Chapter 34: Briefing

It was a grotesque scene, bodies littered the floor of the dojo, most in various states of destructions. Limbs were flung across the room along with heads. Holes were bored through chests, torsos were ripped in half.

Outside was not much better, while the bodies were whole, they all showed signs of strangulation with a sharpened wire that cut through flesh and made blood flow from the arteries within.

'Its him…' Kurome thought as she looked down at the dojo masters body. Layered in various bodily fluids with three holes cut through his head, stomach and heart. She could tell that what had happened to these men was done by Doho, and judging by how dead he was, she predicted he didn't do it willingly.

"Holy," Wave held his palm against his mouth trying not to gag from the stench of day old meat in a heatwave. "This is what Night raid can do?" shivers shimmied down his spine.

"I wonder," Dr. Stylish muttered stroking his goatee, "I haven't heard of any Teigu that can cause this much carnage. Ahhh," he sighed excitedly, "I want to see it. I wonder what sorts of experiments I can do with it."

Wave took one large step away from the mad scientist.

'I have…' Kurome picked out a cookie from her bag, getting strange looks from Wave who couldn't believe she could be eating with such a scene before her.

Kurome walked around the room, looking for any clues she could point out, but as far as she could see all that had happened was the dojo master going on a rampage after Parc's mind controlling him. She lifted her head to the banisters in the ceiling, likely where Parc was hiding while waiting for Doho to arrive.

"Kurome! Lets go, there's nothing here," Wave called to her after minutes of silence between the three.

"Mmm…" she mummed and turned to him, stepping over the bloodied corpses and viscous fluids. Following behind Wave while keeping a good distance from Stylish who had transferred his eyes from the mess inside to her neck. Once again putting her on edge for the hundredth time since the Jaegers were formed.

***

The meeting room was packed with the six Jaegers, each doing their own thing while they waited for Esdeath to arrive and begin the briefing for their coming tasks.

"What was it like by you?" Run asked Wave.

Wave blanched, "horrible, everyone was dead. There was barely any place to walk that wasn't covered in blood and other gunk. I think one of them even pissed themselves before trying to run away." He relayed in layman's terms what he had seen. "You guys?"

The group had been separated into two groups of three switching out members every day to get them to grow accustomed to each other before going on a full-scale team mission with all si of them together.

"Nothing," Run sighed, he as well as Seryu and Bols had been sent out to scout around the area for any tracks they could follow. Only predictably finding nothing but a single pair of bloodied footprints that faded away after a few blocks which he believed was just some unlucky individual who happened to have survived Night Raids assault on the dojo.

Koro, Seryu's teigu had tried to track the trail with scents but it wasn't crafted for that purpose making it incredibly weak in that aspect even though it resembled a dog.

The room went into an awkward silence, the only noise being that of Seryu oiling and cleaning her arms and Kurome crunching down on treats while her cheek twitch in annoyance at how Stylish was still looking at her.

The door to the room was soon flung open, cracking against the wall causing Wave to jump and look to it. "Good, you're all here," General Esdeath said entering the room. A giant skeleton of a man following behind her, his ribs visible beneath his skin-tight suit. On his face a white, bug eyed mask that left his lower face untouched and showed of his manic grin and scars that gave him an eternal smile.

"Who's that?" Wave asked looking suspiciously to the tall man.

"Kakeke~ A friend~ a friend~ her greatness has allowed me to assist you babies~ Kakeekeke~" Wave visibly recoiled at the hunched giants words, face growing pale. The way he spoke sending shivers down his spine.

"Krave," Esdeath said with a cold voice, "they are not babies…"

Wave nearly opened his mouth to say 'thank you.'

"They are worthless foetuses that can't hold their own against a leaf."

And he shut his mouth instantly.

"Ah~ yes~ yes~ I am sorry your greatness~ I should have seen~ I should have seen~" Krave licked his lips hunching even further behind Esdeath, even doing so he still towered over Esdeath.

"I have heard of you," Stylish said looking with interest to Krave, "a cannibalistic mad man with a teigu that allows you to control the very fabric of your body. While I must say your 'manners' or lack there of are utterly unstylish. Your teigu has peaked my interest. Perhaps I could stylishly perform some experiments on you and make you even more stylish." Stylish pushed himself up from his seat and walked up to Krave, crossing an arm over his chest and rubbing his brow as he looked up to the giant who was staring at him with a crooked grin.

"Kekakee~" Krave laughed, "Kakekekekeekakee~" his laughter grew stronger until the scars on his cheeks began to tear, dripping blood onto the floor, his lips curling revealing the dozens of jagged teeth within his mouth.

"Krave. You're getting the floor dirty," Esdeath reprimanded.

"Ah~ I apologize your Greatness~ I just found this ducks idea amusing~"

'Duck?' everyone thought at the same time.

Krave leant down to Stylish's level, "I don't want your dirty toys in me~ Stylish~ The only one who can touch me is her Greatness~ Kakekeke~" Krave lumbered around Stylish, making his way deeper into the meeting room, stopping against the wall at the back. His steps lacking in any sound one might expect from a man his size.

"Anyone else terrified of him?" Wave asked around the table getting small shrugs and shaken heads. "Really? No one? Stylish just said he was a cannibal."

"I'm sure he was being hyperbolic," Run said.

"Nope~" Krave hummed from the wall, "humans are my favourite~" His grin widened as he looked between Seryu and Kurome, "especially the tongues of pretty young girls~ So chewy~" Drool trickled from his lips as he cupped both his cheeks in his hands, "so moist~ so full and rich~ Ahhh~ Freshly plucked ones are the best~ you can sautee them~ fry them~ boil them~ my favourite is raw~"

Wave swallowed, wishing that grumbling noise was coming from Kurome and not the real life cannibal with a tongue fetish.

"While Krave is indeed a strange individual. He is one of my strongest soldiers." Esdeath said slamming her hand down on the end of the table to get everyones attention just as Stylish sat down across from Seryu. "He will be assisting me in beating you all senseless until you can actually take on threats such as stones or perhaps twigs."

'Does she have to degrade us so much?' Wave whimpered in silence.

"But…" Esdeath trailed off, "… that will be for later. For now I will be briefing you all on the current known members of Night Raid as well as our primary target within Night Raid." Seryu's eyes sharpened, growing serious as she locked eyes on Esdeath. She had been waiting for this.

"In the effort of not wasting more of my time than necessary, I will begin right away." Esdeath threw folders down onto the table, the six Jaegers all reaching out to grab one and flipped through it.

"We'll start with Sheele. The current wielder of the teigu, Extasy, a pair of scissors capable of cutting through any known material, as well as being the one to have gifted sweet Seryu with missing arms. Her last known status is heavily injured, but chances are high that she has since recovered and will be making an appearance in the Capital these coming weeks."

The sound of metal creaking filled the room as Seryu clenched her prosthetic hands tight around the black and white image of Sheele, crumpling the paper, threatening to tear it.

"Next, Mine. Wielder of the teigu, Pumpkin, a variable ranged weapon with three differing states all of which are documented in the file. Go through it on your own time and memorize it. Currently the only known true long ranged fighter within Night Raid. While not as deadly up close, she is not to be underestimated. Pumpkin is an incredibly dangerous teigu that only gets stronger the more danger the wielder is in."

"Lubbock. Teigu is called Cross-tails and is a collection of prehensile razor wire. It is assumed he is the trapper of Night Raid. He was previously a member of the Empire's army but abandoned it along with Najenda, who we will get to in a moment."

"Sayo," Seryu frowned as she saw the image of a black haired girl, the name was familiar to her, but she didn't remember from where. "Unknown if she wields a teigu. The only member of Night Raid we know of who is a non-combatant."

"Uh, General," Wave interrupted, "it says here, one legged? What does that mean."

Esdeath blankly stared at Wave like she was staring at an idiot.

Turning back to the folder in her hand she continued.

"Akame. You are all to take special care when dealing with her. Her teigu, Murasame will kill you in seconds if it so much as pricks a hole in your toe."

Kurome's eyes turned to daggers as she stared down at the paper. Her sister, her beloved sister. The one she wanted dead the most. The one who left her to rot in the empire.

"Bulat. Otherwise known as the hundred man slayer. Wielder of Incursio, the precursor to Wave's Grand Chariot. Of all the members of Night Raid, he is arguably the strongest of the entire known group."

"Finally, we get to Najenda. An ex-general of the Empire who turned tails and defected to the Rebel armies. Teigu unknown. Believed to hold none. Currently she is believed to be the leader of Night Raid and takes priority in killing should she be discovered. Do not mince around with her. Although she may be weakened from loosing an arm, she is still a General class threat. She can and will kill you if you show the slightest of hesitation."

"These seven are to be killed on sight. Capture is unnecessary." She said, slapping the seven pages down on the table.

"General," Run voiced flipping to the next page where another face was drawn in black and white, "what about him? Parc Evans? I don't recall seeing this poster on the wanted boards. Is he newly discovered?"

"No," Esdeath's eyes grew soft as she stroked a finger over the cheek of the drawing, "we have known of Parc for a long time. It is only recently we learnt of his involvement with Night Raid." Everyone was left dumbfounded at the sight of Esdeath's soft appearance, her pale skin growing rosy around her cheeks.

But that soon changed as she turned to the Jaegers, "of the members of Night Raid, Parc is the only one you are not to kill. I want him captured and brought to me, preferably in one piece."

Kurome was filled with silent contempt of Parc, her hand raising to rub her neck, hesitating when she felt the collar. Poking at the buckle like she had grown accustomed to. But stopping just before she could touch the prong. Like a dog she had come become accustomed to the 'pain' it brought her. And she wanted to avoid it, so quickly she pulled her hand away. Not taking note of Stylish who had noticed her reaction to seeing the image of Parc.

'fascinating,' he thought taking in the absolutely delectable image of Parc. 'just my type.'

Somewhere far away, a boy was shivering in fear thinking, 'whoever you are, stay the fuck away from me.'

"Why!?" Seryu blurted, "he is an evildoer! Why should we capture him!? He should be put to death li-" A spear of ice shot out of the ground shooting for Seryu's neck stopping just as it pierced a small millimetre into her neck.

The room grew colder, frost forming along the floor and table radiating out from Esdeath's location at the head of the table. Rage in her eyes, "do not question me. Seryu. I wish for Parc's safety; I want him returned to me alive."

"Returned? You sound as if this boy is precious to you," Stylish asked, casting a small look to Seryu who was shivering as Bols broke the ice spear poking her neck and helped her back into her seat beginning to wrap a bandage around her neck.

"He is," Esdeath said, the chill around her dissipating. A blush forming on her cheeks as she kicked her foot against the ground, "he is my lover."

Eyebrows rose in shock, mouths hung in disbelief.

Esdeath, the strongest general in the entire Empire, was in love with an enemy. What type of insanity was this!?

"Night Raid has corrupted his mind. Warped him." She said, a cold smile taking over her expression, "I want to bring him back to me. To the Empire." She looked to Seryu who was looking at her in awe with curled lips, "I want to return him to the light of justice."

Seryu's heart beat faster, 'return to justice?' she thought, raising her metal hands up and looked down at the palms of them, 'Tatsumi…' he had disappeared. She regretted how things had ended between them. Even though she still held a grudge for him wanting to protect those monsters. But she could help him see the light. Show him the truth of the world. Bring him into the light.

Bursting from her seat, Seryu clenched her hands into fists. Her eyes sparkling. "We will save him General! I promise! I will show Parc Evans the light of the Empire and let him see our justice! The true justice!" she excitedly said.

"Good." Esdeath smiled.

"Y-yeah, I'm game." Wave said, Bols and Run nodding along.

Stylish kept quiet. While Kurome just kept her gaze locked on Parc's picture, stroking the leather of her collar the entire time.