Hello, my lovely readers.

Wow! I'm so sorry for the late update! I never thought it would take this long. But I've been very busy lately. Anyway, here's the newest chapter (until the next one is out).

We're going to start things with Alternate Kurome (The Good version of Kurome from another universe).

Before I begin, I'm aware that there might be some people who didn't like how Spear was handled in the next chapter. So let me be clear by stating that there are reasons for this. Even though Spear has the powers of a god, she still has her own limits compared to a powerhouse like Sunny. That is why she lost to her, because Sunny's true power overwhelmed her (though I do appreciate other explanations that were made for the loss).

Next chapter will reveal how Spear's battle with Kurome went. For now, we're just going to have hints of it in this chapter.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANY CARTOON SHOWS (YET!)

Now on with the chapter.

Chapter 41: Assault on the Imperial Palace Part 3

Alternate Kurome remembered the day it all changed. Though the day she chose to part with her sister and join Night Raid was a night she never forgot, the final battle was different than that day.

Esdeath lay on the ground, both sides of her body cut in two and laid meters away from each other. The upper body of the ice queen lay there, bleeding from her missing waistline. She was panting hard as she futilely stayed alive. It won't be long before she ran out of blood and died.

"So, I've been bested…and no less by the youngest of the Night Sisters." Esdeath said, her voice weakened as she saw the approaching Alternate Kurome.

Alternate Kurome had beaten her after a long battle. But the cost of that victory was unforgiveable. Houses were in ruins, a giant ice wall covered the center of the Capital, and then there was the giant humanoid Teigu on the floor, Tatsumi's corpse lying beside its head, with Akame's corpse lying some feet away. Nearly every part of her body had large cuts, with a large hole through her chest.

"What now?" Esdeath asked as a sly grin formed on her face. "Kill me? I guess that would be right…The weak has no right to live, though…to be fair, I would like to die alongside Tatsumi."

The black markings on Alternate Kurome's exposed skin made her look like a monster. Her eyes were black and bloody red as she glared down at Esdeath. The ice queen looked pathetic at her feet. Just a minute ago, she was an unbeatable enemy who Akame died trying to protect her sister. But thanks to that, Alternate Kurome found the conviction to wield both Murasame and Yatsufusa, which was a feat thought to be impossible.

"Is that all you have to say?" Alternate Kurome asked. "You killed…tortured…and wasted lives like they were nothing."

Esdeath chuckled weakly. "This again…Hard to believe I lost to such a weak ideology. But I guess you wouldn't get it. You and I are the same, nonetheless…but our paths differ greatly. Maybe one day you will understand that."

"I will never turn into you." Kurome said before she raised Murasame above Esdeath's head. "Now do this world an actual favour and die."

"YOU!"

Alternate Kurome snapped out of her dream and back to the present. The markings on her skin were gone and she had her normal eye color. But the situation wasn't any better. Spear had woken up, and she was glaring at Alternate Kurome from her hospital bed.

Spear summoned Mjolnir into her hand before she threw it towards Kurome, seated on a chair against the wall. The mystical weapon was coated in lighting. If nothing was done, she would definitely die.

But Kurome surprised her when she held up her hand and Mjolnir stopped. It floated in the air before she pushed it back at Spear, who caught it.

"How…? You're not supposed to be worthy…" Spear murmured, shocked at the display of power.

"I've gone through many trials." Alternate Kurome said before she stood up. "I've faced beings that the average man would call gods. Once you've gone through the hell I've gone through without going insane, you'll be surprised at what you can do."

"I don't understand."

"That's because…" Ben 10,000 said before he stepped out of a room. The automatic metal door closed behind him. "…that isn't the Kurome you fought."

Spear remained quiet as her eyes stared at the adult in front of her. The green gauntlets on both of his wrists looked very family. And then there was his face which reminded him of someone.

Her eyes widened. "No way…Master Tennyson?"

Ben 10,000 chuckled. "I haven't heard that in many years. It's good to see you again, Spear."

"I…I don't understand. You look –"

"Like I've gone to the gym one too many times?"

Spear frowned. "I was going to say older…But none of this makes any sense. You were about my age when I last saw you."

"Oh, I still am…Kind of." Ben 10,000 admitted. "You see, I'm the future that awaits the Ben Tennyson you know. In my timeline I'm known as Ben 10,000. Kurome over there is The Deadly Assassin of the Emerald Knights."

"Kurome?" She questioned before she looked at the black haired girl. "Wait, your arm. I could've sworn I cut that off in our battle."

"That's because I'm Kurome of a different timeline." Alternate Kurome explained, her voice deadpan. "In my timeline I joined Night Raid with my sister, Akame."

Ben 10,000 explained. "Alternate timelines can be similar and sometimes vastly different from one another. Like you, there are times where you died or got saved by someone. Most of the ones you lived, you ended up forming your own rebellion to restore the monarchy."

"Wow…" Spear said before she looked at her bed cover. "Did my father make it in any of those timelines?"

"Not that I know of. He either died by the Three Beast Warriors or by Honest himself."

Spear gritted her teeth and clutched her bed covers.

"You should get some rest. The others will be joining us soon." Ben 10, 000 said before he turned his back on her.

"Master, please wait!" Spear shouted. She caught his attention and quickly apologized. "Forgive me for being rude, it's just…I'm worried about everyone. Lucy is here, but…where are the others?"

Ben 10,000 turned back to her. "No worries, they're fine. My present day self should be facing Esdeath right about now. Sheele is still battling Seryu while Sayo and Aria are fighting the remaining Jaegers."

"Wait, then Aria is still in danger!" Spear said and pushed her bed covers aside. "I have to get back to battle! Sunny might harm them!"

"No can do!" Ben 10,000 said and pushed her back to her bed. He also placed Mjolnir by her bed and added. "They're going to be fine. Everything is still going according to the plan, remember?"

"Oh…I see." Spear said and sighed. "My apologies. I'm just worried about Aria. It's because of my own weakness that she was captured."

"That isn't true." Ben 10,000 assured her and sat next to her. "I'm sure Aria never blamed you for it. Heck, she seemed pretty happy when she saw you before she died."

"Died?"

Ben 10,000 fell silent as he realized what he just did. He stood up and headed to the door. "Forget I ever mentioned that to you. Bye."

"Master, wait!"

She was ignored, however, as he went back inside the room, and the door closed behind him. Confused and yet scared for her blonde friend, she turned to Alternate Kurome and asked. "Do you know anything about this? Does Aria really die?"

"I do…" Alternate Kurome said and stood up. "She'll live through this battle. But…I can't say what happens next. I'm heading out."

"Wait!" Spear cried out.

The room's automatic doors opened as Alternate Kurome was about to step out. But she stopped and turned her head to Spear, subtly hesitant to hear her out.

"If you're not like the girl I fought a while ago, you must understand how I feel. So please…what really happens to Aria in the future?"

Alternate Kurome hesitated and muttered some words.

"What?" Spear questioned.

"I said…remember this name."

"What is it?"

"Chelsea."

Explosions rocked the grounds of the Imperial Palace. Any soldier caught in the crossfire were incinerated in seconds due to the battle. Though their target was Sheele, a former member of Night Raid, they were just in the way of Seryu and her organic Teigu, Koro, as the former was firing relentless missiles at Sheele.

The former member of Night Raid was running and evading them as they came. Clutched in her hands were Extase and behind her was more incoming missiles that exploded on the ground. Seryu was equipped with four missile turrets on her shoulders and a long ranged anti-tank rifle as her right arm.

"HAHAHAHA! YES! RUN LIKE THE CRIMINAL SCUM YOU ARE! ONLY THEN WILL YOU PERISH!"

Sheele ignored her as she put more distance between them. Some missiles flew and destroyed some walls and rooftops of the Imperial Palace. The ex-assassin's luck was going well until she tripped. As such, she tumbled on the ground and came to a stop.

Sheele winced a bit and sat up. A few scratches were on her dress while her body hurt. But those were the least of her problems. She looked up and saw a good number of missiles coming straight for her.

Time was ticking; she had to act. She gripped both sides of Extase and rose back on her feet. Three seconds before the missiles would reach her, she slashed the air as strong as she could. This caused a huge air slash to cut through the missiles and destroy some of them. Other missiles that escaped came straight for her, but she was ready.

She thought over her situation and struck against the missiles. Her speed was incredible, as she cut through the missiles and the explosion that would follow. So long as she stayed her ground, she continued to cut them out until the last one.

But it hadn't come without risk; there was a reason she hadn't done this until now. Sheele's arms were feeling a bit sore. Added to that, she was panting a bit from the huge effort. Meanwhile, Seryu and Koro walked through the pitch-black smoke caused by the missiles, with the former looking pissed off.

"I just don't get it. I studied that Teigu, and yet it does more than what the book said." Seryu said, referring to a Teigu information book she had looked into. "Before I end your criminal life, tell me what's with it."

"I have no incentive to tell you anything." Sheele stated and crossed both sides of Extase. The screw that held them together flew from where it lay and locked itself back onto them again.

Seryu frowned in annoyance. "I should've expected that much. Criminals can never assist the sides of justice. Once you're dead, the empire will hand it over to someone worthy."

"That's funny." Sheele replied and pointed Extase at her. "That's assuming if I'm going to die here."

Her response caused the Imperial officer to stifle and laughed. Sheele was unfazed and waited until Seryu was done.

"BAKAAA!" She yelled and shouted. "KORO! SMASH!"

The organic Teigu did as told and jumped up. Without enlarging his whole body, he swung a large fist down on Sheele. The ex-Night Raid member jumped back before he returned to his master.

"Let's do more, Koro!" Seryu grinned and extended her right arm.

The dog understood and bit on her right arm. When he pulled away, Seryu's hand was encased in a large green metal flail.

"Number 1: Shinkou's Ball of Justice!" She exclaimed before she swung it at Sheele.

The former member of Night Raid jumped out of the way and kept her distance. Seryu soon followed that with constant swings and misses at her. Despite the size of the thing, she was able to move it so freely, but Sheele won't let that discourage her.

She had enough and stabbed the flail. Just then, she was taken aback when it suddenly burst into a fiery explosion. The former assassin was barely able to jump back with her weapon. Her purple dress had a few scorched marks as she skidded back.

"Idiot! I told you I studied that Teigu!" Seryu yelled and laughed.

She pushed her left arm aside which motioned Koro to bite on it too. When he pulled away, Seryu's arm was encased by a giant green drill which she then launched like an actual rocket against Sheele.

"Number 5: Enma's Spear of Justice!"

The purple-haired woman jumped out of the way, and just in time. As the weapon drilled into the ground, it exploded and sent chunks of earth and dirt into the air. Sheele was also thrown into the air. But before she could land, Koro's giant fist came in her view, and she had to block it with her scissors.

"Gargh!" Sheele cried as she slammed against the giant brick wall of the Imperial compound.

Seryu saw that as another chance. As she opened her mouth, a gun barrel was visible, and she proceeded to shoot actual bullets against Sheele. Fortunately, the ex-Night Raid member saw them coming and shielded herself with Extase.

However, the reaction was actually intended to distract her. Seryu used that moment to land in front of her and pummel her with fast metal fists.

"Consecutive Hammers of Justice!"

Every upper-body part of Sheele was hit. Seryu spared little when she hit her at her chest, face and stomach while pushing her back. There was no way to stop it, sadly. She just kept pummeling her through the wall until Sheele's body was sent flying to the wide open space. She plopped on to the ground, where she coughed and rolled as blood spat out of her mouth.

'Oh no…I can't move…" Sheele thought as she winced when she tried to move her arm.

Her situation worsened when there was a loud boom. Koro stood twelve-foot tall as he punched the wall so he and Seryu could walk through.

"And that is how the cookie crumbled." Seryu said as she strolled through the hole. She had a first look at Sheele's state and laughed. "Look at it! Just look at you! Idiot! Moron! Pathetic! This is what awaits you criminals!"

Once she had her fill, she sighed and smiled. "I shouldn't get too ahead of myself. In the end, justice prevails no matter what. It was just inevitable, just like that friend of yours that died so pathetically."

Sheele snarled. She knew whom she was referring to, and that pissed her off. But Seryu didn't seem to care as she snapped her finger. Koro began approaching her as she continued.

"You should've seen the pathetic look on his face! Oh my god, he looked so stupid! He was sprouting some bullshit before he met justice! But I've got to admit he was a stubborn one! Good thing he made for a great snack, right, Koro?!"

Koro stopped and nodded at her with a snarky smile. Seryu added. "Oh, don't worry. I'm sure after justice has been delivered on you, you'll meet him in the deepest parts of hell."

Sheele had heard enough from her. She pushed her body off the ground and grabbed her weapon despite the pain coursing through her body. She then huffed and stood back on her feet, where she met Koro face to face.

"THIS IS THE END FOR YOU, SHEELE OF NIGHT RAID!" Seryu exclaimed before she followed it with mad laughter.

"Shut up!" Sheele said and cut through her laughter. "This isn't over, Seryu! Not by a long shot!"

"You!" Seryu yelled and pointed at her. "How dare you stand in the way of justice!?"

"Justice?! Like you know what that is!"

Sheele struck a chord with that bit of sarcasm. Seryu yelled. "What did you just say?!"

"I don't need to repeat myself!" Sheele retorted as she gripped Extase with both hands. "You're a monster! I may have done some horrible things in the past, but deep down I did it because I wanted to be useful to others! You, on the other hand, just follow a blind sense of justice!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Seryu laughed before she pointed at her. "AN ASSASSIN KNOWS WHAT JUSTICE IS?! YOU'RE TOO HILARIOUS! I'VE HEARD ENOUGH! KORO, FINISH HER OFF!"

Koro jumped straight at her and displayed his rows of sharp teeth in the air. Sheele was unfazed before she did a spin and cut through Koro with one swing of Extase. A large gash on Koro's body caused him to hit the ground.

"Ever since I got my screw loose fixed, I've taken noticed of some things. For one, I know what justice truly is, and trust me, it isn't what you practice. Justice is about being fair to everyone regardless of what they are accused of."

Seryu growled, but Sheele pushed forward with a loud cry.

"WHAT IS YOUR JUSTICE, SERYU UBIQUITOUS!?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP, SHEELE!"

Sheele pushed her right leg back before she leaped straight for her.

"FACE IT! YOUR JUSTICE IS A COMPLETE SHAM! YOU'RE JUST A CORRUPT EMPIRE'S LAP DOG! AS FOR ME?! I'LL BE THE VET THAT PUTS YOU DOWN…PERMANENTLY!"

Seryu cussed under her breath. The distance between them had closed. Quickly, she looked over to Koro who had healed up and shouted. "KORO! DEFEND!"

He went to his master's rescue and landed between them. The ground shook from his feet impact and caused a small dust cloud. Sheele had to land a few feet away to avoid any attack from him. She was unfazed by the sudden intrusion and continued to glare at Seryu.

"LIKE YOU'RE ONE TO TALK!" Seryu cried out. "I'VE SEEN WHAT YOU PEOPLE HAVE DONE TO THIS CAPITAL! FRIENDS ARE DEAD, FAMILIES ARE SEPARATED, AND BLOOD SPILLS BECAUSE YOU PEOPLE CAN'T LET PEACE TO REIGN!"

"PEACE?! PEACE?!" Sheele yelled. "I ALMOST LOST MY PARENTS BECAUSE OF THAT SO-CALLED PEACE! ALL THE EMPIRE HAS EVER DONE IS CAUSE MASSIVE POVERTY AND CORRUPTION! BECAUSE OF THAT, I WILL NEVER FORGIVE THE EMPIRE!"

"HAHAHA! LIKE THE EMPIRE NEEDS YOUR FORGIVENESS! MY DEAR FATHER WAS KILLED BECAUSE OF NIGHT RAID!" Just then, she paused and pointed at Sheele with a dark face. "MARK MY WORDS, SHEELE OF NIGHT RAID! I WILL HUNT YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS DOWN, EVEN TO MY DYING BREATH! I SWEAR IT!"

"I WON'T LET YOU!"

"I DON'T CARE! THIS CHAT IS OVER! KORO! ACTIVATE YOUR TRUMP CARD!"

And so, the organic Teigu did just that. He grew larger in size as his white and black fur were replaced with bloody red and pitch-black fur which became sharp. His teeth also grew longer as his eyes became bloody red.

Once the transformation was complete, he unleashed a powerful howl that cut through the air. It was so loud that Sheele screamed and stepped a few feet backwards.

Koro leaped straight for her, but not like last time. He began punching the air with speed that made it seem like he had countless fists heading her way. There was no way Sheele could block all of them, but there was one thing she could do.

She raised her Teigu above her head with both hands and said. "Shine brighter than the sun! Do it, EXTASE!"

As she called that out, a bright, blinding light emitted from Extase despite the sunny day. Koro was instantly blinded by the light, which gave Sheele the opening she needed. She leaped straight at him and sliced his head off his shoulders. But as she landed behind him, his head reattached, and he swung the back of his fist against her.

Sheele ducked just in time and followed that by leaping over him. With her hands on Extase, she came down and sliced the Teigu in two.

Koro cried out in rage and healed himself immediately. His fury heightened, and before Sheele knew it, she was blasted like a powerful roar. She was sent flying back, her ears almost deafened by it. She skidded on the ground before she quickly swung her weapon against the roar and sliced that in two.

"What the hell?!" Seryu was taken aback. "Did she just cut sound in half?!"

Sheele wasn't done yet. As Koro made his move towards her, she shot her scissors like a javelin at him and caught him within its hold before it flung him away. Extase was in his chest, and yet managed to hook him against the giant wall.

"Koro!" Seryu cried out.

"Seryu Ubiquitous!" Sheele yelled.

The Imperial Officer was punched in the stomach and grunted from the impact. That punch alone came as strong as being rammed by a truck. Her whole body was nearly stunned as she looked into the glaring eyes of Sheele.

"And just so you know, that young man you mentioned, his name was Ieyasu…and he was one of the bravest men I knew!" With that said, she kicked her at the face.

Seryu was flung through the hole before she planted her hand on the ground and did a backflip. She landed on her feet and snarled.

"Fucking bitch!" Seryu cried out.

She opened her mouth again and unloaded countless bullets from the gun barrel. Seryu saw them coming but remained focused. By changing her movement, she dodged them despite how fast and clever they came.

But that wasn't the only thing she did. As the gap closed between them, she grabbed a pebble from the ground and balled her fist around it. She remembered Mine and how she shot so good against their enemies before she threw the thing straight into the barrel. The pebble blocked the airway just as Seryu attempted to fire another bullet. It exploded as a result, and Seryu had to spit it out.

Just then, Sheele's fist slammed against Seryu's face. But it didn't end there. Sheele followed that by punching her at the face repeatedly and very fast. Each punch entered before she ended it with a strong uppercut to the chin. Seryu was sent flying up into the air, her face beaten and covered in blood, when she pushed her head down with furious eyes.

"DIE! DIE! DIE! KORO!"

As she said his name, that section of the wall exploded. Koro leaped straight at her and consumed both of her arms and upper body. When he pulled back, Seryu was carrying a giant missile.

"HAVE A SWEET TASTE OF JUSTICE, NIGHT RAID SCUM! NUMBER SIX: HEAVENLY KAMI OF JUSTICE!"

The missile flew away from her grasp as her laugh filled the air. Sheele was its main target as it closed in on her.

Within the palace, the young emperor had been running from one place to another in his search for his childhood friend, Spear. He hasn't seen her since the time she disappeared with Kurome. But he refused to give up. He had many questions for her, especially what she said about the Prime Minister, who had lost him during his search.

"I'm lost…again." He murmured as he strolled through an empty hall. He could hear the battle outside the palace walls. "I wonder how long it's going to keep up. Do your best, General Esdeath."

Just as he said that, the ground rocked very hard and caused him to stumble. Next thing he knew, everything in front of him exploded as flames raged through the hallway, heading straight for him. He was about to be a goner, but then a purple-haired woman got in his way and slashed at the fiery storm with a purple scissors.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

Emperor Makoto opened his eyes and gasped. The entire side of the palace had been blown to nothingness. Even the upper floors were exposed as the pitch-black smoke began to cease.

"Uh…yeah. Who are –" He stopped himself when he saw her face. In an instant, fear dominated him, and he lost his footing. "You…You're a part of Night Raid."

Sheele scrunched her eyebrows as she stared down at him. "Do I…know you? You look…familiar."

"Stay away from the emperor!" Seryu yelled. She and Koro leaped straight at her, both ready to kill her at the same time. "THIS IS WHERE YOU DIE, NIGHT RAID PEST!"

Sheele's eyes widened, concerned by the unison leap towards her. One wrong move would lead to her death. Even if she cut Koro, he would just regenerate back. And if she focused on Seryu, Koro will be munching on her bones before she could end her life. Then there was the young emperor behind her. Sheele doubted Seryu wouldn't accidentally kill him.

She needed to focus. She closed her eyes and raised her Teigu to the middle of her chest. This was her last chance to end this battle and avenge Ieyasu. Back then, she had been so helpless to do anything. Mine had to carry her back while she, Sheele, remained unconscious through it all.

"Ieyasu…please…give me strength. Let's end this…together." She prayed.

"HAHAHAHAHA! BAKA!" Seryu screamed as the two of them closed the gap.

Sheele found her conviction and leaped at the duo. Extase's bright light shined again, but not through the usual means. A humanoid body seemed to form from the Teigu and latched on to the edge of the weapon.

Seryu's eyes widened as she gasped. Though the light was almost blinding, she remembered the grinning face next to Sheele. A teenage boy with spiky hair was assisting her from beyond the grave.

"Im…Impossible!" She gasped.

Ieyasu heard her well and widened his grin. Before he had died, he discovered where Koro's core was located at the final seconds of his life. But the circumstances was different, and though he was dead, he will fulfill his friend's last wish and help her finish what he had started.

Without Sheele knowing, he turned the angle of the Teigu to the right point. When Sheele closed in on the two, she cut through Koro with such devastating power that she cut through his core and his body.

The shockwave from that swing along flung Seryu to a boulder, where she cried out in pain from the impact before she witnessed what happened next.

"KORO!" She screamed as she pushed her head up.

The organic Teigu cried out in utter pain before his entire body exploded. Sheele was unharmed and landed on the ground safely. Extase's white light began to die out afterwards, but that wasn't the thing she noticed. For some reason, her body wasn't hurting anymore. Even the bruises she got were gone.

None of it seemed to make sense until she saw a faint bright light from her side. To her shock, Ieyasu stood there, his familiar toothy grin facing her as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Sheele gasped. "Ieyasu?"

"Yup, the one and only." He said before he put down his arms. "You've come a long way from the last time we saw each other. I'm proud of you."

"I don't understand…How are you…here?"

Ieyasu remained silent as he just stared at her. Sheele understood his silence. He wasn't going to tell her the circumstances behind his sudden appearance.

"This is as much as I can do. We won't be able to see each other again until a very long time." He said after the short silence.

Sheele understood that statement. He wasn't saying that he will return again like this, but rather they won't see each other again until she died too.

Ieyasu's feet turned pure white, which began to spread across his body. He said. "Ah…it looks like my time's up. I patched up your wounds, so…good luck. Oh, and…please watch over Ben. Many more trials are coming his way. He's gonna need your support."

"I…I will!" Sheele shouted and placed her hand on her chest. "I promise! I will!"

"Thank you…Sheele. Until we meet again, please…stay alive."

Ieyasu bowed his head before that part of him was turned to white. In an instant, he exploded into colorful sparkling light which flew upwards. Sheele watched them head up the skies until they were out of her sight.

She smiled and wiped a few tears that coursed down her face. Though he was dead, she was happy to know that he still lived on in the afterlife. Her focus then changed to Seryu, who groaned as she tried to sit up. She walked over to her, where she then pushed her back on the ground with her foot on her chest.

"You killed Koro! I'll make you pay for that!" She cried out.

But Sheele was ahead of her. As she raised her arms at her, ready to dislodge it and use the guns hidden inside her body, Sheele sliced ninety percent of her arms in one swing. Blood shot out in an instant, and she cried out in pain on the ground.

"YOU! YOU CUT OFF MY ARMS!" She screamed.

"It wouldn't be the first time, though." Sheele remarked before she raised her Teigu above her head to strike her down.

Seryu's eyes widened, but no words came out. She found her resolve and closed her eyes as she awaited death.

"Just know this, justice will…prevail." She said solemnly.

Sheele brought the blade of Extase down at her. That was the end of the battle between them and the accomplishment of her revenge.

So why was Seryu still alive?

The Imperial officer opened her eyes, surprised to see the blade pierced into the ground next to her head. Confused, she looked up at Sheele and asked. "What's that supposed to do?"

Sheele was quiet as she pulled her blade out of the ground. With an invisible thin rope at the weapon, she strapped it onto her back and said. "I'm not going to kill you. That's what you would want. No…I'm going to let you live."

"You're not making any sense."

"You lost after a humiliating defeat. You never got to carry out your sick sense of justice. Worse of all your Teigu is gone and you're lying there at the mercy of your worst enemy. I don't know about you but living through these factors alone is worse than a quick death."

Sheele was right, and Seryu hated it. But there was one thing she could do. She had almost forgotten, but there was a bomb inside her.

"Then you will die with me! That way justice will prevail!"

She laughed hysterically and activated the bomb inside her. But after a few seconds, she stopped laughing and realized something. She was still alive and in the same state as before.

"What…? But how…? The bomb should've gone off!"

Sheele understood what just happened and stomped her right foot against the woman's face. Seryu was knocked out, bleeding from her arms and face, but alive.

Makoto had been watching the whole scene, forgetting his own vulnerable situation. But that changed when Sheele turned her focus to him and approached him.

"Stay away from me! I…I order you to –"

He stopped when she knelt in front of him and patted him on the head. What was even more surprising was the motherly smile on her face as she made eye contact with him. Next thing he knows, she's helping him back to his feet.

"Is this some kind of trick?" Makoto said while trying to form a brave front. "As the emperor I am not the very least fooled!"

Sheele walked past him and picked up his crown from the floor. It had been blown away earlier. She then handed it to him and said. "You're just like what she said. Cute."

"C-Cute?" Makoto asked, his face turning red. "Wait, do you know Spear?"

Sheele simply nodded and turned her back at him.

"Stop right there! I'm not done talking to you!" He cried out as demanding as he could.

Sheele ignored him and continued to walk away. With Seryu dealt with, she had no other reason to stand around and speak with the emperor. Besides, she needed to find a way back to Ben and help him in whatever battle he's going through.

That should've been the case, but then someone made his appearance known.

But then there was one more person she noticed. Coming from a corridor in front of her, Prime Minister Honest emerged, his voice calling out to Makoto before he saw the former assassin approaching him.

Fear coursed through his body, and he reached out to the gun in his coat. Sheele beat him to it however, as she swiftly swung her blade against him, cutting his hand right off. The Prime Minister cried out in pain as blood shot out of it. At the same time, his dismembered hand landed on the ground, spilling its own blood.

He fell on to his knees and grabbed his bleeding arm. But just as he did so, he noticed a shadow over him and looked up. Sheele was strapping her weapon back on her back again. She had no killing intent towards him, though a part of her wished she did.

"I'm not sorry." She said before she walked past her.

She has changed since the last time she killed a person. After the incident with Seryu that fixed the 'screw-loose' in her brain, she was more conscious of her actions. Added to that, she wasn't a member of Night Raid anymore. She wanted to a start something new, even if that meant letting Honest to live. Besides, if everything goes according to the team's plan, he will be facing justice soon enough. Aria wasn't the sole reason they risked coming to the Imperial Palace.

"Honest!" Makoto cried out as he ran to his aid. "You're bleeding it! We should get you some medical help!"

"Uh…yes." Honest said, but his mind was at somewhere else.

Sheele was walking away from them, though that didn't escape his glaring eyes. With great resentment, he swore to himself that he will make her pay.

Fireballs and metallic arrows were flying across the other as their respective owners fought each other. Sayo, armed with an alien-equipped arrow and bows was running at the same speed as Bols, who was shooting fireballs at her.

Both were unable to break the tie between them. Though this version of Sayo had faced worse foes than him, she was deliberately holding back for several reasons.

"Enough!" Bols shouted before he came to a halt. "I'm ending this here!"

"Not happening!" Sayo yelled, coming to a stop at the same time.

She equipped her bow with another arrow and shot it. Bols unleashed a blast of fire at her. However, when their respective attacks made contact on each other, it caused a powerful explosion due to the electricity shooting out of the arrow and the flames not matching.

Sayo and Bols were blown further apart, though they never left the ground. Their feet dragged through the earth's surface before they came to a stop.

Bols huffed. "You're really not going to back down, are you? You're no amateur. You have talent."

"Thanks." Sayo said and smiled. "Hearing that from you means a lot."

"It does?" Though he wore a mask, his eyebrow rose behind it.

"Yeah, but you wouldn't know." Sayo said before she straightened herself. "Bols, I don't mean to fight you. I know you're a good man who's only doing this to help his family live. But please you have to quit…for their sake. You know just as much as I do that one day you will die."

Bols fell silent and said. "There is no denying my fate. I have killed a lot of people. Some of them were even innocent. But…I have gone too deep into the rabbit hole. This is my life now."

"Bullshit!" Sayo yelled. "You do have a choice! Leave the empire and run away with your family!"

Bols snarled. He gripped his Teigu and snapped. "And how would we live after that?!"

Sayo was suddenly bombarded with fierce firepower from the executioner. Flames shot at her from every direction, making her have close calls as she dodged and jumped out of the way. Each moment of it, Bols drew closer, his rage building as he lamented his life.

"You talk like you know me! You don't! You don't know the countless blood I've shed, the scars on my face, or my internal struggles! And now that I have a family that looks out for me, a monster who might as well rot, you ask me to carry them off somewhere to rot and die with me?! No one will accept a man like me in their homes or workplaces! So stay out of my life!"

Bols's flames caught on the grass and began to escalate. As it did, Sayo's attention went to them before she regretted it. Bols leaped towards her and unleashed a blast of fire at close range. The only thing Sayo could do was watch as the flames closed in one her.

"Grab on!" Aria cried out.

The blonde grabbed Sayo and got them out of the range of fire. When she landed on the ground, she huffed and put Sayo down. The black-haired teen stepped away, partially disgusted that she had been saved by Aria of all people. But that disgust subsided when she looked at her and saw what she looked like.

Aria stood as a muscular future version of herself. Her blonde hair was longer than before, and her dress had a few rips due to it being unable to hold on to her entirely when her muscles expanded. This was her Teigu's trump card. It have her the ability to enhance her body and mind to superhuman stat.

Sayo scoffed at her. "Stay out of my way. I didn't need your help."

"Um…fair enough, I guess." Aria replied.

Run flew above Bols and looked down at the scene. "Bols, the whole place is going to burn! General Esdeath won't be pleased if the palace is burnt down!"

Bols nodded at him and made a switch of his gun's formation. When he pressed the trigger, he sucked in the flames in the whole area.

"Impressive. I didn't know you could do that." Run said as he landed next to him.

"I rarely have to use it." Bols replied. He barely hid the pain in his voice. "How are the others? I might need backup against her."

"No good. Wave and Kurome have been taken down. I caught Seryu destroying a section of the palace, but I can't find Sunny. But on the good news, General Esdeath is handling Ben Tennyson."

"So…right now it's just the two of us."

"Looks like it." Run said and looked at Sayo and Aria.

"What do we do now?" Aria asked. "I know you hate me for what I did, but right now we're in a battle. Got any plans?"

Sayo sighed. "You're useless…but I can't deny that you're right. Run is a long-range combatant, so he's vulnerable to short-range combat. But because he can fly, anyone that's restricted to the ground is vulnerable to his attacks. But Bols is also a long-rang combatant too. We should switch places. Take on Bols, and I'll handle Run."

"You know we can hear you, right?" Run asked as he spread his wings. "By the way, how do you know my name?"

"Can't say. But we kind of know each other." Sayo said and pressed a button on her black combat boots. In an instant, green lines appeared.

Bols back at Run. "Ignore her. She speaks so vaguely that it's impossible to understand her"

"I'll take your word for it."

Sayo took no offense to it. She did know both of them from her own timeline, but it's not like she could tell them that and have them believe her. Besides, this version of them are her enemies.

She saw her chance and ran up the walls of the Imperial Palace. Run saw her go before he nodded at Bols, who nodded back. Both combatants knew what to do before they separated.

"Now it's just you and me." Aria said and charged at the executioner.

Bols huffed before he pointed his flame thrower at her. With a single pull of the trigger, he shot a lot of flames at her direction. Aria jumped out of the way and did a few flips over his head. Bols followed her until he had to turn back, but that was her chance.

Seeing a brief opening, Aria closed the gap between them and pushed the flamethrower aside before following that with a direct punch for his face. But Bols was quickier, and he grabbed her fist with his free hand. He then slammed his knee against her stomach which caused her to grunt, and backhanded her across the face.

Aria's body flew a few meters above the ground. She was able to do a backflip and return to her feet, but by then she had to dodge a fireball from Bols. The executioner continued to shoot more fireballs at her. In response, Aria dodged them with great reflexes and began heading towards him. The situation would've been in her favor if not for Bols's next move.

Looking to his back right, the executioner jumped to the second floor of the Imperial Palace and simultaneously broke the brick wall with his hand and foot. Both body part hanged on to the wall with his other leg daggling and his other hand holding his flamethrower. He had the higher ground now, before he used that to rain fire down on Aria. The blonde could only run out of the way as the fire came.

Back with Sayo, she was jumping from one rooftop to another while being pursued by Run's projectile feathers. Her bow was converted to a metallic green and black staff which she used to launch herself from one rooftop to another.

As the feathers closed in on her, she turned to their direction and she spun her staff in a circle and created a wind blast that sent the feathers away. They exploded on impact with the palace's walls and roofs. But none of that mattered to her. More feathers came from behind and caused her to jump to the next rooftop before they exploded on the place she once stood on.

She had no time to rest, thought. Run unleashed another round of feathers at her before she jumped onto another rooftop. She heard the feathers explode behind her, and faced Run who was impressed by her speed. His feathers always locked on to a target, and yet she waited until the last few seconds to evade them unscathed every time. But that didn't mean he wasn't relentless in his attacks.

Sayo found her footing again and converted her staff back to a bow. With its return, she put two arrows on the bow and fired them. The arrows closed in on Run, when suddenly they exploded and revealed smaller but faster arrows.

Run reacted by flapping his wings with a mighty wind. The arrows were thrown off course and exploded at other parts of the palace. But then Sayo followed that failed attack with a single arrow that went straight for Run, who reacted by shooting a few feathers at it. As expected, the feathers destroyed the arrow, unaware that the arrow had actually been a casing for a small green and circular device.

Before Run could respond, the device latched on to his chest and unleashed five wires that grabbed his arms and wings together. To make it worse, the young man was then subjected to torturous volts of electricity that caused him to scream as he plummets to the ground.

Sayo wasn't done with him, though. She shot an arrow that connected to the middle of the device. With a rope now by the end of that arrow, she swung him in the air and slammed him against a few concretes before she released him. Run was sent screaming before he slammed on the ground a couple of times. As the electricity died down, he breathed hard before he used his strength to break free of the wires.

Just then, four long arrows land around him and grew to the size of javelins. Run had no way to escape when they caught him in an electrical cage and shocked him. They then exploded, catching him within the explosion.

From the top of the palace, Sayo looked down as the black cloud cleared away. The explosion had caused a small crater on the ground, with Run lying in the middle and his Teigu in pieces. His clothes and body had also received some damage.

"Sorry, Run, but at least I didn't kill you. Hopefully, someone can come to your aid when this is all over." She said before she turned her focus away.

Aria was busy with Bols and a burning field. Any mistake she might make would lead to her painful death. Bols didn't even seem to care about the environment anymore. He was just burning everything so he could trap her in once place and watch her burn to death.

His plan even seemed to be working. As the temperature on the field worsened, Aria began to feel faint despite her superhuman stamina and constant attempts to avoid the fires. But the situation was worsening for her. Before her mind could register it, she was trapped like Bols wanted with no way out.

Unknown to her, her only rescue was watching the scene. Sayo was contemplating saving the blonde girl. She even had an arrow that would help her escape a slow and painful death by Bols. But for personal reasons she refused to intervene.

"Sayo, what are you doing?"

The black-haired girl groaned. Behind her was Professor Paradox, who was looking at her with a frown.

"If you don't help her now, this timeline will forever change." He added.

"You say it like it's so easy." Sayo scoffed. "Like you would understand the pain. Though it has been over a year since then, I can't forgive that monster. So what if she dies here? She killed me in this timeline and screwed up with Ieyasu."

Paradox sighed. "So this is what it's about."

"What else could it be?" Sayo asked, looking over her shoulder. "She deserves to die. Many people died because of her and those parents."

"Maybe, but…I think you're confusing two people."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Aria from your timeline and this timeline. The both of them are two different beings." He said before he explained. "Your timeline's Aria is dead. You made sure of that. But this one lives, not to do evil but for good. You think she's doing this to redeem herself, however that is so far from the truth. She knows there's no redemption for the evil she has done, nor does she believe she can make up for it by doing some good deeds."

"Then why is she doing this? Because she likes Ben?"

"Hmm…That's something you should ask her." Paradox told her before he scowled. "Besides, aren't you being a bit hypocritical? You accuse this version of Aria as a monster, yet you hesitated to kill Ieyasu of a different timeline who turned out to be evil...Tell me, how many people have suffered and died because of that decision?"

"I…" Sayo looked away. "I made a mistake…I know that."

"But that hasn't brought them back, now has it?" Paradox asked rhetorically. "An entire timeline was wiped out because of that decision."

"SO WHAT'S YOUR POINT?!" Sayo cried out as she barked at him. "HE'S MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND! I CAN NEVER KILL HIM!"

"Wrong…He's not your childhood friend. He's someone from a timeline that YOU was never born in." Paradox told her with a straight face. "Though he might've grown the same way as the Ieyasu you knew, he chose his own path just like everyone does. The same goes for her."

The time-walker pointed at the situation on the ground. Smoke was covering the air as the flames grew wildly.

"You can't bring back that timeline or those people, nor can the Sayo or Ieyasu of this universe be returned. But you can save this timeline…or you can let her die and have another timeline where this version of Ben is corrupted like the few we've already met."

Sayo closed her eyes and sighed. Just the thought of saving Aria sickened her even though she understood Paradox's point. He wasn't saying that Aria's death would cause Ben to turn evil, but it was a first step towards it, especially in a world where a lot was at stakes.

"Fine…"

Sayo gave in before she pulled out an arrow. She pointed her bow with it and shot into the sky. That alone caused the arrow to explode and unleash a small rain to the ground. Bols's flames were extinguished, much to his surprise, and saved Aria.

"I hate when you're right…you know that?" Sayo muttered.

Paradox smiled amusedly before he disappeared in a flash of blue light.

Back with Aria, she felt the rain coat her face and dress. It was a relief to her skin and her lungs as she breathed hard and began to recover.

"Impossible…" Bols said as he looked around. "Where did that rain come from? It shouldn't have stopped the fire."

"I…I have a feeling…I know where it came from." Aria panted as she rose back to her feet. "But I can't believe she helped me…Thank you, Sayo. Now I can do…THIS!"

Before she said that last word, she readied her feet for a giant leap forward, and jumped. Bols was barely able to react when she punched the brick wall with her bare fist and cause a large crack that led up to his position. He had to escape before the whole thing collapsed. But as he landed on the ground, Aria, now filled with adrenaline, caught him off guard by pummeling him with consecutive fast punches at his face.

Bols had to take in the beatings before she ended it with a quick uppercut. His body was flung into the air before it spun and landed on the ground on his front. Aria sighed in relief before her trump card shut down and returned her back to her normal size.

"You could've finished the fight sooner." Sayo said as she approached her. "Train harder. I won't save you next time."

"I will…Thank you." Aria said and smiled. "I know it wasn't easy to do that back there."

"Whatever." Sayo snubbed her.

Aria's smile remained as she stared at her. Now that she thought about it, the Sayo of her timeline wasn't so bad. She was kind and sweet in the short hours she knew her. If only she hadn't gone along with her parents back then, they could've been great friends.

But Aria knew better than that. The chance had been there before she lost it. And now she may have to regret it for the rest of her life.

Before they had the chance to do anything else, they heard clapping from some meters above them. Looking to the direction, Sayo and Aria were shaken with fear when they saw Sunny in her Anodite form looking down at them.

"Bravo, girls. And here I thought you guys wouldn't work together." Sunny said amusedly and stopped clapping. "Well, fun's over. Time to bring back those deadbeats."

She snapped her fingers before the results revealed itself. Pink seals on the necks of the Jaegers appeared before the mana-energy from them coursed through their bodies. Not only did the members of the Jaegers awaken, but they suddenly felt greater power coursing through their body.

"Incredible…" Dr. Stylish said as he flexed his hands and smirked. "So this is the backup power she was referring to. Not my style, but I love the result."

The situation worsened when Run arrived, his Teigu repaired and greater than before. It was encased in a pink aura, with pink lines running through the wings. He landed along with his comrades as they closed in on the two girls, who readied themselves for a battle.

"Is that you…Sunny?" Bols asked as he looked up at her.

The Anodite answered. "Of course. Don't I look beautiful in this?"

"Ah, I see." Dr. Stylish said with a smirk. "So this is your Trump Card. I wonder, did someone push you so hard that you had to use it?"

She scowled. "Watch it, old man. You had your ass kicked by a bunch of girls. And besides…I handled that pest better than you could have."

"Oh, I see. Pardon me." The doctor replied amusedly.

"Where's Kurome?" Wave asked as he looked around. "Shouldn't she be here too?"

"And then there's Seryu." Run mentioned.

Sunny looked around and said. "Wow, both of them had their asses handed to them."

"What does that have to mean?" Wave asked, somehow offended by her comment.

"Kurome's arm was cut off, so she doesn't have the seal anymore. Worse, it would seem that she's bleeding to death now."

"What?!" Wave's eyes widened. He didn't even waste a second to transform into Grand Chariot and fly off.

Sunny was a bit hurt by his departure but shook it off. She added. "And Seryu's Teigu has been destroyed. It had the seal on it."

"Ah, that's disappointing." Dr. Stylish commented, but not because of any concern. "Guess my experiments on that Teigu is over. Whatever the case may be, I'll find some other guinea pigs."

"Let's end this." Bols said before he pointed his flamethrower at Sayo and Aria.

"Do what you want." Sunny commented before she floated back. A pink chair made entirely by mana formed in the air, and she sat down on it. "Have fun."

Aria and Sayo closed the gap between themselves, shoulder to shoulder as the Jaegers prepared to advance. The Jaegers were tough enough without the power boost Sunny had given them. And now that their own aura was oozing with it, Sayo doubted their chance of victory.

"I will end it here!" Bols stated.

He unleashed a loud cry as his Teigu swallowed him. When the transformation was over, he stood as a twelve-foot tall white and gray armor with the pack of his flamethrower remaining as the back and both hands now equipped with the ability to shoot blue flames.

Dr. Stylish moaned with joy as he did a gracious spin. His body went through its own transformation. He grew large in height and size as his muscles expanded and his black hair grew long. Along with that, his skin turned grey while his clothes ripped as it tried to accommodate the rapid change.

Run, on the other hand, shrugged and said. "Sorry, but I'll rather stay the way I am. This is enough for me."

"Suit yourself. But you're really missing out." Dr. Stylish replied and turned to the two girls. "Such a shame. And I was really considering leaving one of you alive for my many experiments."

"Fuck you! Like we're going to be your new guinea pigs!" Aria yelled.

"Ah, that's the spirit. Now DIE!"

He opened his enlarged mouth and unleashed a pink and powerful beam. Bols and Run followed, as they unleashed their newfound power. Bols extended his arms and shot blue flames from his palms while Run unleashed fiery feathers at them as well.

"Get back!" Sayo shouted as she got in front of Aria. She equipped three arrows and shot at the incoming attacks.

The arrows met with the attacks and exploded with an electric discharge. Somehow they created a blue shield which defended them from the attacks. However, the defense began to break, and before they knew it, it fell apart as the attacks broke through and headed straight for them.

Sayo and Aria braced for the worse. Unknown to them, however, Sheele arrived on the scene from the top floors of the Imperial Palace. She leaped and landed in front of them before she swung her Teigu against the simultaneous attacks. In an instant she cut them into nothingness, thus saving the two of them.

"Sheele…" Aria said and smiled. "Thanks. You saved us."

The purple-haired ex-assassin looked back at them and nodded with an assured smile. But the battle hadn't even started yet. That much was clear when Sunny laughed.

"Oh how precious. You think that's going to save you three?" Sunny said before she leaned back on her chair. "At least we don't have to look for you, four-eyes. Now the three of you can die here together. Isn't that sweet of me?"

As she said that, the other Jaegers readied their respective weapons for another attack. Sheele gripped her Teigu as she waited for the worst. The same were for Sayo and Aria, with the latter bringing her flute-type Teigu to her mouth.

"Pardon me, but I'll be taking it from here, if you don't mind."

Sayo gasped as she recognized that voice. In a flash of blue light, Professor Paradox appeared in the middle of the battlefield and said to the girls. "Though I wish to be positive, I have to agree with Sunny. Only Sayo can survive this, however the same can't be said about the two of you."

Aria looked at Sayo, who just shrugged. "I've been through worse."

"TIME-WALKER!?" Sunny shouted as she sat forward.

"Not my name, but yes, it is I." Paradox said with an amused smile. "Your grandmother had requested that I stay out of this and allow young Ben to handle you. However, your unsupervised actions is threatening the unruly balance in this world. If nothing is done, it might bring unwanted attention from…others."

"What is he talking about?" Run asked as he looked back at Sunny. "Do you know this guy?"

Sunny froze as she looked away. She has played herself to be someone from this world. If she leaked what Paradox truly was, her role would come to an end.

"Apologies, Run, but now isn't the time for you to ask that question. You will know everything when the time comes. Until then…"

Paradox raised his golden arm and snapped his finger. That alone was enough to defeat the Jaegers, who immediately lost their power and fell to the ground unconscious. Sunny was unimpressed as she frowned and stood up. The chair she made disappeared, and she looked down at Paradox with hatred.

"I hate you so much, do you know that?" Sunny asked rhetorically as she landed on the ground. "But now that you're here, I'll kill you myself. You may control time and space, but you're still human."

"Is that so? Truth be told, I forgot what it means to be human. Mind reminding me?" Paradox said and began to approach her.

"Oh? You're approaching me?" Sunny grinned as she spread her arms apart. "Instead of running away, you're coming right to me. I'm a goddess here, and yet you're making a reckless move?"

"I can't do much unless I come closer, now can I?"

"Oh ho! Then come as close as you like! This place shall be your grave, PARADOX!"

And so, both Paradox and Sunny, two powerful beings in their own ways, drew closer, ready for a battle that might shake the entire universe.

And done.

Before you guys ask, yes that was a JoJo's Bizarre Adventures reference.

Anyway, I know the previous chapter implied that Ben would be in this chapter. However, I realized while typing that it wouldn't be possible here. Don't worry, the battle between him, Esdeath and Budo will happen in the next chapter. It'll contain a battle with Professor Paradox and Sunny too. Who will win? Let me know in the reviews.

Fun Fact: Professor Paradox hinted Run's future in this chapter. Some of you may not know, but Future Run has already made his appearance.

Another thing I should mention in Kurome. I couldn't find anywhere to fit her battle with Spear. But fear not, it will come as a flashback one day.

With that said, I have one last thing to say. My YouTube channel has now hit over 50 subs. So as to celebrate the milestone, I'm going to have a Questions and Answers video. Check out my update video on the channel and ask ANY question you have. It can be about me, the channel or the fanfictions I've written.

Btw, the channel's name is Facts and Fiction Studios.

Thank you for reading. Please let me know what your thoughts on the chapter is. I will see you guys in the next chapter.