A.N - Sorry for the LOOOOOOONNNNNGGGGG wait, I have been less than healthy let's just say. Now, I am working on this a bit more regularly but I make no promises, I am sorry
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To - Honestly due to my own indecisiveness it is becoming one, and I am unsure if I like that. Still, that you for the kind review. Sorry for the wait.
Chapter 24
Kurome was forced into a two-way brawl between Natala and Shanta, every strike or stab forced her back. Shanta had not only gotten stronger at summoning the dead to fight for her, but she had also improved as a swordswoman as well. With the support of Natala, she was formidable. Kurome grunted in frustration as she drew Delrania as she sliced diagonally at Shanta, three silver ghostly apparitions forming beside her and slicing in unison. Natala blocked or stood in the way of the strikes protecting Shanta. Kurome coughed up blood as she felt exhausted and lost her footing. In that one opening, Shanta struck, like lightning from the heaven's, she stabbed Kurome in the back. A smile of sadistic pleasure formed on Shanta's face as her blade punctured flesh and bone in one bloody go.
The iron scent that left its taste on the tongue, the strong smell of blood. Tatsumi stood frozen in disbelief, his relic Deagora still clad him in its scarlet protection. Above him, on the sandstone canyon walls stood Shanta, her blade soaked crimson and pointing to the open sky. Kurome leant backwards a dark red blade protruding from her lower abdomen, Shanta standing behind her, a hand placed across her face pulling it closer to hers. "Now, we can be together forever….We will have so much fun." Shanta whispered into Kurome's ear. All Kurome could do was cough up blood, though her eyes were wide with fear.
Shanta kissed Kurome's cheek as she held her face close to hers. "GET AWAY FROM HER!" Tatsumi roared with anger as he unleashed barrages of flames towards Shanta forcing the Jaeger backwards as the flames parted around Kurome and tried to consume Shanta. She hissed in rage and jumped backwards pulling her relic out of Kurome as she retreated. "Stay out of this third wheel." She hissed at Tatsumi as he launched towards Kurome, fires igniting around him encircling both Kurome and himself protecting them from Shanta. "Kurome, Kurome!" Tatsumi screamed as he held Kurome in his arms, her face pale and blood forming a pool around them. "Tat….Tatsumi...please….please...burn…..me….." Kurome spoke weakly as Tatsumi cradled her. "I …...don't want….. to become... a puppet." She said as she looked into the helmeted lense of Tatsumi, her eyes pleading for him to erase her, reduce her to ash.
"Kurome….please…" Tatsumi spoke weakly before his relic spoke up saying in harsh tones. "Kid, that unholy relic over there binds corpses to the wielders will, it will enslave her…."
"D….please help me save her..." Tatsumi spoke with tears in his eyes. The metal dragon was sat next to him and nodded once, a rush of relief flew into Tatsumi as he slowly moved his open palm to the bloodied wound resting his gauntlet on in. "DEAGORA AXIOS!" Tatsumi's voice roared as the inferno encircling them roared into the open sky splitting the clouds pushing dust and debris across the canyon. Akame who was sprinting to her sister got pushed back by the sheer force of the wind that was whipped into a frenzy by the heat coming off the raging inferno.
Akame ran as fast as her legs injured body would allow her, she had just helped Leone defeat Bols, in a desperate attempt to achieve victory Bols sacrificed his relic to try and buy his escape. The mighty explosion separated the fight into two different engagements. Najenda, Susano, Leone, Lubb and Chelsie were cut by massive walls of fire. While Tatsumi, Akame, Kurome, Mine and Sheele were fighting with Shanta, Seryu and Coro. All but two of Shanta's puppets had been destroyed. Akame was trying her hardest to get to her sister pushing her way through the pressure that was pushing her away with tremendous force.
The fire roared around Tatsumi and Kurome, a cyclone of a raging fire at the top the mighty inferno the mighty dragon Deagora's outline rose, his wings spreading far and wide. Inside the fires, Tatsumi's armour broke as his hand was resting across Kurome's chest as she weakly looked at Tatsumi. Tatsumi felt his body twist and contort in agony as black droplets of ink failing onto Kurome's skin, the ink then took the forms of serpentine dragons that seemed to flow upon her skin heading towards the open wound. The ink serpents dashes from one side of the open wound to another, with every leap the opening started to close. Flesh stretched out to reach one and other. Blood that had spilt onto the floor started to rise heading back into the wound. The pale colour on Kurome's brow lightened as strength and life were breathed back into her body. She opened her eyes widened as she lay upon the cold earth within the eye of the inferno, Tatsumi knelt beside her, his palm resting on her stomach and s warm glow gleaming between the gaps of his finger. While Kurome felt stronger and better than she has in a long time, Tatsumi looked worse for wear, blood was running from his nose and mouth, his eyes were bloodshot. His entire body was straining, muscles were tensed and everything was under pressure. "Kid, be careful…..you're pushing yourself too hard!" Deagora's voice echoed within his head as Tatsumi pushed forward willing for her wounded body to heal, to recover, to live.
What felt like hours for Tatsumi as his body felt like it broke apart it. It was a matter of seconds, the inferno dying down around them. Tatsumi laying face down on the floor unconscious. Kurome stared at him as the fires slowly receded around them. "Hey little lass, can you do me a favour and pull his hood over his head, it's best they don't get anymore hint at who this idiot is..." The voice of Deagora weakly spoke from the ring on Tatsumi's hand. She nodded once as she stood up and pulled the hood over Tatsumi's head.
Shanta was closest to the inferno and had buried her blade into the earth, to steady herself. With a final roar from the fiery dragon, the raging tornado of flames withered away revealing Kurome, her outfit a little worse for wear but she was very much alive and determination burned in her eyes. She was standing protectively over prone body clad in a white coat. Her clothes stained with her blood but she stared at Shanta, her blade in her hand. Kurome burst forward towards Shanta, her blade glowing bright silver as she flickered faster than before, dodging a combined duo of strikes from Natala and Shanta with ease. She even was able to summon her silver echoes for longer periods of time, they were able to fight defensively and offensively whenever she needed.
Sheele and Mine working together pushing Corro and Seryu back when a monstrous toad came up behind Mine and wrapped its tongue around her to eat her, in its highly acidic stomach. Sheele then being forced to fight two on one was quickly being pushed back. The mighty beast pinning Sheele against the canyon wall as it opened its mouth a maw of razor-sharp jagged teeth quivering in anticipation, in a flash of blue light one of the arms of the Corro burst off in a fountain of blood, Seryu looked up in fear as Sheele's rescuers came in the from Susanoo in his trump card from and Akame, the two organic relics clashing wild savagery vs perfect skill, Susanno taking a distinct advantage as he launched the relic down the canyon wall. Seryu was fighting Akame one on one, the sheer difference in skill proved too much for Seryu as one of her mechanical arms got sliced open throwing her down into the canyon. The mighty toad's back ruptured in gore as mine angrily dragged her self out, burns covering her lower abdomen and legs, her pink outfit ruined.
Shanta and Natala, couldn't keep up with the silvery echoes of Kurome. "You were on death's door…..you were mine! MINE! HOW?!" Shanta screamed in rage as Kurome smiled and knocked back an ill manner strike, easily sending Shanta tumbling over. "I doubt you would understand even if I ended you here." Kurome spoke, as she advanced towards Shanta.
"Corro ultimate weapon!" Seryu ordered as Corro, brought out a massive warhead, aiming it at the small group of night raid members. The rocket was destroyed by Mine, using pumpkin. The explosion threw most of Night Raid onto the allowing for Shanta and Seryu to retreat.
"I had lost my relic in that blast, it's fortunate that I have had such vigorous fire training that allowed me to survive that." Bols spoke as he watched from afar as a burning dragon rose into the sky. "Still I doubt I could survive that fire…." He mused weakly as he turned around and found a small little girl crying her eyes out as she was sat on the floor her leg bruised and cut, small trickles of blood pouring out. "Oh no, what are you doing out here all alone little one?" He asked as he tepidly walked up towards the child. "I lost my mammy!" the child said sorrowfully, still crying as she looked at her knee. "Let me help with that." Bols spoke softly as he applied a plaster on her knee. "See? Feels better right?" He asked with a joyful tone in his voice as the little girl wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you!" She said happily before a quick jabbing strike and a needle was in the back of his neck. Taking his breath away. "Did you remember her face….one of the children you burnt away?" Chelsie spoke as a white smoke cleared away. "I….I...can't...die...here….I...need to see them again…" Bols spoke weakly, briefly raising his arms as if to grab the hands of his lover. "Assassin's work surely is a cruel one…." Chelsie spoke as she turned to see Lubb watching. "Najenda has called us all back, it seems both Shanta and Seryu has escaped." He said calmly as he looked at Chelsie, whom stood over Bols. "I should go ahead and …." Chelsie spoke only for Lubb to raise his voice. "They're together, it would be suicide to fight them two on one!...Actually three on one!" Lubb said as he looked at Chelsie angrily, she went to walk away when a few of his threads wrapped around her arm. "Sorry, I am not letting a comrade run to her death!" He said as he looked at her grinning. "Besides, I am sure you would rather check up on Tatsumi...he's in recovery" Without even realising it Chelsie's head turned around and was staring into Lubb. "And..you called us soft..." He spoke with a playful smile, though there was a subtle hint of jealousy in his eye.