRATED NIGHTRAID!?"

Krave didn't answer the advisors.

"Is this true? Were you able to find anything out?" Honest apoke up, true curiosity and excitement in his eyes.

"Six~ six~ I found six~ Parc~ Akame~ Najenda~ Bulat~ Lubbock~ Sayo~ there are more~ there are more~ Kakeee~"

Prime Minister Honest scowled, that was practically all of the ones they already knew of, including this Parc, person who had so thoroughly engrossed the general. "This Sayo, what can you tell of her?"

"Cripple~ cripple~ legless cripple~ a threat she isn't~ a beauty she is~ her tongue~" Krave lifted his bone white fingers to his face, his tongue lulling out of his mouth, hanging to his collar bone, slowly raising to wrap around his fingers, "her tongue~ so soft~ so… warm~ her blade sharp~ ah~ I hunger~" he turned to Esdeath pleadingly.

Esdeath smiled, "Prime Minister, of all the advisors here, which is of the least value?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Honest stroked his beard, before pointing to a skinny man on the right, "him, Qilin, he's a spy for the rebels. We've been feeding him false information."

Qilin froze, horror on his face, "WHA!? NO I AM NOT I HAVE BEEN NOTHING BU-" Qilin was silenced as a cone of ice pierced through his skull, killing him instantly, spattering blood across the chambers.

The Emperor turned white, but resisted the urge to throw up, this was what was to be expected of a traitor. Such had Honest told him.

"Krave, you may eat," Esdeath, calmy said to the happily dancing giant.

"Thank you your Greatness~ thank you your Greatness~ Before I eat~ I bring a gift~" Krave rooted around his back, holding out a silver eye to her, "a Teigu~ a Teigu~ one of Night Raids~ one of Night Raids~ Kekeekeke~"

Esdeath lifted the Teigu from Krave's hand. The moment he felt its weight disappear, he lunged towards the body. His cheeks tearing open as his lower jaw dislocated, widening further than any humans should, his teeth sharpening to razor thin blades before latching firmly into the corpse of Qilin's flesh. Tearing chunks away, happily reveling as the taste of blood flesh and bones filled his stomach.

Esdeath ignored the sound of crunching flesh and bones. Something only Honest seemed unfazed by.

Her eyes opened in recognition of the Teigu, 'Spectator is it, this was stolen by that Zank was it not?' she thought. Recalling the abilities, the previous owner before Zank had written about. 'Farsight, I believe he called it…' she grinned, flipping it around in her hand, until the bare silver back was pointed to her.

Raising it to her forehead, letting it suction to her head, 'show me my love,' she ordered it.

It's eye burst open while hers shut. Her vision raced through trees and foliage, through wall and stone, until it stopped, there beneath her, walking across the forest was a boy, surrounded by many, in his arms a purple haired girl, wrapped in thick red blanket to keep her warm as her expression contorted in pain.

She saw the worry in her beloveds eyes, how much he cared for the woman in his arms. How she wished he would look at her with those warm, loving eyes.

Just as quickly as the scene appeared, it faded away, a headache forming in her head, 'you dare?' she thought, forcing the headache to subside. The act of doing so shattering the jade eyeball on her forehead, loosing its suction ability where it fell to the floor. Completely useless to any now.

"I am coming my love. And no whore will stop me."

***

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So... I just watched the first episode of Panty and Stocking... what the actual fuck is this and why do I love it?